Nns & variations VS trad full names on birth certificates?

I wasn’t sure where to post this as it’s more of a general question (but it does apply specifically to me also) but here seemed the best place!

I’m not currently ttc but will hopefully be in the near future and I’m planning ahead! And I was wondering what you all think of putting nn’s or less common variations of a name on the birth certificate if that’s the name you plan on using 99% of the time? For example, if you always want to call your child [name]Katie[/name] or [name]Charlie[/name], should those names go on the birth certificate or is it better to use the formal [name]Katherine[/name] and [name]Charles[/name]?

My particular scenarino is that our favourite name for a long time for a girl has been [name]Claudie[/name]. My partners not keen on [name]Claudia[/name], and while I like it, I prefer [name]Claudie[/name]. Now [name]Claudie[/name] is a name in it’s own right, the French variation of [name]Claudia[/name] much as [name]Sophie[/name] is the French variation of [name]Sophia[/name], but it’s also considered a nn for [name]Claudia[/name] and as [name]Claudia[/name] is so much more common I know most people will assume her name is short for [name]Claudia[/name] anyway. So what would you do? Call her [name]Claudie[/name] all the time except maybe formal situations like Dr’s appointments etc but put [name]Claudia[/name] on the birth certificate? Or put [name]Claudie[/name] on the birth certificate? I like that [name]Claudie[/name]'s more unusual but I also think that [name]Claudia[/name] sounds better with our last name, [name]Morgan[/name].

There’s a British actress who works under the name [name]Claudie[/name] all the time but her birth name is [name]Claudia[/name]. And I have relatives in similar situations, like a [name]Maria[/name] who’s never gone by anything but [name]Mia[/name] even during her wedding when she insisted the registrar call her [name]Mia[/name] or she wouldn’t get married! Lol.

I live in the UK where nick name names are more common but I guess I still feel like I’d get funny looks for using [name]Claudie[/name] and that [name]Claudia[/name] would be more accepted. What would you do, and which name do you prefer? [name]Claudia[/name] is outside the top 200 names in the UK so I can live with it’s popularity though I do usual go for more unusual names ([name]Allegra[/name], [name]Mirabelle[/name], [name]Jessamine[/name] etc). Although I do also usually go for longer frillier names too which I guess [name]Claudia[/name] would match better. Would love any input on my particular scenario and the subject in general! I’m currently considering [name]Louisa[/name] as a middle although it’s not set in stone. But I am quite smitten with [name]Claudia[/name] [name]Louisa[/name]! Thanks :slight_smile:

Hmm. [name]IMO[/name], its best to have a full name on the birth certificate rather than a nickname. I guess your examples threw me off a little at first (well, [name]Katie[/name] anyway) because I knew several girls growing up whose full names were [name]Katie[/name]–it was actually quite common, I don’t think any of them there [name]Katherine[/name], so i guess I often think of [name]Katie[/name] as a full name. [name]Charlie[/name] on the other hand is not something I’d have on a birth certificate. What about when [name]Charlie[/name] is applying for colleges or jobs? Having informal [name]Charlie[/name] might look less professional and serious than [name]Charles[/name].

As far as [name]Claudie[/name], I guess that might be a bit different. I didn’t know it was a name in its own right, I thought it was short for [name]Claudine[/name] actually. [name]Claudia[/name] is a name I’ve recently become fond of after a friend named his daughter this, even though I previously thought it was an awful name for a little girl as it just didn’t sound like a name for anyone under 20. I guess I have the opposite problem with [name]Claudie[/name], it sounds like a name for someone in their younger years, but without [name]Claudia[/name] as a possible formal back-up I don’t really like it. I think its important to have both options, because you never know what your child will actually prefer as they age.

Honestly, go for it! like you said it’s a name in its own right, plus you live in a country where [name]Evie[/name], [name]Harry[/name], [name]Alfie[/name], [name]Freddie[/name], [name]Jack[/name] and [name]Millie[/name] are some of the most popular names right now as full names and not nicknames. If you lived in the U.S I would say go with [name]Claudia[/name], but I think nicknames as proper names are way more accepted than here. If I were to meet a baby [name]Charlie[/name] (not [name]Charles[/name]) in the U.S I would assume his parents were too uneducated to know [name]Charlie[/name] is a nickname whereas in the U.K such casual names like [name]Freddie[/name] are very popular among the upper class.

I think you should go for it, especially as you live in the UK. I’m a primary school teacher and there are so many Alfies, [name]Harrys[/name], Ellies, Katies etc that when they’re all applying for work/University nickname names will be perfectly acceptable. I much prefer [name]Claudie[/name] to [name]Claudia[/name] and if that’s what you and your husband love then you should use it. [name]Claudie[/name] does sound nicknamey but it will stand out as beautiful and original amongst the Ellies and Katies.

[name]Hope[/name] I helped, [name]Ellie[/name].

I’m on the full-name side of the fence most of the time. I think the biggest advantage to having a full name instead of just a nickname is that you can switch diminutives- [name]Maggie[/name] can’t really go by [name]Mara[/name] or [name]Rita[/name] if she wants, but [name]Margaret[/name] can choose among dozens of nicknames. So generally I’d say use the full form, but if you really don’t like [name]Claudia[/name], then go ahead with [name]Claudie[/name].

This is the way I look at it, a person is only a child for 20% of their life approximately. 80% of their life they will be an adult. So it’s fun to think of what to name a cute little 7lb. baby, but I think you need to consider the adult version of a cute name. [name]Every[/name] generation has these names but when I see a 50 year old woman, that is named “just [name]Tammy[/name]”, I feel like she was cheated out of a real name.

I love [name]Claudette[/name] [name]Louisa[/name]!

Thanks everyone!

Great to get some differing opinions :slight_smile:

[name]Just[/name] to make it clear, I don’t dislike [name]Claudia[/name] by any means but I do prefer [name]Claudie[/name]. If I called her that all the time though I wouldn’t mind [name]Claudia[/name] being on the birth certificate. I just can’t decide which is the better way to do it! I see both sides, yes [name]Claudie[/name]'s a little younger sounding but to me it’s no more so than [name]Chloe[/name] and I know grown up [name]Chloe[/name]'s! And yes I do live somewhere where nickname names are popular, but [name]Claudie[/name] itself isn’t. But then again [name]Claudie[/name] isn’t just a nickname, its a full name in [name]France[/name] too. But I think [name]Claudia[/name] [name]Morgan[/name] sounds better than [name]Claudie[/name] [name]Morgan[/name]! Ahhh I don’t know! Any more opinions? :slight_smile:

[name]Hi[/name], [name]Laura[/name]!

Hm. This is honestly a tough question, and I think a lot of it depends on personal taste - but, then again, not all of it does, to me…

For example, I am not at all a fan of nickname names. [name]Annie[/name]? [name]Maggie[/name]? [name]Sadie[/name]? [name]Alfie[/name]? [name]Archie[/name]? [name]Toby[/name]? All wonderful nicknames, but I don’t think they have staying power like [name]Anna[/name], [name]Margaret[/name], [name]Sarah[/name], [name]Alfred[/name], [name]Archer[/name], and [name]Tobias[/name] do. Thus, I’d use a longer form and call my child by the desired nickname, but I’d probably swing in an [name]Anna[/name] every once in awhile, too.

But, when it comes to French names in particular, I think you’ve got a different story. What about [name]Sophie[/name]? A real name, right? But, she’s also a nickname for [name]Sophia[/name] - does this mean [name]Sophia[/name] should go on the birth certificate? I don’t think so. It just so happens that many French names end in that -ie “nickname” ending - [name]Sylvie[/name], [name]Aurelie[/name], [name]Ophelie[/name], and many, many more. I happen to love [name]Sylvie[/name], just [name]Sylvie[/name], and I’d never consider needing to put [name]Sylvia[/name] on the birth certificate just to get my [name]Sylvie[/name]. So, why should you have to put [name]Claudia[/name] on the birth certificate if you don’t like it as well as [name]Claudie[/name] and you plan to call her [name]Claudie[/name] 99% of the time? Heck, just use [name]Claudie[/name] and call her [name]Claudie[/name] 100% of the time, right? I think that French names with the -ie “nickname” ending tend to sound a little more grown-up than more traditional nicknames. If we look at [name]Sadie[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name], for example, which one has staying power? Which one sounds perfect for a little girl and a grown woman? Yep, that’s right - [name]Sylvie[/name]. And, if we compare, say, [name]Cammie[/name] and [name]Claudie[/name], the same goes for Miss [name]Claudie[/name].

I guess I’m saying - use [name]Claudie[/name]. Use [name]Claudie[/name] [name]Louisa[/name] [name]Morgan[/name] - I actually think I like [name]Claudie[/name] [name]Louise[/name] better, though. [name]Claudie[/name] [name]Morgan[/name] doesn’t sound bad at all, and I don’t think it is worth it, for you, to use [name]Claudia[/name] [name]Morgan[/name] just to get that extra syllable of subtly better melody.

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

I definitely think you should name her [name]Claudie[/name] she will not be disadvantaged with this beautiful name and she will have friends named [name]Genevieve[/name], [name]Amelie[/name], [name]Sabine[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name] and of course the ever popular [name]Chloe[/name].

When I checked up I found that one site was saying you pronounce it as klo dee I pronouce is a claw dee,is that how you say it?

If people think it is a nn for [name]Claudia[/name] just let them know it is the French variant in other words it is a French name just as valid as [name]Chloe[/name].

Congratulations she will be well named.

rollo :slight_smile:

Thanks guys! Nice to hear [name]Claudie[/name] get some support :slight_smile:

[name]Rollo[/name] -I pronunce it claw-dee too :slight_smile: and thank you for your kind words! Unfortunately not everyone feels the same way and others have told be it should only ever be used as a nn! I guess you’ll never please everyone.

I guess my dilemma is, on it’s own, no middle, last or sibling names considered, I prefer [name]Claudie[/name]. But I can never find middles I like with it, I prefer [name]Claudia[/name] with our last name as I said, and I prefer [name]Claudia[/name] with my other favourite girls names like [name]Penelope[/name] and [name]Mirabelle[/name]. And I wouldn’t at all mind her being called [name]Claudia[/name] sometimes. I used to mind the thought of that but I guess it’s growing on me! :slight_smile: I think the thing that keeps drawing me back to [name]Claudie[/name] is that it’s the more unusual choice which is somewhat important to me. Having said that [name]Penelope[/name] is on the rise and that doesn’t bother me, and I would seriously the consider using [name]Phoebe[/name] even though it’s far more popular in the UK than [name]Claudia[/name].

So if I was to say I like [name]Claudie[/name] and [name]Claudia[/name] equally (which is becoming more and more true everyday), would that change your opinions? My partner much prefers [name]Claudie[/name] but he’s very ok with [name]Claudia[/name] being the formal name and [name]Claudie[/name] being a nn.

[name]Lauren[/name] - I adore [name]Sylvie[/name] too! I often use [name]Sophie[/name]/[name]Sophia[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name]/[name]Sylvia[/name] as examples when defending [name]Claudie[/name]! Having said that, I also love [name]Sadie[/name] and have a 16 year old step cousin with the name. Maybe it’s a British thing but [name]Sadie[/name] as a full name seems fine to me and I can more than see it on an adult!

As a rule, I’m against nicknames as full names, but I do understand that many French names that are variants of -ia names end in -ie are full names in their own right. In your case, however, I personally would go with [name]Claudia[/name]. I just think it’d be easier to go through life saying “My name is [name]Claudie[/name], short for [name]Claudia[/name]” than “My name is [name]Claudie[/name], no, not [name]Claudia[/name], no, it’s not short for anything”. Plus she may decide for herself that [name]Claudie[/name] is too unusual or too cutesy, and want to switch to [name]Claudia[/name]. If you’re not against the full name, I see no reason in putting it on the birth certificate, even if you’re not planning on using it.

[name]Laura[/name],

Hm. Maybe it’s because I have a sister named [name]Sarah[/name] that [name]Sadie[/name] feels far too cutesy to me, but it does seem that nickname names of the classic variety - [name]Alfie[/name], [name]Hattie[/name] - are more common overseas.

Alright, I don’t think [name]Claudia[/name] is vastly better with [name]Morgan[/name] than [name]Claudie[/name], but it would mildly bother me that [name]Claudie[/name] and [name]Penelope[/name] end in the “ee” sound. I happen to adore [name]Claudie[/name] with [name]Mirabelle[/name], though! [name]Claudia[/name], [name]Penelope[/name], and [name]Mirabelle[/name] works beautifully, though, too. If you like them equally and your boyfriend is willing to use [name]Claudia[/name] as her formal name - but still call her [name]Claudie[/name] for the most part - it sounds like you’ve already made your decision, right? I don’t think you could go wrong either way, but it does sound like you’re talking yourself out of just [name]Claudie[/name]. And, [name]Claudia[/name] really isn’t common in the slightest, so I wouldn’t make that your main argument in favor of [name]Claudie[/name], myself…

L

Personally, I’d go with [name]Claudia[/name]. I’m definitely not a fan of nicknames as full names. I’d rather be called (officially) [name]Claudia[/name] than [name]Claudie[/name], even if I always went by [name]Claudie[/name]. More options!

Best of luck with whatever you decide, though :slight_smile:

Personally, I’m all about using nicknames on birth certificates if they are names that will look fine on things later in life such as resumes and college apps. [name]Claudie[/name] fits this bill as it is a nice and different name, but will look good on paper, too. I have a name that is traditionally a nickname as my full name on my birth certificate. My parents were in the same situation that they liked the nickname, but none of the full names. [name]Even[/name] with the nickname as my full name, people will still call me some of the names my parents hate on mistake. If you want her to go by [name]Claudie[/name], especially because [name]Claudie[/name] is at least a new nickname to me, I would set on using [name]Claudie[/name] on her birth certificate. [name]Hope[/name] that helps!

Wow! I was hoping to get a general consensus but it seems every other vote is to [name]Claudie[/name] and every other to [name]Claudia[/name]! I definitely see both sides of the fence which is why I’m stuck!

No [name]Lauren[/name] decision’s not made sadly :frowning: lol. I’m so indecisive I don’t think I’d decide until she was here, or at least until I was pregnant and could discuss it with close family members who I trust to be open minded! And after all this I bet I have 4 sons :slight_smile: hehe.

Popularity is an issue for me. [name]Claudia[/name] is just outside the top 200 in the UK, so no we won’t run into many others her age but it’s also far from being an unusual name. Whilst only 5 [name]Claudie[/name]'s were born in the UK last year, there were around 2-300 [name]Claudia[/name]'s. That’s still not a lot but don’t forget the UK’s a tiny place! I guess my problem is that on one hand I don’t want a name so unusual that people think it’s weird and say bad things about it behind my back, but I also don’t want a name that everyone knows and hears often because then it doesn’t feel special. I love [name]Mirabelle[/name] because it’s very unusual but the [name]Belle[/name] ending makes it seem familiar. And [name]Penelope[/name] is a familiar name and on the rise, but I’ve still never met a [name]Penelope[/name] in my life! And I’d use [name]Nell[/name] as a nn which I think is more unusual than [name]Penny[/name]. So I basically want the perfect balance. Not asking much am I!? Lol.

Thanks for all your input so far, if anyone else has an opinion I’d love to hear it!

P.S. [name]Lauren[/name] - yes the [name]Penelope[/name] [name]Claudie[/name] thing bothers me too, although I could live with it. But [name]Penelope[/name] would definitely be 2nd or 3rd on our list assuming it doesn’t sky rocket to the top 50 in the next 5 years which is very much a possibility!

No one else commented on which name sounds better as a sibling with my other top names out of [name]Claudie[/name] and [name]Claudia[/name] - would love more opinions on that! :slight_smile: