Hi all, and thanks for any help you’ve given us so far! We’re feeling fairly certain that Theo is the right name for our first baby - I’ve even stopped calling him Newt!
My husband and I are both partial to just Theo on its own, but I’ve already had plenty of people ask us “is it short for Theodore?” and wonder if that would drive us and our son nuts over time. My name is technically a nickname, so I can commiserate. We figure we should name him what we want to call him, but my husband has a typical formal name and goes by his nickname so frequently that I almost forget his actual name is something else (think Robert/Bob) so would it be so odd to do the same to our baby?
Some other thoughts:
- with just our last name, I think Theo B3nn sounds better than Theodore B3nn
- we want to use two middles to honor family on my husband’s side. Theodore James Douglas B3nn does flow “better” than Theo James Douglas B3nn but is it too much? Seems awfully heavy, to me - are we knighting the kid or something?!
As usual, thanks for sharing your thoughts, Berries!
1 Like
I’d use just [name_u]Theo[/name_u] - it’s popular enough as a standalone name, holds its own and feels like it’s the one that works best for your situation
1 Like
To be very honest I see the “formal side” of a name as an advantage that you give your child in life - I think in serious settings and job interviews and such , having a name like [name_u]Theo[/name_u] could contribute to the employer’s bias and give vibes of lack of seriousness… Not to mention if people already assume it’s a nickname of [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], why not make it so?
That is strictly my view , however, and not to mention I’m European where actually in many countries the rules around names are a lot stricter than they are in the US - so nickname names tend to feel incomptele to me that’s why I imagine those situations potentially happening. If you don’t think this push for formal names exists where you live and generally see young children or babies with nickanme names in your area, I do not think it’s a big deal then. Not to mention my ultimate rule, which is also nameberry’s rule, is “Use the name you love” → If [name_u]Theo[/name_u] just feels like exactly the name of your son and you find [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] just too stuffy for it’s own good, then it means [name_u]Theo[/name_u] works for your family and you not only can but should use it.
2 Likes