Will Kate be called Katie?

I love the name [name_f]Kate[/name_f] but have bad associations with the name [name_f]Katie[/name_f].

[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think [name_f]Katie[/name_f] is an inevitable moniker for [name_f]Kate[/name_f]?

Honestly, if you never call her [name_f]Katie[/name_f], I doubt anyone else would. Although when she goes to school, she could potentially be nicknamed that.

I used to have a friend named [name_f]Kate[/name_f] who hated to be called [name_f]Katie[/name_f], and nearly every teacher in secondary school tried to call her [name_f]Katie[/name_f], even when she told them. I think people just make the assumption, which is a shame because [name_f]Kate[/name_f] is a beautiful name but I’m not keen on [name_f]Katie[/name_f].

Good points, thank you!

It seems like nickname-proof names are the best way to go if you want to keep your child from being called a name you didn’t choose.

I’m [name_f]Joanna[/name_f] but am always called [name_f]Joanne[/name_f], even after correcting people, sometimes multiple times. I wouldn’t want to foist that annoyance on my daughter.

I think it really depends on how assertive you are, if your child is likely to agree with you and how many [name_f]Kate[/name_f]'s are in her school/class. [name_f]Kate[/name_f] is quite common so its likely she will have a nickname as a way to differentiate. Plus your daughter might prefer [name_f]Katie[/name_f]. My parents call me [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] but I am definitely [name_f]Tash[/name_f] to myself

I really don’t think so.

I always call people by their given name unless told it is ok to call them something else. So to me, [name_f]Kate[/name_f] is just [name_f]Kate[/name_f].

I think there’s a very good chance that [name_f]Kate[/name_f] will be [name_f]Katie[/name_f].

Unless you call her it, I don’t think anyone else will think to. My auntie is called [name_f]Kate[/name_f] and that’s what everyone, bar her grandma (whom did call her [name_f]Katie[/name_f]), called her by. It never even crossed my mind to call her [name_f]Katie[/name_f], but I never think to call people by a nickname unless they introduce themselves as it or it’s what the majority call them by.

I’m a [name_f]Kate[/name_f] and no one ever calls me [name_f]Katie[/name_f]: [name_f]Katie[/name_f]'s a very, VERY common name in the US so I think typically people are relieved to not have to distinguish [name_f]Katie[/name_f]-Middle-Initial. I’m usually the only [name_f]Kate[/name_f], which is nice (though it’s getting to be trendier for babies now so your milage my vary-- I’m in my twenties).

I wanted to name my second daughter [name_f]Kate[/name_f] but the thought of her being called [name_f]Katie[/name_f] made me cringe. Her middle name is [name_f]Kate[/name_f] instead. If you are assertive enough, you can probably avoid it…I guess it really just depends on how much it would bother you.

I never understood why anyone would take a one syllable name like [name_f]Kate[/name_f], and me it longer by turning it into [name_f]Katie[/name_f]. I guess you and your daughter would just have to be very assertive about telling people it’s [name_f]Kate[/name_f], not [name_f]Katie[/name_f].

To further the association with [name_f]Katie[/name_f], why not use [name_f]Cate[/name_f]?

It’s up to you to uphold your child’s name to [name_f]Kate[/name_f]. SHe will have some through her life who refer to her as [name_f]Katie[/name_f], but as long as she (and you) stands by her name that’s what matters.

As always, it’s impossible to say now what nicknames your child will be called by. For the older generation it was perfectly acceptable, even expected, to use nicknames for people you met. Nowadays the social norm is to only call someone by the name they introduce themselves with, so I think you have a better chance of getting by with just [name_f]Kate[/name_f]. But as others have pointed out, you only have limited control over what your daughter will want to be called and what her school friends will use. If you absolutely hate [name_f]Katie[/name_f] and never want her to be called her that, you should look for a different name with nicknames you like. (From personal experience, I’m a [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] and my mom always wanted me to grow up and be called [name_f]Kate[/name_f], but I hate it. I go by [name_f]Katie[/name_f]. So there you go.)

My name is [name_f]Kate[/name_f] and I have never had any problems. Sometimes when I first introduce myself, people will hear [name_f]Katie[/name_f], but that’s an easy fix. Beyond that, I’ve never had anyone try to nickname me [name_f]Katie[/name_f], or otherwise call me [name_f]Katie[/name_f] knowing that I go by [name_f]Kate[/name_f].

I went to school with a girl named [name_f]Kate[/name_f] who was NEVER called [name_f]Katie[/name_f]. I don’t think it even crossed anyone’s mind.

I don’t think it’d be an issue at all. I’ve never heard a [name_f]Kate[/name_f] being called [name_f]Katie[/name_f] (or any other nickname for that matter, just [name_f]Kate[/name_f]- it’s so short and simple already there’s no need to). All the Katies I’ve known were either born [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] (or some spelling of it) or just [name_f]Katie[/name_f], never [name_f]Kate[/name_f].

Some people will probably feel an urge to call a [name_f]Kate[/name_f] ‘[name_f]Katie[/name_f]’. The best solution is to insist firmly on [name_f]Kate[/name_f] and be willing to cut off/confront people who for some reason cannot get your name right.

I have a friend named [name_f]Kate[/name_f], and no on ever calls her [name_f]Katie[/name_f]. I don’t think that the nickname is inevitable.