Nicknames

[Lawana]

So it seems there are some who view nicknames as an affectionate expression, and some who view them as an abomination of a parent's God-given right to name his/her child the "name which shall endure."

 

What of it? Can we find common ground?

[Tap]

I think that changing someones name, without asking them first is presumptuous. I guess most people just figure that if someone doesn't want to be called by a nick name, then the nicknamed should have to ask the person to not call them that. The problem with that, is that not everyone is bold enough to stick up for themselves so some people are stuck getting called a name they don't like.

 

I call my children by their given first names, middle names, nicknames and shortened names. I do not let other people shorten my own given first name, as I prefer to be called by my given name. I have been given nicknames that are not related to my given name, and that is fine with me. I have taught my kids to stand up for themselves in regards to their own names. They are all pretty easy going about it.

 

LOL I guess I see both sides.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

I'm one of "those" parents that insist on the full, given name of the child. Except (of course there's an except, why else would I be responding? :tongue_smilie:) if the nickname is unrelated to her name. She has a number of affectionate nicknames from friends and family, and I don't mind them. But I do mind the shortening, or altering, of her given name.

(For example. Pumpkin is okay, Jen is not.)

[Rosie_0801]

I think there gets to a point where the name that has been given to the child has to become their property to use or dispense of as they please. Reading some posts here lately, I've been wondering whether a child is allowed full ownership of their own name before they move out of home.

 

I correct nearly everybody who calls me anything other than Rosie. I had someone correct someone else on my behalf once, and chewed his ear off for it. My name, not his. My business, not his. There are reasons why a person who dislikes being called something may not mind when certain people do, or not enough to correct them. In this case, the chap calling me by my full name was a very serious and formal kind of person.

 

My father insists on pronouncing ds' name the Polish way instead of the way we pronounce it. Ds may accept that's just what he does, or he may grow up and request he change. I consider that as part of a social contract between ds and his grandfather, which has little or nothing to do with me. If he isn't bold enough to stick up for himself on this issue, that's his problem, in my opinion.

 

Rosie

[Jaybee]

A little funny: Dh somehow through the years started calling our oldest dd "Lucy." That is not her name, and is not similar to her name, yet for some reason it suits her as a nickname. When she was an older teenager, a close family friend whom she relates to as an uncle (though he isn't), mistakenly called her "Lucy." She told him, "NObody calls me 'Lucy' but my Dad!" She didn't REALLY mind, but still drew the line, and they had a good laugh.

[rgrin]

If parents REALLY have an issue with this, they should choose names that won't commonly be shortened. If you have serious issues, perhaps you should steer away from William or Jennifer and move in the direction of Eli and Sarah...

 

That's what we did with our boys... at least for their first names. It was actually on the checklist. "Is there a common nickname associated?" I love having easy, non-abreviatable names!

[Impish]

If parents REALLY have an issue with this, they should choose names that won't commonly be shortened. If you have serious issues, perhaps you should steer away from William or Jennifer and move in the direction of Eli and Sarah...

 

That's what we did with our boys... at least for their first names. It was actually on the checklist. "Is there a common nickname associated?" I love having easy, non-abreviatable names!

I disagree.

 

3 of my 5 kids are called by nicknames from their names...and I've had ppl try and shorten them even further.

 

For example, it would be like us calling a Micheal 'Mike'...and having someone try and shorten it to 'Mick'...not the same name at all imo.

 

Or have someone assume they know what the full name is, and be completely wrong and get miffed when the child doesn't respond :lol:

[sewingmama]

I think there gets to a point where the name that has been given to the child has to become their property to use or dispense of as they please.

 

:iagree:

 

I make no claims to being an expert namer -in fact my last kid didn't get a name till he was 3 months old because I couldn't come up with one.:001_huh:

 

I fully expect my kids to hate their name eventually (as I do) and I will tell them they are free to change it to whatever they like so long as they do the implementation. I named my kids so I wouldn't have to shout "Hey, you - Kid No.1 etc - they can change their label without any resistance from me.

 

My DD seems very attached to her name - she will only answer to it in full and corrects anyone who calls her anything else - even me -who has asked her several times if she would like to change it :lol: She identifies strongly with her name.

 

DS2 - goes by his full name - he rarely gets nicknamed though - both the older two have names that are not really open to nicknames.

 

My baby - well I call him a million different things - including the NN I didn't like and told everyone not to use :lol: He answers to them all.

 

All my kids have good middle names (my DD has two) and they can use those instead if they want.

 

I could care less what people call my kids so long as it is not offensive -but they have to get my kids to agree to it first :lol:

 

But maybe I'm jaded because I hate my own first name and would change it except that I'm lazy and my mum would be upset because it would hurt her feelings.

 

I use my full name when introducing myself - and most people are polite enough to ask before shortening it (it is easily shortened to a common NN) - those who just shorten it without asking I feel like punching them in the nose but I don't usually correct them if it is some random person I'll never meet again.

[Ibbygirl]

 

I make no claims to being an expert namer -in fact my last kid didn't get a name till he was 3 months old because I couldn't come up with one.:001_huh:

 

Wow! Really?? What was on the birth certificate?? Sorry I'm being so nosy, I've just never heard of that before so I'm curious. hehe :)

[Ibbygirl]

For me, I'm just happy if someone even remembers my name right at all. I guess my name is forgettable because I always get called something else. lol It's gotten to the point that if the person is making eye contact with me and speaking directly to me I'll pretty much answer to anything. Even if I correct them and tell them my name again, they still always remember it as whatever name they think I should be called. Whaddya gonna do, kwim?? lol

[Rosie_0801]

Or have someone assume they know what the full name is, and be completely wrong and get miffed when the child doesn't respond :lol:

 

I have a hyphenated first name and someone once argued with me until they were red in the face that the first bit was my first name and the second bit was my second name. As if I don't know my own name! :blink: The person went off apparently thinking I was the one being rude. Oddball.

 

But on the other hand, my father didn't find out he'd been spelling his name incorrectly until he was in his early 20's when he got a look at his birth certificate. That's weird too!

 

Rosie

[Alenee]

These threads make me laugh! :lol: (only because I changed my name so many times in school, trying to keep people from saying my name wrong.) There are two names that look similar but are pronounced with a short /i/ and a long/I/ sound depending on spelling. I've purposely had myriad nicknames just to keep from hearing the wrong pronunciation of my proper name.

 

One dd has a shortened version of a longer name and it never ceases to crack us all up when someone calls her by the long version and she doesn't respond. When she realizes what's happening, she politely says that she's just "so and so" not the full name. We think it's funny.

 

So all that to say, I respect what people want to be called and only in close company will I stretch and use a nick-name for a friend/family member. I think it's disrespectful to change a person's name w/o permission. But I also think when mistakes are made, kindness works a lot better than a verbal smackdown. ;)

[Carrie12345]

I stayed away from nicknameable names... until we hit 5. And most people find his nickname "strange", so they stick to his full name. ;)

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I grew up in a family where everyone called everyone else by nicknames. Some were unrelated to the actual name, some were versions of the actual name.

 

Once a friend of mine was talking to me about some girl, and she was acting like I should know who this girl was. I finally stopped her and said, "Sorry, I'm not sure who this person is." She stared at me agape. "It's your sister." I cracked up. No one in my family ever calls my sister by her given name, so I didn't even realize that she was talking about my sister!

 

Nicknames don't bother me. My younger son, though, does not like nicknames and has asked everyone not to call him by anything other than his full name. It's difficult. We've never shortened his name, but we do call him Boo Boo and Bubbles and he's definitely done with those! :tongue_smilie:

 

I have a SIL whose name is Cecilia, and she only wants to be called Cecilia. Many, many people call her Ceci, and she is gracious about it, but you can tell it gets on her nerves.

 

I think that a parent can correct someone calling their child by an unwanted nickname when the child is too young to speak for himself. But eventually, I think the child should learn to make his wishes known regarding his own name.

[J-rap]

Two of our children have nickname versions of their formal name, and we've always used the nickname. Another uses a shortened version of the formal name. One of the nicknames is quite unusual (at least in our culture), so people are always so surprised if they happen to hear her "real" name.

 

If people end up calling one of my children a different nickname or shortened version, it is usually done affectionately, and it does not bother me at all. Or, if they call them a nickname/shortened name by mistake (Rob instead of Robert, for example), I won't say anything -- really, I'm just glad they're making the effort to remember the name and use it! Of course if they get the name completely wrong (calling her Sue for Samantha, for example) I'll correct them, but if they were to call her Sam -- event if WE don't call her Sam -- that's fine. If my daughter chooses to call them on it, that's fine too.

[KidsHappen]

Now deleted to protect the privacy of all the people whose names I discussed.

Edited January 19, 2012 by KidsHappen

[Chris in VA]

A little funny: Dh somehow through the years started calling our oldest dd "Lucy." That is not her name, and is not similar to her name, yet for some reason it suits her as a nickname. When she was an older teenager, a close family friend whom she relates to as an uncle (though he isn't), mistakenly called her "Lucy." She told him, "NObody calls me 'Lucy' but my Dad!" She didn't REALLY mind, but still drew the line, and they had a good laugh.

 

This made me laugh--My mom would sometimes call out to me, "Put your shoes on, Lucy!" in a sing-song voice. Lucy is not related at all to my name! :001_smile:

 

Made me miss her! LOL

[Impish]

KidsHappen, my bro, J's name is spelled *exactly* like your dh's!

[Chris in VA]

I agree with Rosie that names belong to the kiddos and that we need to teach them to state their preferences clearly and politely.

 

One of the most *interesting* nickname stories I have is re Ds20. Some years ago, I went to his public school, 7th grade conference, meeting one of his teachers for the first time. She greeted me, we sat down, and she proceeded to say something like, "Well, let me tell you how Butch is doing."

 

Imagine her surprise when I asked, "Who?"

 

She had no idea we did NOT call him "Butch" at home! He totally made up the nickname for himself and started calling himself that at school! It only lasted a few weeks, but sheesh--talk about "owning" your name...he disowned his name!

 

She was pretty embarrassed, but I told her no sweat. :D

[KidsHappen]

KidsHappen, my bro, J's name is spelled *exactly* like your dh's!

 

Wow, that's weird. I have never met another person with it spelled like that. Although I think that it may be spelled that way in Charlotte's Web and I do sometimes pronounce it the way the goose does. :tongue_smilie:

[AHASRADA]

This made me laugh--My mom would sometimes call out to me, "Put your shoes on, Lucy!" in a sing-song voice. Lucy is not related at all to my name! :001_smile:

 

Made me miss her! LOL

 

I heard this many times as well growing up, from both my mom and my grandmother, also in a sing-song voice.

 

I have a feeling it is part of an old song. Off to Google...

 

ETA: Found it!

 

ANNE SHELTON ~ PUT YOUR SHOES ON, LUCY ~ 1952

 

Put your shoes on, Lucy

Don't you know you're in the city?

Put your shoes on, Lucy

It really is a pity

That Lucy can't go barefoot

Wherever she goes

'Cause she likes to feel the wiggle of her toes!

Edited January 18, 2012 by AHASRADA

[Chris in VA]

I heard this many times as well growing up, from both my mom and my grandmother, also in a sing-song voice.

 

I have a feeling it is part of an old song. Off to Google...

 

ETA: Found it!

 

ANNE SHELTON ~ PUT YOUR SHOES ON, LUCY ~ 1952

 

Put your shoes on, Lucy

Don't you know you're in the city?

Put your shoes on, Lucy

It really is a pity

That Lucy can't go barefoot

Wherever she goes

'Cause she likes to feel the wiggle of her toes!

 

Oh, that is too funny! She's coming to visit this weekend, so I'll have to tell her. :D

[Impish]

Wow, that's weird. I have never met another person with it spelled like that. Although I think that it may be spelled that way in Charlotte's Web and I do sometimes pronounce it the way the goose does. :tongue_smilie:

:lol:

[Night Elf]

I think that changing someones name, without asking them first is presumptuous.

 

:iagree: I find it incredibly bizarre. My son had this happen at the orthodontist last week. We introduced him as Jeffrey. We did not write anything in the 'nickname' spot on the form. Yet he was referred to as Jeff right to his face. It bothered him and it bothered me. It was bizarre and it made my son feel a little less confident about this medical team that was about to do serious work in his mouth. I just don't see where there can be common ground. My name is THIS, I don't want to be referred to as anything other than THIS, why should I have to be subjected to someone else's decision to ignore THIS and call me THAT? What's up with that??

[Heather in Neverland]

If parents REALLY have an issue with this, they should choose names that won't commonly be shortened. If you have serious issues, perhaps you should steer away from William or Jennifer and move in the direction of Eli and Sarah...

 

That's what we did with our boys... at least for their first names. It was actually on the checklist. "Is there a common nickname associated?" I love having easy, non-abreviatable names!

 

:iagree:

 

We purposely picked names that do not have a diminutive form for this reason. I went to school with a girl named Cassandra and everyone called her Cassie no matter how many times she corrected them. I knew then that I would not put my kid through that. It is also why I do not do weird spellings.

 

I think the INTENTION behind nicknames is a sign of affection but only those on the receiving end get to decide if they are ok with it or if they are offended.

 

 

 

.

[unsinkable]

If parents REALLY have an issue with this, they should choose names that won't commonly be shortened. If you have serious issues, perhaps you should steer away from William or Jennifer and move in the direction of Eli and Sarah...

 

That's what we did with our boys... at least for their first names. It was actually on the checklist. "Is there a common nickname associated?" I love having easy, non-abreviatable names!

 

I think that is impossible. I based my nickname picture on real life examples from my real life. :D

 

My elderly neighbor, Ruth, used to rail about people calling her Ruthie. She haaaaated it.

 

I knew a boy named Keith who people called Kee, K, and Kee-Kee. He'd tilt his head like a puppy hearing an interesting sound and just STARE at the person.

[Parrothead]

I'm one of "those" parents that insist on the full, given name of the child. Except (of course there's an except, why else would I be responding? :tongue_smilie:) if the nickname is unrelated to her name. She has a number of affectionate nicknames from friends and family, and I don't mind them. But I do mind the shortening, or altering, of her given name.

(For example. Pumpkin is okay, Jen is not.)

Scoot over a bit. I need to stand next to you and hold up my sign. :iagree:

[Parrothead]

I have a hyphenated first name and someone once argued with me until they were red in the face that the first bit was my first name and the second bit was my second name. As if I don't know my own name! :blink: The person went off apparently thinking I was the one being rude. Oddball.

 

But on the other hand, my father didn't find out he'd been spelling his name incorrectly until he was in his early 20's when he got a look at his birth certificate. That's weird too!

 

Rosie

The bolded part is not unheard of. I know of a couple of instances where an older person spend a lifetime thinking his name was one thing but when he finally saw the birth certificate is was wrong. I think one was a spelling error and one was a guy who went by his middle name and always though the middle name was his first name. Surprise!

 

Birth dates too.

[Murphy101]

So it seems there are some who view nicknames as an affectionate expression, and some who view them as an abomination of a parent's God-given right to name his/her child the "name which shall endure."

 

What of it? Can we find common ground?

 

I happen to view them as an affectionate expression.

I do not think it appropriate for everyone and anyone on the street to decide to rename me or any of my children. Affectionate expressions are usually, IMNSHO, reserved for between family and close friends.

 

I think it is flat out rude for someone to just decide they are going to call another person by something other than the name they were introduced as. If they wanted you to call them someone else, that's what they would have introduced themselves as, tyvm.

 

:D

[Murphy101]

I think that is impossible. I based my nickname picture on real life examples from my real life. :D

 

My elderly neighbor, Ruth, used to rail about people calling her Ruthie. She haaaaated it.

 

I knew a boy named Keith who people called Kee, K, and Kee-Kee. He'd tilt his head like a puppy hearing an interesting sound and just STARE at the person.

 

You have no idea how many dimunitives people have made up for Martha.

 

I have had people call me Mott. (um. No. That was my mother and she hated it too.) Mar. Mars. Marta. Mare. (:001_huh: you'd think most adults would know its rude to call a woman any form of hoofed creature?)

 

For the first time ever, some stranger called one of our daughters Fifi. It brought my entire clan to a halt and we stared at them in confusion and horror. Baby girl is NOT Fifi! She just looked at them and said, "That is not me. I am Phoebe!" and they said, "don't you think Fifi is cute?" to which she and several of her siblings said an emphatic, "No."

[Laura in MI]

I see nothing wrong with nick names as long as the person is okay with them :001_smile:

[meggie]

I personally think it's ridiculous to get your panties in a twist over nicknames. I'm hoping my real name is obvious enough and spent my life being called Megs, Meggie, Meegee, Moomer, Mega-Lega, Nut meg. People didn't ask my permission and I didn't care. Maybe it's just because I hate my full name, so any of those were better options.

 

Of the three children, only Digby has a real possible nickname option.

[Cinder]

But on the other hand, my father didn't find out he'd been spelling his name incorrectly until he was in his early 20's when he got a look at his birth certificate. That's weird too!

 

Rosie

 

I knew a guy in college who was in this situation. All his life he spelled his name Philip. Turns out his birth certificate says he's Phillip. Two l's. He was 20 or 21 when he found this out.

[stephanier.1765]

A little funny: Dh somehow through the years started calling our oldest dd "Lucy." That is not her name, and is not similar to her name, yet for some reason it suits her as a nickname. When she was an older teenager, a close family friend whom she relates to as an uncle (though he isn't), mistakenly called her "Lucy." She told him, "NObody calls me 'Lucy' but my Dad!" She didn't REALLY mind, but still drew the line, and they had a good laugh.

 

My father calls me George and has for as long as I can remember. And even though it is nothing like my name, it's still a name I associate with love and affection. However, just like with your dd, a family friend much like an uncle called me that name once and I didn't like it one bit. That's my daddy's name for me. Period. End of story. :lol:

 

When I was little everyone called me Stephie but I was still pretty small when I really began to hate it and told everyone so. They stopped even including my parents but when I was in 7th grade I had a teacher call me by that name and even though I repeatedly asked her not to she continued to do it just to get my goat. Ugh. I still have strong feelings about that time, that name and that teacher. :glare:

[SheilaZ]

This made me laugh--My mom would sometimes call out to me, "Put your shoes on, Lucy!" in a sing-song voice. Lucy is not related at all to my name! :001_smile:

 

Made me miss her! LOL

 

I call all of my kids "Fred.". None of them are named Fred. My father called everyone including my mother "George.". I was a teen when I learned that her first name really was "Mary George."

I think I call the boys Fred in honor of him.

[The Girls' Mom]

Nicknames don't bother me...but I wish people would quit calling me Heather. It is not, nor has ever been, even remotely close to my name. Apparently I look like one though, because I can't tell you how many people over the years have called me that. It's just funny (and kind of freaky) now.

 

The only nickname I have ever had is Ape. :glare: My dad used to call me Grape Ape.

 

My nephew called me Apple for a while. I wouldn't have minded if that had stuck...but once he could talk properly it disappeared.

 

My kids have all sorts of nicknames, and all but one could care less. Miranda likes her full name to be used with most people. She does let a select few call her Randy.

[The Girls' Mom]

I call all of my kids "Fred.". None of them are named Fred. My father called everyone including my mother "George.". I was a teen when I learned that her first name really was "Mary George."

I think I call the boys Fred in honor of him.

 

 

I call my oldest Fred....lol. She thinks it's funny.

[Princess Peach]

My parents named me a nickname instead of naming me the full name and just calling me a nickname. Not only that, but it's spelled "cutesy". :glare:

 

I can't tell you how many times I've had to explain, that, no <full name> is not my given name, <nickname> is and, no, I didn't invent the spelling, it is on my birth certificate. So, you can't win either way! :D

[clarkacademy]

My kids names have changed over the years! I have different names I call them depending on the mood, the age that sort of thing. I only have one child who is a monster about his name. His technical name is Dylan Fox, Fox is named after my big brother. I and the siblings and about half my family call him Fox. His dad and my parents call him Dylan.

 

He will answer to Dylan for certain people but even at a very young age in daycare when they tried to call him Dylan he was loud in telling them I am Foxy. He went to headstart when he was 3 and even tried to leave the classroom because the sub kept calling him Dylan. He wanted to go home cause that mean lady didn't know how to hear he told the office!

 

My daughter could not say my other sons name Damian she called him Damie. It stuck for years and years and he didn't even know the name Damian. He is 13 and people will still say Damie at times. I call him Alex on occasion for his middle name Alexander but no one else ever will, he would tell them that is my moms name for me.

 

The baby is Skyler Bay named by my older daughter. For most of her life she has been Skyler Bay. She will tell people my name is Skyler Bay. I have never anyone other than Damian call her Sky, he seems to be the only one she would allow that from lol.

 

My oldest is Devlin Lucille. Lucille is for my gramma. When she was little I had no tolerance for anyone trying to call her Dev Dev. Sadly alot of her friends do now. I cringe and she has no issue with it. The last few years I got in the habit of calling her Lucy and she doesn't mind it. I think there also comes a point that a child will own their name so to speak and that will be that. For some it is when they are young for others when they are older.

[Ibbygirl]

Nicknames don't bother me...but I wish people would quit calling me Heather. It is not, nor has ever been, even remotely close to my name. Apparently I look like one though, because I can't tell you how many people over the years have called me that. It's just funny (and kind of freaky) now.

 

 

 

LOL I can totally relate to this. My name is Jennifer. My whole life people never remember my name. I get called Jessica a lot, Melissa, Samantha, Jeanette and more. I guess I just really don't look like a Jennifer. :p

[Cinder]

Nicknames don't bother me...but I wish people would quit calling me Heather. It is not, nor has ever been, even remotely close to my name. Apparently I look like one though, because I can't tell you how many people over the years have called me that.

 

Likewise I was always called Cathy back in high school. I was told by a couple of people that I look like a Cathy.

 

My parents named me a nickname instead of naming me the full name and just calling me a nickname. Not only that, but it's spelled "cutesy". :glare:

 

I can't tell you how many times I've had to explain, that, no <full name> is not my given name, <nickname> is and, no, I didn't invent the spelling, it is on my birth certificate. So, you can't win either way! :D

 

Argh--I got a cutesy nickname as my legal name too, but at least not a cutesy spelling. I asked mom why she named me that. She said she thought it was a cute name. :glare: Maybe for a toddler, but not an old woman. :tongue_smilie:

[athena1277]

I usually correct people when they shorten ds's name. His name is one where few people go by the full version. However, he's a junior and dh goes by the nickname, so it's really confusing if ds is called by the nickname. If he were not a junior, I would not mind the nickname.

 

Dd goes by the nickname of her name. Sometimes I wish we hadn't because her full name is really pretty.

[lynn]

I just wish people would say my given name correctly. No one ever gets it right when they first hear it they will say one of two other common names unrelated to my name because my given name is not as common. (Lynn is my middle name)

[Ibbygirl]

I just wish people would say my given name correctly. No one ever gets it right when they first hear it they will say one of two other common names unrelated to my name because my given name is not as common. (Lynn is my middle name)

 

Lynn is my middle name too! :)

[lionfamily1999]

So it seems there are some who view nicknames as an affectionate expression, and some who view them as an abomination of a parent's God-given right to name his/her child the "name which shall endure."

 

What of it? Can we find common ground?

I prefer common courtesy. Can't we just use the name the person already uses?

 

I don't mind nick-names. My name is Juliana. I go by Julie, Jules, Julia, Lian, Juj, Juju, and Judy (people misunderstand "Julie" pretty often). I don't care, it doesn't bother me, but I am a little surprised at how quick other people are to own my name and make it whatever they want.

If parents REALLY have an issue with this, they should choose names that won't commonly be shortened. If you have serious issues, perhaps you should steer away from William or Jennifer and move in the direction of Eli and Sarah...

 

That's what we did with our boys... at least for their first names. It was actually on the checklist. "Is there a common nickname associated?" I love having easy, non-abreviatable names!

:lol: Sure. When I was naming my children, my first thought was... will people take this name and alter it however THEY see fit?

 

I chose (with one exception) names that have nick-names, because it makes identifying 'official' mail and phone calls easier (if they're using my full name, then they aren't friends or family). All the same, the shortened versions the kids prefer is the version I expect other people to use. Jocelyn is Jo. She doesn't answer to Josie or Joc. She is not a cat and will not just run to whatever you say in particular tone. Andrew is Drew. He will not acknowledge Andy, no matter how cute you think it is.

 

It's their name. That's what irks me about someone else choosing what to call them. They aren't your pet, they aren't a stray. They have a name, they told it to you, respect that.

[ErinE]

I'm chime in with Rosie and say there's a certain point when the child owns the name. For a baby or a toddler, I own the name. For a school age child and up, they own the name. Barring meanness, kids of school-age call each other nicknames all the time.

 

My siblings grew up with nicknames that sound like the opposite gender. All my siblings decided in middle school that they wouldn't respond to any other name than the full one. Now, long-time family are the only people allowed to call them the nicknames. At family gatherings, newly joined members always ask, "Who's XXX? My spouse? Oh. Okay...."

[CLBMom]

My dd7 name is Lilith Anne. The family calls her Lily or Lily Anne about 50% if the time. As she has gotten older she has expressed the desire to be called Lilith expecially by people outside the family. A lot of people shorten it on their own even when she is introduced or forms are filled out Lilith. She has started correcting them lol What really drives me and her crazy is my mil refuses to call her by her given name. Gifts and cards are always addressed to Lily even though anything coming from us is signed with her proper name. She bought us passes to a popular amusement park for Christmas which is awesome but when I looked at hers it was issued to Lily G. This really got under my skin. I'm begining to think she is doing it to piss me off....

[SheilaZ]

My dd7 name is Lilith Anne. The family calls her Lily or Lily Anne about 50% if the time. As she has gotten older she has expressed the desire to be called Lilith expecially by people outside the family. A lot of people shorten it on their own even when she is introduced or forms are filled out Lilith. She has started correcting them lol What really drives me and her crazy is my mil refuses to call her by her given name. Gifts and cards are always addressed to Lily even though anything coming from us is signed with her proper name. She bought us passes to a popular amusement park for Christmas which is awesome but when I looked at hers it was issued to Lily G. This really got under my skin. I'm begining to think she is doing it to piss me off....

 

My 16 yo is dealing with a neighborhood lady who insists on calling him Jake. We don't use nicknames and he doesn't like being called Jake. No one calls him Jake except this lady whom he barely knows.

Poor son doesn't know how to deal with this woman without being rude to her (though she is being rude to him, imo.) so he just ignores her. She knows his name and her kids only call my son by his full name.

 

When she comes to tell me about him ignoring her, I hope she doesn't flip out when I tell her that his name is Jacob and not Jake.

[lionfamily1999]

My 16 yo is dealing with a neighborhood lady who insists on calling him Jake. We don't use nicknames and he doesn't like being called Jake. No one calls him Jake except this lady whom he barely knows.

Poor son doesn't know how to deal with this woman without being rude to her (though she is being rude to him, imo.) so he just ignores her. She knows his name and her kids only call my son by his full name.

 

When she comes to tell me about him ignoring her, I hope she doesn't flip out when I tell her that his name is Jacob and not Jake.

Push come to shove I say, "We actually pronounce it [insert name here]." I don't know why, but people don't get as angry about that.

[Pink Fairy]

At Monday night's karate class, the sensei decided to differentiate between my dh and ds by calling ds "Junior." Ds thinks it's fine, but ugh--I really, really hope it never catches on because I HATE it for a nickname. Yes, they have the same first name, but different middle names, and the guy could have called one Mike and one Michael easy peasy, but whatever. :mad::001_rolleyes::coolgleamA: