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HelpMy name is Molly...
in reply to a message by laurenmichelle
My name is Molly, and while I like it for everyday use, I have always thought it too nicknamey for a given name. I suggest Margaret or Mary instead, with Molly as a nickname.
Here is a posting of mine from another thread on my view of given nicknames:
I am very much opposed to using a nickname as a child's full first name. In fact, it is my biggest name gripe. My name is Molly, and, although it has become fairly accepted as a stand-alone name, I have always felt that it is lacking in dignity. Like Cass' acquaintance Becky, I think that my name makes it more difficult for people to take me seriously, especially if they have not met me and know only what they see on paper. Nicknames are cute for children, but would you really want your grown daughter to have no other name than Georgie? The Honorable Frankie X, the Reverend Tommy X, Doctor Becky X?
Giving your child a full traditional name gives him a choice. Abigail can choose to use Abigail, Abby, or even Gail, depending on the context and her own preferences, but if her legal name is Abby, that is her only honest option. She must be Abby on job applications and when she writes letters to the editor or publishes scientific papers just as much as when she writes letters to her Grandmother.
I guess that what bothers me is that giving a child only a nickname deprives him of the possibility of having separate names for his public and his private self. Most people behave differently in their roles as citizens and professionals than they do with their families and friends. I think it is right that they should. In my view, having only a nickname suggests to others that one does not make a distinction between the public and private spheres and, rather than striving to adhere to the different and more rigorous standards of civic and professional life, treats all interactions and responsibilities informally.
You may view this as a desirable trait and may like nicknames specifically because they suggest that a person has an informal attitude toward all areas of life. If so, then we simply disagree, but I would still urge you to leave your child the option to make a distinction if she grows up to feel differently than you do.
Here is a posting of mine from another thread on my view of given nicknames:
I am very much opposed to using a nickname as a child's full first name. In fact, it is my biggest name gripe. My name is Molly, and, although it has become fairly accepted as a stand-alone name, I have always felt that it is lacking in dignity. Like Cass' acquaintance Becky, I think that my name makes it more difficult for people to take me seriously, especially if they have not met me and know only what they see on paper. Nicknames are cute for children, but would you really want your grown daughter to have no other name than Georgie? The Honorable Frankie X, the Reverend Tommy X, Doctor Becky X?
Giving your child a full traditional name gives him a choice. Abigail can choose to use Abigail, Abby, or even Gail, depending on the context and her own preferences, but if her legal name is Abby, that is her only honest option. She must be Abby on job applications and when she writes letters to the editor or publishes scientific papers just as much as when she writes letters to her Grandmother.
I guess that what bothers me is that giving a child only a nickname deprives him of the possibility of having separate names for his public and his private self. Most people behave differently in their roles as citizens and professionals than they do with their families and friends. I think it is right that they should. In my view, having only a nickname suggests to others that one does not make a distinction between the public and private spheres and, rather than striving to adhere to the different and more rigorous standards of civic and professional life, treats all interactions and responsibilities informally.
You may view this as a desirable trait and may like nicknames specifically because they suggest that a person has an informal attitude toward all areas of life. If so, then we simply disagree, but I would still urge you to leave your child the option to make a distinction if she grows up to feel differently than you do.
This message was edited 10/20/2005, 9:04 AM
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Replies
I think Molly is dignified enough
Some nicknames can stand alone.
And many people don't use nn at all, it is not necessary for everyone to have a nn. Here in Sweden, former nn are often used as formal names, like Olle (former nn of Olof) or Kajsa (former nn for Karin which is a former nn for Katarina). And we don't think they have an informal areas towards everything. Sometimes you read to much into a name!
"You sought a flower and found a fruit. You sought a spring and found a sea. You sought a woman and found a soul. You are disappointed."
"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
Some nicknames can stand alone.
And many people don't use nn at all, it is not necessary for everyone to have a nn. Here in Sweden, former nn are often used as formal names, like Olle (former nn of Olof) or Kajsa (former nn for Karin which is a former nn for Katarina). And we don't think they have an informal areas towards everything. Sometimes you read to much into a name!
"You sought a flower and found a fruit. You sought a spring and found a sea. You sought a woman and found a soul. You are disappointed."
"It does not become me to make myself smaller than I am." (Edith Södergran 1891-1923)
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could you email me at mechminx@hotmail.com - i would like to talk about this off-board
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