Re: How do you feel about not-so-obvious nicknames?
in reply to a message by Ismene
I think they can be troublesome because depending on what they are and how counter-intuitive they are, they can be more work than they are worth. I'm reminded of a girl I went to school with who tried to insist people call her "Ten" (her name was Kristen. Get it? Yeah).
I think the main problem with the examples you give is that the nicknames are first and most strongly associated with totally separate names. A Ron will automatically be thought of as a Ronald. A Poppy with be thought of as a Poppy before Penelope. It might make people wonder, if you liked Ron so much, why not call him Ronald in the first place?
All that being said I don't really have a problem with such names. I do think that if one wants to use such a name though, one should not get huffy when people don't call Cameron "Ron" automatically or even put up some resistance with that choice.
I have a few more-obscure nicknames on my lists, let me see:
Babs for Barbara, but I also like it as an option for Blanche
Solly for Solomon
Tolly for Bartholomew
Kathe for Katherine
Nils, Nels and Cole for Nicholas
Hob and Hopkin for Robert
Sasha for Alexander
Diot and Dye for Dionisia
Ibb and Ibby for Isabel
Joyce for Jocosa or Jocasta
Mack for Magnus
Mattie or Matty for Martha
Tenney for Dennis
Wilky for William
I think the main problem with the examples you give is that the nicknames are first and most strongly associated with totally separate names. A Ron will automatically be thought of as a Ronald. A Poppy with be thought of as a Poppy before Penelope. It might make people wonder, if you liked Ron so much, why not call him Ronald in the first place?
All that being said I don't really have a problem with such names. I do think that if one wants to use such a name though, one should not get huffy when people don't call Cameron "Ron" automatically or even put up some resistance with that choice.
I have a few more-obscure nicknames on my lists, let me see:
Babs for Barbara, but I also like it as an option for Blanche
Solly for Solomon
Tolly for Bartholomew
Kathe for Katherine
Nils, Nels and Cole for Nicholas
Hob and Hopkin for Robert
Sasha for Alexander
Diot and Dye for Dionisia
Ibb and Ibby for Isabel
Joyce for Jocosa or Jocasta
Mack for Magnus
Mattie or Matty for Martha
Tenney for Dennis
Wilky for William