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HelpNickname?
If you met a girl named Theodora what would you shorten it to?
(I'm curious because obviously our daughter is Theodora and i'm really surprised by the amount of people who are shortening it and what they are shortening it to! I'll do a seperate post with the common ones)
(I'm curious because obviously our daughter is Theodora and i'm really surprised by the amount of people who are shortening it and what they are shortening it to! I'll do a seperate post with the common ones)
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Replies
So..
Most people are calling her Thea. I'm surprised because husband and I haven't ever referred to her by a shortened name, if we have then it's Theo. I guess since it's such a long name I shouldn't be surprised that people are shortening it.
However we've had a few odd ones.
Husbands father has referred to her as Dora and Dory (no one else has)
Husbands mother said that she is going to call her Odie?? (That's not happening!)
Another friend just refers to her as T
Most people are calling her Thea. I'm surprised because husband and I haven't ever referred to her by a shortened name, if we have then it's Theo. I guess since it's such a long name I shouldn't be surprised that people are shortening it.
However we've had a few odd ones.
Husbands father has referred to her as Dora and Dory (no one else has)
Husbands mother said that she is going to call her Odie?? (That's not happening!)
Another friend just refers to her as T
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Whatever feels natural.
Theodora is such a wonderful name as there are so many awesome nicknames to choose from :)
Theodora is such a wonderful name as there are so many awesome nicknames to choose from :)
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Agreed
Agreed - she can choose any one - then use other nicknames for other social settings by her own situational preference.
Agreed - she can choose any one - then use other nicknames for other social settings by her own situational preference.
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I don't think so. My family as a general rule call me Lisey but my Dad has gone through periods of calling me DeeDee and ICE-ee (not sure how to write that one) depending on what my younger siblings called me. Secondary to that, my grandparents have never called me Lisey although my Aunts/Uncles/Cousins all do. They call me Aine (hence my name on here), Elise, Chookie (no other girl in my family is called this), and "the Cherub" (ha). Among other things.
I've never found it confusing. I imagine that with the similarity between Theo and Thea, your little Miss will make it known loud and clear which of the two she prefers. Toddlers are good at correcting people ;). I used to correct people who just called me Lise or if they called me Lise-o when I was like 2 ("It's LISEY!!")
I've never found it confusing. I imagine that with the similarity between Theo and Thea, your little Miss will make it known loud and clear which of the two she prefers. Toddlers are good at correcting people ;). I used to correct people who just called me Lise or if they called me Lise-o when I was like 2 ("It's LISEY!!")
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Not weird at all. Both my kids have so many nicknames, different ones by different people, and it's not weird or confusing. A unique nickname from a person is a personal connection with that person. It's good for your child to have separate relationships with other people. Special nicknames can mark a special bond in those separate relationships.
Even the grownups have several names. A given name, a common nickname, an endearment used by the spouse only, an endearment used by the parent only, a title (mom or dad) given by the child, and a title (grandma, grandpa, baba, opa) given by the grandchild. Each name is a mark of a particular relationship. Just as it's not weird or confusing for an adult to have 6 names, each used by different people, it's not weird for a child to have many nicknames either.
Even the grownups have several names. A given name, a common nickname, an endearment used by the spouse only, an endearment used by the parent only, a title (mom or dad) given by the child, and a title (grandma, grandpa, baba, opa) given by the grandchild. Each name is a mark of a particular relationship. Just as it's not weird or confusing for an adult to have 6 names, each used by different people, it's not weird for a child to have many nicknames either.
This message was edited 8/17/2016, 12:53 PM
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My first nickname was Ulle; my brother, father and friends from this time still call me Ulle. There was another girl named Ulrika in my class in elementary school, she was called Ullis. So it was easy to keep us apart, no need to use lastnames (or initials of). But in 3rd or 4th grade I started playing a sport and most of the girls on the team was from another school. They started calling me Ullis. When we got to middle school the other Ulrika and I ended up in different classes and the girls on my team also attended this school. I was called both Ulle and Ullis depending on who addressed me. It worked.
In high school and at uni I'd introduce myself as Ullis, but it still happened that people called me Ulle. No big problem, I react to both.
In high school and at uni I'd introduce myself as Ullis, but it still happened that people called me Ulle. No big problem, I react to both.
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Dora is probably the one I would go for.
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Thea
nm
nm
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I'm in camp Dory, as far as what nick I prefer for it. I'd call a daughter Dory or Dor.
If she were my best friend and saying her full name all the time felt weirdly formal, I don't know what I would call her. I'd ask her if I could call her by a nick and what it was.
People might come up with private nicknames for a Theodora who didn't go by a short form, not as a change to her name, but just affectionately, for their own use and nobody else's. Because the name is just a ton of syllables to say. I think private nicks make it clear there is no assumption that you would answer to a regular short form of your name that is assigned by someone else, and anyway they can be declined.
I don't think it's very thoughtful of people to shorten the name of a baby in any way, though, since a baby doesn't need to be addressed, and can't decline a nickname. And anyway, using short forms for babies is a parent's prerogative IMO. It might be inconvenient to refer to someone by a full name but I think nicknames are for address, not for referring to people and using nicks to refer to someone who doesn't explicitly go by them is kinda disrespectful.
If she were my best friend and saying her full name all the time felt weirdly formal, I don't know what I would call her. I'd ask her if I could call her by a nick and what it was.
People might come up with private nicknames for a Theodora who didn't go by a short form, not as a change to her name, but just affectionately, for their own use and nobody else's. Because the name is just a ton of syllables to say. I think private nicks make it clear there is no assumption that you would answer to a regular short form of your name that is assigned by someone else, and anyway they can be declined.
I don't think it's very thoughtful of people to shorten the name of a baby in any way, though, since a baby doesn't need to be addressed, and can't decline a nickname. And anyway, using short forms for babies is a parent's prerogative IMO. It might be inconvenient to refer to someone by a full name but I think nicknames are for address, not for referring to people and using nicks to refer to someone who doesn't explicitly go by them is kinda disrespectful.
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I would never just shorten someone's name unless I knew them really well. And then, not if they didn't like it. (my father is a Christopher who is definitely NOT a Chris, and gets very fed up with people just assuming he is!)
Also, Theodora is a really beautiful name - it's a shame people feel they need to shorten it
Also, Theodora is a really beautiful name - it's a shame people feel they need to shorten it
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I wouldn't shorten it at all unless and until she or her parents said I should and told me what it was usually shortened too.
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Teddy or Thea (eta m)
Those would be the nicknames I'd expect to be used, I should say.
To elaborate, I wouldn't actually call someone anything other than I'd been introduced to them as/told to call them.
In my experience with this, people do obey that. If I've ever introduced one of my kids by their long full name, people will either call them that or ask if they use a nickname, rather than just assume the nickname. The opposite has also been true, if I introduce by their nickname, I may be asked if it's short for Long Name.
Those would be the nicknames I'd expect to be used, I should say.
To elaborate, I wouldn't actually call someone anything other than I'd been introduced to them as/told to call them.
In my experience with this, people do obey that. If I've ever introduced one of my kids by their long full name, people will either call them that or ask if they use a nickname, rather than just assume the nickname. The opposite has also been true, if I introduce by their nickname, I may be asked if it's short for Long Name.
This message was edited 8/16/2016, 6:37 AM
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I would not shorten it until or unless she asked me to shorten it - in natural respect for the person and her name.
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Those nicknames sound fun... I do not have children - and rarely interact with them.
I meant this answer as though I were an adult in the fixed or given situation "if you met a girl ... ____ ... what would you shorten it to" would not imply family or whether I were close enough to the family or child to shorten it. I've always hated when folks take it upon themselves to shorten my name--which more happened throughout youth by an adult acquaintance of the family--or by teachers, folks in church--mostly because I hate to be called 'Barb'. So I mean those instances when someone introduces me "and this is my friend, "Barbra"; and the acquaintance immediately shortens it to "Barb"; or that a teacher should decide to do this. That is all. It has less to do with resect for the name, though respect for the person should always be of utmost importance - and more involves respect for the degree of relation, against which any adult in her rightful mind should take extensive care not to impose.
I have plenty of friends for whom I have special names; many of which do not involve their formal names or commonly associated Pet Names.
I meant this answer as though I were an adult in the fixed or given situation "if you met a girl ... ____ ... what would you shorten it to" would not imply family or whether I were close enough to the family or child to shorten it. I've always hated when folks take it upon themselves to shorten my name--which more happened throughout youth by an adult acquaintance of the family--or by teachers, folks in church--mostly because I hate to be called 'Barb'. So I mean those instances when someone introduces me "and this is my friend, "Barbra"; and the acquaintance immediately shortens it to "Barb"; or that a teacher should decide to do this. That is all. It has less to do with resect for the name, though respect for the person should always be of utmost importance - and more involves respect for the degree of relation, against which any adult in her rightful mind should take extensive care not to impose.
I have plenty of friends for whom I have special names; many of which do not involve their formal names or commonly associated Pet Names.
This message was edited 8/17/2016, 3:12 PM
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Ditto
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I do know a girl - OK, she's 26 - named Theodora. Her father is a lay preacher and loves the name, she was his first child, he always and only uses the full form ... but she hates it with a passion and is known as Theo, that being the only short form she's willing to contemplate. She is elegant, beautiful, intelligent, charming - all the right things - and so she can carry it off. Though I did meet her once when she was in uniform, and her name badge read Theodora, so someone must have put an authoritative foot down!
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