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HelpRe: nicknames
in reply to a message by mother4
You can if you want to, but be aware that no matter what you prefer, as the child grows up he or she may well choose to go by a different name. You can either go along and call him his chosen nn, or you can sort of let that be his "public" nn and call him the name you prefer at home, with the family.
I would use a nn for Thomas,, it's almost inevitable that a Thomas will end up as Tom or Tommy.
Samuel is likewise almost certain to get shortened to Sam or Sammy (I wouldn't recommend somebody going by Sammy after they're grown up!).
As to Charlotte, I don't think a nn is quite as inevitable with it. Hardly anybody goes by Lottie these days, and Charlie is still pretty strongly associated with boys, at least around here. A Charlotte can always grow into Charlie or Lottie or whatever later on.
I would use a nn for Thomas,, it's almost inevitable that a Thomas will end up as Tom or Tommy.
Samuel is likewise almost certain to get shortened to Sam or Sammy (I wouldn't recommend somebody going by Sammy after they're grown up!).
As to Charlotte, I don't think a nn is quite as inevitable with it. Hardly anybody goes by Lottie these days, and Charlie is still pretty strongly associated with boys, at least around here. A Charlotte can always grow into Charlie or Lottie or whatever later on.
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I disagree...
I don't think it is inevitable that a Thomas or a Samuel will end up as Tom, Tommy, Sam, or Sammy. I know 2 Thomas' (my brother and my dad) and a Samuel, and they all go by their full names. My brother and my dad have ALWAYS gone by Thomas. There are a few people that call Samuel "Sam" but most people call him Samuel. I think it just depends on what you want to call them. If you want people to call them Samuel or Thomas, then introduce them as Samuel or Thomas.
BTW, why do you not recommend somebody going by Sammy after they've grown up?
Loving the names Alexa Noelle and Owen Seth
Check out MySpace: www.myspace.com/turtlefreek2
I don't think it is inevitable that a Thomas or a Samuel will end up as Tom, Tommy, Sam, or Sammy. I know 2 Thomas' (my brother and my dad) and a Samuel, and they all go by their full names. My brother and my dad have ALWAYS gone by Thomas. There are a few people that call Samuel "Sam" but most people call him Samuel. I think it just depends on what you want to call them. If you want people to call them Samuel or Thomas, then introduce them as Samuel or Thomas.
BTW, why do you not recommend somebody going by Sammy after they've grown up?
Loving the names Alexa Noelle and Owen Seth
Check out MySpace: www.myspace.com/turtlefreek2
This message was edited 10/31/2006, 9:24 AM
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For the same reason I wouldn't recommend somebody named David going by Davey as an adult, or a Nicholas going by Nicky. Some nn's are just better on children than adults.
This is subject to regional tastes, though. In the South, it's quite common to see men called Tommy, Billy, Bobby and Ricky etc, but up north you don't see it as much and it seems not to be the thing to do.
I know many Thomases (including an uncle) but I know of none who go by the full name in their daily lives. I do know a couple who have, say, business cards that identify them as Thomas professionally, but even they are not called Thomas socially.
I know a couple Sams, but none of them goes by Samuel. (Unless their mothers are mad at them! lol
My husband is named Phillip, and his parents never called him Phil and never wanted anybody else to. But most everybody he meets, even though he would introduce himself as Phillip, takes it upon themselves to shorten it to Phil, and he has jsut about given up trying to correct them. So, with family and a few close friends he's still Phillip, but most of his work buddies and such call him Phil. They kow what his preferred name is, (if I call his work and ask to talk to Phillip, they know who I mean) but it's like they can't stop themselves from trimming it down.
This is subject to regional tastes, though. In the South, it's quite common to see men called Tommy, Billy, Bobby and Ricky etc, but up north you don't see it as much and it seems not to be the thing to do.
I know many Thomases (including an uncle) but I know of none who go by the full name in their daily lives. I do know a couple who have, say, business cards that identify them as Thomas professionally, but even they are not called Thomas socially.
I know a couple Sams, but none of them goes by Samuel. (Unless their mothers are mad at them! lol
My husband is named Phillip, and his parents never called him Phil and never wanted anybody else to. But most everybody he meets, even though he would introduce himself as Phillip, takes it upon themselves to shorten it to Phil, and he has jsut about given up trying to correct them. So, with family and a few close friends he's still Phillip, but most of his work buddies and such call him Phil. They kow what his preferred name is, (if I call his work and ask to talk to Phillip, they know who I mean) but it's like they can't stop themselves from trimming it down.
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