Nearly full term, chosen a name, but wobbling about likely nicknames

[HorryIsUpduffed]

36+5 with DS3, settled on a name at around 25w.

With his being a third boy we have used a lot of names already and talked ourselves out of a lot of names along the way - our backups for DS2 now feel like awful dreadful names that nobody should inflict on a child

Consequently our shortlist this time was very very short and although we're both happy with the chosen name, it isn't The Name in the way that DS1's name was easily chosen and indisputably The Name. We also had this problem, though to a lesser extent, with DS2.

Our position therefore is that we have A Name for this unborn child, which we like and which goes with DS1 and DS2's name and our surname and isn't a known serial killer, etc etc.

But... the most usual shortening of the name itself isn't one I particularly like. There's nothing wrong with it, I just don't think I'd use it myself.

DS2 has a similar normal shortening that I don't use, but other people (notably the in-laws) do. It doesn't bother me precisely but AFAIC it isn't really his name. Pre-school don't use it because they have another child with the shortening and it helps to tell them apart!

In both cases it's the equivalent of my calling him Charles but the obvious shortening is Charlie.

Reassure me that this doesn't matter, or warn me that it will BURN ME UP FOREVER and I need to go back to the drawing board. Please?

[weaselinthenight]

I want to give you reassurance - but given that you're NOT TELLING US WHAT THE NAME IS - how can I ?!

[Thurlow]

I don't think you have much control in the long run over shortenings, but having said that you will be the person who introduces your DC for the next few years so you do have an element of control.

DD has a long name and I really can't stand the current popular shortening of that name. We never call her that and I hope, because we always introduce her by the specific shortening we use, that the other version won't really catch on. But it might.

I think all you can do is work out whether you would hate it your DC ends up being called 'Charlie' and if so, then it's probably back to the drawing board.

Could you give us a clue what the name is - how unusual is the shortening?

[HorryIsUpduffed]

Ah bugger you both

Name is Edward.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

And it's Eddie I am meh about. I am also sufficiently happy with Edward not to want to steer towards Ned or Ted shortenings just to avoid Eddie.

[Nicknamegrief]

I have a Joshua- he is almost 10

Only a handful of people I know call him Josh, we move loads so we constantly are getting to know new people but most people will call you the name they tell them.

I do understand your problem though as we did live in Germany and the way they pronounce my youngest sons name makes my toes curl. He was born 4weeks after we left and while it was the main reason I didn't want to use that name, my husband reassured me we would never be coming back to Germany.

We are back- my toes curl, thankfully some Germans do pronounce it the English way!

In my experience 95% of people will use the name you do. If you can live with that keep the name.

[Thurlow]

That's not an unusual shortening, you'll be fine!

Will you be using the shortening as his daily name? As in, will he probably be Ted to most people, so that he grows up introducing himself as Ted?

Was just checking it was Sebastian nn Ian

[beingsuper]

DS2's name was my favourite name but I didn't like the shortening so didn't use it for DS1. Same scenario as your Charles/Charlie scenario. Didn't matter as loved replacement name for DS1.

DS2s name was shortened to the shortening I didn't like at all almost immediately by everyone. Within weeks I didn't even think about it.

By the time DS3 came along there were no more boys names I liked. Didn't even like the name we chose but kept coming back to it. Cringed when we made the birth announcement. Again within weeks didn't think about it.

They just become their names and you love them, love their name.

On the other hand it might BURN YOU UP FOREVER ha ha.

[beingsuper]

Oh cross posted. Well I know someone with an Edward who is ALWAYS called Edward. Have never ever ever heard anyone call him Eddie. So tis possible.

[bundaberg]

we found with DS2 that no-one shortened his name at all. we always used his full name and so everyone else did.
as he got older we did start to use a short version, and after a while close friends and family started to occasionally use it too, but mostly they still use the full version,

i think if you always use Edward then others will too. And if they shorten it then tell them that isn't his name!

[Diamondcassis]

All Edwards I know are called Ed (no Eddies), is that as bad? Think may be inevitable but you can still always call him Edward

[HorryIsUpduffed]

We can't/wouldn't use Ted because of a nickname for DS1 that is completely unrelated to his actual given name and the mere mention of Ned has DH drawling "Flanders"

So it really is Edward, Woody or Eddie.

Woody. Now that weirdly I do like, knob jokes notwithstanding.

[Tikkamasala]

Oh Edward is lovely and I don't think Eddie would necessarily become the default, so wouldn't worry!

[ShowOfBloodyStumps]

The Edwards I know are Ed, Ned and Bear.

[looki]

The Edwards I know are Eds too. Do you like Ed though? If not, i think you may be in trouble.......

[Caip]

Love Woody as a nn for Edward!

[sonniebonnie]

As in a woody in your trousers?

[UpTheFRIGGinDuff]

FWIW my nephew is Harrison, he's 9 now and has never,ever been Harry,or any shortening in fact,always Harrison.
His parents made it clear from the start that his name was Harrison and everyone else followed suit.

[badtime]

I've never met an Eddie who is under 50 y.o. - they are always Ed or Ned.

[TobyLerone]

I know an Edward who has never been called Ed(die). He has always been Edward or Wardy.

[ChippingInNeedsSleepAndCoffee]

You will end up with a nickname - tis rare for such a long name not to be shortened unless the child themselves really doesn't want it to be and you can't predict that. It is horrible as a child for your parents to keep correcting your friends (I'm emotionlly scared for life!! ).

I think, if you really, really don't like Eddie - you'll need to think again, especially when you don't want to use a nickname yourself (to steer people towards) and anyway, kids at school will use what they/the person likes.

Up - yes, but he's only 9 at the moment

[sausageandorangepickle]

The Edwards I know are Ted and Bear (also Bear Grylls) so Eddie is not inevitable. Or he might end up with a totally unrelated nickname anyway!

[HorryIsUpduffed]

We already have a Bear, although that's not what his birth certificate says.



I'm going to think.

[Bowlersarm]

I know a lot of teenage Edwards (on account of the fact I have three teen DSes and Edward was clearly a popular name 14ish years ago). Be assured none of them are Eddies, Ed yes, but Eddie no.

Is Ed ok?

If it isn't I think you need to rethink, as it's just using the first syllable of his name, nog changing anything at all, and possibly inevitable.

[Bue]

My DH is Edward and absolutely no one calls him Eddie. I tried to for a bit but he got very angry with me . He switched over to Ed at university but his family and everyone he grew up with calls him Edward.

[RueDeWakening]

I have an Edward, he is always called by his full name. Nobody has shortened it (yet), I just always introduce him as Edward and that seems to stop it.

Although if you ask him, he will tell you that his name is Eduardo. I have no idea where he got it from DH, I'm looking at you