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Help[Opinions] When nicknames go bad
I haven't posted here in months. But I was wondering what others thought of this.
I know someone with two boys. The first is Logan and she calls him Lowgy. Not too bad I guess. Kind of cute even, for a little one. However the second is Dylan and she calls him Dilly! Ugh, I think thats awful.
I don't have a problem with nicknames in general, but some are just horrible. These kids are just babies, so they don't know the difference, and I guess the names will be dropped when they're older (although nns do have a tendency to stick). But I still don't like it. It feels kind of like their mother is making a mockery out of them.
So what do you think? Is it ok to give your kids silly (dilly) nns?
I know someone with two boys. The first is Logan and she calls him Lowgy. Not too bad I guess. Kind of cute even, for a little one. However the second is Dylan and she calls him Dilly! Ugh, I think thats awful.
I don't have a problem with nicknames in general, but some are just horrible. These kids are just babies, so they don't know the difference, and I guess the names will be dropped when they're older (although nns do have a tendency to stick). But I still don't like it. It feels kind of like their mother is making a mockery out of them.
So what do you think? Is it ok to give your kids silly (dilly) nns?
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My family have a habit of giving silly, rhymey nicknames as an affectionate thing. Some examples:
me, Christine: Kris Kringle
brother Steven John: Steva Johnna
sister Elanor: Ella-Nella, Elle-Nell, Ella-Nella-Noria
brother Robert: Robby-Bobby
cousin Sonya: Sonya Bonya (shortened to S.B. or Bonnie)
I don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as the parents stop using it if the child suddenly decides that it affronts their dignity (8 or 9 is the usual age!).
me, Christine: Kris Kringle
brother Steven John: Steva Johnna
sister Elanor: Ella-Nella, Elle-Nell, Ella-Nella-Noria
brother Robert: Robby-Bobby
cousin Sonya: Sonya Bonya (shortened to S.B. or Bonnie)
I don't think there's anything wrong with it as long as the parents stop using it if the child suddenly decides that it affronts their dignity (8 or 9 is the usual age!).
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I think those are taking nicknames too far and much too cutesy. Although since they are both babies then not too much damage but once they get older the cuteness of those nicknames to them will wear off fast.
On an off-topic note. Am I the only one who has noticed that Logan and Dylan is a very popular sibset? I know of four sets of parents who have sons named Logan and Dylan. But one also has a daughter named Riley.
On an off-topic note. Am I the only one who has noticed that Logan and Dylan is a very popular sibset? I know of four sets of parents who have sons named Logan and Dylan. But one also has a daughter named Riley.
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Yuck. I guess it's inevitable, though, when they're small. It's when they're older and you're still calling by that nn most or all of the time that would be annoying. For instance, my brother & sister are Nicholas (Nick) & Candis, respectively, but in our family--despite being in their early '40s now--they are and probably always will be Nicky & Candi. No matter how hard they try, with extended and immediate family and even long-time family friends, they can't shake these nn's and they both hate them. I, fortunately, was named Heather, which doesn't have a nn (in theory, that is, because I'm sometimes called Feather or "Heth").
Also, I dated a guy whose formal fn was Tommy. Yuck. Ironically, he went by Thomas, which wasn't even his real name. lol
So I think it's ok while they're little, but also call them by their real name or a more 'mature' nn at the same time and then the transition will be easier later. And for the love of God, name them a formal name and not a nn (i.e. Billy, Susie, Kimmie--my beloved best friend :b). But maybe that's just me.
As a side note, I love the name Quinn for a boy, and I'm almost positive I'd call him Quinnie (or, God forbid, Quinnie the Pooh!) at some point in his young life. But I SWEAR I wouldn't always call him that or do it (much) out in public, even when he's little. :) It's just silly. :b
Also, I dated a guy whose formal fn was Tommy. Yuck. Ironically, he went by Thomas, which wasn't even his real name. lol
So I think it's ok while they're little, but also call them by their real name or a more 'mature' nn at the same time and then the transition will be easier later. And for the love of God, name them a formal name and not a nn (i.e. Billy, Susie, Kimmie--my beloved best friend :b). But maybe that's just me.
As a side note, I love the name Quinn for a boy, and I'm almost positive I'd call him Quinnie (or, God forbid, Quinnie the Pooh!) at some point in his young life. But I SWEAR I wouldn't always call him that or do it (much) out in public, even when he's little. :) It's just silly. :b
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I hate the nn. Kitty for Katrina. it drives me crazy. there is a girl about nine, in the group I teach at the library, and her mother insists that I call her Kitty. Dilly reminds me of a dill pickle-thats why I dislike the name Dylan all together.
I think its alright to give your kids silly nns. but they should be used in private, and not something they are born with. Some people name their children just so they can have a odd nn.
I personally hate when anyone but my mom and siblings call me "Stace". It drives me insane when teachers or people who read my name off a sheet call me Stace in stead of stacey. But thats a personal choice.
At school my nn. is StSt. And my friend amanda's is May. And Courtney's is CoCo. But they are just fun, private nns. My cousins on the other hand have all started school with the nns. Abi, Emi and Thea (Abigayle, Emily and Theadora). That annoys me to no end. But its a personal choice I suppose.
I think its alright to give your kids silly nns. but they should be used in private, and not something they are born with. Some people name their children just so they can have a odd nn.
I personally hate when anyone but my mom and siblings call me "Stace". It drives me insane when teachers or people who read my name off a sheet call me Stace in stead of stacey. But thats a personal choice.
At school my nn. is StSt. And my friend amanda's is May. And Courtney's is CoCo. But they are just fun, private nns. My cousins on the other hand have all started school with the nns. Abi, Emi and Thea (Abigayle, Emily and Theadora). That annoys me to no end. But its a personal choice I suppose.
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I think that regardless of what name you give to your child, it will always be shortened and given a nickname.
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I think Dilly for Dylan is cute. He can opt out of it when he's older; but I can also imagine Dilly suiting a certain type of man without being silly.
Logy, on the other hand, is a negative word. I'd cringe. A logy person is a phlegmatic person, lethargic, lacking energy, bleary, etc.
I know some people who do the same thing with silly nicks for their kids. I think it's fine for parents to do, as long as it stays an affectionate family nickname and isn't forced on the kid when he/she is introduced publicly, like in kindergarten. I'd have just about died if my parents' nickname for me as a toddler were revealed to the world when I was a kid.
- chazda
edited to add stuff.
Logy, on the other hand, is a negative word. I'd cringe. A logy person is a phlegmatic person, lethargic, lacking energy, bleary, etc.
I know some people who do the same thing with silly nicks for their kids. I think it's fine for parents to do, as long as it stays an affectionate family nickname and isn't forced on the kid when he/she is introduced publicly, like in kindergarten. I'd have just about died if my parents' nickname for me as a toddler were revealed to the world when I was a kid.
- chazda
edited to add stuff.
This message was edited 12/28/2004, 2:36 AM
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my friend Kayla(16) and her sisters, Courtney(14) and Cassandra(12). Kayla was known as La-la because none of them could say Kayla yet
I'm Samantha(16) and all my life I've been Sam, Sammi, Sister, and Kid.
My older brother, Noah(21) was nned No but his aunt and uncle in MO. My mom has always called him Noah. I nned him butter (supposed Brother but I could say it yet).
My twin sister, Elizabeth Ann(16), has been Lizzie, Liz, Lizzie Ann.
My younger brother Michael(13), is known to everyone as Mike but my sisters and I call him Mikey sometimes.
My younger sister Maria (11), is known to our family as Re.
My younger sister Erin (9), is known as Erin Lynn. Lynn happens to be her middle name.
I'm Samantha(16) and all my life I've been Sam, Sammi, Sister, and Kid.
My older brother, Noah(21) was nned No but his aunt and uncle in MO. My mom has always called him Noah. I nned him butter (supposed Brother but I could say it yet).
My twin sister, Elizabeth Ann(16), has been Lizzie, Liz, Lizzie Ann.
My younger brother Michael(13), is known to everyone as Mike but my sisters and I call him Mikey sometimes.
My younger sister Maria (11), is known to our family as Re.
My younger sister Erin (9), is known as Erin Lynn. Lynn happens to be her middle name.
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Some people are just determined to use nicknames! I really like the name Abby, by the way. It's one of those nicknames that I like as a full name too. I remember when I was younger my parents had friends with a daughter named Emma. They used to call her Emmett for fun. I think it started when she was about 5 and got her all cut off because she wanted to look like Maria from the Sound of Music. Her parents started introducing her as their son - Emmett. She didn't mind and it was kind of cute. However if they had started calling her that from the day she was born I would have thought it was very odd.
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Nns can definitely go bad, but I think that in private anything goes (I've been known to call my dh Kylie Robare - Robert w/ a French accent)but sometimes its just too much. Thats why I tend to like short names like Audrey & Claire - no nns needed, but then again even Grace has Gracie. As for Logan I can't picture any nns, but I love Dill for Dylan (not Dilly, but I also hate Billy).
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I don't mind nicknames generally, but it can be a pain if you want to use a full name and you don't like the common nn for it, and other people insist on using that nn. Shorter names, with no obvious nn can be a solution, but when people are determined to find a nn, and some people are just like that, the name might end up being really crazy.
But yeah, in private silly stuff is fine :) I think often little ones make their own funny nns when they can't say their name yet, or their brothers and sisters can't. Thats cute, when names evolve from the little ones themselves. I just find it odd that a parent chooses to use a strange nn right from day one.
I don't really like Billy but I find it acceptable or 'normal' I guess. Dilly just sounds silly to me. Dill is slightly better :)
But yeah, in private silly stuff is fine :) I think often little ones make their own funny nns when they can't say their name yet, or their brothers and sisters can't. Thats cute, when names evolve from the little ones themselves. I just find it odd that a parent chooses to use a strange nn right from day one.
I don't really like Billy but I find it acceptable or 'normal' I guess. Dilly just sounds silly to me. Dill is slightly better :)
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actually...Dilly is getting, well, I am getting used to it.
My friend always has to add the -e ending...and we have a friend Dylan, so he is Dilly. I thought it was bad at first, but it grows on me. Maybe because she is the only one. Whats worse to me? Calling our friend Walter, Wally. I think of Leave It To Beaver!
Lowgy...I dont know...I dont like it
My friend always has to add the -e ending...and we have a friend Dylan, so he is Dilly. I thought it was bad at first, but it grows on me. Maybe because she is the only one. Whats worse to me? Calling our friend Walter, Wally. I think of Leave It To Beaver!
Lowgy...I dont know...I dont like it
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Yeah I think it does depend on what you're use to. I mean really, Dilly isn't THAT much different from say Billy. And yet to me Billy sounds fine and Dilly sounds ridiculous. Lowgy kind of reminds me of Yowgy (sp?) bear, so maybe thats why I find it kind of cute :)
I have to admit that I actually have a tendency to add the E sound to the end of names myself! But thats why I always think of that when I'm looking at a name and if I don't like the sound of the possible nn it puts me off the whole name!
I have to admit that I actually have a tendency to add the E sound to the end of names myself! But thats why I always think of that when I'm looking at a name and if I don't like the sound of the possible nn it puts me off the whole name!
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Sometimes. I think having "cutesy" nicknames, like Dilly, is okay to use when they're toddlers, not "in public" but for the parents to call their kids, for "fun" tt
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well i have to admit i have a silly nickname for my daughter. Her name is Hailey and sometimes I call her HayHay. Don't ask me how it started and I know it sounds bad but her little sister calls her that now and it is cute.
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Well I think its cute when little brothers and sisters have funny nns for their big brothers and sisters :) I understand how funny names can evolve like that. But in this case the mother started calling the little guy Dilly from the time he was born - kind of like she had planned it that way.
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Yeah I guess in private its ok. I'm not sure if they use them in public in this case.
I do wonder though how the cutesy nns get stopped as the kids get older. I remember reading a post somewhere, (maybe here, I can't remember) about someone whose son was named Elliott and they called him Ellie. He was about 3 or 4 I think and they were worried about still using the nn when he got to school, because the kids would tease him for having a girl's name. The problem was he loved his nn and didn't want to be called by his full name.
Things like that actually put me off using certain names. For example I really like the name Elliott, but even before reading about that, I had thought of how easy it wold be to slip into using the nn Ellie and how it wouldn't be a great idea considering its popularity with girls.
I do wonder though how the cutesy nns get stopped as the kids get older. I remember reading a post somewhere, (maybe here, I can't remember) about someone whose son was named Elliott and they called him Ellie. He was about 3 or 4 I think and they were worried about still using the nn when he got to school, because the kids would tease him for having a girl's name. The problem was he loved his nn and didn't want to be called by his full name.
Things like that actually put me off using certain names. For example I really like the name Elliott, but even before reading about that, I had thought of how easy it wold be to slip into using the nn Ellie and how it wouldn't be a great idea considering its popularity with girls.
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Yeah, i agree. For a while, i loved the name Merrick. My neighbor is named Merrick, hes 6, and it often gets shortened to Mer. Which isn't that bad, but his little sisters are always calling him "Merry". After hearing that for a while, i started to dislike the name. I hope that nn doesn't last!
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Yeah, Merry is not a great name for a boy! If it's only his siters calling him that, chances are he will get fed up with it before too long (or when he meets a girl named Mary) and tell them to quit it!
I once lived next door to a family who had a boy called Ben. Maybe it was Benjamin, but the always called him Ben. His little sister, however, called him Benny. Not so bad I guess, it just always sounded really funny to me. Maybe its too close to Penny or bunny.
I once lived next door to a family who had a boy called Ben. Maybe it was Benjamin, but the always called him Ben. His little sister, however, called him Benny. Not so bad I guess, it just always sounded really funny to me. Maybe its too close to Penny or bunny.
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