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Help[Opinions] Re: nicknames
in reply to a message by emilylauren
In general, I wouldn't let a possible stop me if I really wanted to use the full name. However, you have to realize that after a certain age, you no longer have any control over what other people call the child or what she calls herself or wants to be called. You can therefore keep calling her Josephine till the cows come home, but she may very well insist that everybody else must call her Josie.
I think the nn problem is greater with some names than with others. I know of lots of Elizabeths who never have any trouble getting people to use the full name, but I know a mess of Michaels who are always trying to get people to call them that and not Mike, with limited success. My husband is Phillip to family and a couple friends, but Phil to everybody else, regardless of what he or his parents intended. :) And I know of no William who is regularly called William and not Will, Billy or Bill.
I think the nn problem is greater with some names than with others. I know of lots of Elizabeths who never have any trouble getting people to use the full name, but I know a mess of Michaels who are always trying to get people to call them that and not Mike, with limited success. My husband is Phillip to family and a couple friends, but Phil to everybody else, regardless of what he or his parents intended. :) And I know of no William who is regularly called William and not Will, Billy or Bill.
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I agree
Some names automatically attract a nn, usually because there is a lack of another one. For eg, every Caitlin I know gets Cait or Caity. If you don't like them, don't use them. Whereas there are a) enough Elizabeths and b) enough different nns, that if you don't want them to be Liz you can say "No it is Elizabeth" or "No its Beth, Izzy, Bet, Betsy, Bess, Ellie etc"
Some names automatically attract a nn, usually because there is a lack of another one. For eg, every Caitlin I know gets Cait or Caity. If you don't like them, don't use them. Whereas there are a) enough Elizabeths and b) enough different nns, that if you don't want them to be Liz you can say "No it is Elizabeth" or "No its Beth, Izzy, Bet, Betsy, Bess, Ellie etc"
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