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Help[Opinions] Could you use a 4/5 syllable name without a nickname?
There are several names I love in their full form, but I dislike all the nicknames you can get out of them. The problem is that several of those names have 4 or 5 syllables and I wonder if it would even be possible to always make people call her by her full name.
The name I'm thinking of is Alexandria, 5 syllables. Let's say she would also prefer her full name and wouldn't like any of its nicknames, just like I do.
Do you think it's possible to make sure that people always called her Alexandria? If it was her wish and mine? Or would people get annoyed? Would she get annoyed after some time and shorten it even though she preferred the full form?
What do you think?
I don't necessarily like all of the names below but prefer them in their full form:
Elizabeth (4 syllables) (okay, I like Lily, Liza, Ella and Eliza but consider them to be separate names to be used on their own).
Victoria (4 syllables)
Augustina (4 syllables)
What do you think? Possible or endless corrections and annoyance?
The name I'm thinking of is Alexandria, 5 syllables. Let's say she would also prefer her full name and wouldn't like any of its nicknames, just like I do.
Do you think it's possible to make sure that people always called her Alexandria? If it was her wish and mine? Or would people get annoyed? Would she get annoyed after some time and shorten it even though she preferred the full form?
What do you think?
I don't necessarily like all of the names below but prefer them in their full form:
Elizabeth (4 syllables) (okay, I like Lily, Liza, Ella and Eliza but consider them to be separate names to be used on their own).
Victoria (4 syllables)
Augustina (4 syllables)
What do you think? Possible or endless corrections and annoyance?
This message was edited 6/14/2009, 2:36 PM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
probably not
I prefer 1-2 syllable names and sometimes 3, but I don't think I could go past that. Sebastian is probably the absolute longest name that I could use. I just prefer shorter or long with a nickname.
I prefer 1-2 syllable names and sometimes 3, but I don't think I could go past that. Sebastian is probably the absolute longest name that I could use. I just prefer shorter or long with a nickname.
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I feel like many people will try to shorten a long name in everyday use with fellow teens because they may feel too formal otherwise.
I knew an Elizabeth that had a tough time getting people to call her by her full name because every other Elizabeth in my school (it was the most popular girl's name in my grade) went by Liz (the Elisabeth went by Lisa). I knew she hated Liz, but I would sometimes slip and call her this myself out of natural ease.
I know an Alexandra who was usually called Lex. Alexandria is just so long to say in everyday conversation.(Alexandria is a city name for me by the way, not a people name.)
Victoria is not a difficult preference. I know of at least two girls who go by this with no problem.
Augustina might be a little awkward at first, just because it's very long as well as unusual. But it does roll off the tounge better than Alexandria. I could see people gettting used to it and appreciating it for it's beauty. Similar Valentina is not uncommon. August and Tina are possible nicknames.
My belief is that if you choose to call your daughter by her full name, go ahead. If it's difficult for her to get people to call her by that name if that's what she wants and some shorten it, oh well. Isn't it better for some people to call her by the name she loves then to give her a mediocre name instead just so everyone can use it? A long name gives her options too.
I knew an Elizabeth that had a tough time getting people to call her by her full name because every other Elizabeth in my school (it was the most popular girl's name in my grade) went by Liz (the Elisabeth went by Lisa). I knew she hated Liz, but I would sometimes slip and call her this myself out of natural ease.
I know an Alexandra who was usually called Lex. Alexandria is just so long to say in everyday conversation.(Alexandria is a city name for me by the way, not a people name.)
Victoria is not a difficult preference. I know of at least two girls who go by this with no problem.
Augustina might be a little awkward at first, just because it's very long as well as unusual. But it does roll off the tounge better than Alexandria. I could see people gettting used to it and appreciating it for it's beauty. Similar Valentina is not uncommon. August and Tina are possible nicknames.
My belief is that if you choose to call your daughter by her full name, go ahead. If it's difficult for her to get people to call her by that name if that's what she wants and some shorten it, oh well. Isn't it better for some people to call her by the name she loves then to give her a mediocre name instead just so everyone can use it? A long name gives her options too.
This message was edited 6/14/2009, 9:46 PM
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Of course!
Is Augustina even a name?
My name is Elizabeth, and it is perfectly fine in full form. Unfortunately my surname is just as many letters.
Eliza makes for a very sophisticated nickname. Lily is not a nickname for Elizabeth.
Magdalena (if pronounced in a German way) is great in full form.
Thomasina.
Theodora/Theodosia
Parthenia
Is Augustina even a name?
My name is Elizabeth, and it is perfectly fine in full form. Unfortunately my surname is just as many letters.
Eliza makes for a very sophisticated nickname. Lily is not a nickname for Elizabeth.
Magdalena (if pronounced in a German way) is great in full form.
Thomasina.
Theodora/Theodosia
Parthenia
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I know ;) I have seen it used as a nickname for Elizabeth quite often, though, which annoyed me a bit.
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Really? I don't think it should be used as a nickname for Elizabeth...Lillian, maybe, though.
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I personally would probably have difficulty with it if my kid had a name that long. I nickname quite liberally; I'll lengthen a name to nn it if it's already one syllable lol. If I had an Alexandria she would probably end up as Lexie/Lex, Ally/Al, Andy, etc all at various times.
That said, I almost always call people by the name they introduce themselves as, until I feel comfortable enough around them to feel I can use whatever nicknames other people call them. This would obviously not apply if Alexandria was called Alexandria by everyone. If we became BFF (lol) I'd probably see if I could get away with a nn at some point. I have a friend called Leah (prn lee) who hates Leela, Leelee, etc. I used to call her TJ (long story) instead but am slowly adjusting to just calling her Leah (after 10 years of knowing her! lol).
That said, I almost always call people by the name they introduce themselves as, until I feel comfortable enough around them to feel I can use whatever nicknames other people call them. This would obviously not apply if Alexandria was called Alexandria by everyone. If we became BFF (lol) I'd probably see if I could get away with a nn at some point. I have a friend called Leah (prn lee) who hates Leela, Leelee, etc. I used to call her TJ (long story) instead but am slowly adjusting to just calling her Leah (after 10 years of knowing her! lol).
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Yes+
I know a young woman named Anastasia, she's always called that, no nick-names.
I know a young woman named Anastasia, she's always called that, no nick-names.
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I don't think it's a problem if you want it that way. I have a 4 syllable mn and I used to go by that. Some tried to shorten it and call me by a nn, but I'd correct them once and never have the problem again. Although you sometimes have to correct, most of the times it's ok. I mean if you introduce yourself as Elizabeth then most people will take it as such. There aren't that many that will shorten it.
But to tell you the truth I don't think there would be a problem with Alexandria. I know plenty Alexandras who use their full names, so Alexandria wouldn't be very different. If you insist at first that that's what you want the others to call her and correct them a few times I think it'll be fine.
And if she'll ever shorten it I don't think it would be because she gets annoyed by all the corrections.
But to tell you the truth I don't think there would be a problem with Alexandria. I know plenty Alexandras who use their full names, so Alexandria wouldn't be very different. If you insist at first that that's what you want the others to call her and correct them a few times I think it'll be fine.
And if she'll ever shorten it I don't think it would be because she gets annoyed by all the corrections.
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I think it's possible if you insist on her being called her full name. However it's likely a nickname will evolve at some point, especially being a 4 syllable name. Most of the time nicknames just come about accidentally. She may still be Alexandria at home but her friends may call her something else. Or she will dislike having a long name. I have a friend named Katlyn-Marie and she only wants to be called Katlyn.
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I think it's very difficult to have a four syllable name and not use a nickname. Not impossible, but difficult. People just naturally do not want to say a huge mouthful every time they utter a name. They just naturally want to shorten it. I think that someone with a four syllable name who wanted no nickname would have to be constantly asking people not to use the nickname.
I named my daughter Victoria, and I was so sure that it would be a constant, not-worth-it effort to avoid a nickname, that I opted for Torrie rather than Vicky. I don't hate Vicky, but I preferred Torrie, which I find very cute and spunky. A girl named Victoria nicknamed Torrie has both a beautiful, classic, elegant name, AND a cute, spunky, modern-sounding name. The best of both worlds.
I named my daughter Victoria, and I was so sure that it would be a constant, not-worth-it effort to avoid a nickname, that I opted for Torrie rather than Vicky. I don't hate Vicky, but I preferred Torrie, which I find very cute and spunky. A girl named Victoria nicknamed Torrie has both a beautiful, classic, elegant name, AND a cute, spunky, modern-sounding name. The best of both worlds.
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I think you could, but she'd probably end up going by a nickname eventually - if not other family members, her friends.
I have the same issue, I love Alexandra but I hate all nicknames for it!
I have the same issue, I love Alexandra but I hate all nicknames for it!
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I think it is possible but at the end of the day it will become her decision. So when you choose the name you need to accept that there will always be the possibility of the nns being used so you need to weigh that possibility against your love for the name.
I know Elizabeths who just go by Elizabeth, I know a Victoria who always goes by Victoria and I know an Alexandra who always goes by Alexandra. So it is definitely possible but as they got older they decided they liked the full versions of their names better than the nicknames. I also know lots of people whose parents chose a full name and insisted no nicknames were used and then those kids decided to be known by a nickname as they got older. My cousin Katherine is a good example- she has just turned 15 and has always always ALWAYS been only Katherine and as soon as she got to high school she chose to go by Kat. My Aunt hates it but she has had to learn to deal with it. She says that if she had known her daughter would become a Kat, she would have never named her Katherine.
Also, I think you will have more problems keeping Augustina as Augustina than the rest. The other names are easily recognizable and come off the tongue easily. Augustina is different so people perceive it to be more of a mouthful IMO even if it is essentially no harder to say than Alexandria.
ETA: My general thinking behind all of this is that I would never pick a name with a common potential nn I hated. I love the name Alexandra, but I would probably choose for her to go by Alex or Xan around my house (even though I prefer the name in its full form). But I don't actually hate Lexie or Allie or Sasha etc. I wouldn't out and out choose to use them and I don't love them but I could totally deal with my kid going by one of them. On the other hand, I adore Isobel but not such a big fan of any nicknames of it- so it is relegated to mn
I know Elizabeths who just go by Elizabeth, I know a Victoria who always goes by Victoria and I know an Alexandra who always goes by Alexandra. So it is definitely possible but as they got older they decided they liked the full versions of their names better than the nicknames. I also know lots of people whose parents chose a full name and insisted no nicknames were used and then those kids decided to be known by a nickname as they got older. My cousin Katherine is a good example- she has just turned 15 and has always always ALWAYS been only Katherine and as soon as she got to high school she chose to go by Kat. My Aunt hates it but she has had to learn to deal with it. She says that if she had known her daughter would become a Kat, she would have never named her Katherine.
Also, I think you will have more problems keeping Augustina as Augustina than the rest. The other names are easily recognizable and come off the tongue easily. Augustina is different so people perceive it to be more of a mouthful IMO even if it is essentially no harder to say than Alexandria.
ETA: My general thinking behind all of this is that I would never pick a name with a common potential nn I hated. I love the name Alexandra, but I would probably choose for her to go by Alex or Xan around my house (even though I prefer the name in its full form). But I don't actually hate Lexie or Allie or Sasha etc. I wouldn't out and out choose to use them and I don't love them but I could totally deal with my kid going by one of them. On the other hand, I adore Isobel but not such a big fan of any nicknames of it- so it is relegated to mn
This message was edited 6/14/2009, 3:14 PM
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No, definitely not. I got an intense dislike for names more than three syllables that have no nicknames. Most of it comes from when I was sitting next to a girl called Maria Carolina in class that went by no nickname. So everytime I wanted to get her attention, I had to say the full seven-syllable name. Be the time I had said Mari-, she had already reacted. That annoyed me so much, that after some time I just started saying "Hey?" or I just poked her arm. That's why I would never use Victoria. I love the name but hate the nicknames you can get from it.
I'd never call someone by some nickname I made up even though they didn't like it. I hate when people call me Dani/Danny as well because they think it's the usual nickname (and even more when they pronounce it the wrong way, GOD!) and don't ask what I go by first. If someone said s/he went by her full name, I doubt anyone would insist on calling her/him by a nickname.
I'd never call someone by some nickname I made up even though they didn't like it. I hate when people call me Dani/Danny as well because they think it's the usual nickname (and even more when they pronounce it the wrong way, GOD!) and don't ask what I go by first. If someone said s/he went by her full name, I doubt anyone would insist on calling her/him by a nickname.
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Yes
It's common practice in Croatia. People are called by their full name until they correct you and say that they prefer a nickname (and nicknames are only used among family and close friends, so no one at work or a teacher, etc. would call you by a nn). Among the long names I've seen used without a nickname are: Elizabeta, Viktoria, Magdalena, Leonarda, Branimira, Anastazija, Vjekoslava, Nikolina, Katarina, Aleksandra, Anamarija...
However, I've noticed that English speakers seem to be incapable of calling a person by a long-ish name and use nicknames even in formal occasions (like calling the President Jimmy or Bill; that is a big no-no here).
It's common practice in Croatia. People are called by their full name until they correct you and say that they prefer a nickname (and nicknames are only used among family and close friends, so no one at work or a teacher, etc. would call you by a nn). Among the long names I've seen used without a nickname are: Elizabeta, Viktoria, Magdalena, Leonarda, Branimira, Anastazija, Vjekoslava, Nikolina, Katarina, Aleksandra, Anamarija...
However, I've noticed that English speakers seem to be incapable of calling a person by a long-ish name and use nicknames even in formal occasions (like calling the President Jimmy or Bill; that is a big no-no here).
This message was edited 6/14/2009, 3:41 PM
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If people knew the intentions of you and your daughter, that you both wanted her full name used, then most people would respect your wishes. There are some, such as teachers and new acquaintances, who might refer to Alexandria by a nickname accidently or by the assumption that she prefers it. If a teacher or acquaintance knew an Alexandra or Alexis, they might be accustomed to shortening it to Alex, Lexy, Sandra, etc. However, few people would be deliberately impolite enough to call her by a nickname if she didn't want that.
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