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Help[Opinions] Using a less common nickname
It won't stop me from doing it, but I've been wondering how "difficult" it would be to use a nickname that isn't commonly used. Like one that most people wouldn't even know could be a nickname for the full name. Do you think people would wonder why you call them that and ask you about it all the time?
(Examples, Oliver "Noll", Henry "Harry", Anne "Nancy", Margaret "Gretchen", Mary "Polly", Sarah "Sadie".)
(Examples, Oliver "Noll", Henry "Harry", Anne "Nancy", Margaret "Gretchen", Mary "Polly", Sarah "Sadie".)
This message was edited 11/10/2010, 8:49 AM
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People might ask about but just because they didn't know that could be a nickname. DH's cousin and his wife named their daughter Mary after his grandmother but they call her Molly. And when people would hear that, they would wonder where does Molly come from. But not everyone can be a name nerd.
Although now you could just use Gretchen for Margaret or Molly for Mary, and have the nickname be the given name.
Although now you could just use Gretchen for Margaret or Molly for Mary, and have the nickname be the given name.
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As most people on this site know, my youngest half-sister is Marguerite nn Daisy. Most people don't even realise her full name is Marguerite because at the moment we just introduce her as Daisy. She introduces herself as Daisy as well but if you ask her what her FULL name is she will announce Marguerite Siena Catherine *last name* (except she doesn't get all the pronounciations *quite* right yet!). We rarely call her Marguerite at the moment except for the occasional sing-songy 'Miss Marguerite' but I think its likely she'll choose to go by it at some point, even if only professionally.
When it does come up in conversation, we just explain that Marguerite means 'daisy' in French and that Dad and A loved the name Marguerite and loved the name Daisy but thought Daisy was too childish for an adult and Marguerite was a lot of name for a little girl - perfect compromise for them! Most people don't question it more than that.
When it does come up in conversation, we just explain that Marguerite means 'daisy' in French and that Dad and A loved the name Marguerite and loved the name Daisy but thought Daisy was too childish for an adult and Marguerite was a lot of name for a little girl - perfect compromise for them! Most people don't question it more than that.
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How sweet! I love both Marguerite and Daisy! I have Freya Marguerite on my favorites list and since my BF nixed Daisy as a MN for Fiona I've thought I could endearingly call Freya "Daisy" from time to time
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I hadn't heard Gretchen for Margaret, nor Nancy for Anne (though I do know Nan was/is used.
The others, I did know about.
I think it's acceptable. someone might ask, now and then, why such-and-such a nick-name, but I don't think it would be a big deal.
Some of my mother's family had unlikely nick-names. There must have been a reason, originally, for them, but it got lost, in the mists of time!
For example,my Uncle Edgar..nn "Tee Tee."My Aunt Elsie..nn"Pat".
The others, I did know about.
I think it's acceptable. someone might ask, now and then, why such-and-such a nick-name, but I don't think it would be a big deal.
Some of my mother's family had unlikely nick-names. There must have been a reason, originally, for them, but it got lost, in the mists of time!
For example,my Uncle Edgar..nn "Tee Tee."My Aunt Elsie..nn"Pat".
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Your Aunt's nickname reminds me of my husband's grandmother. Her name is Rachel Louise, but she's called Sally. No idea why!
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Let them wonder. Often, the knowledge of how nns came about has been lost because nns as fns have become more common, but I'll guarantee your grandparents or great-grandparents had a knowledge of them that many don't possess today. The point I'm making is that even though that knowledge may be limited today, it doesn't make the use of them wrong. Bring that knowledge back! If people ask questions, educate them.
Personally, I feel that the more layers a name has (like an onion), the more interesting it is. A full name suits every stage of life and offers a lot of possibilities. It's also a fun way to introduce yourself and your intentions ("Hi, my name is Mary, but all of my friends call me Polly."). And I'd much rather have those options than to be stuck with a nn and wish I had a little more to work with. Actually, I experienced all of those emotions before my name change so I know what I'm talking about.
BTW, the only nn I'm unfamiliar with is Noll which I've never heard before. I can't say I like it as well as Oliver but I do like it.
Personally, I feel that the more layers a name has (like an onion), the more interesting it is. A full name suits every stage of life and offers a lot of possibilities. It's also a fun way to introduce yourself and your intentions ("Hi, my name is Mary, but all of my friends call me Polly."). And I'd much rather have those options than to be stuck with a nn and wish I had a little more to work with. Actually, I experienced all of those emotions before my name change so I know what I'm talking about.
BTW, the only nn I'm unfamiliar with is Noll which I've never heard before. I can't say I like it as well as Oliver but I do like it.
This message was edited 11/10/2010, 11:26 AM
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For sure!
It would definitely be a bonus for me to find a nickname that isn't used much anymore and use it. I can school everyone. :)
I also definitely agree with your second bit. One thing that's always bothered me about my name is that it has no nickname. I think a formal name with multiple nickname possibilities is awesome.
It would definitely be a bonus for me to find a nickname that isn't used much anymore and use it. I can school everyone. :)
I also definitely agree with your second bit. One thing that's always bothered me about my name is that it has no nickname. I think a formal name with multiple nickname possibilities is awesome.
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I think it can work; you would just have to introduce your child as the nickname. I don't think my sister has much trouble with Margaret "Greta." Some people ask how they got Greta out of Margaret, and she just tells them that it is a traditional nickname for Margaret. I think it's totally doable.
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I personally wouldn't do that unless the full name was honoring, and I wanted to give them their "own" name to use. If I wanted to call a girl Gretchen, I would name her Gretchen, not Margaret. But I do not think it is necessarily "bad" to do so..just not for me.
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No, I think it is fine. Actually, I think it is quite common. I do not know how you get Noll from Oliver.
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Noll comes about the same way as Nan, Nell, or Ned... it's from saying "Mine Oliver."
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use whatever nn you want, they are supposed to be a bit different from proper names. My son's nn is FinnFinn
but saying that, I don't like the idea of choosing a nn before the baby is born or whatever. I like nns to evolve naturally. Yes, of course you should consider potential nns for those that might lead to teasing or bad intials or whatever, but it doesn't feel right to me to choose a nn beforehand. But I like to use names as they are on the birth certificate, not have Sunday names and everyday names. IMO nicknames are for fun not to be used as their everyday name.
but saying that, I don't like the idea of choosing a nn before the baby is born or whatever. I like nns to evolve naturally. Yes, of course you should consider potential nns for those that might lead to teasing or bad intials or whatever, but it doesn't feel right to me to choose a nn beforehand. But I like to use names as they are on the birth certificate, not have Sunday names and everyday names. IMO nicknames are for fun not to be used as their everyday name.
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I don't, either
Or rather, I don't 100% commit to a name or nickname before birth. If I were going to have a girl, I'd definitely wait until after she were born and see which nickname fit her best. Sometimes they do just come out!
I also think there are sort of two ways to have a nickname, and your description is one of them. And I think that's how every other name I like is. They'd have a nickname, but it wouldn't be used all the time. On the other hand, there are the kind of nicknames you do call them all the time. Our son's name is Benjamin, but he is always called Ben (or sometimes Benji).
Or rather, I don't 100% commit to a name or nickname before birth. If I were going to have a girl, I'd definitely wait until after she were born and see which nickname fit her best. Sometimes they do just come out!
I also think there are sort of two ways to have a nickname, and your description is one of them. And I think that's how every other name I like is. They'd have a nickname, but it wouldn't be used all the time. On the other hand, there are the kind of nicknames you do call them all the time. Our son's name is Benjamin, but he is always called Ben (or sometimes Benji).
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Sometimes people like the NN better than the root name, but feel that it would be better for their child to have a fuller name to fall back on.
For instance I love Pippa, Gwen, Susie, Rose and Romy but think they are either too nicknamey on their own, or don't flow well with my last name.... hence my choice to use Philippa, Gwendolyn, Susannah, Rosa, and/or Rosemary, with each planned nn used respectively
For instance I love Pippa, Gwen, Susie, Rose and Romy but think they are either too nicknamey on their own, or don't flow well with my last name.... hence my choice to use Philippa, Gwendolyn, Susannah, Rosa, and/or Rosemary, with each planned nn used respectively
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Noll is the only one I didn't know of. Of course, I'm a name nerd, so most people might not get the connections. I'd do it anyway. I'm not particularly fond of Harry, but I like the rest of them. :)
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Depends on the name and nickname. I don't think anyone would wonder why you called Henry for Harry, or Margaret for Gretchen. But Noll, Polly, Nancy? Yeah, I think people would wonder. And just for the record, I don't get how Mary could get the nickname Polly. If anything, wouldn't it be Molly? Or am I missing something? :P Just curious (:
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In the middle ages a way they made nicknames was by changing Rs to Ls (how we get Molly from Mary, Dolly from Dorothy, Sally from Sarah), and then another common thing was to change the first consonant (Meg->Peg, Ned->Ted, Will->Bill, Rob->Bob, Molly->Polly).
In the US, Harry isn't commonly used as a nn for Henry. I didn't know it was until I started coming to this site.
Margaret nn Gretchen is the one I'm most curious about because I think Gretchen is the nn I'd like to use.
I would have fun explaining to people the etymology of nicknames if they asked, though. :)
In the US, Harry isn't commonly used as a nn for Henry. I didn't know it was until I started coming to this site.
Margaret nn Gretchen is the one I'm most curious about because I think Gretchen is the nn I'd like to use.
I would have fun explaining to people the etymology of nicknames if they asked, though. :)
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I think with Gretchen you wouldn't have to explain it to that many people. Most peopl just know my niece as Greta; they don't even realize her real name is Margaret, because my sister always introduces her as Greta. People might be a little confused if you told them that your daughter's name was Margaret-called-Gretchen because Gretchen is almost exclusively an independent name in the US now, but just something like "Gretchen actually started out as a nickname for Margaret! Nick and I really love old-fashioned nicknames, so we decided to use an old nickname of one of our favorite girls' names." That should suffice.
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See? I didn't know that.
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