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[Opinions] New nickname
DS Noah has been called "Noer" by the family until very recently. Now, we've started calling him "Teddy" b/c he's the most cuddly boy I've ever met. (You know, cuddly like a teddy bear!) Anyway, what do you think of nns like this, that aren't derived from the person's name, but rather from their personality? I know that years ago, *everyone* it seemed, had a nn of some sort. My grandpa Harold is Hank or Chuck, neither of which is derived from Harold, and my great-aunt was Judy, although her name was Lola (she had a middle initial, but no mn, so that's obviously not the origin of her nn). Another aunt was called Toots (again, nothing related to her name, Lila) and the list goes on.
Is this type of nicknaming weird or completely outdated? Or do you think it's a legitimate form of nicknaming?As an aside, it's an underhanded way for me to get DS to be different from the whole swarm of Noah's that are certain to be in his classes at school...If he goes by Teddy, he certainly can't be "Noah B."

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I definitely don't think this is an outdated form of nicknaming. I think nns that are earned are the best kind! If Teddy sticks and he likes it, I think it'd be a great way for him not to be another Noah. =)
--------------------"The dog is a gentleman; I hope I go to his heaven, not man's."
- Mark Twain.
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I like NNs when they happen naturally, so something that stems from personality is great.
What are the convulsions of a city in comparison with the insurrections of the soul?
Man is a depth still greater than the people.
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A friend of my dad's goes by Ted but his real name is Lawrence (I didn't even know this until I saw his phone number written down, I though he was an Edward), he gets called Ted because he used to be a Teddy boy when he was younger.I also went to school with a Sharaz who went by Bobs but I've no idea why.I think it's a good way of getting a nickname.
~Louise x
~*~Top Names~*~
Charles Frederick & Isabel Primrose

This message was edited 7/24/2006, 10:18 AM

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OTI love your hex sign. Where did you find it?Check Out Blinkyou.com for thousands of custom glitters and layouts
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Hex sign? What's a hex sign?
~Louise x
~*~Top Names~*~
Charles Frederick & Isabel Primrose
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I see, it's actually a Yorkshire RoseIt's the symbol for the county of Yorkshire, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_Rose, that's why I've chosen it. It's Yorkshire Day on 1st August, plus I'm a very proud Yorkshire person :D This and the Red Rose of Lancashire is what makes up a Tudor Rose.I didn't know what a hex is/was, I just typed 'yorkshire rose' into Google to find it, it's something that I've often attempted to draw. Maybe this would be better?:

~Louise x
~*~Top Names~*~
Charles Frederick & Isabel Primrose

This message was edited 7/24/2006, 1:40 PM

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Well,the photo of the Yorkshire rose is beautiful, but I wouldn't get rid of the stylized one in your siggy. A hex is a sign of protection, so it could be doubly meaningful!Check Out Blinkyou.com for thousands of custom glitters and layouts
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The thing in your sig.http://www.amishnews.com/hexsigns.htm-the warrior girl and her dragon lover-

This message was edited 7/24/2006, 1:18 PM

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I think Noah "Teddy" is really cute! It's not quite the same, but there was a boy in my year named Andrew Zebulon Surname, and he was always called Zeb. Period. In old yearbooks, it even lists him as Surname, Andrew (Zeb). I didn't know that it was part of his middle name and not just an odd nickname until we graduated. I expect Noah "Teddy" could work much the same way. Make a note with the teachers that he's called Teddy, and they'll generally respect that.Another almost-related anecdote: I call my sister by her middle name all the time, and none of her friends bat an eye when they hear Sara being called Jean or Jeanie. Of course, no one really bats an eye at me for much of anything, lol--they've gotten used to my eccentricities! ;)In short, Teddy and Tori Kate would be pretty much the cutest thing ever. If it sticks, make it stick for good. :DArray

...And then he said, "You're independent, aren't you?"
"Yes," said Laura.A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having.
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"cutest thing ever"Well, in *that* case, we'll just have to keep him Teddy forever, lol. Seriously, I'm thinking, "Why didn't I consider Noah Theodore? It sounds even better than Noah Michael..." But just b/c I didn't consider it at the time doesn't mean I can't change it now, lol!Check Out Blinkyou.com for thousands of custom glitters and layouts
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Some of my friends have nicknames. Only about half are actually derived from their names.Nicknames aren't supposed to be legit. So no "legitimate form of nicknaming". They don't have to be planned out. So it's completely fine, and I don't think it's outdated (my friends and I are around 14).And a flaw in your reasoning: He can still be "Teddy B". Theodore isn't really uncommon/nonexistant, and some do go by Teddy.
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True, butTheodore is less common than Noah, especially in my area. I wasn't paying much attention to popularity when we named our DS; we just both really liked the name and had never met anyone in RL named Noah. DH's fn is John, so we were actually trying to avoid the whole 6 kids in class with the same name scenario. In 2003, when DS was born, Noah ranked 32 in the US, while Theodore ranked 313...still popular, but not as wildly so as Noah. So statistically, the chances of there being a lot of Teddys in his class are lower than the chances of there being other Noahs.Check Out Blinkyou.com for thousands of custom glitters and layouts
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Yes, that's fine. I knew that. I was just pointing it out.And as for the popularity of Noah, it is more popular than Theodore. It's even wildly popular here, but on a girl :(. Theodore is definitely not. Yippee, I could use it if I like! Honoring the genius Theodor Seuss Geisel, of course (you'll know who he is by the name in the middle, at least I hope so. I actually met people who didn't know who he was.)
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Oh wow, I didn't even remember that that was his real name! Another reason to use Theodore or Theodora some day. =)
--------------------"The dog is a gentleman; I hope I go to his heaven, not man's."
- Mark Twain.
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Yup.He's a really good reason to use it. And he's got a great name.
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Oh, goodness!With a 4 yo & a 2 1/2 yo, I'd *better* know who Dr. Seuss is! And being goy, Noah on a girl takes some getting used to, but I'm actually starting to accept it. Liking it will be the next step, lol. :o)Check Out Blinkyou.com for thousands of custom glitters and layouts
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Yes, definitely. He's a genius. I still love his books and I'm 14. They're just so fun to read aloud (probably less so if you have to do that constantly, but I don't know if your kids are the type who like to be read to all the time). And I don't know if I'd recommend Noa on a girl to you (Noa is the common, and I think better spelling) even though it's my name - I find that it's either really common or unheard of in places where I know something about its popularity. Which is two countries, so don't quote me on that.
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I love giving a child a nn that isn't necessarily related to their name, but I like it best when it evolves on its own, which seems to be the case in your DS' situation. BTW, Noah and Teddy are both fabulous names. :)
~Heather~

"Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?" - Ernest Gaines

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will know peace" - Jimi Hendrix
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I think such a nn is fine becaue it's unique and meaningful and comes from the person's personality,quirks,place in the family,whatever.It's more organic. With the caveat that the person with the nn is happy with it and that it's an appropiate nn to use outside the family then I don't see why such a nickname shouldn't be used in everyday life.Example, my aunt called me "Sheba" when I was young which would have been fine to use in school,etc. if I had chosen to do so(would have raised a lot of eyebrows where I grew up though.) My father called me "Snooks" - not so good to be called in school.A friend of mine called her son Anthony Edward and he goes by Teddy. I think it's a cute name and would do a teenager or grown man. I love Noah as well,incidently.
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Weirdly, I've actually heard Hank for Harold before...I think nns that don't come from a person's "real" name are just fine, so long as the, uh... name-holder? likes them.Teddy's a great nn. If he decides to go by Teddy when he goes to school and his mn isn't Theodore, the teacher might be sort of "Huh?" at first, but it probably won't matter much. I think it's legitimate, and adorable to boot!
♥♣ ♦♠
" i'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance "
♠♦ ♣♥
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Like language and life in general, nicknames are fluid and dynamic and usually very difficult to control. Sometimes names are created from what seems to be a traceless source. I have an aunt whose real name is Marilyn but we all call her "Moop". She's even "aunt Moop". No one knows where this came from, and even though it's seems a total nonsense name, it fits her personality.I think that nn used to be more of a natural thing that people didn't try to prearrange. Nowadays, naming seems like such a process (this board presented as evidence of that), and parents laments for hours, days, years over a name that is unique, but not too weird, and honors their sense of style and sensibilities. Along with that has come nns for that name...You see it all the time here...people coming up with a name and quickly followed by a suggested nn that fits just as well. They even consider what kind of situations warrant this nn and what kind of personality would fit it...IMO, this is very unnatural and while it may work (esp. if you consistently correct friends/family if they use an alternative nn to the "chosen" one), many times nns pop up that you would've never thought of.In short, I'd say embrace this name...and when your son gets older, if he starts to resent it as juvenile or whatever, he will be the one to correct those who dare to use it! ;-)
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I actually like it better than nicknames that come from the names. It's more personal, and more unique. Kaitlyn doesn't have to be yet another Katie, she can be Piglet. =)-the warrior girl and her dragon lover-
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