People with nicknames - does this bug you?

[tonilea]

My name, Toni, doesn't lend itself to a nickname, though I always wanted one! lol

When we named DS Thomas, I always thought he would end up being called Tom, Tommy or LT (Little Tom), but he has never allowed anyone to call him anything but Thomas. He always says, "It's Thomas." whenever anyone tries to alter his name in anyway.

AWWW! DS read this and said, "You have a very special nickname!" I asked him what it was and he replied, "Mom!"

 

[JLiz]

Wow, I love my nicknames and love when people make up new ones for me! I introduce myself as Jennifer. I go by and sign and most of my friends call me Jenn. My brother and sometimes my Dad call me Jenny. I don't think I've ever heard my brother call me Jennifer my entire life. Sometimes I get Jenny-poo. At work, a lot of people call me just by my last name without a Ms. before it or Little D (D is the first letter of my last name). My nickname as a child was Squirt (can you tell I'm petite from some of these?) and I still get that from my parents and some old family friends. I think it shows affection and closeness when people call you by a shortened name or nickname and I have no problem with relative strangers trying to become more friendly.

 

[Aisling]

My name can't be shortened.. so I dont have this problem

It can, but it wouldn't be very nice.

 

[KimR]

I'm in the same boat (or nearly). My name is Kimberly and that's what's on my birth certificate/driver's license, but *nobody* calls me Kimberly. I've been Kim since the moment I was born.

My given name is Kim, not Kimberly, yet everyone assumes Kimberly and occasionally will call me that. I don't mind because I much prefer Kimberly and had my parents named me that, that is what I would go by. What's weird, though, is their reasoning for not naming me Kimberly: it's too girlish. But, I AM a girl! I guess they thought maybe if I were named a more gender neutral name I wouldn't turn out to be a priss. Well, it didn't work.

 

[Took]

I wish that people would call me Chief.

No, "Maestro."

 

[starrzone]

It's funny...my given name is Catherine (named after my grandmother and great-great grandmother) and NO ONE in my family calls me that! My parents called me Cathy since I was born, so I guess people just went with that. The only person who consistently calls me Catherine is a woman in my church who is named Katherine and goes by that

However, I have a brother named Alexander, and cousins named Peter and Andrew. No Al's, Alex's, Pete's, Andy's or Drew's! My mother and her sister were pretty insistent from the start that the boys be called by their complete first names. Now, my cousins and I all have nicknames that we call each other, but no one outside of the family circle uses them. I cringe whenever someone other than my brothers or cousins call me Cath; even my aunt!

 

[mkymouse1928]

My name is Jessica. Most of my friends and family will refer to me as Jess pretty regularly, but it drives me bonkers to have a virtual stranger use that name. And if you refer to me as Jessie I absolutely will not answer. I HATE Jessie.

 

[arminnie]

dh is Patrick.. he does NOT go by Pat.. When someone calls and asks for Pat I said there is no Pat here but there is a Patrick is that who your looking for

I'm a Patricia. I remember getting all sorts of junk mail assuming I was a male. ??????

My name is LaTia (pronounced: luh-TEE-ah). People inevitably have trouble pronouncing my full name (though I don't think it's really that difficult) and call me LATISHA, LAYTIA, or LAYSHA or something like that (I've even heard LATOYA and LATASHA).

As a Patricia who goes by Tricia (or Trish if you must use only one syllable) I have been called Pat, Patty, Patsy, Terry, Teresa and all sorts of other variations.

Where I last worked there were 3 of us named Patricia. One really preferred being Patricia (nothing else), one liked Pat and I liked Tricia. If someone used the wrong name they truly were referring to the wrong person.

My mother chose Tricia as my nickname but when we moved from Michigan to Arkansas I had a lot of people call me Pat. My mother used to send me to school with monogrammed clothes, but nothing worked as I was not assertive enough to insist on my right name.

At the end of my teen years I started insisting that I be called Tricia or Trish. I even had a personalized car tag that said "Trish" (Tricia had been taken) Most people do want to call you by your correct name if it is politely explained to them.

But not all do. I have friends from middle and high school (DECADES and DECADES ago) that say I will always be Pat to them - they can't change. To which I always say - well how would you like it if I told you I was going to use your maiden name (after 30 years of marriage), because that was the name I knew you by in high school!

 

[nerdylightbulb]

My name is Kody, so it really can't be shortened.

What really bugs me is when people assume I'm male because of my name. On the first day of my math class last year, my teacher was assigning seats by pointing at the seat and saying the person's name. I went and sat in the seat and she told me that Kody was supposed to sit there. I said "Yeah... I know... I'M Kody."

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm in the same boat (or nearly). My name is Kimberly and that's what's on my birth certificate/driver's license, but *nobody* calls me Kimberly. I've been Kim since the moment I was born.

The only reason my parents didn't officially name me Kim is that my mother's given name is Betty and she got sick of people assuming it was short for Elizabeth, when it's not. She didn't want to give me a nickname as a formal name and put me through the same thing.

I don't really mind when people call me Kimberly, but it feels weird and I usually tell them that I go by Kim. It only bothers me when they *still* call me Kimberly. Then it feels like they're ignoring me on purpose.

There's just no way to win that one.

Your grandparents went the way of naming your mom what they would call her, and it backfired b/c people assumed there was a longer name.

Your mom tried to get rid of that problem, and ended up with the problem of people NOT wanting to call you what you wanted to be called.

There's just no way around it.

My mom named me Molly b/c that's what she wanted me to be called. She named my brother Robin for the same reason...alas, by the time he was in college he was very very very OVER that name, and legally shortened it (I had finally stopped getting punched for calling him nicknames like Rob and Robbie, then I started getting punched, or at best ignored, for calling him by his new name!).

She did that b/c she was Judy but formally named Judith, and she hated that name. Her mom felt she should have a formal name, though.

It just flips back and forth.

An old roommate was named Mandy for the song. Then when she was NINE the extended family teamed up on Mandy's mom, and made the family change M's name legally to a proper name! She got to choose between Amanda and Miranda. What a ridiculous thing for the family to flip out about, ya know? However, during her broke years, she ALWAYS knew when a bill collector was on the phone, b/c they'd ask for the longer name.

 

[hereyago]

My real name is Patricia, but no one calls me that and if they did, I wouldn't answer. I am Trish, have been since about 5th grade when I started calling myself it. I am not Pat, Patty.

After 5th grade, the only one who would call me my full name was my Df when I was in trouble. At work, they only know me by Trish. But on payroll it does state my real name as my bank account has my real name.

It was funny, they were handing out checks and no one knew what my real name was and they were trying to figure out who the check belonged to.

And I have been to stores, banks where I show my id or credit card and employees who don't know me want to call me by the first legal name. Really? You know me like that? Even my now exdh knows not to call me that.

 

[denisem]

Nope, I'm totally the opposite coming from a family with colorful nicknames. I associate them with terms of endearment.

Denise: I'm 56, but will always be DeeDee to family, Dee to friends, Deedmarie to one relative. My late husband called me me "Heidi" (and I answered to it!) when I worked for a German company. Co-workers have used Niecy/Deniza, and I'm currently "Boo" or "Boo-Boo" because of my last name.

{shrug} I don't even get upset when called "Dennis" by telemarketers, because it alerts me to politely/quickly hang up.

 

[rammstein107]

Nicknames are cool, but I really hate mine. It means "chick" or "babe" or sth like that in my language and im not even a girl

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

I'm one of the ones with the opposite problem. My given name is Becky, JUST Becky....but some people throughout my life, including a few people I work with now, INSIST on calling me Rebecca. It aggravates me but then I don't know what to say. I think if I say, "that's not my name," that might come off as rude...but IT'S NOT MY NAME! (I don't deal with these people daily so that's why I just let them continue I guess).

OH I soooo feel your pain!

I always introduce myself as Jaclyn...I prefer to be called Jaclyn
yet I still have people who call me Jackie or Jack, it doesn't ruin my day or anything, I just like Jaclyn better....Jack annoys me though b/c its a boy's name lol.

Now see I have the opposite problem...my name is Jacqui, just Jacqui, not Jaclyn, not Jacqueline...just JACQUI! I actually got into trouble at school for not putting my 'proper' name on my test papers and one teacher actually failed me in one class for this reason. My mother was at the school in a flash with my birth certificate and my grade was reinstated accordingly! I have had every possible spelling of my name and like the poster above I HATE the nickname Jack...that one I WILL correct.

My family and close friends call me Jadie (hence my user name!) which comes from JD my first 2 initials... my middle name is Dawn. Well actually my given name is really Jacqui-Dawn (like Sally-Ann etc) but that is far too much of a mouthful!

 

[Mandychelle79]

My name is Kody, so it really can't be shortened.

What really bugs me is when people assume I'm male because of my name. On the first day of my math class last year, my teacher was assigning seats by pointing at the seat and saying the person's name. I went and sat in the seat and she told me that Kody was supposed to sit there. I said "Yeah... I know... I'M Kody."

My daughters name is Bradyn, so I get this a lot. Im sure she will when shes older too.

 

[arminnie]

By the way it is okay to shorten my dog's name (Tchoupitoulas). It's a major street in New Orleans. It's always funny when visitors see the street sign and say "Wow - what a name", and then I tell them that's my dog's name.

Shortened version is Tchoupi. But I spell it Choppy at the vet or kennel in Arkansas, or it would never work.

 

[tpettie]

Now - this does not bother to a point where it ruins my day, but it does kind of bug me.

My formal name is Kristine, but friends and family call me Kris. They are the only ones that call me Kris, everyone else calls me Kristine. It is how I introduce myself to people, and write my name for work and such.

For some reason it bugs me when I meet a new person and introduce myself as Kristine, and they start calling me Kris. I don't know why it bugs me and I admit it is kind of stupid to be bothered by it. But for some reason when 'Kris' comes out of their mouths it sounds strange.

Does this bother anyone else?

Kristine

LOL can I trade you... I have a son who is a foste child came to me when he was 8 who is now 14 when he was placed into care they were very specific that he be called Johnathan (his legal name) not Johnny or John. That works for me I don't shoten my kids names I have two with long names a Kristena and Anthony when Anthony was a baby family tired to call him Tony said no his name isn't Tony if I wanted him called that then that what I would have named him.... Any way no I have Johnathan who goes to school and lets them call him John rights John on his papers drives me nuts Not to mention my partners name is JOHN so I keep telling him we have a John your Johnathan it is an on going battle that just get under my skin. I know I should just let it go. I totaly get it.

 

[meriface11]

while I always introduce myself as meredith, i actually prefer mere, which is what my friends and family usually just call me, but it's confusing to introduce myself that because people hear MARY. since i like mere, it doesn't bother me if people take it upon themselves to call me that. however, despite my screenname, don't call me meri, merri, or merry...i actually hate it and no one calls me that.

 

[minkydog]

I don't have too much trouble with my name, now that i legally changed it. I go by a nickname for my middle name. I just dropped my first name and added my maiden name as middle name.

But DH goes by 3 names--Chris(Christopher), Kit, and George. Chris is the name his family and old, old friends know him by; his father is George. There was a lot of conflict and chaos in his childhood, so when he left home for college the first thing he did was change his name to Kit(nickname for Christopher). I have never called him anything else. When he started his first grown-up managerial job, another manager suggested that he might want to use a name that sounded more mature, so people would take him seriously. So he used his first name(and father's name) George. When people call the house I know instantly whether they are old friends/family, college & contemporary friends, or business acquaintences.


We have a 10-letter Greek last name. It's not hard to say, but it looks like a lotta letters when people see it the first time. DS23 shortened it to an easy to say 5-letter variation and that's what he goes by with friends. My youngest son, Christian, goes by the full name. It kinda irks me that people will shorten it to Chris, not just because that name has painful connotations for my husband, but because Christian is mentally handicapped and cannot understand that "Chris" means HIM. It doesn't even bother me when they mistakenly call him Christopher, because I think that's pretty similar. But don't just shorten his name because YOU think it's cute. We Do Not Like CHRIS.

 

[beattyfamily]

My name is Laura. I hate when people call me Laurie.

I used to work at Dunky's and without fail the older customers would ask my name and then decide to call me Laurie. Grrrrrrrrrr!