Since when did Jen become Jenn?

[DisneyAddict_M]

When I was growing up, the nickname for Jennifer was Jen. Lately, I've been noticing that every single Jennifer I know (which is a lot) now goes by Jenn. When did this happen and why?

Yes, I have way too much time on my hands right now.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Well I'll take Jen, or Jenn anyday over Jennifer. Nothing personal but my full name is Jennie. Not Jennifer, Jeanine, Jeanie or any other variation. It makes me nuts when people like to decide what my name is even though I have corrected them a bazillion times. Sorry- rant over.

 

[korbbec]

I would say in the late 80's when all of the little girls who were named Jennifer in the late 70/early 80's (about 1/10th of every girl I knew) were hitting middle school and trying to differentiate themselves.

 

[MouseJunkie]

I don't know. I'm a Jennifer who went by Jenni until about 8th grade. I then decided I hated it made me sound about 5 and switched it to Jenn. It's been Jenn ever since. Then the name Jenna became popular and I liked it. I kind thought well technically Jenni sounds like Jenna. I didn't go to Jenna though just Jenn to friends and family. Jennifer at work. I still have a few relatives who call me Jenni, but I really hate it now. Why Jenn? I guess I wanted to be different because how different can you be when you're named Jennifer? I really don't like my name for exactly that reason. It's not unique. Since I'm a one of a kind (ha ha); my name should be too. Everyone else just copied off of me. Just kidding. That's my explanation anyway.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

Well I'll take Jen, or Jenn anyday over Jennifer. Nothing personal but my full name is Jennie. Not Jennifer, Jeanine, Jeanie or any other variation. It makes me nuts when people like to decide what my name is even though I have corrected them a bazillion times. Sorry- rant over.

I have a friend named Jennie. She goes by Jenni.

And I think it was later than the mid-80's. I had Jen friends in H.S. and I only graduated 10 years ago. Did I mention I have way too much time on my hands?

 

[ziggystardust]

Well I'll take Jen, or Jenn anyday over Jennifer. Nothing personal but my full name is Jennie. Not Jennifer, Jeanine, Jeanie or any other variation. It makes me nuts when people like to decide what my name is even though I have corrected them a bazillion times. Sorry- rant over.

My cousin's full name is Jenny. You'd be surprised at how many times she's gotten Jennifer

 

[Crankyshank]

I've been Jenn since elementary school. In my class of 17 there were 4 Jennifers. One went by Jenny, one went by Jennifer, one was Jenifer so she was Jen and since I was Jennifer I went by Jenn to differentiate. This was 3rd grade so that would have been about 1981.

 

[disneymcgraw]

I've always been Jenn, nothing new. I am a Jennifer, but I hate being called Jenny. Is, was, always will be Jenn.

 

[JR6ooo4]

when did mike become Mikeeee?


When it met me!

Mikeeee

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

Ok, I'll explain.

For years I was Jen. Then I started working my first job and one of my good friends also worked there. She was also a Jennifer, but went by Jenn. So when I started, all the managers and other employees would write my name as Jenn Last-initial, because of the other Jenn. I guess I just got used to it after awhile. I really don't care how it's spelled, but if I write it, I write Jenn. So uh, blame the other Jenn, not me.

And I don't think I've ever said my name so many times in one paragraph before...whoa.

 

[iloveboardwalk]

I go by Jen, one n, on my business card. My family calls me Jeny, and my nickname in High school was Niffer. I hate my name, it seems like every other girl in school was named Jennifer when I was growing up.

 

[Beth76]

Jenn makes more sense since Jennifer is spelled with 2 'n's. Out of all the different spellings of names out there, this one bothers me not at all.

 

[shirleyb]

Strangely enough, Melinda, I have wondered the same thing!

I never knew a Jenn, until I hired one 8 years ago, and now they are all Jenns and the Jens have become an endangered species.

 

[Aidensmom]

One of my best friends in college was Jenifer, with one "n", and I am constantly misspelling Jennifer because of that. It actually helps me to spell people's names correctly when I see all the "Jenn" signatures.

 

[Becky2005]

Well I'll take Jen, or Jenn anyday over Jennifer. Nothing personal but my full name is Jennie. Not Jennifer, Jeanine, Jeanie or any other variation. It makes me nuts when people like to decide what my name is even though I have corrected them a bazillion times. Sorry- rant over.

I feel your pain. I'm Becky -- NOT Rebecca and well...people just don't get it. Although at this stage it's usually people I don't know real well or am filling out a legal document and get questioned about it.

As for why the extra "N" -- I guess people like extra letters. My DH's name has only 1 letter in it that everyone wants to make a double at the end. We just laugh and say "we like to get rid of extra letters - why do any more work than necessary" -- what makes it funny is our last name is one that people are constantly putting a 2nd double letter at the end but there is only one -- Similar to someone doing "Starr" when it's really "Star"

 

[Jennifer S]

I sometimes think people assume it's Jenn because of the two n's in Jennifer. I go by Jen but a few friends spell it Jenn.

Funny there are almost no little ones with that name anymore- just a bunch of 30 somethings.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I just wanted to add that I was named after my grandmother that we called Jennie but who's legal name is Giavanna which is my daughter's name. (she was named after me - the Italian version of my name). I spell Jen with one N and I used to even have teachers tell me that my name was actually Jennifer. Uh No. I think I know my name thank you very much. Now with my daughter they always want to spell her name GiOvanna instead of GiAvanna. There are 2 different ways to spell it. You would think since we call her Gia people would get it.

 

[simba928]

I saw this thread and immediately thought of a friend of mine. Her name is Jennifer, she goes by Jen. She HATES Jenn. She can't stand it when people call her Jenn (like when someone writes her name down). Anybody that knows her knows that if you call her Jenn, she will virtually bite your head off. Our guard instructor goes by Jenn, though. There is another Jen (don't like this Jen, can't stand her in fact) who comes to band camp (I'll keep my mouth shut on that one) with us. She is SUPPOSED to help Jenn. We use her last name (at least when talking to her face, Jenn, or any of the other staff) to differentiate the 3 Jen(n)s. Then we had a majorette instructor named Jen, but we called her by her last name, too.

 

[Blondy876]

I became Jenn when in my elementary school class of 11 students 4 of us were named Jennifer. In order for the teacher and everyone else to tell us apart we each took a nickname. One was Jennifer, another Jenny, and the third was Jen and I was Jenn. The only time the extra "n" helped tell me apart from the other Jen was when our names were written though.

 

[budbeerlady]

I think its Jenn because Jen is really informal. I save my Jen for a few close friends and my family.

At work I go by Jennifer, I hate Jenny. It makes me feel like I am 10 or something. If I were to go by "Jen" it would be spelled Jenn. (If that makes sense, you gotta know me really well to use the Jen!)

I think it is kinda funny how crazed we can be about our names. I do correct people who call me Jenny. It is worse than nails on a chalk board to me when I hear it. I was one of 4 in grade school, we all used our name and last name inital to keep things straight.