Jason and I tend to be more "Name them what you'll call them" kind of people.
The exception is when we're considering names that are 3 or more syllables. Those names are the ones that are shortened most often, so we spend a lot of time thinking of what we would prefer to use as a nickname.
Example: Persephone.
We're probably never going to use this name, but if we did, we would actually call her Persephone. But I know that I could not count on everyone else to call her by that long name all the time. The most natural nickname for this is probably either Percy or Sephie, neither of which we like--so when we were considering Persephone, we spent a lot of time thinking of nicknames that we liked: Sunny, Polly, Poppy, Penny (there really are a lot once you get started brainstorming). Even if we planned on calling her Persephone 99% of the time, we planned on being prepared with a nickname to use 1% of the time so that other people could take their cues from us.
That's our strategy with any 3 syllable or more name.
Very interesting, right?
6 comments:
At least you are thinking it through that far. Its clear by some of the names out there that a lot of parents don't.
I am not a nickname person at all.
i thought of all the nicknames people would use and if I hated all of them - that name was out ;) kind of backwards thinking, but whatever!
naming kids is hard!
I'm with you... "name them what you'll call them"! I am not a fan of "nicknames".
It'll be fun to see what name you'll use for your baby! You have some good ones!!
I'm all about nicknames, and I don't mind the idea that my kids might come home and announce something like, "Mom, don't call me Alexei any more. I'm Zane."
But I think you're really smart to have that 1% plan. It's too easy to just say "Oh, we're calling him Habakkuk. No, no short form" and then be irritated when grandma decides he's baby Hal.
Plus with baby #3, I suspect the big sisters might get into the act. I know an Antoinette who still answers to Tee thanks to an old sister who couldn't pronounce her (lovely, but elaborate) name.
Can't wait to hear what you choose!
We are nickname people too. My parents insist on shortening a name to something that ends in the "ee" sound. So, like it or not, we had to consider that grandma and gramps were going to end it in an "ee." Naming is a tough gig when you're thorough, but so fun too!
btw, the dancing, singing preschool lady at the mall here is persephone:) I like it and can't wait to see what you come up with!
ha! my man and I were actually going backwards from ostensible "nicknames" we really like, to try and find the Big Name that goes with 'em...Persephone came up b/c we both really like the name "Effie," which is technically short for Euphemia (we're told). But why not for Persephone?
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