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I love it. I think Tobias is short enough to not require a nickname, but I do love Toby!

I really like Tobias, but like you, I'm not much of a fan of Toby. If your son always introduced himself as Tobias, chances are most people would just call him Tobias. I've found that unless a name is really long, most people will ask if a person goes by a nickname or not, and if not, the person is usually just called by his or her first name.

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My real name is three syllables, for example, and it has obvious nicknames, but most people ask me if I go by a nickname before they call me by one. I tend to go by my full name, and I don't have many issues with that. I think Tobias without a nickname would be just fine.

I love Tobias but I also like the nickname Toby, I wouldn't use it if I didn't like Toby because that is the most common nickname for the name.

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By the way I wanted to add I do think it could work for someone else, I just wouldn't do it myself because I grew with a name that is 4 syllables and people are always trying to give me nicknames, I find very annoying since I dislike all the nicknames for my name.

This message was edited 6/22/2011, 8:30 PM

I am in complete agreement, I have the exact problem and it still one of my favorite names. I think tobias is very regal and masculine without being run of the mill. I also think I you want to stick with Tobias, you just have to enforce it. I am a Caitlyn and my parents never told (or let :]) anyone call me Cait or Caity and so I'm Caitlyn to everyone , even my nest friends. You could always call him T or call him by his initials, like TJ or something. I wouldn't worry. If you love the name like I do, then go with it. :)

It reminds me of the character in arrested development, so I can't look at it without laughing, I actually like Toby better.

Aw. Toby Tucker ran away and joined the circus, didn't he? That's what makes the name for me.

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But I understand loving a name but disliking the nn. All I can say is that I know a woman who's dating a Tobias (mid thirties) and the nn Toby never enters the conversation. This surprises me because I live on the West Coast of the U.S. and it's more likely than not that a formal name is turned into a nn whether you like it or not. But he doesn't seem to have any trouble.

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It's always up to the name holder. If your ds decides it's too formal then he will have the last word, no matter what you do. But that's always the way with any name. I say go for it. My brother Peter is always refered to as Peter in the family, despite being Pete to the world. And the sun still rises in the East.

This message was edited 6/22/2011, 12:41 PM

I've enjoyed Tobias for quite a while. And I don't mind the nickname Toby at all. Which pronunciation were you thinking: toh-BEE-us or toh-BY-us? It would be easier to aboid Toby with the toh-BY-us pronunciation, but either way, I do think that is would be possible to avoid the nickname if he himself didn't like it and always introduced himself as Tobias. But you must always keep in mind that you can only insist on it yourself for maybe 3-4 years and then he may just have an opinion of his own.

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Guru's suggestion of a Tobias J___ combo is a good one, I think. I love TJ as a nickname.

There's nothing wrong with Toby really, and Tobias is a fine choice. LOVE Tobias Jude :)

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If you had Tobias Jude, he could be TJ instead of Toby