View Message

What names do you LOVE but you hate the nicknames?
Madeline (pronounced mad - eh - line) is so lovely and I love it's French charm. However, the overly-common nickname "Maddie" is absolutely atrocious and doesn't possess even 1% of the grace that the full name carries. Seraphina is absolutely beautiful and ethereal. To see this magical name sawed down to a name as bland and overdone as "Sarah" just offends my ears. Christopher. Such a strong name that blends in with the rest of the crowd when reduced to "Chris".
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up2

Replies

William is nice, and Will is tolerable, but I can't stand Liam.
I agree 100% on the Madeline/Maddie thing.
Julia is gorgeous, but Lia is horrendous and Julie isn't much better. My stance on the Lia nickname also goes for it as a nickname for Cordelia.
Dorothy and Dorothea are beautiful, but Dot and Dottie only work from ages 0-5 and 70+.
vote up1
Alexander or Alexandra.. can't stand Alex, but I love Xander for a boy.Rebekah. I don't like BeckyAndrew, don't like Drew. I don't mind Andy though Theodore. Don't like Teddy. I do like Theo though.
vote up1
Gabriel! I think Gabriel is great but Gabe is terrible.
vote up1
I like Rosalie and Rosemary, but I can't stand Rose. Strangely, I don't mind Rosie, but the mere thought of someone shortening it to Rose bothers me enough to nix the names.
vote up1
I like Abigail, dislike Abbie.
Frederick is much better than Fred/Freddie.
Katherine/Catherine is nicer than Katie or Cat, which is ridiculous.Maddie is really childish.

This message was edited 12/17/2021, 4:33 AM

vote up1
I honestly like Madison, but I hate Maddie. It’s one of the reasons why I wouldn’t actually use it. I also wouldn’t use Bartholomew because of Bart.
vote up1
I hate most nicknames so pretty much every name that gets shortened drives me bonkers. The only exception is Nicholas being Nick and that's just because that's my husband's name and nickname. My nephew is Michael and I'm proud of my SIL setting her foot down and letting people know she wanted him to be called Michael and not Mike, Mikey, etc. It's actually been much less of an issue than she thought.
vote up1
I like Nicholas but only tolerate Nick.
Edward is nice - Eddie is sad.
Frederick is distinguished - Freddy is a man child.
Robert is okay - Bob is boring.
Eleanor is beautiful - Ellie is cutesy twee.
Raphael is cool - Rafe is trying too hard to be cool.
Michael is powerful - Mike is not.
James is handsome - Jim is an average middle aged man.
Francesca is elegant - Fran is annoying.
vote up1
One of my favorite names is Minerva, but I can't stand the nickname Minnie so I can probably only use it as a middle name. I want to name my daughter after a dignified goddess of wisdom, not a squeaky cartoon mouse. I like Abigail, but I don't like Abby. I rather like Gail but it has a reputation as an old lady name. I also like the name Joshua, but Josh is just obnoxious.
vote up1
I agree about Madeline / Maddie although I don't feel as strongly as you do about it. Maddie's not that bad, I just don't like it.
I don't agree about Seraphina - I think it's already just like Sara putting on "edgy" airs.
Don't agree about Christopher. Chris is nice, like Mike. Christopher just seems really prissy. I guess mine would be -
Callista is gorgeous but not too frilly, but "Callie" and anything else I can think of that could be a nick for it leaves me cold.
Demetria is awesome, Demi is gross. I like Deitra and Metra but that could seem forced.
Emerald is elegant, Emmy and Em are profoundly blah.
Marcella is great, Marcy seems mousy and pedestrian.
I love Valentina, Christina, Martina, but Tina makes me think of an annoying twit.
Vincent is terrific, but Vince and Vinnie really turn me off. I don't mind Vin though.
Conrad is cool, but Connie is harsh.
Cyrus is neat, but Cy seems kinda irritating.
vote up2
Good question.Always thought the nickname Bill for William was just odd and an unfortunate homophone with the kind of bill one pays.
Jack for John. How, just how? For Jacob possibly historically.
Bob for Robert. Sounds like a kid with a stuffed up nose trying to say Mom.Charlie is okay for Charles. But what the Chuck?
I agree with some others about Eddie while Edward is classy.
Don't care for Dick for Richard for obvious reasons. Richard, Rich or Rick are okay.
vote up1
Jack is the result of people shortening Johnkin, which is a diminutive of John that is no longer used. Replaced by Jack and Johnny.
vote up1
I've seen that, but I disagree. The second point about crossover from Jacques is more likely.

This message was edited 12/22/2021, 1:40 AM

vote up1
The two most extreme examples on my list are Clement (Clem) and Ferdinand (Ferd).
vote up1
Alfie ruins Alfred
Eddie ruins Edward
Chris is so… boring.
Gregory is dignified. Greg is mediocre.Charlotte isn’t a favorite but Lottie is just fug.
Kathy for Katherine is hideous.
Why would anyone shorten Elizabeth to Liz?
Isabel is beautiful. Izzy is NOT.
vote up1
I AGREE WITH YOU 100% ON CHRISTOPHER!
Sorry, I posted too soon! =_=
Some others are calling someone named Laura or Lauren Laurie? I don't like that.
I don't like Shelly as a nickname for Michelle either. Nikki isn't my favorite for Nicole or Nicollette, but it has grown on me.

This message was edited 12/15/2021, 6:43 PM

vote up1
About the Maddie thing? Well, that's a bit over the top because I named one of my book characters Matilda, and I nicknamed her Maddie. Anyway...Love Josephine but don't love Josie
Love Jennifer but don't like Jenny. Jenna's alright though
Love Howard but don't love Howie
Love William but don't love Willy/Billy. Where'd the B come from anyway
vote up1
Interesting question. (: I completely agree with you in regards to Madeline It's a very lovely name (Madeleine as well) but the sadly unavailable nickname of "Maddie" stops me from wanting to use it, at least as a first name. As for the second name, I guess you can say I have the feel the opposite. Although I've learned to tolerate Serephina a lot more throughout the years, I definitely prefer Sarah. It's actually one of my favorite names despite how overdone and common it is. (Including any of it's variants. Like "Sara" for instance) Then again, there's always Fina/Phina etc as a potential nickname if you prefer that one instead or dislike it least. Other nicknames I don't care for include:Gabrielle (Such a strong, elegant name but I've always found the diminutive of "Gabby" to be babyish and annoying. It's one of the main reasons I was glad that "Gabriella" started to decline, the more popular name. So many Gabby's left and right, including a second-cousin of mine who goes by it 99% of the time. );Isabelle (The nickname of "Izzie/Izzy" is probably the worst offender. Similar to Gabby, I find it excessively annoying as well as bratty)
Melanie: (Mel as a nickname? Yuck, no thanks!!)
Arthur "Art and especially Artie"
Douglas "Doug"
Griffin"Griff"
vote up1
Joseph, Richard, and Katherine off hand
vote up1
Ummmm... probably Artemis or Arthur NN "Artie" it's just weird and unappealing
vote up1
I love August/Augusta/Augustus but hate Gus.
Love Cassiopeia and like Cassandra very much but dislike Cassie.
Love Constance, hate Connie.
Like Josephine a reasonable amount, hate Josie.
Love Alexander, dislike Alex.
Like Andrew, hate Drew. Andy's alright, though.
Love Anthony but dislike Tony.
Love Benedict, dislike Ben.
Like Daniel, dislike Dan.
Like Edward/Edwin/Edmund, dislike Ed and Eddie/Eddy.
Like Emmanuel, hate Manny with a burning passion.
Like Francis, dislike Frank.
Like Henry, dislike Harry.
Love Ignatius, hate Iggy.
Like Isaac, dislike Ike.
Like John, disl Johnny.
Like Laurence/Lawrence, hate Larry.
Like Leonard, hate Lenny.
Like Nathaniel, hate Nate.
Like Peter, dislike Pete.
Like William, dislike Will and Liam, hate Willie/Willy
vote up1