Does your name have a short version?

United States
February 14, 2009 8:08am CST
Do you like the short version of your name? I haven't used the short version of my name since I was a little kid. I never liked it. My name is Amanda, so the nickname for that is Mandy. I was fine with it until I went to school with a girl who's name was Mandy. I didn't have a problem with this girl, we got along fine, but whenever I hear the name Mandy, I'd think of her, so didn't want to be known as that again. My husband is the opposite. He never uses the long version of his name. The only people who call him by his full name is his family. For everyone else, he uses the short version. Most of his mail comes addressed to the short version of his name, and even at work they use the short version, it's even on his name tag. I myself have never even called him by his full name. With my 3 older kids I use both a shorter version, and the full name. However the toddler doesn't have a short version for his name. The baby does, but I don't like it, so I always use his full name. Which do you prefer, your full name, or the shorter version?
9 people like this
34 responses
@zorlone (411)
• Philippines
4 Mar 09
At first, no. My name is Lorenzo, people call me Lawrence, since this sounds like my name without the letter "o." Then, when I went to high school, people started calling me in the shorter version of my surname, since it was an all boys' school and everyone has a name tag with the surname and initials of the first and middle names. It was kinda okay, since everyone else does it. when i went to college, people called me "Lo," this was the shorter version of my previous nickname. When I became a doctor, everyone kept calling me doc or dockie or doking. all of which still caught my attention. So, however my name evolved, I prefer it if people call me that. It has a much more personal touch to it. But, my mom or dad would use my full name whenever they want to make a point. he he he. Cheers!
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
14 Feb 09
I go by my middle name and there is no short version. As you might have guessed my name is also Barbara, and people online call me Barb. My husband's name is Billy, and I have never called him that. I call him Bill. But, when we first got married, I soon found a few of his eight sisters thought I should be calling him Billy, because that is what they always called him. I said that sounds SO young and he was more of a Bill. But all the mail is in his full name, along with all the information anywhere about him. Same way with me, in that all the official stuff is in my first name that I don't even go by. Neither of my children have a name that can be shortened, thank goodness. Only one of my grandchildren has one that can be shortened - Joshua, and we all call him Josh. For a time in school, he wanted to be called Joshua, but he soon got out of that.
@Barb42 (4214)
• United States
14 Feb 09
No, Barbara is my first name, the one that can be shortened to Barb. I go by my middle name and it can't be shortened. The only reason Barb is on the internet is my husband opened our first online accounts and put my first name there instead of my middle name. Now everyone that knows me online calls me Barb, although many are close friends and know my middle name.
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
15 Feb 09
My parents named me Corrine Kay (after some old movie actress my dad was enamored with), but they planned to call me Corky. My baby book has a few references of Corky in it, but as far back as I can remember, no one has ever called me anything but Corrine. Personally, I don't care for either name, and I've been called everything under the sun during my lifetime -- Corrie, Corrin, Connie, Collette, Colleen -- whatever. I named my children names that couldn't be shortened very easily -- Shannon and Derek -- and that's what everyone has always called them. Of course, my daughter doesn't like her name, either. Does anyone?
• United States
15 Feb 09
I didn't like my name when I was younger, but as I've grown up I got used to it and I like it now. I think your name is nice, it's not something you hear very often, but I'm glad nobody called you Corky, that reminds me of that show with the kid who had downs syndrome! Corrie would have been a good nickname for you, at least in my opinion.
@4ofmyown (1119)
• United States
15 Feb 09
You changed your picture! Is that the burgundy? Looks good! My name is Virginia and I have always disliked it. I can't stand Ginny!!! When I was in middle school 2 of my best friends started calling me Gin but if we got caught passing a note they would really get in trouble because they thought we were talking about the drink gin. So they changed the G to a J for Jin and that is what it has been ever since. My whole family calls me Jin and as well as my husband. My 3 boys all have a name that can be shortened. The oldest we do periodically but the twins...never. It is funny my husband and I were just talking about names the other night because he hates his name as well. I read you ESP discussion...I didn't respond but now maybe I should.
• United States
15 Feb 09
Yes this is the burgandy, I will start a discussion on it and upload the full pic, which is easier to see, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. My 2nd mom's mother was called Ginny, or maybe Genny for Genevieve... I can't remember for certain now. Either way, I like the name.
@TnWoman (1895)
• United States
14 Feb 09
hello amanda hum, i really do not know if i have a short version to my name or not. lol my name is Rhonda, so i really haven't ever had a nickname. my father-in-law calls me Rhoda because he cannot remember my name. lol so one of my brother-in-law's calls me Rhoda everytime that he sees me. lol and when i was younger living at home with my parents, if i heard both my first name and my middle name being called really loud by my Mom, i knew that i had done something wrong, and i would be in trouble. lol so if you can think of a nickname for me, i would love to hear all of the suggestions. and too funny about that girl that you used to go to school with named Mandy. lol take care and Happy Valentine's Day!
• United States
14 Feb 09
Yeah, Rhonda isn't really a name you can shorten. Like my toddler, you can't shorten his name at all, unless you wanna call him Ay.
@TnWoman (1895)
• United States
14 Feb 09
• Philippines
15 Feb 09
My name is Rachel and Rachel means a sheep. But my friends called me chel or che and it doesn't matter to me whether what name they will call me as long as I love my name that was given to me by my mother when she gave birth on me.I prefer my full name.
@marisriel (1156)
• Philippines
4 Mar 09
Rachel is a very nice name, it's Biblical.
@laglen (19759)
• United States
4 Mar 09
There is no short version of my name, so I don't have a nickname. But I will answer to things like - goddess, queen, your majesty............
@nanayangel (7879)
• Philippines
14 Feb 09
Hi there! Yes, I like my nickname. From my name Angelica, my nickname is "Angel". I use it all the time.
• United States
14 Feb 09
That's a pretty name.
@sudalunts (5523)
• United States
14 Feb 09
My name is Barbara, and I have always been called Barbara. When I was in high school, my sister's boyfriend used to call me Babs. One of my managers at work used to call me Babs also. My husband introduces me to people as Barbie, but he does not call me that. My husband's name is too short to be abbreviated.
• United States
15 Feb 09
That's odd that he introduces you as Barbie but doesn't call you that.
@Jenaisle (14078)
• Philippines
4 Mar 09
Yes, they call me J short for Jen , Jean. or Jena or G short for Gena, or Gen. They're both pronounced as one syllable and they can be pronounced singly and very concisely. Of course I prefer the shorter version
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
14 Feb 09
There really no shortened version for my name. I actually used to wish there was because it would sort of be nice to have a nick-name of some sort. Seems boring to only have one way to say my name.
• United States
14 Feb 09
I got bored of my name once too, and wondered how it would sound if I used my first and middle name, sort of like they were hyphonated. Well that never caught on. Then for the longest time I tried to get people to call me Amy, hoping they'd accept that as being short for Amanda. It caught on with a few people, but not enough. So I've been stuck with it.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
14 Feb 09
My children all have hyphenated first names. e.g. Stefan-Paul. When they were kids and I called them by their full name then they knew that they had better answer or come running.LOL. My first son's was JoJo until he reached high school and said that I should call him by his full name.So we do or else shorten it to Jo. My daughter is Rachel-Ann and she was called this most times or just Rachel. But her fiance calls her Rachel-Ann. I'm Cynthia but am usually called Cynthie by everyone including grands. Myself - I prefer the shortened version as it is more friendly I think. All of our names end with the letters AN and this has been carried down to the grands as well. What's in a name? A great deal I think.
• United States
14 Feb 09
That's cool you all have a family tradition with your name. We do too, but it's not a huge deal. It was passed down from hubby's family. One son in each family takes his father's first name as a middle name. So hubby's grandfather is named Anthony... hubby's dad is Richard Anthony, hubby is Jason Richard, and my 6 year old son is Tyler Jason. Hopefully one of Tyler's sons will have Tyler as a middle name. Hubby's uncle, Frank did the same thing naming his son John Francis.
• United States
14 Feb 09
My names Patricia so you can guess how many different names that people call me. I have been called Pat, Patty, Patsy, and some people even call me Tric for short. The older I get the more I would prefer to be called by my full name but I know that my family will always call my by the shorter version.
• United States
14 Feb 09
I had a problem getting my family to stop calling me Mandy too, and there were a few people who still did, even when I was like 25.
@Arjen07 (164)
• Romania
14 Feb 09
My name is Adrian and in romanian the shorter version for it is Adi. I prefer the shorter version. Usually the people that I meet recently and we barely know eachother call me Adrian and, I think becuase of that, I now find the longer version to impersonal.
• United States
14 Feb 09
That's understandable. Thanks for the response.
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
21 Feb 09
No short version here. I just go by my given name. In fact my Mothers brothers and sisters call me by my first and middle name. I call my husband by a shorter version of his name as most people do but not me. One of my daughters have shorter version they go by and the other does not. I prefer my full name.
@goldeneagle (6745)
• United States
20 Feb 09
My name is Robert, but some people call me Rob...Others who are named Robert are sometimes called BOB
• Philippines
15 Feb 09
Most people have two names. First and the Middle Name. Me and my sister don't. My name is Catherine, and my sister's is Cindy. Back in HS, my classmates, teachers, and even schoolmates call me "Jordan". That's my last name. Jordan seems to be popular (because of Michael Jordan at that time he was popular) and shorter to say. But close friends call me "Cat or Cathy", but my dad usually calls me my full name with really a distinct tone. Lol But whichever for me, it doesn't matter as long as they'll call me with either of my names. Then I'll be just fine.
@teshavill (278)
• Philippines
15 Feb 09
Hi!My complete name is Maria Teresa and the short short version or nickname is Tes.I like it when my family and friends call me on my nickname,Tes.But when they call me on my complete name,I thought they might be angry.
• Philippines
17 Feb 09
In reality, my name's Celina, and that's what my classmates called me from elementary up to the end of high school. Now people call me Ina, which is what most people call me at home. My closer friends call me aynce, but I don't really know where I got that name. Mom used to call me that when I was a baby.
• Philippines
15 Feb 09
do you mean nickname?..yes..my fullname is judith ann..my nickname is jayanne or jay for shorter..i like my nickname but my friends just got used to call me with my real name..so, those who call me jay or j-ann are just my family..