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Are There Rules For Nicknames?
Filed under: Baby Names
"I was named Margaret when I was born but have been called Peggy all my life. Where in the world does Peggy become a nickname for Margaret? I hate Margaret."
"Given name = Richard. Where does nickname 'Dick' come from?"
"I've liked the name Katie ever since I was a little girl. We've chosen Caemlyn as a first name and I'd like to use Catie as a nickname. Is this asking for trouble?"
The Name Lady's Recipe For a Modern Nickname: Take first syllable of name. Add -y to taste. Let stand until bored.
Once upon a time, nicknames went deeper. We took bits and pieces of formal names, combined them, stretched them and tweaked them. They evolved over time, with Rich spinning off into Rick, which in turn became Dick. William gave us Will, then Bill; Margaret was Marge, then Meg, then Peg. Did you even realize that Polly was "short" for Mary, via Molly?
This nickname buffet was essential back in the days when formal names were in short supply. In 18th-century England, the top three boys' and girls' names accounted for half of the population. With every village crammed with Marys, some Mollys and Pollys helped sort neighbors out.
Today, given names are spectacularly diverse. The top three American names together cover just one out of every 36 babies born. When it comes to nicknames, though, we've become oddly timid. Most families stick to the most obvious nicknames, like ... Nick. (Nicholas can also be Colin, Klaus, Nico, Cole or Nils, after all.) When we do dig deeper, choosing a name like Maisie for Margaret, we usually abandon the formal name altogether and write the nickname on the birth certificate.
When a mom worries that a choice as simple as Catie for Caemlyn is "asking for trouble," we've gone too far. An inspired nickname can be a gift to a child. If you love Catie, I don't see any reason not to use it. Just remember that, as always, it will be the child herself who determines whether the nickname sticks.
p.s. Caemlyn's mom -- brace yourself for a flood of responses from people who think your mistake isn't the nickname but the sci-fi given name.
How did you choose a nickname? Share your experiences here! And if you have your own question to Ask the Name Lady, drop her a line!
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
1-22-2010 @ 9:25AM
pb said...If you like the nickname, go for it. Just be prepared — Catie/Katie/Katy/Caitie is a tremendously popular nickname. Of the four girls at my office, two are Caitlin and one is Catherine, so they had to divvy up the nickname territory. Perhaps it will be less of a problem by the time your daughter is grown, but probably not (there are a dozen spellings of "Caitlin" in the top 1,000 names and "Catie" can be short for many different names).
If you like unusual names (like Caemlyn), you might be disappointed to find that the nickname you love is so common. On the other hand, perhaps little Caemlyn will appreciate her ability to blend in as just another Catie if she wants to.
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1-25-2010 @ 9:02AM
CaemlynsMom said...Catie (and its variations) being so common is a huge part of the appeal to me. I don't know how this little girl is going to feel about having an unusual name, but at least she'll have a ready-to-go common (i.e. normal) name to fall back on if she choses.
2-08-2010 @ 2:03PM
JessLittleMomma said...Not the nickname that is the problem . The full name you chose will be trouble. The spelling, the uncertainty of the pronounciation. Never heard of the name. Is it made up? I know that seems to be a trend lately with new parents.
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6-07-2010 @ 4:10PM
Lons said...I agree with Caemlyn's mom on the nickname front (though I don't know how the full name is supposed to be pronounced). I'm a Katherine/Kate and I love having a very common nickname. If there're a lot of Kates around, I go by my last name--I did that all through high school. She'll be able to go by her more unusual first name.
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