# Can I call my son Jack? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118 "2010-11-10T00:22:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/1 "2010-11-10T00:22:25Z")
I’m having a disagreement which I have decided to put to vote here. Jack is a nickname for John (Or so I hear. See also, “Jack” Kennedy). I have a baby whose name is Jonathan. Is Jack a suitable nickname for Jonathan? I know I’m his mom and can call him whatever I want but I’m wondering if Jonathan -\> Jack makes any kind of sense (as if John -\> Jack does…) at all. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/2 "2010-11-10T00:31:21Z")
I voted “no” because I’m pretty sure that’s not a common way to do it. But as you said, you’re free to call him whatever you want…just know he’ll be explaining it to people for the rest of his life, which he wouldn’t have to do if his name was just “John.” But it’s no big deal either way, imho. ---
**Author:** ![Theodore\_Striker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Theodore\_Striker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theodore_Striker)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/3 "2010-11-10T00:31:27Z")
sure it’s a suitable nickname, but why not just name him Jack to begin with and save yourself the trouble? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/4 "2010-11-10T00:33:16Z")
You can call him whatever the heck you want, so long as he doesn’t object. Heck, call him ‘Doug’, if he’s ok with that. It would be non-standard, but, hey, you wanna buck tradition, go right ahead. It doesn’t ‘make sense’, in the way you’re implying - Jon and John are two different names - but, whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/5 "2010-11-10T00:33:19Z")
I never heard of Jack for Jonathan, it’s almost always been a nickname for John IME. But since he’s too young to protest, you could even call him [Johnson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Jay_Johnson), if you want. Just for curiosity’s sake, why can’t he be Jon? It’s true that it’s very common, but I think our culture greatly undervalues common names of late. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/6 "2010-11-10T00:35:54Z")
I’m on the “I’m not so sure Jack is a proper nickname for Jonathan” side of the disagreement and the people on the other side (grandparents… gotta love 'em) didn’t have much to do with naming him at all. I love the name Jack and I don’t mind if other people give him nicknames I don’t necessarily use myself, provided they respect him when he’s old enough to say “I would prefer if you called me [whatever].” Just wondering what you all think. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/7 "2010-11-10T01:15:07Z")
You can call him whatever you want. But when he gets older, be prepared for him to say he doesn’t want to be called that. From a girl called “you there!” (Just kidding, I wasn’t called “you there.”) ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/8 "2010-11-10T01:15:52Z")
My dad’s nickname was Jack, and his given name was Henry. It’s a _nickname_; call him whatever you like! ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/9 "2010-11-10T01:25:30Z")
I have an Uncle Jack, whose given name is Johnathan–\>John. My mother always explained to me that that’s just how it was done. I always thought it was stupid. I still don’t get why pretty much a total name change is more acceptable than just shortening the three-syllable given name. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/10 "2010-11-10T01:27:58Z")
Nicknames don’t have to make sense. One of my friends ended up with the nickname Chang for some reason (and no he isn’t Asian). He can be called Jack even though it wasn’t directly derived from his real name. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/11 "2010-11-10T01:30:24Z")
You can call your son Jack, even if his official name is Dolores or anything else. Especially if his name really is Dolores. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/12 "2010-11-10T01:48:29Z")
Given how much of a pain Jonathon can be as a name and how they’ll end up as Jon most of the time, I wouldnt lose sleep over it. But a nickname of a nickname does seem a bit laboured. Otara ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/13 "2010-11-10T02:13:15Z")
Jack is a very common name downunder. Go for it I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/14 "2010-11-10T02:24:48Z")
I said no, because I’ve never heard of Jack being an excepted nickname for Jonathan but nicknames don’t have to make sense, I’ve known many people whose nicknames are seemingly unrelated to their name or character so if you want to go right ahead. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/15 "2010-11-10T02:32:32Z")
I wouldn’t blink an eye if someone introduced me to their son Jonathan-but-we-call-him-Jack. It may not be exactly standard, but it’s not unclear where the nickname comes from. It’s not like you’re naming him Jonathan and calling him Frederick and he’ll end up with people always being like, “wtf, where did you get that?” or teachers giving him trouble for using something other than his own name/nickname ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/16 "2010-11-10T03:24:28Z")
Jack is an all-purpose American nickname, and while these days it’s most often a given name or what we call some kids named John, it’s perfectly acceptable to give it to kids with other names. Jonathon is a variant of John anyway. I have an Uncle Jack on one side and a Great-uncle Jack on the other, their given names being James and Arthur. I also have a Great-uncle Cookie, his real name is George. Call your kid whatever you want. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/17 "2010-11-10T03:32:11Z")
I recall watching _The Jonathan Winters Show_ back when I was a kid, and hearing the announcer address Mr. Winters as Jack. Ever since then, I’ve considered it a-ok. ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/18 "2010-11-10T03:48:05Z")
I would assume his legal name is John or Jack. It wouldn’t occur to me that it’s short for Jonathan\*\*. No comment if you should or shouldn’t, that’s up to you, but if you have a common last name then it might be worth thinking about the potential for confusion. If he starts to use it in writing down the line, and if other people still interpret Jack like I do, which I admit may not be the case. \*\*well, now that I read this thread I will. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/19 "2010-11-10T04:03:11Z")
Yeah, call him Jack if you want. Don’t listen to the ‘name police’. What if he’s called Jon? Unless its written, no one knows if thats John, Jahan, or short for Jonathon. And even then, his name might be something else altogether. If he doesn’t like, he’ll call himself something else anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118/20 "2010-11-10T04:16:20Z")
I don’t see why not. It’s not that much of a stretch. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-call-my-son-jack/560118.md?page=2)