# Do you use the full form of your first name? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111 "2001-11-13T13:59:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/1 "2001-11-13T13:59:32Z")
If your name is, say, Lemuel, would you go by Lem or the full Lemuel? Or do you use the diminutive form? (Lemmy) (Substitute your full name for Lemuel. This is just an example.) I, personally, use the short form of my name. (Ken) -Rue. (just plain Rue) ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/2 "2001-11-13T14:06:23Z")
**Andrew**. Never call me Andy. I hate it. I won’t hurt you if you call me Drew, but I’d prefer you didn’t. An old room-mate used to call me “And.” :rolleyes: I didn’t like him very much at all. ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/3 "2001-11-13T14:07:04Z")
My first name doesn’t have a short form. Craig Can’t really shorten it. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/4 "2001-11-13T14:09:45Z")
my first name is pronounced the exact same as one of the letters of the alphabet. No way to shorten the sound. Middle name that I go by has no shortened version. I also go by my family name, but only if you use the full (and not shortened) version. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/5 "2001-11-13T14:13:56Z")
I was Robby until the fourth grade, when a teacher said to me, “You know, ‘Robby’ is a little boy’s name. If you ever want to be a man, you better start going by ‘Robert.’” I have been Robert ever since. > [@](#): > > _from [Pretty Woman](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0100405)_ > **Vivian** : Can I call you Eddie? > **Edward** : Not if you expect me to answer. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/6 "2001-11-13T14:15:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blur \* > \*\*My first name doesn’t have a short form. > Craig > Can’t really shorten it. \*\* Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/7 "2001-11-13T14:17:52Z")
Matt. Not Matthew. ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/8 "2001-11-13T14:26:32Z")
Katrina. Not Katie. NOT Kat. **Katrina**. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/9 "2001-11-13T14:44:23Z")
Joe, but lately I’ve been answering to Joseph. ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/10 "2001-11-13T14:51:43Z")
Kathryn. No, really. It’s pretty that way. **Kathryn** Look. Elegant even. _ **Kathryn** _ ALL SEVEN LETTERS THANK YOU. **K-A-T-H-R-Y-N** Not Kat, Kate, Kati, Kathy, or any other gods be dammed \*\*\*\*ed up form you care to use you lazy prig. [sub]Though I make exceptions for my mom. She can call me Kate. She named me Kathryn in order to be able to call me Kate. She’s been doing it for twenty years and I haven’t been able to stop her yet.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/11 "2001-11-13T14:54:21Z")
No one has ever managed to come up with a good contraction to my name (Lauren). Hence, that is what I go by. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/12 "2001-11-13T14:54:47Z")
Well you wouldn’t think it from lookin at my screen name, but full form of first name. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/13 "2001-11-13T14:59:51Z")
I go by Chris at home, Christopher at work. ---
**Author:** ![Zappo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b3f665/32.png) [@Zappo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zappo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/14 "2001-11-13T15:08:16Z")
If I know you, please call me “Sal.” “Salvatore” is reserved for formal occasions or people I don’t particularly want to be pally with. Anyone who calls me “Sally” or somebody I don’t know who thinks it’s a hoot to hail me by name in some greasy-Guinea Godfather movie accent will be ignored. Zap! ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/15 "2001-11-13T15:11:31Z")
My mother calls me Philip. Everyone else calls me Phil. I insist. My full name always makes me think of Eddie Murphy in _Beverly Hills Cop_, feigning drunkenness to apprehend a robbery suspect. “Philip? I knew that was you–I said, ‘Tha’s _Philip_!’” ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/16 "2001-11-13T15:14:18Z")
I had a really witty reply all ready, but as I neared the bottom of the page, I realized that I do, in fact sometimes go with a shortened version of my first name: **Eric** but sometimes just **E**. No one has ever called me “Ric” ad I don’t think I’m in danger of that happening any time soon, either. More often than not, I simply go by my last name…check that- here in Louisville, everyone calls me Eric, but back home, I get addressed by “E” or by my last name. Huh, odd. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/17 "2001-11-13T15:14:26Z")
My first name can’t technically be shortened, and it looks like a short form of another name. But I often get people asking, “Is that short for X?” Umm, no. And I also get people who presume to know me well enough to use one of two or three rather annoying fake-diminutive forms. I straighten them out right away. (But I have one friend whome I aloow to do it, because she’s one of my best buds.) I wish I had a name like Catherine that I could use to enforce formality when I needed to. But alas, I am stuck with this girly, cheerleaderish name that doesn’t really fit me. Had I ever pulled up stakes and moved across the country, I would have started using my initials. But it feels too presumptuous to tell people you’ve known for a while to start calling you something else. I’ve seen people try it, and it rarely seems to work. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/18 "2001-11-13T15:15:48Z")
Crap. My brain knows how to spell _whom,_ but this morning my fingers don’t, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/19 "2001-11-13T15:18:01Z")
Oh, and my middle name is a closely guarded secret. Those who know it are under strictest orders not to reveal it in public. Ugh. (But I do use the initial on my letterhead and in my signature.) ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/20 "2001-11-13T15:31:27Z")
The name the full name and nothing but the name. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111.md?page=2)