# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![jmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmonster)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/41 "2001-11-13T17:43:06Z")
Sometimes people ask me if _Jesse_ is short for something. I tell them it’s _Jessopolous_. Sometimes people call me _Jess_, and I let it slide because I figure I might have just not heard the final _e_. If I have kids, I’m going to give them names like _Elizabeth_ and _William_ and _Alexander_ so they have a lot of options for diminutives. Hey, **monster** , I think of _Mandy_ as an affectionate nickname. I call my friend Amanda _Mandy-Bob_. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/42 "2001-11-13T17:44:09Z")
I’m Colin. Only two people in my life have come up with a short version, and I didn’t encourage it. I kinda liked not having a nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/43 "2001-11-13T17:53:17Z")
My mom calls me **Peter** To everyone else I’m **Pete** **[Danny Vermin]Nobody calls me Petey, my grandmother called me Petey once … ONCE[/Danny Vermin]** ---
**Author:** ![Fledermaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@Fledermaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fledermaus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/44 "2001-11-13T18:00:21Z")
It’s _always_ got to be the short version of my name. Hearing the full form of my name means I’m in trouble! ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/45 "2001-11-13T18:04:46Z")
I used to keep a very short list of the people who were allowed to use my full first name. I usually go by the short form of my name. The exceptions are for business, and usually only when dealing with foreigners. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/46 "2001-11-13T18:11:18Z")
Just Jeff. If you choose to call be Jeffrey, that’s fine (but spell it with the ‘r’ _before_ the second ‘e’, dammit). Call me JT, if you want, although nobody does. Some of my friends call me Jeffy, which is fine too, _as long as you’re a friend_. But normally I go by Jeff. Don’t ever call me Yeff. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/47 "2001-11-13T18:36:45Z")
When I write it out, it’s Benjamin. I introduce myself as Ben, and that’s fine. I like hearing Benjamin, but don’t insist on it (but when a cute girl spontaneously calls me Benjamin, I get all weak in the knees :)). ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/48 "2001-11-13T18:54:35Z")
Well, I’ve got a grand total of 4 syllables in my entire name (first =2, middle and last = one each), you’d think I’d hold on to them for dear life. However, folks often call me by my last name (tho’ I’m female), and there’s a whole lotta folks that knew me in high school and college who refer to me with just the first syllable of my first name. When signing it, I use the first initial and full last name, and I often refer to myself that way as well. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/49 "2001-11-13T19:12:18Z")
When I was growing up, my older sister couldn’t pronounce my first name, so I was always “Laurie”. Now I always go by my full first name and the only person allowed to call me “Laurie” is my sister, though cousins get a little slack. I do have to correct people a lot of time though as I get called “Laura, Lauren, Loreal” or other weird versions of my name. Is “Laurel” that hard to understand/pronounce? ---
**Author:** ![Nymaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d9b06d/32.png) [@Nymaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymaz)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/50 "2001-11-13T20:20:28Z")
OK, just because you’s my friends and all. I was named after my father’s favorite uncle, Jerry. Now that of course is waay to informal of a name and it would be terrible to give a child an informal name (you’d have to have known my dad), so my real name is… Jerome. Yep I’m a white boy in ultrasuburbia with the name Jerome. But that’s just a name on documents. Everyone that knows me knows me as Jerry. And there’s more to the story - A couple of months ago, I visited with Uncle Jerry’s son and found out that Jerry’s name wasn’t really Jerry. Apparently when he and his brother were younger they saw a vaudvillian show including a ventrilloquist with a dummy named Jerry. The brother started calling Jerry, well, “Jerry” and it stuck. So, my fellow Dopers, not only do I have a stupid full name, but I’m also named after a dummy. Now I know how the George W. Bush Expressway must feel… ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/51 "2001-11-13T20:31:36Z")
I have to go by my full first name because there _isn’t_ any way to shorten it, and my middle name is a family name which doesn’t really work as a first name for a girl. I’ve always wished my parents had given me a name I could play around with, like Katherine or Elizabeth, but there just isn’t much you can do with the one I got. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/52 "2001-11-13T20:42:01Z")
James. I won’t respond to Jim and I may get violent towards anyone who tries Jimmy. If I introduce myself as James, then don’t be presumptuous and call me Jim. If you knew me well enough to use a nickname, you’d know I don’t go by Jim. The false familiarity grates my nerves. ---
**Author:** ![Erika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/47e85d/32.png) [@Erika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erika)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/53 "2001-11-13T20:51:24Z")
Erika, though being 3 syalables long, doesn’t lend itself to particularly normal shortenings…though I do answer to both E and Er, and even W (last initial) I generallly go by Erika. And sign with a middle initial. ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/54 "2001-11-13T20:55:36Z")
When I was growing up I was “Debbie”. Then when I was about to be married I was saying my soon to be name and it had a sing-song quality sorta like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck. I said no way–so I started demanding to be called “Deborah”. When I got divorced I kept the last name. But became alot less strict about what people call me. Plus there are alot of Debbie’s out there–on the floor where I work there are 4 of us and it gets confusing sometimes. I will now introduce myself as “Deborah” and answer the phone as “Deborah” but sign all of my e-mail “Deb”. But don’t really care what you call me. I will even tell people it doesn’t matter–Deb, Debbie, Deborah, hey you. I have even been called D-squared. I have a friend who calls me Debs and I like it. She says it with her Jamacian accent and it sounds cool. I have even answered to Barbara (a gentleman I work for got confused a few times and called me that and so when I figured out it was me he was talking to, I answered, no big deal). Not that it matters, but I think I prefer hearing “Deb” but when talking to myself I always say “Deborah”. ---
**Author:** ![Tygr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@Tygr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tygr)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/55 "2001-11-13T21:01:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tequila Mockingbird \* > \*\*Is “Laurel” that hard to understand/pronounce? \*\* Only if that’s what they’re resting on. …And it’s a good thing I’ve seen your picture, **TM** , because if I hadn’t, I’d be picturing you as a goofy-looking skinny guy in a rumpled suit and bowler hat, with a large, similarly-dressed companion answering to “Oliver”. ---
**Author:** ![jmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmonster)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/56 "2001-11-13T21:28:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fledermaus \* > It’s _always_ got to be the short version of my name. Hearing the full form of my name means I’m in trouble! Grave trouble. Die Fledermaus, die! ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/57 "2001-11-13T22:55:10Z")
**Marty** is not acceptable. Ugh. (Neither is _Polly_ for that matter.) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/58 "2001-11-13T22:56:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Homebrew \* > \*\*If I introduce myself as James, then don’t be presumptuous and call me Jim. If you knew me well enough to use a nickname, you’d know I don’t go by Jim. The false familiarity grates my nerves. \*\* Ugh. Ditto. I hate hate hate being called Liz. I hate hearing someone else being called Liz, too. For all of you who think that it would be oh-so-lovely to have a name with lots of nicknames like Elizabeth, well, let me tell you something: It sucks if you hate hate hate the most obvious nickname. And nobody ever automatically shortens it to anything other than “Liz,” so all those other possible nicknames are irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/59 "2001-11-13T23:10:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\*And nobody ever automatically shortens it to anything other than “Liz,” so all those other possible nicknames are irrelevant. \*\* Well, El, what did you expect? You could be a Lizzie. Or how about Lizard for those formal times? [sub]Just teasing, oww, quite hitting me[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![ILovCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e99b99/32.png) [@ILovCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ILovCoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/60 "2001-11-13T23:12:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Medea’s Child \* > \*\*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** YEESSS!! Finally more of us with the “odd spelling” there are 16 different ways to spell that name I have been told. I went by Kathy until 1st grade then had a classmate with the same name steal my faux fur warm coat ☹ I didn’t want to be called that ever again. Then in JHS and HS it was Katie. College and first 2 jobs-Kate. Back to Kathryn --I like being me now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111.md?page=4)