# 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:** 5
**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 14, 2001, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/81 "2001-11-14T12:51:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chupacabra \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by blur \* > > \*\*My first name doesn’t have a short form. > > Craig > > Can’t really shorten it. \*\* > > Ditto for me. I would only offer one variation on the theme and that is that my mother, and only my mother, can call me Craigy. Unfortunately, she does this quite frequently. I don’t like it, but she’s my mom, so what can I do? I should note that my wife does not enjoy the Craigy exemption. She does, however, call me “rocky crag” from time to time since she read in a name book that this is the Welsh definition of Craig. \*\* I get “Craiger,” but I _ **ONLY** _ allow that from relatives. (Now that I’ve made a point of it, I’m sure I’ll get it on here now.) How do I tell if I’m in trouble? “Craig Allan” is Defcon 2. “Craig Allan \_\_\_\_\_\_\_” is Defcon 1, don’t bother running, hiding, or begging for mercy. ---
**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/82 "2001-11-14T12:51:35Z")
My name’s Tanya. Pronounced Tahn-ya, not Tan-ya. I **hate** it when people call me Tan. Use my name or an acceptable nickname, damn it. ---
**Author:** ![Globe-trotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@Globe-trotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Globe-trotter)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/83 "2001-11-14T13:26:11Z")
Not much you can do with my name, **Anne** , unless you lengthen it (and let me tell you, people can be pretty darn creative at times). And no, writing it as **Ann** is _not_ acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/84 "2001-11-14T14:17:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OxyMoron \* > \*\*What I like, actually, is CJ, something a dear friend from college uses. Time for a switch? \*\* Bummer about the ‘Peter Johnson’ part. Not much you can do about that, I suppose. But changing your name to ‘CJ’ may even bring you more trouble. I mean, as much as people screw up ‘Chris’ (I too have had people say, “Is that with a ‘k’?”. "A ‘K’? What, did you grow up under a rock? I’m a guy. It’s ‘CH’, _‘CH’_) CJ, on the other hand, is oftentimes associated with women… hot women. I mean, everytime I think of ‘CJ’, I think of L.A. Law and that hot bi-sexual CJ Lamb. Come to think of it, there’s other hot CJ’s I can somewhat recollect, but I can’t put a distinct face on them this early in the morning. Then again, maybe being presumed to be a hot woman isn’t such a bad thing, compared to the normal ‘Chris’s, Kris’s, Cris’s, etc.’. Maybe you’ll be able to enter the secret world of hot babe land and get all kinds of deals and special treatment things. Hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![royjwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@royjwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/royjwood)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/85 "2001-11-14T16:51:47Z")
You know when you have a name like Roy, I do not beleive that much room for short or long versions seem to apply. However, feel free to teach me. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/86 "2001-11-14T22:00:04Z")
I prefer to be called Ellen, but others insist on shortened forms: El, Cousin El. the Duke of El. I don’t mind, though. I DO mind the following: Helen, Eleanor, Eileen, etc. They’re NOT correct! ’ ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/87 "2001-11-14T22:28:16Z")
It’s Corrine. Cor-een, rhymes with green. Exactly one person calls me Cor (Hi E!), and only one is allowed to call me Corri. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/88 "2001-11-14T22:55:11Z")
Most of the time, yes. It’s 3 syllables long, but it is invented, and there is no standart short form of it. To make matters worse, since it is rare, people get confused and don’t know how to say it. At this point, I really don’t mind, as long as you don’t call me by Carmen or Carmela. All members of my family call me different ways. My grandparents have a short form of my name they only use, while my siblings have a longer but affectionate way of calling me. My friends just use my usual name, but sometimes make it a diminutive (-ita). I have a friend who just chops the last syllable of my name, and that is fine with me too. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/89 "2001-11-15T01:27:48Z")
My name is Cynthia. Nobody has ever called me that. I’ve always been Cyndi. Well, and Momma. Either is fine. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/90 "2001-11-15T01:56:48Z")
> [@](#): > > I once had someone insist that my full name must be Jonathan (or some variant spelling thereof), and would not accept the fact that my parents named me simply John. Strangeness. I’ve gotten that a couple of times–people looking at me funny because my son’s name is just John. Not Jonathan or anything else. Just regular, straight-up John. Of course, we have a nickname for him–Johnzilla. But hey, he’s only two. He’s heavily in to the mayhem-and-destruction thing right now. 😃 As for me, I don’t use any form of my first name. It’s Laura, a name I happen to like very much. But, I use a _nickname_ of my _middle name_ for daily life. My middle name is Christine, and my nickname is Cristi. Note the funky spelling of “Cristi” there, please. The nickname-off-the-middle-name was my mother’s idea. She says “it was the thing to do at the time.” Gee thanks, Mom. Oh yeah–my family calls me Cris. _Only_ my family calls me Cris, unless I have given you express, hand-written, notarized permission to call me Cris. Otherwise, don’t even think about it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/91 "2001-11-15T02:06:48Z")
I’m just plain Carol, but people like to lengthen it to Caroline. Caroline is a more dignified name, but it’s just not me! Carol is my full first name. Sometimes, I get called Caz, and that led to Cazzle, but it’s rare for people to actually call me Caz or Cazzle in real life. Mr Cazzle calls me Tarzy (long story). Mr Cazzle goes by his full name because his father goes by the shortened version of their name. When people try to be familiar and call asking for “Nickname”, I tell them “He doesn’t live here. Do you want to speak to Fullname instead?” ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/92 "2001-11-15T02:18:13Z")
I prefer Jonathan, although my friends almost without fail use the nickname Jonno. I will only respond to Jon when a member of my family uses it, seeing as how they refuse to call me by anything else. Jonny is right out, unless you’ve had sex with me, and even then it’s debatable. CC ---
**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 15, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/93 "2001-11-15T02:27:17Z")
On a related note–why do some girls insist on calling their boyfriends/husbands by their full names when no one else does? And when they do so, why do they insist on putting big emphasis on the “lengthened” syllable? Think Jackie on That 70’s Show. She’s the only one who calls him mi-KULL. Drives me nuts. I hate to hear all those whiny girls saying pe-TURR or ro-BERT or jef-FREE or da-VID or chris-TOPHER or will-YUM. Fortunately, the whiny girl I know who would probably be the worst offender is stuck with a guy named Craig. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/94 "2001-11-15T04:56:59Z")
My friends and my sister call me Dave. My parents, little brother, and all other relatives call me David. Teachers usually say “Dave” but not always. As a journalist, I use “David” in print and “Dave” for broadcast. Weird, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/95 "2001-11-15T05:06:40Z")
I’m Pam, or Pammi. Not Pamela. My grandmother calls me Pamela, my old boss called me Pamela, and my friend Jeff calls me Pamela. My nametag at work says Pamela. Everyone else calls me Pam. If you call me by Pamela, I either look at you funny or I hang up on you, thinking you’re a telemarketer ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/96 "2001-11-15T05:18:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rue DeDay \* > You know what would be a bad name for a woman? Wendy. It’s not a bad name in and of itself, but when your 35 and trying to be all grown-up, you’re still “Wendy”. The name that was invented for _Peter Pan_. It won’t grow up. > \*\* :eek: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/97 "2001-11-15T05:27:28Z")
by the way, here’s the straight dope…taken from [http://www.wendy.com](http://www.wendy.com) “…Mail from someone who does genealogical research shows that “Wendy” might have been in use before Peter Pan and might even have been a boy’s name: I must admit to being annoyed when I tell people my name. They always insist on mentioning Peter Pan. During my family reseach I have come across the name Wendy twice in the **1881** census of England, one born **1840** , and one born in **1880**. The magazine Family History also states that Wendy, along with the names Marian and Shirley were once boys names, and that in **1797** a boy named Wendy was apprenticed to some one in Glos…” Peter Pan was published in 1904. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/98 "2001-11-15T05:56:57Z")
I’m Alex. I could go longer (Alexander) or shorter (Al), but I’m sticking with Alex. ---
**Author:** ![BalmainBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@BalmainBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BalmainBoy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2001, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/99 "2001-11-15T06:06:00Z")
While starting with the noble aim of naming my kids in a good, strong, classical sense, my wife and I have picked names that can be familarised in the good ol’ Aussie way of shortening and adding an ‘ee’ sound, so - Cathy (for Catherine) Ellie (for Eleanor) Nattie (for Natalie) Merry (for Meredith) Gilly (for Gillian) Matty (for Matthew) Perhaps it was subliminal on my wife’s part, she being a Jenny. ---
**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 15, 2001, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111/100 "2001-11-15T11:37:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bad News Baboon \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Rue DeDay \* > > You know what would be a bad name for a woman? Wendy. It’s not a bad name in and of itself, but when your 35 and trying to be all grown-up, you’re still “Wendy”. The name that was invented for _Peter Pan_. It won’t grow up. > > \*\* > > :eek: > ☹ \*\* (The double quote is awkward but **Bad News Wendy** didn’t give me much to work with.) Did it sound like I meant “Wendy” was a bad name? I’m so sorry. It’s a fine name. A _wonderful_ name. A Wend-erful name. (Sorry again, that just slipped out.) It’s a name that will express your youthful zest for life. It’s a lovely, lovely name. (I had a crush on a Wendy in Jr. High) There, there (as I pat you affectionately on the head). Have a cookie and go play. -Rue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-the-full-form-of-your-first-name/93111.md?page=6)