# Preferred version of your first name?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 7, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697 "2013-05-07T13:48:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/41 "2013-05-07T18:56:37Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#):
>
> I used to think my full first name (Julia) was too elderly and aunt-like. However, I got stuck with it at work, since there was a Julie already. It’s grown on me as I have grown more elderly aunt-like, and now I’m Julia everywhere except at home.
That’s pretty much what happened to me, same name and all. Family and close friends can call me Julie or Jool, but otherwise, I go by Julia. And yes, I grew into it as well. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/42 "2013-05-07T18:58:52Z")
Full first name, or first-middle. Donna or Donna Jean. Do not call me “Don”. That is not my name. Leaving off a syllable as easy to say as “uh” just makes me think you’re lazy.
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### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/43 "2013-05-07T18:59:33Z")
> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> That being said, the only person who is regularly allowed to call me a nickname is my SO. I know he does it out of love.
>
> +1 to the idea that people who call you a name because they think it’s funny are douchebags. I’ve gotten very good at freezing people out and saying, “My name is \_\_\_\_.” But these assholes just keep doing it and doing it.
>
> **Kaio** , my family still calls me by my baby name, and introduces me to everyone through it. I hate it, but I realize they are never going to change.
I just don’t respond to those people. If they want my attention, they can use my name.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/44 "2013-05-07T19:07:58Z")
> [@Antinor01](#):
>
> I just don’t respond to those people. If they want my attention, they can use my name.
Yeah, I do the same. Mostly they have been coworkers in the past, so I do respond to them the one time “My name is \_\_\_\_\_.” And then I don’t answer them anymore. And I never laugh at their stupid douchey ways, not even to be polite.
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### Author:  [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/45 "2013-05-07T19:10:02Z")
My given name is Jennifer, and that’s what I prefer to be called. If you call me something else, I will politely correct you. I particularly hate being called Jen.
Of course, nicknames are sometimes unavoidable when you have a very common name and there are several in a class, but that doesn’t mean I had to like it.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/46 "2013-05-07T19:15:53Z")
For me, it’s a common nickname for my real name that actually has no real connection to it.
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/47 "2013-05-07T19:29:27Z")
I like people to call me by a correctly spelled full version of my first name.
My name is not commonly shortened, although if you remove the final letter, it is a proper name in it’s own right.
It is frequently misspelled, not least because the proper spelling is not the most common spelling.
I think you should have had a poll option to indicate whether you have a commonly shortened name or not.
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/48 "2013-05-07T19:39:38Z")
I almost never write my name other than with my full given first name, but I am almost never called anything but my shortened name. Writing the short version or being addressed by the full version feels odd in both cases.
I do sign cards and friendly notes and such with my short-form, but never Short Lastname.
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### Author:  [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/49 "2013-05-07T19:45:41Z")
Call me by my first name.
Do not call me by my last name, do not call me by the common nickname for my first name, do not call me by my first and middle names.
You can shorten my first name however you like.
You can shorten it to 2 syllables by leaving out the middle one, you can shorten it to 1 syllable by leaving out the middle and dropping the A on the end. You can drop the first syllable and call me by the last 2. You can change the long E to a short E, you can even pronounce the H if you want. You can call me by my first initial.
Just don’t ever call me by the hated common nickname for my name.
At best I won’t answer because I won’t realize you are talking to me, at worst I’ll get rude.
My father wanted to name be the common nickname for my name, I think because it rhymes with my mothers name.
My mother insisted they name me the ‘real’ name.
Thank you mom!
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/50 "2013-05-07T20:01:05Z")
My first name can’t be shortened, distorted, or otherwise altered. I suppose you could add a -y or -ster to it.
What I don’t like is when people call me by my last name, thinking it’s my first name. That’s been happening all my life and I’m sick of correcting people, especially more than once. The only person who truly empathized was my high school math teacher, who had the same complaint.
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### Author:  [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/51 "2013-05-07T20:16:37Z")
My first name is what it is. I’m not terribly fond of it, but it’s too late to change it now. My last name is also a first name, and because my firm’s email convention is “lastname, firstname”, I constantly receive emails addressed to my last name as a first name. I wouldn’t mind if they were doing this intentionally; my dad goes, to at least some extent, by his last name (a miltary carryover, I think). But it’s kind of annoying when it’s done because they can’t be arsed to look at my signature block.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/52 "2013-05-07T20:21:58Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#):
>
> My first name is what it is. I’m not terribly fond of it, but it’s too late to change it now. My last name is also a first name, and because my firm’s email convention is “lastname, firstname”, I constantly receive emails addressed to my last name as a first name. I wouldn’t mind if they were doing this intentionally; my dad goes, to at least some extent, by his last name (a miltary carryover, I think). But it’s kind of annoying when it’s done because they can’t be arsed to look at my signature block.
I am with you, bro.
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/53 "2013-05-07T20:28:47Z")
My given name is Benjamin but I’ll answer to almost any form of it you care to vocalize. Just forewarn me if you’re going to be creative. Most people call me Ben but it’s out of their habit and not preference on my part. I assume. I was Benjamin for the first 5 years of my life and halfway through kindergarten my parents noticed the other kids calling me Ben, shrugged their shoulders and did the same. I don’t remember ever having a strong opinion one way or the other.
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### Author:  [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/54 "2013-05-07T21:19:55Z")
I’m another Elizabeth, but no one ever calls me that. My preferred nickname is one of the less common versions, so most people don’t even realize that Elizabeth is my full first name. I prefer it that way, as I think Elizabeth is a mouthful.
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### Author:  [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/55 "2013-05-07T21:31:41Z")
I won’t give my actual first name (don’t want to make it TOO easy to figure out who I really am in real life:D), but “Daniel” takes similar variations, so let’s pretend it’s that.
“Daniel” is what I would strongly prefer. “Dan” sounds too abrupt to me but I won’t take your head off if you call me that. I **HATE** “Danny”; I can’t explain why, but it sounds juvenile to me. We will not become or stay friends if you call me that after I have told you my proper name. I don’t care that a particular hockey player is often called by that variation of my real name, I still think it is juvenile.
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### Author:  [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/56 "2013-05-07T22:22:26Z")
Another Elizabeth checking in, but I’ve gone by Liz since I was eight. People usually ask me almost right off the bat what I prefer to be called, which is nice. The only people who still call me Elizabeth are my brothers and sisters; even my parents made the switch a while ago. But when they call me Elizabeth, I know I’m in trouble. 😃
The only person who’s given me a hard time about it was my first college roommate, who kept saying, “But I think Elizabeth is so much nicer!” Newsflash: I don’t care what you think.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/57 "2013-05-07T22:43:51Z")
My name is Colin. Never had a nickname in my life, because any time people tried something, it sounded kind of dumb, and they recognized that immediately.
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### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/58 "2013-05-07T22:46:20Z")
> [@Antinor01](#):
>
> Full first name. That’s how I introduce myself and I find it incredibly rude when people just assume its ok to refer to me in another way.
I prefer my full first name…but I really don’t consider it rude for people to shorten it. I presume that they mean well. They’re trying to be friendly.
I reserve the concept of rudeness for people who intend it to be hurtful. Misguided friendliness should be tolerated as much as possible.
Now, if you’ve corrected them ten times, and they still don’t get it, the presumption of benignity starts to break down…
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### Author:  [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/59 "2013-05-07T22:46:47Z")
Had my name all my life, then when I got to senior year, there were two girls: one who used our full name and the other a ‘y’
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### Author:  [@\_3Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_3Bill)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preferred-version-of-your-first-name/657697/60 "2013-05-07T23:59:46Z")
“William” is extremely rare as a first name in everyday usage. I’ve known only one person who was actually called “William” by family and friends. And he was such a shy and diffident person, perhaps he just never got around to telling them to cut it out. I can’t imagine he reveled in his conspicuous uniqueness.
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