Why do people give names to their babies and have already decided on the nickname they will call them?

It is just curiosity but I have noticed that a lot of people plan to call their child one way and have a nickname for them already in mind. If you are not going to use your child's name to call them why do you name them like that in the first place? Thanks for enlightening me on this.

Why do people give names to their babies and have already decided on the nickname they will call them?
Many people feel like you do, of course, and there are many "nickname-proof" names out there for parents who want their kids to be known by what's on their birth certificate: Rachel, Mason, Paige, Jordan and so on.





But in my family, nicknames are the norm, and if the name doesn't present an obvious choice, one will simply be issued. There are a few reasons for this:





1. Many formal names - Caroline, Alexander, Elizabeth - are a mouthful. Shortening the name is practical.





2. Many of those same formal names honor loved ones, and the fact that they offer more than one nickname choice is important. So Katherine called Kathy can be grandmother to Katherine called Kate.





3. Nicknames that are less obvious - like my cousin Adriana, who goes by Dana - are a gentle way of showing closeness. No one outside of our family knows that she's Dana, and yet to call out her formal name would feel impossibly stiff. I guess her mom uses it when she's in trouble.





4. More elaborate formal names signify the gravity of a situation. You bust 'em out for baptism, graduations, your wedding. It's like putting on a suit and tie, or your best dress.





5. Many shorter names feel flimsy and insubstantial. I can't imagine naming a daughter Kaylee. What if she grows up to be a heart surgeon or an investment banker? It just plain doesn't work. But friends of mine named their daughter Katherine Lee and call her Kaylee. They get their cutesy nickname for their little girl, and she still gets to grow up into a strong, independent woman without pursuing a legal name change.





I think those are the biggies ... personally, I'd never give my child a name without a nickname or two built-in. It baffles me when I meet someone named Maggie instead of Margaret or Bob instead of Robert.
Reply:Well, I named my twin daughters Katelynn Korrie and Lorissa louise. My husband refused to let me name them anything that sounded simular because him and his twin brother have simular names and he hated it. I decided to call them Korrie and lori when I was pregnant, because unlike my husband I liked the Idea of them having simular names. Katelynn looks better on paper than Korrie does anyway. I still call them by there names though as well as their nicknames and other nicknames they've picked up (Rissa, KK, ) Also, I do think when you name your child you should consider nickname. (I wouldn't name my daughter Grace because people would probably call her Gracie and I despise the name Gracie)
Reply:Because some nicknames are cute when the child is a baby, but not when they are an adult.
Reply:I think they're just trying to think ahead to what other people might try to shorten the name to...like Bob (Robert), or Vicky (Victoria)...
Reply:they can't make up their minds of what to truelly name the kid.
Reply:Nicknames are usually used as a sincere or intimate way of calling someone who is close to you. My dad calls me "Love" and I would be totally freaked out if my co-worker called me that. I only allow my mom or brother to call me by my other nickname, which I will NOT disclose. =)





I also have a less intimate nickname, but it's only for certain people to use. I go by my formal name at work. Can you imagine someone calling you by the same name as your boyfriend or girlfriend uses to address you?





It's cute, fun, and shows that you're close with your loved ones. It's something that only a selected bunch can use to address you. Totally cool.





It also allows the individual to choose what they want to be addressed by if they are named a certain name: Elizabeth can be called: Eliza, Liz, Beth, Elle, Liza, etc.... it allows the individual to be an individual at the same.
Reply:Personally, I think it's cute to call my daughter, who's formal name is Riley, I call her Ri. It's a cute nickname and suits her well. However, I wouldn't want to actually name her Ri, because while it's cute now, it won't be so cute when she's 40.
Reply:Most people have a nick name of some sort. I think this is pretty normal.





Why not?
Reply:because sometimes its a family name and they want to honor tradition.
Reply:Sometimes the name is too long to use on a regular basis, like Victoria or Isabella, so you choose a nickname that will be easier to say for both yourself and the child. Also, the childs friends will give them a nickname, and unless you want your child's nickname to be something like "Booger" or "C-Lo" you can give them a better one ahead of time. For my son, I wanted to pick out his nickname b/c I didn't want people going around calling him "Junior," but I did want to only hear one "hunh?" when I called his and his fathers first name in the house, and his middle name is long (Emmanuel), so for me I know his nickname will be Manny.
Reply:Makes it easier.
Reply:because they like so many names that they cant choose one and decide to use both
Reply:If I have a son his name with be Jonathan after his father, grandfather, great grandfather... I don't want any confusion when I yell Jonathan so we will nickname him Nathan/Nate... The first boy is always named Jonathan (I don't WANT to break this tradition) so you have to think of nicknames or decide on using a middle name. My husbands grandfather went by Jonathan, his father goes by his middle name Patrick, my husband goes by Jonathan, and IF we have a boy he will be named Jonathan but we have decided that he will go by Nathan/Nate... Some people NEED to consider nicknames for their sanity... I never would have come up with Nathan/Nate without Yahoo answers yet I LOVE it as a nickname for my future son!
Reply:Most people seem to be confusing a nickname with a diminutive.





A diminutive is shortening a longer name for everyday/ familiar use. E.g. Victoria becomes Vicky, Christopher becomes Chris or Kit.





A nickname is a name given by friends of family for familiar use but is not linked to actual given name(s) E.g. Ginger for a redhead, Spider if his surname is Webb.
Reply:its a baby thing. People like to do that with there kids
Reply:I agree with you 100%. I hate nicknames! That's why I named my kids Sierra and Cade....names that don't lend themselves to nicknames!
Reply:I think it's cute to call a child by its nickname, rather than there formal name.





Like I gave all my nieces and nephews there nickname once I saw them but I already had an idea before they were born. My first niece is Miss Ma and my other niece is Ana Girl. My first nephew is D-Man and my other nephew is DJ Gor. It is a lot cuter than calling them by there formal names.
Reply:because nicknames are fun and cute and better than saying their whole name
Reply:they probably like the nickname better than the actual name
Reply:I know. I'm going to name my child (insert nicknamable name) but call them (nickname) whats the point of that?