I have a given name and a nickname my family called me...both recognizable first names, nothing cutesy. I started school with given name and switched to using my nickname around junior high. Many people do not know it is not my given name. My govt documents are in my nickname, some in my maiden name and some in my married name. My SS # is in my nickname and so is my passport My real estate is all held in my given name. It's kind of a mess! But, so far, no problems. If the laws change about voter registration needing to match birth name, I will have to reregister with my birth name....I can't recall which name is on my marriage license, so if it's my nickname, that will be a problem. In my state (unless it's changed in the last few years) you could use any name you want as long as it wasn't for the purposes of fraud or committing a crime, without having to do a formal name change.

When I worked in a law office, I would get calls all the time from women wanting to know how to change their names back to their maiden name after a divorce. I would tell them they just needed to start using their old name and notify people. I reminded them that they did not do a formal (court) name change when they got married. They just started using their married name. It's no different with a divorce.

When I was dating my now DH, we brought his parents up to meet my Mom. Now, my beloved MIL has always been known as "Babs", as when she was born her older brother announced that she was a cute little babsy, a local nickname for a baby. Her actual given name is quite different.

Now, my DH has a younger sister named Barbara (this was kind of prescient on my inlaws' part as she joined the Army as an adult and retired as a Major).

We introduced my MIL to my Mom as Babs, but Mom evidently figured that this was too informal for a first meeting, and kept calling her "Barbara", since clearly she figured that DH's sister must have been named after DH's mother. I asked Mom to help me in the kitchen and when we got there I quietly said, "Her name isn't Barbara. It's a long story. Just call her Babs."

My nickname for my husband is "Blondie". He had a sort of baby face with a cleft on his chin. His aunt said, "He was too cute to be a boy!" He doesn't seem to mind. He answers to it. 🐻Otherwise his "real" name is close to a famous persons name....it was weird. My aunts ALL have nick names. Shug, is short for sugar. Jess, for Jessie James.

All of our kids have names that have a long version (which is their given name) and a diminutive or shortened version.

Examples of which (none of which are names of our kids) would be like Tim for Timothy, Pete for Peter, Pam for Pamela, Chris for Christopher.

It's an interesting question hobbit poses because as I think of our own friends and extended families, some have diminutive versions but none of them have a true nickname. Not one.

There was a child in our school with a traditional English name but his nickname in the ”buzz book” was IV. Clearly he’s ”the fourth”, his dad goes by ”Trey” so he’s ”the third”. But I always wondered how do you pronounce ”IV”? Reminded me of the Peanuts character 5. Not ”Five”. 5. and his sisters, 3 and 4. (also, combined with his last name, sounds like a good country club or boarding school name).

I have a brother named Martin. He was Martin until he came home from his first day of kindergarten, when somehow he was Marty and has been so ever since.

My friend has a friend who's nickname is Sparkle. That just tickles me.

My brother was named John (after my father) but was called Jack all his life. At some point he had his name legally changed to Jack.

Colleen, we have three Barbara’s…my sister, SIL and our SIL’s mom is Barbara. My sister is strictly ”Barb,” and calling her Barbara sounds about as strange to us as calling her ”Fred.” The other two are definitely ”Barbara.” No ”Babs.”

My SIL and I have the same name that can be confusing at times.

My siblings and I just have shortened versions of a longer name. Our kids both have names that are hard to shorten, e.g., Claire or Cole.

Our nephew’s birth name is Andreus (his father was Greek). When he was a baby my FIL just announced he was calling him ”Jack” and that was that. Jack’s now in his forties and I can’t imagine him being Andreus (or anything other than Jack).

I have an aunt whose give name was Julia. In the hospital at birth, someone started calling her Sally. It stuck, and eventually she legally changed her name. She's always been Aunt Sally, and last month she turned 96. :)

I was given a cute nickname by a friend in 1963 when I was 12 years old. It was not shortened version of a real name. It followed me into adulthood. Even some teachers used it. In 1968 I was in Hawaii on vacation. My first trip alone. I'd just turned 17. I was on the beach one day with a group and I told introduced myself by my nickname to someone. A Marine on R&R overheard and came over and said are you ____from ____? Yes, I was and that nickname opened doors. He watched over me, became my tour guide and a few locals adopted me. Had a great adventurous time. He had to leave and one morning a guy knocked on the door of my room with a note. "Had to go back, this is ____ and he will watch over you." I wish I knew where the first guy went. I often wonder if he came back from the war safely. But I will never forget him and his kindness to me. Brent where ever you are, thank you.

My dad gave me the nickname "Last Word Lizzie". It fit.

Wildchild, I love that story!

Murraysmom, I worked for a woman whose best friend was called Twinkle. I have no idea what her given name was. I kind of like ”Twinkle”.

I have two cousins with nicknames. One still goes by the nickname and the other one outgrew it.

Marty always went by Skip. His dad was Martin. I don't recall how he came to be Skip. He goes by Marty now.

His sister was Mary. When she was in the 3rd grade, her teacher pinned a note on her coat when she went home. "I have three Mary's in the class, does your Mary have a nickname?"

Marty always used to call her "seester," so that turned into Cissy. She goes by Cissy today. She's not a Mary.

When I was very young, my older brother and sister started calling me Bug. That turned into Annie Bug, and finally, Bug Juice. They called me Bug Juice for a long time. I had forgotten that, I wonder if they remember?

I sometimes call my dog squarehead dorkpants. Does that count? (He doesn't mind. 😄)

I have never really had a nickname, nor has anyone in my family. Shortened names, yes. Must be my family of origin lacks creativity, or something.

aok, that was awesome. Thank you. 😄

We now have three Pats in my large extended married family. When speaking of them we use Patrick, Patty or Patrice (she is really Patricia), and Joe-Pat (another Patricia) but the hyphenated version is a combination of her husband's nickname and a deviation of her own - just so we're clear on who we mean!

Friends had a second child they named Ashley on her birth certificate. Not one person ever called her that (it didn't fit her somehow) and she was known strictly as Masit - little sister in Latvian. Often shortened to just 'moss' - Mas. When she began school they had her name legally changed to Masit to avoid confusion with her school records. She's now a beautiful young woman with a daughter of her own and somehow Masit (Moss-eet) fits her. She has never been known as anything else.

" I have never really had a nickname, nor has anyone in my family. Shortened names, yes. "

Maybe it's a regional thing - you and I are in the same area and have had the same experiences.

I had a son in law and he went by the nickname of Chip, his dad went by the nickname of Bucky.

My cousin is a III and went by Chip. When he went to college he tried to be his real name, but all it took was his parents calling on the dorm hall phone and asking for Chip, and he’s been Chip again.

I have three first cousins on the same side of the family named Laura. Yes, three of the sisters gave a daughter the same name. It’s not usually confusing, when it is we refer to them with a parent’s or spouse’s name ”Terry’s Laura” or add their middle name (thankfully all different). This has been especially useful with two additional spouses among the cousins on that side of the family named Laura. It was a popular name in the 50s and 60s!

I have picked up several nicknames over the years. None of them are in use anymore. I would still answer to them though.

I get tickled at some of the cb handles my truck drivers go by. A lot of them only know each other by that name. I stopped asking how they got their special names years ago. Sometimes its best not to know. Some notable ones that come to mind:

BeeBop, Buck Naked, Haycutter, Left Hand, Teaspoon, Night Train, BlackCat, Booger, Easy Money....I could go on for ages.

This made me think of something from long ago. I worked with a girl named Diana who was ”Di” to everyone…family, friends, coworkers, everyone. A perfectly normal nickname. Di was engaged to a guy named Salvatore/Sal. One day someone asked her what Sal’s last name was. I’m not sure of the spelling (Arria?) but she pronounced it ”Uh-ree-uh.” She got teased a lot about what her new name would be.🤭

My DH’s given name at birth is Gregory, but his family called him Gary. when I met him he was Gary. We started living together (1971) and someone called and asked for Greg, I told them there was no Greg at this number. When he got home I told Gary some guy called and asked for Greg, wrong number. Nope, he said it was work calling. And that’s how I learned his name is Greg. work people know him as Greg, but family and childhood friends call him Gary! Now I just say Gary/Greg when people ask my DH’s name. Much easier. So many people ask, So which is your DH’s name?

we’ll be married 55 years in 2026!

@amylou321 I have a very close friend who became a cop right out of college MANY years ago (retired now!) She got a job as a Deputy Sheriff and I used to frequently go on ride alongs with her. She had a CB channel or radio in her patrol car and one graveyard shift I was riding with her and she used the CB for something. Some trucker responded to her and asked her handle....she said "This is Deputy (her first name) with my friend Mary (not my name and not what she said, just a similar example)." The trucker said, "Hi Debbie and Myra, what are you ladies up to tonight?" He'd completely misunderstood the Deputy and heard "my friend" as Myra. For years we laughingly called each other Debbie and Myra. He probably never would have believed what we were up to that night.

Came up with 40 phonetic spellings of my first name when bored in 10th grade chemistry class. The one I chose is still how my name is spelled by friends, family, and professionally. It was on all of my documents, Ids, and banking until 9/11, when gov't made me change it back to my birth certificate. Booo.

After my father left, I had little contact with his sibs. About a dozen years ago I made contact with one of his sisters. I asked after her three children. I'd known them as Pinky, Ann, and Butch. Only Ann was still Ann.

DH is suspicious of any grown man known as Chip. I'm perplexed when a man hasn't lost a childhood version of his name or a nickname: Bobby, Jimmy, Johnny, Butch, Champ, Junior, etc.

No one ever called me by my first name, but now I have to answer to it wherever I need to be 'legal'. I have to inform recovery room nurses not to call me (Legal First Name) when bringing me back after sedation. "Call me (Legal Middle Name)."

I just remebered that my father's official, birth certificate name was Tommy. Not Thomas. Weird.

Chip is short for Richard, isn't it? Better than the alternative, I'm thinking 😀

I've never had a nickname that stuck - my family tried to call me 'Torby' when I was very little, but that never went anywhere - I still have an early childhood Christmas stocking with 'Torby' embroidered on it, tho 😏 It's based on my middle name.

My middle sister had a nickname I gave her when my mom asked what we should name the new baby. She was called that up until she was a teen and put her foot down. It has zero relation to her given name - it was Dodie - I was 3 - she has a stocking like mine with that name on it 😄

My mom and her 3 sisters all had pet names, 3 were based on given names. The outlier was my aunt Pookie, whose given name is Anne.

Nicknames have always been with us, I think. How about Jack, Bob, Jenny, Joe/Jo, Terry, Hank, Ed, Frank, Ted, Bill, and so on?

I think many nicknames are pet names bestowed out of affection.

I have an eight-letter first name, and I go by that. I'm very rarely called by the shortened (common) version, and I generally don't answer to it. My father called me by my first two initials (like "JL" - not my initials). Nobody else called me that, and since he died, I haven't heard it.

My daughter has her "president/cheerleader" name: a good, solid name that would fit whatever profession she chose, and the diminutive that would work as a cheerleader, should she have had any desire to be a cheerleader, to the full name should she desire to run for POTUS. Plot twist: she has never wanted to be either of those. :)

My husband goes by the shortened version of his given name.

I have friends who are Trey (he's a 3rd), and Chip (he's a 4th), and Beau (because he and his father have the same first name), and Lolly (her brother couldn't say her name), and Duckie (no idea why).

@chloebud, we had a lady in town here whose married name is Sue Ridge.

@hobbitmom, there may be a reason for that. My grandson's middle name is just Tom, after the name my DD called her grandfather, who did not want to be a "grandpa" or similar.

I just remembered a relative on DH's side who was known as Tanty. DH's parents are Scottish, and for some years his mother has been researching the family tree. At one point she was showing us the current results of her research, and he asked who one particular relative was. "That's Tanty", replied MIL. It was then that the penny dropped. As Scotland and France have long had a close relationship (Mary Queen of Scots was half French and of course they have a mutual enemy in England), there is some crossover in words. So DH's relative was "Tante", french for "Aunt", which became Tanty or Auntie.

@colleenoz thats very interesting. thanks for sharing.

" we had a lady in town here whose married name is Sue Ridge "

That's funnier in Australia than it would be here. As I recall, the word used there for liquid waste/effluent is sewerage. Very close to this woman's name.

Up here, it's sewage. No R. Not so close

Colleen, ”Sue Ridge” is close enough for me, especially if you say it fast.

My grandmother had a cousin named Olive. I always found it funny, of all names, she married a guy named David Pittaway.

Regarding my father's name, Tommy, he had a younger brother officially named Ronnie. Im thinking it might have been a regional thing back then. They were "Arkies" and it might have had a dust bowl history.

Carolb, ”Chip” comes from ”chip off the old block” and can be a nickname for any name.

btw, ”nickname” is derived from ”an eke nam”, when ”eke” meant ”also”, so ”another name”. In time, the /n/ from ”an” shifted over to the ”eke”, becoming ”nekenam” and then ”nickname”. Pronunciations are always evolvong. (I may have the spellings off, but some of that that preceded the printing press so spellings were, shall we say, flexible.)

oh now STOP!!!!!!! Really Chloebud?? ? That is hysterical.

Re sewage and sewerage. While the words sometimes get used interchangeably, strictly speaking sewage is the waste and sewerage is the infrastructure for moving that waste about.

salonva, do you mean Olive, or my earlier post about Di? I swear to both!!! I thought Di’s married name was truly funny. My siblings and I (just kids at the time) got a real kick out of Olive Pittaway. The adults never said much, but I’m sure they were just used to it. I went to high school with a girl named Candy (Candace) Kane. It seemed so normal once you got used to it.

My dad was often called a shortened version of our last name. Imagine it was like ’Fitz’ for Fitzpatrick. When I was in high school, one of my good friends started calling me by the same nickname pretty often and it stuck with many people, but only through high school. The one friend, who I still see a few times a year, still calls me that though.

Fast forward a few decades and my youngest brother’s daughter now has the same nickname in high school. Hers even stuck thru college and beyond and even now in her mid-30’s.

" Re sewage and sewerage. While the words sometimes get used interchangeably, strictly speaking sewage is the waste and sewerage is the infrastructure for moving that waste about"

As I said, it was my experience in Australia that what in the US would be called sewage, was called sewerage. I happened to speaking to a person there, an acquaintance of someone I know, who works for a regional governmental entity. His department has responsibility to monitor various health measurements of coastal waterways. Including, keeping eyes open for indications of possible impermissible waste discharges. He described how specific tests are used for detection, often caused when there are extremely high tides, or when pipes break or when people illegally dump "sewerage" into waters.

What has your experience been with this word in Australia?

It's mildly interesting to learn that in some places, the word "sewerage" describes the infrastructure to transport sewage. . In my corner of the US, I don't think that term is used that way or even at all. "Sewer system" or "sewage system" seem to be the terms used.

In France one has a formal name and often a "dit nom' -- a 'spoken name' used by familiars -- a nickname.

My father's eldest brother was a junior to their father. He was always called "Bob". I think the family's disinterest in girls resulted in landing a sister with the month of her birth, "June". The fourth boy was named Byron, never to be called anything but "Bill". One boy died young, never outliving "Banky" (his baby blanket) until his tombstone, where people wondered, "Who is this "Phillip"?" Last boy never had a nickname, and last child, a girl, was just plain "Betty", not short for anything.

His family didn't call an offspring anything but "Baby" until the child had lived to at least two -- or the next one came along. The land was litered with the graves of children who didn't survive the normal childhood diseases, now conqured by vaccines.