2 ms·

I was never going to have kids, but if I did, I had rules for naming. 1. Name them what you're going to call them. If you want a "Kate", don't name them "Kath

I was never going to have kids, but if I did, I had rules for naming. 1. Name them what you're going to call them. If you want a "Kate", don't name them "Katherine". If you want a "Sam", don't name them Samuel. 2. Don't give them the same first name as a close relative. 3. Don't give them a unique spelling of a common name. You're just giving them a life-long annoyance of having to spell their name out any time they're telling someone their name vocally. My parents broke the first two rules when they named me and it created headaches as I transitioned into adulthood. It even caused problems when I interned at Intel, where he'd been working for 15 years. I got e-mails that were supposed to go to him, and vice-versa.

vundercind 2y ago
Yes to 2, BIG yes to 3, a “special” spelling is a curse, why do that to your kid? I do prefer full versions for the name instead of shortenings or nicknames. I think it lets them feel freer, earlier, to switch to the full version if they like it better than the nickname or shortened version. More options.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  >yes to 3, a “special” spelling is a curse, why do that to your kid? Because American parents these days are a bunch of narcissists.
ksenzee 2y ago
I’m glad my parents didn’t follow rule 1. They wanted to call me Kathy. It took me until grad school to convince everyone in my life that I was Katherine and absolutely not a Kathy, tyvm. If I’d had to run it by a judge, I’d have been pretty unhappy. As it was, I was grateful they gave me a classic name with lots of nickname options. (Too bad I didn’t know about the paper in time to join in.)
- deleted 2y ago
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margalabargala 2y ago
> 2. Don't give them the same first name as a close relative. My parents wanted to name me after my grandparents but they solved this nicely. My first name is the middle name of one of my grandparents, and my middle name is the first name of another grandparent.
- madcaptenor 2y ago
  One of my kids’ middle name is my grandmother’s first name. The other’s first name is my great-grandmother’s first name (which is also my mother’s middle name).
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vundercind 2y ago

Yes to 2, BIG yes to 3, a “special” spelling is a curse, why do that to your kid? I do prefer full versions for the name instead of shortenings or nicknames. I think it lets them feel freer, earlier, to switch to the full version if they like it better than the nickname or shortened version. More options.

shiroiushi 2y ago
>yes to 3, a “special” spelling is a curse, why do that to your kid? Because American parents these days are a bunch of narcissists.

ksenzee 2y ago

I’m glad my parents didn’t follow rule 1. They wanted to call me Kathy. It took me until grad school to convince everyone in my life that I was Katherine and absolutely not a Kathy, tyvm. If I’d had to run it by a judge, I’d have been pretty unhappy. As it was, I was grateful they gave me a classic name with lots of nickname options. (Too bad I didn’t know about the paper in time to join in.)

deleted 2y ago
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margalabargala 2y ago

> 2. Don't give them the same first name as a close relative. My parents wanted to name me after my grandparents but they solved this nicely. My first name is the middle name of one of my grandparents, and my middle name is the first name of another grandparent.

madcaptenor 2y ago
One of my kids’ middle name is my grandmother’s first name. The other’s first name is my great-grandmother’s first name (which is also my mother’s middle name).

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