Post # 1
Member
2638 posts
Sugar bee
I’ve always been a big believer that if you don’t like the shortened version of a name for a child, don’t name your child that because you can’t control what people call them once they get to school/out in the world. So, if you like Michael but don’t like Mike or you like Jacob but don’t like Jake or you like Jennifer but don’t like Jenny or you like Elizabeth but don’t like Liz, just don’t do it.
But now I’m kinda torn.
First, we have a very unfortunate last name. It’s one syllable and it’s Chinese but you wouldn’t know it’s Chinese. Finding names that go with it is extremely difficult.
We both really like the name Philip and I LOVE the nickname Flip (sounds great/very cute with our last name, actually) but I do NOT love Phil. Like, I do not want my child called Phil. But Phil is such a natural way to shorten Philip! Do you think there’s any way to get Philip and Flip to stick . . . but not Phil?
Post # 3
Member
6120 posts
Bee Keeper
If you want your child to have a certain nickname and not another, always call him by the nickname you want to use. Just tell friends and family you don’t like Phil and you shouldn’t have a problem. I doubt a stranger would immediately call him Phil unless they heard you say it.
Post # 4
Member
542 posts
Busy bee
I think Philip will always end up being called Phil, even if it’s at school and not at home.
And I think when your son would say “hey, my name is Flip” other kids might make fun of him. Sorry… no offense…
Post # 5
Member
3102 posts
Sugar bee
i know someone who named her son Isaac, but has only ever called him Ike. I even forget his name is actually Isaac. I think Flip is an awesome nickname- AWESOME- so go ahead and from day 1 he’s Flip!
Post # 6
Member
13099 posts
Honey Beekeeper
I think kids will naturally shorten Phillip to Phil. I remember doing that in school with friends; we naturally shortened names to the most logical single syllable nickname.
Post # 7
Member
301 posts
Helper bee
Some of it is going to come to the child. My parents always called me by my nickname and so did everyone else, until I decided I wanted to go by my full name when I was 12. If you want to call your child by his full name or a diminutive that is not the norm, call him that and people will follow suit.
Post # 8
Member
5494 posts
Bee Keeper
People calls others what they call themselves. If some refers to themselves as Philip or Flip I wouldn’t call them Phil. I call my cousin Michael because he calls himself Michael. I call my friend Dave, not David, because he calls himself Dave.
So I think if you always refer to your son as Philip or Flip that’s what he’ll also call himself and in turn what others will call him.
I know two Philips. One goes by Phil and one goes by Philip and they introduce themselves as such. I’ve never heard Philip be called Phil and vice versa.
As an aside, Elizabeth is my favorite girl name, and I hate Liz. Love all the other shortened versions though.
Post # 9
Member
135 posts
Blushing bee
My friend has a daughter named Sophia and she really did not like the nickname Sophie. When her daughter was old enough to talk and people addressed her as Sophie her mother told her to say “I prefer Sophia.”
It sounded really snobby and formal when her daughter corrected people but it worked. No one calls her Sophie.
I think Flip is a cute name for a boy but when I was growing up “Flip” was a derogatory slang word used to refer to persons of Filipino descent.
Post # 10
Member
4511 posts
Honey bee
If you just always call him Flip, people won’t call him Phil because they won’t think of his name as Philip. They’ll think of it as Flip.
If you call him or introduce him to people as Philip, though, then yeah, they’re going to call him Phil…
Post # 11
Member
7771 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
I think most people will call you as you introduce yourself/ your child out of respect.
Post # 12
Member
2638 posts
Sugar bee
Thanks for all the feedback, ladies!
Post # 13
Member
839 posts
Busy bee
People won’t call him Phil unless you introduce him as Phil, or he introduces himself as Phil. So for the first several years of his life, he will probably he called whatever you want him to be called, and honestly I don’t think people would just shorten his name on their own. But, you should be prepared for when he gets older, he might choose to go by Phil, and there’s really nothing you can do about it at that point.
Post # 14
Member
300 posts
Helper bee
I think people who know him well will call him what you/he introduce him as, but strangers and coworkers are different. My fiance’s name is James, I call him JC, and he gets addressed as “Jim” pretty often by strangers and coworkers. I think it’s weird and I wouldn’t do it myself, but it definitely happens and is annoying.
Post # 15
Member
288 posts
Helper bee
My FI’s name is Andrew but his parents didn’t like that name. They LOVED the name Drew, but never wanted him to be an Andy or Andrew. His formal name is Andrew and from day 1 everyone has called him Drew. He’s never had a problem with people calling him something else because he always introduces himself as Drew and in school he corrects teachers the first day and never has to do it again. If you love it, go for it.
Post # 16
Member
8294 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
I know both a Bradley and a Matthew that go by their full names. I do think kids might shorten it in conversation though, heck even names without real nicknames can get simplified (Tor for Tori, Whit for Whitney, etc). I do think Flip is kind of a weird nickname and might be made fun of though, sorry. 🙁
