I've just remembered - I also have a small group of friends who call me "T" because that's how I signed off work emails back in the day and I have one friend in SA who calles me Mr T. Nothing to do with the A Team - I called her Mrs J once, she replied with Mr T and it stuck.
I think I like pretty much all the variations of my already shortened middle name.
Most of my Scottish mates call me Andy and everyone else uses Andrew (or Marra 'cause I'm from West Cumbria... 🤣) so I think it is also partially down to 'habit' in a given area.
To answer the OP's question though - no it doesn't bother me but I get why it might bother other people.
Think yourself lucky to have a choice. Not much you can do with Neil!
Nell
Nee
Enn
Nelly
I get them all and don't like any of them! Never say anything though as I know they're not being nasty.
Full names Terry
Often get Tel or Ter
Not met many Terry's over the years so tend to answer to either.
Jeremy here
the diminutives are Jerry - where my family come from that is slang for chamber pot
Jezza - just no way due to Clarkson and anyway it sounds silly
Jem - my childhood name - so no thanks as it reminds me of being a rather wet child
Jed - I am not an american redneck
So you either call me Jeremy ( which I hate but the least bad option) or simply just by my surname - Not "Mr Again" but just "Again" Even my father sometimes calls me by my surname and a number of friends do as well - and before you ask I did not go to a posh school 😉
Doctor / dentist / hospitals etc bug me because you have to register with full name or that's what's on the medical record, so they use that when they call you. Feel like I'm being summoned into court, or the heads office at school.
My parents name me one thing and all my life call me a shortened version, the full version being a bit of a joke nerdy name of late! Obviously prefer the shortened version as I almost see it as my name... but then at work, I use my actual name, dunno why, always have done!
Another Michael here, I'm known as Mike professionally. Out of hours all but Mick are tolerated.
I learnt pretty quickly, if you don't like a nickname or shortened version, don't let on in a non formal environment. Any hint of dislike will mean it sticks.
Jimbo is the only name I'm not keen on but not that bothered these days. Been called far worse.
Another Michael, I hate Mike and Mick, to be honest I actually dislike my name. Most of the time I am either known by by last name (it can also be a first name depending on spelling) or one of the various nicknames I have acquired over time.
I’ve named my children in a way that can’t be shortened.
I was a victim of this policy, as were my two brothers. We are named Glen, Craig and Grant and we were known for years among the other wider family as the “3 Whiskys” as the joke was that you could combine any two of our names and it’d make a reasonable name for a single malt.
After many years you get used to it. However the IT chap at a place I used to work shared the same Christian name but his surname was Head.
Neighbour over the road is another Richard Head, my surname makes it even worse but after 40yrs of ribbing you kind of get used to it, upsets me a bit that being a dick seems to have become a universal insult over the years.
Another James here. Old man is also James, but known to everyone as Jim or Jimmy.
I was always called Jamie by family, other than when I was in trouble with mum in which case it was James.
GF calls me Jamie/Jay. With oder friends is usually Jay.
Tend to introduce myself as Jamie or Jay depending on the company.
At work it's a mix of Jamy (Germans have trouble with Jamie despite Jamie Oliver being a thing here), Jay, "Mr James" (lit), Jimbo/Jimbob and recently Jesus due to the beard, unkempt hair and being a carpenter.
Richard Head, my surname makes it even worse but after 40yrs of ribbing you kind of get used to it,
Rub?
Small?
Wad?
Cummings?
My full name is Lee Roy, only the sister in law calls me that, she still thinks it's funny to put on a West Indian accent when she calls me by it.
Just as bad with a short one. Ian goes to Ianey Wiany, or just ****..
I adopted mine around uni time.
Family mostly still calls me James (e.g. my brother), but his wife calls me Jim.
To mates I'm Jim or Jimbo.
Fortunately, I was able to get Jim in my email address at work so that has reduced usage of James a lot...
Andy, And, Rosey.... All good
l stop people calling Andrew by pointing out.... "Only my mother calls me Andrew, or the wife if lm in trouble!"
Another James here.
Always been called that. Never Jamie or Jim. Primary school, got the "Jimbo" but other than that, James.
Working in the bike shop, there were two James' in the workshop and the head mechanic got bored of saying "James?" and both of us turning round so I was 11 (cos I was tall and skinny) and the other James was 88 (cos he was shorter and fatter). As an aside, the "crazy-legs" came from the bike shop as well when a someone said "How can you have legs that skinny, they're crazy legs!" and after that it sort of stuck.
Always called Gibby ,Gibbo or Gibb as a kid/yoof by mates,Not fond of Mark at all,Mainly called Sparky,Sparkles these days anyhoo.
My Posh Mrs is a Sharon but i have always called her Ron, she likes it as I’m her bit of rough
re the comment on Drs offices and other officialdom . . .
same here - I can happily sit reading a magazine while the receptionist calls out my actual first name and it doesn't register with me.
Cummings?
Close but no cigar, think of cum Staines
Not much you can do with Neil!
My sister calls me "Nee"
I don't mind but i detest crap pronouncing joshua craply. The other issue is very occasionally i've got the religious nut jobs get all excited.
To be honest though a yourguitarhero probably confitm (as the only person who might know it on here) can confirm anything that detracts from my surname is a bonus. Its a belter for pisstaking. And to be honest I've always found it amusing.
I prefer my shortened name to my full one; Greg rather than Gregory. I think I have only have a couple of aunts left that call me it. My parents apparently chose it so it could be shortened. What does grate is when folks spell it Gregg, despite it being correct in my email address and signature. Our son is Patrick, Pat or Paddy, depending on who is saying it. He likes all of them. In fact if he's asked what he prefers it's always Paddy.
I prefer the diminutive, as I don’t think Victoria suits me. It sounds a bit too posh!
I'm from a generation where every 5th boy was called the same. There were 5 of us in my primary school class. Later on there were three of us in our late teens which didn't cause any confusion because we were all know by something else.
I've been a shortened version of my surname since secondary school, all through my working life, even logins for work systems, etc. It was only the now ex HR manager that would call me by my proper name. It's only my family that call me by shortened first names, half of them using the South Wales version.
I hate it when people call me Ho.
Most people shorten me by default it really doesn't bother me I only know one person who is particularly concerned about being abbreviated, he's a 'Stephen' and will tell most people that's his preferred way to be addressed just once or twice within a few days of being introduced, and then not go on about it.
What you do then notice though is most people still call him 'Steve' without realising, me included, I make an effort not to, and often correct myself when I do it, but it's surprisingly hard not to do it at least 25% of the time, as most Stevens/Stephens don't object to being called 'Steve'.
Nelly has stuck since childhood- tho my Sis and Dad changed it to Welly and then Welly Boot so it got longer.
I simply refuse to answer if called by the diminutive form of my name. I hate it. And frankly, considering the etymology of my name, would actually prefer to use the more original form than the one I have.
But I'm a bit of a word/name/etymology nerd, so I'm not the best person to comment.
Folk try kev with me but it just doesn't suit so it stops through awkwardness.
Used to work with a guy from Gloucester called Wes took years to find his name was actually Lee but he was always late. So where's Lee? Ended up W'es Lee..
In the borders George becomes Dod but in Hawick it can become fuddy. Which always raises a laugh with those from outside the area.
My name can't be shortened, sometimes it gets an 'o' on the end but it doesn't bother me.
My son is called Seth, which I lengthen to Setharus, that may wind him up on the future 🤞
My name can't really be shortened but I do get people adding y or o on the end, both of which I dislike. I'm happiest being called P.
Christopher here, so Chris or surname with Y on the end. Though some people call me Christ, quietly... behind my back.
Doesn’t bother me, but when I started my current job my work email address was set up with my name shortened - that bothered me enough that I made them change it, but I don’t really know why it bothered me - just looked wrong!
Chap at a place I used to work at was a Stephen and because I never asked for his permission I always called him Stephen, found out after a little while he hated it being shortened so I'm glad I never did.
I like mine being shortened to Ali because mum n dad always did so makes me think of them, however, a lot of people insist on shortening it to Al which I absolutely detest. Thankfully not many people shorten it at all but I always tell people who go with the Al option that I don't like it, I only let one person get away with it and that's because I know there's no malice there and she's just nice and forgets I don't like it.
I **** hate being called Jonny
We're sorry.
Love from The Fine Young Cannibals xx
^ genius.
Not worth leaving home over though.
Mine can't be, although Dazza# might grate a little in professional circles. My sister was always Joanne to me, but Joe to everyone else. My son is Thomas to me, but Tom to most others. It's probably the two syllables not the diminution that I prefer.
Americans, always shorten names, they don't ask first. That always annoys me.
#spelled as in Karen - so everyone spells it wrongly anyway. A useful mental note when the CSO sends you emails. You know you've made it when your name begins to be spelled correctly. So thank you mother, it paid off in the end!
I'm James, I call myself Jamie as do most others.
One guy called / calls me Jimmy which Isn't me, don't know why, I just don't feel like a Jimmy.
A flatmate from uni used to call me Séamus. No idea why as I'm not Irish.
Fairly relaxed about it, another boring Dave here. Only my wife and mum normally call me David, to everyone else I'm Dave. One mate insists on Ravey Davey, which grates a bit!
I don't mind any of the two proper versions of mine, Andrew is most common, Andy is fine. And I tell people that, oh, whatever you prefer, it's cool, it's all the same name. And then once a decade or so, someone says oh OK, and calls me Drew, and I have to kill them.
Used to work with a guy from Gloucester called Wes took years to find his name was actually Lee but he was always late. So where’s Lee? Ended up W’es Lee..
A friend's mum once recounted tale of a guy she worked with called Warren. She'd worked there for months before she had to look him up for some reason (the would have been pre-email so maybe HR records or something). She asked him why he wasn't there and he told her his name wasn't Warren, it was something wholly different like Dave or something.
"So why do they call you Warren then?" she asked.
"It's short for 'warran ugly bastard'."
I worked for years with a guy called diesel or deez. Never found out his real name. There is a bloke in one of the warehouses at my place who’s been calling me Bill for about six years. It’s not my name and I just find it amusing.
