Anyone else annoyed by people automatically shortening their name?

[clendons]

Hello!

Warning rant coming! My name is Elizabeth and honestly I don't really like any of the shortened forms. It has really started to annoy me that after introducing myself to new people as Elizabeth that they will automatically call me Liz (well mostly Liz and occasionally other nicknames)?? I just don't get it... surely if you introduce yourself as a particular name why do people automatically pick a different one? Am I really overreacting?!

Wow, that felt better! Anyone else experienced this or have an opinion?

[ashthedreamer]

lol, no, sorry, I'm the opposite! I always wanted a nn and never really got one... I like Ashley and I'm fine with people calling me Ashley, but I like it when the occasional person calls me Ash. I might be like you in the future, though, lol, because I'd like to use Asher nn Ash for a son at some point, and we obviously can't both be Ash, haha. My sister gets the same thing--her closest friends and family all call her Becca (full name Rebecca), and she loves it, but all the new people she meets always try and call her just Rebecca. Although she feels like they obviously don't know her well enough (bahaha, I love melodramatic teenagers!), because if they did, they would know that she prefers Becca. haha. I think it's just a preference thing, though. If you prefer Elizabeth and they call you Liz or Beth or whatever, I would just say, "Oh, I just go by Elizabeth..." Who knows if that'd stick, though, lol.

[malaria]

I'm completely different, I immediately tell people to shorten my name however they wish, lol. Maurilia is a mouthful of a name, even for me. I mostly get Mo, Maur, Maur-Maur, Mauri, and the like, but lately there have been some interesting names. Maur-baby is my newest, and I got Rilly and Lia the other day. I appreciated those.
I'd just tell them to call you Elizabeth, and it'll probably stick.

[ariel_michal]

I don't get this problem very often. People don't usually start to call me by my nn (Ari) until they've spent quite a lot of time around me and my family members, who are the primary people who call me that. The exception is when I meet someone who has heard about me a lot from a family member, because that is how my cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. refer to me. It does weird me out a little when someone I barely know calls me Ari, since I'm used to only people I've known for a loooong time calling me that.

I do have a friend named Danielle who gets pretty irritated when people shorten her name to Dani. Her mom hates it too; she says "I named you Danielle because that's what I want people to call you. If I wanted you to be called Dani, I would have named you Dani." Personally, I try to call a person by the name they used to introduce themself.

[lilylunapotter]

I kind of wish people would shorten my name more, to be honost! Maybe that just comes from carrying around the four-syllable, vowel-heavy, oh-so-popular "Olivia" all the time, but I love nicknames. I really like when people call me "Liv", and I wish my parents or I had thought to ask people to call me "Via" when I was younger, because I adore that nickname!

Anyhow, people give you nicknames because they like you, or are trying to be friendly. Please don't be insulted! But really, if you ask to be called Elizabeth, people should respect that and hopefuly will comply. Good luck!

[kenzi]

You're not over reacting! I don't let people call me Ev unless i know them well and i HATE it when i say, "hi, my name is Evelyn" and they say, "Nice to meet you Ev." my mom always says to take a deep breath, put a smile on your face and say, "Please just call me Evelyn" she says not matter how many times you have to tell people to always say it kindly. it gets very annoying, but politeness is key! good luck!
-Evelyn

[cka]

I was more the opposite in that most people tended to shorten my name to Chels' growing up which drove my mother nuts and she would always correct people if she heard them, but I didn't care. But I am like ariel_michal in that I tend to call people by the name they introduce themselves to me, unless I know them really well.

[thetxbelle]

My husband has a name that can easily be shortened or nn'd but he has never gone by one since he dislikes them and he basically doesnt tolerate it.. If he introduces himself to someone and they say "nice to meet you nickname" or "Whats up nickname?" he will outright tell them "I think you misheard me my name is _____" or "its ____, not much". Try saying something like this or even telling a person you dont care for nn's.

[jersey_gray]

Tell the person "No, it's Elizabeth, not xxx". Be a b****h about it if you have to. Their already being rude by not calling you by the name you introduced yourself with.

[amberdaydream]

You're not over reacting! I don't let people call me Ev unless i know them well and i HATE it when i say, "hi, my name is Evelyn" and they say, "Nice to meet you Ev." my mom always says to take a deep breath, put a smile on your face and say, "Please just call me Evelyn" she says not matter how many times you have to tell people to always say it kindly. it gets very annoying, but politeness is key! good luck!
-Evelyn

Absolutely, be polite and patient when correcting them. If someone is addressing you by a nickname, chances are they just want to be friends. I'm sure they don't mean to be rude.

Usually I veto any nicknames I hate on the spot but I give them other options. So if they call me Ambie (I DESPISE that nickname) then I say "No thank you; I don't like Ambie, but Am, Ammy or just Amber is fine." That said, it doesn't happen often since Amber's a short name, and most of my nicknames just lengthen it (Amberghini, Ambergris, Amber-daydream, and yes that is where my username is from .)

Elizabeth is a name very diverse in terms of nicknames; are you absolutely sure there are none you like? My favourite Elizabeth nickname is either Lily, Lilibeth or Bess.