Courtney writes:
What do you think is the likelihood of a baby named Joshua Jonathan being nicknamed “JJ” even if the parents discourage it?
Let’s have a poll over to the right! [Poll closed; see results below.]
Poll results (287 votes total):
It’s inevitable: 8 votes, roughly 3%
It’s likely: 40 votes, roughly 14%
It could go either way: 65 votes, roughly 23%
It’s unlikely: 100 votes, roughly 35%
I would never have thought of it: 74 votes, roughly 26%
I never would have thought of it, ESPECIALLY if the parents discourage it, but perhaps in some parts of the country it would be more likely.
I don’t think it is terribly likely, but be ready to be very firm with people who try to give a nickname you don’t prefer.
My daughter is named Eleanor, and people immediately ask about calling her Ellie (or just start calling her Ellie), and we just say politely, but firmly, “Actually, we are not calling her Ellie. We call her Eleanor.” A few people have persisted, but we’re very insistent, and only a terribly rude person would continue after that!
If you publicly call him “Joshua Jonathan” then I think you’ll hear the nickname JJ whether or not you want to. But, if you just call him Joshua or any derivative, I think it’s unlikely (and easily discouraged if heard).
When he’s a few weeks or months or even just a few years? The chances aren’t high, especially if you discourage it.
Once he goes to school, though, all bets are off. Especially with a relatively common name like Joshua, it isn’t unthinkable that he might settle on a nickname to distinguish himself from, say, the other Josh on the soccer team. But that will be his individual choice – and by the time he’s 12 or 15 or 19, probably the least of your worries!
But if you want to never, ever, ever hear JJ for personal reasons? Don’t give him those initials.
I don’t think a lot of people will know his middle name so they won’t automacially call him JJ but they will call him Josh. Unless you call him Joshua Jonathan all the time then people will probably start to call him JJ. I think it’s avoidable. I would just be presistant about it, I would tell them that I didn’t name my child JJ but Joshua and I want him to be called Joshua. People eventually will catch on a just call him Joshua.
Unless he wants to be called JJ , then I think no matter how much a parent would discourage it I would call him what he wants to be called. If that was the case though.
I know a little boy named Nicolas and he oges by Cole. People always assume he will go by Nick but later they fall into suit and call him Cole. I don’t think people will fight with you on what YOU want to call your child.
I think it’s avoidable, and I wouldn’t have even thought of it if you wouldn’t have mentioned it. Probably because in my world, middle names are usually forgotten a few weeks / months after the baby is born, except with family. Family may be your only obstacle.
And I agree with all the other posters who say once he gets to be a certain age, he could decide he likes JJ and there will be nothing you can do about it. Of course he could also prefer some nickname much worse than JJ. Therefore, you could go out of your way to avoid JJ by using a different middle initial, and he could still pick some dumb nickname as a kid. I also agree by the time he’s 12, 15, 19, his nickname will be the least of your worries.
My first and middle names both start with J and I’m never called JJ!
I wouldn’t have thought of it — and I don’t think anyone else will either, unless you call him “Joshua Jonathan.” Even then I’d say it would be pretty unlikely. Someone might ask you if your Joshua goes by “Josh” — or even start calling him that — but I can’t imagine someone asking what the middle name is and then using the first two initials as a nickname.
I suppose I can just (barely) imagine a grandparent saying “Hey, JJ!” but then the mom would say, “Oh please! Not JJ!” or whatever, and that would be that.
By the way, I think Joshua Jonathan is a great name!
I hope you avoid it, because my puppy’s name is JJ and I can’t take a person with the same name seriously!
My husband’s name is Jeffrey J0seph and no one has ever called him JJ. When my mother first heard his middle name she asked him if he’d ever been called JJ and he looked at her as if she had grown a third eye.
My brother’s initials are T.J. and no one has ever called him that either.
Most people won’t even know his middle name unless you call him by it.