| My full name is spelled in a way that is unpronounciable to just about anyone. It is a complete PITA. I usually go by a shortened version that I like quite a bit and plan on legally changing to my own name sometime soon.
My family and friends have all sorts of nicknames for me. I give all my pets a ton of embarassingly kissy-faced nicknames. I always refer to my RL non-BF by a nickname I invented for him - it is easier for me than his name - or his name sign, which I gave him. I like them - if given with the right intent, they are an expression of affection and not as formal as the real name.
As for why my parents gave me the longer, PITA name - it was a bad compromise. One wanted a Japanese name (my dad is Japanese) and one wanted an Irish name (my mother is Irish), so they invented this mutant from something my mom heard. They thought it was pretty and liked the idea that it could be easily shortened for an obvious nickname or used fully in more formal situations. Still a PITA. |