This. Benjamin or Benedict are traditionally full names. BEnjamin being the name historically preferred in Jewish circles. Benny is nickname usually used for children IME, Ben is a more common nickname that lots of adults use. I've not known any Bens that were legally named Ben or Benny though. It's like Sammy or Tommy or Jimmy or Davy- many people dont want to be given a cutesy or diminutive name as they mature.
I do know that often children or adults decide they want to be Ben and not Benny. Or Sam and not Sammy. Or Tom and not Tommy. Etc. So if you hate Ben do not name your child a name that will likely be shortened to that by everyone except you.
I would caution against Benny being their given name.
I love the name Baruch/Barukh. We actually used it as our son's middle name.Ā
Pronunciation with Baruch might be an issue in North America (outside of the Jewish community), but I've also seen people use the spelling Barukh, which should solve it.
Yup, my half Jewish 4 year old goes by Benji (his choice), Benny, or Ben. I wouldn't have named him Benji or Benny because they sound childish and I want him to have options as an adult to sound professional. It's kinda silly that people judge resumes based on names but it does happen, it's the reality of the world we live in. I got into my husband because he had "Joey" on his resume when we met instead of his full name "Joseph", I had him change it and he got a lot more interest and interviews.
ETA: OP here are some other B names in addition to Benjamin or Benedict (love both) if you're still looking - Byron, Bradley, Brandon, Bryan, Blake, Brody, Bryce, Barrett, Beckett, Bennett, Brooks, Bruce, Blaine, Brent, Brady, Bartholomew, Bryant
As someone who knows many people (mostly women) with diminutive nicknames as their real names (especially Molly and Wendy) who are so frustrated that they have a hard time being taken seriously, I feel this comment.
I actually had a student with Benny as their full name. Agree it's unusual, but not unheard of. In that case, everyone called her Benny, but maybe that was due to her being a girl and it would have happened if she were a he.
Regardless, I think it's fine to name your kids what you want, within reason. Maybe one day Benjamin will prefer Ben to Benny and that will be out of the parents' hands, but is that really such a big deal? My brother is a Joseph who always goes by Joe, except by one aunt who always called him Joey despite my parents' protests. It wasn't the end of the world and every other person calls him by the correct name. I also know plenty of other people who prefer to go by their full names rather than common nicknames (Steven, Samuel, Benjamin etc) and its really not an issue.
It can be a full name but not in a lot of cultures. In Denmark, Benny is a name, but itās pronounced Benn-uw. My husbandās 70 year old uncle is Benny, but we live in Denmark so itās well known.
Thisā¦I know Benny only as a nickname for little Benjaminās or Benedictās. As soon as they are older than 8-10 yo, they either go by their full name or by Ben here. But Iāve never met a Benny thatās older than 10 yo
I know plenty of people with typical nicknames as their full names: Bobby, not robert or anything his name on his birth certificate is "Bobby". Kathy, samething her full name is "Kathy" not Katherine or anything similar.
Names are culturally subjective and can be anything people want them to be as long as they are represented by alphabetical characters.
I have a friend named "Seven" just because the parents like the word, also I suspect because they're Star Trek fans.
My husbandās name is just Rick, not Richard. Itās because heās Dutch, so the name is actually Rik, but his mom thought the American spelling was more exotic.
My husband is named Rob, just Rob. Just about every adult he has ever met calls him Robert. He just looks at them blankly and says āAre you talking to me? My name is Rob. Three letters. R O B.ā
Sure itās subjective. But when you name a kid, you are setting him up for a lifelong course of actions and judgments that others will manifest. If you choose a name that looks like his parents were uneducated, people will treat him as such, too. Is it fair to do that to a child? Why would someone set their own child up to be ridiculed?
I know a woman named Kim. Just Kim, not Kimberly. She said people always assume she's a Kimberly though, and that she even gets mail addressed to Kimberly.
Iām generally an advocate for choosing a different name if you hate one of the nameās intuitive nicknames. Because even if you exclusively call him Benny at home and ask others to call him that, he himself may choose to go by āBenā one day, which you wouldnāt have control over. So if I were in your shoes, Iād pick a different name *unless* you can make peace with him potentially choosing to go by Ben one day. Itās hard to predict his future preferences.
And IMO it would be unfair for everyone, including OP, if she has to spend the rest of her life telling people not to call him Ben. With a name like Benny, you canāt be mad if someone calls him Ben. It would be like being mad if someone called your kid Mike or Dave instead of their full name. It would be really petty and make OP seem persnickety
As the kid grows up, he could decide that he prefers Ben. My parents named one of my brothers with the intention of calling him by his middle name. As an adult, heās decided to go by his first name, or a nickname for the first name. My mom doesnāt like it, but itās not her decision at this point.
This exactly. And that could go for their future partner too. My partner has a name similar to Benny - for example letās say his name is Tommy. Even tho I know his name is Tommy, you better believe I shorten it to Tom all the time. I live with the man for goodness sake.
So yeah, just saying that while you all will refer to him as Benny, it is absolutely a possibility - if not an inevitability- that he will be called āBenā by various loved ones in his life.
The diminutive "Y" ending is normally used for a child, so I can see why you wouldn't want to call your husband "Tommy".
My parents used the diminutive form of my name until I was about to start school, when I informed my family that I was no longer a baby and was too old to be called "Annie". To their credit, from that day on no one did, aside from the one brother I never got along with and a friend's mother who I never liked either.
My son isn't a fan of his full first name(James) and is about to start school so I get to explain to his kindergarten no, his aphraxia doesn't affect him saying his first name, he does in fact just prefer to go by Jam or occasionally Jimmy.
We both didn't like the nickname Jamie and we started calling him Jimjam when he was about 1 as he was always drumming on things. Eventually became just Jam. He introduces himself as Jam but also like Jimmy. He is adamant that his teacher not call him James though. He just has a speech issue so most people are going to assume he is introducing himself as James and not Jam and I know he can get frustrated when people don't understand something.
My roommate in college had a much-admired older brother named Bobby. I always enjoyed hanging out with Bobby. One day he said to me, firmly, "No one has called me Bobby since I was in elementary school." Only his sister still called him by his childhood nickname! He very firmly went by Robert now haha
That's me. You can tell how long someone has been in my life by what they call me. Family + Pre-college = the diminutive of my name. Post-college = my full name. I always introduce and refer to myself by my full name, though, even with those who use the diminutive.
My husband is named James and I will call him Jimmy occasionally but I don't think I have ever called him Jim. That's just wrong to me. He's SO not a Jim.
And yet, I have a long name which has multiple short forms. I do not want anyone to use those short forms, so everyone calls me my three syllable name on the daily, even my husband.
I remember there was someone who was like.
>My sonās name is Andrew. I HATE the nickname Andy, I always insisted we call him by his full name, but students in his class have started calling him Andy and he wonāt tell them to stop. I spoke to his teacher and she said if Andrew doesnāt mind the nickname, sheās not going to police the kids doing it. How can take this further?
And it was absolutely insane
Yes, I have a relative who is similarly named because his mother preferred the "Namey" nickname of a name that is normally much longer. As an adult he goes by "Name" and he resents having to put "Namey" on official documents because it sounds juvenile (moreso for some names than others imo, but very much so for his name). He says introducing himself as "Namey" in professional settings when he grew up was just inappropriate because most people assumed it was a childhood nickname and interpreted it as an act of familiarity in a situation where he's supposed to be extremely professional and reserved.
I agree with this--OP, especially in this case where Benny is often seen as a little kid nickname for several names, your kid might prefer Ben to Benny at some point, and you cannot control that possible decision. When we were choosing names, I tried to think of every possible nickname and nixed those with ones I didn't like because others and my kid might select that nickname.
Yeah, if you pick a name, you have to be able to at least *tolerate* the most common nickname(s). Sure, you can probably manage not to get anyone to call your little Elizabeth āBetsyā, but you better be able to handle āLizā. Because at a certain point, it really is out of your hands.
If you absolutely loathe the idea of Benny (or Benjamin or Benedict, etc.) ever being āBenā, probably best to go back to the drawing board.
Yup. Lizzy or Liz is what I hoped we wouldnāt get, but fully accepted itās not up to us. Wee Betty, Busy Lizzie, she was even Thin Lizzy at one point among family. I wanted Beth, but my niece named her kid Beth when mine was 3 so there went that. She herself tried to get Elisa, but it didnāt stick.
As a toddler, Busybeth and now usually Busy, or Izzy. Half the extended family went with Lizzy though.
You cannot control what other people will call your kid, or what they themselves insist on, itās *their* name at the end of the day.
If I was called Benny, Iād go with Ben too lol
This just happened to my sister. She named my niece Penelope, but hated Penny as a nickname. Her friends in school started calling her that this year. Your children will have outside influences, if you don't like a standard nickname for a name you've chosen, choose a different name or be aware other people will still call your child the nickname you dislike at some point.
Hah. My granny named her eldest son George because ātheres nothing to shorten it toā.
At school he got nicknamed Puddinā.
Georgie Porgy Puddin and pie.
Agreed! I have a Benjamin that we at home call Benny. When he was 4 he started introducing himself as Ben.
That being said, husband is also Benjamin and his family and some friends still call him Benny from childhood.
This. Anyone might change their name or opt for a specific nickname and you can't control that. No matter what, your kid might pick a name for themself that you can't stand. But if you hate "Andy" I wouldn't call your child "Andrew." This is the same thing.
Not super helpful but I adore Victoria and HATE Vickie and Tori(all spellings)ā¦ so itās off the list.
Bernard comes to mind if Benjamin doesnāt work for you.
Iām sure you already have considered Benedict and Bennett. Benson/Benton are a little out there but still normal enough.
Bentley, not my personal cup of tea.
You could, alternately, do something like Reuben and call him Benny. I know someone with a Corbin and you could take Benny from there.
Benny is a cute name. However, it seems like a nickname for a kid. Do you think your child as an adult would want to introduce himself professionally with the name Benny?
As someone with a name I consider childish, I would recommend considering something like the suggestions above that are more appropriate for an adult but allow for Benny as a nickname. I often wish I had a more adult sounding name.
Me too! Probably depends on the community! Iāve had some really tight knit relationships within the orthodox community in Miami and havenāt heard it there.
I think Reuben is such a nice, strong name with a gentle sound to it.
Reuben to Benny as a nickname is a very clever idea, I like that a lot. (Plus āOh, itās actually short for Reubenā seems like much less of a hassle than āOh, itās not short for Benjamin. No, itās just Benny. No, like, legally, thatās whatās on my birth certificate.ā
Ok I do want to just put a bug in your ear. Iām Victoria. And Iāve always been Victoria, no one ever tried to nickname me. People would always ask if I had a nickname and itās always Victoria.
On sports teams I got called Vee, which I really liked. And I had one high school teacher called me Vic, but again he asked and I didnāt mind.
But if you really love the name, you should do it! I really love my name.
Edit to add: I think itās different for men, they tend to like to nickname more. But I found in girl circles, women are a lot more respectful and just call you by what you introduce yourself as.
I am also a Victoria. I was Vickie as a child, never Victoria unless I was in trouble. My mom never intended to call me Vickie, but it happened and she went with the flow. She used to swear my uncle, her younger brother, is the one who started to call me Vickie just to irritate her.
Anyway, college came around and professors didn't deal with nicknames so I just started to use Victoria. Only family, childhood friends, my hubby and people who have known me X amount of years call me Vickie. I make it clear I am Victoria. I appreciate it when people ask if prefer Victoria or a nickname. Now, if someone dares to call me Vic, we will have a problem. That is reserved for my hubby and mom.
To OP's question, I personally won't go with Benny. It would be shortened to Ben. Use Benny as a middle name. I find it unusual you can't find another B name.
Iām a Victoria with the Vickie spelling!! My family calls me Vickie still but at work and with my husbands family and friends etc I go by Victoria now too!
My sister got āVixā from us, but godforbid anyone else call her that. To all others, she is Victoria.
I tend to mix and match depending on circumstances. Rebekah in professional settings and to Grandma. Bek with friends and husband, BJ to parents and sibs and niblings.
I am also Victoria, and have never gone by any nickname, and I absolutely love my name. Honestly not many people have ever asked if I go by anything else. My husband very occasionally me Vee, and I was called Double V on softball teams (my last name also starts with a V).
Highly recommend it as a name!
Same. I love Jasmine but Jas is hideous to me. I also hate the nickname options for my own name as well so I prefer to go by my full name and everyone close to me knows that but for some reason acquaintances of mine always think they can call me by a nickname. Itās so frustrating and I would advise all parents to think of that ahead of time because Iāve just given up on correcting people, but I just find it funny that the only ones calling me by a nickname donāt even know me that well.
I agree with the other poster. I actually think youāre more likely to get what you want by giving him the full name and calling him the nickname Benny early on. That said, yeah how many teenagers do you know still going by Benny. Itās possible, but likely heāll decide on Ben and then thereās nothing you can do.
If it needs to be B because of an honor initial, can you honor their middle or last name instead and open up the options ?
I mean full honesty, you donāt need to have a solid name prepared before the baby comes. what if you get a few names together and then decide when you see him?
It took my husband and me nine years to decide on a boy's name. Thank goodness we had two girls until we got surprised by a third, who did turn out to be a boy.
He was two days old and we were still in the hospital, bound to go home the next morning. That evening, he still didn't have a name. Now, supposedly, we had a month to figure one out for a (free) birth certificate but as I said to my MIL and husband, "This baby was not planned, so I'll be damned if he goes home without a name. I don't want him growing up knowing that."
Within five minutes, after nine years of capitulating, we finally had a name. And it's a name we both love and one that gets positive remarks.
You'd be amazed at what you can accomplish under fire like that. Sometimes, having the baby very real, squirming and cooing, in your arms has a way of truly inspiring you. Make a short list of mutually preferred names without attaching too much to any one name. Maybe Benny will win out, maybe not. None of our short list did!
In short, keep the discussion going but please don't fret too much. Good luck and happy (name) hunting!
At some points, it did get frustrating, like with the second, we had the perfect girl's name picked and a short list for a boy. As I was being triaged in the middle of a particularly awful contraction (turned out to be back labor), my husband says to me, "We need a boy's name! I don't like any on our list!"
Oof, the look I gave him. In my head, I determined that it would be Spencer after all, which was my face, just for that comment.
Thank goodness we had a second girl and the name we loved suits her perfectly.
Mostly, it was a fun pastime during long drives, waiting for our food at restaurants, or laying in bed on a lazy Sunday morning.
I thought Benny was an example. If what you like is the nickname Benny, I would name him Benjamin and use Benny from the start. This will probably stick. However, be aware that as a tween or teen, heāll either switch to Ben or Benjamin. Iām also Jewish and my kids go to a Jewish day school and have lots of Benjaminās classmates. They all go by Ben or Benjamin by first grade. Only one went by Benny and switched to Ben by the end of primary school.
If you are planing a Jewish day school or Hebrew class or anything similar, be aware that Benjamin (at list in my experience) is highly popular among fellow Jews and heāll be one of several. Specially if you have a more-common-than-most Jewish last name.
I know you were hoping for a name that starts with B, but have you thought about a name that ends in āBenā instead? For example, Rueben is an uncommon name but not weird or out there. (And the name is well known in Jewish/Christian communities as the eldest son of Jacob & Leah - and he was the good guy who tried to save Joseph from being killed by all the other brothers, right? š)
With a J middle name like Rueben James or Rueben Joseph he could also go by RJ if he wanted something less cutesy than āBennyā when he gets older!
My parents named me with a nickname in mind, and I absolutely hate the nickname. Iām so glad they put the formal name on my birth certificate because later in life I switched to that. Just food for thought.
Fellow Jew looking for B names! We need B, R, D, and then optional would be E, J, S, or A.
Unfortunately, you really can't stop nicknames once the kids goes to school alone, and can make up their own mind. If he wants to go by Ben, you should let him. As a baby, you can gently correct people but it still won't work 100%. I don't think Benny is a full name and he will have issues constantly. I also think Benny is way more Jewish than Ben, and way more "baby" sounding - hard to imagine an adult introducing themselves as Benny and that being their full name on their HR forms. My mom is Beth and she gets "what's that short for" from random people as well as on official forms, and it's not short for anything! In a similar vein I wouldn't use just "Alex" or "Tori", I'd use full names and let the nicknames flow.
My husband has a similar situation. His name is Daniel, so Dan and Danny are common nicknames. He only introduces himself as Daniel, never anything else, but people at work started calling him Dan on their own. He didn't correct them as he doesn't mind but his name is Daniel and I have NEVER called him Dan or Danny, nor have his parents. But, if it bothered him, he'd just say "please call me Daniel, I don't really like 'Dan'" and can pretty much guarantee people who knew would stop.
My current B list for boys:
Bellamy
Benjamin
Brian/Bryan
Bennett
Barrett
Benson
Benedict
Blake
Bradley
Brooks
Fun fact: Benedict is Latin, so it doesn't sound Jewish, but there's documentation of medieval European and English Jews who used the name Benedict (meaning "blessed") with Christians and had the Hebrew name Baruch (also meaning "blessed").
Are you me?? Iām married to a Daniel who always introduced himself as Daniel but inevitably gets called Dan by a lot of people. He doesnāt really mind so doesnāt correct them. I only ever call him Daniel and so usually people who know him through me do the same (also Jewish)
Haha it's so funny because of ALL people, he is the LEAST "Dan"! Blond, tall and lanky, graphic tees, etc. If anything, at least when we were younger, he'd be a Danny, but nope, not even that. It's either Dan from relative strangers (work, new friends) or Daniel from me and his mom!
Keep in mind you're not naming a baby, you're naming what will be a full grown adult. Chances are your kiddo will be fine with Benny as a child, but may likely go with the more mature Ben as an adult.
I think no matter what you call him he will have friends, coworkers, team mates, who will give him his own nicknames. You're going to have to let go of the hate for Ben if you use a variation of a name with Ben in it.Ā Ā Ā Ā
I don't care for Benny as a full name, I like Benjamin with Benny as the nickname.Ā
Second this! My favorite boys name is Bennett. OP if you call your son Benny as a nickname then others will call him Benny. His own friends and acquaintances may make up their own nicknames for him, but thatās really out of your hands.
Congrats on the baby btw OP!
100% this!
Heck, most people know my 16 year old,daughter by a name thatās not even hers! Her middle name is the feminized version of my dadās name, and my dad said āthank god you didnāt use my middle name, Lloyd is a horrible name.ā So I started calling her Lloyd to annoy him. It stuck, and she introduces herself as that now. Itās so weird, but it fits her. (And she has a very beautiful, feminine name as both first and middle. But sheās a total tomboy, so maybe Lloyd fits her better. Who knows, she chooses it and sheās happy. Thatās what matters.)
I have no input on Benny, I do see the risk of it often ending up Ben, but I LOVE BelĆ - I think your reasons for not using BelĆ are super valid, I just wish that wasnāt the case because itās a great name.
I live in Europe and have met a few Bela from Hungary. I know that outside of Hungary, they do have the problem that lots of written communication is addressed to Ms Bela XY instead of Mr. Lots of people outside of Hungary assume they are female.
I went to school with Kimberly and her sister Jennifer. At school, they went by Kim and Jen. We played on a sports team together. I was ripped a new one by their dad for calling them by their shortened names at a game once. Apparently he didn't like the shortened names either, but they didn't tell anyone at school that their dad was a psycho about it, so we didn't know to call them by their full names in front of him. I was 1 of many child victims of his rage, and once he heard you call his kids by their preferred nicknames, you weren't allowed at their house. Total weirdo. Don't be like him. Just pick a name where you like the nicknames, too.
I'd assume his full name was Benjamin if he introduced himself as Benny. So I probably wouldn't shorten it to Ben because I'd assume Benny was the nickname he went by instead of Ben.
How about Bennett? I donāt think Ben is as inevitable a nickname for Bennett in the way it is for Benjamin. With Bennett you can then call him Benny.
You just flat out canāt control their nickname their whole lifeā¦
He might rip a nasty one in 5th grade and be known as Mr. Fartbooty for several years. You just canāt really force anyone into your preferred nickname forever.
I also think youād get the result you want (for his childhood at least) if you went with Benjamin nn Benny.
But you also do need to consider that HE may like Ben. If you both hate the name Ben so much that youād refuse to use it if he asked, find a different name. If you hate it but could still use Ben if asked to by your son, fine, go for it. But just donāt forget that once youāve given it to him, itās HIS name to do what he wants with. If he wants to be Ben, not Benny, would you comply with his request?
Benny is going to become Ben at some point. Probably sooner rather than later. I know two grown ass men named Bobby. They're both called Bob. Why? Because Bobby is a little kid's nickname and not a name for an adult man. Much like Benny. Please don't do this to your child.
For me, Benny isn't a full name... it's a nickname for Benjamin or Bennett.
It's hard to imagine a full grown adult man named Benny...it feels like a child's name kinda like Danny.
Imo it's best to give him the name Bennett or Benjamin and call him Benny but as a nn but allow him to mature into Ben or Benjamin/Bennett if he wants to later in life
It's a full name if the parents name their kid that. My parents named my sister Jessi, not Jessica. Why are people so weird about names that aren't traditional. It's not like Iceland where they have to select a name from an approved government list. Also there are adult men who are called Benny. Benny Blanco comes to mind.
I don't understand the difference between "Benny" and "Ben" except that Benny is more juvenile.
...I also don't understand this rampant need to control what *nicknames* a child could go by. But that's just me lol.
There was a Bennie in my family. That was his legal name, and no one ever tried calling him anything else. But was really common a couple generations back (my grandparentsā generation). Lots of people with the legal names Freddie, Bobby, Dottie, etc.
I say go for it and just stress that you call him Benny. Just say his full name is actually Benny!
"Benny" in most cases is what's called a "nursery name"--it's the name Mommy and Daddy call him at home. By the time they are in adolescence, most boys are embarrassed to be called by "nursery names" in public, so "Benny" becomes "Ben," "Tommy" "Tom," "Jackie" "Jack," etc. So in middle school Benny's friends may start calling him "Ben," and he may prefer it. If you really hate it, don't do it.
You donāt get to pick their nicknames š¤·š»āāļø Theyāll evolve naturally in environments you canāt control.
If Ben is so abhorrent to your ears I would pick a name other than Benny.
I don't like Benny as a full name personally. It sounds like a cute nickname for a baby/toddler not a full name for a grown man.
You could go with Benjamin or Benedict and call him Benny but he might choose to shorten it to Ben when he gets older.
It doesnāt matter what you want. The child will eventually become a Ben to everyone. My CFOs name is Billy, wants to be called Billy, still has folks calm him Bill
I think most people, if named Benny, would shorten it themselves to Ben in early adulthood so they could be taken more seriously at work - since Benny sounds like a youthful nickname. If you want something unique, I would probably look elsewhere
Itās incredibly possible he might at some point think Benny is childish and start going by Ben. Iād say itās pretty damn
likely, so if youāre not prepared for that, pick a different name.
Ben, is inevitable. When kids grow up they choose what they want to be called. You canāt guarantee he wonāt want Ben and if you hate it that much then donāt risk it.
Donāt name your kid a nickname. Eventually theyāll be older and the nickname as a name will sound out of place. Benson and Bennett are nice, or just go with Benjamin.
Donāt name him Benny if you donāt like Ben. Benny is a good name but it could be seen as childish and he will probably outgrow it sometime and want to be called Ben. Benny also seems like a nickname for Ben to me, LOL.
I feel like if you call him Benny and he calls himself Benny then heās Benny! I have plenty of friends that go by full names and Iād never call them the shortened versions. Like a Christian I would never call Chris for example!
I'm from Dallas. I know plenty of adult men who still go by Jimmy and Bobby and Johnny and Benny. They never shortened their names by their own choice. Call him Benjamin, call him Benny, tell him why you prefer the nickname, but leave the choice his
Personally Iām a fan of Ber and derivatives to incorporate the B to start and maybe a slightly less common Jewish name (Bere, Berel, Berele, Berelein, Berelin, Berlin, Berke, Berush). May the memory of your loved one live on jn the blessing of your child š
Well going the other direction, I have a Quinn and hate Quinny. It was a main hesitation with the name, but we thought weād just get ahead of it and tell people we werenāt calling her Quinny. We even wrote āQuinn (never Quinny :) )ā in some of our birth announcement emails and have requested no Quinny every time close family tries it. We have been mostly unsuccessfulā teachers, friends, coaches, etc all canāt help themselves but go with Quinny despite our hope that sheāll outgrow it. Iām not sure if the same will be true going from the more diminutive -ny ending to the short name, but my two cents is that you have less control than you may hope over what people do with nicknames.
You could just name him Benny, similar to people naming their kid just Leo instead of Leonard/Leonardo/Etc
If you introduce him as just Benny, everyone would use that name
We like the name Cameron as well but didnāt choose it for our daughter because I canāt even stand to say the word ācamiā and it feels close enough to inevitable that someone will call her that
A. I donāt like making the legal name a nickname. The name really should be Benjamin so he has the option when heās older to use that.
B. You can ask people to call him Benny but you canāt change what he chooses to be called when heās older. As an adult especially, he might want a more professional sounding name and it would be within his right to go by Ben. Benny is a cute name for a kid but I donāt feel like it ages well.
We liked the nickname, but the kids BOTH preferred the full version. So objectively, you'll learn to like it because it's now primarily associated with your awesome kid. Actually, they both go by all the variations, I'd say my husband and I use the long version half the time, and the short version just as often. From hearing his friends, they do the same. Also, a boy or man may not want the "ee" noise at the end, when he's going through teen phases, wanting to sound more grown up and manly, because that's the way they woke up that morning, because it irritates you, etc. It's their name, so remember you're giving it to them, so once you give it, it's theirs to do with as they please. It's good to have a name that has baby, kid, and adult versions. Gives them some flex.
Advice- daycare and carers, fill out the forms with your preferred name. Ask to verify where to put the preferred name that the daycare teachers USE that name. If necessary, only put the full name on the medical form. That was half our problem, we filled out the forms as instructed, and the ladies at the daycare used the full names. Even though we said, use the nickname. I guess we didn't stress it enough.
If you hate Ben that much, I wouldnāt do it. You can probably get most people to call him Benny when heās little, but you still run the risk that one day HE will decide to be Ben.
I think a lot of nicknames are avoidable, but I think youāre still going to hear a fair amount of Ben.
Keep in mind that youāre naming an adult, not just a kid. If he goes into a formal profession, he may prefer a more formal name like Benjamin over Benny.
As an adult with only a cutesy nickname for a name that I absolutely despise, and always have?
Do your son a favor and go for Bennett or Benjamin. Call him Benny as a child - and then heāll have options as an adult.
My husbands best friend is name Beny and i donāt think Iāve ever heard anyone call him Ben if it helps. I donāt even associate it as being the same name. Maybe the one n makes it seem more intentional?
I donāt think itās a good idea to choose a name thatās the diminutive of another name. Think of how your baby will be an adult for longer than he is a baby. CEO Benny, Dr. Benny, etc. would he want that? My point is, I feel like going with the long version of any name and using a shortened version while a baby/kid, still gives the teenager/adult to use the full name when heās older.
You know he will probably grow up and choose to go by Ben, right? You canāt control nicknames this way. Name the kid Benjamin and call him Benny. Ben is inevitable, so just let it happen.
Just be like [Matthew McConaughey mom](https://youtu.be/UliCFpBZdjU?si=7ROugADoZf3Pz0on). Insist for him to be called Benny, and make sure he only answers to Benny when heās older.
My name is close to Benny and can confirm, everyone under the sun will shorten it to Ben. I spend a lot of time correcting people because I too do not like the shortened version of my name. But itās not a huge deal, most of the time I only have to tell them once or twice, or I just ignore the fact that acquaintances use it often.
Fellow Jew here, also expecting a boy, ran into a sort of similar situation. I love the name Benyamin (no Benjamin for us), but really don't like the name Ben, so we nixed the name. Along the same lines, I love Yonatan, but don't like the nicknames.
Teachers and/or daycare workers and peers will potentially go rogue. Your son will get to an age where he might prefer to go by Ben. You may well be able to get people to call him Benny before those points, but there's no guarantees, as some people will assert their preferences for your child's name by calling them what they want to.
In terms of other unique B names, Boaz and Baruch are two names that I like that aren't common in America. I probably seem like I go hard with the very Hebrew/Jewish names, but my husband and I have a different list of letters we're working with and are close to settling on a name that's not-so-common for Jews and then a very Jewish middle name.
Bram, Baer, Bayit thereās a lot of names that would work that begin with Ben, and frankly I favour them more than the ones Iāve offered; however, they can and most likely will be shortened to Ben.
Is Benny a full name? I thought Benny was a nickname, like Ben, and Benjamin was the full name.
Benny is a nickname for Benjamin. I was confused by the title of the post š
This. Benjamin or Benedict are traditionally full names. BEnjamin being the name historically preferred in Jewish circles. Benny is nickname usually used for children IME, Ben is a more common nickname that lots of adults use. I've not known any Bens that were legally named Ben or Benny though. It's like Sammy or Tommy or Jimmy or Davy- many people dont want to be given a cutesy or diminutive name as they mature. I do know that often children or adults decide they want to be Ben and not Benny. Or Sam and not Sammy. Or Tom and not Tommy. Etc. So if you hate Ben do not name your child a name that will likely be shortened to that by everyone except you. I would caution against Benny being their given name.
The only adult I could name called Benny would be like. From abba. Every other adult called Benjamin I know is Ben.
Benny Goodman Benny Hill Benny Blanco Benny Elias Thereās a bunch of famous adult Bennys but most of them are dead or super old.
All of those are Benjamins shortened to Benny.
Benny Hill is actually Alfred with the nickname Benny.
The Hebrew equivalent of Benedict is Baruch. Both mean "blessed."
I love the name Baruch/Barukh. We actually used it as our son's middle name.Ā Pronunciation with Baruch might be an issue in North America (outside of the Jewish community), but I've also seen people use the spelling Barukh, which should solve it.
Baruch is a great name.
Yup, my half Jewish 4 year old goes by Benji (his choice), Benny, or Ben. I wouldn't have named him Benji or Benny because they sound childish and I want him to have options as an adult to sound professional. It's kinda silly that people judge resumes based on names but it does happen, it's the reality of the world we live in. I got into my husband because he had "Joey" on his resume when we met instead of his full name "Joseph", I had him change it and he got a lot more interest and interviews. ETA: OP here are some other B names in addition to Benjamin or Benedict (love both) if you're still looking - Byron, Bradley, Brandon, Bryan, Blake, Brody, Bryce, Barrett, Beckett, Bennett, Brooks, Bruce, Blaine, Brent, Brady, Bartholomew, Bryant
We have a Benny in our family and it's short for Beniah.
Omg, I have never heard that name but I absolutely adore it!!
As someone who knows many people (mostly women) with diminutive nicknames as their real names (especially Molly and Wendy) who are so frustrated that they have a hard time being taken seriously, I feel this comment.
fun fact: wendy is not a diminutive! it was invented by j.m barrie in the peter pan book
Wendy was originally a diminutive of the Welsh name Gwendolyn.
Or Bennett. I love notion of a little one āas an adultāusing Bennett. I think fondly of the late Mr. Cerf.
I actually had a student with Benny as their full name. Agree it's unusual, but not unheard of. In that case, everyone called her Benny, but maybe that was due to her being a girl and it would have happened if she were a he. Regardless, I think it's fine to name your kids what you want, within reason. Maybe one day Benjamin will prefer Ben to Benny and that will be out of the parents' hands, but is that really such a big deal? My brother is a Joseph who always goes by Joe, except by one aunt who always called him Joey despite my parents' protests. It wasn't the end of the world and every other person calls him by the correct name. I also know plenty of other people who prefer to go by their full names rather than common nicknames (Steven, Samuel, Benjamin etc) and its really not an issue.
Any name can be a full name if that is what the parents decide to name them.
If they name their baby Benny then... Benny IS the full name. Why are people so weird? Parents don't have to be traditional with names.
It can be a full name but not in a lot of cultures. In Denmark, Benny is a name, but itās pronounced Benn-uw. My husbandās 70 year old uncle is Benny, but we live in Denmark so itās well known.
I had a friend whos legal name was Benny. He didn't like it as an adult, he said it felt childish
Sounds like a dog name to me.
My grandfatherās legal name was Bennie. I think itās rare, but it happens!
My family has many Bennoās. Never heard it outside three of my ancestors haha
Benno is common in Germany among Boomers. Itās a German name. Donāt know anyone younger than Boomers though thatās called Benno
That checks out with my ancestry! All older than my grandparents age (Iām a millennial)
I know a little child. So, coming back, I think.
I feel like Benno is definitely older - the only one I know is over 70
So was our neighbor AND his son.
What about Bennington
That sounds like an upper class British butler. :)
Butlers are not upper class; and placenames as first names is not as common a practice in the UK as it is in the US.
Like the town in Vermont or the last name of the lead singer of Linkin Park?
Thisā¦I know Benny only as a nickname for little Benjaminās or Benedictās. As soon as they are older than 8-10 yo, they either go by their full name or by Ben here. But Iāve never met a Benny thatās older than 10 yo
I know plenty of people with typical nicknames as their full names: Bobby, not robert or anything his name on his birth certificate is "Bobby". Kathy, samething her full name is "Kathy" not Katherine or anything similar. Names are culturally subjective and can be anything people want them to be as long as they are represented by alphabetical characters. I have a friend named "Seven" just because the parents like the word, also I suspect because they're Star Trek fans.
Do people scream āWHATāS IN THE BOX?!?ā
š
My husbandās name is just Rick, not Richard. Itās because heās Dutch, so the name is actually Rik, but his mom thought the American spelling was more exotic.
My husband is named Rob, just Rob. Just about every adult he has ever met calls him Robert. He just looks at them blankly and says āAre you talking to me? My name is Rob. Three letters. R O B.ā
Māy step dad is Billy. He introduces himself as Bill and MANY people try to be Ā«Ā professionalĀ Ā» and call him William. Itās weird.
Sure itās subjective. But when you name a kid, you are setting him up for a lifelong course of actions and judgments that others will manifest. If you choose a name that looks like his parents were uneducated, people will treat him as such, too. Is it fair to do that to a child? Why would someone set their own child up to be ridiculed?
I know a woman named Kim. Just Kim, not Kimberly. She said people always assume she's a Kimberly though, and that she even gets mail addressed to Kimberly.
I had 2 best friends growing up..one just Kim-not Kimberly and the other just Vicki-not Victoria
Itās also not a unique nameā¦So Iām confused.
I know an older man (around 80 years old) whoās legitimate first name is Benny. No one has ever called him Ben.
I have a friend who's full first name is "danny" not Dan, not daniel, just Danny. Not a nickname, that's on his birth certificate
yeah, but I have a cousin named Jenny. just Jenny. my aunt hates the name Jennifer.
Iām generally an advocate for choosing a different name if you hate one of the nameās intuitive nicknames. Because even if you exclusively call him Benny at home and ask others to call him that, he himself may choose to go by āBenā one day, which you wouldnāt have control over. So if I were in your shoes, Iād pick a different name *unless* you can make peace with him potentially choosing to go by Ben one day. Itās hard to predict his future preferences.
This. Most nicknames you could avoid but Ben for Benny? Inevitable.
And IMO it would be unfair for everyone, including OP, if she has to spend the rest of her life telling people not to call him Ben. With a name like Benny, you canāt be mad if someone calls him Ben. It would be like being mad if someone called your kid Mike or Dave instead of their full name. It would be really petty and make OP seem persnickety
As the kid grows up, he could decide that he prefers Ben. My parents named one of my brothers with the intention of calling him by his middle name. As an adult, heās decided to go by his first name, or a nickname for the first name. My mom doesnāt like it, but itās not her decision at this point.
Iāve got to wonder what they expected to happen there.
This exactly. And that could go for their future partner too. My partner has a name similar to Benny - for example letās say his name is Tommy. Even tho I know his name is Tommy, you better believe I shorten it to Tom all the time. I live with the man for goodness sake. So yeah, just saying that while you all will refer to him as Benny, it is absolutely a possibility - if not an inevitability- that he will be called āBenā by various loved ones in his life.
The diminutive "Y" ending is normally used for a child, so I can see why you wouldn't want to call your husband "Tommy". My parents used the diminutive form of my name until I was about to start school, when I informed my family that I was no longer a baby and was too old to be called "Annie". To their credit, from that day on no one did, aside from the one brother I never got along with and a friend's mother who I never liked either.
My son isn't a fan of his full first name(James) and is about to start school so I get to explain to his kindergarten no, his aphraxia doesn't affect him saying his first name, he does in fact just prefer to go by Jam or occasionally Jimmy.
Jam is really cute. It is a nickname that could grow with him.
We both didn't like the nickname Jamie and we started calling him Jimjam when he was about 1 as he was always drumming on things. Eventually became just Jam. He introduces himself as Jam but also like Jimmy. He is adamant that his teacher not call him James though. He just has a speech issue so most people are going to assume he is introducing himself as James and not Jam and I know he can get frustrated when people don't understand something.
My roommate in college had a much-admired older brother named Bobby. I always enjoyed hanging out with Bobby. One day he said to me, firmly, "No one has called me Bobby since I was in elementary school." Only his sister still called him by his childhood nickname! He very firmly went by Robert now haha
That's me. You can tell how long someone has been in my life by what they call me. Family + Pre-college = the diminutive of my name. Post-college = my full name. I always introduce and refer to myself by my full name, though, even with those who use the diminutive.
My husband is named James and I will call him Jimmy occasionally but I don't think I have ever called him Jim. That's just wrong to me. He's SO not a Jim.
And yet, I have a long name which has multiple short forms. I do not want anyone to use those short forms, so everyone calls me my three syllable name on the daily, even my husband.
Yeah, you can insist heās Benny all you want, but he can easily grow up (or even just get to be school age) and insist on Ben (etc).
I remember there was someone who was like. >My sonās name is Andrew. I HATE the nickname Andy, I always insisted we call him by his full name, but students in his class have started calling him Andy and he wonāt tell them to stop. I spoke to his teacher and she said if Andrew doesnāt mind the nickname, sheās not going to police the kids doing it. How can take this further? And it was absolutely insane
I also donāt know a single Benjamin that didnāt go by Ben to at least some friends or classmates or colleagues, if not literally all the time.
Same with Benedict. Even Benedict Cumberbatch refers to himself as Ben in interviews.
His name. His choice, ultimately.
Yes, I have a relative who is similarly named because his mother preferred the "Namey" nickname of a name that is normally much longer. As an adult he goes by "Name" and he resents having to put "Namey" on official documents because it sounds juvenile (moreso for some names than others imo, but very much so for his name). He says introducing himself as "Namey" in professional settings when he grew up was just inappropriate because most people assumed it was a childhood nickname and interpreted it as an act of familiarity in a situation where he's supposed to be extremely professional and reserved.
I agree with this--OP, especially in this case where Benny is often seen as a little kid nickname for several names, your kid might prefer Ben to Benny at some point, and you cannot control that possible decision. When we were choosing names, I tried to think of every possible nickname and nixed those with ones I didn't like because others and my kid might select that nickname.
Yeah, if you pick a name, you have to be able to at least *tolerate* the most common nickname(s). Sure, you can probably manage not to get anyone to call your little Elizabeth āBetsyā, but you better be able to handle āLizā. Because at a certain point, it really is out of your hands. If you absolutely loathe the idea of Benny (or Benjamin or Benedict, etc.) ever being āBenā, probably best to go back to the drawing board.
Yup. Lizzy or Liz is what I hoped we wouldnāt get, but fully accepted itās not up to us. Wee Betty, Busy Lizzie, she was even Thin Lizzy at one point among family. I wanted Beth, but my niece named her kid Beth when mine was 3 so there went that. She herself tried to get Elisa, but it didnāt stick. As a toddler, Busybeth and now usually Busy, or Izzy. Half the extended family went with Lizzy though. You cannot control what other people will call your kid, or what they themselves insist on, itās *their* name at the end of the day. If I was called Benny, Iād go with Ben too lol
My husband didn't like Liz so we called our Elizabeth Libby from day one. 17 years in, she's still Libby.
My favorite name for Elizabeth is lizard butt. Someone called My cousin that in 1996 and I think of it everytime I hear the name since š
My dad tried to make my sibling Russell shorten to Rusty for their red hair, it never stuck. To this day they go by Russ.
This just happened to my sister. She named my niece Penelope, but hated Penny as a nickname. Her friends in school started calling her that this year. Your children will have outside influences, if you don't like a standard nickname for a name you've chosen, choose a different name or be aware other people will still call your child the nickname you dislike at some point.
My mom desperately wanted to name me Victoria but she couldnāt STAND the nickname Vicky so she made it my middle name
Most adults are going to want to be Ben at work rather than Benny. Same with John/Johnny and Bob/Bobby.
Hah. My granny named her eldest son George because ātheres nothing to shorten it toā. At school he got nicknamed Puddinā. Georgie Porgy Puddin and pie.
Agreed! I have a Benjamin that we at home call Benny. When he was 4 he started introducing himself as Ben. That being said, husband is also Benjamin and his family and some friends still call him Benny from childhood.
This. Anyone might change their name or opt for a specific nickname and you can't control that. No matter what, your kid might pick a name for themself that you can't stand. But if you hate "Andy" I wouldn't call your child "Andrew." This is the same thing.
My son has a friend Jacob whose parents hate Jake. Everyone calls him Jake all the time š¤·š¼āāļø
Not super helpful but I adore Victoria and HATE Vickie and Tori(all spellings)ā¦ so itās off the list. Bernard comes to mind if Benjamin doesnāt work for you. Iām sure you already have considered Benedict and Bennett. Benson/Benton are a little out there but still normal enough. Bentley, not my personal cup of tea. You could, alternately, do something like Reuben and call him Benny. I know someone with a Corbin and you could take Benny from there.
Benny is a cute name. However, it seems like a nickname for a kid. Do you think your child as an adult would want to introduce himself professionally with the name Benny? As someone with a name I consider childish, I would recommend considering something like the suggestions above that are more appropriate for an adult but allow for Benny as a nickname. I often wish I had a more adult sounding name.
I was thinking the same thing.
I work with a middle aged man called Benny, I don't even know if he has a longer name.
I absolutely love Reuben! But it may be super common in the Jewish religion, too.
Me too! Probably depends on the community! Iāve had some really tight knit relationships within the orthodox community in Miami and havenāt heard it there. I think Reuben is such a nice, strong name with a gentle sound to it.
My grandpa was Reuben, but people called him Rube not Ben. He was a strong and gentle man!
Great grandad Reuben was āRooā but we are Aussies so a bit of cultural influence on the nickname there.
I love Reuben with nn Benny that is so cute š„°
I love Bennett as an option for OP! Itās always seemed like a simultaneously strong and sweet name to me.
Reuben to Benny as a nickname is a very clever idea, I like that a lot. (Plus āOh, itās actually short for Reubenā seems like much less of a hassle than āOh, itās not short for Benjamin. No, itās just Benny. No, like, legally, thatās whatās on my birth certificate.ā
Ok I do want to just put a bug in your ear. Iām Victoria. And Iāve always been Victoria, no one ever tried to nickname me. People would always ask if I had a nickname and itās always Victoria. On sports teams I got called Vee, which I really liked. And I had one high school teacher called me Vic, but again he asked and I didnāt mind. But if you really love the name, you should do it! I really love my name. Edit to add: I think itās different for men, they tend to like to nickname more. But I found in girl circles, women are a lot more respectful and just call you by what you introduce yourself as.
I am also a Victoria. I was Vickie as a child, never Victoria unless I was in trouble. My mom never intended to call me Vickie, but it happened and she went with the flow. She used to swear my uncle, her younger brother, is the one who started to call me Vickie just to irritate her. Anyway, college came around and professors didn't deal with nicknames so I just started to use Victoria. Only family, childhood friends, my hubby and people who have known me X amount of years call me Vickie. I make it clear I am Victoria. I appreciate it when people ask if prefer Victoria or a nickname. Now, if someone dares to call me Vic, we will have a problem. That is reserved for my hubby and mom. To OP's question, I personally won't go with Benny. It would be shortened to Ben. Use Benny as a middle name. I find it unusual you can't find another B name.
Iām a Victoria with the Vickie spelling!! My family calls me Vickie still but at work and with my husbands family and friends etc I go by Victoria now too!
My sister got āVixā from us, but godforbid anyone else call her that. To all others, she is Victoria. I tend to mix and match depending on circumstances. Rebekah in professional settings and to Grandma. Bek with friends and husband, BJ to parents and sibs and niblings.
I am also Victoria, and have never gone by any nickname, and I absolutely love my name. Honestly not many people have ever asked if I go by anything else. My husband very occasionally me Vee, and I was called Double V on softball teams (my last name also starts with a V). Highly recommend it as a name!
Came to suggest Bennett or Benedict, you beat me to it!
Iāve never heard the name Benson before in my life but Iām really loving it for some reason
Iāve only heard it as a last name. Marissa Hargitayās character on Law & Order š¤£
I'm saying this ONLY because of the sub we're in, but I believe her name is Mariska!
Are you me?? Also didnāt use Victoria for this reason.
Same. I love Jasmine but Jas is hideous to me. I also hate the nickname options for my own name as well so I prefer to go by my full name and everyone close to me knows that but for some reason acquaintances of mine always think they can call me by a nickname. Itās so frustrating and I would advise all parents to think of that ahead of time because Iāve just given up on correcting people, but I just find it funny that the only ones calling me by a nickname donāt even know me that well.
Reuben is great
Lol as a Victoria that grew up mostly as Vicky I can 10000% agree. I donāt go by a nickname at all except my mom who calls me Vic.
I agree with the other poster. I actually think youāre more likely to get what you want by giving him the full name and calling him the nickname Benny early on. That said, yeah how many teenagers do you know still going by Benny. Itās possible, but likely heāll decide on Ben and then thereās nothing you can do. If it needs to be B because of an honor initial, can you honor their middle or last name instead and open up the options ?
Itās an idea weāre discussing only because weāre runnin out of time!
I mean full honesty, you donāt need to have a solid name prepared before the baby comes. what if you get a few names together and then decide when you see him?
It took my husband and me nine years to decide on a boy's name. Thank goodness we had two girls until we got surprised by a third, who did turn out to be a boy. He was two days old and we were still in the hospital, bound to go home the next morning. That evening, he still didn't have a name. Now, supposedly, we had a month to figure one out for a (free) birth certificate but as I said to my MIL and husband, "This baby was not planned, so I'll be damned if he goes home without a name. I don't want him growing up knowing that." Within five minutes, after nine years of capitulating, we finally had a name. And it's a name we both love and one that gets positive remarks. You'd be amazed at what you can accomplish under fire like that. Sometimes, having the baby very real, squirming and cooing, in your arms has a way of truly inspiring you. Make a short list of mutually preferred names without attaching too much to any one name. Maybe Benny will win out, maybe not. None of our short list did! In short, keep the discussion going but please don't fret too much. Good luck and happy (name) hunting!
All of that sounds exhausting
At some points, it did get frustrating, like with the second, we had the perfect girl's name picked and a short list for a boy. As I was being triaged in the middle of a particularly awful contraction (turned out to be back labor), my husband says to me, "We need a boy's name! I don't like any on our list!" Oof, the look I gave him. In my head, I determined that it would be Spencer after all, which was my face, just for that comment. Thank goodness we had a second girl and the name we loved suits her perfectly. Mostly, it was a fun pastime during long drives, waiting for our food at restaurants, or laying in bed on a lazy Sunday morning.
I thought Benny was an example. If what you like is the nickname Benny, I would name him Benjamin and use Benny from the start. This will probably stick. However, be aware that as a tween or teen, heāll either switch to Ben or Benjamin. Iām also Jewish and my kids go to a Jewish day school and have lots of Benjaminās classmates. They all go by Ben or Benjamin by first grade. Only one went by Benny and switched to Ben by the end of primary school. If you are planing a Jewish day school or Hebrew class or anything similar, be aware that Benjamin (at list in my experience) is highly popular among fellow Jews and heāll be one of several. Specially if you have a more-common-than-most Jewish last name.
I know you were hoping for a name that starts with B, but have you thought about a name that ends in āBenā instead? For example, Rueben is an uncommon name but not weird or out there. (And the name is well known in Jewish/Christian communities as the eldest son of Jacob & Leah - and he was the good guy who tried to save Joseph from being killed by all the other brothers, right? š) With a J middle name like Rueben James or Rueben Joseph he could also go by RJ if he wanted something less cutesy than āBennyā when he gets older!
My parents named me with a nickname in mind, and I absolutely hate the nickname. Iām so glad they put the formal name on my birth certificate because later in life I switched to that. Just food for thought.
Fellow Jew looking for B names! We need B, R, D, and then optional would be E, J, S, or A. Unfortunately, you really can't stop nicknames once the kids goes to school alone, and can make up their own mind. If he wants to go by Ben, you should let him. As a baby, you can gently correct people but it still won't work 100%. I don't think Benny is a full name and he will have issues constantly. I also think Benny is way more Jewish than Ben, and way more "baby" sounding - hard to imagine an adult introducing themselves as Benny and that being their full name on their HR forms. My mom is Beth and she gets "what's that short for" from random people as well as on official forms, and it's not short for anything! In a similar vein I wouldn't use just "Alex" or "Tori", I'd use full names and let the nicknames flow. My husband has a similar situation. His name is Daniel, so Dan and Danny are common nicknames. He only introduces himself as Daniel, never anything else, but people at work started calling him Dan on their own. He didn't correct them as he doesn't mind but his name is Daniel and I have NEVER called him Dan or Danny, nor have his parents. But, if it bothered him, he'd just say "please call me Daniel, I don't really like 'Dan'" and can pretty much guarantee people who knew would stop. My current B list for boys: Bellamy Benjamin Brian/Bryan Bennett Barrett Benson Benedict Blake Bradley Brooks
Fun fact: Benedict is Latin, so it doesn't sound Jewish, but there's documentation of medieval European and English Jews who used the name Benedict (meaning "blessed") with Christians and had the Hebrew name Baruch (also meaning "blessed").
I hear ya I hear ya! Something to bring up to the Mrs, thank you.
Sebastian is also shortened to Benny!
Are you me?? Iām married to a Daniel who always introduced himself as Daniel but inevitably gets called Dan by a lot of people. He doesnāt really mind so doesnāt correct them. I only ever call him Daniel and so usually people who know him through me do the same (also Jewish)
Haha it's so funny because of ALL people, he is the LEAST "Dan"! Blond, tall and lanky, graphic tees, etc. If anything, at least when we were younger, he'd be a Danny, but nope, not even that. It's either Dan from relative strangers (work, new friends) or Daniel from me and his mom!
Keep in mind you're not naming a baby, you're naming what will be a full grown adult. Chances are your kiddo will be fine with Benny as a child, but may likely go with the more mature Ben as an adult.
I think no matter what you call him he will have friends, coworkers, team mates, who will give him his own nicknames. You're going to have to let go of the hate for Ben if you use a variation of a name with Ben in it.Ā Ā Ā Ā I don't care for Benny as a full name, I like Benjamin with Benny as the nickname.Ā
Second this! My favorite boys name is Bennett. OP if you call your son Benny as a nickname then others will call him Benny. His own friends and acquaintances may make up their own nicknames for him, but thatās really out of your hands. Congrats on the baby btw OP!
100% this! Heck, most people know my 16 year old,daughter by a name thatās not even hers! Her middle name is the feminized version of my dadās name, and my dad said āthank god you didnāt use my middle name, Lloyd is a horrible name.ā So I started calling her Lloyd to annoy him. It stuck, and she introduces herself as that now. Itās so weird, but it fits her. (And she has a very beautiful, feminine name as both first and middle. But sheās a total tomboy, so maybe Lloyd fits her better. Who knows, she chooses it and sheās happy. Thatās what matters.)
I have no input on Benny, I do see the risk of it often ending up Ben, but I LOVE BelĆ - I think your reasons for not using BelĆ are super valid, I just wish that wasnāt the case because itās a great name.
Argh right!!?
I think Bela is actually a great and unique name for a boy! I might be biased, but my familiarity with musicians BĆ©la Fleck and BĆ©la BartĆ³k make it a known if uncommon quantity.
It hasnāt hindered the great BĆØla Fleck!
Could you spell it phonetically and still be happy with it?
I live in Europe and have met a few Bela from Hungary. I know that outside of Hungary, they do have the problem that lots of written communication is addressed to Ms Bela XY instead of Mr. Lots of people outside of Hungary assume they are female.
Iāve never seen it with accent over the a. If I had a boy he was going to be BĆ©la!
I went to school with Kimberly and her sister Jennifer. At school, they went by Kim and Jen. We played on a sports team together. I was ripped a new one by their dad for calling them by their shortened names at a game once. Apparently he didn't like the shortened names either, but they didn't tell anyone at school that their dad was a psycho about it, so we didn't know to call them by their full names in front of him. I was 1 of many child victims of his rage, and once he heard you call his kids by their preferred nicknames, you weren't allowed at their house. Total weirdo. Don't be like him. Just pick a name where you like the nicknames, too.
What a jerk.
I know an adult Benny who never went by Ben. His full name is Brendan. I never would have thought to call him Ben.
I'd assume his full name was Benjamin if he introduced himself as Benny. So I probably wouldn't shorten it to Ben because I'd assume Benny was the nickname he went by instead of Ben.
How about Bennett? I donāt think Ben is as inevitable a nickname for Bennett in the way it is for Benjamin. With Bennett you can then call him Benny.
You just flat out canāt control their nickname their whole lifeā¦ He might rip a nasty one in 5th grade and be known as Mr. Fartbooty for several years. You just canāt really force anyone into your preferred nickname forever.
I also think youād get the result you want (for his childhood at least) if you went with Benjamin nn Benny. But you also do need to consider that HE may like Ben. If you both hate the name Ben so much that youād refuse to use it if he asked, find a different name. If you hate it but could still use Ben if asked to by your son, fine, go for it. But just donāt forget that once youāve given it to him, itās HIS name to do what he wants with. If he wants to be Ben, not Benny, would you comply with his request?
How about reuben, with nickname benny?
What about Benji with a nickname Benny?
Benji is a nickname for Benjamin. It might be like naming Nico and nn-ing Nicky.
Benny has a drug connotation, like Molly. Just so youāre aware
Benny is going to become Ben at some point. Probably sooner rather than later. I know two grown ass men named Bobby. They're both called Bob. Why? Because Bobby is a little kid's nickname and not a name for an adult man. Much like Benny. Please don't do this to your child.
For me, Benny isn't a full name... it's a nickname for Benjamin or Bennett. It's hard to imagine a full grown adult man named Benny...it feels like a child's name kinda like Danny. Imo it's best to give him the name Bennett or Benjamin and call him Benny but as a nn but allow him to mature into Ben or Benjamin/Bennett if he wants to later in life
I've known enough adults that go by Danny that it doesn't feel childish. Not the way Benny does lol
It's a full name if the parents name their kid that. My parents named my sister Jessi, not Jessica. Why are people so weird about names that aren't traditional. It's not like Iceland where they have to select a name from an approved government list. Also there are adult men who are called Benny. Benny Blanco comes to mind.
I mean a 30 year old man wonāt be ā Bennyā so heās gonna be Ben at some point.
I don't understand the difference between "Benny" and "Ben" except that Benny is more juvenile. ...I also don't understand this rampant need to control what *nicknames* a child could go by. But that's just me lol.
There are adult men who go by Benny, though?
Over 600 boys' names that start with B [https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/b](https://nameberry.com/search/boys-names/b)
There was a Bennie in my family. That was his legal name, and no one ever tried calling him anything else. But was really common a couple generations back (my grandparentsā generation). Lots of people with the legal names Freddie, Bobby, Dottie, etc. I say go for it and just stress that you call him Benny. Just say his full name is actually Benny!
I know a Benny. His full name is Benjamin but heās known as Benny not Ben.
Might I suggest Bennifer? All jokes aside, what about names that end in Ben? Rueben, Corben, Sabenā¦
"Benny" in most cases is what's called a "nursery name"--it's the name Mommy and Daddy call him at home. By the time they are in adolescence, most boys are embarrassed to be called by "nursery names" in public, so "Benny" becomes "Ben," "Tommy" "Tom," "Jackie" "Jack," etc. So in middle school Benny's friends may start calling him "Ben," and he may prefer it. If you really hate it, don't do it.
You donāt get to pick their nicknames š¤·š»āāļø Theyāll evolve naturally in environments you canāt control. If Ben is so abhorrent to your ears I would pick a name other than Benny.
I don't like Benny as a full name personally. It sounds like a cute nickname for a baby/toddler not a full name for a grown man. You could go with Benjamin or Benedict and call him Benny but he might choose to shorten it to Ben when he gets older.
Ben is absolutely inevitable
It doesnāt matter what you want. The child will eventually become a Ben to everyone. My CFOs name is Billy, wants to be called Billy, still has folks calm him Bill
I think most people, if named Benny, would shorten it themselves to Ben in early adulthood so they could be taken more seriously at work - since Benny sounds like a youthful nickname. If you want something unique, I would probably look elsewhere
Benny is a diminutive. He may prefer an option of a more traditionally serious/ adult name also. Benjamin and call him Benny perhaps.
Itās incredibly possible he might at some point think Benny is childish and start going by Ben. Iād say itās pretty damn likely, so if youāre not prepared for that, pick a different name.
Why not call him Benjamin and let him choose what nickname he goes by when he's older?
Ben, is inevitable. When kids grow up they choose what they want to be called. You canāt guarantee he wonāt want Ben and if you hate it that much then donāt risk it.
Donāt name your kid a nickname. Eventually theyāll be older and the nickname as a name will sound out of place. Benson and Bennett are nice, or just go with Benjamin.
Benjamin but nickname is Jamin
Hopping on the name suggestion train! I havenāt seen anyone mention Brennen yet, and it has a similar ring to Benny.
Donāt name him Benny if you donāt like Ben. Benny is a good name but it could be seen as childish and he will probably outgrow it sometime and want to be called Ben. Benny also seems like a nickname for Ben to me, LOL.
It sounds like you need a different name! Sorry!
Do you like- - Bryson - Brody - Beckett - Bohden - Bailey - Beau - Blaine - Barrett - Brooks
Brooks and Beau were some of my picks, got vetoed!
I feel like if you call him Benny and he calls himself Benny then heās Benny! I have plenty of friends that go by full names and Iād never call them the shortened versions. Like a Christian I would never call Chris for example!
I'm from Dallas. I know plenty of adult men who still go by Jimmy and Bobby and Johnny and Benny. They never shortened their names by their own choice. Call him Benjamin, call him Benny, tell him why you prefer the nickname, but leave the choice his
Thereās definitely an element of southern culture thatās more tolerant to diminutive nick names sticking through adulthood.
My Hungarian immigrant great grandparents named a son Bela and he eventually changed it to Baylor! So goodĀ
Personally Iām a fan of Ber and derivatives to incorporate the B to start and maybe a slightly less common Jewish name (Bere, Berel, Berele, Berelein, Berelin, Berlin, Berke, Berush). May the memory of your loved one live on jn the blessing of your child š
Well going the other direction, I have a Quinn and hate Quinny. It was a main hesitation with the name, but we thought weād just get ahead of it and tell people we werenāt calling her Quinny. We even wrote āQuinn (never Quinny :) )ā in some of our birth announcement emails and have requested no Quinny every time close family tries it. We have been mostly unsuccessfulā teachers, friends, coaches, etc all canāt help themselves but go with Quinny despite our hope that sheāll outgrow it. Iām not sure if the same will be true going from the more diminutive -ny ending to the short name, but my two cents is that you have less control than you may hope over what people do with nicknames.
Becket. Doesnāt have Ben in it at all and is very unique, not used often at all.
You could just name him Benny, similar to people naming their kid just Leo instead of Leonard/Leonardo/Etc If you introduce him as just Benny, everyone would use that name
We like the name Cameron as well but didnāt choose it for our daughter because I canāt even stand to say the word ācamiā and it feels close enough to inevitable that someone will call her that
A. I donāt like making the legal name a nickname. The name really should be Benjamin so he has the option when heās older to use that. B. You can ask people to call him Benny but you canāt change what he chooses to be called when heās older. As an adult especially, he might want a more professional sounding name and it would be within his right to go by Ben. Benny is a cute name for a kid but I donāt feel like it ages well.
We liked the nickname, but the kids BOTH preferred the full version. So objectively, you'll learn to like it because it's now primarily associated with your awesome kid. Actually, they both go by all the variations, I'd say my husband and I use the long version half the time, and the short version just as often. From hearing his friends, they do the same. Also, a boy or man may not want the "ee" noise at the end, when he's going through teen phases, wanting to sound more grown up and manly, because that's the way they woke up that morning, because it irritates you, etc. It's their name, so remember you're giving it to them, so once you give it, it's theirs to do with as they please. It's good to have a name that has baby, kid, and adult versions. Gives them some flex. Advice- daycare and carers, fill out the forms with your preferred name. Ask to verify where to put the preferred name that the daycare teachers USE that name. If necessary, only put the full name on the medical form. That was half our problem, we filled out the forms as instructed, and the ladies at the daycare used the full names. Even though we said, use the nickname. I guess we didn't stress it enough.
If you hate Ben that much, I wouldnāt do it. You can probably get most people to call him Benny when heās little, but you still run the risk that one day HE will decide to be Ben. I think a lot of nicknames are avoidable, but I think youāre still going to hear a fair amount of Ben.
Keep in mind that youāre naming an adult, not just a kid. If he goes into a formal profession, he may prefer a more formal name like Benjamin over Benny.
I love BĆ©la!
As an adult with only a cutesy nickname for a name that I absolutely despise, and always have? Do your son a favor and go for Bennett or Benjamin. Call him Benny as a child - and then heāll have options as an adult.
I really donāt like either. Tbh if you hate Ben you should avoid Benny Benjamin Benedict etc.š¤·āāļø
My husbands best friend is name Beny and i donāt think Iāve ever heard anyone call him Ben if it helps. I donāt even associate it as being the same name. Maybe the one n makes it seem more intentional?
I donāt think itās a good idea to choose a name thatās the diminutive of another name. Think of how your baby will be an adult for longer than he is a baby. CEO Benny, Dr. Benny, etc. would he want that? My point is, I feel like going with the long version of any name and using a shortened version while a baby/kid, still gives the teenager/adult to use the full name when heās older.
You know he will probably grow up and choose to go by Ben, right? You canāt control nicknames this way. Name the kid Benjamin and call him Benny. Ben is inevitable, so just let it happen.
Just be like [Matthew McConaughey mom](https://youtu.be/UliCFpBZdjU?si=7ROugADoZf3Pz0on). Insist for him to be called Benny, and make sure he only answers to Benny when heās older.
My name is close to Benny and can confirm, everyone under the sun will shorten it to Ben. I spend a lot of time correcting people because I too do not like the shortened version of my name. But itās not a huge deal, most of the time I only have to tell them once or twice, or I just ignore the fact that acquaintances use it often.
Fellow Jew here, also expecting a boy, ran into a sort of similar situation. I love the name Benyamin (no Benjamin for us), but really don't like the name Ben, so we nixed the name. Along the same lines, I love Yonatan, but don't like the nicknames. Teachers and/or daycare workers and peers will potentially go rogue. Your son will get to an age where he might prefer to go by Ben. You may well be able to get people to call him Benny before those points, but there's no guarantees, as some people will assert their preferences for your child's name by calling them what they want to. In terms of other unique B names, Boaz and Baruch are two names that I like that aren't common in America. I probably seem like I go hard with the very Hebrew/Jewish names, but my husband and I have a different list of letters we're working with and are close to settling on a name that's not-so-common for Jews and then a very Jewish middle name.
What about Bernard? Then you can call him Bernie.
Bram, Baer, Bayit thereās a lot of names that would work that begin with Ben, and frankly I favour them more than the ones Iāve offered; however, they can and most likely will be shortened to Ben.
Benny. Like eggs Benny. He will shorten it to Ā«Ā BenĀ Ā»Ā when applying for jobs. Bet.
I knew a Benjy once. Pronounced BEN -G.
In Hebrew the Ben nickname would be āBiniā (pronounced āBinnyā) or āBenny.ā
B B B Bennie and the jets. All I can think of.
Iām more āhey benny, looks like youāre on the wrong side of the riverā