New dad refuses to give his baby a short name, despises nicknames and insists on using long formal first names: 'It bothers him that the full name gets ignored'

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    AITA for telling my husband to accept the compromise we agreed on for our child's name or figure out a better compromise?
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    My husband and I are expecting a baby, we don't know the, but I could give birth at any time now. We have a boy and a girl name chosen. The choices generally are compromises. We didn't agree on names really and had different beliefs around names, I guess. He believes in formal names and kids having really solid middle names as well. I believe in naming the child what you want to call them, something I got from my parents who named me and my siblings that way and my siblings went onto do the same
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    example, I'm Lainey. Just Lainey. I don't have a more formal version of my name. I never felt like I needed a more formal name. My name works for me as a 34 year old woman just as much as it did when I was 4. This led to some trouble for us because I gravitate more to names my husband considers nicknames. I found his choices very stuffy and unappealing and he found my juvenile.
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    But my husband doesn't like that I only say Thea or Dex. It bothers him that the full name gets ignored and he said he believes my family and a lot of our friends will use the names I do. I told him the compromise only worked on the grounds that was okay, that he could use the full and I could use the nickname. He said the full name seems like it will be ignored otherwise and I should use both to make it more fair and I told him that's just him getting his way.
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    I told him if he wants a better compromise then he better come back to the table willing to look at different names. Before names like Brynn, Lyra, Piper and Freya were ruled out by him for not meeting his standards of formal. because they're shorter names. He said they were nickname light. But shorter more formal names feels like the only other possible compromise for us and he doesn't agree. So I told him he needs to accept what we already compromised on or we find a better compromise which do
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    dismissive of his concerns and I told him I was already going with a legal name I didn't care for under our compromise so he should be more willing to work with me if he wants to change the names. AITA?
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    Wombat_Sprinkle . 8 hr. ago ΝΤΑ Your ask is reasonable. He seems very uptight. The one thing I'd say is: you should both respect the version of the name that your child chooses when they are old enough to have a preference.
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    Expert-Delay-5754 OP 8 hr. ago That's a given for me. I'll respect if they go by a totally different name.
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    Perfect-Map-8979. 7 hr. ago This is important. I used to teach and I had so many parents insist I call their kid "Andrew" when he wanted to be "Andy" (for example) and it was always awkward. Especially the few times parents demanded to know why other kids were calling him "Andy" as if I could control that. But yeah, NTA, you aren't even insisting on your way, you're just asking for a compromise.
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    EmpressLadyDi · 7 hr. ago NTA You came up with a perfect compromise and I really like the name and their variants you came up with. You did a great job and he's suddenly or still unhappy. Even if girl's name was idk Stephanie, majority of people (friends, family) would call her Steph, if boy's name was idk again William he'd be call Will. Only exceptions are short name like John, James, Lyra etc. But he wants longer name, he won't avoid nicknames. He thinks (if it's a girl) her
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    friends will call her Theodora? I really don't understand his struggle cause really the nicknames will almost always be there. Plus, how will his family call the child? No nicknames at all? Just Stephanie or William always? No Steph, Will ever? Don't understand this part and would like more info about his family. So NTA. You really came up with a PERFECT compromise and he stepping back on it... It doesn't even make sense since he won't avoid nicknames.
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    Expert-Delay-5754 OP. 7 hr. ago His family will most likely be like him and only call our kid(s) by their full name. That's the way they are with each other.
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    EmpressLadyDi · 7 hr. ago Wow that's actually interesting. In that case he shouldn't be concerned her/his full name would be ignored. It will be used just as much. Best of luck.
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    Expert-Delay-5754 OP. 7 hr. ago He disagrees with that because he believes at school, with friends and teachers, with my family and with our shared friends, the nickname will be used. He didn't say it but he also worries our kid will only use their nickname too. But I feel like some of that is going on too.
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    Stock-Boat-8449.7 hr. ago Does he really expect a teenager to introduce herself as Theodora to her peers? If he's that concerned he should consider names which are less of a mouthful. Anthea is just as valid for the Thea nickname and less stuffy.
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    Expert-Delay-5754 OP 7 hr. ago Yes, because he and his siblings introduced themselves with their formal names and always used them.
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    DragonCelica 7 hr. ago Oof. I hope you're ready for the fight that'll come when your kid gets mad at dad for putting that condition on their name.
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    A name is a gift given by the parents. It's not a gift when it comes with rules and regulations in the fine print.
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    rikktikkitav. 7 hr. ago It feels like he's a vampire from somewhere around 19th century from an aristocratic background.
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    CSPhCT 6 hr. ago It sounds like he's completely unwilling to allow this child's identity to be at all flexible, which is concerning. If the kid insists on going by a different name is he going to accept and respect it? I would have a
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    talk with him not just about other people using a nickname but with the child possibly wanting to use it too and how far they're willing to go to restrict the child from forming their own identity.
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    Expert-Delay-5754 OP. 6 hr. ago He would. He wouldn't love it but he'd respect them enough. He uses nicknames for others when they prefer that. He would do the same with our kid(s).
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    Skyward93.7 hr. ago NTA-I think he's being weird. Most people call kids by nicknames? Like I am also a fan of the formal name option, but I also like having nicknames. Even if you guys picked shorter names that don't have nickname options people might end up calling them Peanut, Little Man, Ladybug idk some other nickname bc it's a way to show affection. I would suggest he pick formal names that have nicknames he likes all of bc your kid will likely decide for themselves at some point what they
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    mankytoothbrush · 7 hr. ago I knew a dude once with a 1 syllable name because him mother didn't want people giving him a nickname (think along the lines of "John"). Everyone ended up calling him by his initials (JC). So, even with best intentions, people will nickname anyone. NTA. You have formed a great compromise and he either needs to come up with new names to choose from or it up the kids and their friends will ultimately decide what they end up being called, whether either of you like it or

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