Like mybestkids2 I use my full name in professional situations. As a child and a teen it only came out when I was in trouble lol. I use a shortened version normally. My full name is Catherine, but I’m usually Kat or Kathy for short. My parents tried to use the nickname Katie as my nickname, as that was my grandmother’s nickname, but it didn’t stick. They were unhappy with Kathy because I have another relative with that nickname, and they did not want me associated with her.

radio_flyer – I LOVE the name Shelby!

Curley – I love you’re name too, and you’re right, it’s nice to have a unique name. None of my kids have a unique name. My eldest son’s name is Richard because I lost a bet with his father when I was pregnant. When he was born I asked if he was sure he wanted to name him that (I hate the name Richard), he responded yes, but I told him the first person to call the boy ****, I’d punch him right in the face.

My daughter was named after a soap opera character. The name I had chosen for her older brother because everyone was arguing with my all of my choices. My favorite was Allyn. I LOVED that name, but the woman who had it was a real b with an ich and my husband would not sign off on that at all.

My youngest twin’s name came from the credits of a TV show while I was in the hospital under the influence of some serious pain medication. I thought that I was having a boy and a girl, so I was surprised to discover I’d given birth to two boys. The nurses nagged me for days because he didn’t have a name.