When a person tells me what name *they* would prefer to be called, I use that name to refer to them.
Who am I to presume to be so arrogant as to re-name someone based on the way I feel a name sounds?
When we are born, we are given our names by our parents, and then at a certain point in our lives (usually around puberty, but it really doesn’t matter when) we get to *choose* the name we want.
Some people change this multiple times. Some stick with what they were born with. Some switch from a childhood nickname to a more formal version, and some pick a nickname to distinguish themselves.
Some choose names to honor an ancestor, a friend, or a mentor.
Some choose names to make a statement.
And in all cases, it is a personal thing – and you have absolutely no right to take that choice away from them.
So, to your friend, I’d say, “Hello, Jacqueline. That’s a lovely name.”
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/If-you-asked-a-woman-whos-named-Jacqueline-if-its-OK-to-call-her-Jackie-and-she-said-Well-no-my-name-is-Jacqueline-What-would-that-mean-to-you
Originally Posted On: 2017-02-04