Baby names that can't be shortened. We promise.

There aren’t many baby names that can’t be shortened, abbreviated or mangled in some way by family and friends. Sometimes I wonder if it’s just an Aussie thing, fitting in with our compulsion to make everything as casual as possible.

So I consider it a challenge worthy of only someone with an incredibly looooong name that has been manipulated by well-meaning family, friends and work colleagues to come up with a definitive list of names that can’t be shortened.

My birth name, by the way, is Giuseppina. I’ve been called Pina, Josephine, Joey, Josie and finally, Jo. What I wouldn’t have given for a much simpler name. Not once was my name mentioned at the end of one of my favourite childhood TV shows Romper Room. 

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My childhood was really hard.

Names that can’t be abbreviated are like a breath of fresh air. They are easy to spell, fit nicely onto bracelets and trinkets and are simple to say. You always find them on name plates and water bottles. Instead of trying to come up with unique, complicated baby names or uniquely spelled baby names, I propose we go back to the basics.

Here are 41 baby names that can’t be shortened, but you are more than welcome to give it a go.

1. Ari

This is a name that ticks so many boxes. It’s a shortened name coming from Ariana but it is also a unisex name, plus one that would fit nicely onto your car rego plates. ARI1976. Cool, huh?

2. Amy

You can’t shorten Amy. Just try. This is one name that isn’t an abbreviation of any other name and if you say Ames you actually lengthen it.

3. Blake

Anything that brings her closer to Blake Lively works for me. Blake is a great unisex name and it's not particularly short but not easy to abbreviate either.

4. Anne

A lovely, simple, classic name, Anne is a beautiful choice for a little girl who will probably be called Annie before long, however that derivative is completely unnecessary.

5. Chad

For some reason whenever I hear the name Chad I think of the nickname "Chadster". I'm pretty sure I got that from some crappy eighties movie. "The Chadster"? Hmm, I can't quite remember which one. Still, a nice, clear name for a cute little boy.

6. Beth

This is a version of the name Elizabeth but why bother with those first five letters when you have a perfectly good name right there at the end?

7. Ben

Another name that began as an abbreviation, from the longer version Benjamin, however practical parents go straight for Ben these days. Short and sweet.

8. Brooke

I've always thought the name Brooke is a glamorous name. It's strong and fiercely female. If I could rename my daughter...just kidding Mum (I named my daughter Caterina after my mum!).

9. Hugh

I'm pretty sure every Hugh I've ever seen (Hugh Jackman) is handsome. It's just an attractive, classic name. Need I say more?

10. Eve

Another name that came from a longer version, Evelyn. However Eve has taken on a life of its own and is a popular baby name in 2016.

11. Bryce

Bryce is a unisex name that doesn't lend itself to be abbreviated. The name Bryce is another strong, classic that isn't very popular in 2016 but is a good choice for those looking for something a little less common.

12. Faith

I love names like Faith because they seem to inspire greatness. In fact while we are here, Hope is another name (not very common in Australia) that inspires greatness and can't be abbreviated.

13. Chris

Another classic unisex choice, Chris derived from Christopher or Christina, but is now often used in its shortest form for baby boys and baby girls.

14. Grace

A lovely name that can't be abbreviated however I have heard a lot of Grace's being called Gracie. There's also a longer version of the name, Gracell, which it could have derived from. Grace is just lovely as is though.

15. Dan

The name Dan is short version of the name Daniel, however it has become a common stand-alone name due to its strong sound and simplicity.

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16. Jade

Now this is the kind of name I wish my parents had given to me but there was no way in my Italian family I was going to get away with a name like this. A popular pick for baby girls and short and sweet too.

17. Drew

Another popular unisex choice and one made popular by Drew Barrymore who is an incredible human being and a talented actress.

18. Jill

This name began as a short version of the name Jillian before being used in its shorter version for baby girls. It's considered old-fashioned but will never go out of style thanks to the children's nursery rhyme Jack and Jill.

19. Gus

The name Gus began as an abbreviation of the Latin baby name Augustine or Augustus or Angus. It means "great" and while it isn't one of the most popular baby boy names, still makes an appearance from time-to-time on baby name lists.

20. Joy

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21. Heath

Not many people realise that Heath derived from the name Heathcliff. Wuthering Heights anyone? I love this name for baby boys for so many reasons, not least of which is the late actor Heath Ledger. What a loss.

22. June

The name June is one of the only names of the month that also translates into a baby name for little girls. May is the only other one that can be used for baby girls and also can't be shortened. Cute choices, both.

23. Jack

Jack was the most popular baby name at the beginning of this year before being taken over by Liam. We won't know the final result for the year for another couple of months.

24. Kate

Originally an abbreviation of the name Katherine, Kate often becomes Katie but can't be shortened. There's also the version of the name used by Cate Blanchett with a "C" instead of a "K", short for Catherine.

25. John

John or Jon, a short and simple name that began as an abbreviation of the name Jonathan and is more likely to be lengthened for baby boys, many of which start being called Johnnie which is so cute.

26. Kim

Instead of Kimberly, the name Kim is still a popular choice as a name for baby girls, particularly thanks to Kim Kardashian.

27. Josh

Why go for Joshua when you can simply name your baby boy Josh. The name Joshua has biblical origins and is a cute name for baby boys you can then call Joshie.

28. Mary

The name Mary is one of the oldest, classic and still popular names for baby girls which thankfully can't be shortened and doesn't rhyme with anything words that can be used to tease your baby girl. You have to think of these things, parents.

29. Luke

Instead of Lucas many parents choose the name Luke for baby boys as it is strong, simple and fits nicely on a water bottle. Luke is a popular baby name in Australia to this day.

30. Nell

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The name Nell isn't a popular choice in Australia and is said to derive from the name Nellie or even Nelson for boys. Still, as it is now used in some parts of the world as an original baby name, it makes our list.

31. Mark

The name Mark, or Marc if you prefer, could be said to be a shortened version of the name Marcus, however Mark is a name that also has biblical origins and has never fallen out of favor.

32. Paige

The name Paige is considered unisex and is a beautiful name for baby girls. It's one of those classics that reappears every few years and is one of the longer of the names that cannot be shortened.

33. Nick

Why name your baby boy Nicholas when you can go straight for Nick? Another incredibly popular name for boys, the name Nick is now used as a stand-alone name for baby boys.

34. Bree

The name Bree is an English variation of the Irish girl's name Bríghe and is even related to the more common names Bridget or Brianna.

35. Paul

My nephews name is Paul. He is the only child in my family with a name that can't be shortened at all so of course we extend it and call him "Paulie". Paul has always been one of the most popular names for baby boys used all around the world.

36. Claire

The name Claire means "clear" and "bright" and is sometimes used for boys named Clarence, but is much less common for baby boys. It's a popular name for baby girls though.

37. Seth

Seth is another name with biblical origins, the name given to Adam's son. It remains in the top 300 for 2016 so far and definitely can't be abbreviated in any way, shape or form.

38. Skye

This is an English name and is thought to have come from the Scottish Isle of Skye, however is now more commonly associated with the sky.

39. Jett

Normally used for baby boys, the name Jett is sometimes used for baby girls as well. It is an altered version of the word jet which comes from the aviation industry.

40. Gwen

Why be Gwyneth Paltrow when you can be Gwen Stefani? Gwen is short for both Gwyneth and Gwendolyn. It means "white ring" or "white bow".

41. Jay

The boy name Jay came from the name of the bird the jay, part of the crow family of birds. It's still in the top 300 most popular baby names so far this year and is commonly used for any boy whose name starts with a "j" but is more popular now as a stand-alone name.