I went to a school with a girl whose name was Meg. Actually on the birth certificate Meg. And we had at least 2 teachers growing up that would insist on calling her Megan because they didn't call anyone by nicknames. The poor girl told them over and over and over again that her name was actually Meg. It just doesn't seem that hard to call someone what they ask to be called.

A few options:

Ara
Ari
Ki (like key)
Kiki (cute when she’s little, not so much when she’s older)

If it was my kid I’d go with Ari

I was one of three Jennifers in a math class that also had four Michaels and four Kevins, two of whom also had the same surname. No one got mortally offended or had their sense of identity shaken because we were Jen/Jenny/Jennifer for that part of the day, or Big Kevin/Little Kevin. Otherwise it was literally Jennifer A, Jennifer B, and Jennifer C, which is hardly any better. And if you have two kids named Kevin Jones, what else is the teacher supposed to do? We all recognized the amusing absurdity of the situation on that roster and rolled with it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I spelled my name Jenn (pronounced Jen) and so thereby became "Jenn with two Ns"

I thought it was sort of amusing so I didn't care. Everyone hated the Jennifer A. Jennifer B. stuff. It's very impersonal. I think that's why teachers try to be creative if they can.

So you already were Jenn with two Ns. I think that's different.

The point is, it's pronounced the same. She gave me a nickname in order to distinguish me from the other Jen.

I think that the teacher calling you Jenn-with-two-Ns, when you were already going by Jenn (with two Ns), is different from the teacher telling a Katherine who does not go by Katie that the teacher is going to call her Katie.

I'm Jessica and there's always been lots of Jessicas. My name was shortened to Jess by teachers, not by me, to distinguish from the other Jessica. You're shocked now, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate Kiki. Kiki is hard for me to say, or at least sounds ugly when I say it. Gets caught in the back of my throat or something and sounds like Giggy. I do really like KK though which is somehow easier for me to say and also it sounds cuter.

There's also Keer/Kir which I think is super cute but also one of my favorite cocktails.

Really? I've never heard anyone say Kiki (Key Key) was hard to say. Doesn't sound like Giggy AT ALL. Do you have a lisp or accent?

+1, my name is Nikki, when my little brother and sister were young, they called me Kiki, because they couldn't say the "n"...kiki was easy for toddlers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I spelled my name Jenn (pronounced Jen) and so thereby became "Jenn with two Ns"

I thought it was sort of amusing so I didn't care. Everyone hated the Jennifer A. Jennifer B. stuff. It's very impersonal. I think that's why teachers try to be creative if they can.

So you already were Jenn with two Ns. I think that's different.

The point is, it's pronounced the same. She gave me a nickname in order to distinguish me from the other Jen.

I think that the teacher calling you Jenn-with-two-Ns, when you were already going by Jenn (with two Ns), is different from the teacher telling a Katherine who does not go by Katie that the teacher is going to call her Katie.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Seriously? You named your kid Christopher but get that upset if he is called Chris? That was a bad name to choose if you don't like Chris. It's too natural a nickname for anyone to think twice about using it.

Christopher: Hi, my name is Christopher.
You: Hi, Chris.
Christopher: Actually, Christopher, please.

Now what do you do?

NP here. I try to remember, but if I am also trying to get a new school year started, it might not happen for awhile.

You can remember Chris but not Christopher? BS. Forgetting the whole name is one thing, but no way I'm buying that people remember Rick but not Richard, Tom but not Thomas, Etc.

That's the dilemma for him--he's 8, he really doesn't feel like he can tell his teacher EVERY DAY that he doesn't want to be called Chris.

...psst: this is why you shouldn't have named him Christopher. If you've lived in the US for a long time, you would know that our culture is crazy for nicknames. It's a way to show affection and intimacy. Everyone calls you Elizabeth but I'm your sister so I call you Lizzie, that kind of thing.

+1. My cousin is an Elizabeth, never a nickname. She also named her kids long, really commonly nicknamed classic names (similar to Benjamin, Christopher) and insists they be called the full names as well. Someone accidentally calls the kid Ben because we know a zillion little Bens and SHE gets annoyed because we didn't stop to remember her preference in casual conversation. It comes across as pretentious and insufferable. Call the kid whatever you want and we'll do our best to follow your wishes, but don't get bent out of shape when people forget. This is more about the parent's character and attitude towards others than the kid's name, IMO.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I spelled my name Jenn (pronounced Jen) and so thereby became "Jenn with two Ns"

I thought it was sort of amusing so I didn't care. Everyone hated the Jennifer A. Jennifer B. stuff. It's very impersonal. I think that's why teachers try to be creative if they can.

So you already were Jenn with two Ns. I think that's different.

The point is, it's pronounced the same. She gave me a nickname in order to distinguish me from the other Jen.

Anonymous wrote:

I spelled my name Jenn (pronounced Jen) and so thereby became "Jenn with two Ns"

I thought it was sort of amusing so I didn't care. Everyone hated the Jennifer A. Jennifer B. stuff. It's very impersonal. I think that's why teachers try to be creative if they can.

So you already were Jenn with two Ns. I think that's different.

Anonymous wrote:In Italian this is a two-syllable name, not a three-syllable name: KYA-rah

You could nickname a child Ara or Aria.

I really dislike Kiki. Ugh.

no too GOT.

There's also a good possibility that her nickname won't be derived from "Chiara" at all but from some random incident from childhood.

In Italian this is a two-syllable name, not a three-syllable name: KYA-rah

You could nickname a child Ara or Aria.

I really dislike Kiki. Ugh.

Find another name.

I don't think Chiara is a name that naturally shortens to anything. It's not like naming your kid Michael and not liking Mike.

Or Christopher and not liking the name Chris. That's just a really dumb thing to do in this country.

Sorry PP.

OP, I would choose a nickname that emphasizes the correct pronunciation of the full name, since that's a concern (and a valid one, I think). If you're worried that Key-are-a will be pronounced Chee-are-a, then pick something that has the Kee sound.

Kiki (not my taste, but YMMV)
Kia
Kee