Nicknames in the Celebrity Name World
Nicknames have been on our mind lately (check out Name Lady column on rules for nicknames and Name Candy post on Busy Philipps and her take on nicknames). Are there many celebs who we know by their nicknames and their given names? Answer: not really. Perhaps to keep a unified front -- one name, one face, no confusion -- most celebs go by one, and only one, name.
Take for example Kate. You might imagine this short for something (Catherine, Katherine, Katrina, Kathleen), but no. Kate Winslet in full is Kate Elizabeth Winslet and Kate Hudson in full is Kate Garry Hudson. And don't assume Kate Hudson's mom goes by a nickname -- her full name is actually Goldie Jeanne Hawn.
There are exceptions and some nicknames co-exist with given names. J.Lo is perhaps one of the most famous nicknames in the business. But does Jennifer Lopez call herself J.Lo? What do you think? Her website references her as Jennifer, perhaps her preference. Two other Jennifers the press references as "Jen" -- Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Garner. Hmm, but given that both actresses have links with one syllable named men, maybe the shortening was more for the catchy headline? PEOPLE's Star Tracks for 1.27.2010 reads: Jen & Ben Stay in Step. And OK Magazine's January cover goes for Jen. Jen & Brad -- it's catchier and more in-the-know than Jennifer & Brad. In this case does Jen count as a legit nickname or clever advertising?
Once an actor gets known by his or her full given name, it can be difficult to imagine using a nickname, even if it's a common derivative. Can you imagine Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Cathy? Or Daniel Craig as just Dan? The reverse is also true. Jake Gyllenhaal -- the real complete deal is Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal. And sister Maggie is Margaret Ruth Gyllenhaal.
It seems like, for the most part, celebs settle on a version of their name -- be it the full and formal Daniel or the casual and shortened Maggie. What's your preference? Do you prefer the full given name or the nickname-serving-as-given-name? Did we forget any celebs that manage to swing both nickname and given name at once, J.Lo style? If yes, please do tell.
--D.J.
Comments
I think the use of "Jen" for Jennifers Garner and Aniston by the tabloid press is a way of suggesting a false intimacy to the readers. "Look, we call them by their nicknames, and we're giving you the real scoop on their lives!" And, of course, there's the practical matter of Angie fitting more easily on a crowded magazine cover than Angelina.
Personally, I prefer the full name, but nicknames, especially for male actors, seem to lend them a down-to-earth, approachable quality. Think of the everyman-ness of Tom Hanks (and Tom Cruise, before he went couch-jumping) and the guy-next-door appeal of Matt Damon or Ben Affleck.
As for people with two names, Madonna was called Madge quite regularly, especially in the British press, but I think that was tongue-in-cheek. Katie Holmes has also made an attempt to grow up into a Kate (what Cruise always calls her), but it hasn't been that successful.
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