[JoesBro]

Given that many of the nicknames mean rat, frog, pig or something similarly uncomplimentary, it is little wonder that some modern Thais are changing them !

Traditionally, the giving of a nickname was to escape bad spirits. It was believed using a persons real name during the first month of life would certaily attract evil spirits to the new born child with inevitable bad results. Usually the old ladies of the community would give a child its nickname, choosing such by what the child looked like to them -or as Steve says, by some special characteristic.

[RCQDnMp5]

Thai nicknames are certainly evolving. In the past it was common to name your baby because of some characteristics Lek = Small, Uan = Obese. Sometimes the nickname was to do with the time they were born or what they liked to eat etc... May = May (month English)

I've heard of names like this, too. One person I know is called "dtai" because he liked to climb when he was a kid. But then... how did his parents call him until he got the name?? Or this: I know a girl called 'nice' - her parents told me it's because she is so nice (and she really is), not just for good luck. But again: it would have taken the parents at least a few months to realize that their kid is not only cute but also very nice...

Another woman I know gave birth to a cute boy when I was in Thailand. When I saw her next time - a few months later - I asked about the name. Her answer: "no have name yet"

So how long do people usually wait to give nicknames to their kids? And how does a nickname establish? Do people go to temples, like for their real names?

[Caursedus]

Well my former Thai girlfriends name was Joy, and she told me, she was named that name, because her father liked the song "Joy to the world".

[12Cickprior]

I have a question about the evolution of Thai nicknames.
I understand that a nickname is given by the family at the time of birth and bears no relevance to the nature of the person.
What queries me though is all of the co-teachers and adults I have met have what you could call a traditional nickname ie Nok, Geng, Ae and so on. All the children I have met have Western nicknames ie Benz, Earth, Bacon, Chivas, God even Mick.
Why is this?
And it is pretty exclusive hardly any of my kids had trad names, although I was teaching in a very exclusive boys school in BKK does this have any bearing.
Let me know....

Thai nicknames are certainly evolving. In the past it was common to name your baby because of some characteristics Lek = Small, Uan = Obese. Sometimes the nickname was to do with the time they were born or what they liked to eat etc... May = May (month English)

Sometimes, the name was for goodluck etc..... and sometimes the name just didnt mean anything!

Modern age Bangkokians (especially) are getting fancy with nicknames ie. Benz, Bank, Beer, Pepsi, Cherry, Dave Please Prince etc.... one of the fanciest ive come across was 'Blue Jeans'. No real meaning to such names but 'Bank' Benz etc... kinda comes from Chinese tradition hoping they bring 'Good Luck'

[DownloadMan]

Damn, I never thought about it or payed much attention to it,, but most girls I know are Nong,Noi, or Joy,, always been that way too, before when I was young I hung out at places that are not talked about on here, but I don't do that anymore but the names the same still

[!!Aaroncheg]

now in my new class I have a girl called Atom, a boy nicknamed Green, and also an Ice, pronounced I of course.

quite a few people I know changed nicknames when they were teenagers, they didn't like the ones given by their families, but they changed embarrassing meanings to nicer ones, not to English names. could it be part of the effort to appear trendy, I mean, the kids adopted these names themselves in order to appear more cool?

in Taiwan everyone has an English nickname, and it becomes kind of semi-official, they print things like James Liu on their business cards, and politicians appear at these names in the newspapers and news. they are much more fascinated with Americans things than Thais are and have almost succeeded in wiping out their own traditonal culture completely.

[DownloadMan]

Thai nicknames are certainly evolving. In the past it was common to name your baby because of some characteristics Lek = Small, Uan = Obese. Sometimes the nickname was to do with the time they were born or what they liked to eat etc... May = May (month English) Reminds me of that old joke about the little indian kid asked his dad where indian kids got those weird names and his father told him,
When woman has baby, man walks outside and what he sees is what is name.
Like your sister running elk.
or your brother sleeping buffalo.
why do you ask? I cant give ya the answer here, but PM me if you want..

[Leaters]

Rat, Noonit (small mouse) - mai chai rat khaa . The nickname “˹٠(noo)”, same spelling but different meaning from rat or mouse. ˹٠(noo) means kid.

˹٠or ¹éͧ˹٠(nongnoo) is a pronoun that parents call their kids, elders call younger ones.
Instead of saying “I”, noo or nong (a younger person) or nongnoo is used when talking to the elders.
When “noo” is in front of any nicknames, that person is called with good feelings. NooNit, NooNoy, NooLek, NooKai, NooJoy, etc. But NooPhee (Ë¹Ù¼Õ – noo=rat, phee=ghost) doesn’t sound good, that’s not called affectionately, it means a pygmy shrew!!!! http://www.uksafari.com/pygmyshrews.htm

Other meanings: ˹٠(noo), ÍÕ˹٠(ee-noo), ˹Ù˹٠(noonoo) are young girls, mia noi (2nd, 3rd, ….wife), concubine, gig, etc. Her husband is sneaking out to see ee-noo.

Some people might have more than 1-2 nicknames: parents, friends, colleagues or lovers might give them more designated names later to describle some kinds of behavior.

[BWJfEkOB]

I have a question about the evolution of Thai nicknames.
I understand that a nickname is given by the family at the time of birth and bears no relevance to the nature of the person.
What queries me though is all of the co-teachers and adults I have met have what you could call a traditional nickname ie Nok, Geng, Ae and so on. All the children I have met have Western nicknames ie Benz, Earth, Bacon, Chivas, God even Mick.
Why is this?
And it is pretty exclusive hardly any of my kids had trad names, although I was teaching in a very exclusive boys school in BKK does this have any bearing.
Let me know....

[DownloadMan]

Boy, sure glad my wife' name is SUNEE, she never had a nic and don't want one, but with some of the thai names I can see why a nic is nice.like "nonthapiboon" for instance

[Caursedus]

Was she born at christmas time??

maybe been just as good to call her jingle bells..

or Rudolph..

She was born in late February, her father is a guitarist and singer in a band, so he just like the song, even though he is Buddhist.

[DownloadMan]

Was she born at christmas time??

maybe been just as good to call her jingle bells..

or Rudolph..

[BWJfEkOB]

Yeah it seems to be Bangkokers having the more elaborate names, though I'll have to wait 'till school starts again but the kids I've met so far are called trad names like Noonit (small mouse) I can see a resemblance and Aoy and others I haven't quite caught yet