I do know two adult Catherines (although one may be a Kathryn, I can't remember for sure) that go by the full name.  The way I say it, it's only 2 or 2.5 syllables, so easily within the realm of expecting people to be able to use the full name.  If I were introduced to a child (or if an adult introduced themselves to me) as Catherine, I would not presume to impose a nn, nor feel the need to do so.  I agree that the full name is lovely, although this is one of the rare cases where I actually like some of the nns as much as the full names, so I think it's win/win.

I know one, but her name is spelled Kathryn, which cuts a syllable depending on how you say Catherine.  Like hyz said, I would call someone by the name by which they introduce themselves.  So if you introduce your baby to others as Catherine, I would hope most people would respect that.

Yes, I know several (spelled Kathryn and Catherine). People will call others the name they call themselves.

I prefer Catherine over the nicknames, so I'd love to meet more Catherines that go by their full name.

Yes, and I've talked to one about nn's before and she said she wasn't sure but they never stuck.  Maybe because we also had a couple of Katy/Catie's in our social group?

I think it would work.  I stared out calling my Katharine Katie and then realized that I wanted to use Katharine more.  While it's been hard for me to remember to call her by Katharine and not slip into Kat or Kate instead, she really likes me calling her Katharine (she's 4) and she introduces herself as Katharine.  So at dance, soccer or swimming lessons the teachers call her Katharine.  I'm sure if I had called her Katharine from the beginning it would be even more that way.

Actually I know a lot of them. I think almost all the Catherine's I know go mostly by Catherine.

I don't know any Catherines who go by Catherine, but I know a lot of kids with names that go by only their full names-and these are names that would have automatically been nicked a generation or 2 ago.  My son William has friends named Thomas, Robert, Nathaniel, Andrew and Michael and I never hear them called anything else.  

I agree with previous posters that most people will call a kid by whatever name they are introduced by.  

I know a Catherine and a Katherine that go by their full names. It's never a big deal. In school teachers usually ask if they go by Kate or Katie, and when they say no, everyone just says okay.

I can know at least three Catherine/Katherines who don't use nns. I think it's easy enough, especially now when lots of kids go by full names that would have been nicked in the past, to use the full version. Plus, Catherine, like Elizabeth, seems like the type of name many people will use the full version of rather than a nn. 

I know one Kathryn that goes by her full name and two Katherines that both go by Kat. They are nicknames they chose themselves as teenagers. I think they would have gone by Katherine as children.

Count me in as another person who knows a Catherine who goes by Catherine. Yes, of course some close friends call her Cat as a form of endearment, but in school, at work, etc, she is Catherine (3 syllables). It suits her.

I know one too.  She's a Katherine and has gone by her full name since she was a baby.  It's not like Jennifer or Jessica, where Jen or Jess slips out easily.  If someone introduces herself as Catherine, most people won't just jump to a nickname without asking.

I'm a no-nickname Katherine, my sister-in-law is a no-nickname Catherine, and my grandmother-in-law is a no-nickname Kathryn! It gets confusing sometimes, haha.

I did have a nickname growing up that I gave myself that my family and close friends called me (not one of the normal nicknames for Katherine), but all other people have always called me Katherine. 

Sometimes people I've just met have tried to call me by a nickname, but I correct them and it's not an issue after that.

I love my name and would highly recommend it in its full form!

I've known several--a Kathryn, Katherine and several Catherines...one is an adult but one is eight and she was often called Katie when she was younger but when she hit about three she started going just by Catherine.

I know one too (my cousin's wife, in her early thirties) - she was introduced that way so it never occurred to me to call her anything else, and as far as I know no one else, including her parents, have called her by a nickname either. I agree with previous posters that going by a full name is easier than ever with that being such a common pattern for young kids' names today and that you and your kid pretty much set the tone for what she'll be called.

- kalmia (not logged in)

I am a no-nickname Katherine, and I have never had a nickname, although when I was born my parents were planning for me to go by Kate or Katie. I guess it just never stuck! I go to school with a huge number of Katherine/Catherine/Kathryns, and many of them go by Kate, Katie, or Kat. Mixed in with all the Caitlyn/Katelyns with those nicknames, I'm glad to be just Katherine!

It has always been pretty easy for me to avoid nicknames. Teachers always ask if I go by a nickname, and when I say I don't, there's no problem. There have been a few who couldn't seem to get it and called me Katie or Kate, but it doesn't bother me!

I have considered going by Kate as an adult, but after going by Katherine my whole life it would be weird :)

I know two - one has always gone by Catherine and the other (Katherine) eventually went to the nickname Kat in college.  Neither went by any nicknames earlier in life and I always thought it was a beautiful name. 

Not that you need another, but I also know a Katherine that goes by Katherine.  I am a Stephanie and I do fine that some people automatically shorten it to Steph but by and large most people use Stephanie, which is what I introduce myself as.  

I have known a few Catherines with no nn. 

Just as an aside, I'm Elizabeth and have always used my full name. I was born in the early 80s so I'm one of ten billion Elizabeths. Along the way, various friends have given me pet names (Liz, Lizzie from my dad, ebeth) but everyone knows it's really Elizabeth. It just felt weird to change along the way. On the other hand, my sister is Margaret but has always been nn Maggie. She doesn't want to change either. I think what you start with sticks most often - even if other people come up with their own pet names for your daughter.  

I know a Catherine who goes by her full name (at least at work - I don't know if she uses nicknames with family/friends), with no problems. I also work with a Stephanie and a Jennifer who go by full names.

i know one Catherine who goes by her full name all the time. and tons of cathy/kathys.

My aunt and uncle named my cousin Katharine. She's always been Katharine -- never Kate or Katie. To be honest, I am often tempted to call her Kate, since I really like that name, but they've made it clear that they named her Katharine and don't wish for her to be called anything but that. She's older now (11 years old), and I don't know whether she would prefer to go by a nickname, but either way, she doesn't.

So as my early post indicated I have a daughter Katharine who just turned 4 and who we intended to call Kate and became Katie instead.  Not thrilled with the abundance of Katies I tried over a year back to switch to Katharine which she likes but lately I have slipped into calling her Kate.  Anyway she was talking about how she liked the name Katharine and I said that I liked it to and that "I named you Katharine."  She replied, "No, you named me Kate and I named myself Katharine."