I sort of understand the impulse. As above it's a shortcut to intimacy, and if you come from a family, such as mine, that has sheered all names of two syllables or longer down to either one syllable or a one syllable nickname in case of the short version not working ala "Ste" (for example one of my aunts is Linda but everyone calls her Boo), then it honestly seems pretty normal.

I wouldn't do it, and it annoys me when it's done especially in the summary, but I can understand why it's done.