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1. Why is Dick from Richard?
The name Richard is very old and was popular during the Middle Ages. In the 12th and 13th centuries everything was written by hand and Richard nicknames like Rich and Rick were common just to save time. Rhyming nicknames were also common and eventually Rick gave way to Dick and Hick, while Rich became Hitch. Dick, of course, is the only rhyming nickname that stuck over time. And boy did it stick. At one point in England, the name Dick was so popular that the phrase “every Tom, Dick, or Harry” was used to describe Everyman.
2. Why is Bill from William?
There are many theories on why Bill became a nickname for William; the most obvious is that it was part of the Middle Ages trend of letter swapping. Much how Dick is a rhyming nickname for Rick, the same is true of Bill and Will. Because hard consonants are easier to pronounce than soft ones, some believe Will morphed into Bill for phonetic reasons. Interestingly, when William III ruled over in England in the late 17th century, his subjects mockingly referred to him as “King Billy.”
3. Why is Hank from Henry?
The name Henry dates back to medieval England. (Curiously, at that time, Hank was a diminutive for John.) So how do we get Hank from Henry? Well, one theory says that Hendrick is the Dutch form of the English name Henry. Henk is the diminutive form of Hendrick, ergo, Hank from Henk. Hanks were hugely popular here in the States for many decades, though by the early 90s it no longer appeared in the top 1,000 names for baby boys.
4. Why is Jack from John?
The name Jack dates back to about 1,200 and was originally used as a generic name for peasants. Over time, Jack worked his way into words such as lumberjack and steeplejack. Even jackass, the commonly used term for a donkey, retains its generic essence in the word Jack. Of course, John was once used as a generic name for English commoners and peasants, (John Doe) which could be why Jack came became his nickname. But the more likely explanation is that Normans added -kin when they wanted to make a diminutive. And Jen was their way of saying John. So little John became Jenkin and time turned that into Jakin, which ultimately became Jack
5. Why is Chuck from Charles?
“Dear Chuck” was an English term of endearment and Shakespeare, in Macbeth, used the phrase to refer to Lady Macbeth. What’s this have to do with Charles? Not much, but it’s interesting. However, Charles in Middle English was Chukken and that’s probably where the nickname was born. Maybe a drunken Charles from that period is responsible for the slang, up-chuck. ;-)
6. Why is Peggy from Margaret?
The name Margaret has a variety of different nicknames. Some are obvious, as in Meg, Mog and Maggie, while others are downright strange, like Daisy. But it’s the Mog/Meg we want to concentrate on here as those nicknames later morphed into the rhymed forms Pog(gy) and Peg(gy).
7. Why is Ted from Edward?
The name Ted is yet another result of the Old English tradition of letter swapping. Since there were a limited number of first names in the Middle Ages, letter swapping allowed people to differentiate between people with the same name. It was common to replace the first letter of a name that began with a vowel, as in Edward, with an easier to pronounce consonant, such as T. Of course, Ted was already a popular nickname for Theodore, which makes it one of the only nicknames derived from two different first names. Can you name the others?
8. Why is Harry from Henry?
Since Medieval times, Harry has been a consistently popular nickname for boys named Henry in England. Henry was also very popular among British monarchs, most of whom preferred to be called Harry by their subjects. This is a tradition that continues today as Prince Henry of Wales , as he was Christened, goes by Prince Harry. Of course, Harry is now used as a given name for boys. In 2006, it was the 593rd most popular name for boys in the United States. One reason for its upsurge in popularity is the huge success of those amazing Harry Potter books.
9. Why is Jim from James?
There are no definitive theories on how Jim became the commonly used nickname for James but the name dates back to at least the 1820s. For decades, Jims were pretty unpopular due to the “Jim Crow Law,” which was attributed to an early 19th century song and dance called “Jump Jim Crow,” performed by white actors in blackface. The name “Jim Crow” soon became associated with African Americans and by 1904, Jim Crow aimed to promote segregation in the South. Jim has since shed its racial past, and is once again a popular first name for boys all by itself, sans James.
10. Why is Sally from Sarah?
Sally was primarily used as a nickname for Sarah in England and France. Like some English nicknames, Sally was derived by replacing the R in Sarah with an L. Same is true for Molly, a common nickname for Mary. Though Sally from the Peanuts never ages, the name itself does and has declined in popularity in recent years. Today, most girls prefer the original Hebrew name Sarah.
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Comments (69)
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In # 6. Why is Peggy from Margaret?
“while others are downright strange, like Daisy.”
In spanish the daisy flower is called margarita. Also a popular name (Margarita) which I bet derives from Margaret.
posted by Pedro on 5-24-2010 at 9:41 am
Daisy is a nickname for Margaret because the French form of the name, Marguerite, is also French for daisy.
posted by Amanda on 5-24-2010 at 10:01 am
I want to know why “Lawrence” gets you “Larry”, myself (and I am certain others) excluded. I despise it when strangers assume (presume?) to call me Larry. Not that they mean anything by it, I know, but I would prefer they continue to call me Lawrence than (incorrectly) guessing that I go by Larry.
posted by Lance on 5-24-2010 at 10:05 am
Bob from Robert? Help me please!
posted by Bob on 5-24-2010 at 10:12 am
How about Hal for Henry, another common English version of the name.
posted by Gussiebuns on 5-24-2010 at 10:50 am
“Of course, Ted was already a popular nickname for Theodore, which makes it one of the only nicknames derived from two different first names. Can you name the others?”
How about “Greg” for both “Gregory” and “Gaylord?”
posted by Katie on 5-24-2010 at 11:08 am
@Bob, I’d guess it’s Robert > Rob > Bob, for the same reasons as Ed > Ted, Will > Bill, or Rick > Dick: hard consonants are easier to pronounce.
Isn’t Polly also a nickname derived from Mary? I’d really like to know the reasoning behind that one!
posted by Jina on 5-24-2010 at 11:09 am
In Little Women, Meg (the oldest sister, Margaret) was said to be “fresh as a daisy”. When Meg had her twin boy and girl, Margaret and John after their parents, they called Little Margaret, who was just like her mother, “Daisy”, and the boy who was just like his father “Demi”, short for Demijohn, to avoid confusion. That’s the first thing I thought of when “Daisy” was listed as a nickname for Margaret.
posted by Jo on 5-24-2010 at 11:29 am
great idea for an article!
posted by julie on 5-24-2010 at 11:50 am
@Jina – I would assume for the same reason you pointed out. If Molly is a nickname for Mary, then a single letter swap would make Molly = Polly
An up and rising (kinda) nickname for Elizabeth that I’ve run across is Zizzy. I’ve met three of them so far. Same concept, switching the L in “Lizzy” with a Z.
posted by Hastings on 5-24-2010 at 12:27 pm
@Lance –
Totally agree with you on the nickname assumption. My husband’s given name is Jim, NOT James. However, people always refer to him as James, address things to James, etc. If someone introduces themselves with a name, I think you should call them what they introduce themselves as. Or something to that effect that is grammatically correct!
posted by Jenny on 5-24-2010 at 12:52 pm
I always wondered about William —> Bill, mainly because that is my dad’s name. Does anyone know why Sandy is short for Alexander? I am curious.
posted by Chelsea on 5-24-2010 at 1:00 pm
“… one of the only nicknames derived from two different first names. Can you name the others?” How about Rick from Richard or Frederick?
posted by Betsy on 5-24-2010 at 1:06 pm
As a Sally, I can appreciate this list.
posted by Sally on 5-24-2010 at 1:24 pm
@lance
Ok, I’ll bite. If you’re Lawrence then where does the Lance come from?
posted by crocostimpy on 5-24-2010 at 1:24 pm
Chelsea – Main stress of Alexander is on the third syllable, so it make senses a nickname would derive from the last half. Xander smooths out to Sander (hah), then the last syllable transforms to -y to fit in with the Billy-Molly-Larry-Lizzy model.
posted by VM on 5-24-2010 at 1:38 pm
Beaten to the Marguerite/Daisy thing!
I’ve wondered about Dickon for Richard, like in The Secret Garden. You covered the Dick part, was the -on just a diminutive of the region or period?
I’d love to read one of these about non-English nicknames… I can never make it through Russian novels because all the nicknames confuse me so darn much.
posted by Hailey on 5-24-2010 at 1:40 pm
Harry from Henry? i had no idea
i always knew Harry as a nickname for Harold
as a Jenifer, most people call me Jen, but there are a few who insist on referring to me as IFER
good thing they are family, or i might not be friends with them anymore
posted by jlm on 5-24-2010 at 1:46 pm
I’ve always wondered where we get “Betty” or “Betsy” from Elizabeth, though after reading this article I’m guessing those two nicknames derive from “Beth” in the diminutive. My mom and mother-in-law are both Elizabeth, though they go by Beth and Betty, respectively. I don’t think I could handle “Zizzy,” though…..makes you sound like a bumblebee!
I’ve noticed more and more guys named “Christopher” going by “Topher” now, though I guess we have Topher Grace to thank for that. I knew a Kristoffer who went by Toff, which was kinda weird. Then again, with name like Lynley, I guess I have no room to talk!
posted by Lynley on 5-24-2010 at 2:18 pm
i had a doctor who every time i’d visit, he’d look at my chart and call me something else- tracy or terry.
very annoying.
posted by teresaisamazing on 5-24-2010 at 2:22 pm
I knew an Elizabeth who went by Zibba. Always thought that was an interesting choice.
posted by Jen on 5-24-2010 at 2:23 pm
If a woman, Sandy/Sandra could be short for Cassandra.
Some people have a problem with Gabriel versus Gabrielle, much to my son’s annoyance.
posted by Laurel on 5-24-2010 at 2:38 pm
I expected to see something about John/Jack.
posted by Scott on 5-24-2010 at 2:58 pm
Nevermind – it was in front of me the whole time!
posted by Scott on 5-24-2010 at 3:00 pm
I also hate it when people assume that I go by Becky. I remember correcting my kindergarten teacher when she called me Becky. Although on the other hand I don’t mind when people call me Becca.
posted by Rebecca on 5-24-2010 at 3:02 pm
Ed/Eddie is short for Edmund and Edward. Chris is short for Christian and Christopher. However the original names may be too close to each other to be considered distinct.
posted by ce on 5-24-2010 at 3:05 pm
I had an aunt named Alice who went by the nickname of ‘Ausch’ – a young child’s best pronunciation of her name.
posted by Michelle on 5-24-2010 at 3:19 pm
Okay…anyone care to weigh in on Marty? My given name is Martin and always got the feeling that Marty was a more amicable form (with the possible exception of my late mother and late grandmother, NO ONE called/calls me Martin. it’s just too formal, I suppose.)
I suppose that Marty is some form of Mar-TEEN, as its pronounced in the Romance languages…yes? no?
posted by Marty on 5-24-2010 at 3:22 pm
I’d always wondered about Peg. Thanks! Now to figure out how Mark came to be derived from Allouiscious… j/k :)
BTW: I’d always thought that Jim came from James in the same manner that the river flowing through London, the Thames, is pronounced the Tims. So, it was just an Old English pronunciation. Maybe?
posted by Mark Songer on 5-24-2010 at 3:28 pm
I can see where Hank from Henry might come from, but what about Hal? As a young man, Henry VIII was called Prince Hal, which I would think should belong entirely to Harold. My guess on Jim for James comes from writing the name to Jms or Jm in writing. You can’t pronounce these without adding a vowel, and “i” seems somehow more logical than “a”.
posted by Robyn McIntyre on 5-24-2010 at 3:35 pm
I’ve got one: Cindy from Cynthia. Ease of pronunciation?
posted by Kris on 5-24-2010 at 3:39 pm
Oh, wait, I’ve a question now: Is the lady’s name Syd/Cyd/Sydney merely a feminized form of the masculine Cid/Sid/Sidney or is it a derivative form of something else?
posted by Mark Songer on 5-24-2010 at 3:51 pm
Doesn’t “Sidney” come from “St. Denis?”
posted by Stephanie on 5-24-2010 at 4:47 pm
@Lance
You’ve got that right! My middle name is Lawrence – everyone insists on calling me “Larry”. By my friends, that’s cool. By strangers – not so cool.
And lately for some reason, people want to spell Lawrence with a ‘u’ (Laurence).
posted by MountainCop on 5-24-2010 at 4:51 pm
Sandy from Alexander is easy.
Ell-ik-sand-a.
Sand-a.
Sand-y.
It seems a very common thing to add a y or ie to a name, hence the Lawrence = Lawry/Laurie/Larry jazz.
posted by bakedpotatoes on 5-24-2010 at 5:12 pm
What about Betty from Elizabeth.
My grandmother was named Mary, but everyone called her Josie and no one knows why (no her middle name was not Josephine and her mother was name Mariah,but everyone called her Maria). Is there some logic to that?
posted by Carol on 5-24-2010 at 5:13 pm
My grandmother, Sarah, was called Sadie.
posted by Antinous on 5-24-2010 at 6:02 pm
My grandfather always called my grandmother Jane, but I knew her first name was Mary. I assumed her name was Mary Jane, but it turned out her name was actually Mary Liza. Apparently when she was young, there was a song called Little Liza Jane, and all of her friends called her Liza Jane. When she met her husband, he just started calling her Jane and never stopped. It wasn’t until she died that I found out, at the funeral, what her real name was.
posted by Ron on 5-24-2010 at 6:30 pm
I was born Mary, but have been called Molly all my life…. Please explain.
posted by Molly on 5-24-2010 at 7:50 pm
Ted was already a popular nickname for Theodore, which makes it one of the only nicknames derived from two different first names. Can you name the others?
How about Al from Albert or Alfred?
posted by Tom C on 5-24-2010 at 8:56 pm
Ted was already a popular nickname for Theodore, which makes it one of the only nicknames derived from two different first names. Can you name the others?
Kate/Katie for Kaitlyn or Katherine?
posted by Sarah on 5-24-2010 at 9:29 pm
Ben from Bernard – my theory, it’s accent based. American-English generally pronounces it “Burr-nard” but in UK English and American Nor-East accent it is pronounced “Behn-ahd”. With Benjamin being a common name and “Ben” being the American spelling of that, so it is with Bernard.
That’s my theory and I’m sticking with it until otherwise proven.
posted by roi_ratt on 5-24-2010 at 9:49 pm
Never heard of Ted being from Edward…sounds a bit strange. Thought Ted was a nickname for Theodore.
posted by okinawa_dato on 5-24-2010 at 10:03 pm
Here’s a new one for y’all: my nephew’s name is Christopher, and my sister and family didn’t want to call him Chris. I didn’t like Topher, so I started calling him Stopher within the first year, and it has since morphed into Stophie. He’s 6 now, and that’s still what I call him (but everyone else calls him Christopher). I’ll be sad when he grows out of his nickname.
posted by Cat on 5-24-2010 at 11:15 pm
I was named after my great grandmother Dorothy who went by Dot or Dots. I always thought that was interesting.
Another nickname that became an acceptable name on its own is Sasha (from Alexander/Alexandra). In Russian it is/was mostly used for boys named Alexander but now a lot of girls are being named Sasha by itself.
posted by Deidre on 5-24-2010 at 11:42 pm
Well I’m Sara (sans H), and I go by Sars like the syndrome. But my mom calls me Sarsi, which is a local soda pop.
posted by Sam on 5-25-2010 at 2:07 am
My daughter is Maria, nicknamed Maggie. Everyone thinks she’s a Margaret, but she’s named after my AFS host sister in Paraguay – who is a Maria, nicknamed Maggie.
I once had a pen-pal from France who thought I was a boy, because there Hillery was a boy’s name. At least now more people here can spell my version (just like the Secretary of State.)
posted by Hillary on 5-25-2010 at 2:22 am
Ed for Edward & Edmund, as previously mentioned, and also for Edgar and Edwin.
posted by Wincey on 5-25-2010 at 10:55 am
Margherita is the Daisy flower in italian too..
posted by Chube on 5-25-2010 at 12:38 pm
How did Bobbie end up being a nickname for Barbara?
posted by Barb on 5-25-2010 at 5:25 pm
Barbara
Barby/ie
Babby
Bobby.
posted by bakedpotatoes on 5-25-2010 at 9:58 pm
dirk for derrick which is like a small dagger thru my name.
posted by dirk alan on 5-25-2010 at 10:30 pm
Fred/Ted from Theodore, Frederick. Also Ted from Edward.
Carl from Charles (diminutive)…
Oddly enough I was named the diminutive of my father… my brother John named his son Henry (Hank being the nickname and a diminutive of John).
posted by Carl on 5-26-2010 at 12:11 am
Sandra can come from Alexandra, and from Cassandra!
posted by Sandie on 5-26-2010 at 2:01 am
“Of course, Ted was already a popular nickname for Theodore, which makes it one of the only nicknames derived from two different first names. Can you name the others?â€
Jack is from John or Jacob
posted by Jeff on 5-26-2010 at 10:00 am
@ Marty
I think you are over thinking this. Unless of course you are trying to be funny in which case LOL.
posted by Brit on 5-26-2010 at 6:09 pm
Actually, “Ed” can be short for 4 names:
Edgar
Edward
Edwin
Edmund
posted by TheBear on 5-26-2010 at 6:20 pm
Then you’ve got ‘Al’
Alfred
Alex
Albert
Alan
posted by TheBear on 5-26-2010 at 6:23 pm
@Lance and others
Add another guy to the anti-Larry bandwagon. I hate when people presume to call me Larry, especially at work in response to emails when I specifically put my name as Lawrence at the end. Part of that stems from the fact that my dad goes by Larry so I always wanted to be differentiated from him, and partly because where I grew up when people say Larry, the native accent makes it sound very nasal and grating.
posted by Lawrence on 5-27-2010 at 10:39 am
@crocostimpy-
It’s actually a silly family story that is not (entirely) related to the name “Lawrence” itself: I was going to be named after an uncle who was Lawrence but went by Larry. My parents did not want to call me “Larry” because they just did not prefer it. They were discussing what to use as a nickname or even whether to use a nickname at all while they were driving. During the discussion, they were passed (or cut off – depending on who you asked) by a delivery truck carrying … Lance Crackers. Oddly enough, I wasn’t even told the story until I was over 30 and my wife happened to ask my mother where they got the name; I had always just assumed they took “La” from the beginning and the “nce” from the end just to shorten it. I do like Lance Crackers though – especially the Toastchee – Cheddar Cheese crackers with Peanut Butter filling. Yum.
posted by Lance on 5-27-2010 at 10:51 am
My daughter is Margaret -called Maggie, although, I kind of like the idea of calling her Daisy, but I’ve not heard of that before now. I always wondered about the Edward-Ted and John-Jack thing, being a fan of the Kennedys I always wondered that.
And then there’s Mel — for Melanie, Melody, Melissa, Melinda, and of course, Melvin
posted by Melanie on 5-27-2010 at 2:58 pm
@TheBear, don’t forget Alfonso and Alonzo!
I’ve never heard of Sally as being short for Sarah, but one of my cousins is Sally, which is short for Selma.
posted by Strubisatoaster on 5-27-2010 at 3:47 pm
Now that I think about it.. my entire family is nicknamed.. None of my immediate family has a name that isn’t shortened.
Ronald – Ron
James – Jim
Barbara – Barb or Barbie or Aunt Bab
Barbara(me)- Barby
Rosemary – Rosie/Rosi/Rose (Posie)
Nicolas – Nic
Katlynn – Katie
I even know a Christina who goes by Stina.
I still don’t know how Barbara became Babs – I know from Barb to Bab to Babs.. but still!
posted by Dazee on 5-27-2010 at 5:43 pm
How about “Heidi” coming from “Adelaide”?
One of my brothers had/has it the worst. His name is Patrick, and he had quite a number of nicknames growing up – Pat, Patchy, Peachy, Peaches, Petey, Patch, etc. :)
posted by Jester on 5-28-2010 at 9:02 am
I have a friend named Brittany that goes by Bob or Bobby in her family. A young niece couldn’t pronounce “Brittany” so she shortened it to “Bob” and it caught on with everybody. =)
posted by Xenovore on 5-28-2010 at 1:33 pm
I had a girlfriend in HS named Sarah, but I always called her Sarai. I’m not Jewish or anything, I just thought it sounded cool!
posted by xanderjones on 6-1-2010 at 12:01 pm
Much to my mothers chagrin, my grandparents tried to get me to respond to Sari (Say-re). Luckily, my great aunt warned me to correct people if they started using nicknames. She was always Aunt Sadie and I had no idea she was actually a Sarah until I was a teen.
posted by Sarah in Canada on 6-1-2010 at 2:28 pm
Hey! Im Julie Shuers daughter. Read the nickname post. So glad you like the idea, my mom tells me it derived from me. The issue of illogical nicknames has alluded me for years, a topic i questioned for two reasons; One being as a person who has gone by a nickname since day one nicknames have always had relevance to me, secondly as someone who is stubbornly literal im constantly frustrated by the nonsensical such as why in the world a person named richard would ever choose to be called a word short hand for penis. Thank you for your answers. I can rest easy now.
posted by Gaby Davis on 6-2-2010 at 6:54 pm
Awesome article! This has definitely answered more than a few questions I have had on the etymology of certain names. I have a grandfather named Lawerence(who goes by Larry) and he has a sister everyone calls Peggy. My grandmother I am named after got a name change from Amelia to Amy years ago, because no one could pronounce it correctly ages ago when she first came to America from Cuba.
posted by Amelia on 6-27-2010 at 2:36 am