Help - names that have irregular diminutions, eg Bill/William

loiterer · Mar 26, 2009

Couldn't think where else to put this.

I need some suggestions for Anglo-Saxon names that, when turned into nicknames, are irregular.

So far I have:

Bill - William
Bob - Robert
Ned/Ted - Edward

Others?

Edited to add: yep, did only want male names, sorry, should have said.
Also I specified Anglo-Saxon as I'm aware countries such as Russia routinely have irregular diminutions and the list would never end!)

Thanks for all the examples people have submitted!

jst5150 · Mar 26, 2009

Richard - Dick
John - Jack (Irish thing, no idea why)

Priene · Mar 26, 2009

Jason said:
John - Jack (Irish thing, no idea why)

I'm not sure about this, but I believe it's because the h wasn't originally silent, just as German still has Johannes. In Scots and Irish, the h hardened to ch (as in loch), which is just a short jump to the ck in Jock and Jack.

Mandy-Jane · Mar 26, 2009

Daniel - Dan

Spring · Mar 26, 2009

Do you only want male names?

Betsy for Elizabeth (plus myriad others)
Meg, Peggy, Maggie for Margaret
Nancy for Mary

Finn for Phinneas - only odd because of the /f/ goes to a F

qwerty · Mar 26, 2009

Larry - Laurence

Jim, Jimmy - James

Dot, Dottie - Dorothy

Kate - Kathleen

Beth, Betty, Libby - Elizabeth

dclary · Mar 26, 2009

Andrew -- Drew

Anastasia -- Stacy

poetinahat · Mar 26, 2009

Stosh - Stanley (Polish - guess it'd be Stanislaus, then; this is from my grandparents' era)
Gus - Angus
Mac - MacAllister
Ol' McDonald - robeiae

CaroGirl · Mar 26, 2009

John/Jack

Ol' Fashioned Girl · Mar 26, 2009

Jenny for Jane
Larry for Lawrence
Walt for Waldemar (my poor father-in-law)... although that's Swedish, not Anglo-Saxon.

Wayne K · Mar 26, 2009

Auggie for Augustus.
Arnie for Arnold.

rhymegirl · Mar 26, 2009

Spring said:
Do you only want male names?

Betsy for Elizabeth (plus myriad others)

Betty is also a nickname for Elizabeth.

That's what we call one of my husband's sisters.

And Virginia--nickname is Ginny or Ginger.

rhymegirl · Mar 26, 2009

Oh and how about Chuck as a nickname for Charles.

DeleyanLee · Mar 26, 2009

Skip for Axel

Joe from Robert J (not Joseph)

Chip for Earl (all are uncles, FWIW--I was almost an adult before I learned that wasn't their real names.)

I'm Andi from Cassandra

I've known a Lisa (Elizabeth), a Libby (from Sabina), a Sugar (from Fern), a Sammy (from James), and that's just off the top of my head.

Who says nicknames have to do anything with the given name? I mean, really. LOL!

poetinahat · Mar 26, 2009

DeleyanLee said:
Skip for Axel

... aaaaand welcome to today's episode of Skipping for Axel!

('Skip' isn't really specific to a given name, though, is it? I know a Skip whose given name is Robert.)

Millicent M'Lady · Mar 26, 2009

Josie- Josephine, Kitty- Catherine, Mags- Margaret and Jimmy for James. And that's the round-up of my family members...

Maryn · Mar 26, 2009

Katherine/Catherine: Kathy/Cathy, Kate, Kit, Cat
Elizabeth: Betty, Betsy, Beth, Bess, Liz, Liza, Libby
Dorothy: Dot, Dottie
Dolores and Doris: Dodie
Margaret: Maggie, Meg, Peggy, Peg, Margie
Dehlia, Dahlia: Dolly
Diane or Diana: Dee, Di
Sarah or Sara: Sally
William: Bill, Will, Billy, Willy
Richard: Dick, Rick, Ricky, Rich
James: Jamie, Jim, Jimmy
Robert: Rob, Robby, Bob, Bobby
Charles: Charlie, Chuck, Chick
Edward: Ed, Eddie, Ted
Theodore: Theo, Ted
Jose: Pepe

Maryn, whose real name has no diminutive

Cathy C · Mar 26, 2009

A few I've known

Olga - Lelya (Russian - note the 'l' and 'y' reversed from Leyla)
Robert - Rick
Elizabeth - Libby

DeleyanLee · Mar 26, 2009

Sasha from Alexandra or Alexander

Greenify13 · Mar 26, 2009

Wapedia

wapedia said:
# With many nicknames a letter, usually R is dropped ie: Fanny from Francis, Walt from Walter.
# During medieval times the letter R would often be swapped from ether L or D ie: Hal from Harry, Molly from Mary and Sadie from Sally.
# Letter swapping for nicknames is common, usually the letter R, for another letter. ie: from Robert: Hob, Dob, Rob, Bob and Nob, from Richard: Rick, Dick and Hick, Bill from Will which in turn comes from William and Peg from Meg which is derived from Margaret.

more said:
# Before the 17th century most nicknames had a diminutive ending ether "in" or "Kin", in which the ending is attached to the first syllable. (IE: Watkin/Walter/Wat-kin Hobkin/Robert/Hob-kin or Thompkin/Thomas/Thom-Kin.) While most of these have died away, a few remain such as Robin (Rob-in, from Robert), Hank (Hen-Kin from Henry), Jack (Jan-kin from John) and Colin (Col-in from Nicolas).
# Most nicknames usually drop the final one or two letters and add ether ie/ee/y as an ending ie Davy from David, Charlie from Charles and Jimmy from James.

I don't know if this helps at all, but I find it quite interesting...

Greenify13 · Mar 26, 2009

Hypocristic

wapedia-hypocristic

I would put some of the examples here for I like lists...but the lists are very long, and many! They might be better than my last post...uncertain though...

Cranky · Mar 26, 2009

Well, don't know how helpful this is, but I know a Dinie (Diana), and a DeeDee (Diane).

Pagey's_Girl · Mar 26, 2009

Taffy is Welsh for David, or so I've been told.

Honalo · Mar 26, 2009

Henry: Hank
we have a Melissa in our office we shorten to Mel
we have a Dietrah we call Dee
um .... I think every one else pretty much has it covered

BardSkye · Mar 26, 2009

Dolly for Darlene
Hilary for Valerie

Help - names that have irregular diminutions, eg Bill/William

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