I HAVE BEEN WONDERING FOR SOME TIME ABOUT THIS.
HOW DOES MARGARET BECOME PEGGY, JOHN BECOME JACK, ROBERT BECOME BOBBY, OR WILLIAM BECOME BILL?
IF YOU CAN THINK OF MORE STRANGE RELATED NICKNAMES VS. REAL NAMES LIST THEM AS WELL.
2007-01-15 01:24:38 · 14 answers · asked by baptism_by_fire_2000 6 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Baby Names
JUST FOUND THIS INFO OUT.
Because Jack is the nickname for John; i.e. "Jack Kennedy". It comes from the French name "Jaques", which is the same name as "John" in English.
Edit in response to tattoohead: Way back in 1066 AD England was conquered by french-speaking Normans. For hundreds of years after that, England was a bilingual nation; they spoke both French and English. That is how "John" and "Jaques" came to be interchangeable.
2007-01-15 11:23:31 · update #1
How about Richard and Dick? That one has plagued me personally.
2007-01-15 01:32:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it is just a convenience for people to short form a person's name--especially if they happen to have a long one. It could have also been used when referring to a son who has the same name as his father, to differentiate between the two.
Elizabeth becomes Liz, Lizzy, Eliza, Beth, Becky.
Jonathon becomes John, Johnny, Nathon, Jack.
Christopher becomes Chris, Christoph, Toppy.
Like I said, a matter of laziness or convenience in not wanting to use the whole name, mostly.
2007-01-15 09:31:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Charles become CHUCK! How do they figure that?
Elizabeth becomes BETSY! I mean, I get the "Liz" thing and the "Beth" thing, but "Betsy"??!!
I also have an Uncle Harry and his name's not Harold, but I forget what it's short for. Either way, I remember thinking it's weird.
2007-01-15 10:06:37 · answer #3 · answered by Lisa R 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Leila - Lee
Richard - Ricky
William - Willie
Rebecca - Becky
Leo-Deedo
Margaret-Maggie
Barbara-Babs
J.D-J.
Kevin-Kev or Kevy
LaQuita-Quita
LaTricia-Trish
Virginia-Vergie
Victoria-Vickey
Harold-Hal
Robert-Robby
Matthew-Matt
James-Jimmy
Donald-Donny or Don
Allan-Al
Berniece-Neecy
2007-01-15 09:34:20 · answer #4 · answered by nowyouknow 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I don't know how it got started, but I call my kids by their nick names more than their real names actually this is kind of funny but if their in trouble that is when I use their real names.
My girls are named..
Anisha we call her nesh
Vannessa we call her Nessa
My son is named Dakota we call him Cody
2007-01-15 09:31:52 · answer #5 · answered by little lady 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IN THE OLD DAYS....SOME PEOPLE COULD NOT PRONOUNCE A WHOLE NAME...THEY COULD NOT WRITE A WHOLE NAME DOWN BECAUSE OF SPELLING...SO THEY CALLED THE PERSON THE FIRST THING THAT CAME TO THEIR MIND...SOMETHING SHORTER AND NOT ALWAYS RELATE TO THE ORIGINAL NAME.
2007-01-15 09:27:42 · answer #6 · answered by La'Grange 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
shorter easier to say names,, as far as margaret it has maggie, meggie, meg, marge, margie,peggy peg, madge,(family name) long line of peggy's
2007-01-15 09:30:44 · answer #7 · answered by deathape28 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mine is an easy one to figure,,Gertrude // Gertie,,, Some use "Trudy", {yuck}, My dod's was, Edward // Ed{eddie}
2007-01-15 09:30:46 · answer #8 · answered by Gertie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
William becomes Dick- I would hate that!
2007-01-15 09:45:14 · answer #9 · answered by kris10 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that william and bill makes no sense to me either. good question.
2007-01-15 09:27:34 · answer #10 · answered by Skypride 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋