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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Most unusual nicknames (based on a child's actual name) that you know of?

113 replies

Bagging · 14/06/2022 23:34

What are the most unusual nicknames, which are based on a child's actual name, that you're aware of?

And how do you get schools to use nicknames instead of official names? Surely they have to teach children to use their legal names?

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whiteroseredrose · 15/06/2022 23:16

DGM's sister was called Sylvia but known as Peg.

Seeleyboo · 15/06/2022 23:12

Oldest son is Harvey but always called Winnie. 2nd son is William and called Bob. 1st daugher is Angel but called Jel. 2nd daughter is Ariannwenn but called Georgie. 3rd daughter is Daisy. Called DD

VerbenaGirl · 15/06/2022 23:05

Our secondary will totally use a nickname’ - just tell them it’s the preferred name. We have an Iris that is consistently known as Pirate. Not at school though, even she agrees that’s a step too far.

JamMakingWannaBe · 15/06/2022 23:04

CatkinToadflax · 15/06/2022 21:02

My mum had two ancient old aunts when she was growing up - Aunt Mould and Aunt Slag. They would have been Victorian I think. She has no idea what their names actually were. It didn’t even occur to her until a few years ago that they were rather unusual names, until she mentioned them to me and my DH and we gaped at her and tried not to snigger!

Wouldn't this be Aunt Maud? Not sure about "Slag". Maybe Sal?

Honaloulou · 15/06/2022 23:01

If we're going really way off, my granny was always called Betty, but was officially a Kathleen.

It was very upsetting when she had a stroke and had to go into a nursing home and the staff insisted on calling her Kathleen.

Dinoteeth · 15/06/2022 22:58

How on earth did they get Pat out of Sarah?

TheWayoftheLeaf · 15/06/2022 22:54

I know a Pat, knew her my whole childhood, turns out her name wasn't Patricia it was Sarah...

Cyberworrier · 15/06/2022 21:24

@Titsflyingsouth I know a Mamie/Mary too!
I know a Dodo short for Dorothy. Piggy for Victoria (Vicky).

dizzydizzydizzy · 15/06/2022 21:17

I've always wondered how Dick became the nn for Richard.

hiredandsqueak · 15/06/2022 21:10

My dd's name is Lucy but was always called Pearl as she is small and precious. As an adult she calls herself Lu. Her older sister is known as Lou even though her name is in no way related to Lou. They both seem to know which Lu/Lou I'm speaking to regardless.

VeryQuaintIrene · 15/06/2022 21:10

"Nan isn't even a name!"

It is. An old professor of mine was called it and it wasn't short for anything.

CatkinToadflax · 15/06/2022 21:02

CatkinToadflax · 15/06/2022 20:58

I had a great uncle known to everyone as Uncle Bill. His first name was Edward. ‘William’ didn’t feature in his name at all.

I also had a great aunt called Auntie Bene (pronounced ‘Beany’). We all knew that wasn’t actually her name but nobody seemed to know what it was. At her funeral we found out that it was Lily Beatrice. Her sister - my grandmother - was always known to Bene’s family as Auntie Pat. Her name was Beryl!

DougalsBlueJumper · 15/06/2022 20:57

My aunt was always Girlie to me. It was years before I found out she was Agnes.

Tintackedsea · 15/06/2022 20:56

I ask pupils what they prefer. I live in a bit of the UK where pupils are often registered under an English name but everyone knows them by their name in the local language or by their initials. Even when I lived in an English speaking part of the country you get kids called Samantha/Samuel or Charlotte/Charles who prefer Sam or Charlie.

NerdyBird · 15/06/2022 20:53

I knew of an Antonia, nn Toto. One of my uncles goes by his middle name, and we've had the Ellen/Helen confusion too.
My grandpa apparently used to call my mum by a diminutive of her middle name, even though she uses her first name.

NoddingTulip · 15/06/2022 20:53

Dd2 was known as Jelly, Jet and Jelly-Jet because ds2 couldnt pronounce her name and called her 'Jelly-et' or 'Ju-jet'

I know a Bumble whos name is Beatrice. She was originally nn Bea which became bumble-Bea and then just bumble. She is 11 and the school call her by her nn.

Vicliz24 · 15/06/2022 20:38

My brothers call me Bibeth because they couldn't say Elizabeth but one Aunt called me Liza and another Libber and my nana called me Bethsey

toastofthetown · 15/06/2022 20:28

Titsflyingsouth · 15/06/2022 20:10

Also knew a couple of older ladies known as Nan (nickname for Ann.) Made no sense to me - Nan isn't even a name!

Way back, people would have affectionately referred to Ann as “mine Ann”, which becomes Nan (and where Nancy comes from). Same origin as Ned and Nell.

ApolloandDaphne · 15/06/2022 20:25

My DM is Agnes on her BC but has been called Nancy since the day she was born.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 15/06/2022 20:16

'Minty' from Matilda was pretty out there, as far as modern me is concerned. I thought it was ever so cool at the time, though...

Titsflyingsouth · 15/06/2022 20:10

Also knew a couple of older ladies known as Nan (nickname for Ann.) Made no sense to me - Nan isn't even a name!

SteakExpectations · 15/06/2022 20:09

One that I never get it Judd, short for Georgina.

I used to work with a lovely lady whose mother had named her Andrea as it couldn’t be shorted - everyone called her Andy.

Titsflyingsouth · 15/06/2022 20:08

My gran was called Mamie all her life. Didn't realise her name was actually Mary for years!

Georgeskitchen · 15/06/2022 20:02

I used to be a carer for the elderly and it seemed a common theme, around those born early 1900s, for example I looked after a lady who was known as Nelly, her actual name was Sarah which bears absolutely no resemblance at all!! Another lady was known as Jenny, I attended her funeral and thought I was at the wrong service when the vicar started talking about Sarah Jane!!
Moving on a few decades and I worked with a girl called Carly, I was confused when someone asked for Caroline!!

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