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Baby names

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Original poster

Do you ever wonder where some name shortenings came from?

35 replies

Nnickname · 07/03/2024 15:46

Probably is obvious or well known and I’ll expose myself as an idiot, but take Bill for William. Why? It’s not Billiam. Same as Nellie for Ellen and the much loved on here Kit for Christopher.

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steppemum · 10/03/2024 08:35

Lalupalina · 09/03/2024 17:11

William can't exactly become Willy Blush

Willy was very common until recently.

Willy Wonka?

HelloDarlingWhatAreYouDoingHere · 09/03/2024 17:56

So I can't find it on Google, but I can sort of recall the Nell, Ned thing...

In the olden days, working class families would call their children "our own" and in colloquial speech this shorted down.

So - Our own Ellen - Our Nell
Our own Edward - Our Ned

I might not have got this exactly right, but it's along those lines.

marmiteoneverything · 09/03/2024 17:35

Immemorialelms · 07/03/2024 22:08

I always feel a mad snobbishness about people who call their children the short versions of names. I don't mind truly modern names like, I dunno, Hunter or Ace or Bellamy or some shit, but actually naming your child Kit or Peggy or Tilly, rather than thr full name and using the diminutive, seems really ignorant to me.

I'd go so far as to be snobbishly offended by people whose birth certificate says Sally, Polly, Harry, or Jo. I clearly equate "educated about old fashioned things" with worthiness.

I had no idea that Sally had started out as a nickname for Sarah until I your post just then and googled it. I would personally say that Sally, Harry and Polly are very much names in their own right, especially as they’re pet/nicknames rather than shortenings.

How about names like Kate, Alex, Ben, Chris- shortenings that are a bit less ‘cute’. Are they out too?

GiveMyHeadPeaceffs · 09/03/2024 17:35

Pearl from the name Margaret always throws me.

I once worked with a girl who didn't believe that Kate/Katie was a diminutive of Catherine.

Lalupalina · 09/03/2024 17:11

William can't exactly become Willy Blush

AdoraBell · 08/03/2024 13:40

My late DM’s family there was a Peggy/Margaret and a Jack who’s name was John.

NomDePrune · 08/03/2024 13:36

I know a woman whose first son was Billy, second son Liam... I didn't want to be the one to tell her they are both WilliamBlush

theduchessofspork · 08/03/2024 09:38

USaYwHatNow · 07/03/2024 22:32

I know a Sally who is actually a Sarah!?

It traditionally was short for Sarah

Pressurepencil · 08/03/2024 00:28

I think I read on here is that when families used to call the 1st born daughter after the mother, they needed a shortening so they could tell everyone apart. This is why you get Margaret to Maggie, Mags, Peggy, Daisy and so on. Lots of these names started becoming popular in their own right like Betsy or Katie and Eliza.

bridgetreilly · 08/03/2024 00:20

USaYwHatNow · 07/03/2024 22:32

I know a Sally who is actually a Sarah!?

Yes, that’s where the name Sally comes from.

USaYwHatNow · 07/03/2024 22:32

I know a Sally who is actually a Sarah!?

Nightblindness · 07/03/2024 22:20

I have done a lot of family history research and came across a man sometimes married to a Martha, and sometimes married to a Pattey. It confused me until I googled and apparently Pattey/Patty is an established shortening of Martha.😕

SkaneTos · 07/03/2024 22:19

@MrsSamR
I see now that you already mentioned it!
@ShowOfHands
Thank you for explaining it.

SkaneTos · 07/03/2024 22:18

I was surprised when I learned on this board that Jack is a nickname for John!

(I am not from the UK.)

EdithStourton · 07/03/2024 22:16

piglet81 · 07/03/2024 17:16

Think that’s from the association with the French ‘marguerite’ which is a type of daisy

Show quote history

Lady Margaret Beaufort was quite important in her day, and her symbol was a daisy. So people would have known it from her if they didn't know it already.

Immemorialelms · 07/03/2024 22:08

I always feel a mad snobbishness about people who call their children the short versions of names. I don't mind truly modern names like, I dunno, Hunter or Ace or Bellamy or some shit, but actually naming your child Kit or Peggy or Tilly, rather than thr full name and using the diminutive, seems really ignorant to me.

I'd go so far as to be snobbishly offended by people whose birth certificate says Sally, Polly, Harry, or Jo. I clearly equate "educated about old fashioned things" with worthiness.

Lesina · 07/03/2024 22:02

My real name is Mary… and for some mad and unexplained reason my family call me Toots…. 🤷‍♀️

bridgetreilly · 07/03/2024 21:53

Aren’t we in a Carolingian era?

Original poster
Nnickname · 07/03/2024 21:48

BarbaraVineFan · 07/03/2024 18:56

Jacobean is from Jacobus (Latin for James). That's why we are now in the Carolean era, from Carolus (Latin for Charles).

Thanks for this!

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Jemimapinotduck · 07/03/2024 21:46

Jim for James 🤔🤔

PatchworkEle · 07/03/2024 18:59

My grandmother was named Bridget. Everyone called her Peggy.

TeenDivided · 07/03/2024 18:56

Queenie is also for Victoria I think.

BarbaraVineFan · 07/03/2024 18:56

Jacobean is from Jacobus (Latin for James). That's why we are now in the Carolean era, from Carolus (Latin for Charles).

Original poster
Nnickname · 07/03/2024 18:51

SomersetTart · 07/03/2024 18:02

Ted for Edward and Harry for Henry?

I had an Aunt Queen who was christened Elizabeth.

On a similar note why is the Jacobean era known as such when it was king James?

Queenie is due to queen elizabeth I guess?

OP posts:
SomersetTart · 07/03/2024 18:02

Ted for Edward and Harry for Henry?

I had an Aunt Queen who was christened Elizabeth.