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Original poster

Well I never knew this!

273 replies

Jeanolly · 01/02/2026 22:17

I've just had a lightbulb moment (at least I think I have!).

I never knew until about 2 minutes ago that Jimmy is a diminutive for Jeremy. I thought it was short for James. Or maybe it's for both?

OP posts:
MrMischief · 02/02/2026 03:01

Jimmy is also short of Jimberley.

Monty27 · 02/02/2026 03:11

SandyY2K · 02/02/2026 02:30

Common short names (nicknames) for William include Will, Bill, Billy, Liam, and Willy, with Bill often arising from a rhyming tradition (William > Will > Bill) and Liam being a popular short form of Irish origin.

Other variations include Wills, Billie, and creative options like Whit, Wally, or Willem.

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I certainly lean towards Liam as a diminutive of William. It's so Irish and romantic 💚

nothanks2026 · 02/02/2026 04:15

It's accepted as short for James. But I suppose a Jeremy can use it too if he likes.

BooneyBeautiful · 02/02/2026 04:27

ultracynic · 01/02/2026 22:39

Peggy is a diminutive of Margaret, and so is Daisy (makes a bit more sense as the oxeye daisy is aka Marguerite)

DM was a Margaret and was always known as Peg or Peggy. I mentioned this to a friend quite recently and she had never heard of it!

Chestnutmarenutjob · 02/02/2026 04:28

Iain is the Scottish Gaelic form of John. Took me years to realise my dad’s name wasn’t actually John, but Iain.

NotMeAtAll · 02/02/2026 04:45

Jeregrettetous · 01/02/2026 23:53

Not unusual at all in Ireland at that stage. He may well have been baptised William but known as the Irish version of his name. My grandfather’s ’official name’ was English but he was only ever known by the quite different sounding Irish version.

Liam is not a diminutive of William.

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Indeed. It's not uncommon in Ireland to swap between English and Irish forms of names. James/Seamus, Margaret/Mairead, William/Liam, Mary/Máire etc. They're full names in their own right, and not diminutive forms.

HereComesAuntySocial · 02/02/2026 04:48

MarxistMags · 02/02/2026 01:12

I've just discovered this....we all know about the labels on the back of T-shirts/clothing etc. but I have realised that there is also a label on the left seam of all clothes 😄

How on earth did you not notice this before?!

The label is there because it usually has washing instructions on. It’s not that small so I’m not sure how you have missed it until now.
I will be very surprised if someone else comments saying you have opened their eyes to a deep revelation but you never know on here.

Are you a teenager who doesn’t do their own washing?! 😂.

Lesina · 02/02/2026 05:07

Fbfbfvfvv · 01/02/2026 22:20

I had this with Liam - I never knew it was short for William until very recently.

It’s not. Liam is an Irish name.

LBFseBrom · 02/02/2026 05:25

That's a new one on me too, Jeremy is usually Jez or Jerry (or Jer). Jimmy NS Jim are from James. However somebody called Jeremy might want to be called, "Jimmy", and why not?

I've known a few Jeremys and like the name in full but nicknames are friendly.

PithyViewer · 02/02/2026 06:00

youalright · 01/02/2026 22:23

I'm still in shock when I found out about the little piggy going to market doesn't mean he went shopping 😢

WHAT????

Zanatdy · 02/02/2026 06:01

All the Jeremy’s i have know are Jez. Jimmy is nick name for James. Doesn’t mean a Jeremy can’t be Jimmy but most aren’t.

2021x · 02/02/2026 06:04

Its going to blow your mind when you know that Jesus is the latin variation of Joshua/Yeshua and Isabella (and its billion forms) is the latin for Elizabeth.

Wordsmithery · 02/02/2026 06:36

youalright · 01/02/2026 22:23

I'm still in shock when I found out about the little piggy going to market doesn't mean he went shopping 😢

OMG that's horrific. I always pictured a smiling little piggy with a shopping basket. I'm distraught 😥

Wordsmithery · 02/02/2026 06:40

I only found out quite recently (through watching Downton) that Queenie was a nickname for girls named after the reigning Queen. So Victoria or Elizabeth.
I always thought it was just a name that nobody used any more.

Climbingrosexx · 02/02/2026 06:44

Fbfbfvfvv · 01/02/2026 22:20

I had this with Liam - I never knew it was short for William until very recently.

Liam is the Irish version of William. I know some William's will shorten the name but Liam is a name in its own right

WhatWouldJeevesDo · 02/02/2026 06:54

youalright · 01/02/2026 22:23

I'm still in shock when I found out about the little piggy going to market doesn't mean he went shopping 😢

Of course he went shopping. He bought the beef to roast. One has a treat (town) one doesn’t, one has a treat (beef), one doesn’t. They are obviously all at home, back together and enjoying life to this day. Don’t worry.

busyd4y · 02/02/2026 06:54

CookingFatCat · 02/02/2026 00:56

Didn’t we all 😬

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No, because it comes up literally every time there's a thread about things you didn't know 😂😂, probably about every month

Alittlefrustrated · 02/02/2026 07:05

Only Jetemy I know is a Jed.

Bitchcraft · 02/02/2026 07:16

Wordsmithery · 02/02/2026 06:36

OMG that's horrific. I always pictured a smiling little piggy with a shopping basket. I'm distraught 😥

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Same! 😭 Poor pig!

Middlechild3 · 02/02/2026 07:29

Jeanolly · 01/02/2026 22:17

I've just had a lightbulb moment (at least I think I have!).

I never knew until about 2 minutes ago that Jimmy is a diminutive for Jeremy. I thought it was short for James. Or maybe it's for both?

Surely not, Jeremy is regularly shortened to Jezza

DeanElderberry · 02/02/2026 07:37

Ireland didn't have many Jeremys but Jeremiah was used quite a bit as a variant on the Irish Diarmuid. Mostly abbreviated as Gerry or Ger, but occasionally as Miah.

Irish Jameses can be Jim or Seamus.

Polly is a variant of Molly, but used more in England than in Ireland where it was used as a pet name for Pauline. Moya was used for Mary as were Maire, Maura and Mairín/Maureen and in the past most usually Molly.

As others have said, there were lots of names for Margarets, including Greta and Rita'

My name related 'I never knew that' last year came after a radio presenter used a very authentic French pronunciation for the birds 'guillemots' (which amused her co-presenters no end) and it suddenly occurred to me that the name comes from the French and they are 'little Williams'.

Rebeldiamond1 · 02/02/2026 07:45

Jeanolly · 01/02/2026 22:17

I've just had a lightbulb moment (at least I think I have!).

I never knew until about 2 minutes ago that Jimmy is a diminutive for Jeremy. I thought it was short for James. Or maybe it's for both?

Jimmy isnt short for Jeremy. Jerry is. Someone may have decided to use Jimmy but Jimmy is 100% James.
Robert is Bob
Lily is Elizabeth
Peggy is Margaret

EdithBond · 02/02/2026 07:46

I’ve only ever know Jim or Jimmy be short for James.

Jem is usually short for Jeremy. But guess it’s not an exact science.

Rebeldiamond1 · 02/02/2026 07:47

Alittlefrustrated · 02/02/2026 07:05

Only Jetemy I know is a Jed.

Jeds usually from Gerard or jedadiah

BrandyandGinger · 02/02/2026 07:49

Hollyhobbi · 02/02/2026 02:40

Nope they are Gerry’s! Or Ger, like one of my uncles. My uncle is Jim or Seamus when he’s home from England. His given name is James.

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Yes, Gerry is the right spelling for the Gerards that are Gerry and Gers. I was just thinking of the sound.
I didn't know Shuggie was a version of Hugh until I read Shuggie Bain. It's a very cute nickname.
Wasn't the golfer Sandy Lyle called Alexander?