Odd nicknames that seem stranger than the original names

[MyUnderpants]

Some nicknames are just odd. Personally I can't stand Saz as a short form of Sara(h) which is short enough not to need it. But it's logical I guess. Any strange examples?

Notso- His surname was Keene.

I think Harry being short for Henry is ridiculous

Peggy for Margaret is quite odd.

Polly as a diminutive of Mary is one I came across recently. The names only share one letter and the ‘diminuitive’ is longer than the original 😂

Kit for Christopher doesn't make much sense either

Topher is a bit daft but it makes more sense than Kit.
@Waitingfordoggo my great grandma was Polly. It was only when she went in hospital I realised her name was actually Mary.

Daisy for Margaret

Nancy for Anne

Chuck for Charles

Dick for Richard (maybe he was one)

‘Pooh’ for a woman whose name was Mary. Presume it was an AA Milne childhood association, but it was nevertheless odd not cute when ‘Pooh’ was older. And it was definitely just ‘Pooh’, not ‘Pooh Bear’ or anything mildly redeeming.

It’s how she introduced herself at work (in an English state school - ‘hi, I’m Pooh Stevens’) and no-one knew quite what to say, other than assiduously call her ‘Ms Stevens’ whereas other teachers might be more informally addressed in private.

All quite eccentric, really.

Yes the Harry/ Henry one does my head in. It’s the same amount of syllables and letters, no shorter surely. Is it because it’s more ‘informal’ sounding ?

I have a Harry who's 8 later this month. He gets Hazza, Haz and Haribo. He's not Henry, definitely Harry!

Also Hal for Harry/Henry

That's like calling someone who's Terry or Terence Tel.

I suppose it’s from saying the French ‘Henri’, which has a very slight ‘n’ sound, so could sound like ‘Orry’/‘arry’?

Jack for John? Just how?!

My great grandmother was Anne, Ginny for ‘short’!

Daisy as the French for ox eye daisy is marguerite

Daisy is because of the flower marguerite which is daisy-like. White marguerites are commonly called Paris Daisies.

Edited to add: or see above!

Penelope becoming P. Not keen.

Daisy for Margaret may come from the idea that a marguerite is a daisy. Presumably the names Margaret and Margery derived from it.

Henry came from the French Henri, but Henri was said differently centuries ago. It sounded more like Harry then, so that was the usual pronunciation in England. I think the Henry pronunciation we have today is actually a later pronunciation that developed.

Those were my grandmother’s names.

There are a couple I really dislike : Baz or Bazza for Barry.

And Beks or Becs for Rebecca. I particularly hate this i think Rebecca is such a lovely name. I'm not keen on Becky as a diminutive but it's a damn site better than the awful Becs.

Yes, it’s that. When we say ‘short for’ that is the modern parlance, it actually should be ‘diminutive’. And diminutive can mean short of course, but it also refers to diminutive suffixes that indicate intimacy and affection - hence how nicknames longer than the original come about.

That’s strange. My childhood friend’s mum was called Ginny short for Virginia.

Betty from Elizabeth . Wonder where the zza thing came from as peculiarly British . Gazza , and calling your mates things like The Gazza . I think it's hilarious and does make me laugh 😂