Is Spike short for William?

[tablebrush]

My friend thought that it was. I know two children named Spike. I love the name, what are people's opinions?

I feel like it's a dogs name, sorry OP!
A bulldog with a spiky collar 😳

I think that's just in Buffy...

I think Spike is a name just on its own.

Is she thinking of Buffy? There was a vampire in that series called William the Bloody. IIRC he was nicknamed Spike because of his penchant for impaling his victims on railroad spikes.

Otherwise, no.

No its short for Spikulonus

i knew a Spike. His name was Michael (Spikeal, Spike).

Maybe she is thinking of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?!

Spike’s full name is William the Bloody, but he got the name “spike” for his habit of torturing people with railroad spikes.

Damn. In the time it took me to write that several people beat me to it!

And yes. More suited to a dog than a kid.

It's short for Michael.

Spike Lee is Shelton.

I know a William who goes by ‘Spike’. Never asked why. May well be coincidence though.

Spike Milligan was called Terence

Knew someone who tried to make a personality for himself at uni by gelling h his hair and calling himself Spike. It didn't really work. Wasn't there a member of Steps called Spike? Or was that SClub. Or 911. It's very early 00s anyway

Yeah I think it's the Buffy connection too.

I knew of a guy who went by Spike, presumably because his surname was Pitchfork 

Spike from Buffy got his name because he tortured people on a rail road spike. His real name was William the bloody,

no

The Spike that I know has his name because of his hair as a child. His name on paper is very different! He has no hair on his head these days...

To be fair to op, the Spikes listed as nicknames for real names on Wikipedia were all called William...

I came across a child called Spike about 20 years ago. I think Spencer was the name on his birth certificate. He had siblings called Sidonie, Samson and Stanley and his parents were Suzanne and Stewart with an S surname. What fun it must have been opening the post in that house!

No, it's short foe Spichael.

I know two. Their real names are Eamon and Alexis. They both suit Spike to a T.

My youngest daughter, named Alexandera ( or a reasonable facsmile there of) insisted on being called Spike, until she was ten. Spike appears to be a good, solid nickname for everyone

A friend of my dm has a brother called Spike. It's on his birth certificate. Hippy parents.

It's short for Ptospikelemy.

I know a Spike, that's his registered name.