Josephine? Nickname pepper?

[Lollipoppit]

Has anybody come across a Josephine with the nickname pepper?
Apparently the Spanish equivalent of Joe is pepe and Google lists pepper as an option for a nickname for Josephine?

Any thoughts on Josephine?
Would sephy be too boyish for a girls nickname?

@cunningplan101

I know that, in Spanish-speaking countries, Joseph (José) goes to Pepe because Joseph is the father of Jesus.

Geeky stuff from the internet:

"In Latin, putative father is pater putativus, which is commonly abbreviated as p.p. If you read that abbreviation in Spanish out loud, you'll find why we call José “Pepe” instead."

So then Pepa is the feminine form of Pepe.

I think this is fine if you’re Spanish. But it doesn’t sound like op is, and even if she was she doesn’t want to use Pepa she wants to use the word Pepper. If you like the name pepper that’s all good but it just is not a nickname for Josephine.

There was an interesting thread about this a couple of weeks ago but I can’t see it now - about how people try to work contrived nicknames out of what they consider more ‘acceptable’ names.

I know Josephine
She goes by Phiney she hates Jo/Josie/Josephine

*know a

I disagree that nicknames always evolve over time. I know a fair few people named one thing but called something entirely different from birth. If you have a baby Josephine but introduce her as Pepper I doubt anyone in real life would refuse to call her it. My daughter has a shortening of her name and no one questions it.

I would use the nn Joni for Josephine.

@MollysDolly

But nicknames don't always have to be directly derived from the sounds of a name. Look at the girls in Made in Chelsea, Catherine Dunlop = Caggie and Alexandra Felstead = Binky!!!

Yes if you're all plummy, then this can happen. I know a Christina known as "Bumble" and a Donald known as "Badger" and am Emma known as "Tigs." But that's because they are frightfully posh.

Pepper isn't a nickname for anything. Unless we are welcoming little baby Pepperami.

This was always happening at my school. Nobody's nickname bore any relation to their actual name (things like Froggle and Barbo). Posh girls' school. My DD goes to a similar school, and her particular friend is called Sozzle.

Pepper isn't really a nn for Josephine, I'm afraid, OP.

This is more than a little tenuous.

Joseph in Spanish is Jose (with an accent over the e which I can't do on this keyboard) the feminine would be Josefa, or Josefina.

Pepe is indeed a nickname for Jose. So a boy's name. A woman/girl would be Pepa or Pepita.

Pepa might SOUND like pepper but it's not. Pepper in Spanish is pimienta.

It's all more than a little contrived, isn't it? If you like Pepper as a nickname then call her Pepper, whether her real name is Sally, or Jane, or Gertrude. IT DOESN'T MATTER. But all the "well her name is Josephine but we call her Pepper because of Josefa and Pepa and how it sounds a bit like Pepper" will have people's eyes rolling out of their head before you've even finished the sentence.

Nicknames evolve , they often don't relate to the actual name at all.
What you're talking about is shortening a name eg Ben for Benjamin.

@JSL52

Nicknames evolve , they often don't relate to the actual name at all. What you're talking about is shortening a name eg Ben for Benjamin.

Well that’s debatable. Pepper isn’t a shortening of Josephine so Pepper as a name for Josephine would in fact be a nickname.

@Kanaloa I see what you mean in this case. I think it's like Peggy for Margaret or Ted for Edward. ( a sort of known alternative) though rather than an actual nickname.

If you want to call her Pepper then I guess that's your choice but people won't associate it with the name Josephine. They'll just think it's a random nickname.

Wont people just call her Jose

@MLMshouldbeillegal

This is more than a little tenuous.

Joseph in Spanish is Jose (with an accent over the e which I can't do on this keyboard) the feminine would be Josefa, or Josefina.

Pepe is indeed a nickname for Jose. So a boy's name. A woman/girl would be Pepa or Pepita.

Pepa might SOUND like pepper but it's not. Pepper in Spanish is pimienta.

It's all more than a little contrived, isn't it? If you like Pepper as a nickname then call her Pepper, whether her real name is Sally, or Jane, or Gertrude. IT DOESN'T MATTER. But all the "well her name is Josephine but we call her Pepper because of Josefa and Pepa and how it sounds a bit like Pepper" will have people's eyes rolling out of their head before you've even finished the sentence.

Spot on

[quote JSL52]@Kanaloa I see what you mean in this case. I think it's like Peggy for Margaret or Ted for Edward. ( a sort of known alternative) though rather than an actual nickname. [/quote]
Is Pepper a ‘known alternative’ for Josephine? Peggy from Margaret is a traditional nickname, like Ted from Edward. We can see how it was Ed-ward, Ed, Eddie, Teddy, Ted.

Realistically Pepper isn’t a shortening of Josephine. It’s more like someone liked the name Pepper, realised it wasn’t really a name, and typed into Google ‘what can Pepper be short for’ then tried to contrive a link between the Spanish Jose/Pepe/Joséfa/Pepa and the word Pepper.

It’s just all too contrived for me. I can imagine my eyes glazing over as a parent explained this extremely tenuous link and expects me to say something back.

Love Josephine, Sephy is sweet, Pepper is ridiculous.

It’s a jump.

If you want to call your daughter Pepper, just call her Pepper.

@3luckystars

These nickname threads alway leave me scratching my head. Where I am from (Ireland) friends give nicknames.

Parents give you your name, and a person can have several nicknames, but they are not give by their parent!

They are usually because of something that happened or an incident growing up, or a shorter version of a surname.

I can’t understand why a parent would want to give a child two names, just call the child Pepper if you like that name, don’t be bothering with the other name at all.
Pepper is nothing like Josephine.

Sorry this is nothing to do with the your question. I hope that make sense without offending you.

This ^ I'm not from Ireland, I just think this is the truth the World over. Nicknames just evolve for all sorts of weird reasons and can be a completely different name from the ones the parents have given their child, but parents, usually choose to call their child their given name, or shorten it in an obvious way..... Jonathan becoming Jon / Christina becoming Chris or Chrissie etc.

I think Josephine is a really lovely name, but you would shorten it to Josie, Jo, or maybe Joey or Seph, not a completely made up, not linked in any way 'name' which is actually the name of a condiment and not a person.

I am just hoping you are the same person that was proposing using
Pepper as a middle name on a thread yesterday and there aren't two of you trying to alienate your dc.

Saw this while browsing Instagram and couldn’t help but think of this thread! Not quite the same level but if you want contrived nicknames Paige as a full name for Pippa is a head scratcher.

LOVE Josephine and nicknames Josie, Effie, and Sephy. Posey is cute too.

As always on here folk aren’t distinguishing between nicknames and diminutives. Nicknames happen organically but most names have a usual diminutive. Pepper is certainly not the usual diminutive of Josephine.

If you force Pepper she’s likely to get called pig.

The vibe I'm getting from this post is "I want to use Josephine but don't like Jo, Jose or Josie." To which I would reply, "If you really don't think you can live with Jo, Jose or Josie, don't call her Josephine; she will probably end up being called one or all of the above."

I love the name Josephine. I've only known one and she went by the nickname Josa which I always liked too!

I know a Josephine known as Joy. Joy suits her- she's a cheerful person. I think her name evolved from Josephine to Joey to Joy.

If you like Pepper, call her Peppa, like the pig. We met a 4 year old Peppa recently, my kids were thrilled.

If you force Pepper she’s likely to get called pig

Yup
and

The vibe I'm getting from this post is "I want to use Josephine but don't like Jo, Jose or Josie." To which I would reply, "If you really don't think you can live with Jo, Jose or Josie, don't call her Josephine; she will probably end up being called one or all of the above."

Yup