Why are certain obvious names not nicknames

Started by roadman65, November 03, 2022, 07:12:31 PM

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roadman65

I was often wondering why Nathan is not a nickname for Nathaniel being the first six letters of the name spells out that?

I have always heard of Nate for Nathan, but people who have the name Nathaniel don't seem to get called Nathan.

I don't want to limit this to one name, so anyone who has a question about names can use this.  For example where did Peggy come from being its a nickname for Margarete could be one (if you wondered).
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe


kphoger

Both names have a Hebrew origin.  Nathan (נתן‎) means "God has given", and El means "God".  Therefore Nathanael (נתנאל) means "God has given".  Both names existed in Bible times, and both names exist today.  Nathan is not a nickname for Nathanael because they are distinct names that just happen to share an etymology.
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Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

webny99

Interestingly, however, Nate also gets used as a nickname for Nathaniel.

CtrlAltDel

Quote from: roadman65 on November 03, 2022, 07:12:31 PM
For example where did Peggy come from being its a nickname for Margarete could be one (if you wondered).

Don't forget about Edward and Ned, William and Bill, John and Jack, Robert and Bob, and if you want to go multilingual, José and Pepe.
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Henry

#4
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on November 03, 2022, 08:23:34 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on November 03, 2022, 07:12:31 PM
For example where did Peggy come from being its a nickname for Margarete could be one (if you wondered).

Don't forget about Edward and Ned, William and Bill, John and Jack, Robert and Bob, and if you want to go multilingual, José and Pepe.
Also these gems:

Wally for Walter
Ted for Theodore
Dick for Richard
Jim for James
Hank for Henry
Jerry for Gerald
Frank for Francis
Chuck for Charles
Tony for Anthony
Drew for Andrew
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

kphoger

Quote from: roadman65 on November 03, 2022, 07:12:31 PM
For example where did Peggy come from being its a nickname for Margarete could be one (if you wondered).

Margaret → Marg → Mag → Magge → Meg/Megge → rhyming → Peg/Peggy
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

kurumi

I like how James and Diego are related, as are Jacob, Iago, Giacomo, Santiago, Yakov... and Jim and Jack.
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texaskdog

#7
Quote from: kphoger on November 03, 2022, 08:54:32 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on November 03, 2022, 07:12:31 PM
For example where did Peggy come from being its a nickname for Margarete could be one (if you wondered).

Margaret → Marg → Mag → Magge → Meg/Megge → rhyming → Peg/Peggy

Yeah that's the worst.  Peggy for Margaret.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=discover+peggy+commercial&view=detail&mid=D0D4BBCB7D8B72A58E59D0D4BBCB7D8B72A58E59&FORM=VIRE

jp the roadgeek

Chet for Chester
Harry for Harold
Jean for Genevieve
Millie for Mildred
Patty for Patrick or Patricia
Mickey/Mick for Michael
Terry for Terrence/T(h)eresa
Archie for Archibold

Jerry can also be for Jerome
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kphoger

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on November 04, 2022, 03:16:19 AM
Harry for Harold
Millie for Mildred
Patty for Patrick or Patricia
Terry for Terrence
Archie for Archibold
Jerry can also be for Jerome

All of those are completely normal and obvious.

No different than Robbie for Robert, Kylie for Kyle, Randy for Randall, etc.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

J N Winkler

Some given names that appear to be nicknames are the actual names of the persons concerned.  For example, one of my uncles was called Larry because that was his full first name--it was not short for Lawrence.

Sometimes diminutives evolve into names in their own right--this happened to Nancy (originally a nickname for Ann or Anne) in the 18th century.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

kphoger

Dwight D. Eisenhower and his older brother were called "Little Ike" and "Big Ike".  I guess, if their parents were hoping a boy named Dwight wouldn't get a nickname, they were disappointed.  (He was originally named David Dwight, but he went by Dwight to avoid confusion with his dad.)

We call our youngest son Ike just as often we call him by his full name, Isaac.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Flint1979

Quote from: kphoger on November 04, 2022, 01:53:48 PM
Dwight D. Eisenhower and his older brother were called "Little Ike" and "Big Ike".  I guess, if their parents were hoping a boy named Dwight wouldn't get a nickname, they were disappointed.  (He was originally named David Dwight, but he went by Dwight to avoid confusion with his dad.)

We call our youngest son Ike just as often we call him by his full name, Isaac.
My nephew is named after his dad and we call him baby John and his dad is just John. But the baby part of his name stuck. He's called that due to being the younger of the two.

roadman65

Quote from: kphoger on November 03, 2022, 07:22:17 PM
Both names have a Hebrew origin.  Nathan (נתן‎) means "God has given", and El means "God".  Therefore Nathanael (נתנאל) means "God has given".  Both names existed in Bible times, and both names exist today.  Nathan is not a nickname for Nathanael because they are distinct names that just happen to share an etymology.

Also there is a biblical name for Lucy, yet it’s used for Lucille, a separate name.

Then why was was Ted Kennedy called “Ted” if his name is Edward? He should be Eddie Kennedy or Ed Kennedy. :bigass:

Ted is short for Theodore.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

J N Winkler

Quote from: roadman65 on November 04, 2022, 10:34:17 PMThen why was was Ted Kennedy called "Ted"  if his name is Edward? He should be Eddie Kennedy or Ed Kennedy. :bigass:

Ted is short for Theodore.

Ted is also a diminutive for Edward and Thaddeus.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

kphoger

Quote from: roadman65 on November 04, 2022, 10:34:17 PM
Also there is a biblical name for Lucy, yet it's used for Lucille, a separate name.

Lucius of Cyrene is mentioned once in the book of Acts, and someone named Lucius with no other information included is mentioned once in the book of Romans.  It's a male name.

Other than that, I don't know of any "biblical name for Lucy".
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

roadman65

Quote from: kphoger on November 05, 2022, 10:50:52 AM
Quote from: roadman65 on November 04, 2022, 10:34:17 PM
Also there is a biblical name for Lucy, yet it's used for Lucille, a separate name.

Lucius of Cyrene is mentioned once in the book of Acts, and someone named Lucius with no other information included is mentioned once in the book of Romans.  It's a male name.

Other than that, I don't know of any "biblical name for Lucy".

Wrong book.  It was a martyr later on. Lucia of Syracuse that was venerated as Saint Lucy.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

kphoger

Quote from: roadman65 on November 05, 2022, 11:14:05 AM

Quote from: kphoger on November 05, 2022, 10:50:52 AM

Quote from: roadman65 on November 04, 2022, 10:34:17 PM
Also there is a biblical name for Lucy, yet it's used for Lucille, a separate name.

Lucius of Cyrene is mentioned once in the book of Acts, and someone named Lucius with no other information included is mentioned once in the book of Romans.  It's a male name.

Other than that, I don't know of any "biblical name for Lucy".

Wrong book.  It was a martyr later on. Lucia of Syracuse that was venerated as Saint Lucy.

OK, if by "wrong book" you mean that it isn't biblical at all.  I'm not aware of any Christian denomination or sect, at any point in Christian history, that has considered the Acts of the Martyrs to be part of the biblical canon.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Road Hog

Duane Parcells started getting called Bill for whatever reason and he stuck with it. Nicknames don't always have to follow given names.

texaskdog

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on November 03, 2022, 08:23:34 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on November 03, 2022, 07:12:31 PM
For example where did Peggy come from being its a nickname for Margarete could be one (if you wondered).

Don't forget about Edward and Ned, William and Bill, John and Jack, Robert and Bob, and if you want to go multilingual, José and Pepe.

Edward > Teddy :P

Henry

Quote from: texaskdog on November 16, 2022, 03:43:50 AM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on November 03, 2022, 08:23:34 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on November 03, 2022, 07:12:31 PM
For example where did Peggy come from being its a nickname for Margarete could be one (if you wondered).

Don't forget about Edward and Ned, William and Bill, John and Jack, Robert and Bob, and if you want to go multilingual, José and Pepe.

Edward > Teddy :P
Wasn't Ted Danson's actual first name Edward?

To differentiate myself from my father, everyone called him Hank, but I hated it, especially since we had different middle names, so this was a good compromise.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

kphoger

Quote from: Road Hog on November 15, 2022, 10:30:36 PM
Nicknames don't always have to follow given names.

Well, obviously.  Fats isn't short for Antoine...
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

skluth

Just a few favorites. Probably doesn't meet the OP requirements, but I like these.

Terence "Spike" Milligan
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel
Walter "Radar" O'Reilly
Anthony "Spud" Webb
S.D. "Snake" Plissken
"Weird" Al Yankovic



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