Couldn’t find the answer on Search or Google.
Diminutive name forms are often derived from baby talk, i.e. small children’s inability to correctly pronounce the names. Jesús is Chucho, and I suppose it was then further diminutized to Chuy.
I can’t fully explain it, I can only point out that MANY common Spanish nicknames are formed by combing “Ch” with a syllable or syllables of the full name. “Chuy” is just one example.
A girl named Isabel is often nicknamed “Chavela.” A guy named Ernesto is often called “Che” (it wasn’t just Senor Guevara!). That’s just a pattern within Spanish.
To ask “why” is like asking “why do so many English nicknames seem to be rhymes for shortened versions of the full name
(“Bob” for Rob/ert,” “Bill” for Will/iam, “Ted” for Ed/ward, etc.)?" The reason is… there IS no reason. Things just evolved that way.
I’m gonna name my kid Tedward.
Squidward?
I thought “Ted” was short for “Theodore”.
Sometimes. My father once bought a one-volume encyclopedia which asserted, in all seriousness, that the Kennedy brothers were named Joseph Jr., John, Robert, and Theodore.
Ted can be short for either Edward or Theodore.
I’m a José and I have been referred to as Che, Cheo or Cheíto. My brother is also a José and HIS nick is “Pepe” which is the most common variation for José.
Jesús, in PR, is Chucho, just plain Chu, or Chuíto(diminutive)
BTW, astorian, “Che” is used in Argentina as a generic way of addressing someone casually – sort of like some English-speakers will use “Mac” or “Buddy” – which would make it a sensible “handle” for him among fellow revolutionaries in Cuba, Central America and Bolivia, sorta calling him Ernest “the Argie” Guevara.
Oh, and Enrique (Henry) becomes “Quique” (pron: Kee-KEH), which at some point between 1960 and 1990 suffered a written metamorphosis to (I’m not making this up) “Kike” (still pron. Kee-KEH)
I’ma name my son Bobert.
I’ll call him “Rob.”
Happy
hijack ahead:
Ned Flanders in the Simpsons is actually named 'Nedward Flanders." They said it in an episode.
Spanish speaking young children often also have difficulty pronouncing Jorgé correctly, at least initially. It oftentimes comes out as “Co-kay.”
There’s some information on the origins of rhyming English nicknames in Dex’s Staff Report What came first, Dick or “dick”?
I asked a Jesús at University why he was called Chuy.
He said that because there were so many boys called Jesús, they had to use a nickname to tell them apart, and the nickname they all used was Chuy.
Russell
FWIW, since you’re in Oakland, it may be the influence of KMEL/Wild 107/CMC DJ Chuy Gomez (middle), who bears a slight resemblance to Jesus Christ. I know he’s referred to himself as “the guy who looks like Jesus Christ” on-air.
I thought Chuy was short was Chubacca? 
how do you pronounce Chuy?
sorry, my spanish is not so hot.
Not just Enrique. When I read this post, I was immediately reminded of retired 16-term Texas congressman Eligio “Kika” de la Garza, II.
irishgirl It’s pronounced like chewey