# Re: Why is Peggy the nickname for Margaret?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-is-peggy-the-nickname-for-margaret/622902>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [May 24, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-is-peggy-the-nickname-for-margaret/622902 "2012-05-24T01:22:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Pittguy1971](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Pittguy1971](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pittguy1971)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-is-peggy-the-nickname-for-margaret/622902/22 "2012-06-01T23:17:09Z")

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I read somewhere that “Paighan” is the Gaelic form of Margaret and it comes from there? My mom was the child of irish immigrants and her name was Margaret but they called her Peggy as well.

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-is-peggy-the-nickname-for-margaret/622902/23 "2012-06-02T18:06:33Z")

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Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **Pittguy1971** , we’re glad to have you with us.

Since there’s already a thread on the Margaret/Peggy phenomenon, I’ve merged your thread into that one. No biggie, just helps to keep topics together as much as seems reasonable.

And, as I say, welcome!

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**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-is-peggy-the-nickname-for-margaret/622902/24 "2012-06-04T00:51:21Z")

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> [@Silver\_Tyger](#):
>
> I don’t think Francis is used as a name all that often anymore, but I knew a Frank in Junior High that was really Francis.

The name Francis shows up in my family tree all the way back to the 1600s. It was last bestowed on my grandfather, who hated it enough that he used the name Frank.

One of my grand-uncles was named Mildred. The man lived for 103 years & hated that name for at least 100 of them. He renamed himself Dick.

Dicey used to be a fairly popular name for girls. I wonder why it went out of favor. I think it’s cute.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-is-peggy-the-nickname-for-margaret/622902/25 "2012-06-04T02:31:09Z")

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Is “Mazzie” a form of “Maisie”? Because my grandmother was named Rita (so far as I know, that was her full name, not short for anything), and “Mazzie” was my grandfather’s pet name for her. It never occurred to me before, but I can see Grampap going through the chain of reasoning to get “Mazzie” from “Rita”.

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**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-is-peggy-the-nickname-for-margaret/622902/26 "2012-06-04T17:58:57Z")

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> [@wedgehed](#):
>
> One of my grand-uncles was named Mildred. The man lived for 103 years & hated that name for at least 100 of them. He renamed himself Dick.

Wow, he really must have hated the name “Mildred” to purposely choose the “Dick” as his alternate. 😉

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