# Standard nicknames that have no apparent resemblance to the full name **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 5, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699 "2011-10-05T16:55:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/41 "2011-10-05T20:35:31Z")
> [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](#): > > Pepe for Jose. > > . In many Romance languages, nicknames come from baby talk- or, more accurately, from babies’ first attempts to say their own names. A Mexican toddler named Guilermo (William) will often pronounce his name “Memo.” So, not surprisingly, “Memo” is the Mexican equivalent of “Billy.” The Italian version of Joseph/Jose is “Giuseppe.” An Italian toddler with that name often pronounces it “Pepe,” which has become one of several popular Italian equivalents of “Joey.” ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/42 "2011-10-05T21:19:49Z")
[Chuy for Jesus.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=170758) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/43 "2011-10-05T21:33:18Z")
Harry for Henry. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/44 "2011-10-05T21:38:24Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Harry for Henry. Isn’t Harry for Harold? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/45 "2011-10-05T21:41:18Z")
There is a British one of Jezzer (?). I have no idea what that is even short for. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/46 "2011-10-05T21:42:23Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Isn’t Harry for Harold? For Harold and Harrison it makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/47 "2011-10-05T21:42:44Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Isn’t Harry for Harold? It is also for Henry. So is Hal, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/48 "2011-10-05T21:55:23Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > I know a Sandy - Scottish nickname for Alexander. That one makes sense when you consider “Xander” (pron “Zander”) as an Alexander short form. Xander to Sandy isn’t a big jump. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/49 "2011-10-05T22:38:23Z")
Alexander - Stash, Sasha James - Jacob, Diego ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/50 "2011-10-05T22:47:28Z")
I was going to say Ted for Edward and Sally for Sarah. I’ve never understood either of them. If someone’s name was Ted, I’d assume it was short for Theodore. That makes more sense to me. The Sally for Sarah is just like Jack for John. Same number of letters and syllables. Both of them get a big ole’ WTF? from me. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/51 "2011-10-05T22:47:43Z")
Penelope gave us Penny and Nellie. Hal for Harold is a little strange, but I know 3 Harolds who are known as Butch. TriPolar said, “Some of those guys had Roman numerals for last names, making it easier to tell them apart.” Some guys with Roman numerals, especially in The South, are called Sticks, for “III”. Many odd nicknames come from families that name the firstborn boy the same as his dad and granddad. I have a nephew named Corey who, in his 40s, is beginning to be known as Corky. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/52 "2011-10-05T22:50:04Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Some guys with Roman numerals, especially in The South, are called Sticks, for “III”. I’ve known two guys who were “the third” and they went by Trey. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/53 "2011-10-05T23:22:05Z")
> [@YoSaffBridge](#): > > I’ve known two guys who were “the third” and they went by Trey. In the South, for a long time, William Horace Jones II would be known as “Dub,” while William Horace Jones III would be known as either “Trip” or “Trey.” After a while, though, I think “Trey” took on a life of its own, and a fair number of kids now have “Trey” on their birth certificates. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/54 "2011-10-05T23:33:24Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > There is a British one of Jezzer (?). I have no idea what that is even short for. Jez/Jezzer is short for Jeremy. It’s not uncommon to take the first two letters of the name and add a zed to make the nickname. So, Jez = Jeremy, Daz = Darren, &c. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/55 "2011-10-06T00:20:35Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Penelope gave us Penny and Nellie. And in my family, at least, Nellie is short for Eleanor. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/56 "2011-10-06T00:29:48Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Hal for Harold is a little strange, but I know 3 Harolds who are known as Butch. I’m assuming this is pure coincidence, but maybe there’s a reason behind all of this. One of my oldest friends (we’ve known each other since Kindergarten 56 years ago) is named Harold, known all his life to parents, friends, classmates, coworkers, girlfriends, and wife as “Hal.” _But…_ his sister (two years younger) always called him “Butchie”, and his brother (four years younger) always called him “Butch.” When we were kids I sometimes asked them why, and they always shrugged and said they didn’t know. We were all in our fifties before I noticed them addressing him as Hal." What goes on here? ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/57 "2011-10-06T01:11:15Z")
I have two uncle Franks who both go by Butch. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/58 "2011-10-06T01:33:16Z")
I know a Richard and an Armand who go by Butch. I can see Armand wanting to go by a different name, but don’t see the connection to Richard. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/59 "2011-10-06T03:20:33Z")
> [@LilyoftheField](#): > > Ted for Edward. What’s wrong with Ed - it’s one letter shorter! Because when you say your name, people think you’re coughing? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699/60 "2011-10-06T04:12:59Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I can see Armand wanting to go by a different name, I can’t. Armand is a frickin’ awesome name,. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/standard-nicknames-that-have-no-apparent-resemblance-to-the-full-name/598699.md?page=4)