# What could "Harry" be short for **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130 "2004-02-02T02:43:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dioptre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/278dde/32.png) [@Dioptre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dioptre)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/1 "2004-02-02T02:43:38Z")
So I’d like to name my child “Harry”. I don’t want him to be stuck with an abbreviation for a name, so he needs a longer name that can be shortened to Harry. I don’t like Harold. “Harrison” is out, due to the Harrison Ford connotations. I like “Harrington”, but my wife thinks that it is too formal. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/2 "2004-02-02T02:46:57Z")
Isn’t Harry a nickname for Henry? ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/3 "2004-02-02T02:58:28Z")
Krishan? 🙂 Well, it IS short for “Harold”, and the royal family seems happy to think of it as a pet name for “Henry” too (but they are a strange lot.) Perhaps you are going to have to go for whatever yu second favourite choice of name is. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/4 "2004-02-02T03:00:45Z")
“H-A-double-R-I G-A-N spells Harrigan” Harper? [This page](http://www.20000-names.com/male_h_names.htm) has a bunch of “Har-” names. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/5 "2004-02-02T03:01:35Z")
When I see the name _Harry_, I pretty much always figure that the guy is actually Henry, Harold, or hirsute. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/6 "2004-02-02T03:08:34Z")
> [@Dioptre](#): > > Any suggestions? Tanya. That way, when ever someone asks the kid’s name, you can say, “Tanya, but we call him ‘Harry’ since ‘Tanya’ is a girl’s name.” And make sure his middle initial is “K” so that when ever someone asks what it stands for you can say, “Potassium.” ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/7 "2004-02-02T03:36:26Z")
Harriman… ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/8 "2004-02-02T03:48:00Z")
> [@Dioptre](#): > > “Harrison” is out, due to the Harrison Ford connotations. My thoughts exactly, after seeing the thread title. Anyone that would say Indiana Jones was portrayed by “Harry” Ford would most definitively get a slap upside the head from me. That’s just plain un-American. Tripler That’s like calling him “Johnnie Wayne”. You don’t pansify something like that. ---
**Author:** ![cromulent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b4bc9f/32.png) [@cromulent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cromulent)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/9 "2004-02-02T05:18:20Z")
How about “Harlan”? Seems like a nice enough name to me. I picture a “Harlan” as tall, dark and handsome. (I picture a “Harry” as shortish with glasses and a lightning-shaped scar, but I still think it’s a great name 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![SanguineSpider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SanguineSpider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanguineSpider)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/10 "2004-02-02T05:21:30Z")
I like Harrington, actually. Am I weird? ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/11 "2004-02-02T06:43:09Z")
Harrington sounds like it needs a “the third” behind it. Pretty snooty name. I have a cousin named Harrison; however, the family never shortens it to Harry. It’s always been Harrision. ---
**Author:** ![Cargogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Cargogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cargogal)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/12 "2004-02-02T07:11:19Z")
I like Henry shortened to Harry. It makes me think of Kenneth Branaugh delivering the St. Crispian’s day speech. ---
**Author:** ![awake777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@awake777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awake777)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/13 "2004-02-02T07:29:20Z")
Harley, Halbert, Halliburton. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/14 "2004-02-02T07:47:20Z")
**Har** vey. Or you can go medieval and use **Har** decanute. Or maybe something more German like Ger **har** d. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/15 "2004-02-02T08:28:58Z")
“Hartford” could theoretically be shortened to Harry… Personally, I like all of the names here. I could even see myself naming a kid Harrison. After all, is it really THAT BAD to be associated with Harrison Ford? It’s not like naming the kid “Saddam” or anything else with a serious negative connotation. 🙂 Overall, I’d vote for Harlan as the best of the bunch. It has a nice ring to it. It’s not extremely common, but it’s also not totally freaky-weird. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/16 "2004-02-02T08:43:01Z")
Duh, I can’t believe I didnt think of this before…what about just HARRIS by itself? Without the -on part, it shouldn’t bring up any unpleasant Harrison Ford references. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/17 "2004-02-02T10:45:57Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > And make sure his middle initial is “K” so that when ever someone asks what it stands for you can say, “Potassium.” This makes me wish I wasn’t past my child-bearing years! I love it!!! 😃 Methinks my next dog will be named something like Dog K McPoochy! ---
**Author:** ![Harry\_Metcalfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@Harry\_Metcalfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harry_Metcalfe)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/18 "2004-02-02T11:25:48Z")
> [@Dioptre](#): > > So I’d like to name my child “Harry”. > I don’t want him to be stuck with an abbreviation for a name, so he needs > a longer name that can be shortened to Harry. > > I don’t like Harold. > “Harrison” is out, due to the Harrison Ford connotations. > > I like “Harrington”, but my wife thinks that it is too formal. > > Any suggestions? Harry Metcalfe. I like “Harry”, plain. In my case, it isn’t short for anything. I was named after an uncle whose name was also unabreviated “Harry” and who survived for just six hours in the front line in 1917. My gardener has, just last week, named his second son unabreviated “Harry”. And if I want to shorten it, “H” does just fine. H. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/19 "2004-02-02T11:26:40Z")
Yeah, Harlan has something. But if you like ‘Harry’ I say call him ‘Harry’. IME the hassle of saying “No, that really is my name” is outweighed by the hassle of saying “Those ARE my tickets! Harry IS short for Henry, really!” PS. Potassium. BWAHAHA! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130/20 "2004-02-02T12:11:57Z")
I know a Harrison. He goes by his middle name, and I would too if I were him. The fact that you’re talking about naming you’re kid Harrington (which is even snootier than Harrison) is proof that the ‘last names turning into first names’ thing has to die. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-harry-be-short-for/227130.md?page=2)