Having grown up on British novels and TV and Dr. Who I thought I’d heard all the unusual (if they were in the US) names that are commonly used in the UK, but when I stumbled across the show “Made in Chelsea” the other night, I was struck by a very clunky name for a very pretty girl, Caggie. Anyone know what name it might be the diminuitive for?
I would have guessed Cagney, but Wikipedia states that Caggie’s actual name is Catherine.
Some Googling revealed that Caggie does not appear to be a particularly common name; in fact, I think Caggie Dunlop from “Made in Chelsea” may be one of the only ones. I ran across an interview with her in which she says that it’s a childhood name that stuck with her, originally from her brother’s mispronunciation of “Catherine.” http://www.lifestyle.com.au/health/interview-made-in-chelseas-caggie-dunlop.aspx
I’d have assumed “Caroline”.
Ooooh, I was afraid of that! One of my pet peeves is people getting stuck with names like that!
There was a girl in my dorm in college named Grid. We all assumed it was short for Ingrid, but near the end of the year she mentioned that her name was actually Joyce, and Grid was what her baby brother had called her, and the family just took it on because they thought it was funny. So for the first six years of her life she had a perfectly fine name, and then this little brat came along and her name became a joke…and she went along with it! She seemed totally mystified when we told her she didn’t have to put up with that anymore, at least not when she was away from home, when she admitted she’d always hated being called Grid. I graduated at the end of that year so I don’t know if she ever took back the name her parents had chosen for her or stuck with Grid.
Surely it would be Cathy, not Catherine? A toddler trying to say Cathy, and it coming out Caggie makes more sense, doesn’t it? 
Take it up with Caggie Dunlop. She’s the one who told the story.
For an actress, on the other hand, it is probably quite an advantage to have an unusual name. It gets you remembered by agents and casting directors. And at least being known as Grid, or Caggie Dunlop, is better than being known as Googie Withers.
Caligula?
Cargaret?
Cagatha? Cagnes?