Knowing how to recognize American nicknames is a small challenge. Between first names that have a dozen different nicknames, and those that have nothing to do with the initial name, we can quickly get lost.
The Richards are Dick
We do not say it, it's the English tradition. It must be remembered that in the Middle Ages, there were not many names. Richard was a name given to the shovel, so it needed nicknames to differentiate. He quickly turned into Rick, then rhymed this nickname with another to become a full name. That's how Rick became Dick. It's probably the hardest nickname to wear these days, and the hardest to translate … In an episode of Desperate Housewives (season 7, episode 13), the character of Susan launches to a "Dick", That he has the head of his first name, what the translators have translated as"con" in French. Bad.
Why are Johns Jack?
Who says nickname, does not necessarily diminutive in the United States! Dating back to the twelfth century, Jack was originally used as a generic name for peasants. Over time, he found himself in the trades as Lumberjack or Steeplejack. Like Jack, John was also used as a generic name for commoners and English peasants (John Doe, which is used today to refer to people without identity), which could explain why Jack became his nickname. The other explanation would be that the Normans added "kin" to the name when they wanted to create a diminutive. And Jen was their way of saying John. That's how John became Jenkin. Time turned that into Jakin, who eventually became Jack. You follow?
Obviously, the Harry are Henry
Since medieval times, Harry has always been a popular nickname for Henry in England. Henry was also very popular among British monarchs, most of whom preferred to be called Harry by their subjects. It is a tradition that continues today as Prince Henry of Wales who, once baptized, became Prince Harry.
Bill Clinton is actually William Clinton
There are many theories about why Bill became a nickname for William. The most obvious is that it was part of the trend of the Middle Ages exchange of letters. Similar to Dick and Rick, Bill is a nickname that rhymes for Will. Some think that Will has been turned into Bill for phonetic reasons. Note that when William III reigned in England in the late seventeenth century, his subjects used the nickname "King Billy" to make fun of him.
Peggy's Golden Palm Award for Margaret
Peggy is one of the darkest nicknames in this list, but the explanation is quite simple. The obvious nicknames for Margaret are Marg, Margie and Maggie. It does not take much to get to Meg from there. We now know that rhymes have played a major role in many nicknames. These nicknames later became rhymed forms Pog (gy) and Peg (gy). Good to know, the Margaret can also be named Daisy, the translation of "Marguerite" in French.
