Richard goes by Dick, William goes by Bill, Henry goes by Hank, Margaret goes by Peggy, Sarah goes by Sally and the list goes on. I just don’t understand. Where do these names come from? It’s like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. It just doesn’t make sense.
I first began reflecting on these interesting nicknames with a sense of confusion and frustration. I simply could not comprehend how an individual name could come out of another individual name, both being completely different in their pronunciation, spelling and syllables. I found myself asking my peers for their opinions, often being met with similar views in response.
We all quickly agreed that someone named Margaret should go by Maggie or Margie, not Peggy, and then my friends switched gears and discussed that night’s homework. I, however, didn’t move on. I just couldn’t.
I dove into research and dedicated far too much free time to look into the depths of these interesting nicknames. What I found was actually quite interesting.
According to Mental Floss, Richard was a very popular name during the Middle Ages. Since all names were written by hand, people found it easier and more efficient to shorten their names in order to save time. Richard became Rick, which then became Dick. The nickname Rich experienced its own transformation when it eventually morphed into Hitch.
These nicknames got passed down through generations. They made it through world wars, crashes in the stock market and just a few global pandemics. Lowkey, they are epic.
So now, if you tell me that your name is Priscilla but you go by Ellen, I will no longer stare at you with a look of confusion. I will celebrate the history behind your funky nickname.
