Boys: We have Ed, Edd, Eddie, Eddy, etc. for Edward
Andy for Andrew
Vic for Victor
Tom or Tommy for Thomas
Frank for Franklin
Nate/Nathan for Nathaniel
Nate for Nathan
Girls:
Vicky for Victoria
Andrea or Anna, I’ve seen Ann/Anne or Annie, also with Anabel/Anabelle too
Tanya for Tatyana but I don’t see many people with this name, I know one and she was my bully’s Russian mother.
Not technically an answer but perhaps the absence is surprising / of interest to someone:
We don’t typically do this in the Netherlands. I find it very strange to call someone something that isn’t their name (or at least a part thereof if the parents chose something unwieldy), especially to the point where a culture develops a set of default secondary names based on their real first name. Mostly obvious ones but sometimes also entirely unguessable. I learned this is a thing in other countries from my German partner
We do have birth names (some biblical crap, like the holy Johannes for someone called Jo) but it’s not like they’d ever introduce themselves to anyone as such (not even when meeting the king). It’s not their name, their parent doesn’t say it when they’ve done something wrong, and I doubt they’d respond to it if it’s not super obvious from other clues that you mean them. It’s just there for ceremonies at church altars and airport terminals
That’s really interesting, I guess I’d assumed it was a universal thing.
I know some people who are known by various versions of their names in their different circles, e.g. Robert/Bob to their family, Rob to their school friends, Bobby to their uni mates and Robert at work.
Pancho, Paco, Pacho, isco, Francis, Fran for Francisco
Tano for Santiago
Cheo, Pepé, Chepe, Jose (different pronunciation) for José
- Fredi or fredy for alfred
- Hampi for Hans-Peter
Some other German ones:
Nick for Niklas and Nick/Niko for Nikolaus
Matze for Martin
Sepp for Josef
Kathi, Katta and Kadda for Katharina and Kathrin
Alex for Alexander and Alexandra
Vicki for Viktoria
Schorsch (not spoken with an English accent) for Georg
Bert for Berthold
Basti and Sebi for Sebastian
Gabi for Gabriele
Siggi for Siegfried and Sieglinde
Uschi for UrsulaAnd of course English nicknames for German names, e.g. Jules for Julian, Dave for David.
- Pepe for José
- Pancho for Francisco
- Nando for Fernando
- Quique for Henrique
- Nico for Nicolás
- Cris for Cristian[o]
- Bea for Beatríz
- Leti for Leticia
- …
In Australia, it’s common to shorten names, then add:
- “-o” suffix to names ending with a consonant sound. Thus, David>Dave>Davo, Steven>Steve>Stevo, John>Johnno, Dominique>Dom>Dommo
- “-az” or “-azza” to names ending with, or containing, an “ar” syllable. Gary>Gaz or Gazza, Sharon>Shaz or Shazza, Barry>Bazza
- ”-ie” (“ee” sound) to names ending with a vowel sound (but sometimes with consonant sound too). Stuart>Stew>Stewie, Frank>Frankie, Don>Donnie
This goes beyond names.
Footy, sparky, chippies, ervo, traino …
The UK had a history of rhyming nicknames for shortened versions, like William -> Will -> Bill, and most of those are still common in English speaking countries. Richard -> Dick, Robert -> Bob (also Hob, Dob and Nob but these didn’t survive).
These shortened versions can then get extended: Edward -> Ed -> Ted -> Teddy, Margaret -> Meg -> Peg -> Peggy, Anne -> Nan -> Nancy
In the middle ages it was common to make a diminutive name by adding -kin, -in, or -cock, which gave us John -> Jankin/Jenkin -> Jakin -> Jack. Also, Robert -> Robin, Henry -> Hank
Some nicknames converge from different starting points, too. Teddy is also short for Theodore, etc.
So that’s how you really get Dick from Richard. TIL
Peggy being short for Margaret always confused me growing up so when I learned about how that happened I was genuinely fascinated.







