is from 'mine
Edward' (mine being a common term of address around the 1600s/1700s, a bit like 'my dear
Edward' today) becoming 'mine
Ed' and then 'my
Ned'. The same for
Nan (
Anne),
Nell (
Ellen,
ELeanor),
Noll (
Oliver), Nab (
Abraham), Namby (
Ambrose), giving eventually the term 'namby-pamby'.