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HelpRe: Nicknames for Heather
in reply to a message by Bee123
Why does it even need a nickname? I've known several Heathers and none of them ever went by nicknames except the one Heather who was known briefly as Red because of her hair.
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It really doesn't. Two-syllable names really don't, and few have them. Nicknames came about partially as a way to shorten three-syllable or longer names, so as not to have to go through the verbal gymnastics of saying longer names on a day-to-day basis, multiple times a day. It's counter-intuitive to come up with nicknames for two-syllable names that trip right off the tongue. Heather is one of those names.
My older sister and myself have two-syllable names and neither one of us has ever gone by a nickname. My two younger sisters have three-syllable names and they both have always gone by a nickname. That's what comes intuitively.
But then I guess it does happen at times. Some Janices goes by Jan, though I don't know why, as I would never want to go by that. And my sister Linda, mother of Heather, would be called Linnie by her first mother-in-law, though my mother hated that as well as Hezzie. Seems like that family were compulsive nickname-givers.
My older sister and myself have two-syllable names and neither one of us has ever gone by a nickname. My two younger sisters have three-syllable names and they both have always gone by a nickname. That's what comes intuitively.
But then I guess it does happen at times. Some Janices goes by Jan, though I don't know why, as I would never want to go by that. And my sister Linda, mother of Heather, would be called Linnie by her first mother-in-law, though my mother hated that as well as Hezzie. Seems like that family were compulsive nickname-givers.
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Not arguing, really, but I think that particularly for male names, lots of two-syllable names have nicknames.
Robert = Bob
Clinton = Clint
William = Bill, Will, etc.
Thomas = Tom
Jacob = Jake
Michael = Mike
Albert, Alvin, Alan, etc. = Al
Andrew = Andy or Drew
Matthew = Matt
Even my son Travis often is called Trav. Well, I could go on and on. Although, as I think someone noted recently, young boys now seem to use their full names. In the past, this wasn't as true as today. Think of how many middle-aged and older men that are called Bob, Bill, Tom, Mike, blah blah blah.
Maybe it isn't as true for female names, though....
Robert = Bob
Clinton = Clint
William = Bill, Will, etc.
Thomas = Tom
Jacob = Jake
Michael = Mike
Albert, Alvin, Alan, etc. = Al
Andrew = Andy or Drew
Matthew = Matt
Even my son Travis often is called Trav. Well, I could go on and on. Although, as I think someone noted recently, young boys now seem to use their full names. In the past, this wasn't as true as today. Think of how many middle-aged and older men that are called Bob, Bill, Tom, Mike, blah blah blah.
Maybe it isn't as true for female names, though....
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I think if the names are classically popular, even if they are very short they will often have lots of diminutive options, because historically people needed to be able to tell which William was which! Like look at John, a simple name if ever there was one, but look at the slew of nicknames that were derived from it.
So examples like Robert, William, Henry etc don't really follow much logic in terms of how short they are. But more modern names, like, I don't know... Justin, Brandon, Gary... Those definitely follow your line of thinking. As far as I've observed, anyway!
So examples like Robert, William, Henry etc don't really follow much logic in terms of how short they are. But more modern names, like, I don't know... Justin, Brandon, Gary... Those definitely follow your line of thinking. As far as I've observed, anyway!
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Good point
I wish I'd thought of it.
I wish I'd thought of it.
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