Genealogy Chat

According to a piece in my paper this morning the reason was because Margaret became Mag, Meg or mOg, then Maggie, Meggie or Moggie, and finally Meggie became Peggy. Apparently, M's change to P's quite easily because of the similar lip positions.

I think this is the way that Mary became Molly (lots of children can't say 'r' when they learn to speak, so they say 'Lolly' for 'lorry' etc) and then Molly became Polly. Can't see how Henry became Harry unless it started as Herry. Not sure how Richard became Dick as R and D don't seem as similar as M and P. fun this name lark, isn't it! nell

John was known as Jack - I see no reason for that either :0) not any quicker to say. I have a few in my family, very confusing.

Yes, you do wonder how these things spread all over the country dont you? I can see Richard being Rich, then Rick but Dick? I have an aunt we call Aunt Dep, write to her like that, everything. Her name is Ethel. Apparently people changed Ethel to Ep and then when my sis and I were little we added the D? Thats going to confuse our descendants, eh?

My mother was convinced her great aunt Hett was called Harriet until I found out she was Esther! Another great-aunt, referred to as 'Aunt Polly Em' was actually aunt Emily. Polly came from the fact that she kept a parrot!!!!! nell

I have a Patty in my tree who was actually Martha - same principal I suppose: Martha >Matty >Patty

Hi all, can anyone explain why Annie becomes Nancy then? I had an aunt who i only knew as aunt nancy, then i found out she was chrissened Annie, also found others the same. Gill

Our oldest grandaugther always called my husband grandad Harold because we discoved later she thought he looked he looked like Harold in neighbours, his name is Raymond Ann

LOL Ann!!! I knew a Peggy whos name was actually Hilda! (named by her brother because he said she looked like a 'peg' doll! Also Minnie was Frances to differentiate between her mother of the same name (ie 'Small') Now that one was tricky to find on the census! Happy Hunting!!

my garnd mother was Annie but always called Nance her mother was Mary Anne but always known as Polly my mothers name was Mabel but was know by everyone as Audrey I think that was because she dislike Mabel so much Margaret

Ann-Annie-Nan-Nanny-Nancy. (But I have a family who have three daughters baptised Ann, Nancy and Hannah!) Olde Crone

A lot of words (not just names) evolved with people juggling the letter sequence around (presumably getting in a tangle somehow). I learned fairly recently, for instance, that the English word ''horse'' started out as ''Hross'' in German. We also have words, such as, ''orange'' where the ''n'' at the start got attached to the ''a'' beforehand so ''a norange'' (compare naranja in ?Spanish) became ''an orange''. Once you see how much that has happened, it's not so hard to see how the ''d'' at the end of ''Richard'' might migrate to the beginning - especially in a child's mouth, where the muscles are still learning how to make the different sounds. It also becomes easier to see how the other names have changed - as others have mentioned with Ann and so on. I believe that Jack can also be used for James because the Latin-based form of that name is Jacques/Jacobus (while we're on the topic - start with Jacobus, swallow the ''c'' and change the ''b'' to ''m'' and you've nearly got James). Christine PS - you might guess that languages intrigue me!

Christine John to Jack: As you say, the Latin form of the name John is Jacobus, but I have read that the John to Jack thing came about during the medaeval period, when records were written in Court French. Jacques - the French version of Jacobus, came about from the habit of scribes who abbreviated this to Jac's. Same thing really - just a different way of getting there! Incidentally, this mangling of names in a child's mouth: My eldest girl is called Lisa. When her youngest sister started to talk, I would say something like Go and call your sister. She would then yell 'Seesa! Seesa!'. We still call my eldest daughter Seesa to this day! (I too am fascinated by words!) Olde Crone

I didn't think it was John that was Jacobus, but James? (As in the Jacobite Rebellion and James Stuart; or Jacobite furniture from the era of King James). But if it isn't - then what is? Anyone got access to a Vulgate Gospel with the list of disciples? (might try the web). Christine

Found one (http://www.latinvulgate.*com)! If the priest didn't really know his Latin, but cribbed it without full understanding from the Vulgate... all these names appear in the accusative case - with ''m'' at the end, in the context of Jesus calling them to be his disciples. (I = J) Simon = Simonis Peter = Petrus Andrew = Andreas James = Iacobus John = Iohannis (should have known this from my copy of St John Passion - Bach!) Philip = Philippus Bartholomew = Bartholomeus Matthew = Mattheus Thomas = Thomas Alpheus = Alpheus Jude = Iudas Christine

Christine You are right of course! What an idiot! (Me) I was trying to say that Jacques was abbreviated to Jac's in Court French! (Shuffling off to bed now in embarrassment) Olde Crone

Well I have a relative who was called Uncle Anty (spelling) who's real name was Anthony. Strange isn't it. Shiela

My husband's grandfather was named Alexander. His family called him Sandy, which over time became Andy. When he died, there was great confusion with collecting the insurance because they had no record of an Andrew !

Olde Crone Given the time of day we were posting, I think any of us is entitled to an error or two! Christine