Nice job Jane. I learned a few things there myself. Ilsebe - how lovely.�And you're right, the thought of August or Gustav being referred to as Gus back in the old country seems almost blasphemous. Could they possibly do it in the fun loving Bavarian region, where the sun and ale flow more freely? Or would it merely end up Gustavl. :-0 Seems to me the best diminutive we'll spot in the northern climbs is Gustavus! [Where's Helmut or Falk when you need them?]
Since names and nicks are near and dear subjects to many of us, yet often remain perplexing in their makeup, I'm going to add this little treatise to the nickname brew. I compiled a portion of it a while back, from both personal knowledge and various resources I've tapped, and now updated it. Much of it is English/American-centric, but touches on most of the fundamental bases that are shared with our Germanic parent tongue.
Personal Names :: Diminutives, Nicknames, Alternatives
In regards to personal names, a diminutive is a related but shortened given name, whereas a nickname is any name one uses in place of their real name. Both comprise what can be called alternative names, and diminutives are also generally regarded as nicknames (though not all nicknames are diminutives). Since the two overlap, the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, though linguists, onomastics and etymologists might shake their heads in disapproval. But any way you shake it, a nickname can be comprised of a pet name, a shortened or truncated name, an alternate name, a name derivative, an associated name, an initialed moniker, a hypocoristic name, an affixed form, or a diminutive stub.
Diminutives typically contain at least one sound from the original name and are usually (but not always) shortened versions of the original name. Will, Bill or Billy for William, and Tom or Tommy for Thomas are fairly standard examples, and easily recognized. Some diminutives are not as obvious to our modern ears, such as Sally for Sarah or Jessie for Janet. A lot of confusion stems from the irregularities found within various naming conventions, and often unclear root etymologies. This is further compounded by the wide array of spelling modifications we now find in use. If that isn't enough, diminutive names can also double as given names (example: Ellen is a diminutive of Eleanor(e), but is also a given name in its own right).
We see perplexing name inconsistencies time and again in many record searches, none better evidenced than in sequential records like the censuses. A federal or state enumeration may list a person with their real name on one occasion, only to be followed by a diminutive on the subsequent one. If "preferred" middle names or initial monikers are tossed into the mix, as sometimes happens, things will get even more confusing. Add to this all the misspelling possibilities, and you can appreciate the exponential power of soundex coding systems and wild card character search techniques!
Nicknames are alternative or substitute names, often based on some type of personal characteristic (hair color, body size, height, etc.). But as we all eventually discover, they may come about for virtually any reason and have no connection that seems logical (example: Yogi Berra's given name is actually Lawrence Peter). Since many nicknames are not tied to the actual name in any way, they tend to be more problematic than diminutive ones. Fortunately nicknames are less likely to be used in official records than are diminutives (though there are certainly exceptions to be found).
Nicknames can also be affectionate or personalized terms used to describe a person. Shorty Smith would presumably be short in stature (though Tiny Williams may not be!), Slim Pickings is likely skinny, Slick Hanson you can bet will be clumsy, and Red Cooper having red locks will come as no surprise to anyone. Try not to imagine what "Machine Gun" Kelly most likely denotes. <g>
Some occupational derived nicks are worth musing over: Doc for doctor, Chippie for carpenter, Dusty for miller, Smudge for blacksmith, Prof for professor, Sparky for electrician, to name just a few. Other colorful nicknames are so irresistible it takes an array of them to describe the same thing: Ginger, Red or Rusty (or Bluey according to those mixed up Australians) all describe a person with red hair. Likewise Blondie, Goldie and Yeller for those with pretty blond curls. A person's nickname may also have no traceable origin. A person named "Marion" may be nicknamed "Mike" for no apparent reason, or a man who was named after a relative may ask his friends to call him "Chip" (as in "chip off the old block"?) to avoid unnecessary confusion.
During the Middle Ages, many of these descriptive nicknames (or bynames) evolved to become family last names (our hereditary surnames). Thus, an ancestor of Neil Armstrong most likely had strong arms, one of Gordon Lightfoot's progenitors was probably swift of foot or perhaps a scout, and Jane White probably had an ancestor with pale complexion or hair. It would thus stand to reason that our lovely Jane Swan descends from a long line of swans, uh, no doubt from the Paleolithic days, but now I digress. 
[not to worry Jane, I've confirmed the majority of mine come from a remarkably distinguished line of dinosaurs, a few of which can still be spotted in Far Side depictions. Since DNA never lies, wanna guess which branch of the Rex?]
Still, when all is said and done, the most common type of nickname remains the diminutive form (again usually a shortened or altered version of one�s real name, like Jim for James or Betty for Elizabeth). Diminutives have traditionally been given to inferiors or equals, such as children and servants, or close friends or relatives. Since they can often denote forms of endearment also, there exists varying degrees of diminutives. A man may be William to his business associates and acquaintances, Will to his friends and spouse, and Willie to his mother (add Guillaume for that French guy up the street). Nicknames made up this way are believed to be among the oldest parts of language still used.
Since diminutives are formed by corrupting, shortening, or otherwise changing a given name into something different (but still related to the root), here are some examples of the most common forms, and the means by which they have come into being:
- Contraction: Greta from Margaret, Kurt from Konrad(t), Tessa from Teresa, Hetty from Henrietta
- Dropped letter (best example "r"): Maggie from Margaret, Biddy from Bridget, Hattie from Harriet, Kit from Christopher
- Swapped letter (prime example "p" for "m"): Polly from Molly + Mary, Peg from Meg + Margaret
- Hardened letter (example "t" from "th"): Kate from Katherine, Dotty from Dorothy, Betty from Elizabeth, Matt from Matthew, Ted from Theodore, Tom from Thomas (note the "th" in Thomas is hard from the get-go)
- Hardened letter (example "ck" or "k" from "ch"): Rick and Dick from Richard, Frederick from Frederich or Friedrich, Dirk and Derek from Dietrich, Micki and Mickey from Michelle
- Softened letter (example "ch" from "c" or "k"): Charlie from Carl or Karl [blame the French for the soft stuff folks!]
- Shortened form, from the back: Beth from Elizabeth, Derick from Theoderick, Drew from Andrew, Fred from Alfred
- Shortened form, from the front: Alex from Alexander, Eliza from Elizabeth, Fred from Frederick, Marc from Marcus
- Shortened from, from the middle: Della from Adelaide, Liz from Elizabeth, Lisa from Elisabeth, Stoffe from Christopher
- Use of Initials: A.J., B.J., C.J., D.J. (note the J sometimes stands for Jr.) JC, Jb for JB (w00t), A. J. for Anthony Joseph Jr. Foyt, W.C. for William Claude Fields, F. Scott for Francis Scott Fitzgerald, J. Edgar for John Edgar Hoover,
- Also full initials: FDR, JFK, LBJ to name three modern U.S. Presidents,
and our very own HPA for Hans Peter Albers von Bienenb�ttel
- Anglicizations (in English speaking countries): William for Guillaume, Andrew for Andreas, Andr� or Anders, John for Johann or Hans, Frank for Francisco, Sarah for Cesarine
- Endearments and "little" diminutives from affixes | suffixes:
* Scottish (first used in Scotland, then onto England, and from there to the great colonies of America, Canada, Australia, etc.) "ie" + "ee" + "ey" + "y": Jamie from James, Charlie from Charles, Davey from David
* |-- English (based upon the earlier Scottish pattern): Johnny from John, Gracie from Grace, Rosie from Rose, Markie from Mark, Marty from Martin, Robbie from Robert
* German "chen": Gretchen from Margareta, K�tchen from Katherine, R�schen from Rose, Trudchen from Gertrude
-- "(l)i" Niki from Nikolaus, Elli from Eleanor, Kalli from Karl, Willi
from Wilhelm, Heidi and Adi from Adelheid/Adelheit
* Irish/Gaelic "an" or "in" (often Anglicized as "een"): Colleen for Little Girl, Doreen for Little Dora, Maureen for Little Mary, Brian for Little Hill, Ryan for Little King, Caitlin or Cateline for Katherine
* Australian (+ English) "za" (especially ones ending in (r)r): Bazza from Barry, Gazza from Gary, Shazza from Sharon, Mazza from Marion
* Spanish "ita" or "ina" (girls) and "ito" or "in" (boys): Anita from Ana, Carlito from Carlos, Evita from Eva, Lolita from Lola or Dolores, Juanita from Juana, Pepito from Pepe, Carmelina and Carmina from Carmen
* Italian
"ino" "etto" "ello" (boys): Tonino from Antonio, Paolino from Paolo, Donatello from Donato
"ina" "etta" "ella" (girls): Antonina from Antonia, Antonietta from Antonia, Donatella from Donata
* French (huge nick mucksters) "ot/otte" "on/onne" "in/ine/line" and "et/ette":
Adeline from Adele, Alison from Alice, Annette from Anne, Babette from Barbara, Charlot from Charles, Jeannette from Jeanne, Madeline from Magdalene, Margot from Marguerite, Marcelin from Marcel, Nicolette from Nicole
Note: It was the English and Scottish who took many of these French endings (ine, ette, otte, etc.) and "Latinized" them by adding an "a", thus creating names like Adelina (Adele +ine +a), Henrietta (Henri +ette +a), Paulina (Paula +ine +a), etc.
A few interesting "nick knacks" to ponder
- Elizabeth, that popular, royal English name (said to be more royal than Rena) probably has more nicknames coined from it than any other. In the United States, almost twice as many women are named with a diminutive of Elizabeth, than are named Elizabeth. The name Elizabeth has consistently been one of the most popular English names for a number of centuries now.
- In Viking societies, many people had nicknames "heiti", "vi�rnefni" or "uppnefi" which were used in addition to, or instead of, their family names. In some circumstances, the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts.
- When the Normans invaded England in 1066, they transformed not only the politics, religion and language of the country, but the names as well. They brought with them a large stock of Germanic names, only "Frenchified" (Romanized/Latinized), a reflection of their adopted Romance tongue. The native Anglo-Saxons (now transformed for the most part into the lower class rungs of society with the arrival of the new conquerors) were faced with an unfamiliar language and many strange pronunciations. In particular, they were uncomfortable with the Norman �R� as found in names like Richard, Roger, and Robert, and Henry or Harry.
From this came the negation of the "r": Babs from Barb + Barbara, Biddy from
Bid + Bridget, Dot from Dotty + Dorothy, Fanny from Fan + Frances, Meg from Marg + Margaret, Kit from Christopher, etc.
Other times, a middle "r" would be swapped for an "l" or "d" which gave us the nicknames: Hal from Harry, Molly and Mally and Maidie from Mary, Dolly and Dodie from Dorothy, Sally and Sadie from Sarah, etc.
- As mentioned earlier, one of the purposes of nicknames, particularly in ages past, was to create a name to be used with one's inferiors. Thus some nicknames have taken on additional meanings that are slightly derogatory, and it should come as no surprise that many of these kinds have lost much of their popularity as time has rolled on.
- Before the 17th century, the most common diminutive endings were the Norman/English "in" or "kin" (-kin then corresponding with the German -chen). Jack, for instance, originates from the name Jakin, a corrupted form of Jenkin (John +kin). Jack has remained a nickname for John for centuries now, long after the original connection and connotation was lost. Another example of this is the name Hank, which is short for Han-Kin, or Hen-kin, or Henry-kin. Most of these types of "original" nicknames have long disappeared, leaving as reminders only surnames today. Robin from Robert and Colin from Col + Nicolas are a few additional Norman based diminutives that have managed to survive to this day.
- It was only in the 19th century that Bill was coined from Will, and Bob from Rob. Why and how I have yet to discover (same goes with the M into P letter swappings: Peggy from Meg + Margaret and Polly from Molly + Mary)
If you haven't guessed yet, Jb derives from J + b (secret's out)
Jb