h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"When we were having twins, my sister-in-law said it would be nice if it was two girls and we called them Melody and Harmony."
What about Ebony and Ivory, Peace and Calm, Sol and Peppa?
What did you name them, then?

Tom and Jerry.

There was a couple who named their twins Benson and Hedges

New Zealand I think ... but not sure

In my sister's primary school class (ie the one she teaches) in Liverpool, there was a girl called Stella. '...after the laaaager.'

So much wealth of history for you to be able to stretch back the years so far ! I am breaking culture and custom to say I envy those of you who know their connections to the past. I envy also those of you in the 'old country' who are surrounded by daily reminder of history in buildings, ruins and places.
When I wandered the woods as a younger person I searched for signs of my fathers and found little but a burial ground and some carving on rocks but since there has been over the centuries much migration and resettlement of kindreds that it is impossible to know of any real connection in these things. Things were not so peaceful among us as people would think before the first Europeans. My people were among those that drove the Souix from their lands and made of them the great plains warriors that they became. We had the help of the British guns and powder and took the opportunity to settle centuries old disputes. We ourselves were driven from our place by Mohigan warriors long before that. Thank you all! If any others would write more about names plese to do so!
JR

First names, of course, are much older than surnames. Your name, and mine, are both translations of a Hebrew name of the 1st Century AD, which came into Greek as Iohannes and from there into English (John) and Irish (Eoin).

The girl's name Alexandra has been found on a tablet in Pylos in Greece dating from about 1400 BC.

I thought Sean was the irish equivalent of John, Gnomon? Or is it just another version?

Sean is a modified version of the French "Jean" - the real equivalent of "John" is Eoin/Owen.

My favourite version (one I'd consider naming my child, if I had one) is "Jehann", a Low German variant spoken with a soft "J", like a French "J".

Thanks Mala!

My sons' father, who was Irish by parentage, and claimed to know everything Irish was convinced the Irish gaelic for Sean was definately John!

He was wrong by the look of it

Hmm, interesting. That just spurred me into looking up my first name which isn't that common, especially nowadays (completely tanked in Britain since the 70s although still seems to be a popular african-american male name) - strange really as I share a firstname with one of the great British heroes. Origin is pre-roman apparently - although I knew it was at least roman in origin.

But I just found out in French is a female name (but a male name in English) - same spelling.

What I also find interesting is nickname formations.

I've had pretty much the same shortening of my name since being a 10 or 12. But only about 5 years ago I found my nickname also used as a shortening of a similar female name and now seems to be more commonly associated with that because of the lack of popularity of my name. In the US the nickname most favoured is one that sounds archaic to British ears and is never used - only people I have had call me it are those from the WW2 generation.

I'm also somewhat interested in the popularity of nicnames ending in 'z' - I'm not sure where it came from but somewhere around my generation in the 70s or 80s there seems to have been a sudden change to shortening names using the 'z' - I know a Graham who is a Grez, I knew a Marianne who was a Maz and also a polish Marek who was a Maz. There's charles to Chaz, Oliver to Olz, Darren to Daz and so forth.

Clearly there is some overarching cultural guidance on nickanmes. But I dunno what the '-z' one is.

My first name is probably biblical in origin - it's derived from "Magdalena", as in Mary Magdalene, and just means "woman from Magdala". Ho-hum. I've never really had a nickname, either.

No, wait, someone used to call me "The It from the Pit"

Eoin and John are both translations of Iohannes, one into Irish and one into English. Seán is the translation of John into Irish. Does that make sense?

Charles was abbreviated to Chas. and I think this led to the jocular nickname Chaz. It's possible all the other z nicknames come from this. You certainly don't get them in Ireland.

baz comes from barry

daz - darren
gaz - gary
naz - nazhim

Yes, but what process turned Barry into Baz?

lazyness

I prefer my theory.

taff - I think I managed to convey what the shortenings were - the question is why the 'z' form seems to have surfaced and increased in popularity from the 80s onwards. I don't think that lazyness is a peculiarly 80s+ thing - nicknames have always been around are just that. Or affectionate shortenings.

I can see as Gnomon says that Chas can become Chaz. But I never heard of a Das or a Mas or an Ols so that doesn't really cover it.

Something happened that caused the shortenings. Similarly you getLoz for Lorraine - was there ever a Los? Not that I've heard.

As my previous posting temporarily disappeared, I''' not sure whether to post again!!!

MMF