Real names

Use this board for general non-cycling-related chat, or to introduce yourself to the forum.
Reddington
Posts: 66
Joined: 3 May 2020, 11:29am

Re: Real names

Post by Reddington »

When I was growing up all dads/uncles/grandads who were called John were known as Jack(for short!!/??).
My best mates dad and brother were both John but his dad was big Jack and his brother was little Jack.
I've known lots of Johns since and non of them go by or are known as Jack.
Back in the mid 80's my then girlfriend was Moira Patricia.She hated Moira and didn't particularly like Patricia so went by the name of Trish.She is still known as Trish.
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Real names

Post by Mick F »

My uncle Jack was a John.
His father (my grandfather) was a John and known as Jack too.

Quite normal back in the day Up North.
Mick F. Cornwall
Syd
Posts: 1230
Joined: 23 Sep 2018, 2:27pm

Re: Real names

Post by Syd »

When I left school and started work I had a colleague who was called Lex.

Over 20 years later I took up a new job and was told someone there used to work with me, a chap called Lachlan. I didn’t have a clue who it was till I met him.

Still don’t know the reason for the name change.
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Real names

Post by Mick F »

Nell is short for Ellen. I had an Aunt Nell. Lived in Ormskirk.
My grandmother was Nellie to everyone, and she was an Ellen too. Lived in Coppull.
Mick F. Cornwall
Reddington
Posts: 66
Joined: 3 May 2020, 11:29am

Re: Real names

Post by Reddington »

Mick F wrote:My uncle Jack was a John.
His father (my grandfather) was a John and known as Jack too.
Quite normal back in the day Up North.

I wonder why it's no longer common?
I know for a while in the 2000s(?) Jack was one of the most popular boys names but with no connection to John.
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Real names

Post by Oldjohnw »

Mick F wrote:My uncle Jack was a John.
His father (my grandfather) was a John and known as Jack too.

Quite normal back in the day Up North.


My grandfather John was always known as Jack. From Cumbria.
John
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Real names

Post by Oldjohnw »

Reddington wrote:
Mick F wrote:My uncle Jack was a John.
His father (my grandfather) was a John and known as Jack too.
Quite normal back in the day Up North.

I wonder why it's no longer common?
I know for a while in the 2000s(?) Jack was one of the most popular boys names but with no connection to John.



I think people do that now. So William used to be contracted to Bill or Will but is now named Bill in he first place. Tom is no longer a diminutive of Thomas but a name in its own right. Similarly Sam, Ben, Rob.
John
JohnW
Posts: 6667
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Real names

Post by JohnW »

Oldjohnw wrote:Boris isn't Boris.

You could be opening a can of worms with that one, John - or is it Jack?
Who remembers "Super Jack"? - Jack Charlton - England centre half in the World Cup winning side. He was John. His mother, interviewed on TV - referred to him as "our Jackie".
I saw him play, week after week, in his heyday, at Leeds.
"Super" he was!
merseymouth
Posts: 2519
Joined: 23 Jan 2011, 11:16am

Re: Real names

Post by merseymouth »

Hi all, Does that mean that they should have been looking for John The Ripper? :lol: :lol: :lol: MM
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Real names

Post by Oldjohnw »

JohnW wrote:
Oldjohnw wrote:Boris isn't Boris.

You could be opening a can of worms with that one, John - or is it Jack?
Who remembers "Super Jack"? - Jack Charlton - England centre half in the World Cup winning side. He was John. His mother, interviewed on TV - referred to him as "our Jackie".
I saw him play, week after week, in his heyday, at Leeds.
"Super" he was!


John Tar. Upright British sailor.
Jack Bull. All that is best of British.
Jack Doe. Unknown.
John
drossall
Posts: 6115
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 10:01pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: Real names

Post by drossall »

Not uncommon. Both my father and my father-in-law were known by their second names. As far as I know, that was just that their parents felt that the names worked better that way around, even though their preferred names were the second ones. And I know at least one person who was known by one of his names at work, and the other socially. I'm not entirely sure why, unless perhaps he was introduced at work automatically by the first name on his application form, and it stuck.
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Real names

Post by [XAP]Bob »

What do you mean by a "real" name... A legal name, or the name people actually use.

Either could be described as the real name quite easily - though I assert that nicknames are nicknames and clearly not "real".

I went to Uni with a guy who couldn't fill out bank forms, because they had a row of squares to enter your name, and his was 88 characters long, far in excess of anything they had expected or provided for.
So he just used his first given name, and the first part of his surname.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
User avatar
fausto copy
Posts: 2809
Joined: 14 Dec 2008, 6:51pm
Location: Pembrokeshire

Re: Real names

Post by fausto copy »

I had two workmates:
Robbie Williams, whose real names were Thomas Edward and
Derek Crossland, whose real initials were H.A.

There was also a guy in Liverpool known to everyone as Jack.
When he was presented with the Empire medal, I discovered his initials were actually C.B.
When I asked what they stood for I was told it was Claude Balls.
To this day I don't know if it was a joke or not. :wink:
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Real names

Post by Mick F »

There are people I knew in the navy with nicknames, and as for their real names no-one ever used them.

Sharky, Jumper, Derby, Wiggy, Sticky, Smudge, Winnie ........... the list is endless.

Not to mention Jock, Mac, Scouse, Brum, George, Paddy, Taff, Stretch, Curly, Tiny, Titch, Stumpy, Red or Ginge.

I was nicknamed Sammy for a while.
Mick F. Cornwall
User avatar
al_yrpal
Posts: 11537
Joined: 25 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
Location: Think Cheddar and Cider
Contact:

Re: Real names

Post by al_yrpal »

Thinking back to times past people had nicknames that fitted them...

Fingers was always in the first aid room because he kept getting his fingers in the machinery.

Noddy had Tourettes syndrome ( a very cruel nickname)

Bumble came from Wigan, his speech sounded like "bumble bumble bumble"...

Ginger, was well ginger... that was me!

Spud is fairly obvious

And so on.... :lol:

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
Post Reply