Name Question

[Loudpipes78]

This has bugged me for a while and I've never gotten a straight answer.

Why are people named Richard sometimes called Dick?

Most nicknames are just shortened versions of the full names, for example:

Jon is short for Jonathan.
Mike is short for Michael.
Matt is short for Matthew.
Meg is short for Megan.

So how the heck did Dick come from Richard?

[vanblah]

I checked in the OED and came up with nothing. But Cecil Adams has a lot more to say about it. Check it out at:

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdick.html

Doug

edit:

Most nicknames are just shortened versions of the full names, for example:

Jon is short for Jonathan.
Mike is short for Michael.
Matt is short for Matthew.
Meg is short for Megan.

However, Bob is short for Robert

[mandal]

William = Bill WTF!

[uncle_el]

Originally Posted by vanblah

I checked in the OED and came up with nothing. But Cecil Adams has a lot more to say about it. Check it out at:

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdick.html

very good find!
now i no longer have to wonder!