How is Jack a nickname for John?

Beccaboo0713 · March 2010

I have been seeing that on name forums, TTC and a few other places. If you are going to call a kid Jack but his name is John why not just name him Jack? And where do you get Jack from John.

Becca for Rebecca I get, Jon for Jonathan I get, Steve for Steven I get but Jack for John...not so much.

Just J · March 2010

I don't get it!

lzybeanie · March 2010

https://www.associatedcontent.com/article/513387/nicknames_how_john_became_jack_and.html

Jenniepenny11 · March 2010

never understood that

katie_cj · March 2010

I don't know.

Same way that Bill is a nickname for William.

And *** is a nickname for Richard.

TrumpetBride · March 2010

From what I understand (we have a Jack that is actually a John) it is a Catholic Irish thing.

Temp984666312503071 · March 2010

Jack is a traditional nickname for John. Just like Bill is a traditional nickname for William.

I personally prefer John as a formal name and Jack as a nickname. Jack alone sounds very informal to me.

sbryant021408 · March 2010

Is it his middle name?? My sister-in-law's name is Stephanie Maureen. But her entire life Everyone calls her Mo(short for Maureen). For the longest time I never knew her first name was Stephanie.

staycee · March 2010

I think that is an older generation thing. That's my mom's cousin's name. John - after his dad... but they called him Jack.

goes with Peggy being short for Margaret (I never got that one either)

sbryant021408 · March 2010

staycee:

I think that is an older generation thing. That's my mom's cousin's name. John - after his dad... but they called him Jack.

goes with Peggy being short for Margaret (I never got that one either)

Wow, I have never heard that Jack was a nickname for Jonathan. New to me.

Rizzo5 · March 2010

We call my cousin Jack and he's John Jr. I don't know how it started. We also call another cousin Butchie and he's Walter Jr.!

fairychick77 · March 2010

I never understood this either! Here's an article on how certain names become nicknames for others.

https://www.associatedcontent.com/article/513387/nicknames_how_john_became_jack_and.html?cat=37

BengalBelle · March 2010

We have a John and have toyed with calling him Jack. His 3 year old cousin insists that his name IS Jack. And no one knows where Andrew got that from.

CalinsBride · March 2010

katie_cj@hotmail.com:

I don't know.

Same way that Bill is a nickname for William.

And *** is a nickname for Richard.

I really think they need to unblock d.ick. It's a person's name.

Immature.

StrawberryBlondeMomma · March 2010

i have never understood that.

same with Bill for William.

and Hank for Henry.

StrawberryBlondeMomma · March 2010

CalinsBride:
katie_cj@hotmail.com:

I don't know.

Same way that Bill is a nickname for William.

And *** is a nickname for Richard.

I really think they need to unblock d.ick. It's a person's name.

Immature.

i agree. i tried to type out the name of the store that is d.ick, and it ****-ed it once.

my grandpa's name is ***.

mavilabride · March 2010

CalinsBride:
katie_cj@hotmail.com:

I don't know.

Same way that Bill is a nickname for William.

And *** is a nickname for Richard.

I really think they need to unblock d.ick. It's a person's name.

Immature.

LOL!

vegetarian_chica · March 2010

i don't get it either. it's the same # of letters and 1 syllable. when i was 13 my mom told me my uncle jack's real name was john. i didn't believe her so i had to call my grandpa and he confirmed it.

Beccaboo0713 · March 2010

Haha, well at least I am not alone.

I get that it's traditional but WHY. Big Smile

ksayles · March 2010

Rizzo5:
We call my cousin Jack and he's John Jr. I don't know how it started. We also call another cousin Butchie and he's Walter Jr.!

We have a John who is Jack and a William Jr that is Butchie!

jolis_petits_bijoux · March 2010

Beccaboo0713:

Haha, well at least I am not alone.

I get that it's traditional but WHY.

No clue. My great aunt is called Sally, which is a nickname for Sarah. Then there's Peggy for Margaret, Betty for Elizabeth, Hank for Henry, Chuck for Charles... a lot of those traditional NNs don't take much from the original name!

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