https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paco says: > Paco is a Spanish nickname for Francisco. According to folk etymology, the nickna

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paco says: > Paco is a Spanish nickname for Francisco. According to folk etymology, the nickname has its origins in Saint Francis of Assisi, who was the father of the Franciscan order; his name was written in Latin by the order as pater communitatis (father of the community); hence "Paco" was supposedly obtained by taking the first syllable of each word. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco has the same description, and comments that it's similar to how José is "Pepe" through "P(ater) P(utativus)", the husband of Mary, the father of Jesus. It then adds "[cita requerida]" to that description. https://spanish.stackexchange.com/questions/17631/why-is-paco-the-equivalent-of-francisco https://spanish.stackexchange.com/questions/17631/why-is-pac... mentions that one, and adds another possibility; writing "Phranciscus (the latinised version of Francisco de Asís's nickname) as Ph.co in signs and inscriptions", thus becoming "Paco", "Pacho", and "Pancho". That cites http://www.alsurdelafrontera.es/2015/02/como-se-llega-de-francisco-a-paco/ http://www.alsurdelafrontera.es/2015/02/como-se-llega-de-fra... which cites Diccionario del origen de las palabras by Alberto Buitrago and J. Agustín Torijano.