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Harris and Harrison are other examples of this kind of surname. In Dublin, the bus routes are bilingual and a couple of years ago I noticed that the Irish tran
by Anthony-G 2y ago
Harris and Harrison are other examples of this kind of surname.
In Dublin, the bus routes are bilingual and a couple of years ago I noticed that the Irish translation of Harristown is Baile Anraí¹. When I first saw “Baile Anraí” as the destination for a passing bus, I wondered where Henry’s Town might be. I then figured that Henry and Harris must be variations of the same name and that Anraí is the Irish version of both names.
Sure enough, when I check this now, Wikipedia concurs². The article it cites states that Harry is the “Medieval English form of Henry. In modern times it is used as a diminutive of both Henry and names beginning with Har.”³
The surname Hanks may also derive from the use of Hank as a diminutive of Henry⁴
¹ https://www.dublinbus.ie/getmedia/947fdcee-5f28-46e0-8785-abe37e9a2123/E2-Both.pdf https://www.dublinbus.ie/getmedia/947fdcee-5f28-46e0-8785-ab...
² https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_(given_name) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_(given_name)
³ https://www.behindthename.com/name/harry https://www.behindthename.com/name/harry
⁴ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hank#Proper_noun https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hank#Proper_noun
- codetrotter 2y agoHenry the Potter. Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it heh.
- mjd 2y agoExcept that Harry isn't a nickname nobody has any more.
- KPGv2 2y agoIf you read the article instead of just the headline, you will find that almost all the names discussed are names people do still have. Jack, Dick, Bob, Nick, Bill, Robin, etc. are nicknames specifically called out in the article. The article does finish with Hob, Daw, Wat, and Gib. But most of the names highlighted are ones that are still in use. (I personally also have found that a lot of people don't realize Harry is a nickname for Henry, like anyone who wasn't alive for JFK doesn't know "Jack" is "John")
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- jsnell 2y agoThe HN guidelines specifically ask you not to claim that somebody did not read the article: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html But if you're going to do it, the one time it's really misplaced is when you're claiming the author of the article didn't read it.
- jimmaswell 2y agoTo be fair, I missed the double negative in "isn't a nickname nobody has any more" too until I saw this comment and looked closer.
- xp84 2y agoThis is the best possible comment (besides perhaps the author replying that "Yes, I did read it after I wrote it")
- quietbritishjim 2y agoIt's actually even more relevant here than it appears, in that the rest of the comment is true: half the article really is about nicknames that people do still use, so there was no reason for the author to object. But that point is lost thanks to the snark.
- mjd 2y agoThe first part of the article explains the pattern, where a nickname becomes a patronymic surname, using familiar examples. This sets up the main point, which is that the pattern holds so reliably that when you meet a patronymic surname you can often infer the existence of a nickname, even when it's one you don't recongize. Hence the title.
- 2y ago
- m463 2y agodouble negative unwinding...
- Anthony-G 2y agoI was thinking along the lines that these days “Harry” is (mostly¹) a stand-alone name and no longer used as a nickname for Henry (and this was something I only realised in the past couple of years). Anyhow, I really enjoyed the article and learning about the origins of surnames, e.g., I didn’t know that “Peters” should be understood to be in the genitive case and I’d never have associated the surname Dixon with being “Richard’s son” – even though I’m familiar with Dick as a nickname for Richard. ¹ Other commentators have pointed out that Prince Harry was actually christened as Henry.
- thaumasiotes 2y agoI would tend to assume that "Harry" was short for "Harold", not that it was a standalone name.
- timc3 2y agoWell I know someone that has that as a nickname.
- Xophmeister 2y agoPrince Harry’s real name is Henry.
- Digit-Al 2y agoIsn't Harry short for Harold?
- Digit-Al 2y agoI've now checked, and it was originally a form of Henry, but can now also be a diminutive form of any name beginning with Har... So we're both right : - )
- caseyohara 2y agoHere’s another interesting connection: the Italian forename Enzo is a derivative of the German name Heinz, which is a diminutive of Heinrich and cognate of the given name Henry.
- acjohnson55 2y agoI always thought that it was a nickname for Lorenzo or Vincenzo
- asymmetric 2y agoBoth hypotheses seem plausible: https://www.behindthename.com/name/enzo https://www.behindthename.com/name/enzo