Genealogy Chat

Does anyone know when it was common for Robert to be called Bob, Richard-Rick, James-Jim? I was just wondering when people started shortening those types of names. Thank you, Lisa.

Good question. Bob was certainly in use in victorian times. James was often Jamie, or Jem or Jas.

Do you know if they used Jim in that time?

Hi Helen. I didn't realize shortening names started that early. I know variations of Elizabeth were common, but didn't realize Bob had been around that long. Thank you. :~) PS I was wondering about Jim, too, as my brickwall ancestor was a James. I know one record shows him as Jas, but I thought they just didn't want to spell the entire name. I'm off to feed a friend's kitty's.

Jim was definitely in use in mid Victorian period at least - my gran's great uncle James was known as Jim:) David

Daniel I'm sure you will have read Treasure Island with Jim Hawkins in it. That was published 1883. I believe that ever since people have had names people have shortened them or made pet versions of them. Helen

Just checked ancestry. There are 208 Jim's on the 1871 census so far. To give you an idea there are 440,850 James/Jas(160 of them are just transcribed as James/Jas or have incomplete surnames.) So the answer is they were in existence but not as popular as nowadays.

Richard Whittington was a very famous Lord Mayor of London, about whom there are many legends. He was normally known as Dick Whittington. He died in 1423, so the name Dick's been around for a few years now. Elwyn

Thank you all for your replies. Most of my ancestors had names like John and George, but there were a few James and William's and I was just curious about how they may have been addressed. Thank you!

Bob Cratchit made his appearance in A Christmas Carol in 1843. Helen

Beat me to it Helen! and thinking about it, it must have been established for Dickens to use it. And of course the police was created in 1829 by Robert Peel giving them the name "Bobbies" Bob (Robert)

When wondering about names, I'm so wrapped up in genealogy that I never thought of characters in a book (or professions). Thanks again. :~) Thanks for your help, too Linda. Will be interesting to see if I ever find a Will or Bob.