What's the deal with these names? How does Chuck become short for Charles? Bill for William? Harry for Henry?

Question

How are those nicknames derived? I would think Will would be short for William but not Bill. Can anyone enlighten me?

Answer 1

Don't know. Thanks for the question, I learned something. I didn't know Harry was short for Henry.

Answer 2

Will is short for William, If someone called their friend named William Bill it's either an inside joke, nickname for other reason, or a speech impediment. As for Chuck and Charles or Harry and Henry, I think it would most likely just be an accident or nickname for another reason.

Answer 3

Hard to say how they were derived, they have been traditional English nicknames for centuries. Sheakepeare speaks of Henry V as Prince Hal, and Henry VIII was known as Harry to his intimate circle. Or to those who dared.

One of Henry VIII's warships was called "The Great Harry".

Answer 4

Will was originally a diminutive or shortened form of William.  By the 19th-century, however, Bill, which rhymes with Will, also had became a nickname. These nicknames, in turn, also have diminutives, for example, Billy and Willy.

Chuck is an American nickname associated with Charles, along with Chuck, Chick, and Chad.  Of course, the diminutive form of Charles is Charlie.  

Henry has several nicknames, including Harry and Shakespeare's "Hal" (Henry IV, V), that have become given names in their own right.