You might have wondered how the name Robert became Bob. The English have been fond of rhyming going back to the Middle Ages. Although initial variations of the shortened form Rob were Nob, Dob, and Hob . . . it was Bob that stuck. Have you ever personally known a Bob or Rob?

Although I knew someone named Margaret who preferred to be called Marge and Margie, I also knew a Margaret who was called Peg. That seems like quite a stretch. Back in the day, Margaret became Maggie. Accents changed the sound of Maggie to Meggie. The fondness for rhyming took over, and Meggie became Peggy and Peg. What's your preferred nickname for Margaret?

People found it easier to pronounce consonants, so it was common to replace the first letter of a name that began with a vowel. The name Edward was so popular during the Middle Ages that adding a T to Ed helped to differentiate people. Ted has the distinction of being the nickname for both Edward and Theodore, 2 names that sound nothing alike . Can you think of 2 other names that share a nickname?

Few names have as many possible nicknames as Elizabeth. In the 18th century, diminutive forms of names were commonly used, and Betsy was popular in Great Britain and the US. Which of these examples of nicknames for Elizabeth is your favorite?