Why is William, Billy?

[Malcolm33]

   When I see a middle name that is more often known as a surname I tend to search for a possible ancestor with that name.    It can be a trap.   Apparently Alex Salmond's middle names of Elliot and Anderson have nothing to do with his own family but it is a tradition in his family to name children after the local Church of Scotland Minister.  (Source Wikipedia).

[Countryquine]

Bunty seems to be for Mary in this neck of the woods

[jaybelnz]

I was told a Bunty was a hand reared lamb.  So its a pet name!

I think that is just lovely!  I really do, and it's a lovely complement to her parents!
Aww .. I'm all overcome!

Jeanne

[lisalucie]

My great grandad Noah was one of 5 (I remember some of them)... They all had shortened/abbreviated names... Isaac was uncle Ike, Joseph was Jo, Sarah Ann was Saran and Harriet was lace (???). Grandad was always called nipper but that's cus he was the youngest x

[suey]

where is the 'B' in William.

  Because it's better than Willy perhaps.

My husbands family has two Ellen Alicia's both perfectly nice names but both were known as Nellie!

My mother was Edith but hated being called Edie so reverted to her middle name, can't say I blame her.

[muckandtwigs]

I wonder what they will think in the future about some of today's names? I see in today's paper a lady has called her twin girls 'Frankiee' and 'Georgie'   ( that's how they are spelt.)

[osprey28]

I had an old Aunt who was called Mirran.   It wasn't until a long time after her death that I got her birth cert and found her name was actually Mary Anne.

Osprey

[Mark1973]

On my Irish side we use the last 4 letters instead of the first 4 in William, Liam 

[Malcolm33]

On my Irish side we use the last 4 letters instead of the first 4 in William, Liam 

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