Why Peggy?

[Joe Shmoe]

I am not sure if this is the right section but does any one Know why people called Margaret are often known as Peggy?

[Quizmonster]

Names, like other words, are sometimes subject to change over time. In one case, the Latin 'Ricardus' became the Anglo-Norman 'Ricard'. That, in turn, was shortened to 'Ric(k)' and then was playfully altered to the rhyming form beginning with the letter 'D'. The Latin �Guglielmus', the French 'Guillaume' and the Germanic �Wilhelm' gradually became 'Bill' in much the same manner...being shortened initially to �Will'.

We find the same process with the female name �Margaret'. It was abbreviated to �Maggie' then �Meggie' before becoming �Peggy'

All these names involve an initial abbreviation followed by some playful alteration of the first letter. Dolores - Lola, Agnes - Nancy and Robert - Bob are similar.

[Joe Shmoe]

Thank you Quizmonster. That explains things perfectly.:-D

[johnlambert]

Hi QM
excellent answer as usual.
My paternal grandmother had the christian name Olga, she was born in Russia, her family emigrated to Canada when she was 12, when she was 18 she met and met and married a dashing young Merchant Navy Captain, moved to Scotland, where she found a certain amount of fame in 1920's Edinburgh as a concert pianist before she gave birth to my father, however, everybody called her "Peggy"

[Quizmonster]

Did she have a middle name, John, that might have caused the nickname 'Peggy'? I don't know what the exact Russian equivalent of 'Margaret' is, but in English the name is based on the Greek word for 'pearl'. Maybe there's a connection there. 'Olga', though considered Russian, actually comes from the Norse word for 'holy'.
In other words, I can't really see any reason for the nickname. She certainly seems to have led an exciting life!
(Thank you for your kind comment, by the way.)