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Comment by jhbadger | Hacker News Reader

The obscure Russian nicknames! How is anybody supposed to know without being told that Sasha and Alexander are the same guy? (I do realize that while some English nicknames like Johnny for John are pretty self-explanatory, other like Jack for John or Dick for Richard are as opaque to foreigners as Alexander/Sasha)

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I was in my 20's when I realized Bill and William are the same name

I read a lot of Enid Blyton in my youth; by ten I know bill/william and richard/dick, etc.

My wife had a grandfather with the first name Bill and middle William. After 12 years together, I'm still not sure if she's just messing with me.

Will = William

Ipso facto:

Bill = Billiam

Mutatis Mutandis:

Jim = Jimothy

The first time I worked with Polish people I had this problem a lot until I noticed the pattern. Someone told me to go and talk to "Maciek", it was only on asking Maciej where to find him that I found out they were the same person

Here there is at least same prefix.

Only issue I recall might be with female Aleksandra (abbreviated to Ola) and male Aleksander (abbreviated to Olo, or Olek).

Others usually (if I remember correctly) have similar prefix.

Are you sure? Olga/Olha and Oleg distinct names on their own.

Sasha and Alexander isn't that obscure thought. Very common example The real obscure diminutive for Alexander is Shura :D

The dialectal form Aleksasha (following the common pattern Mariya > Masha, Pavel > Pasha, etc.) might reduce the confusion somewhat.

> Jack for John

Wow, is this one common?

Traditionally, yes; these days, perhaps not so much.

The author Jack London was originally John London. John F. Kennedy was familiarly known as Jack ("Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy"). The British racing driver John Stewart is far more commonly known as Jackie Stewart. In Patrick O'Brian's naval fiction, Captain John Aubrey is almost always referred to as Jack.

Somehow nobody knows the ff. are the same:

Hahya Ivan Giovanni Shawn

continued: Yohanan Johann John Jack Sean Evan Ian Jean Juan João Hans Jan Vanya Vano (and I’m not including feminine variants)

Although if we’re talking Hebrew > Greek > European borrowings I’m guessing Chava = Eve is funnier. For bonus funny points, ave (as in Ave Maria or Ave, imperator) comes from essentially the same Hebrew word as well.

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