Home > Just for Kids > What's In a Name? > Nicknames

• Are you called by a nickname?
• Who gave you your nickname?
• Do other family members have a nickname? How did they get it?

Sometimes there is a funny story attached to how someone got their nickname. Anitaís sister, for example, couldnít pronounce her name when she was little, so she called her Needee, and it stuck. Do you have siblings who had similar trouble with your name? Nicknames can be another way of saying a name, often a longer name. Elizabeth is often shortened to Beth, or Betsy, of Liz, and William can be shortened to Will, or Bill. Sometimes nicknames donít sound related to the name; Jack, for instance, is a nickname for John. Or nicknames can sound similar. Nicknames for Mary are Molly and Polly, the nicknames for Margaret are Meg and Peg.