The Sacred Power in your name

[Pam Scruton]

No: HPFGUIDX 1175

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer 
<linsenma at h...> wrote:
> Hi --
> 
> Vivienne O'Regan wrote:
> 
> > Harry will be the same as Harold. Harry is the shortened form for
> > Harold.
> 
> Nope!  It's not.  It can be a short form of Henry, but is virtually
> never a short form for Harold.  The more common short form of 
Harold is
> Hal.  

Oh well, I must be an incredibly lucky person then if it is virtually 
never a short form for Harold because I personally know six of them, 
one of whom is 85 years old.  I also personally know two Henrys, one 
of whom is known as Harry and the other is known as Rocky.  (Both of 
whom were born around the same time as Prince Henry who is known as 
Harry.)  I don't personally know anybody known as Hal at all 
(although I do know *of* one and I do personally know a horse of that 
name - owner is a Shakespeare fan and the Hal isn't short for 
anything).

My experience as a Brit living in various parts of the UK at some 
time or another but currently in Scotland is that Harry can be, and 
often is, short for both Harold and Henry.  Sometimes a short name 
may be used for several different names - you wouldn't know, for 
example, if a Bert were actually a Robert, or Bertram, or Cuthbert, 
or Albert (must be others I think) - perfectly valid for all 
of them - somebody might even be named Bert and it isn't short for 
anything.

Anyway - a person's name is that by which they are known and if all 
the Harolds want to be known as Harrys who are we to say they are 
wrong?

Cheers for now

Pam