Names

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 1181

Hi --


> > 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.

Ah, well --- that's why I said *virtually* never (never say never).  The
only Harold I know is called Hal.

> 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.

True enough.  But, I still think it's more often a name that isn't a
short-form or a nickname.  It does have a separate entry in most name
meaning books (and the ones I happen to have don't actually list Harry
as a nickname for Harold).  It also is listed as just Harry in naming
polls.  It's in the Top 10 or Top 20 in the UK & has been for some time
(based on internet research).  IMO, people must be naming their sons
just Harry or the poll would reflect Henry or Harold (as the info is
gleaned from official birth records).  Otherwise, the poll would show
Joey instead of Joseph, Bill instead of William, etc.

In the US, the name Harry hasn't been used much since the 1920s.  But, I
was looking at those name polls by decade a while back, and Harry was
listed in the polls from the 1880s - 1920s.  The name Henry often popped
up in the same polls.  So, if Harry were most often a nickname of Henry,
it would seem that the pollsters would have just lumped all the Harrys
into the listing for Henry, rather than having 2 separate entries.  The
Harrys in my husband's genealogy are also just Harry.

Anyway . . . . the main point is that *our* Harry -- the Harry in
question -- seems from all evidence to be named just Harry.  He shows up
as Harry Potter on the Marauders Map, and even when professors have
addressed Ron as Ronald, they always call Harry, just Harry.  So . . . .
that's why I don't think it much matters for our purposes what the name
Harold means.  It does have a separate meaning from Harry after all.  I
like that Harry means "warrior" or "ruler."  Seems quite appropriate.

Penny


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