[HPforGrownups] The Sacred Power in your name

[Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer]

No: HPFGUIDX 1221

Hi --

Neil Ward wrote:

> At the risk of pressing one of Penny's buttons, I have to agree that,
> as
> well as being a name in its own right, Harry is a shortened form of
> both
> Harold and Henry, at least in the UK.

Well, I didn't actually say it couldn't be a short-form or a nickname.
I think when Henry is shortened, it is probably most often shortened to
Harry.  I'm still not convinced that it's common for Harold to be
shortened to Harry.  But, I thought I should set the record straight --
I wasn't arguing that Harry isn't or can't be a nickname for both
names.  It is.

My argument is that it must be more often a name in its own right than a
nickname.  My reasoning is that recent name polls in the UK list the
name Harry.  These polls are compiled by the Office of National
Statistics.  It seems to me that the Office of Nat'l Statistics is
simply doing some sort of computerized search of the official birth
records to compile these lists.  They're not likely to be calling
parents and saying, "You've named your son Harold.  Will you be calling
him Harold or Harry or Hal?"  Nah -- they're going by what name is
listed on the birth certificate.  So . . . . one can deduce by logic
that the name Harry is far more often given as the given name than
Harold or Henry.  Neither Harold nor Henry shows up in these same polls.

> My final point is that I agree with Penny: our Harry is just 'Harry'.
> He's not a Harold or a Henry or a Harrison or a Hare Krishna disciple.

That's really my main point after all.  Glad you agree!!!

Penny



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