Wizard names - Percy

[dfrankis at dial.pipex.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 20271

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Ebony Elizabeth Thomas" <ebonyink at h...> 
wrote:

> I think that the names we are given in canon *are* their names if 
Harry is a 
> given name and not a nickname as well... how fond are the British 
of 
> nicknames?  It seems to depend from culture to culture...
> 
> But I'd like to think that their names are William, Charles, 
Percival, 
> Frederick, George, Ronald, and Virginia.  Delightfully medieval.  ;-
)
> 
> --Ebony AKA AngieJ
>
In current British usage, (which would have applied in the seventies) 
Bill could be short for William, or a name in its own right.  The 
same applies to Fred and I think Ginny.  We know Ron is Ronald.

However, Percival is a more unusual name, and Percy is definiteyly an 
unrelated name in its own right (Bill and Fred came about as 
contractions of William and Frederick).  Percy is the family name of 
the Dukes of Northumberland, and there was a fashion (19th cent? I'm 
not sure) for giving children the names of noble families, as a 
result of which they passed into common usage.  Howard is another 
(Dukes of Norwich) and I would guess Spencer (much less common) is 
another.

We don't know for sure, but on balance I think Percy is Percy - they 
call him Perce for short (when not calling him Weatherby etc.)

David