JNO name of ancestor

[notanotherminer]

I am aware that Jack is used as a nickname for John but I don't think it was that way originally - and I am referring to 1000 years ago when the Normans brought many new names into England

I think you'll find the name Jack predates the Normans. According to "Behind the Names, an Etymology and History of First Names" the name was in common usage in the English medieval period. It derives from the name "Jackin" or "Jankin" which was a medieval diminutive of John. Apparently Jack was such a common name that it was sometimes used as a slang word for "man".

"Jacques" on the other hand is the French word for "Jacob" or "James" and when used as a surname is pronounced Jakes.

[strawberrymivvy]

Then of course there's Sally for Sarah, Molly for Mary, Lily for Elizabeth...

And in my own bizarre family I have all of the above (siblings) plus in the same family an Albert who was always known as Joe, a Frederick who was Rick (that at least I can understand) and a Maurice who was Dick! Sarah/Sally was also known as Lal, but I've never heard that anywhere else and assume it's a "babyfied" version of Sally

[DianaCanada]

Mark Antony Lower in A Dictionary of Surnames attributes Jack's origin to James/Jacques. I just see no reason by Jack would have evolved from John - doesn't sound like it, and John doesn't need shortening. It does, however, sound like Jacques.
A mysterious consonant drift - Polly for Mary, Patty/Patsy for Martha, and Peggy for Margaret - some experts maintain the "m" and "p" were closer in pronunciation hundreds of years ago than they are now, in English (or old English), anyway.

[kiwipom]

Hi

Please could someone tell me what the name JNO is short for? I found the name in the IGI and not sure if it is a short version of John.

Thanks
Val

I have always considered Jno as an abbreviation for Jonathon and a tool whereby the scribe was able write when uncertain whether if he should scribe John or Jonathon.
Certainly my ancestors in both East Yorkshire and Bedford were often recorded as Jno when they were correctly Jonathon.

My Somerset ancestors baptised John were almost without exception always called Jack.

Just MHO
Tony (sorry Anthony)

[deeree]

I also have a Polly in the family, notanotherminer, do you think Polly is a diminutive of Mary or Elizabeth?

[LittleMissP]

My understanding is that Polly is a pet form of Mary Ann.

[Jeuel]

Polly is a pet form of Mary, as is Molly. But I was led up the garden path by being told my grandmother had an Aunt Polly M. I couldn't find her for yonks. Turns out her name was Emily (Polly Em) but she was called Polly Em because she kept a parrot!

I have an Uncle Jim whose name was not James but Jabez. So you can't always go on recognised abbreviations as a guide to the correct name.

[Del 80]

Hi, I spent ages looking for my g.mother in Ireland, we were always told her name was Josie, so I looked for Josephine, eventually found her, or rather someone else did, under her real name JOHANNA, I also had a great aunt Mary Anne, always known as POLLY. Regards Del.