The name John comes from Greek and Latin transformations of the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning 'God is gracious'. Historically, John was such a common name in the UK (one fifth of all men were called John during the Middle Ages), that the nickname Jack came to mean any generic person, the man in the street.

Why is Jack a nickname for John?

Why is Jack from John? The name Jack dates back to about 1,200 and was originally used as a generic name for peasants. ... Of course, John was once used as a generic name for English commoners and peasants, (John Doe) which could be why Jack came became his nickname.

Why is Margaret called Peggy?

It seems like there should be a long explanation for Daisy, but it's as simple as this: The French word for "daisy" is "marguerite." As for Peggy? Well, Margaret was shorted to nicknames like Meg or Meggy, and the rhyming nickname trend turned Meggy into Peggy.