When did the name "Dick" go out of fashion for men?

Richard, why do you let him call you Dickie?

My brother-in-law is 44 and goes by Dick.

Pity those poor pols from Texas: Dick Army and Dick Sweat.

When I was in third grade we had a very elderly teacher who briefly taught a lesson on Gilbert and Sullivan. Imagine a zillion-year-old woman reading this to a class of seven-year-old boys:

"On a tree by a river a little tom-tit"

(Snicker. Snicker. Giggle.)

"Sang Willow, titwillow, titwillow"

(Giggle. Giggle. GUFFAW.)

"And I said to him, Dicky-bird -- "

At that point the class collapsed and the lesson was ended.

There's no smoky bacon flavor left.

For the longest time, all Roberts were called Bob, sometimes Bobby. Then most became Rob (after Dick Van Dyke's character?). Now Bobby is once again being popularized.

Williams were always called Bill. Now they seem to prefer Will or Billy.

I notice that many Davids today prefer being called Dave (after Letterman?).

Other popular boys' names from my generation that have pretty much disappeared:

Larry (or Lawrence)

Louis or Lewis

Peter (as OP said)

John, Jonathan, Paul, Steven and Stephen remain popular.

Never!

[quote]Are boys given the name "Peter" anymore? It was very popular when I was born.

My name's Peter....born in '66...in London.

Now, I've forgotten what I was going to say.

Oh, yes...I rather hate it because I have to pronounce it differently when I go to the USA because people laugh in my face, if I say it the British way.

There were never as many Peters as people think there were. I should know.

In the early 80's I worked with a guy whose given first name was Dick. He said his parents didn't want to name him Richard and have everyone shorten it to "Dick." I guess they cut out the middle man?

Guys were called "Dick" when sex wasn't so pervasive in society. So therefore, you didn't hear the word "dick" all the time. But then the '60s and '70s came along and the openness of sex in society became commonplace...and the use of the word "dick" started to occur much more often.

Fast forward to the '90s and 2000 and the use of the Internet--and dick was everywhere--literally. "Dick" as in penis is now everywhere you look.

"Richard" was always a popular name--and it still may be. But now guys are simply called Richard or Rich, but the longtime nickname for Richard, which is "Dick" is not popular because now every time you turn on your computer, "Dick" no longer means "the man," but instead it has now turned into a penis 24/7.

In 1991 I worked with a 42-year-old man whose nickname was Dick. My other co-workers were 21-year-olds who all REFUSED to call him Dick...he was called Richard.

My name is not Richard

Besides the obvious penile reference I can only imagine Dick Nixon's rep didn't help popularize the name either.

For every Tom, Dick and Harry, there's always one dick among them.

My longtime boyfriend who was 12 years older than me was called "Dick" by work associates, colleagues, etc. And called "Rich" by his family and friends who knew him since he was young.

When I met him many years ago and he introduced himself as "Dick," I said to myself, "Well, that's not going to work."

I started calling him Rich or Richard almost from the start. Soon, all of our friends, my family and everyone we met from the start of our relationship knew him as Rich or Richard. And this lasted for years until he died. Great guy; he was the best. But I was just not going to call him Dick--and never did. And Rich didn't mind at all. He welcomed back his new--and original name. He signed his name, birthday cards, etc., as Rich.

Problem solved. I just couldn't imagine dating a Dick.

When does a penis become a dick?

When it gets hard, R16. When it gets hard.

I've always been a dick.

Isn't it gay men who go by James not Jim, Richard not Dick, William not Bill, etc?

My name is Richard. My father was Richard and always called Dick. When I was a kid my parents made sure I was never called Dick because of the inevitable, which Dick,big Dick or little Dick are you asking about?

Most of my youth I was called Rich. As a young adult someone close to me said, you aren't a Rich, you are a Richard and I have been Richard ever since.

You may have noticed that many gay men use their full name rather than a nick name. Robert not Bob, James not Jim etc. I also happened to have a first cousin named Peter.

Peter is getting popular again. Everything else is probably gone for good.

Dick "Don't Call Me Richie" Allen, former member of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Canada's second-oldest magazine, The Beaver, is changing its name because its unintended sexual connotation has caused the history journal to become snagged in Internet filters and has turned off potential readers.

The Beaver was founded in 1920 as a publication of the Hudson's Bay Company, then a fur trader and now a department store chain. It has long since become a broader magazine about Canadian history and will change its name to Canada's History with its April issue, editor-in-chief Mark Reid said on Tuesday.

When The Beaver started publication, the name evoked only Canada's thriving fur industry. Ninety years later, the fur trade has diminished and the magazine's name has become slang for female genitals.

Readers complained that Internet filters were blocking emails and newsletters from The Beaver, Reid said.

Nevermind the OP's question, I want to know how 'Richard' became 'Dick'. The two sound nothing alike, unlike Henry and Harry, or William and Bill.

[quote]John, Jonathan, Paul, Steven and Stephen remain popular.

John is still popular, but I never hear of a John being called "Jack" anymore.

Imagine what happens at the stadium every time the Oregon Beavers play the USC Trojans.

R19, most black (US, at least) men, as well, use the fuller form of the name.

My father's name was Dick. When my mother was asked if she had been successful at stopping smoking she'd say "When it gets stressful, I just have a puff on Dicks."

[quote] Williams were always called Bill. Now they seem to prefer Will or Billy.

In my suburban US neighborhood, Williams are now Liams.

[quote] Larry (or Lawrence)

but Harry is popular again.

My father died in 1991. Neighbors came to the wake. My 12 year old nephew's face turned pale as the older men greeted each other. "Mom," he whispered to my sister, "Did you hear what that old guy just called the other man?"

My sister laughed because our neighbor Dick Smith had just been greeted by another old neighbor.

"That's his name," my sister whispered and my nephew inadvertently yelled, "WHAT? Are you kidding?" in the funeral parlor. Everyone turned around.

He couldn't believe anyone would allow themselves to be called Dick.

When and why did basketball shorts get considerably longer in the NBA?

I dated a guy named Dick years ago. He was an ear, nose, and throat Dr. My friends all made fun of me, and he was boring, so I dumped him. He was from a small town in ND, so maybe that is why his parents thought it was OK to call him Dick....?

Richard -> Rick

Rick -> Dick

Was that so hard to figure out AIDS boy?

They call me MISTER Dick !

My childhood next door neighbor was named Richard Wood. My sister and I would crack up at the name Dick Wood every time we passed his house.

My real name was Dick Cocks ... er, Richard Cox.

It's the Dick Van Dyke show, staring Van Dyke's dick.

I have been Rich, Richie, Rick, Rickey, and Richard. I like being called Dick, that used to be my preferred way of introducing myself. My Dad called me Dickie. These days I kinda like the way some guys seem to squirm about referring to me as Dick, this one teacher on our emergency phone tree... I am on his list to call and he is always "ah hum, Mr.D". Why would I not like to throw the word Dick or dick around???

I never realized that Liam was a nickname for William.

[quote]I never realized that Liam was a nickname for William.

I never did either, r40, though I guess it makes sense.

Some other names that were originally nicknames for other names that have surprised me:

"Peggy" from "Margaret" ("Margaret">"Marg"> "Mag">"Meg">"Peg">"Peggy")

"Nancy" from "Ann" ("Ann">"Nan">"nancy")

"Lisa" from "Elizabeth" (from the Italian variant, "Elisabetta")

"Jay" for "John" or "James" (I always thought it was just a nickname for "Jason" until I went to college)

"Gigi" for "Ginger"

"Polly" for "Mary" ("Mary/Marian">"Mary">"Molly">"Polly")

"Hattie" for "Henrietta" ("Henrietta">"Hetty">"Hattie")

I still don't see how you get "Chuck" from "Charles."

Weird that I wouldn't get thru the lesson in r4 without giggling? Some things, however silly, will always be amusing.

What is the derivation of Ira?

Was Clark Kent named after Clark Gable?

Were there any famous Clarks before Gable?

I know a "Miriam" who goes by "Mimi." As does Mariah Carey, I guess.

So Elizabeth Montgomery had two Dicks? (Although not at the same time.)

I once worked for a guy named Dick and my job was working with international clients.

The people who knew English well enough to also know slang, after a drink or two, always asked me why any man would ever use the name Dick since they had only heard that as another word for penis.

Is Nell a derivation of Ellen?

[R29] Liam is Gaelic for William just as Seamus is Gaelic for James and Lorcan is Gaelic for Lawrence

Aren't Sean and Ian just variants of "John"?

[quote]In my suburban US neighborhood, Williams are now Liams

Never heard of that, but it's cute.

Last younger man named Dick that I know was a guy in my high school class in 1984. I remember first day freshman year the teacher calling out the name Richard and his friend yelled out "he likes to be called DICK!" and his face turned bright red and everybody laughed. But he did go by the name Dick.

Back in the 80's I remember most Richards went by RICK and that was a stud name. :)

Believe it or not, every young Patrick I know these days like to be called Paddy.

Leo has come back into vogue (for obvious reasons) but Leon is still to make a comeback.

Other good old names:

Martin

Walt (but not Walter)

Dane

Jess (but not Jesse)

Geoffrey or Geoff (but not Jeffrey or Jeff)

Alec and Alex for Alexander

Ned for Ted or Theodore

Hal for Harold

Howard (but not Howie)

Terence (but not Terry)

My father Richard was always called Rich in schoolboy and college days. Later, Dick was a more popular nickname for Richard, but he always disliked it. I never heard him called Richard - that would have felt too stuffy to him.

My brother Richard was initially Ricky, then from teen years onward Rick. His second wife always refers to him as Richard, which seems arch and affected, but he's been with her for over 20 years so perhaps he likes it. In reality, he's a Rick rather than Richard.

My grandfather Richard was named after his father, also a Richard, The whole town referred to them as "Old Dick" and "Young Dick." When I would hear this from relatives growing up I always wondered how clueless were these people?

What is the origin of the penis being called a dick?

[quote] Liam is Gaelic for William

No shit, Sherlock.

And my son and my nephew have 4 friends among them named William who are called Liam. It's now an accepted nickname among Irish Americans in the US.

I went to school with 2 boys named Seamus who were called James by the nuns and nicknamed Jimmy by us kids.

[quote] Leo has come back into vogue (for obvious reasons) but Leon is still to make a comeback.

Leon's getting larger

When was growing up, Jimmy was a common nickname for Vincent among Italian Americans.

My family and I were discussing this once and my Mom said, "I just don't know how you get Dick from Richard." To which my brother replied, "I don't know about you, but I don't get dick from Richard." It went over my Mom's head, but my sister and I howled.

The same time Willie, Peter and Cuthbert did.

Most popular name for baby boys in 2020:

1. Liam 2. Noah 3. Oliver 4. William 5. Elijah 6. James 7. Benjamin 8. Lucas 9. Mason 10. Ethan 11. Alexander 12. Henry 13. Jacob 14. Michael 15. Daniel 16. Logan 17. Jackson 18. Sebastian 19. Jack 20. Aiden 21. Owen 22. Samuel 23. Matthew 24. Joseph 25. Levi 26. Mateo 27. David 28. John 29. Wyatt 30. Carter 31. Julian 32. Luke 33. Grayson 34. Issac 35. Jayden 36. Theodore 37. Gabriel 38. Anthony 39. Dylan 40. Leo 41. Lincoln 42. Jaxon 43. Asher 44. Christopher 45. Josiah 46. Andrew 47. Thomas 48. Joshua 49. Ezra 50. Hudson 51. Charles 52. Caleb 53. Isaiah 54. Ryan 55. Nathan 56. Adrian 57. Christian 58. Maverick 59. Colton 60. Elias 61. Aaron 62. Eli 63. Landon 64. Jonathan 65. Nolan 66. Hunter 67. Cameron 68. Connor 69. Santiago 70. Jeremiah 71. Ezekiel 72. Angel 73. Roman 74. Easton 75. Miles 76. Robert 77. Jameson 78. Nicholas 79. Greyson 80. Cooper 81. Ian 82. Carson 83. Axel 84. Jaxson 85. Dominic 86. Leonardo 87. Luca 88. Austin 89. Jordan 90. Adam 91. Xavier 92. Jose 93. Jace 94. Everett 95. Declan 96. Evan 97. Kayden 98. Parker 99. Wesley 100. Kai

I am a David and I hate being called Dave.

Our childhood neighbors were the Johnsons.

While the son went by Ricky, his dad was known as Dick Johnson.

Now that is a porn name for the ages.

Timmy's another one you wouldn't see today.

This thread reminds me of one of my favorite jokes of all time. I won't tell it.

Let's ask Gay Talese

R4 that was hilarious! Thank you for the laugh!

Both of the men who played Darrin in Bewitched were Dicks. And one of them really loved dick. The other was an adickt.

R47. Google - Nell remains a stylish yet distinguished choice, standing on its own or as Nellie, or short for Eleanor, Helen or Helena, or even Penelope.

OP. With Tricky Dick.

[quote]Nell remains a stylish yet distinguished choice

Chicka, chicka, chickabee. T'ee an me an t'ee an me. Ressa, ressa, ressa me, chicka, chicka, chickabee.

Wow, my name, Bryan, has completely fallen out of the top 100 names. It used to be so common.

My dad is a Dick, Dr. Dick, actually. Family called him Dickie.

I didn't know Liam was short for William... Anyone I have met named Liam has just been "Liam"--no William involved.

Williams are all Will around here.

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