Do your friends fondly know you as something other than your name? You might embrace a nickname based on the way you express yourself, your talents or even from reclaiming that one embarrassing mishap.
And the same is true throughout history: we just love to differentiate people, places and even things by what they became known for. Before surnames were a thing, nicknames were also important to determine if you were talking about John the baker, John’s son John, or John-from-the-sewing-circle! Furthermore, many rulers and rebels earned nicknames that survive today.
Try this tricky quiz and test your knowledge of the interesting stories behind these marvellous monikers.
This article was published in October 2023
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