A few weeks ago I wrote about the preponderance (and source) of many nicknames in the village of Morell, PEI, (population about 350), where I lived until I was fifteen. Here are some more. Unfortunately, I don’t know the source of most of them.
James Robbins: Coon
Former MP Joe McGuire: Coot
Bill McGuire: Wilbur
Frankie MacAdam: Charlie
Jimmy MacAdam: Humphrey
Kevin MacAdam: Colonel
Ralph Eldershaw: Korea (he served there in the Canadian army)
Emmett Eldershaw: Valley
Alban Eldershaw: Shotgun
Reg Eldershaw: Hake
Linus MacDonald: Cracky (he could crack his toes)
Bernard MacDonald: Barney
Francis MacDonald: Fiddlin’ (not too original; he plays the fiddle)
Paul MacDonald: Benny (after Ben E. Slagg, a character in a story)
Kenny MacDonald: Farmer
Louis Larkin: Bugs
Joe Steele: Shakespeare
The Reverend Don MacLennan: Sneakers (he was a basketball star in college)
Wendell Coffin Senior: White Owl (because he smoked White Owl cigars)
Wendell Coffin Junior: Burpee
Allan Doucette: Dewey
Lorne Anderson: Snort
Louise Anderson: Blondie (for the obvious reason)
Rita Dunlop: Tires (also for an obvious reason)
Hubert Coffin: Hub
Jack Coffin: Brent
Joe Coffin: Tim
Vince Coffin: Jiggs
Ronnie McGrath: Shinky
Joe McGrath: Store Hog
Sutherland MacPhee: Bo
George Kelly: Bull (two reasons; he raised bulls and was built like one)
Al Jay: Isaac
Stephen Keefe: Stiffy
Hubert MacEwen: Governor
Bob MacEwen: Judd
Nelson MacEwen: Squid
Walter Bradley: Pope
Alfred Arsenault: Apps
Mary Hughes: Raid (she was the elementary school principal)
Louis Murphy: Whitey (after the pitcher Whitey Ford)
Bernard Tobin: Bun
My favourite current Morell nicknames are borne by a married couple: Cookie and Skip MacDonald. You might ask what’s so special about those names. Well, even a lot of their friends have no idea that their real names are Catherine and Earl.