How did the practice of nicknames begin? Mitch for Mitchell, Jenny for Jennifer,

Question:It dates back to the Vikings, I believe...
"In Viking societies, many people had nicknames heiti, viernefni or uppnefi which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts."

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: It dates back to the Vikings, I believe...
"In Viking societies, many people had nicknames heiti, viernefni or uppnefi which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts."

Probably thousands of years ago, it is in man's nature to shorten things and make them more personal, or even to nick-name someone by reference to a physical characteristic or disability.

in my case i had to give myself a nickname because when i was a child i had a lisp and couldnt say 'heather' so-maybe that is how it started- a form of shortened name due to others not being able to pronounce it properly.