Dick (nickname)
Dick is a nickname most often for Richard which likely originated in the Middle Ages as rhyming slang for "Rick", as did William → Will → Bill and Robert → Rob → Bob. The modern association with "penis" is more recent, arising from Dick becoming a cliché name for any man, as in Tom, Dick and Harry.[1] Occasionally it was given as a nickname for other proper names as well but has generally fallen out of favour except for comic intent.
Notable people
- Dick Assman (1934–2016), Canadian gas station employee
- Dick Gregory (1932–2017), American civil rights activist and comedian
- Dick Lee (disambiguation), multiple people
Business
- Richard S. Fuld Jr. (born 1946), American banker best known as the final chairman and chief executive officer of Lehman Brothers
- Dick Graves (1912-1990), American casino owner
- Dick Smith (entrepreneur), Australian businessman
- Dick Teague (1923–1991), American industrial designer
Crime
- Richard Hickock (1931—1965), one of the murderers of the Clutter family, the subject of the book and film "In Cold Blood"
- Dick Turpin (1705–1739), English highwayman executed for horse theft
Entertainment
- Dick Cavett (born 1936), American television talk show host
- Dick Clark (1929–2012), American radio and television personality
- Dick Contino (1930–2017), American accordionist
- Dick Couch, American writer
- Dick Dale (1937—2019), American musician known as "King of the Surf Guitar"
- Dick Jensen (1942—2006), Musical performer
- Richard McCourt (born 1976), TV presenter and comedian known for Dick and Dom
- Dick Powell (1930–1963), American actor and musician
- Dick Sargent (1930–1994), American actor
- Dick Shawn (1923–1987), American actor and comedian
- Dick Smothers (born 1939), one of the American folk singer-comedian Smothers Brothers
- Dick Van Dyke (born 1925), American actor, comedian, writer and producer
- Dick Van Patten (1928–2015), American actor
- Dick York (1928–1992), American actor
Military
- Frederick Ashworth (1912–2005), United States Navy officer
- Richard Joseph Audet (1922–1945), Canadian fighter pilot ace during World War II
- Richard Halsey Dick Best (1910-2001) Former commanding officer of Enterprise bombing squadron 6, hit 2 carriers in the battle of midway
- Richard Marcinko (born 1940), former United States Navy officer and retired Navy SEAL
- Richard Winters (1918–2011), an officer of the United States Army and decorated war veteran
Politics
- Dick Armey (born 1940), American politician and member of US House of Representatives from Texas (1985–2003)
- Dick Cheney (born 1941), American politician who served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009
- Dick Clark (senator) (born 1928), American politician and US Senator from Iowa (1973–1979)
- Dick Durbin (born 1944), American politician and US senator from Illinois serving as Senate Majority Whip
- Richard "Dick" Gordon (born 1945), Filipino politician and broadcaster
- Richard Lamm (1935–2021), American politician, writer, Certified Public Accountant, college professor, and lawyer
- Richard Lugar (1932–2019), American Senator who served from 1977 to 2013
- Richard Lyon (1923–2017), United States Navy admiral and former mayor of Oceanside, California
- Richard Nixon (1913—1994), 37th president of the United States
- Dick Thornburgh (1932–2020), American politician, Governor of Pennsylvania (1979–1987), and US Attorney General (1988–1991)
Sports
- Dick Advocaat (born 1947), Dutch football manager and former player
- Dick Ambrose (born 1953), former American football linebacker in the National Football League
- Dick Attlesey (1929–1984), American hurdler
- Dick Ault (1925–2007), American Olympian
- Dick Barber (1910–1983), American long jumper
- Dick Bavetta (born 1939), American retired professional basketball referee for the National Basketball Association (NBA)
- Dick Butkus (born 1942), former American football player, sports commentator, and actor
- Dick Conger (1921–1970), American major league baseball pitcher
- Dick Cox (1897–1966), American baseball player
- Dick Davis (running back) (born 1946), American football player
- Dick Davis (defensive end) (born 1938), American football player
- Dick Deer Slayer, American football player
- Dick Enberg (1935–2017), American sportscaster
- Dick Fencl (1910–1972), American football player
- Dick Groat (born 1930), American baseball and basketball player
- Richard Head (footballer), Australian rules footballer
- Dick Hoblitzell (1888–1962), American Major League Baseball player
- Dick Hurley (1847–aft. 1916), American baseball player
- Dick Ives (1926–1997), American basketball player
- Dick Johnson (footballer) (1895–1933), English footballer
- Dick Johnson (racing driver) (born 1945), Australian touring car driver and team owner
- Dick Johnson (rugby league) (1916–1984), Australian rugby league footballer
- Dick Johnson (sailor) (1923–2005), American sailor
- Dick Johnston (1863–1934), American baseball player
- Dick Johnston (journalist) (1919–2008), Canadian sportswriter
- Dick King (American football) (1895–1930), American football player
- Dick Murdoch (1946–1996), American professional wrestler
- Dick Pole (born 1950), American baseball player and coach
- Dick Pound (born 1942), Canadian swimming champion and first president of the World Anti-Doping Agency
- Dick Reynolds (1915–2002), Australian rules footballer who represented Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL)
- Dick Ricketts (1933–1988), American basketball and baseball player
- Dick Rutkowski, diving medicine pioneer
- Dick Savitt (born 1927), American tennis player
- Dick Schweidler (1914–2010), American football player
- Dick Shikat (1897–1968), German professional wrestler and World Heavyweight Champion
- Dick Shiner (born 1942), American football player
- Dick Stanfel (1927–2015), American football player
- Dick Such (born 1944), American baseball player and coach
- Dick Tayler (born 1948), New Zealand long-distance runner
- Dick Trickle (1941–2013), American race car driver
- Dick Vermeil (born 1936), National Football League Coach
- Dick Vitale (born 1939), American basketball sportscaster
- Dick Wagner (baseball) (1927–2006), American baseball executive
- Dick Woodson (born 1945), American baseball player
Fictional characters
- Dick and Jane, main characters in a children's reading book series
- Dick Grayson, the name of Robin and other superheroes in the DC Universe
- Dick Harper, one of the title characters in a 1977 film Fun with Dick and Jane that was remade in 2005
- Dick Loudon, the main character in the TV show Newhart
- Dick Solomon, the High Commander of the alien visitors in 3rd Rock from the Sun
- Dick Tracy, comic strip referencing another usage of dick as slang for detective
- Dick Whitman, the birth name of Donald Draper, the main character in Mad Men
See also
References
- Tony Merevick (September 8, 2016). "How Did 'Dick' Become Short for 'Richard'?". Thrillist. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
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