I love the name [name]Hank[/name], but personally don’t feel it stands alone very well. I know [name]Henry[/name] is the traditional full form, but that name is out because it is the name of my dad’s dog. I’ve long had a bit of a crush on [name]Hawthorne[/name], but am not a fan of [name]Thor[/name] or [name]Thorne[/name] as nicknames. Last night it struck me that it [name]Hawthorne[/name] might actually work as a full form for [name]Hank[/name]. What do you think?
Also, do you like the [name]Hawthorne[/name] spelling better than [name]Hawthorn[/name]? I see to gravitate towards spelling it without the “e” and I’m just wondering what is the intuitive spelling for other people.
I prefer the [name]Hawthorne[/name] spelling. As for the nn [name]Hank[/name]. I think it’s a bit of a stretch, and I don’t think you can necessarily control what his friends will end up calling him. If you want him to be called [name]Hank[/name], the best way to do it is just name him [name]Hank[/name]. I had the same issue when I was considering [name]Hal[/name] & [name]Harold[/name], and I decided that if I used it, I would just go with [name]Hal[/name] as a stand alone.
I like [name]Hank[/name] too. I’ve heard it as a nickname for [name]Hiram[/name] as well as [name]Henry[/name].
I will be honest: I really like [name]Hawthorn[/name], and I quite like [name]Hank[/name], but [name]Hank[/name] from [name]Hawthorn[/name] seems a bit of a stretch.
According to Behind the Name:
Originally a short form of Hankin which was a medieval diminutive of JOHN. Since the 17th century in the United States this name has also been used as a diminutive of HENRY, probably under the influence of the Dutch diminutive HENK.
However, calling a [name]John[/name], [name]Hank[/name] today, would probably be classed as “confusing.”