Week 3: Nickname (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – 2025 Version)

The theme for Week 3 is “Nickname.” Nicknames can hint to a person’s personality, occupation, or appearance. But be careful to not always take them literally! (Think of all the burly guys nicknamed “Tiny!”) Sometimes they have an “origin story” – like “Coco,” a classmate of mine. She got the nickname because her little brother couldn’t pronounce her real name (Colleen). Which of your ancestors had a nickname? Do you know how they got it? You can find all of the 2025 prompts here.

My grandpa Crinion, my dad and his only brother all had the nickname of “Chick”. I googled to see what might it be a nickname for and it reported Charles. However, none of them are called Charles. My grandpa and uncle have the same first name of John. My uncle also had the nick name of “Jack” too. My dad was Robert, and I found a work name tag with “Chick” Crinion on it along with some of his work jackets often had “Chick” Crinion on them too.

I did try asking my dad many years ago where the nickname came from. Either he told me and I forgot or he avoided giving me the correct answer, which was his normal response. I think he didn’t like us kids knowing all his secrets. 

Below is an ad that has my Uncle Jack “Chick” Crinion listed in his ad.

Just remember to have fun and Just Do Genealogy!