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 worker
Dick Gregory (1932–2017), American civil rights activist and comedian
Dick Lee (disambiguation), multiple
Dick Wolf American television producer

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
Dick King-Smith (1922-2011), English author
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 "Dick" Halsey Best (1910-2001) Former commanding officer of Enterprise bombing squadron 6 (VB-6), hit 2 carriers in the Battle of Midway and is credited for sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi by himself with a singular 1000 lb bomb.^[2]
Richard Bong (1920 - 1945), top flying ace of the US during World War II, decorated war hero, National Aviation Hall of Fame inductee
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
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
Dick Gansey III from The Raven Cycle

References

^ Tony Merevick (September 8, 2016). "How Did 'Dick' Become Short for 'Richard'?". Thrillist. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
^ "Midway 42: IJN Carrier Damage"

This page lists people with the nickname Dick. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link to directly target the intended article.

[1] Tony Merevick (September 8, 2016). "How Did 'Dick' Become Short for 'Richard'?". Thrillist. Retrieved June 24, 2021.

[2] "Midway 42: IJN Carrier Damage"

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