2614: pepe Feb 10, 2022

Usually, we would expect nicknames or pet names to at least vaguely resemble the original version. There are a few exceptions, like 'Dick' from Richard, but at least this did come from the name. In the case of the Spanish nickname Pepe born from José, this may not be so. Perhaps the most popular theory is that this comes from the abbreviation 'P.P.' from 'pater putativus' (putative father) referencing the father of Jesus, but more likely it is just from a doubling of the final syllable of the earlier Josep. It is sometimes found as Cheché and Chepe throughout Latin America. Likewise, the Italian version Peppe is from Giuseppe, and from Portuguese it is Zezé, with many other related forms.