"Dude" nickname (1876)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

Today on Word Routes I talk about "dude":

http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wordroutes/1534/

Nothing new or earth-shattering, but I do mention the early use of
"Dude" as a nickname. Barry had previously posted an 1881 cite from
the Allen County (Ohio) Democrat:

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http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0408b&L=ads-l&P=6973
Allen County Democrat Thursday, February 10, 1881 Lima, Ohio
Pg. 5, col. 4:
_A New Man at the Helm._
P. C. Collons, the dashing and handsome "Dude" of everybody's acquaintance,
has bought out Wm. Lipfet's saddlery and harness shop, and in the future will
be found in charge of the concern. An introduction or recommendation to our
citizens is not needed in this case, as :Dude: is well known by all, and as he
has served a full term at the trade and thoroughly understands his business, and
his experience has been such as to make him conversant with the wants of our
farmers.
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I checked the page image and it's actually P.C. Collins, not Collons.
And there are earlier references to "Dude" Collins in the same paper:

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1876 _Allen County (Ohio) Democrat_ 20 July 4/5 Soon after the sale,
Dude Collins, happening along at this stage of affairs, and having an
eye to business, examined the property, and at once made up his mind
that the fellow had stolen the horse and buggy from some livery man. A
postal card had been received by our Marshal and others, describing a
horse and buggy stolen from Sharon, Pennsylvania, and Dude soon found
that this horse and buggy answered to the description.
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1879 _Allen County (Ohio) Democrat_ 20 Nov. 3/5 Dude Collins has
lately been making frequent trips to Dayton for the purpose, as he
says, of attending church there. It is a good racket, Dude, and you
stick to it, even if you can't tell the difference between the
doxology and the benediction.
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When Michael Quinion covered "dude" for World Wide Words, he wrote:

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http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-dud2.htm
Earlier cases of dude are on record — the Historical Dictionary of
American Slang takes it back to 1877 and there are examples of it as a
personal name or nickname even before then.
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Do we have other pre-1877 examples of "Dude" as a nickname?


--Ben Zimmer

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