{{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 Nobby is the

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

form of the name

Norbert Norbert is a Germanic given name, from ''north, nord'' "north" and ''berht'' "bright". Norbert is also occasionally found as a surname. People with the given name Academia * Norbert Angermann (born 1936), German historian * Norbert A’Campo (bor ...

. It is also a

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

most commonly used in English for those with the surname Clark or Clarke.

Origins as a nickname

A number of possible explanations exist for the use of Nobby as a nickname for people with the surname Clark. These include: * Clerks in the City of London used to wear Nobby hats, a type of

bowler hat The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn ...

. Alternative spellings include "Knobby" and "Clarke". * 16th century monks wrote letters for the illiterate. These monks were referred to as "Clerks". The outcome of so much writing causes

callus A callus is an area of thickened and sometimes hardened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. Since repeated contact is required, calluses are most often found on the feet and hands, but they may o ...

es on the fingers "nobs" and therefore "Nobby Clerks" was born. * In England the term "nob" is used to refer to a member of the aristocracy and by extension a posh person. Clerks were also required to maintain a high standard of dress, and were paid a clothing allowance. The result was that they always appeared smart. A clerk would deal with the common people but would be better educated, better paid and in a position of relative power. To the uneducated, clerks were posh and therefore considered to be "nobs". Hence, nobby Clark. Both the Oxford English and the English Dialect Dictionaries list nobby as being of a rich man, a nob or

toff In British English slang, a toff is a stereotype for someone with an aristocratic background or belonging to the landed gentry, particularly someone who exudes an air of superiority. For instance, the Toff, a character from the series of advent ...

, or “smart”, and gives it a wide distribution, so smart persons were "nobby". Nobby Clark is also

cockney rhyming slang Rhyming slang is a form of slang word construction in the English language. It is especially prevalent among Cockneys in England, and was first used in the early 19th century in the East End of London; hence its alternative name, Cockney rhymin ...

for a

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimo ...

People

* Nobby Clark (disambiguation) * Gordon "Nobby" Clark (born 1950), former singer of the Scottish band

Bay City Rollers The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. They have been called the "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh" and one of many acts heralded as the "biggest group since the Beat ...

Neil Clarke (Australian footballer) Neil 'Nobby' Clarke (28 August 1957 – 29 March 2003) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon in the Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia ...

(1957–2003) *

William Clarke (cryptographer) William Francis "Nobby" Clarke (1883–1961) was a British intelligence officer and cryptographer of naval codes in both World Wars. Background and early life Clarke was educated at Harrow School and Magdalen College, Oxford, and trained as ...

(1883–1961), British intelligence officer and cryptographer of naval codes in both World Wars *

Nobby Hunt Robert Norman Hunt (24 September 1903 Worsley, Lancashire - 13 October 1983 Somerstown, Chichester) was an English cricketer. Nobby Hunt was a leading club cricketer between the world wars, captaining Barclays Bank Cricket Club and also Club ...

(1903–1983), English cricketer *

Nobby Lawton Norbert "Nobby" Lawton (25 March 1940 – 22 April 2006) was an English footballer who played as an inside forward or wing half for various English clubs in the 1960s and early 1970s. Born in Newton Heath, Manchester, Lawton began his football ...

(1940–2006), English footballer *

George Nash (rower) George Christopher Nash (born 2 October 1989) is a British rower. He is dual Olympian, dual Olympic medal winner and three time world champion. Education Nash attended Lanesborough School in Guildford and Winchester College, where he was Vice- ...

(born 1989), English rower *

Brian Noble (rugby league) Brian David Noble Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 14 February 1961), also known by the nickname of "Nobby", is an English rugby league coach and former rugby league footballer. As a footballer, Noble was a Great Britain national rugby le ...

(born 1961), English rugby league coach and former player *

Nolberto Solano Nolberto Albino "Ñol" Solano Todco (born 12 December 1974), commonly known as Nobby Solano, is a retired Peruvian professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is currently the assistant manager of the Peru national football team, as w ...

(born 1974), Peruvian retired footballer *

Nobby Stiles Norbert Peter Stiles (18 May 194230 October 2020) was an English footballer and manager. He played for England for five years, winning 28 caps and scoring one goal. He played every minute of England's victorious 1966 FIFA World Cup campaign. In ...

(1942–2020), English footballer *

Norbert Tiemann Norbert Theodore "Nobby" Tiemann (July 18, 1924 – June 19, 2012) was an American Republican politician from Wausa, Nebraska, and was the 32nd Governor of Nebraska, serving from 1967 to 1971. Biography Tiemann was born in Minden, Nebraska. He a ...

(1924–2012), American politician and 32nd Governor of Nebraska *

Nobby Wirkowski Norbert "Nobby" Wirkowski (August 20, 1926 – October 15, 2014) was an American and Canadian football player and coach. He is best known as quarterback of the Toronto Argonauts. The touchdown he engineered in the 1952 Grey Cup turned out to be ...

(1926–2014), American football player

Fictional characters

* Georg "Nobby" Hegel, a German philosopher in

The_Philosophers' Football_Match "International Philosophy", commonly referred to as the Philosophers' Football Match, is a Monty Python sketch depicting a football match in the Munich Olympiastadion between philosophers representing Greece and Germany. Starring in the sketch are ...

* Nobby Nobbs, a member of the

Ankh-Morpork City Watch The Ankh-Morpork City Watch is the police force of the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork in the ''Discworld'' series by the English writer Terry Pratchett. The Watch, its growth and development, and its inner workings are explored through a series ...

in the

Discworld ''Discworld'' is a comic fantasy"Humorous Fantasy" in David Pringle, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006. book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat pla ...

fantasy novel series * The player character in the 1993 video game ''

Nobby the Aardvark ''Nobby the Aardvark'' is a platform game for the Commodore 64, published in 1993 by Thalamus. Gameplay ''Nobby the Aardvark'' is a platform game taking place over multiple levels. The player takes the role of Nobby, an aardvark who eats ants ...

'' * Nobby the Enchanted Bobby, title character of the comic strip of the same name in ''The Beano'' (1952–1954) – see

List of Beano comic strips Over the years ''The Beano'' has had many different strips, ranging from comic strips to adventure strips to prose stories. Prose stories were the first to go, being phased out in 1955. Adventure strips were phased out in 1975, with the last on ...

* Nobby, title character of the strip of the same name in the comics '' Buzz'' and later '' The Topper'' * Nobby, in the Enid Blyton book ''

Five Go Off in a Caravan ''Five Go Off In A Caravan'' is the fifth book in the Famous Five series by the British author, Enid Blyton and published by Hodder and Stoughton. The book includes a circus boy character named Nobby, whose name was changed to Ned, when publis ...

'' * Nobby Butcher, the main character in the 2016 film ''

Grimsby Grimsby or Great Grimsby is a port town and the administrative centre of North East Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire, England. Grimsby adjoins the town of Cleethorpes directly to the south-east forming a conurbation. Grimsby is north-east of Linco ...

'', played by

Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral ...

. * Zenobia 'Nobby' Hopwood, a character in the

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeev ...

book '' Joy in the Morning''. * Nobby Cranton, a gentleman thief in the

Dorothy L. Sayers Dorothy Leigh Sayers (; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime writer and poet. She was also a student of classical and modern languages. She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between th ...

book ''

The Nine Tailors ''The Nine Tailors'' is a 1934 mystery novel by the British writer Dorothy L. Sayers, her ninth featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. The story is set in the Lincolnshire Fens, and revolves around a group of bell-ringers at the local parish church. The b ...

''. Lists of people by nickname