I think a lot of clergy assumed names were diminutive when they weren't, and the peasantry was too polite to correct them.
I've told this before, but in 18th and 19th century Darwen, Lancs, the name Mally was very popular. The vicar of the day refused to baptise this godless name, so they were baptised as .Mary and never used the name Mary again.
OC
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