> > > I think that the qualifier for initials is > > quite troublesome - If I know that the person > > has an initial D and a first name Richard, is > > D the initial for Richard? This kind of question > >Did you mean D. Richard Hipp? >Often called Dr. Hipp, but he never pretended to be a Dr.
Richard is often abbreviated to Dick in English usage. No idea what the origin is - lost in the mists of time. So, if you get initial = D given = Richard you don't know that the D is an abbreviation for Richard. And if you do know that it is, there's no way to say so Grahame
