Pancho

[Tyrn]

Hi,

What does it suggest when used as a nickname, like Pancho Villa or Los Panchos? The dictionary makes me wonder.

[poli]

Dictionary references I found come up with Francisco.

[Tyrn]

Sure. But why Pancho, of all the possibilities? The only entry applicable to human beings seems to be unruffled. What's so cool and descriptive about it? Nicknames either sting, or make you a macho, usually.

Or is it Francisco "Hotdog" Villa?

[Rusty]

Both Pancho and Paco are nicknames (diminutives) of Francisco. You'll find that you aren't the only one who has wondered why this is so.
There is no real answer out there, I don't think, other than that's just the way it is.

Oh, and pancho isn't just a name. It is used as slang in a couple of ways and with varied meanings.

[Tyrn]

Any idea why https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Panchos ?

[poli]

In Argentina pancho is another word for hotdog. A super pancho is a hotdog with all the works.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Diminutives of names may be awfully arbitrary and I don't think there is a documented origin for all of them. Asking why Pancho or Pepe must be pretty much as asking why Peggy, Ned, Jack or Chuck.

In any case, Pancho Villa in American popular culture has his own place, and I think for a while the name "Pancho" was widely associated with being Mexican. As an example, the Mexican character in the Disney movie "The Three Caballeros" (1944) is a rooster named Panchito.
I wouldn't be surprised if the trio would have chosen their name precisely because of the moniker as a cultural reference. Since the group was born in New York, they must have wanted to sound as Mexican as possible... and they did.