What's In a Name?

Female Names & Their Nicknames

Adapted from articles first published in

Notable Women Ancestors: The Journal of Women's Genealogy & History

Vol. I, No. 1, Fall, 1998 & No. 2, Winter, 1999

© 1999 Susanne "Sam" Behling (GFSSam@aol.com)


Researchers are often confounded by the use of female nicknames in old records, often mistaking them as an indication of a second or third wife. For instance, a woman may be listed in deeds and vital records as "Elizabeth", yet show up in her husband's will as his "beloved wife Betsy". Elizabeth can also surface as "Beth," "Betty," "Bess," "Bessie," "Betsy," "Libby," "Liza," "Lisa," "Eliza," "Liz," or "Lizzie". Though Elizabeth and its variations are still commonly used today, names which are no longer popular and less familiar to us can trip us up, so here more examples including several which are interchangeable.

 

Abigail - Abbie, Abby, Nabby, Gail
Adelaide - Addy, Adele, Adela, Dell, Della, Heidi
Adelina - Addie, Addy
Agatha - Aggie, Aggy
Agnes - Aggy, Inez, Nessa
Aileen - Allie, Lena
Alberta - Allie, Alla, Bert, Bertie
Alexandra - Alex, Alla, Sandy
Alfreda - Alfy, Freda, Freddy, Freida
Alice - Alicia, Allie, Ally, Elsie, Lisa
Almena - Allie, Mena
Almira - Mira,
Amanda - Mandy, Mendy
Amelia - Emily, Mel, Millie
Ann/Anne - Annie, Nan, Nana, Nancy, Nina
Antoinette - Ann, Net, Netty, Tony
Arabella - Ara, Arry, Bel, Bella, Belle
Arlene - Arly, Lena
Armeda - Arry, Meda
Armena - Arry, Mena
Armilda - Arry, Milda, Milly
Artelia - Artie, Telia
Asenath - Assene, Natty, Sene
Augusta/Augustina - Aggy, Gussie, Tina
Barbara - Barb, Bab, Babs, Bobbie
Beatrice - Bea, Tris, Trish, Trisha, Trissy, Trixie
Belinda - Bella, Belle, Linda
Bertha - Bert, Bertie, Berty, Birdie
Bridget - Biddie, Biddy, Bridie
Camille - Cammy, Millie
Caroline/Carolyn - Caddie, Carrie, Carol, Cassie, Lynn, Lyn
Cassandra - Cassie, Sandra, Sandy
Catharine/Katherine - Cassie, Cathy, Catty, Kate, Katie, Katrine, Kit, Kitty,
Cecilia/Cecily - Celia, Cis, Cissy, Sis, Sisley
Charlotte - Char, Lotta, Lottie, Lotty, sometimes Sherry
Christine/Christina - Chris, Chrissie, Crissy, Xina, Tina
Cicely - Cecilia
Cinderella - Cindy, Ella
Clara - Clare
Clarissa/Clarinda - Clara, Clare, Cissy
Constance - Connie
Cordelia - Cordy, Delia
Cordessa - Cordy, Essa
Cornelia - Corny, Nellie, Nelly
Cynthia - Cindy
Darcus - Darkey
Darlene - Darry, Lena
Deborah/Debra - Deb, Debby, Lil, Lila
Delilah - Dell, Della, Lil, Lila
Delores - Dell, Lola, Dolly, Lorie
Dorothy/Dorothea - Dorinda, Dotha, Dolly, Dot, Dottie, Dotty, Dorie
Edith - Edie
Edna - Edney
Eleanor - Ella, Elaine, Ellen, Ellie, Lanna, Lenora, Nell, Nellie,
Elizabeth/Elisabeth - Bess, Bessy, Beth, Betsy, Betty, Elsbeth, Elsie, Libby, Lisa, Liza, Liz, Lizzie, Eliza
Ellen - Helen
Elmira - Ely, Mira
Elsa - Alice
Elvira - Vira
Emeline - Em, Emily, Emma, Emmy, Millie, Milly
Emma - Emily, Em, Emm, Emmie
Estelle - Essy, Stella
Esther - Hester, Essie
Eugenia - Genie
Euphemia - Effie
Eustacia - Stacia, Stacy
Eva - Eveline, Eveline, Evelyn
Evaline - Eva
Eve - Eva
Faith - Fay
Fidelia - Delia
Florence - Flo, Flora, Floss, Flossie
Frances - Cissy, Fanny, Fran, Frankie, Sis, Nancy
Frederica/Fredericka - Freda, Freddie, Ricka
Gabrielle - Ella, Gabby
Genevieve - Eva, Ginny
Geraldine - Dina, Gerrie, Jerry
Gertrude - Gert, Gertie, Gerdrutta, Gerda, Gertraut, Truddy
Griselda - Grissel
Gwendolyn - Gwen, Wendy
Hadassah - Dacie
Hannah - Anna, Ann, Annah, Annie, Nancy, Nan
Harriet/Harriot - Hat, Hatty
Helen/Helena - Ellen, Ellie, Ella, Eleanor, Elena, Elnora, Lena, Nell
Heloise - Eloise, Lois
Henrietta - Etta, Hank, Hetty, Nettie
Hepsibah - Hipsie
Hermione - Hermie
Hester - Esther, Hetty, Hessy
Honora/Honoria - Norah, Nora
Irene - Rena, Reenie
Isabel/Isabella - Elizabeth, Belle, Bella, Bib, Tibbie
Jane - Janie, Jean, Jennie, Jessie, Joan
Janet - Jane
Jeannette - Etta, Janet, Jean, Jessie, Nettie
Jemima - Mima, Gem
Jennifer - Jen, Jenny
Jesicca - Jess, Jessie
Joan/Johannah/Joanna - Joan, Jody, Hannah
Josepha/Josephine - Jo, Jody, Joey, Josey, Fina, Pheny
Joyce - Jo, Joy
Juanita - Nettie, Nita
Judith - Judy Julia, Julie, Jill
Juliet - Julia
Kate - Catharine
Katherine/Kathleen - Catharine, Kate, Katie, Kay, Kit, Cassie, Kittie, Kitty
Keziah - Kizzie
Ladosca - Doaky
Laura - Laurinda
Lavinia - Viney
Lenora - Lee, Nora
Letitia - Lettie, Lettice, Tish, Tisha, Titia
Lillian - Lil, Lily, Lolly
Lorinda - Laurinda
Lorraine - Lee
Loudicia - Dicey
Louisa/Louise - Lou, Louie, Vicey
Lucinda - Cindy, Lucy
Lucretia - Lucy, Cretia, Cressey
Lula - Lou
Lydia - Liddy
Mabel - Amabel
Madalene - Maud, maun
Magdalena - Lena, Maggie, Molly
Malvina - Mal, Vinnie
Margaret - Marge, Margo, Mag, Maggy, Maggie, Meg, Meggy, Peg, Peggy
Margery/Marjory - Madge, Margie
Marian - Marianne
Marion - Mary
Martha - Mat, Matty, Mattie, Pat, Patty, Patsy
Martha - Patty, Patsy, Mattie, Marty
Mary - Marie, May, Moll, Molly, Poll, Polly, Mercy
Matilda/Mathilda - Till, Tillie, Tilda, Mat, Matty, Patty
Mehitabel - Mabel, Hattie, Hettie
Minerva - Minnie, Nurvy
Mintora - Mintie, Minte, Minty
Miriam - Mary
Myrtle - Myrtie, Myrt
Nancy - Nannie, Nan, Nance, Ann, Agnes
Nellie/Nelly - Ellen, Helen, Eleanor
Norah/Nora - Honora, Leonora, Eleanor
Obedience - Bede
Octavia - Tave, Tavy
Olivia - Livvie, Liv
Paula - fem of Paulus
Pauline/Paulina - Polly, Paulie
Penelope - Nep, Neppie
Philathea - Letha
Philipana - Pena, Penny, Peney
Phillis - Phyllis
Polly - Mary, Pol
Priscilla - Prissy, Sissy, Perky
Rebecca/Rebekah - Becky, Beck, Reba
Rhoda - Roady
Rosina - Rosey, Rose
Roxana - Roxy
Sarah - Sally, Sal, Sadie
Sibbilla - Sibby
Sophia - Sophy, Suffy, Sop
Sophronia - Fina, Sohpie, Sop
Susan/Susanna(h) - Anna, Sue, Suke, Sukey, Susie, Susy
Temperance - Tempe, Tempie
Theodora - Dora
Theresa - Terry, Tracy
Thomasa/Thomasine - Tamzine
Ursula - Suly
Verona - Runnie, Rennie
Virginia - Jenny, Jen, Ginny, Gem, Virgi, Jane
Wilhemina - Mina, Minnie, Minella, Wilma, Wilmett, Wilmot
Winifred - Winnie

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