Nicknames

Genealogists are often unable to find important extant records, because the records for their ancestor has been indexed using a nickname. For example, knowledge of nicknames is very important when searching any soundex census, that are indexed by first names. Some nicknames are unique to their surname ("Mack" for surnames starting with Mac or Mc) and some nicknames are more common to certain regions of the country, and common nicknames used in the 18th and 19th centuries may have fallen out of use by the 20th century.

An excellent book by Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG, entitled NICKNAMES: Past and Present (3rd edition, 1998) would be an important addition to your genealogy library, if you are not familiar with the possible nicknames used by your ancestors. This source also includes a listing of Dutch and Frisian Baptismal names and their equivalents in English (and visa versa), as well as truncated and superscripted names.

The lists below for female and male nicknames cover some of the more common nicknames and the alternate forms of some names.

Abigail = Abby, Gail, Nabby

Adelaide = Addy, Adele, Dell, Della, Heidi

Adelphia = Adele, Addy, Dell, Delphia

Agatha = Aggie, Gathia

Agnes = Aggy, Inez, Nessa

Aileen = Allie, Lena

Alberta = Allie, Alex, Alla, Bert, Sandy

Alfreda = Alfy, Freda, Freddy, Frieda

Almena = Allie, Mena

Amelia = Amy, Emily, Mel, Millie, Parmelia

Ann = Annie, Nan, Nanny, Nana, Nancy

Arlene = Arly, Lena

Artemissa = Missie

Asenath = Assene, Natty, Sene

Augusta = Gus or Gussie

Barbara = Babs, Barby, Bobbie

Beatrice = Bea, Trisha, Trix, Trixie

Bridgett = Biddie, Bridgie, Bridie

Camille = Cammie, Millie

Cassandra = Cass, Cassie, Sandie, Sandra

Carol (Caroline) = Carrie, Cassie, Lynn

Catherine = Cassie, Cathy, Katie, Kay, Rena, Trina

Cecelia = Cele, Celia, Ciss or Sala

Charlotte = Lottie or Lot

Christine = Chris, Christy, Tina

Cinderella = Cindy, Ella, Rella

Constance = Connie

Cordelia = Cordy, Delia

Cornelia = Corny, Nelle, Nelly, Nelia

Darlene = Darry, Lena

Deborah = Deb, Debbie, Debby

Delilah = Dell, Della, Lil, Lila

Deliverance = Delia, Delly, Dilly

Delores = Dee, Dell, Della, Lola, Lolly

Dorcus = Darkey

Dorothy = Dolly, Doll or Dotty

Drusilla = Darkey, Drucie, Ella, Silla

Eleanor = Elaine, Ellen, Ellender, Lanna, Nell, Nellie, Nora

Elizabeth = Beth, Bett(ie)(y), Eliza, Libby, Lizzie, Tibby

Elmira = Ellie, Elly, Mira

Emily = Emma, Emmy, Millie, Milly

Fidelia = Delia

Florence = Flo, Flora, Flossy

Frances = Cissy, Fannie, Fran, Francie, Frank, Sis

Fredericka = Fred, Freda, Freddy, Frieda, Ricka

Gabriella = Ella, Gabby

Genevieve = Eve, Jean, Jenny

Geraldine = Dina, Gerrie, Jerry

Gertrude = Gert, Gertie, Trudy

Gwendolyn = Gwen, Wendy

Hannah = Anna, Nan, Nanny

Harriet = Hattie

Helen = Ella, Ellen, Lena

Heloise = Eloise, Lois

Henrietta = Etta, Etty, Hank, Nettie, Retta

Hermione = Hermie

Hester = Esther, Hessy, Hetty

Isabella = Bella, Belle, Nibby, Tibbie

Isadora = Dora, Issy

Jane = Gincey, Jean, Jennie, Jessie

Janet = Jan, Jessie

Jemima = Mima

Joanna = Hannah, Joan, Jody, Nonie

Josephine = Fina, Jo, Jody, Joey

Joyce = Joy

Juanita = Nettie, Nita

Julia = Jill, Julie

Katherine = Cassie, Cathy, Katie, Kay, Rina, Trina

Keziah = Kizza, Kizzie

Lenora = Lee, Nora

Leticia = Lettie or Tish

Lillah (Lillian) = Lil, Lily, Lilly, Lolly

Linda = Belinda, Melinda, Rosalinda

Louise = Eliza, Lois, Lou

Lucille = Cille, Lou, Lu, Lucy

Lucinda = Cindy, Lucy

Lucretia = Creasy

Madeline = Lena, Maddy, Madge, Magda, Maggie

Magdelina = Lena, Madge, Magda

Margaret = Daisy, Gretta, Mag, Maggie, Peggy, Rita

Martha = Mattie, Meg, Molly, Patsy, Pattie

Mary = Marie or Polly

Matilda = Matty, Maud, Tilly

Melinda = Linda, Lindy, Mel, Mindy

Melissa = Lisa, Lissa, Mel, Milly, Missy

Michelle = Mickey

Mildred = Milly

Millicent = Milly, Missy

Nancy = Ann, Nan, Nannie

Natalie = Natty, Nettie

Obedience = Biddie, Obed

Olive = Livia, Nollie, Ollie

Olivia = Livia, Nollie, Ollie

Parmelia = Amelia, Melia, Milly

Patience = Pat, Patty

Patricia = Pat, Patty, Patsy, Tricia

Paula (Paulina) = Lina, Polly

Penelope = Nappy, Penny

Philinda = Linda

Priscilla = Cissy, Cilla, Prissy

Prudence = Prudy, Prue

Rachel = Shelly

Rebecca = Becca, Beckie, Reba

Regina = Gina, Reggie

Roberta = Bert, Bobbie, Robbie

Rosabel = Belle, Rosa, Rose, Roz

Rosalyn = Linda, Rosa, Rose, Roz

Roseann = Ann, Rose, Roz

Roxanne = Ann, Rose, Roxie

Sabrina = Brina

Sandra = Sandy

Sarah = Sallie, Sally

Selina = Lena, Sally

Serena = Rena

Shirley = Lee, Sherry, Shirl

Susannah = Hannah, Susan, Sue, Sukey, Susie

Tabitha = Tabby, Tobitha

Theresa = Terry, Tess, Tessie, Tessa, Thirza, Thursa, Tracy

Theodora = Dora, Teddi, Theo

Tryphena = Phena

Vanessa = Essa, Nessa, Vanna

Veronica - Franky, Frony, Ron, Ronnie, Ronna, Vonnie

Victoria = Vicky

Virginia = Ginger, Ginny, Jane, Jennie, Virgy

Wilhelmina = Mina, Minnie, Willie, Wilma

Winifred = Freddie, Winnie, Winnet

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NICKNAMES for COMMON MALE GIVEN NAMES

3rd = Trey

4th = Ivy (from (IV)

5th = Quince, Quint

Aaron = Erin, Ron, Ronnie

Abel = Ab, Abe, Ebbie

Abraham = Ab, Abram, Abe

Adelbert = Ad, Ade, Albert, Del, Delbert, Elbert

Adolphus = Dolph, Olph

Albert = Al, Bert, Elbert

Alexander = Alex, Eleck, Sandy, Zandy

Adolphus = Dolph, Olph

Alonzo = Lon, Lonzo

Andrew = Andy, Drew

Archibald = Archie, Baldo

Arthur = Art

Augustine = August, Austin, Gus

Adolphus = Dolph, Olph

B. F. = Benjamin Franklin

Bartholomew = Bartel, Bat, Mees, Meus

Benjamin = Ben, Benjy, Bennie, Jamie

Bernard = Barney, Berney

Berry = used for Greenberry, Littleberry, etc.

Bradford = Brady, Ford

Buddy = often used by sons of fathers with the same first name

Calvin = Cal, Vin, Vinny

Charles = Carl, Charlie, Chick, Chuck

Chip = often used by sons of fathers with the same first name

Christopher = Chris, Kit

Clifford = Cliff, Clifton, Ford

Columbus = Clum, Lum

Cornelius = Conny, Corny, Neil

David = Dave, Davy, Day

Dennison = Dennis, Denny

Edmund = Ed, Ned, Ted

Edward = Ed, Ned, Ted

Edwin = Ed, Ned, Winney

Elias = Eli, Lee, Lias

Elijah = Eli, Lige

Elisha = Eli, Lish

Emanuel = Manny, Manuel

Ezekiel = Zeke

Francis = Frank

G. B. = Greenberry

G. W. = George Washington

Geoffrey = Geoff, Jeff

Gerald = Gerry, Jerry

Greenberry = Berry, Green, G. B.

Henry = Hal, Hank, Harry

Horace = Horry

Hubert = Bert, Hub, Hugh

Ignatius = Iggy, Nace, Nate, Natius

Isaac = Ike, Zeke

Isidore = Izzy

Jack = Jacques, John

Jacob = Jacobus, Jake, Jay

James = Jacobus, Jamie, Jem, Jimmy

Jebediah = Diah, Dyer, Jed

Jefferson = Jeff, Sonny

Jeremiah = Jereme, Jerry

John = Jack, Jock, Johnny, Jonathan

Jonathan = John, Nathan

Joseph = Joe, Joey, Jos

Judson = Jud, Sonny,

Junior = often used by sons of fathers with the same first name

Junior = JR, June, Junie

L. B. = Littleberry

L. B. G. = Little Greeberry

Lafayette = Fate

Lawrence = Larry, Lon, Lorne, Lorry

Leonard = Leo, Leon, Lenny, Lineau

LeRoy = Lee, Roy

Lucas = Lucias, Luke, Luther

Matthew = Matt, Thias, Thys

Marvin = Mervyn

Michael = Micah, Mickey, Mike

Montgomery = Gum, Monty

Moses = Mos, Moze

Nathaniel = Nate, Nathan, Than

Obadiah = Diah, Dyer, Obed, Obie

Oswald = Ossy, Ozzy, Waldo

Patrick = Paddy, Pare, Patsy, Peter

Percival = Percy

Prescott = Scott, Scotty, Pres

Richard = Dick, Dicken, Rich, Rick, Ricky

Robert = Bob, Bobbie, Rob, Robbie, Robin

Roger = Hodge, Rod, Rodger, Rog

Roland = Lanny, Rollo, Rolly, Orlando

Ronald = Naldo, Ronnie

Rudolphus = Dolph, Olph, Rolf, Rudolph, Rudy

Seymore = Morey, See

Sheridan = Dan

Sidney = Sid, Syd

Skip = often used by sons of fathers with the same first name

Sonny = any surname ending with 'son'

Sonny = often used by sons of fathers with the same first name

Stephen (Steven) = Steve, Steph

Sullivan = Sully, Van

Terence = Terry

Theodore = Ted, Teddy, Theo

Thomas = Tom, Tommy

Valentine = Felty, Feltie

Vincent = Vin, Vince, Vinny

Washington = Wash, often for George Washington

Winfield = Field, Win, Winny

Woodrow = Drew, Wood, Woody

Zachariah = Zach, Zaqchy, Zeke

Zebediah = Diah, Dyer, Zed

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COMMON NAMES USED by MALES & FEMALES

Beverly (female), Beverley (male)

Carol (female), Carroll (male)

Doris (female), Dorris (male)

Eleanor (female), Ellender (male & female)

Frances (female), Francis (male)

Marian (female), Marion (male)

Valentine (male & female)

Note: Many nicknames can be either for a female name or for a male name, though the full first names can differ (Example: Bobbie can be a female named Barbara or Roberta, or a male named Robert.

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Date of last edit: Monday, November 14, 2005 © 2000-2005 R.B. Noles & Knowles/Knoles/Noles Family Association All Rights Reserved

Date of last edit: Monday, November 14, 2005
© 2000-2005 R.B. Noles & Knowles/Knoles/Noles Family Association All Rights Reserved