England Female Nicknames (National Institute)

The original content for this article was contributed by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies in June 2012. It is an excerpt from their course English - Understanding Names in Genealogy  by Dr. Penelope Christensen. The Institute offers over 200 comprehensive genealogy courses for a fee ($).

Diminutives

During the 18th century the old pet names for Elizabeth such as Bess, Betty and Liz became established as given names in their own right and they start to be seen in parish registers as official names from about 1750. There seem to be more diminutives for girls, but for some male names there are many diminutives perhaps reflecting the fact that there were a lot of men having certain popular names. North Americans, in particular, may not know the common nicknames used for proper names in England, or may assume that the usage is the same as in North America. Boys’ names, in particular, are frequently abbreviated in the records and these forms have been included as well. Alan Bardsley’s First Name Variants should be consulted for a much more extensive selection. He lists over 230 for Elizabeth alone!

Chart:
Some Common English Girls’ Nicknames & Alternate Forms

Note: A girl could be christened with a nickname instead.

Nickname	Proper or Alternate Name
Abbie	Abigail
Addy	Adelaide, Adeline
Aggie	Agatha, Agnes
Agna	Agnes
Alena	Madeline, Magdalen
Allie	Alice, Alison
Amabel	Amy, Mabel
Amelia	Emily
Amy	Amelia, Emily
Angie	Angela
Anna	Anne
Annes, Annice, Annis	Agnes
April	Avril
Arty	Harriet
Austina	Augusta
Babette, Babs, Barbary	Barbara
Bea, Beat, Bettrys	Beatrice, Beatrix
Becky	Rebecca
Beithy	Tabitha
Bella, Belle	Isabel, Isobelle
Bennet	Benedicta
Bess, Bessie, Bet, Beth, Betty	Elizabeth
Bev	Beverley
Biddy	Bedelia, Bridget
Billie	Wilhelmina
Bina	Sabina
Bobby	Roberta
Bride, Bridie	Bridget
Bina	Benedicta
Bunny	Bernice
Cam, Cammie	Camilla
Care-happy	Kerrenhappuch
Carly	Caroline, Charlotte
Carrie	Caroline
Caryn	Caroline, Kerrenhappuch
Cassie	Cassandra
Cathie, Catty	Catherine
Celia	Celestina
Chris	Christine
Cilla	Priscilla, Zillah
Cindy	Lucinda
Cissie	Cecilia, Cicely, Syssely or ‘Sister’
Clem, Clemmie	Clemence, Clementine
Connie	Constance
Corah	Kerenhappuch
Daisy	Margaret, Marguerite
Deb, Debby	Deborah
Delphi	Philadelphia
Detta	Henrietta
Du, Dina	Diana, Diane
Dolly, Dot, Dottie	Dorothy
Dora, Dory	Dorothy, Isadora, Theodora
Dru	Drusilla
Dulcie	Dulcibella
Easter	Hester, Esther
Edie	Edith, Edwina
Effie, Eppie	Euphemia, Hephzibah
Elberta, Elbertine	Alberta, Albertine
Elizabeth	Isobel and variants, Ishbel
Ella	Isobella and variants
Ellen	Eleanor, Helen
Emily, Emmy	Amelia, Emmeline
Eph	Euphemia
Esther, Ester	Hester
Etta, Ettie	Harriet, Henrietta
Eugy	Eugenia
Euphie	Euphemia
Evie	Eve or Eva
Eva, Eve, Evita	Evangeline, Eveline
Fanny	Frances (but Sarah in Hants)
Flo, Florrie, Flossie, Floy	Flora, Florence
Fran, Frannie	Frances
Freda	Elfreda, Frederica, Winifred
Gaby	Gabrielle
Gail, Gayle, Gayel	Abigail
Gatha	Agatha
Gena, Genie	Eugenie
Gert, Gertie	Gertrude
Gina	Regina, Virginia
Ginnie, Ginny	Eugenie, Virginia
Greta	Marguerite, Margaret
Gussie	Augusta
Haggy	Agatha
Hannah	Anne
Harty, Hattie	Harriett
Heidi	Adelheid
Helen	Eleanor
Hester	Esther
Hettie, Hetty	Henrietta, Hester, Mehittabel
Ibb	Isobel
Ina	Christina
Isobel and variants	Elizabeth
Isott, Izet etc	Iseault or Isolda
Izzie, Izzy	Isabel and variants
Jane	Joan, Joanna, Johanna
Janeta, Janett, Janis, Janot	Janet
Jenny	Jane
Jill	Gillian or Jillian
Jo	Joanne, Josephine
Joan	Jane, Joanna, Johanna
Josie	Josephine
Judy	Judith
Jug	Joan
Kate, Katie	Catherine, Katherine
Kerah, Keren, Kerrie	Kerrenhappuch
Kit, Kitty	Katherine, Margaret
Kizzie	Keziah
Laura	Laurel, Lauretta, Laurinda
Lenore, Leonora	Eleanora
Letty	Alice, Lettice
Lexie	Alexandra
Libby	Elizabeth
Liddy	Lydia
Lil	Lillian, Lily
Lina	Caroline
Linda	Melinda
Lisa, Liz, Liza, Lizzie or Lizzy	Elizabeth
Livie	Olivia
Lola	Delores
Lottie	Charlotte
Lou, Lulu	Louisa, Louise
Lucy	Louisa, Lucille, Lucinda
Mab	Mabel
Macey	Thomasine
Madge, Maggie	Margaret
Maisie	Margaret, May
Mamie	Mary
Mandy	Amanda
Mara(h)	Damaris
Marge	Margaret, Margery, Marjory
Mariet, Marriete	Mary
Marion	Mary Ann
Marty	Martine
Matthew	Martha
Mattie, Matty	Martha, Matilda
Maud	Matilda
Maudie	Maud
Meg, Meggie, Meggy	Margaret
Mel	Melanie, Melinda
Mele, Melia, Millie	Amelia, Emily, Mildred, Millicent
Mima	Jemima
Minnie	Wilhelmina, Melinda, Hermione, Ermintrude
Missy	Melissa
Mitzi	Margaret
Mog, Moggy	Margaret
Molly	Mary
Nan, Nancy, Nanny	Anne, Agnes
Natty	Natalie, Renate
Nelie	Cornelia
Nell, Nellie	Cornelia, Ellen, Eleanor, Helen
Nessa	Vanessa
Nettie	Agnes, Annette, Janet, Jeanette
Nibb	Isobel
Nika	Veronica
Nina	Anne
Nita	Anne, Janet
Nora, Norah	Eleanor, Honour, Leonora
Oona	Una
Pam	Pamela
Pat	Patricia
Patsy	Martha, Patricia
Patty	Martha, Matilda
Paula	Paulina, Pauline
Peg, Peggy	Margaret
Penny	Penelope
Phemie	Euphemia
Philly	Philadelphia, Phyllis
Pip, Pippa	Philippa
Polly	Mary Ann
Prisca, Prissie, Prissy	Priscilla
Pru, Prudy, Prue	Prudence, Prunella
Queenie	Victoria
Rae, Ray	Rachel
Reba	Rebecca
Rene	Irene
Rita	Margaret
Rona	Rowena
Rosa	Rosina
Rosie	Rosa, Rose, Rosemary, Rosina, Rosimund, Roshanna, Roslyn
Rue, Ruthie	Ruth
Sadie, Sairey	Sarah
Sally	Salome, Sarah
Sam	Samantha
Sheba	Bathsheba
Sibyl	Sibella, Sybilla
Sife	Cynthia
Stella	Estelle, Esther, Hester
Sue, Sukie, Susie	Susan, Susannah
Syssely	Cecilia and variants
Tabby	Tabitha
Taggy	Agnes
Tamsin	Thomasin, Thomasina
Teena	Christina, Stephanie
Teesha	Letitia
Terrie, Terry	Teresa, Theresa
Tess, Tessie	Theresa
Tetty	Elizabeth
Thea	Dorothea
Tia, Titia	Crescentia, Laetitia
Tibby, Titty	Elizabeth
Tilda	Matilda
Tilly	Matilda
Tina	Christina, Clementina, Valentina
Tish	Letitia
Tottie	Charlotte
Treena	Catriona
Triffie	Tryphena, Tryphosa
Trissie, Trixie	Beatrice
Trudy	Ermintrude, Gertrude
Ulla	Ursula
Unice, Uny, Una	Eunice
Val	Valerie
Velma	Wilhelmina
Vi	Viola, Violet
Vicky	Victoria
Vina	Lavinia
Viv	Vivienne
Winnie, Wyn	Winifred
Yve	Yvonne
Zelda	Grizell

 

Feminized Versions

Many girls’ names are feminized versions of boys’ ones. English examples include Hectorina, Jane, Janet, Joan (these three from John), Michaela, Paula, Petra, Patricia, Roberta. From northern Europe come Hansine (Hans), Johanna (Johann/John), Larsine (Lars), Nielsine (Niels), Rasmine (Rasmus) and Wilhelmina (Wilhelm/William) and there are dozens more.

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