England Female Nicknames (National Institute)
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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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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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