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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Wilbs on Tuesday 17 February 09 10:42 GMT (UK)
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My family (Allman ex Malpas, Frodsham & Ellesmere Port) had a favourite dozen or so Christian names which were repeated every generation. It was not unusual for siblings to use the same names resulting in 3-4 cousins all named Mary, as well as Aunts, Mothers, Grandmothers, etc.
To identify individuals, nicknames, middle names or abreviations were often used. Some are easily identified: John = Jack, Richard = Dick, Mary = Polly, but others are more difficult to interpret.
Also some census reports have abbreviated the name. I've assumed that Wm = William and Js = James, but again other abbreviations are beyond me.
What names have fellow rootschatters found that have help unravel their families?
Thank you
Wilbs
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My grandmother was a 'Polly' Allmand and that name occurs regularly in the Allmans. Her father was a 'Jack'. Hannah/Ann/Annie are interchangeable.
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Mary`s pet name was Molly.
Selena`s was Lena.
Alice was Lal.
Margaret was Peggy.
Sarah Anne was Seran
Dorothy was Dot
Laurence was Lol.
Jonathan was Jon.
John was Jack.
Pretty obvious really. Not always found on census returns etc.
One person is listed as Saml, but it looks like Leml his name was Samuel but most annoyingly I can`t get someone who has the family tree online to change it from Leml to Samuel
Viktoria.
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i have ancestors use so many names one being my great great great grandmother Mary Ann daly that used Mary Ann, Ann or Nora/Norah and her sister honora used Ann. ive also got some that used John but called their selfs Jack. or Helens calling thier selfs Ellens and malcolms being called Mac or Max
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my mum remembers her father calling some of his "sisters" sissy, tootie and tiny
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"Mary" could also be Polly, Molly, Moll, Marie, May, in fact when a name's in doubt it seems to have been an affectionate shortening of Mary, in the families I've researched. "Margaret" in my mobs resulted in Mags, Meg, Maggie, Margery, Mads, Meggie.....
"Elizabeth/Elisabeth" seemed to morph into Liz, Liza, Eliza, Lizzie, Elspeth, Isabell (which I'd always thought of was always a distinct name on its own, until I found it being used almost alternately on censuses for the same lassie, Beth, Bettie, Betty, Bess, Bessie ....
A confusion I had, one ancestor I'd thought I knew the name of her, until I saw an official document, "Cis", I'd assumed was short for Cecily or Cecilia - it turned out to be "Cis - for Sister", as the oldest of a brood, that was how she was known to the entire family. No wonder I'd not been able to find her birth. She turned out to be "Annie Elizabeth".
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I have:
Pepgy...Margaret
Nellie...Ellen
Jos...Josiah
Kay...Kathleen
Ned...Edward
Nessie...Agnes
Ciss...Cynthia
Carol
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My aunt Agnes Ann was Aunty Sally!
And I indexed a death/funeral the other day (for Ryerson) for a Margaret who was known as Marje ??
I'm continually surprised, with this indexing, at the odd names people are sometimes known by, which appear to have no relevance to the first name or their surname :) :) :)
Dawn M
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I knew a person whose given name was Olga. She was always called Paula.
I have a Nancy for a Mary
Several others as already noted on above posts
One of my grandfather's always called me Trixie
Jeanne
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;D Fred is the name used by everyone, including himself on just about every occasion. Fred's 1912 birth certificate shows his dad registered his name as Michael Charles. When Fred married, the clergyman recorded his given names as Michael Charles (Fred). When Fred's children were born, and Fred went along to register their NSW (Australia) births, he gave his name as Fred. When Fred's children married in NSW, they gave their dad's name as Fred, one daughter did manage to inform the clergyman that her dad was Fred Michael Charles. When Fred lived with my OH and I, we called him Fred. When Fred died, and I was arranging his funeral, I informed the funeral directors (who are responsible for the formal lodging of registrations with NSW BDM), Fred's given names were : Fred Michael Charles, as this was his express wish. I asked all his (adult) children if this was fine for them, and they were all ever so pleased that "Fred" could be included in this legal document. So, in decades to come, when Fred's dc becomes readily available for members of the general public to access, I am sure there will be questions asked about "who was Fred".
I had asked Fred why he had become known as Fred rather than as Michael Charles. He replied "Mum called me Fred from before I could stand up in my play pen. Dad chose my legal names and Mum chose my home name"
Cheers, JM
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Think I've posted this before but I've got:
Ike - Isaac
Joe - Joseph
Edie - Edith
Sarah Ann - saran
Harriett - lace (work that one out)
Noah (the youngest) - nipper
I've also got a lot on my nans side that went by their middle names (not confusing at all lol).
Lisa
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Mary Ellen = Enie
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my mum remembers her father calling some of his "sisters" sissy, tootie and tiny
My grandmother was known as Totie, which in Ireland apparently means 'a little thing'. I guess it was a nickname given to someone of short stature. My great aunt Carol was known as Carrie which is probably quite a common one.
In Poland, everyone has a nickname or rather a diminutive of their Christian name:
Tadeusz is Tadek
Wladyslaw is Wladek etc etc
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A confusion I had, one ancestor I'd thought I knew the name of her, until I saw an official document, "Cis", I'd assumed was short for Cecily or Cecilia - it turned out to be "Cis - for Sister", as the oldest of a brood, that was how she was known to the entire family. No wonder I'd not been able to find her birth. She turned out to be "Annie Elizabeth".
I have an Annie Elizabeth who was known as 'Cissie' but she was the youngest. Took me a while to find her real name as well!
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The first name Bridget or Brigid has many variations.
Biddy, Bid, Bee, Bride, Bridgie, Brid, Breda, Bridgeen, Birdie, Bridie
My Aunt Bridget was known as Sis, she was only girl with four brothers.
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My uncle Paddy was born Roy Allen
My cousin Joe was born Allen Leslie
Uncle Jack was Cyril Hetherington
My cousin Adrien was called Noke (short for Pinochio I'm told) by his family.
Without being told you would never work them out.
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The first name Bridget or Brigid has many variations.
Biddy, Bid, Bee, Bride, Bridgie, Brid, Breda, Bridgeen, Birdie, Bridie
My Aunt Bridget was known as Sis, she was only girl with four brothers.
My aunty Biddy's name was actually Georgina! Work that one out ::) ::) ::)
Dawn M
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My Great Aunt & her husband were known as Molly & Dick -- their reall names are Florence & Cyril!
Another couple that confused me was when I was contacted by someone via GenesReunited who told me "we are connected through your Uncle James & Aunt Margaret" But I don't have an Uncle James & Auntt Margaret, i though!!
Took me several puzzled minutes to realise he meant my Uncle Eddie (his middle name) & Aunt Bunty (what she is always called in the family)
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My husbands family has two Ellen Alicia's - I can never understand why an Ellen would prefer to be called Nellie ???
In my own family we had Happy, Pip, Nobby (not a Clark ???) and Muffin. None of which bear any relation to the persons given Christian name.
Nicknames to go with surnames also make me wonder..ie "Nobby" Clark - "Bunny" Austin - "Knocker" White ???
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My grandma's aunt was Martha Ann known as Pattie.
Gran's dad and brothers were known as Funny (Edward), Darkie and Mick (Kenneth and Teddy)
I've no idea where any of these came from x
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I can't remember my dad ever calling my Mum anything but "Mac"! Her name was Jessie! Surname McAughtrie!
Everyone else called her Jess or Jessie, he was the only person to call her Mac! Mum told me that he had called her that since she first met him as a 17 year old!
Dad was Robert, but called Bob by Mum, & Bob or Wally by family and friends! Only his parents and his brother and 2 sisters called him Robert. Of course their kids called him Uncle Robert!
Jeanne
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My Father was called John William and was Bill to family but friends called him Paddy....he was from Newfoundland but people thought he was Irish. Mum was called Rose Kathleen but got Kay.
My late brother was called John but was known as Tony all his life as our surname was Anthony.
Carol
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My grandmother trained as a nurse pre-WWI and the student nurses were all called by their surnames. Fifty years, and more, later I remember them still using their original surnames when visiting rather than first names or married surnames.
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What might "Minnie" be a nickname for.
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Wilhemina....but it is a name on its own.
Carol
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Tony all his life as our surname was Anthony.
We know a chap whose name is Graham, but always known as Andy - his surname is Anderson :D
Minnie? Wiki P says Minnie is a diminutive of Minerva, Winifred, Wilhelmina, Hermione, Mary, or Amelia.
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What might "Minnie" be a nickname for.
If Ulster then usually Mary.
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I was fortunate enough to have 2 Family Bibles, one from my Mum and one from my Dad's side of the family.
My Dad's brother Jabez was known as Jim, his brother Jeuel George as George and his brother Harry as Sam (except for his wife who called him Harry. Their son was also Harry but spent the first 18 years of his life as Egon, his middle name).
On my Mum's side, one of her mother's cousins was known as "Aunt Polly Em". Her name was Emily, the Polly bit was because she had a parrot!
My father's mother, Annie Eliza was always known by her friends as Peachy but no one knows the origin of that one!
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A man with first name Nicholas was nicknamed "Santy" I expected him to have a big white beard but he didn't.
Saint Nicholas was the original name from which Santy was derived.
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My father had a cousin known as Dolly, which is usually a pet form of Dorothy, but in this case he knew that her "real" name was Edith. I finally discovered from her grandson that she was small and "doll-like" - hence the nickname. ;)
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In Lancashire there was also the tradition of differentiating between numerous people with the same Christian names by adding on the father’s
name.
eg, John whose father was William would be”Jack O’ Bill’s.”
John whose father was Samuel would be “Jack O’Sam’s
Etc..
What happened if two John’s had fathers of the same name was the fathers’
fathers would be included so, Jack O’Bill’s O ‘ Arthur’s
Jack O’ Bill’s O’George ‘s .
The system was understood perfectly in the close knit communities.
Viktoria.