Diminutives of Elizabeth

[suttontrust]

I have a family on a census where the mother is named as "Betsey".  A birth certificate which might be the right one gives the mother as "Elizabeth".  I know that Betsy was a name in its own right, but could it also be a diminutive of Elizabeth?

[Hackstaple]

Yes. Also Lisbet, Betty, Betsy, Liza, Bessie , Bess, Beth, Eliza, Liz, Lizzie, and lots of others but not Uncle Tom Cobley.
Elizabeth and Mary were so prevalent that every family had several amongst the cousins - that is why all the variants were used.

[Kimi]

I recently found 2 children from the same family with the same name One was called Elizabeth and the other was called Eliza.............I thought it wasn't possible at first but it proved to be true.  I've also got another one named Maria, but called herself Mary.

Kimi

[Nick Carver]

I've seen innumerable examples of 2 children in the same family with the same name. Generally the elder had died before the younger was born, but this may not always be the case. George Foreman the boxer, had four sons all name George. Perhaps all those punches did something to his brain? With hindsight, everytime I find myself calling one of my children by the name of one of their siblingsI wish I'd not given them different names.

On the naming front, I have found an ancestor baptised Nellie who called herself Nancy. Now that's just pretentiousness and there's nowt so queer as folk as they say in her native Yorkshire.

[Pault]

And I've got an example of Maria Mercedes who also called herself Mary Mercy.

[suttontrust]

And who can blame her?

[leagen]

I found an ancestor who was named Esubia after her grandmother but by the time she was age 14 (and forever after) she was going by Elsie.  With a name like Esubia who could blame her, but it does make for some confusion when looking for her in records.  If I had't found her w/parents at age 14 I never would have known who to look for in later records.  Now I look for Elsie not Esubia.

[Ronnie6492]

Hi can I add mine?  My husbands gran was Eliza but known as Lilie (even put it on her husbands headstone!)

Cheers Ronnie

[leagen]

I have a friend now whose dau. is named Elizabeth but Everyone calls her Lilly to the point the child doesn't even Know her name is Elizabeth.      Leagen