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Pet names

2

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  • Registered Users Posts: 8 TwistedTrees


    My Mary Eleanor grandmum born 1913 in Vancouver was known as a pet name of Molly.

    'Tis so confusing!'


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,706 ✭✭✭Waitsian


    This is a terrific thread.

    Here's one for you all that I've never really understood. My uncle is a Thomas Joseph (first and middle name) and always believed his father and grandfather were both the same. It turns out his grandfather (and my ggf obviously!) was Thomas Patrick. But his Dad, my gf, has Thomas O'Connell (that's not his surname btw, or a middle name of any previous generation; we're assuming he's named after Daniel, the Liberator, as my ggf was in the A.O.H. & the Emerald Society, both in Canada, as well as being on the local Separate school board) on his birth cert but Thomas Joseph on his marriage cert! Might Joseph have been a nickname, or his Confirmation name, or just one he decided to use himself because he didn't like O'Connell as a middle name?! :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 243 ✭✭binxeo


    Just found a Bridget who's pet name was Daisy and she married as Daisy and was buried as Daisy.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14 kellybutler


    Rachael- ray, rara, rach]
    Roberta- bobby, Bob
    Jessica-Jessy, jess
    Gary- Gaz
    Nadine- Deano


  • Registered Users Posts: 238 ✭✭carolinej


    Thomas - Tod


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 405 ✭✭Yeah Yeah Yeah


    mod9maple wrote: »
    Here's one for you all that I've never really understood. My uncle is a Thomas Joseph (first and middle name) and always believed his father and grandfather were both the same. It turns out his grandfather (and my ggf obviously!) was Thomas Patrick. But his Dad, my gf, has Thomas O'Connell (that's not his surname btw, or a middle name of any previous generation; we're assuming he's named after Daniel, the Liberator, as my ggf was in the A.O.H. & the Emerald Society, both in Canada, as well as being on the local Separate school board) on his birth cert but Thomas Joseph on his marriage cert! Might Joseph have been a nickname, or his Confirmation name, or just one he decided to use himself because he didn't like O'Connell as a middle name?! :D

    Kinda dizzy readin this, but I know what you mean...:)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,407 ✭✭✭Cardinal Richelieu


    Concepta- Cepta, Ceppie


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    A modern day one I heard recently is Flick, short for Felicity.


  • Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭Larkenn


    Elizabeth - Eliza, Lily
    Nora - Honora, Honor, Hannah
    Jane - Joan
    Anne - Annie, Nannie
    Alicia - Alice
    Mary - Maria
    Christina - Cissie


  • Registered Users Posts: 505 ✭✭✭annieoburns


    good thread.... covered most of mine already :)

    Connie for Concepta
    Bartle for Bartholomew
    Lily for Elizabeth
    Molly for Mary
    Henny for Anne
    Ted or Thady for Thadeus
    Billy for William but wife insisted on calling him Liam.... bit confusing as they married in their mid 30's.

    Above last one points up how same person can be called different names by different people. We had a relation christened Eleanor but called Nell or Nellie by different people.

    Other names are suggested by place in family such as
    Boy ... an only child
    Baby.... the youngest
    Cissie or Sis for an older sister?

    Also there is the matter in former times of babies needing a proper saint's name for baptism... eg Thadeus/Bartholomew a bit cumbersome for in normal life but got used for official documents.


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  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,609 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky



    Other names are suggested by place in family such as
    Boy ... an only child
    Baby.... the youngest
    Cissie or Sis for an older sister?
    .

    This reminds me of someone I know whose grannie was known as "girlie" because she was the only girl in her family.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    Following on the subject of pet names. I am searching for a 'Maud' but she is not appearing anywhere. Maybe someone here may have experienced a Maud as another name?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,706 ✭✭✭Waitsian


    Jellybaby1 wrote: »
    Following on the subject of pet names. I am searching for a 'Maud' but she is not appearing anywhere. Maybe someone here may have experienced a Maud as another name?

    It's a variant for Matilda, appartenly.

    "Early contracted form of Mathilda.

    The Old German Mahthild became in French Mahault, Maheut, Maheud, then Maud.

    The name Maud became quite common in England in the 19th century."


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,089 ✭✭✭✭P. Breathnach


    mod9maple wrote: »
    It's a variant for Matilda, appartenly....
    I didn't know that. I would have guessed that it was a variant for Margaret. Although my guess has no good foundation, it might be worth exploring it if Matilda doesn't deliver for you.

    I know of one case where Maud was used as the English cognate for Maedhbh. I don't know if it was a family idiosyncracy.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,108 ✭✭✭Jellybaby1


    I'd go along with Mathilda or Margaret I think. There are no other Gaelic names in the family so I doubt if Maedhbh would be right but will keep it mind anyway just in case. Thanks.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 470 ✭✭CeannRua


    Has anyone come across the name Killy for a woman? There are some examples of it on IrishGenealogy and the extracted records on FamilySearch. Maybe some of them should be Kitty and the double 'l' has been left uncrossed?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,706 ✭✭✭Waitsian


    CeannRua wrote: »
    Has anyone come across the name Killy for a woman? There are some examples of it on IrishGenealogy and the extracted records on FamilySearch. Maybe some of them should be Kitty and the double 'l' has been left uncrossed?

    Your reasoning sounds plausible. I've not come across it. Killy apparently is a nickname for Philadelphia and I've just seen a suggestion it could be short for Killian.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,410 ✭✭✭oceanclub


    In the early 19th century, what was "Biddy" (or "Beddy") short for? According to my great-grandmother's marriage cert, her parents were John Wixted & Catherine Wixted nee Bradshaw. I can find John Wixteds who married a Biddy and Beddy Bradshaw respectively, but no Catherine Bradshaws (or similar) who married a John Wixted.

    P.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,609 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    Mod note: moved to pet name thread and stickied for future reference.

    I'd think Bridget is most likely.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



  • Registered Users Posts: 728 ✭✭✭Hesh's Umpire


    Biddy would be fairly common in the midlands as a corruption of Brigid.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 683 ✭✭✭KildareFan


    Bridget is often recorded as Bedelia, so Biddy/Beddy would be pet names derived from Bridget/Bedelia.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,504 ✭✭✭tac foley


    My father had six brothers and sisters, and not a single one of them was known to me by their actual birth certificate names. It was not until a friend of ours, who works as a researcher for the CLDS, turned up the relevant census pages that I found out their real names. My dad's middle name was mispelled on his birth certificate, the clerk, no doubt an Englishman, unused to the Cork accent, hearing 'Valentine' as 'Ballantine'

    tac


  • Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭Mez1982


    One that I came across recently was Kit being another name for Christopher.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,706 ✭✭✭Waitsian


    CeannRua wrote:
    Some others: Angelina - Angela Bridget - Bridie, Biddie, Breda Jane - Jennie Ellen - I've seen changed to Eileen Mary - Maura Daniel - Dan etc, Donie Richard - Dick Johanna - Hannah, Josie, Joan Honora - Norry Finbarr - Barry Christina - Ina, Chrissie Jeremiah - Darby Michael - Mich; Mick In a way, I think this is endless because as well as change of name you're at the mercy of vagaries of spelling - ie Jimmy / Jimmie; Lily / Lilly?

    CeannRua wrote:
    Mary - Maura

    tac foley wrote:
    Mary = Maisie

    Larkenn wrote:
    Mary - Maria


    Almost all the Marys in my family going back at least 3 generations have been referred to as May.


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 Rox_88


    Most people call me Rox/Roxy short for Roxanne but my parents call me San or Sanny. I'm sure you all have lots of Aunty Roxannes in your trees ;)

    Kathleen for Catherine and Maura/Maureen for Mary.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,504 ✭✭✭tac foley


    Mez1982 wrote: »
    One that I came across recently was Kit being another name for Christopher.

    Pretty common, that. A contemporary playwrite of Wm Shakespear[e], Christopher Marlowe, was known as Kit.

    So was the American frontiersman, Christopher 'Kit' Carson.

    tac


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,284 ✭✭✭dubhthach


    KildareFan wrote: »
    Bridget is often recorded as Bedelia, so Biddy/Beddy would be pet names derived from Bridget/Bedelia.

    My grandmother was known as "Delia" to her family etc. Bridget was her actual name.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,284 ✭✭✭dubhthach


    Rox_88 wrote: »
    Most people call me Rox/Roxy short for Roxanne but my parents call me San or Sanny. I'm sure you all have lots of Aunty Roxannes in your trees ;)

    Kathleen for Catherine and Maura/Maureen for Mary.

    Kathleen and Maura/Maureen are borrowings from Irish.

    eg. Caitlín and Máire/Máirín (little Mary)

    Obviously in both cases the names were borrowed into Irish during the middle ages, from same root names that also gave rise to english Catherine and Mary.

    (Máire via Latin, Caitlín via Norman-French with addition of -ín diminutive)


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,609 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    Mod note: please check the thread before posting, we've got a lot of repetition in it.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,368 ✭✭✭Chuchote


    pinkypinky wrote: »
    Mod note: please check the thread before posting, we've got a lot of repetition in it.

    Maybe stick up a first post with all the names and nicknames in alphabetical order?

    Cornelius can be shortened variously to Con, Conn, Corny and Neil.


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