Diminutives and Alternative Names for the Most Common English Christian Names

Have you ever had difficulty in finding a known individual in the official records? Could it be because they were known by another name? For example, I had a Scottish ancestor whom I knew as Jessie McPherson but could find no record of her birth certificate. It was only when I discovered that, in Scotland, Jessie is a common form of Janet that I managed to trace the official record. As a result I have compiled the following list of diminutives (shortened names) and alternative names. It is far from complete so if you can add anything to the list email me at anne.johnston@nireland.com. To find a name use the ‘Find’ facility under the ‘Edit’ option in MS Explorer or its equivalent in Netscape Navigator. The alternative names are given first, followed by the diminutives. Remember not to stop at the first instance – several names may have the same diminutive, for example, Nellie is the shortened form of Ellen, Helen or Eleanor. I hope you find this useful!

Abigail – Abby, Nabby

Abijah, Abia

Abraham, Abram – Abe, Aby

Adam – Scottish dims of Edie, Yiddy

Adrian, Hadrian

Aeneas, Eneas

Agnes – Aggie, Aggy, Inez (Portuguese)

Aileen, Eileen – an Irish form of Helen

Albert – Bert, Bertie

Alexander – Alec, Alex, Aleck, Alick, Eck, Ecky, Lex, Lexie, Sandy, Sanders, Sawnie

Alfred – Alf, Alfie

Algernon – Algy

Alice, Alicia – Ally, Allie, Elsie, Ailie (Scottish)

Alison – Elsie, Ailie (Scottish)

Allan, Alan

Andrew – Andy

Ann, Anna, Anne, Hannah – Annie, Nancy, Nanny, Nina, Nan, Annette

Annabel, Annabella, Annaple

Anthony, Antony – Tony

Antoinette – Net, Netty

Arabella – Bella, Bel, Belle

Archibald – Archie, Archy, Baldie

Augustin, Augustine, Austin

Augustus – Gus, Gussie, Gustus

Barbara – Bab, Babs, Babbie

Barnabas, Barnaby

Bartholomew – Bart, Bat

Beatrice, Beatrix

Benedict – Bennet

Benjamin – Ben, Benny

Bernard – Barney

Bertha – Bertie, Berty

Bertram – Bert

Bridget – Biddy

Caroline – Carrie, Caddie

Casimir – Cassie

Catherine, Catherina, Katharine, Katherine – Casy, Kate, Kathleen, Katie, Cathie, Kathie, Katrine, Kit, Kitty

Cecilia, Cecily – Sisely, Sis, Cis, Cissy, Cissie

Charles – Charley, Charlie

Christian – Christie, Christy

Christina – Chrissie, Teenie, Tina, Xina

Christopher – Chris, Kester, Kit

Clara, Clarice, Clarissa – Clare, Claire

Claud, Claudius

Clementina, Clemintine - Clement

Constance – Connie

Cora, Corinna

Crispin, Crispian, Crispus

Daniel – Dan, Danny

David – Dave, Davy

Denis, Dennis, Denys

Diana – Di, Die

Dorothea, Dorothy – Dol, Dolly, Dora

Edith - Ada

Edmund – Ed, Ned, Neddy

Edward – Ed, Eddie, Eddy, Ned, Neddy, Ted, Teddy

Edwin – Ed, Eddie, Eddy

Eleanor, Elinor, Helen, Leonora – Ella, Ellen, Nell, Nellie, Nora, Norah

Elisabeth, Eliza, Elizabeth – Bess, Bessie, Bessy, Beth, Betsy, Betty, Elsie,

Liz, Lizzie, Libby, Lisa, Liza

Elspeth – Elspie, Elsie

Emeline, Emmeline, Emily, Emma – Emm, Emmie

Emmanuel, Immanuel - Manny

Esther, Hester, Hesther – Essie

Eugenia – Genie

Euphemia – Effie, Euphie, Phemie, Phamie

Eva, Eve – Evelina, Eveline, Evelyn

Ezekial – Zeke

Faustina, Faustine

Florence – Flo, Flossie, Floy

Frances – Fanny

Francis – Frank, Francie, Frankie

Frederic, Frederick – Fred, Freddie, Freddy

Frederica – Freddie

Gabriel – Gabe

George – Dod, Doddy, Geordie, Georgie

Georgina, Georgiana – Georgie

Gerald, Gerard

German, Germaine

Gertrude – Gertie, Trudy

Gilbert – Gil

Gregory - Greg

Griselda – Grissel

Harold - Harry

Harriet, Harriot - Hatty

Helen, Helena – Nell, Nellie, Ailie (Scottish), Lena

Henrietta – Etta, Hetty, Nettie

Henry – Harry, Hal, Hen, Henny

Honora, Honaria – Nora, Norah

Horace, Horatio

Hugh, Hugo – Hughie, Hughoc, Huggin

Humphrey, Humphry – Humph

Ignatius, Inigo

Isaac, Izaak – Ik, Ike

Isabel, Isabella, Isabeau, Isobel (same as Elisabeth) – Isa, Bel, Bella, Sibella, Tib, Tibbie (Scottish)

Jacob - Jake

James (same as Jacob) – Jeames, Jem, Jim, Jemmy, Jimmie, Jimmy

Jane – Janet, Jean, Jeanie, Jeannie

Janet – Jen, Jennie, Jenny

Jean, Jeanne, Jeannette (French forms of Jane or Joan)

Jeremiah, Jeremias, Jeremy

Jessie (Scottish form of Janet) – Jess

Joan, Joanna, Johanna

John – Johnnie, Johnny, Jack, Jock

Jonas, Jonah

Joseph – Joe, Joey

Josephine – Jo, Josy, Josie, Jozy, Pheny

Joshua – Josh

Josiah, Josias

Judith – Judy

Julia, Juliet, Julie

Julian – Jule

Julius – Jule

Kathleen – Kath, Caitlin (Irish)

Kenneth – Ken

Lancelot, Launcelot

Laura, Laurinda

Laurence, Lawrence, Lorenzo (Italian) – Larry

Leonard – Len, Lenny

Letitia, Lettice – Lettie

Lewis, Louis (French), Ludovic – Lew, Lewie, Lou, Louie

Lilian, Lilly, Lily

Llewelyn, Llewellyn, Llywelyn

Lorinda, Laurinda

Louisa, Louise – Lou, Louie

Lucretia, Lucrece

Lucy, Lucia (Italian), Lucinda

Luke, Lucas

Mabel, Amabel

Madeline (French form of Magdalene) – Maud, Maudlin

Magdalene – Lena, Maud

Margaret – Margie, Margery, Marjory, Marjorie, Madge, Mag, Maggie, Meg, Meggy, Peg, Peggy, Meta, Gritty

Marianne, Marian, Maryann

Marion(French form of Mary) – Mamie

Mark, Marcus, Marcius - Marcellus

Martha – Mat, Matty, Pat, Patty

Mary, Miriam – May, Moll, Molly, Mamie, Pol, Polly, (sometimes) Minnie

Matilda, Mathilda – Mat, Mattie, Matty, Maud, Pat, Patty, Tilda, Tillie

Matthew, Matthias (Greek) – Mat, Matt

Michael – Mike, Micky

Millicent, Milicent, Melicent

Moses – Mose, Mosey

Myphanwy - Miffy

Nancy (a form of Anne, not properly of Agnes) – Nan, Nance, Nina

Nathan, Nathanael, Nathaniel

Neil, Neal

Nicholas, Nicolas – Nic, Nick

Octavius, Octavus – Tavy, Tave

Oliver – Ollie, Olly, Nol, Nolly

Osmond, Osmund

Oswald, Oswold

Patrick, Patricius – Pat, Paddy

Paul, Paulus, Paulinus

Paula, Paulina, Pauline

Penelope - Penny

Peter – Pete, Peterkin

Philip – Phil, Pip

Philippa – Pippa

Phineas, Phinehas

Phoebe, Phebe

Phyllis, Phillis - Phyl

Pliny, Plinius

Prudence – Prue, Prudy

Quintin, Quentin

Ralph, Rodolph, Rodolphus, Rudolph, Rudolphus

Raymond, Raymund – Ray

Rebecca, Rebekah – Beck, Bex, Becky

Reginald, Reynold – Reg

Richard – Dick, Dickie, Dicky, Dicken, Dickon, Rick

Robert, Rupert – Bob, Bobby, Dob, Dobbin, Rob, Robbie, Robin

Roderick, Roderic – Rick, Rod, Roddie, Roddy

Roger – Rodge, Hodge, Hodgekin

Roland, Rowland

Rosa, Rosabel, Rosabella, Rosalia, Rosalie, Rosalind – Rosie

Roxana – Roxy

Samson, Sampson

Samuel – Sam, Sammy

Sarah, Sara – Sal, Sally

Sebastian – Seb

Sereno, Serenus

Sibyl, Sibylla

Silas, Silvanus

Silvester, Sylvester – Vester, Vest

Simon, Simeon - Sim

Sophia – Sophie, Sophy

Solomon – Sol

Stella, Estelle (French)

Stephen – Steenie, Steve, Stevie

Susan, Susanna, Susannah – Sue, Suke, Suky, Susie, Susy

Theodora – Dora

Theodoric, Derrick

Theresa – Terry, Tracie

Thomas – Tom, Tommy, Tam, Tammie

Timothy – Tim

Tobiah, Tobias – Toby

Tristram, Tristam

Victor – Vic

Victoria - Vicky

Vincent – Vinty

Walter – Wat, Watty

Wilhelmena – Wilmett, Wilmot, Mina, Minnie, Minella

William – Will, Willie, Willy, Bill, Billie, Billy

Winifred, Winfred – Winnie

Zachariah, Zechariah – Zach, Zacky, Zak

Zebadiah, Zebedee