Historical Nicknames Are Less Confusing When You Know the Facts

You have 3 guesses as to what “Creasy” is short for.

Some historical names have been making comebacks in recent years with young parents. Despite that, if you study history you can still come across names which are occasionally baffling from time to time and this can be especially true for nicknames. Some of these nicknames come from formal names which have fallen out of popularity over the last century and so coming across the shortened versions of them can sometimes be confusing.

If you are into genealogy or if you just love to learn about the past, knowing some common historical nicknames can really help out. So, the next time you see a strange nickname you’ll have no trouble figuring out the full name behind it.

Via/ Library of Congress

A Nicknames

Abe – for Abraham or Abiel

Agnes – for Agatha or Nancy

Aggie – for Agnes

Alf – for Alfons, Alfonso, or Alfred

Amy– for Amanda

Ann and Anner – for Hannanh

Anty – for Anastasia

Appy – for Apollonia

B Nicknames

Bab – for Barbara

Babe– for Mary (and was also used sometimes for the baby of the family)

Bass– for Sebastian

Bebe– for Beatrice

Bell or Bella – for Arabella, Belinda, Isabella, Isabell, or Sybil

Ben– for Benjamin, but also Ebenezer

Bertie – for Albert, Egbert, Gilbert, Herbert, or Robert

Beto– for Alberto

Biddy – for Bridget, Elizabeth, Obedience (what a name!)

Butch – for Jr in the family

C Nicknames

Cal– for Caleb

Cecily– for Cecilia

Cherie – for Geraldine

Chet – for Chester

Cissie – for Cecilia, Frances, or Pricilla

Connie – for Conrad, Constance, or Cornelia

Corky – for Courtney

Creasy– for Lucretia

Via/ State Archives of Florida

D Nicknames

Daisy – for Margaret

Deedee – for Deidre, spelled Didi it can be a nickname for Diana

Delia – for Bridget, Cordelia, or Fidelia

Della -for Delilah or Drucilla

Derick– for Frederick

Dewey – for Duane

Doc – nickname for the 7th child

E Nicknames

Ed – for Edgar, Edmund, or Edward

Effie – for Euphemia

Ella– for Eleanor, Gabriella, Luella

Ellie – for Danielle, Eleanor, Emily, Gabriella, or Luella

Elsie – for Elizabeth

Erma – for Emily

Ernie – for Ernest or Ernestine

Essie – for Esther

Etta – for Loretta or Jamesetta

F Nicknames

Fan or Fanny – for Francis

Fate – for Lafayette

Fay – for Faith

Felty – for Valentine

Fern– for Margaret

Ferry – for Frank, Franz, or Xaver

Fina – Josephine

Flo, Flora, or Flossie– for Florence

Fred – for Ferdinand, Fredrick, or Gottfried

Family bible showing births during the 1800s. Via/ Flickr

G Nicknames

Gab or Gabby– for Gabriella

Gabe – for Gabriel

Gene – for Eugene

Gennie – for Genevieve

Genny – for Gwenevere

Gertie – for Gertrude

Gretl – for Margaret

Guiseppe– for Joseph

Gus – for Augustus

Gus-for Gustav

H Nicknames

Hal – for Henry

Ham – for Hamilton

Hank – for Henry

Hanna– for Johanna

Harley– for Harlan

Hattie– for Harriet

Helen– for Eleanor

Heinz– for Heinrich

Hettie– for Henrietta

Hilda– for Hildegarde

I Nicknames

Ibby– for Elizabeth

Ibe– for Hepzibah

Iggy– for Ignatius

Ike– for Ira or Isaac

Issy – for Isabella or Isadora

Via/ Library of Congress

J Nicknames

Jack – for John

Jackie – for Jacqueline

Jamie – for James

Jan – for Jennifer

Jane – for Janet

Jane – for Virginia

Janet – for Jane

Jennifer – for Winifred

Jen – for Jane

Jennie – for for Jane, Genevieve, Jennifer, or Virginia

Jeremy – for for Jeremiah, Jerold, or Gerald

Jill – for Julia

Joshua – for Jasper

K Nicknames

Kata or Kati – for Katarina

Katie – for Katherine or Katja

Kay – for Kathryn

Kissy – for Calista

Kit – for Christopher

Kitty – for Catherine

Klaus – for Nicholas

Via/ State Archives of Florida

L Nicknames

Lana – for Eleanor or Magdalena

Lance – for LeRoy

Liam – for William

Libby – for Elizabeth

Liddie – for Lydia

Lilly – for Lydia

Lisl – for Elizabeth

Lola – for Delores

Lora – for Loretta

Lorene – for Florina

Lottie – for Charlotte

Lucy – for Lucille or Lucinda

Lula – for Luella

Click the “Next Page” for more historical nicknames!

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