Historical nickname list
Every nickname in our records dataset, with the formal names it stood for, the era it was in use, and where. 468 nicknames map to 629 formal names. It is sorted alphabetically, so you can scan for the spelling in front of you, or search below to jump straight to one name.
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All 468 nicknames and what they stood for
| Nickname | Stood for | Era | Where | Used for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbie | Abigail | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Standard short form of Abigail; occasionally an independent given name by the late 1800s. |
| Abby | Abigail | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Abigail. |
| Abe | Abraham, Abram, Abel, Abiel | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Abraham; also Abram and the biblical Abel/Abiel. |
| Ada | Adelaide, Adeline, Adela | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short for Adelaide/Adeline, but very often given as an independent name in the 19th c. |
| Addie | Adelaide, Adeline, Adele, Adaline, Ada | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Covers the whole Adel- cluster. |
| Aggie | Agnes, Agatha, Augusta | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Female | Chiefly Agnes; also Agatha. |
| Al | Albert, Alfred, Alexander, Allen, Alan, Alphonso | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Overwhelmingly male; rarely Alberta/Alice for a woman. |
| Alec | Alexander | 1700s-1900s | British, Scottish, American | Male | Scottish/northern short form of Alexander. |
| Aleck | Alexander | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Male | Phonetic spelling of Alec. |
| Alex | Alexander, Alexis, Alexandra | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male (Alexander) far more common in historical records; Alexandra for a woman. |
| Alf | Alfred | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Alfred. |
| Alfie | Alfred | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Male | Pet form of Alfred. |
| Allie | Alice, Alexandra, Alberta, Alma, Alison | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Female uses; a man's Allie is usually Albert/Alonzo. |
| Amy | Amelia, Amabel | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Sometimes a short form of Amelia, but usually an independent name from Old French Amee. |
| Andy | Andrew | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Andrew. |
| Angie | Angeline, Angelina, Angela | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Angeline/Angelina were the common 19th-c. formal forms; Angela is later. |
| Annie | Ann, Anna, Anne, Antoinette | 1800s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Female | Ubiquitous pet form; often recorded as the given name itself. |
| Archie | Archibald | 1800s-1900s | Scottish, British, American | Male | Short form of Archibald; strongly Scottish. |
| Art | Arthur | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Arthur. |
| Artie | Arthur | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Arthur. |
| Augie | August, Augustus, Augustine | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant | Male | Common among German-American families (August). |
| Bab | Barbara | 1700s-1800s | British, American | Female | Older short form of Barbara; also spelled Babb. |
| Babs | Barbara | 1900s | American, British | Female | 20th-c. pet form of Barbara. |
| Barney | Bernard, Barnabas, Barnaby | 1800s-1900s | American, Irish, British | Male | Chiefly Bernard; also Barnabas. Common Irish. |
| Bart | Bartholomew | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Bartholomew. |
| Bat | Bartholomew | 1600s-1800s | British, American, Irish | Male | Older short form of Bartholomew. |
| Bea | Beatrice, Beatrix | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Beatrice/Beatrix. |
| Becky | Rebecca | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Standard pet form of Rebecca. |
| Bee | Beatrice, Bridget | 1800s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Female | Beatrice; among Irish families sometimes Bridget. |
| Bell | Isabella, Isabel, Arabella | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Female | From the -bel/-bella ending, not from a 'Bell' root. |
| Bella | Isabella, Arabella, Isabel, Belinda, Mabel | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Any -bella name; Isabella most common. |
| Belle | Isabella, Isabel, Arabella, Belinda | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Also given independently ('beauty') in the 19th c. |
| Ben | Benjamin, Benedict | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Overwhelmingly Benjamin. |
| Benny | Benjamin, Benedict | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Benjamin. |
| Bert | Albert, Herbert, Gilbert, Bertram, Egbert, Hubert, Robert | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | One of the widest fan-outs: any -bert name. Albert most common in US/UK records. |
| Bertie | Albert, Herbert, Bertram, Alberta, Bertha, Roberta | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Either | Male (Albert/Herbert) or female (Alberta/Bertha). |
| Bess | Elizabeth | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Female | Classic short form of Elizabeth. |
| Bessie | Elizabeth | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Elizabeth; frequently the recorded given name. |
| Beth | Elizabeth, Bethany | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Elizabeth; Bethany is a later source. |
| Betsy | Elizabeth | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Very common short form of Elizabeth in early America. |
| Bett | Elizabeth | 1600s-1800s | British, American | Female | Older short form of Elizabeth. |
| Bette | Elizabeth, Bettina | 1900s | American, British | Female | 20th-c. short form of Elizabeth. |
| Betty | Elizabeth | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Elizabeth; an independent name by the mid-1900s. |
| Biddy | Bridget | 1700s-1900s | Irish, American, British | Female | Irish pet form of Bridget. |
| Bill | William | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | The rhyming-substitution short form of Will/William. |
| Billie | William, Wilhelmina, Willa | 1900s | American | Either | Male (William) or female (Wilhelmina/Willa). |
| Billy | William | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of William. |
| Birdie | Bertha, Roberta, Alberta | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | An affectionate form, most often attached to Bertha; also used on its own. |
| Bob | Robert | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Rhyming-substitution short form of Rob/Robert. |
| Bobby | Robert | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Robert; Bobbie also used for Roberta. |
| Bram | Abraham, Bertram | 1700s-1900s | British, Dutch-immigrant, American | Male | Chiefly Abraham (Dutch/English); occasionally Bertram. |
| Burt | Burton, Albert, Herbert, Egbert | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Often Burton in its own right; also a -bert name. |
| Cal | Calvin, Caleb | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Calvin; also Caleb. |
| Callie | Caroline, Calista, Cordelia, Carolina | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Common Southern-US pet form, chiefly of Caroline. |
| Carrie | Caroline, Carolyn, Charlotte | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Caroline; occasionally Charlotte. |
| Cass | Cassandra, Catherine, Caroline | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Cassandra. |
| Cassie | Cassandra, Catherine, Caroline, Acacia | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Chiefly Cassandra; also Catherine. |
| Cate | Catherine, Katherine | 1600s-1900s | British, American | Female | Older spelling of Kate. |
| Cathy | Catherine, Katherine, Cathleen, Kathleen | 1900s | American, British | Female | 20th-c. short form of Catherine. |
| Celia | Cecilia, Cecelia, Celeste | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Cecilia; also an independent name. |
| Charley | Charles, Charlotte | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Usually male (Charles); Charley/Charlie for Charlotte too. |
| Charlie | Charles, Charlotte | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Chiefly Charles; also a woman's Charlotte. |
| Chas | Charles | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Male | Standard scribal abbreviation of Charles, not a spoken nickname. |
| Chet | Chester | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Short form of Chester. |
| Chris | Christopher, Christian, Christine, Christina, Christiana | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male (Christopher/Christian) or female (Christina/Christine). |
| Christie | Christopher, Christina, Christine | 1700s-1900s | Scottish, British, American | Either | Scottish; male Christopher or female Christina. |
| Christy | Christopher, Christina, Christian | 1700s-1900s | Scottish, Irish, American | Either | Scottish/Irish variant of Christie. |
| Chuck | Charles | 1900s | American | Male | 20th-c. American pet form of Charles. |
| Cilla | Priscilla, Cecilia | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Female | Chiefly Priscilla. |
| Cindy | Cynthia, Lucinda, Cinderella | 1900s | American | Female | Chiefly Cynthia; historically also Lucinda. |
| Cissy | Cecilia, Frances, Priscilla, Clarissa | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Also a generic pet name for a small girl; spelled Cissie/Sissy. |
| Clarrie | Clarence, Clara, Clarice, Clarissa | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Either | Male Clarence or female Clara/Clarice. |
| Claus | Nicholas, Nicolaus, Klaus | 1700s-1900s | German-immigrant, Dutch-immigrant, American | Male | German/Dutch short form of Nicholas (Nikolaus). |
| Cliff | Clifford, Clifton | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Clifford/Clifton. |
| Clint | Clinton | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Short form of Clinton. |
| Con | Cornelius, Conrad, Constantine, Constance | 1700s-1900s | Irish, American, German-immigrant | Either | Irish Con is Cornelius; German Con is Conrad; female Con is Constance. |
| Connie | Constance, Cornelia, Cornelius, Conrad, Consuelo | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Usually female (Constance/Cornelia); male Cornelius/Conrad. |
| Cordy | Cordelia | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Short form of Cordelia. |
| Cornie | Cornelius, Cornelia | 1800s-1900s | American, Dutch-immigrant | Either | Cornelius (m) or Cornelia (f). |
| Creasy | Lucretia | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Phonetic short form of Lucretia in early US records. |
| Curt | Curtis, Conrad | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant | Male | Curtis; German Kurt is a form of Conrad. |
| Cy | Cyrus, Silas, Josiah, Cyril | 1700s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Cyrus; also Silas/Josiah in early records. |
| Daisy | Margaret, Marguerite | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Victorian flower-name pet form of Margaret, because the French 'marguerite' is the daisy flower -- a link researchers rarely guess. Often given independently by the 1900s. |
| Dan | Daniel | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Daniel. |
| Danny | Daniel | 1800s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Male | Pet form of Daniel. |
| Dave | David | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of David. |
| Davy | David | 1700s-1900s | British, Welsh, American | Male | Pet form of David; Welsh Dai is related. |
| Deb | Deborah | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Deborah. |
| Debbie | Deborah | 1900s | American, British | Female | 20th-c. pet form of Deborah. |
| Del | Delbert, Delano, Adela, Della, Delia | 1800s-1900s | American | Either | Male Delbert/Delano or a female Adel- name. |
| Delia | Bridget, Cordelia, Adelia, Fidelia, Bedelia | 1800s-1900s | Irish, American | Female | Among Irish families Delia is a well-known stand-in for Bridget (via Bedelia); elsewhere Cordelia/Adelia. |
| Della | Adela, Adelaide, Adeline, Delilah, Cordelia | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Chiefly the Adel- cluster. |
| Delphia | Philadelphia, Delphine, Adelphia | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Philadelphia was a genuine female given name in colonial/early-US records; Delphia/Delphy is its clip. |
| Di | Diana, Diane, Dinah | 1700s-1900s | British, American | Female | Short form of Diana. |
| Dick | Richard | 1500s-1900s | American, British | Male | Rhyming-substitution short form of Rick/Richard (Rick -> Dick). |
| Dickie | Richard | 1700s-1900s | British, American | Male | Pet form of Richard. |
| Dob | Robert | medieval-1600s | British | Male | Medieval rhyming form of Rob (Robert); rare in later records but survives in surnames (Dobbs, Dobson). |
| Dodie | Dorothy, Dolores | 1900s | American | Female | Chiefly Dorothy. |
| Doll | Dorothy | 1600s-1800s | British, American | Female | Older pet form of Dorothy (Dorothy -> Doll -> Dolly). |
| Dolly | Dorothy, Dorothea | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Dorothy; Dolley Madison was born Dolley. |
| Dora | Dorothy, Theodora, Isadora, Eudora, Dorothea, Pandora | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Any -dora name; often given independently. |
| Dosia | Theodosia | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Clip of Theodosia; also spelled Doshia/Doshie. |
| Dot | Dorothy | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Dorothy. |
| Dottie | Dorothy | 1900s | American | Female | Pet form of Dorothy. |
| Dotty | Dorothy | 1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Dorothy. |
| Doug | Douglas | 1800s-1900s | Scottish, American, British | Male | Short form of Douglas. |
| Drew | Andrew | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Male | Short form of Andrew (from the middle syllable). |
| Ed | Edward, Edwin, Edmund, Edgar | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Male | Any Ed- name; Edward most common. |
| Eddie | Edward, Edwin, Edmund | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of the Ed- names. |
| Eddy | Edward, Edwin, Edmund | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Variant spelling of Eddie. |
| Effie | Euphemia, Josephine | 1700s-1900s | Scottish, American | Female | Scottish; almost always Euphemia. |
| Eli | Elijah, Elias, Elisha, Eliezer, Elihu | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Male | Any Eli- prophet name; also an independent biblical name. |
| Eliza | Elizabeth | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Elizabeth; often given as an independent name. |
| Ella | Eleanor, Ellen, Helen, Isabella, Gabriella, Luella | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Any -ella / El- name; frequently independent. |
| Ellie | Eleanor, Ellen, Elizabeth, Elinor, Eleanora | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Eleanor/Ellen. |
| Elsie | Elizabeth, Elspeth, Alice, Elsa | 1800s-1900s | Scottish, American, British | Female | Scottish Elsie is from Elspeth (Elizabeth); also given independently. |
| Em | Emily, Emma, Emmeline, Emeline | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Any Em- name. |
| Emmie | Emily, Emma, Emeline | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Variant of Emmy. |
| Emmy | Emily, Emma, Emeline, Emmeline | 1800s-1900s | American, British, German-immigrant | Female | Pet form of Emma/Emily. |
| Eph | Ephraim | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Short form of Ephraim. |
| Ernie | Ernest, Ernestine | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Chiefly Ernest (m); Ernestine (f). |
| Essie | Esther, Estelle, Ernestine, Estella | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Chiefly Esther/Estelle. |
| Etta | Henrietta, Loretta, Rosetta, Marietta, Antoinette, Julietta | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | From any -etta ending; Henrietta most common. |
| Ettie | Henrietta, Harriet, Esther, Ettabelle | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Henrietta/Harriet; also spelled Etty. |
| Evie | Evelyn, Eva, Evangeline, Genevieve, Eve | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Any Ev- name. |
| Fan | Frances, Fanny | 1700s-1800s | British, American | Female | Short form of Frances. |
| Fanny | Frances, Euphemia | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Female | Chiefly Frances; in Scotland occasionally Euphemia. |
| Fay | Faith, Fayette | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Sometimes Faith, but often an independent name; spelled Faye. |
| Felty | Valentine | 1700s-1800s | German-immigrant, American | Male | Pennsylvania German short form of Valentin (Valentine) -- a classic hard-to-guess mapping. |
| Fina | Josephine, Seraphina, Delfina | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | From the -phina/-fina ending. |
| Flo | Florence | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Florence. |
| Florrie | Florence, Flora | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Female | Pet form of Florence. |
| Flossie | Florence | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Florence. |
| Fran | Frances, Francis, Francesca | 1900s | American, British | Either | Female Frances or male Francis. |
| Frank | Francis, Franklin | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Francis; also Franklin. Often an independent name. |
| Frankie | Francis, Frances, Franklin | 1800s-1900s | American | Either | Male Francis or female Frances. |
| Franny | Frances, Francesca, Francis | 1800s-1900s | American | Either | Chiefly female Frances. |
| Fred | Frederick, Alfred, Wilfred, Frederic | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Frederick; also -fred names. Fred can also be a woman's Winifred/Frederica. |
| Freda | Winifred, Frederica, Alfreda, Frieda | 1800s-1900s | British, American, German-immigrant | Female | Chiefly from Winifred; German Frieda is independent. |
| Freddie | Frederick, Alfred, Winifred, Frederica | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Frederick or female Winifred/Frederica. |
| Freddy | Frederick, Alfred | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Frederick. |
| Fritz | Frederick, Friedrich | 1700s-1900s | German-immigrant, American | Male | German short form of Friedrich (Frederick). |
| Frona | Sophronia | 1800s | American | Female | Clip of Sophronia; also Fronia. |
| Gabe | Gabriel | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Short form of Gabriel. |
| Gail | Abigail | 1900s | American | Female | From the tail of Abigail; became an independent name mid-1900s. |
| Gene | Eugene, Eugenia, Genevieve | 1800s-1900s | American | Either | Male Eugene or female Eugenia/Genevieve. |
| Genie | Eugenia, Genevieve, Imogene, Eugenie | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Female -genie names. |
| Geo | George | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Male | Standard scribal abbreviation of George, not a spoken nickname. |
| Geordie | George | 1700s-1900s | Scottish, English | Male | Scottish / North-East England pet form of George. |
| Gerry | Gerald, Gerard, Geraldine, Jerome | 1900s | American, British, Irish | Either | Male Gerald/Gerard or female Geraldine; spelled Jerry too. |
| Gert | Gertrude | 1800s-1900s | American, British, German-immigrant | Female | Short form of Gertrude. |
| Gertie | Gertrude | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Gertrude. |
| Gib | Gilbert | 1600s-1800s | British, American, Scottish | Male | Short form of Gilbert; survives in surname Gibson. |
| Gil | Gilbert, Gilroy | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Gilbert. |
| Gina | Regina, Georgina, Virginia, Angelina, Luigina | 1900s | American | Female | From any -gina ending. |
| Ginger | Virginia | 1900s | American | Female | A hair-colour nickname most often standing in for Virginia. |
| Ginny | Virginia, Guinevere | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Chiefly Virginia; spelled Jinny in older records. |
| Glad | Gladys | 1900s | British, American, Welsh | Female | Short form of Gladys (Welsh Gwladys). |
| Greg | Gregory | 1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Gregory. |
| Greta | Margaret, Margaretha, Margarethe | 1800s-1900s | German-immigrant, American | Female | German short form of Margarethe (Margaret). |
| Gretchen | Margaret, Margaretha | 1800s-1900s | German-immigrant, American | Female | German diminutive of Margarethe (Margaret). |
| Gus | Augustus, August, Gustavus, Augustine, Angus | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant, Scottish | Male | Chiefly Augustus/August; Scandinavian/German Gustavus; Scots Angus. |
| Gussie | Augusta, Augustus, Augustine | 1800s-1900s | American | Either | Female Augusta or male Augustus. |
| Gwen | Gwendolyn, Gwendolen, Gwenllian, Guinevere | 1800s-1900s | Welsh, British, American | Female | Welsh; any Gwen- name. |
| Hal | Henry, Harold, Harry | 1500s-1900s | American, British | Male | Old pet form of Henry (Shakespeare's Prince Hal); also Harold. |
| Hallie | Harriet, Harold, Haralda | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Chiefly from Harriet; often independent. |
| Hamish | James | 1700s-1900s | Scottish | Male | Anglicized Scottish Gaelic vocative of Seumas (James) -- unrecognizable unless you know it. |
| Hank | Henry, Hendrick, Harold | 1700s-1900s | American, Dutch-immigrant | Male | American pet form of Henry, reinforced by Dutch Henk/Hendrick. |
| Hans | Johannes, John, Johann | 1600s-1900s | German-immigrant, Dutch-immigrant, American | Male | German/Dutch short form of Johannes (John). |
| Harry | Henry, Harold | 1300s-1900s | American, British | Male | The historical everyday form of Henry; an independent name by the 1800s. |
| Hattie | Harriet, Henrietta | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Harriet. |
| Heinie | Henry, Heinrich | 1800s-1900s | German-immigrant, American | Male | German-American pet form of Heinrich (Henry). |
| Hen | Henry | 1700s-1800s | British, American | Male | Short form of Henry. |
| Hepsy | Hepzibah, Hephzibah | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Clip of the Puritan name Hepzibah; also Hepsie. |
| Herb | Herbert | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Herbert. |
| Herbie | Herbert | 1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Herbert. |
| Hetty | Hester, Henrietta, Harriet, Mehitabel | 1700s-1900s | British, American | Female | Chiefly Hester (Esther) or Henrietta; spelled Hettie. |
| Hob | Robert | medieval-1600s | British | Male | Medieval rhyming form of Rob (Robert); rare later but preserved in surnames (Hobbs, Hobson). |
| Hodge | Roger | medieval-1600s | British | Male | Medieval rhyming form of Roger; survives in the surname Hodges/Hodgson. |
| Hughie | Hugh | 1700s-1900s | Scottish, Irish, American | Male | Pet form of Hugh; also Huey. |
| Hy | Hiram, Hyman, Henry | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Hiram; among Jewish families Hyman. |
| Ib | Isabel, Isabella | 1600s-1700s | British | Female | Old short form of Isabel; also Ibb. |
| Ibby | Isabel, Isabella, Elizabeth | 1600s-1800s | British, American | Female | Pet form of Isabel (and, by overlap, Elizabeth). |
| Ike | Isaac | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Isaac. |
| Ikey | Isaac | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Isaac. |
| Ina | Georgina, Christina, Wilhelmina, Edwina, Robina | 1800s-1900s | Scottish, American, British | Female | Scottish; from any -ina ending, often used alone. |
| Inez | Agnes | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Spanish form (Ines) of Agnes; appears as a given name in US records. |
| Izzy | Isabel, Isabella, Isadora, Isaac, Isaiah, Israel, Isidore | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Any Is- name; female (Isabel) or male (Isaac/Israel). |
| Jack | John, Jackson, Jacob | 1400s-1900s | American, British | Male | The historical everyday form of John (via Jankin), not a form of Jacob in English usage. |
| Jackie | John, Jacqueline, Jackson, Jack | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male John or female Jacqueline. |
| Jake | Jacob, Jackson | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Jacob. |
| Jamie | James, Jamesina | 1700s-1900s | Scottish, American, British | Either | Scottish pet form of James; a female name only in the later 1900s. |
| Jan | John, Janet, Jane, Janice | 1600s-1900s | Dutch-immigrant, American | Either | Dutch Jan is male (John); English Jan is a 1900s female clip of Janet/Janice. |
| Jean | Jane, Jeanne | 1600s-1900s | Scottish, American, British | Female | Scottish form of Jane; long an independent name. (French Jean is a man's John.) |
| Jeannie | Jean, Jane, Eugenia, Jeanette | 1800s-1900s | Scottish, American | Female | Pet form of Jean/Jane. |
| Jed | Jedediah, Jedidiah | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Short form of Jedediah. |
| Jeff | Jefferson, Jeffrey, Geoffrey | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Jeffrey/Geoffrey; in the US also Jefferson. |
| Jem | James, Jemima | 1700s-1800s | British, American | Either | Male James (Jemmy) or a woman's Jemima. |
| Jen | Jane, Jennifer, Genevieve, Jenny | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Historically Jane; Jennifer only from the mid-1900s. |
| Jennie | Jane, Jean, Virginia, Jennifer, Genevieve | 1800s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Female | In 19th-c. records Jennie is usually Jane or Jean, NOT Jennifer. |
| Jenny | Jane, Jean, Virginia, Jennifer, Guinevere | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Traditional pet form of Jane; the Jennifer link is a modern development. |
| Jere | Jeremiah, Jerome, Jeremy | 1700s-1800s | American, Irish | Male | Chiefly Jeremiah. |
| Jerry | Jeremiah, Gerald, Gerard, Jerome, Jeremy, Geraldine | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Jeremiah/Gerald or female Geraldine; spelled Gerry. |
| Jess | Jesse, Jessica, Janet, Jean | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Jesse or female Jessica/Janet. |
| Jessie | Janet, Jean, Jessica | 1700s-1900s | Scottish, American, British | Female | Scottish Jessie is the standard pet form of Janet -- a mapping researchers routinely miss. (Male Jessie is Jesse.) |
| Jim | James | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of James. |
| Jimmy | James | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of James; also Jimmie. |
| Jinny | Virginia, Jane | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Older spelling of Ginny/Jenny. |
| Jno | John | 1600s-1800s | American, British | Male | Standard scribal abbreviation of John (not Jonathan) -- easily misread. |
| Jo | Josephine, Joanna, Joan, Johanna, Jolene | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Josephine/Joanna; occasionally a man's Joseph. |
| Jock | John | 1600s-1900s | Scottish | Male | Scottish form of Jack (John). |
| Jody | Joseph, Josephine, Joanna, Judith | 1900s | American | Either | Male Joseph or female Josephine/Joanna. |
| Joe | Joseph, Josephine | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Joseph; a woman's Joe is Josephine. |
| Joey | Joseph, Josephine | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Pet form of Joseph/Josephine. |
| Johnny | John, Jonathan | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of John; also Johnnie. |
| Jos | Joseph, Josiah, Joshua | 1600s-1800s | American, British | Male | Scribal abbreviation; usually Joseph, sometimes Josiah. |
| Josie | Josephine, Joanna, Josepha | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Josephine. |
| Jude | Judith, Judah | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Either | Female Judith or male Judah/Jude. |
| Judy | Judith | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Judith. |
| Jule | Julius, Julian, Julia, Juliana | 1700s-1800s | American | Either | Male Julius/Julian or female Julia; spelled Jules. |
| Julie | Julia, Juliana, Juliet, Julienne | 1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Julia. |
| Kate | Katherine, Catherine, Kathleen | 1500s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Female | Classic short form of Katherine/Catherine. |
| Katie | Katherine, Catherine, Kathleen, Kathryn | 1800s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Female | Pet form of Katherine; also Katy. |
| Kay | Katherine, Catherine, Karen | 1900s | American, British | Female | From the initial K of Katherine; often independent. |
| Ken | Kenneth, Kendall, Kendrick | 1900s | American, British, Scottish | Male | Chiefly Kenneth. |
| Kenny | Kenneth | 1900s | American, British, Scottish | Male | Pet form of Kenneth. |
| Kester | Christopher | 1500s-1700s | Scottish, English | Male | Old Scottish/northern form of Christopher. |
| Kiah | Hezekiah, Nehemiah, Zachariah, Josiah | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | From the -kiah / -iah ending of Old Testament names. |
| Kit | Christopher, Katherine, Christian | 1600s-1900s | British, American | Either | Male Christopher or (with Kitty) female Katherine. |
| Kitty | Katherine, Catherine | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Female | Pet form of Katherine. |
| Kizzie | Keziah | 1700s-1800s | American, British | Female | Pet form of the biblical Keziah; also Kizzy. |
| Klaas | Nicholas, Nicolaas | 1600s-1800s | Dutch-immigrant, American | Male | Dutch short form of Nicolaas (Nicholas); common in New Netherland records. |
| Kurt | Conrad | 1800s-1900s | German-immigrant, American | Male | German short form of Konrad (Conrad); also given independently. |
| Larry | Lawrence, Laurence, Lorenzo | 1800s-1900s | American, Irish | Male | Chiefly Lawrence. |
| Laurie | Lawrence, Laurence, Laura, Lauren | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Lawrence or female Laura. |
| Lem | Lemuel | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Short form of Lemuel; also Lemmy. |
| Len | Leonard, Leonardo, Leon | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Leonard. |
| Lena | Helena, Magdalena, Selina, Adeline, Evangelina, Caroline, Wilhelmina | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant | Female | From any -lena/-lina ending; very common in German-American families. |
| Lenny | Leonard | 1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Leonard; also Lennie. |
| Leo | Leonard, Leopold, Leon, Lionel | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant, British | Male | Any Leo- name; also an independent name. |
| Les | Leslie, Lester | 1900s | American, British | Either | Leslie (either sex) or Lester. |
| Lettie | Letitia, Charlotte, Violet, Colette, Lettice | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Letitia; spelled Letty. |
| Lew | Lewis, Llewellyn, Louis | 1800s-1900s | American, Welsh | Male | Chiefly Lewis; Welsh Llewellyn. |
| Lib | Elizabeth | 1700s-1800s | American, British | Female | Short form of Elizabeth (via Libby). |
| Libby | Elizabeth | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Elizabeth. |
| Liddy | Lydia | 1700s-1800s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Lydia; also Lyddie. |
| Lige | Elijah, Elisha | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | From the tail of Elijah; also spelled Lije. |
| Lil | Lillian, Lily, Delilah, Elizabeth | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Lillian; also Delilah. |
| Lillie | Lillian, Lily, Elizabeth | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Lillian; also Lilly. |
| Lina | Caroline, Adelina, Evangelina, Selina, Paulina | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant | Female | From any -lina ending. |
| Lindy | Linda, Melinda, Belinda, Rosalind, Lucinda | 1900s | American | Female | From any -linda/-lind name. |
| Lish | Elisha, Alicia | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Chiefly Elisha (m). |
| Liz | Elizabeth | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Elizabeth. |
| Liza | Elizabeth, Eliza | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Elizabeth. |
| Lizzie | Elizabeth | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Elizabeth; often the recorded name. |
| Lola | Dolores, Carlota, Lourdes | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Spanish pet form of Dolores. |
| Lon | Alonzo, Alphonso, Lawrence, Zebulon, Leonard | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Alonzo; also the tail of Zebulon; spelled Lonnie. |
| Lonnie | Alonzo, Lawrence, Leonard, Zebulon | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Alonzo. |
| Lottie | Charlotte | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Charlotte; also Lotta. |
| Lou | Louis, Louise, Louisa, Lucy, Luella | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Louis or female Louise/Louisa. |
| Louie | Louis | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Louis. |
| Lucy | Lucinda, Lucretia, Lucille, Lucia | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Often independent, but in early records a clip of Lucinda/Lucretia. |
| Luke | Lucas, Lucius | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly independent; occasionally clips Lucas/Lucius. |
| Lulu | Louise, Louisa, Lucy, Luella, Tallulah | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Chiefly Louise/Louisa. |
| Lum | Columbus | 1800s | American | Male | Clip of Columbus, a patriotic US given name of the 1800s. |
| Mabs | Mabel | 1800s-1900s | British | Female | Pet form of Mabel; also Mab. |
| Maddie | Madeline, Madeleine, Magdalena, Madison, Madge | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Madeline; spelled Maddy. |
| Madge | Margaret, Marjorie, Magdalene | 1600s-1900s | British, American | Female | Old pet form of Margaret. |
| Mae | Mary, Margaret, Mabel, Mayme | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Often independent; also a clip of Mary/Margaret. Spelled May. |
| Maggie | Margaret | 1800s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Female | Standard pet form of Margaret. |
| Mal | Malcolm, Malachi | 1800s-1900s | Scottish, American | Male | Chiefly Malcolm. |
| Mamie | Mary, Margaret, Mildred | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | American pet form, chiefly of Mary/Margaret. |
| Manda | Amanda | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Clip of Amanda. |
| Mandy | Amanda, Miranda, Melinda | 1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Amanda. |
| Manny | Emanuel, Emmanuel, Manuel, Herman | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant | Male | Chiefly Emanuel. |
| Marge | Margaret, Marjorie | 1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Marjorie/Margaret. |
| Margie | Margaret, Marjorie, Marguerite | 1900s | American | Female | Pet form of Margaret/Marjorie. |
| Marty | Martin, Martha, Marion | 1900s | American | Either | Male Martin or female Martha. |
| Matt | Matthew, Matthias | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Matthew (m). |
| Mattie | Martha, Matilda, Mathilda, Matthew | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | A female Mattie is Martha or Matilda -- not the same origin as the male Matt. |
| Maud | Matilda, Magdalene | 1700s-1900s | British, American | Female | Maud/Maude is a medieval variant of Matilda; long used independently. |
| Meg | Margaret | 1500s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Female | Old pet form of Margaret; also Meggie. |
| Mel | Melvin, Melville, Melissa, Amelia, Melanie, Carmel | 1900s | American | Either | Male Melvin or female Melissa/Amelia. |
| Mena | Philomena, Wilhelmina, Almina, Domenica | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | From any -mena/-mina ending. |
| Meta | Margaret, Margaretha | 1800s-1900s | German-immigrant, American | Female | German short form of Margarethe (Margaret). |
| Mick | Michael | 1800s-1900s | Irish, British, American | Male | Chiefly Irish pet form of Michael. |
| Mickey | Michael | 1900s | American, Irish | Male | Pet form of Michael; also Micky. |
| Midge | Margaret, Marjorie, Madge, Michelle | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Margaret. |
| Mike | Michael | 1800s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Male | Short form of Michael. |
| Millie | Mildred, Millicent, Amelia, Emily, Camilla, Permelia | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Mildred/Millicent; also Amelia. Spelled Milly. |
| Mima | Jemima | 1700s-1800s | American, British | Female | Clip of Jemima. |
| Mimi | Miriam, Mary, Naomi, Marie | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | An affectionate reduplication, chiefly of Miriam/Mary. |
| Min | Minnie, Wilhelmina, Mary, Miriam | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly via Minnie. |
| Mina | Wilhelmina, Almina, Hermina, Jemima | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant | Female | From any -mina ending. |
| Minnie | Mary, Wilhelmina, Minerva, Amelia, Miriam, Margaret | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | One of the widest female fan-outs; Mary and Wilhelmina lead. |
| Mitch | Mitchell | 1900s | American | Male | Short form of Mitchell. |
| Mitzi | Mary, Maria, Marie | 1800s-1900s | German-immigrant, American | Female | German (Bavarian) pet form of Maria (Mary). |
| Moll | Mary | 1500s-1800s | British, American | Female | Old pet form of Mary (Mary -> Molly -> Moll). |
| Molly | Mary | 1600s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Female | Classic pet form of Mary; source of the rhyming Polly. Independent by the 1900s. |
| Monty | Montgomery, Montague, Lamont | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Male | Chiefly Montgomery/Montague. |
| Morrie | Maurice, Morris, Mortimer, Morton | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Maurice/Morris. |
| Mort | Mortimer, Morton | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Mortimer; also Morty. |
| Mose | Moses | 1700s-1900s | American | Male | Short form of Moses. |
| Nab | Abel | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Rare early-US clip of Abel; not to be confused with the female Nabby (Abigail). |
| Nabby | Abigail | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Colonial/early-US pet form of Abigail (Abigail Adams's daughter was Nabby) -- a mapping researchers rarely guess. |
| Nace | Ignatius | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Clip of Ignatius; also Nash. |
| Nan | Ann, Anne, Nancy, Hannah, Anna | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Female | Old pet form of Ann (from 'mine Ann' -> Nan). |
| Nancy | Ann, Anne, Agnes, Anna | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Female | Historically a pet form of Ann (via Nan), NOT an independent name until later -- a key genealogical trap. |
| Nat | Nathaniel, Nathan, Natalie, Natalia | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Nathaniel/Nathan; female Natalie. |
| Nate | Nathaniel, Nathan | 1700s-1900s | American | Male | Short form of Nathaniel/Nathan. |
| Ned | Edward, Edmund, Edwin | 1500s-1900s | British, American | Male | Old pet form of Edward (from 'mine Ed' -> Ned); also Edmund. |
| Neddy | Edward, Edmund | 1700s-1800s | British, American | Male | Pet form of Edward via Ned. |
| Neil | Cornelius, Niall | 1700s-1900s | Irish, Scottish, American | Male | Among Irish families Neil often stands in for Cornelius; otherwise the Gaelic Niall. |
| Nell | Helen, Ellen, Eleanor, Cornelia, Penelope | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Female | Old pet form (from 'mine El' -> Nell) of Helen/Ellen/Eleanor. |
| Nellie | Helen, Ellen, Eleanor, Cornelia, Penelope | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Helen/Ellen/Eleanor; also Nelly. |
| Nels | Nelson, Cornelius, Nils | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Nelson; Scandinavian Nils. |
| Nessie | Agnes, Vanessa | 1700s-1900s | Scottish | Female | Scottish pet form of Agnes. |
| Nettie | Antoinette, Henrietta, Jeanette, Janet, Annette | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | From any -nette / -netta ending. |
| Nib | Isabel, Isabella | 1700s-1800s | Scottish | Female | Scottish pet form of Isabel. |
| Nicie | Eunice | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Clip of Eunice; also Nicey. |
| Nick | Nicholas, Dominic, Nicodemus | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Nicholas. |
| Nina | Ann, Anna, Katharina, Antonina | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | From the -nina ending of names like Antonina; often independent. |
| Nita | Anita, Juanita, Bonita, Antonita | 1900s | American | Female | From any -nita ending. |
| Noll | Oliver | 1500s-1700s | British | Male | Old rhyming pet form of Oliver (Oliver Cromwell was 'Old Noll'); also Nolly. |
| Nonie | Nora, Honora, Ione, Winona | 1800s-1900s | American, Irish | Female | Chiefly via Nora/Honora. |
| Nora | Honora, Eleanor, Leonora, Honoria | 1700s-1900s | Irish, American, British | Female | Among Irish families Nora is the standard form of Honora; elsewhere Eleanor/Leonora. |
| Norm | Norman | 1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Norman; also Normie. |
| Obie | Obadiah | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Clip of Obadiah; also Obed. |
| Ollie | Oliver, Olive, Olivia, Olga, Oleta | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Oliver or female Olive/Olivia. |
| Ora | Aurora, Cora, Orpha | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Often independent; occasionally a clip of Aurora. |
| Orrie | Orlando, Orville, Oren, Horatio | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | From any Or- name. |
| Ossie | Oswald, Oscar, Osborn, Osmond | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Male | Any Os- name. |
| Paddy | Patrick | 1700s-1900s | Irish, American, British | Male | Irish pet form of Patrick (Padraig). |
| Pam | Pamela | 1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Pamela. |
| Pat | Patrick, Patricia, Patience, Martha | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Either | Male Patrick or female Patricia; via Patty also historical Martha. |
| Patsy | Martha, Patricia, Patrick | 1700s-1900s | American | Either | Historically a female pet form of Martha (Martha Washington was 'Patsy'); later Patricia; Irish male Patrick. |
| Patty | Martha, Patricia, Patience | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | In early records Patty is a pet form of Martha, not Patricia -- a classic trap. Also Pattie. |
| Peg | Margaret | 1600s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Female | Rhyming pet form of Meg (Margaret). |
| Peggy | Margaret | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Female | Rhyming pet form of Meggy (Margaret); independent by the 1900s. |
| Pen | Penelope | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Penelope. |
| Penny | Penelope | 1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Penelope. |
| Percy | Percival, Perceval | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Male | Chiefly Percival; also an independent name. |
| Pete | Peter | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Peter. |
| Phemie | Euphemia | 1700s-1900s | Scottish | Female | Scottish pet form of Euphemia. |
| Phil | Philip, Phillip, Phyllis, Philippa, Philomena | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Philip or female Phyllis/Philippa. |
| Pip | Philip, Philippa, Pippa | 1800s-1900s | British | Either | Male Philip (Dickens's Pip) or female Philippa. |
| Pippa | Philippa | 1800s-1900s | British | Female | Pet form of Philippa. |
| Poll | Mary | 1600s-1800s | British, American | Female | Rhyming form of Moll (Mary). |
| Polly | Mary, Paulina, Pauline | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Rhyming pet form of Molly (Mary); the Mary link dominates US/UK records. Occasionally Paulina. |
| Pris | Priscilla | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Priscilla; also Prissy. |
| Prissy | Priscilla | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Pet form of Priscilla. |
| Prue | Prudence | 1600s-1800s | American, British | Female | Short form of the Puritan virtue-name Prudence; also Prudy. |
| Queenie | Regina, Victoria, Queen | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | An endearment often standing in for Regina or Victoria; sometimes recorded on its own. |
| Quin | Quinton, Quincy, Quinlan | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Quinton/Quincy. |
| Rae | Rachel, Raelene | 1900s | American | Female | Female clip of Rachel; often a middle-name or independent. |
| Randy | Randolph, Randall, Bertrand, Miranda | 1900s | American | Either | Male Randolph/Randall or female Miranda. |
| Ray | Raymond, Rachel | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Raymond; female Ray is a clip of Rachel. |
| Reba | Rebecca | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Clip of Rebecca (from the tail syllable). |
| Reg | Reginald | 1900s | British, American | Male | Short form of Reginald; also Reggie. |
| Rena | Irene, Serena, Maren, Rowena, Sabrina | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | From any -rena/-rene ending; also Renie. |
| Reub | Reuben | 1700s-1800s | American, British | Male | Short form of Reuben; also Rube. |
| Rex | Reginald | 1900s | American, British | Male | Sometimes Reginald; often independent (Latin 'king'). |
| Rich | Richard | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Richard; also Richie. |
| Rick | Richard, Frederick, Roderick, Eric, Patrick | 1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Richard; also the -rick ending of Frederick/Roderick. |
| Rita | Margaret, Marguerite, Margarita, Norberta | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | From the tail of Margarita/Marguerite (Margaret); often independent. |
| Rob | Robert | 1500s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Male | Short form of Robert. |
| Robbie | Robert, Roberta | 1700s-1900s | Scottish, American, British | Either | Male Robert or female Roberta. |
| Rod | Rodney, Roderick, Rodrigo | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Rodney or Roderick; also Roddy. |
| Rollo | Roland, Rudolph | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Male | Chiefly Roland; also independent (Norse). |
| Ron | Ronald, Aaron, Veronica | 1900s | American, British | Either | Male Ronald; female Ron via Veronica. |
| Ronnie | Ronald, Veronica, Rhona, Aaron | 1900s | American, British | Either | Male Ronald or female Veronica. |
| Rory | Roderick, Ruaidhri | 1700s-1900s | Irish, Scottish | Male | Anglicized Irish/Scottish Ruaidhri, conventionally equated with Roderick. |
| Rosie | Rose, Rosa, Rosanna, Rosemary, Rosalind, Rosetta | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Any Ros- name. |
| Roxie | Roxanna, Roxana, Roxanne | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Pet form of Roxanna; also Roxy. |
| Roy | Leroy, Royce | 1800s-1900s | American, Scottish | Male | Often independent (Gaelic 'red'); in the US sometimes a clip of Leroy. |
| Rube | Reuben | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Short form of Reuben. |
| Rufe | Rufus | 1800s | American | Male | Clip of Rufus. |
| Russ | Russell | 1900s | American | Male | Short form of Russell. |
| Ruthie | Ruth | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Pet form of Ruth. |
| Sadie | Sarah, Sara | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Sarah (via Sadie < Sayrah); a mapping researchers often miss. |
| Sal | Sarah, Sally, Salome | 1700s-1800s | American, British | Female | Short form of Sarah (via Sally). |
| Sally | Sarah | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Female | Rhyming pet form of Sarah (Sarah -> Sara -> Sally); independent by the 1900s. |
| Sam | Samuel, Samson, Samantha | 1600s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Samuel; female Sam via Samantha (later). |
| Sammy | Samuel, Samantha | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Pet form of Samuel; also Sammie. |
| Sander | Alexander | 1600s-1800s | Dutch-immigrant, Scottish, German-immigrant | Male | Dutch/German/Scots clip of Alexander (from the tail). |
| Sandy | Alexander, Alexandra, Sandra, Cassandra, Alasdair | 1700s-1900s | Scottish, American | Either | Scottish; male Alexander or female Alexandra/Sandra. |
| Sanna | Susanna, Rosanna, Susannah | 1700s-1800s | American, German-immigrant | Female | From the -sanna ending. |
| Senga | Agnes | 1800s-1900s | Scottish | Female | Scottish Agnes spelled backwards -- unrecognizable unless you know the trick. |
| Seph | Josephine, Josepha | 1800s | American | Female | Clip of Josephine (from the middle syllable). |
| Si | Silas, Simon, Simeon, Josiah, Cyrus | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Chiefly Silas/Simeon; from an -si- syllable. |
| Sib | Sibyl, Sibylla, Sabina | 1600s-1800s | British, American | Female | Short form of Sibyl; also Sibbie. |
| Sid | Sidney, Sydney | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Sidney/Sydney (usually male in this era); also Syd. |
| Sim | Simon, Simeon | 1600s-1800s | British, American | Male | Short form of Simon/Simeon. |
| Sol | Solomon | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Solomon; also Solly. |
| Sonny | Santo, Salvatore | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Usually a generic pet name for a son / eldest boy rather than a fixed formal name; occasionally masks an Italian given name. |
| Sophie | Sophia, Sophronia, Sofia | 1700s-1900s | American, British, German-immigrant | Female | Chiefly Sophia; also Sophy. |
| Stan | Stanley, Stanton, Stanislaus | 1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Stanley. |
| Steenie | Stephen, Steven | 1600s-1800s | Scottish | Male | Old Scottish pet form of Stephen. |
| Steve | Stephen, Steven | 1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Stephen/Steven. |
| Stevie | Stephen, Steven, Stephanie | 1900s | American, British | Either | Male Stephen or female Stephanie. |
| Sue | Susan, Susanna, Susannah | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Short form of Susan. |
| Sukey | Susan, Susanna, Susannah | 1700s-1800s | American, British | Female | Old pet form of Susan (Susy -> Sukey) common in colonial/early-US records; also Sukie. |
| Susie | Susan, Susanna, Susannah | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Susan; also Suzie/Suzy. |
| Sy | Cyrus, Silas, Seymour, Simon, Josiah | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Cyrus/Seymour. |
| Syl | Sylvester, Sylvanus, Sylvia | 1800s-1900s | American | Either | Male Sylvester or female Sylvia. |
| Tabby | Tabitha | 1700s-1800s | American, British | Female | Pet form of the biblical Tabitha. |
| Tad | Thaddeus | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Clip of Thaddeus. |
| Tammy | Thomasina, Tamar, Tamsin, Tamara | 1900s | American, British | Female | Historically from Thomasina/Tamar; an independent name by the mid-1900s. |
| Tamsin | Thomasina | 1600s-1900s | English, Welsh | Female | Cornish/West-Country female form of Thomas (Thomasina). |
| Ted | Edward, Theodore, Edmund | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Edward or Theodore -- both common, so context matters. |
| Teddy | Theodore, Edward, Edmund | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Theodore or Edward. |
| Tempie | Temperance | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Clip of the Puritan virtue-name Temperance. |
| Terry | Terence, Theresa, Teresa, Terrence | 1900s | American, British, Irish | Either | Male Terence or female Theresa. |
| Tess | Theresa, Teresa, Esther, Elizabeth | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Female | Chiefly Theresa; also Tessie. |
| Tetty | Elizabeth | 1700s-1800s | British | Female | 18th-c. pet form of Elizabeth (Samuel Johnson's wife was 'Tetty'). |
| Thad | Thaddeus | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Short form of Thaddeus. |
| Theo | Theodore, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophilus | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Theodore or female Theodora/Theodosia. |
| Thos | Thomas | 1600s-1800s | American, British | Male | Standard scribal abbreviation of Thomas. |
| Tibby | Isabella, Isabel, Tabitha | 1700s-1800s | Scottish | Female | Scottish pet form of Isabella (not, as one might guess, Tabitha). |
| Tilly | Matilda, Mathilda, Otilla, Clotilda | 1800s-1900s | American, British, German-immigrant | Female | Chiefly Matilda; also Tillie. |
| Tim | Timothy | 1700s-1900s | American, British, Irish | Male | Short form of Timothy. |
| Timmy | Timothy | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Timothy. |
| Tina | Christina, Christine, Ernestina, Valentina, Martina, Albertina | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant | Female | From any -tina ending. |
| Tish | Letitia, Laetitia, Patricia | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Letitia; also Titia/Tisha. |
| Toby | Tobias | 1600s-1900s | British, American | Male | Pet form of Tobias. |
| Tolly | Bartholomew | 1700s-1800s | British | Male | Clip of Bartholomew (from the middle). |
| Tom | Thomas | 1500s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Thomas. |
| Tommy | Thomas | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Pet form of Thomas; also Tommie. |
| Toni | Antoinette, Antonia, Anthonia | 1900s | American | Female | Female clip of Antoinette/Antonia. |
| Tony | Anthony, Antonio, Anton | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Anthony. |
| Tottie | Charlotte | 1800s-1900s | British | Female | Pet form of Charlotte; also a generic endearment for a small child. Spelled Totty. |
| Trina | Katherine, Catharina, Katrina, Katharine | 1700s-1900s | German-immigrant, Dutch-immigrant, American | Female | German/Dutch clip of Katharina (Catherine). |
| Trish | Patricia | 1900s | American, British | Female | Later female clip of Patricia; also Tricia. |
| Trixie | Beatrice, Beatrix | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Pet form of Beatrix/Beatrice; also Trix. |
| Trudy | Gertrude, Ermintrude | 1900s | American, German-immigrant | Female | Clip of Gertrude (from the tail); also Trudie. |
| Ursie | Ursula | 1600s-1800s | British, American | Female | Pet form of Ursula. |
| Val | Valentine, Valerie, Valentina, Valeria | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Valentine or female Valerie/Valentina. |
| Vern | Vernon, Laverne, Lavergne | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Vernon; also Verne. |
| Vester | Sylvester | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Clip of Sylvester (from the tail). |
| Vi | Violet, Viola, Vivian, Virginia | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Violet/Viola. |
| Vic | Victor, Victoria | 1800s-1900s | American, British | Either | Male Victor or female Victoria; also Vick. |
| Vin | Vincent, Vinson, Calvin, Melvin | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Vincent; also the -vin ending. |
| Vince | Vincent | 1900s | American, British | Male | Short form of Vincent. |
| Viney | Lavinia, Malvina, Alvina | 1800s | American | Female | Chiefly Lavinia. |
| Vinnie | Vincent, Lavinia, Vincentia, Melvina | 1800s-1900s | American | Either | Male Vincent or female Lavinia. |
| Virge | Virgil | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Clip of Virgil. |
| Viv | Vivian, Vivienne, Viviana | 1900s | American, British | Female | Chiefly Vivian. |
| Vonnie | Veronica, Yvonne, Lavonne, Siobhan | 1900s | American | Female | From any -von- name. |
| Wally | Walter, Wallace | 1800s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Male | Chiefly Walter; Scots Wallace. |
| Walt | Walter | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Short form of Walter. |
| Ward | Edward, Howard, Woodward | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | From the -ward ending; also independent. |
| Watty | Walter | 1600s-1800s | Scottish, British | Male | Old Scots/northern pet form of Walter (also Wat). |
| Wes | Wesley | 1800s-1900s | American | Male | Short form of Wesley. |
| Wilkie | William, Wilkinson | 1700s-1900s | British, American | Male | Old pet form of William (via Wilkin). |
| Will | William, Wilbur, Wilfred, Willis | 1400s-1900s | American, British | Male | The original short form of William, ancestor of Bill. |
| Willie | William, Wilhelmina, Wilma | 1800s-1900s | American, British, Scottish | Either | Male William or female Wilhelmina; also Willy. |
| Wilma | Wilhelmina | 1800s-1900s | American, German-immigrant | Female | Clip of Wilhelmina; an independent name by the 1900s. |
| Win | Winifred, Winston, Edwin, Winthrop, Winnie | 1800s-1900s | British, American | Either | Female Winifred or male Winston/Edwin. |
| Winnie | Winifred, Winnifred, Edwina | 1800s-1900s | British, American, Welsh | Female | Chiefly Winifred (Welsh Gwenfrewi). |
| Woody | Woodrow, Woodward, Sherwood | 1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Woodrow. |
| Xander | Alexander | 1900s | American, Dutch-immigrant | Male | Clip of Alexander (from the tail); Dutch Xander. |
| Yetta | Henrietta, Yente | 1800s-1900s | American | Female | Chiefly Henrietta; among Yiddish-speaking families an independent name. |
| Zach | Zachariah, Zachary, Zacharias, Zachery | 1700s-1900s | American, British | Male | Chiefly Zachariah/Zachary; also Zack. |
| Zeb | Zebulon, Zebedee, Zebediah | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Chiefly Zebulon. |
| Zeke | Ezekiel, Zachariah | 1700s-1900s | American | Male | Chiefly Ezekiel. |
| Zeph | Zephaniah | 1700s-1800s | American | Male | Clip of Zephaniah. |
| Zilla | Zillah, Priscilla | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Chiefly the biblical Zillah; also the tail of Priscilla. |
| Zippy | Zipporah | 1700s-1800s | American | Female | Clip of the biblical Zipporah. |
Want one name in more depth? The nickname finder searches both directions and links to a page per name, and the A to Z browse pages group them by letter.
FAQs
How many historical nicknames are in this list?+
468 nicknames, mapping to 629 formal given names. Each row carries the era the nickname was in use and the regions it is attested in, because a pet form that meant one name in 1790s Scotland often meant another in 1880s America.
Why do old records use nicknames so different from the formal name?+
Three habits account for most of it. Rhyming forms replaced the first sound (Mary to Polly, Margaret to Peggy). Clerks wrote down whatever the family said aloud, so the household name reached the page instead of the baptismal one. And some pet forms drifted so far they look like separate names now, which is why Nancy standing for Ann surprises people.
Can one nickname stand for more than one formal name?+
Often, yes. Where a nickname has several candidates, this list orders them by how commonly the mapping appears in records, most likely first. Treat the later ones as leads to test against a date and a place rather than as equal answers.
Where does this data come from?+
It is a compilation of individual factual mappings drawn from genealogical and onomastic reference material, then checked row by row. Provenance and method are documented in the dataset's own sources file. Nothing here is generated by guessing at a name.
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