Dealing with Nicknames in Our Genealogy

We are used to nicknames; we see them all the time. We all know that Bill is short for William and Susie is most often Susan or Susannah. Our ancestors frequently had nicknames; they are nothing new. But sometimes we are confronted with nicknames that are confusing and need a bit of interpreting. This week, we will look at some.

American Given Names: As Varied as Their Owners

Sometimes we forget that not everyone was called James, John, Joseph, Thomas, and Samuel, or Rachel, Sarah, Mary, or Elizabeth. For the most part, we recognize common nicknames, like Sallie for Sarah or Mattie for Martha. We are equally familiar with Billy for William, Mickey for Michael, or Chet for Chester. But even nicknames from the past can throw us for a loop until we learn that Polly, Molly/Mollie, May/Mae, and Mayme were really Mary and Mattie or Patsy were often Martha.