Tree Talk - Musings and Meanderings on Genealogy Research Topics

Tree Talk by Ed Wright
December 27, 2004, Issue #4

What's in a Name?

Failure to recognize the common practice of using alternate names in the Colonial period can be a major pitfall in research. Here are some common "Christian" name equivalents. Of course, there are many spelling variations to these.

Beware! Besides the common practice of using equivalent names... pet names or nicknames were also very much in vogue.

First Names or "Given Names" of the Colonial Period and Their Equivalents

Amy	=	Naomi	Naomi	=	Amy
Ann	=	Nancy	Nelly	=	Eleanor, Ellen, Ellender, Helen
Anna	=	Joanna or Hannah	Nathan	=	Nathaniel
Christian	=	Christiana	Peggy	=	Margaret
Ebon	=	Ebenezer/Edward	Oratio	=	Horatio
Eleanor	=	Ellen, Ellender, Helen, Nelly	Pergrine	=	Pere
Elizabeth	=	Eliza, Lizzie	Polly	=	Mary, Molly
Hannah	=	Anna, Joanna	Priscilla	=	Sissy
Horatio	=	Oratio	Sarah	=	Sally, Sary
Joanna	=	Anna	Sissy	=	Priscilla
Margaret	=	Peggy	Susan	=	Susanna
Mary	=	Molly, Polly	Ted	=	Edward, Ned
Nancy	=	Ann	William	=	Will

Misreading the handwriting

When using secondary sources keep in mind that the original transcriber may have misread the hand writing. Colonial handwriting is sometimes easy to misread. The following are some letters which (in colonial handwriting) are easily misread for each other:

"g" and "y"

"d-o" and "e-w"

"m", "n" and "u"

"S" and "L"

"T" and "F"

Here are three of the most commonly misread English names:

David - Daniel
Mary - Margaret (when abbreviated Marg.)
Samuel - Lemuel

Confusion with Abbreviations of Names

Christ. is the abbreviation sometimes used for Christian and other times for Christopher.
Jac. is used for Jacob - sometimes misread as Jas. and hence James
Jo. is usually meant for John, not Joseph
Jos. is easily misread for Jas. and hence a misinterpretation of Joseph and James.
Jno. is sometimes shown as Jno which can be misread as Tho. leading to an erroneous Thomas for John which the average reader would not expect.
Nathan is sometimes and abbreviation for Nathaniel and can also be a full-name.
Rd. is used for Richard and is misread variously.
Xtopher is used for Christopher.

What's in a Name? (Continued) Page 2