alternative names – Fanning Family History

Name Variations and Peculiarities in Irish Vital Records

This eBook describes many surname and christian name variations and peculiarities and may help you find that elusive Irish ancestor in birth, death and marriage records.

“Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland” by Robert Matheson could help in tracing Irish ancestors in parish records. It can be viewed online.

The many Christian and surname variations in Irish records can make finding the right one diffficult.

These name variations are not just in spelling. Entirely different names are sometimes used synonymously by the same person or by members of the same family.

One of my gggrandfathers was sometimes called Bryan and at other times Bernard. In this book I discovered that Bryan was the anglecised Irish form of the English name Bernard.

There is a section in this book called “Alphabetical List of Surnames with their Varieties and synonymes” which gives the variant surnames.

Fanning surname variations in Ireland — Fanning variant surnames in Ireland and also in Australia.

The Post Office Directory of Victoria Australia 1869 Index to Post Towns

The 1869 Post Office Directory of Victoria Australia lists the names of post towns with their abbreviations and alternative names.

These town names and abbreviations are from the 1869 Post Office Directory of Victoria which you can read and search on Google Books.

Irish Nick Names and Alternative Given Names

A list of alternative Irish given names, for example Biddy is used for Bridget and Ned for Edward.

In searching for Irish ancestors remember that the Irish used a lot of shortened or alternative names for example Biddy for Bridget and Sally for Sarah.

Rootsireland has a good section on alternative first names.

This can be confusing. Below are some that I have come across:

Female christian names:

Abbey, Abigail, Deborah, Debby for Gobinet or Gobnait;

Anty or Anto for Anastatia;

Bessy, Betty, Beth for Elizabeth;

Biddy for Bridget; Cis for Cecelia;

Daisy for Mary;

Dot for Dorothy;

Fanny for Frances;

Judith for Johanna;

Kitty for Katharine;

May for Mary;

Minnie for Mary;

Mollie for Mary;

Nancy for ?;

Nanno for Honora;

Nellie for Ellen, Eleanor or Helen;

Nora for Hanora;

Peggy for Margaret;

Sally for Sarah;

Male Christain names:

Anto for Anthony;

Con and Connor for Cornelius;

Darby or Derby for Jeremiah

Edmund, Edward and Edmond are used for each other;

Ned for Edward.

This very old book “Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland” by Robert E Matheson 1901 can be read online at Archive.org. The following pages deal with alternative christian names.