Irish Nicknames For First Names

When you’re researching old documents, it’s useful to have a list of nicknames that may be recorded as a first name.

The first section of this document has male Irish nicknames. The second section has female Irish nicknames.

You can scroll through the lists, but you can also search for a specific name. Juse use the find feature in your browser – this is usually through ctrl-f (press the control key and the letter f).

Irish Nicknames For Men

Here are some common nicknames used for men’s first names you may see in Irish documents.

There’s possibly not the extensive amount of variation you’ll see for women.

NAME	NICKNAME	GENDER
Aaron	Ron	Male
Adrian	Rian	Male
Alastair	Al	Male
Albert	Al, Bert, Bird	Male
Alexander	Ali, Alistair, Alec, Alex, Andi, Xander	Male
Andrew	Andy, Drew	Male
Anthony	Ant, Tony	Male
Arthur	Art	Male
Bartholomew	Bart, Bartel, Barth, Bartle, Bat, Batty	Male
Benedict	Ben, Bennett	Male
Benjamin	Ben, Benjy, Benny, Jamie	Male
Bernard	Barney, Bernie	Male
Brian	Bryan, Bryant	Male
Carl	Charles, Karl	Male
Charles	Buck, Carl, Chad, Charlie, Chuck, Chick	Male
Christian	Chris, Christopher, Kit	Male
Christopher	Chris, Christian, Kester, Kit	Male
Clifford	Cliff, Ford	Male
Conor	Con, Corny	Male
Cornelius	Neily	Male
Daniel	Dan, Danny	Male
David	Davy	Male
Dermot	Darby	Male
Douglas	Doug	Male
Edward	Edmond, Eamon	Male
Eric	Rick, Ricky	Male
Eugene	Gene, Owen	Male
Ferdinand	Ferdie, Fred	Male
Francis	Frank	Male
Franklin	Frank	Male
Frederick	Derick, Fred, Fredric, Freddie	Male
Geoffrey	Jeff, Jeffrey	Male
Gerald	Jerry	Male
Gerald	Garrett, Gerard	Male
Gilbert	Bert, Bertie, Gib, Gil, Wilber	Male
Gregory	Greg	Male
Harold	Hal, Harry	Male
Harry	Harold, Henry	Male
Henry	Hal, Hank, Harry, Hen	Male
Herbert	Bert, Herb	Male
Howard	Hal, Howie	Male
Ian	John	Male
Jackson	Jack	Male
Jacob	Jake	Male
James	Jamie, Jim	Male
Jeffrey	Geoffrey, Jeff	Male
Jeremiah	Jeremy, Jerry	Male
John	Ian, Jack, Jean, Jock	Male
Jonathan	John, Jon, Nat, Nathan	Male
Joseph	Joe, Joey	Male
Joshua	Josh	Male
Laughlin	Lack, Lacky	Male
Lawrence	Larry, Lars, Laurence, Lawrie, Lonnie, Lorry	Male
Leonard	Leo, Leon	Male
Mackenzie	Ken, Kenzy	Male
Malachy	Lacky, Mally	Male
Malcolm	Mac, Mal, Malc	Male
Marcus	Mark	Male
Marvin	Marv, Merv, Mervyn	Male
Matthew	Matt, Matthias	Male
Maurice	Maury, Morris, Mossie, Moss	Male
McKenna	Ken, Kenna	Male
Michael	Mick, Mickey, Mike, Mitchell	Male
Mitchell	Michael, Mitch	Male
Mortimer	Mort, Morty	Male
Nicholas	Nick, Nicky	Male
Oliver	Ollie	Male
Patrick	Paddy, Pat, Patsy	Male
Philip	Filip, Phil, Pip	Male
Prescott	Pres, Scott	Male
Raymond	Ray	Male
Reginald	Reg, Reggie, Rex, Reynold	Male
Richard	Dick, Rich, Rick, Ritchie	Male
Robert	Dob, Dobbin, Bob, Bobby, Rob, Robin	Male
Roderick	Eric, Rickie, Rod, Rory	Male
Roger	Rodge, Hodge	Male
Ronald	Ron, Ronnie	Male

Irish Nicknames For Women

Elizabeth, Margaret, and Mary have the most variations of nicknames. Often, cousins and neighbors of similar age had the same names so different nicknames would be adopted to distinguish them.

Surprising nicknames

I’ll call a few to your attention that you may not expect. Nancy is still a common nickname for Anne. It was years before I discovered that my friend’s mother Nancy was actually named Anne on her formal documents.

Some nicknames were used for different names. For example, I’ve known Molly to be used for both a Margaret and a Mary.

NAME	NICKNAME	GENDER
Abigail	Ab, Abbie, Gail, Nabby	Female
Adelaide	Ada, Addie, Adela, Adeline, Della, Heidi	Female
Agnes	Aggy, Ann, Nancy, Nessie	Female
Aileen	Helen	Female
Alexandria	Sandra, Ellie	Female
Alice	Ally, Alicia, Ellen, Elsie, Lisa	Female
Alison	Ali	Female
Amanda	Amy, Manda, Mandy	Female
Andrea	Drea, Rea	Female
Angela	Angel, Angelica, Angelina, Angeline, Angie, Jane	Female
Anne	Annie, Anna, Hannah, Nan, Nanny, Nancy, Nana, Susanna	Female
Annette	Anna, Nettie	Female
Antonia	Nettie	Female
Audrey	Dee	Female
Barbara	Babs, Barb, Barbie, Bobbie, Bonnie	Female
Beatrice	Bea, Trisha, Trissy, Trixie	Female
Belinda	Bell, Belle, Linda	Female
Bertha	Bertie	Female
Beverly	Bev	Female
Brenda	Brandy	Female
Bridget	Beesie, Biddy, Brid, Bridie, Brie, Delia	Female
Camille	Cammy, Millie	Female
Caroline	Caddie, Carol, Carrie, Cassie, Lena, Lynn	Female
Cassandra	Cass, Cassie, Sandi, Sandra	Female
Catherine	Cathy, Karen, Katharine, Katie, Kathleen, Kay, Kit, Kittie, Rina, Trina	Female
Cecilia	Celia, Cissy	Female
Christine	Chris, Crissy, Christy, Ina, Tina, Xina	Female
Clara	Claire, Clarice, Clarissa	Female
Clarissa	Clara, Clare, Cissy	Female
Constance	Connie	Female
Daisy	Margaret	Female
Danielle	Dani, Ellie	Female
Daphne	Daph, Daphie	Female
Deborah	Deb, Debi, Debbie, Debby	Female
Deidre	Deedee	Female
Delores	Dee, Dodie, Lola	Female
Diane	Di, Dicey, Didi	Female
Doris	Dora	Female
Dorothy	Dee, Dolly, Dorothea, Dotha, Dotty	Female
Edith	Dicey, Edie	Female
Eileen	Helen	Female
Eleanor	Elaine, Ella, Ellen, Helen, Leonora, Nell, Nellie, Nora	Female
Elisa	Lisa	Female
Elisha	Eli, Ellis, Lish	Female
Elizabeth	Bessie, Beth, Betsy, Betty, Dicey, Elis, Elsie, Ibby, Libby, Liz, Liza, Lizabeth, Lizzie, Tess	Female
Ella	Eleanor, Gabriella, Helen	Female
Ellen	Helen, Nell, Nellie	Female
Elsie	Alice, Elizabeth	Female
Emily	Emma, Emmie, Erma	Female
Esther	Essie, Hester	Female
Evelyn	Ev, Eve	Female
Faith	Fay	Female
Florence	Flo, Flora, Florrie, Floss, Flossie	Female
Frances	Fan, Fanny, Frannie, France, Frankie, Franz, Sissie	Female
Genevieve	Gency, Jinsey, Jenny	Female
Geraldine	Dina, Geri, Deannie	Female
Gertrude	Gatty, Gertie, Trudy	Female
Hannah	Anna, Hattie,Nan, Nanny, Susannah	Female
Harriet	Hattie	Female
Helen	Aileen, Eileen, Elaine, Eleanor, Ellen, Lena, Nell ,Nellie	Female
Henrietta	Etta, Hetty, Nettie	Female
Hester	Esther, Hessy, Hetty	Female
Irene	Rena, Rennie	Female
Jane	Janet, Janie, Jessie, Jenny, Jinsey, Joan, Joanna, Virginia	Female
Jean	Jennie, Joanna	Female
Jemima	Jemma, Mimi	Female
Jennifer	Jan, Jenny	Female
Jessica	Jess, Jesse, Jessie	Female
Jessie	Jane, Janet, Jess, Jessica	Female
Joanna	Jane, Jean, Joan, Jody, Johanna	Female
Josephine	Jo, Joey, Josie	Female
Joyce	Joy	Female
Julia	Jill, Julie, Juliet	Female
Katherine	Kat, Kate, Katie, Kitsey, Kitty	Female
Lauren	Laurie, Ren	Female
Lauryn	Laurie	Female
Leonora	Elenor, Honor, Nora	Female
Leslie	Les, Lester	Female
Lillian	Lil, Lilly, Lolly, Odie	Female
Lucia	Lucy	Female
Madeline	Lena, Maddie, Madge, Maggie, Maud, Middie	Female
Margaret	Daisy, Greta, Madge, Maggie, Maisie, Marge, Margo, Meg, Megan, Midge, Peggie	Female
Margarita	Rita	Female
Mariah	Maria, Mary	Female
Marian	Mary	Female
Marilyn	Mary	Female
Marion	Mary	Female
Marissa	Rissa	Female
Marjorie	Madge, Marge, Margie	Female
Martha	Marnie, Mart, Marty, Mat, Mattie, Patsy, Patty	Female
Mary	Mae, Mamie, Maria, Marie, Marietta, Marion, Maureen, May, Mercy, Minnie, Mitzi, Mollie, Polly	Female
Mathilda	Patty, Tillie	Female
Matilda	Mat, Matty, Maud, Tilda, Tillie	Female
Maureen	Mary	Female
Megan	Meg	Female
Melinda	Linda, Lindy, Mel	Female
Melissa	Elizabeth, Missa	Female
Melissa	Alyssa, Lisa, Mel, Milly, Missy	Female
Michelle	Mickey, Shelly	Female
Mildred	Mell, Milly, Mimi	Female
Minerva	Mina, Minnie, Nerva, Nervie	Female
Miranda	Mandy, Mari, Mira, Randy	Female
Miriam	Mary, Mitzi	Female
Monica	Monie	Female
Myrtle	Myrt, Myrti	Female
Nancy	Agnes, Ann, Nan, Nance, Nannie	Female
Natalie	Nattie, Nettie	Female
Natasha	Nat, Tasha	Female
Nathaniel	Jonathan, Nat, Nate, Natty, Nathan	Female
Nicole	Cole, Nikki, Nole	Female
Nora	Nonie	Female
Olive	Ollie	Female
Olivia	Livia, Olive	Female
Pamela	Pam	Female
Patricia	Pat, Patsy, Patty, Tricia, Trish, Trixie	Female
Pauline	Polly	Female
Penelope	Neppie, Penny	Female
Philomena	Mena	Female
Rachel	Rae, Raech	Female
Rebecca	Becca, Beck, Beckie, Reba	Female
Regina	Gina, Ray	Female
Roberta	Bert, Bobbie, Robbie	Female