Hi Everyone, I have always thought there was a complete distinction in UK between the male and female versions. In 1748 there was a marriage in our family between Francis Outram and Frances Chambers. Practically every generation from then on named a boy Francis and a girl Frances, distinguished as Frank and Fanny. Eventually they gave up the formal name and just baptised the children as the latter. The last I know of was my father-in-law named Frank and he had an aunt and uncle Frank and Fanny. I have just tested this out on IGI and as David says they make a distinction between the two sexes. Interestingly they recognise Fanny as an alternative for Frances but treat Frank as a separate name to Francis. F-i-L also had two aunts from another side baptised Kate and Lizzie not Catherine and Elizabeth. Their sister Martha was known throughout her life as Patty which I understand was a diminutive for that name though one I had never come across until recently. Jill