I learned about the nickname having no relationship to the "real name" from Radford and Betit's great book A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Irish Ancestors (Betterway Books). Otherwise, I never would have guessed that an obituary for a Delia Kent in Fitchburg, MA was actually my cousin Bridget. The obituary did not include the name Bridget, nor did the one for her husband who died before she did. Her tombstone also says Delia. The tombstone for cousin Sarah Callahan in Charlestown, NH has her name as Sadie. While these are typical Irish nicknames, other relatives had nicknames that don't follow a pattern. My grandmother Ruth Agnes Callahan is Mamie in newspaper articles from around 1910. I had thought Mamie was a nickname for Mary. Ruth's mother's name was Elizabeth, known as Lizzie, even when she signed legal documents. Ruth's sister Elizabeth was known as Bess, and her daughter Elizabeth is called Bette, pronounced like Betty. Our relatives' use of nicknames can make it difficult to find them, particularly when they don't follow an established pattern. Robin in Maryland