NICKNAMES: Suppose your ancestor was named William Charles Smith. He could have been called Smitty, Chuck, Charlie, Will, Willie and such. At least these nicknames have some root in the true given names. NO NAME BASIS FOR IT: But that same ancestor could have been known to all the world as Shorty (because of his height), Tiny (because of his size), or even Spike (because of his basketball prowess.) LOCAL COLLOQUILISISMS: It wasn't uncommon during the 1800s in the South to refer to a revered elderly male member of the community as Colonel though he may never have set foot on a field of battle. Time magazine, a few weeks ago, staed that a woman had actually been honored as a Kentucky Colonel. TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: One of our neighbors was Uncle Arnold. Neither he, nor his then quite frightening wall-mounted hunting trophies have a place in our family tree. Mom & Dad just had us call him that. SPELLING MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU'D EXPECT. NAMES THAT AREN'T REALLY NAMES: If you're famous, someone else would compile your genealogy. For 4th great-grandchildren of The artist formerly known as Prince there is, at least, a court record of the various name changes. THAT WAS THEN THIS IS NOW: Identifying an ancestor by his or her nickname can become difficult unless you lived during the same time period and were aware of prevailing naming practices. In the nineteenth century, any kindly member of the community could be called cousin without reference to a legitimate ancestral connection. Now, fast forward to the 20th century. Remember nicknames like Skip, Muffy, & Bif? These weren't just extended vocabulary to challenge graduates of the Dick & Jane books. People actually liked going by those nicknames. Take that into the 21st century and all bets are off. People have been reduced to initials, which perhaps once meant something, but now merely facilitate IM messages sent via pc and cell phones. Sally Rolls Pavia sallyavia2001@yahoo.com "You cannot unsay a cruel word." List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"