I suspect that Minnie is intended to be a diminutive of names such as Philomena (or any of the -mina names), but it has ended up as a name in its own right. I've recently seen it linked with Miriam.
Christine
Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...
my mums sister was Gladys...all my mums side of the family called her aunty Gladys...and all her husbands side of the family called her Aunt Minnie...don`t ask me why..... to this day when she comes up in conversation my cousin Carmel will talk about our `aunt Minnie` whilst I say my `aunty Gladys....strange but a fact..........Allan:D
Allan ......... researching oakes/anyon/standish/collins/hartley/barker/collins-cheshire
oakes/tipping/ellis/jones/schacht/...garston, liverpool
adams-shropshire/roberts-welshpool
merrick/lewis/stringham/nicolls-herefordshire
coxon/williamson/kay/weaver-glossop/stockport/walker-gorton
What odd family names we do have
One of my grandfather's sisters was called Cecil (maybe they wanted another boy or just misspelt it) but known as Lil & one of my uncles is actually Arthur, although known as Danny, as are his 5 brothers - confusing or what
My g x 5 grandfather was Christopher known as Kester - maybe a common shortening in those days in Lincolnshire.
Makes for interesting investigations though
Expat in Oz ****************** I wish I was not so confused:conf:
Ooooh, Kester is a Lancashire abbreviation/pet name of Christopher, as is Kes. I have a family full of them. I did wonder if it was something to do with the old fashioned way of writing "Christopher" in parish regs, which was Xofer, but maybe not!
Both my Minnies were born Minnie. One was always known by my gran as Aunt Min and my gran never knew what it was short for until I found out on the 1911 census.
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