Books I Use, February First Name Books

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I don't know about you but sometimes I really wish my ancestors would give the FULL spelling of the child's name. Nicknames, abbrevations and names written in Latin are just some of the things that I have found. These two little books have been very useful.

The first one Dictionary of First Names,  gives me the meaning, sometimes where it is from, if it is the feminine form of a name, (helpful when trying to work out parents) and famous people, with that name. It is so well used that it is now falling apart/




First Name Variants was one of my first purchases, back over 30 years ago and I still use it. You look for the name, first, say Olivia and get the code, oli. Using that code, oli, you look it up and there are the variations, i.e. Livie, Nola, Noll.  Yes, if you anly have the variation, you look that up and get the code and find the name.  Some of the varations are so obscure that I don't think I would have found the name, if not for this book. Like the variant Nic for Colleen.

What books do you find useful? Please let me know.

Bye for now,
Lilian.

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