(no subject)

[gwynhefar]

An article I was reading mentioned that there were at least 15 common diminuitive forms of the name Elizabeth. It didn't list them. So without looking anything up, I'm going to try:

1)Liz
2)Lizzie
3)Liza
4)Eliza
5)Beth
6)Betsy
7)Bette
8)Bess
9)Bessie
10)Elspeth
Edit: 11)Betty. How could I forget Betty?

That's all I can come up with. Anyone have any suggestions for the last 5 4?

Comments

[silme.livejournal.com]

Bitsy? Believe it or not, I worked with an assistant principal whose first name was Elizabeth but had been called Bitsy all of her life.

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if that would qualify as "common"

[teapot-farm.livejournal.com]

I've come across it before (and I don't know any assistant principals)

[zarhooie.livejournal.com]

My sister goes by Bettha

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

Again, probably not "common"

[silme.livejournal.com]

Wait -- I've thought of more -- Libby, Elsa, Elsie, Lisa... do they work?

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

Now those would work! Libby? I didn't realise that was short for Elizabeth.

[silme.livejournal.com]

Well, I thought it was, so I just checked it here.
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/keyword/0/elizabeth

[bookgirlwa.livejournal.com]

An aunt of my is Elizabeth and she has always been referred to as Libby or Lib

Whoops - Sorry!

[bookgirlwa.livejournal.com]

Ack! Sorry - just realised I've been spamming this comment thread a bit, it's just that I've always had a fascination with names, deriviatives, meanings and suchlike as I have a very uncommon r/l first name. Sorry!

Re: Whoops - Sorry!

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

no problem. Comment all you want :)

[stillsostrange.livejournal.com]

Lisette, Elise

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

thanks!

surfed in here randomly via zarhooie

[enderfem.livejournal.com]

but my middle name is Elise, and like the ones above, it is a form of Elizabeth

Re: surfed in here randomly via zarhooie

[enderfem.livejournal.com]

and apparently someone posted it at the same time I did

[catmcroy.livejournal.com]

Libby - Elizabeth the Second's childhood nickname
Bettina
Lisa (from the French "Elisabeth")
Isabel (http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi?2904+0)
Isabeau (http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi?1049+0)
Lizanne/Lisanne

[bookgirlwa.livejournal.com]

I'd always heard that Elizabeth 2nd's childhood nickname was Lilibet (just googled, and yes, I'm right! - can't remember anything important, but *that* sticks in my memory?!?! Here's the link http://barelybad.com/north_of_canada.htm with a long list of variations of Elizabeth). The other one I don't think anyone here has mentioned is Elspeth. Also one variation that is in one of my favourite books - Larkrise to Candleford by Flora Thompson - is Tize (sp?) She talks about all the common names for girls in England in the 1880's when the book is set, and lists off common (then) deriviatives of the name

[bookgirlwa.livejournal.com]

Blah - having an idiot moment - Elspeth has been mentioned by two people. Whoops!

[whitecrow0.livejournal.com]

Lisa. :)

[chiara607.livejournal.com]

Lizabet -- my sister is an Elizabeth, and that's one of her nicknames.

[arrowthroughme.livejournal.com]

Lilly. Has no one mentioned that? And then there's Sabeth, which might only be literary, used by Max Frisch in Homo Faber.

[trigeekgirl.livejournal.com]

Biffy and Buffy are two more diminutives of Elizabeth, but neither is particularly common.

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth, Elspeth, Betsy, and Bess
They all went together to seek a bird's nest
They found a bird's nest with five eggs in it,
They all took one, and left four in it.

Sorry, most appropriate thing I can post. I was Betsy in kindergarten, but it quickly turned into Beth. And what about Bethy or Bethie? Don't know if anyone said those.

As an Elizabeth, I'm interested in the full list!

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

Actually, that verse was quoted in the article that got me interested :)

[sibylla.livejournal.com]

Lisa comes from Elizabeth. I've also known one who was called "Bitsy".

[sillybrry.livejournal.com]

What about Bets? I don't know if it's common, but I've seen it. I've also seen Lisbeth, don't remember if that one was mentioned, and again, it might not be common.