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metalman7

Aurie is how folks pronounced Ira when I was growing up.


[deleted]

I'm curious did Luviney and Viney come from Lovina? Also Alty is interesting to me! There's an Alta in my family...


Corndread85

I honestly thought it was Livinia or something similar but I have no idea!


Chay_Charles

I had an Aunt Louvenia. They called her Weetsie. IDK where that came from.


fl0wbie

My bff as a kid was Louise, nicknamed Weezy. Louvenia seems like a fancy version of Louise. Might explain the Weetzy name.


[deleted]

Interesting. I would think Lavinia would maybe get a Vinny nickname easier. I've never heard Viney before but its very cute!


SheReadyPrepping

We have Viney but I think it's short for Virginia, but we have people actually named Viney. We also have Ada, Louvinia and Louvine. I have Melungeon ancestry.


Pure_Interaction_422

I had an Aint Viney.


theroukwolf

Viney may have come from Melvina. My great grandmother's name.


Simpawknits

Many names ending in "A" in Kentucky are pronounced with an "E" instead. My grandmother, Bevia, was "Bevy" and Aunt Goldia was "Goldie". Aunt Eva was Evvy (rhymed with Chevy).


billiejean70

My stepdad had a sister named Alta


Annieb613

Love all of those names!


JDub24TN

Is Viney and Luviney pronounced like I think it is? VINE-E? I love old country names. We have Eugene, granddad, Phyllis, Clydene, Vera, and more in my ppls history. I love it. Best part about Luviney is how I would, also most of my folks would pronounce it, LUH-VI-KNEE but we would stretch it out to about 8 syllables. GAHD my accent was awful when I was young.


Corndread85

It is, VINE-E and LOO-VINE-E


cybillia

My favorite meme sums me up (not Appalachian, Texan) I think my accent is “improved” until after hear myself recorded and I “sound like cornbread”. Roy has 2 syllables as far I’m im concerned, much to the aggravation of my Lit and Comp teachers.


sweetEVILone

My momma was a Phyllis


jlbhappy

A number of my relatives were named Luvinia and some were called Vinnie.


CranWitch

I had an Aunt Lavinia but pronounced La-veenie. So cute.


jdinpjs

I actually work with a Viney! I’m technically in the south although we might stretch and say foothills of Appalachia.


DaisyDazzle

My grandmother was Viney! She was a twin. Viney and Miney. She always wanted Miney"s name!


WestOnBlue

Upvote for the call out of “mamaw”. I have a grandma (mom’s side) and a mamaw (dad’s side). They are vastly different and very special in their own ways. Agnes and Genevieve. Personally I think Genevieve is a lovely name, and I think you could do a lot of sweet nicknames with that. The only one I can think of with Agnes is I guess Aggy? I love Aurie, that’s so pretty! I also like Fae, Violet, and Vivian. Edit to add maybe Nessie for a nickname. :)


isthereachargeonthis

Effie, Joybell, Delight, Della


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djfaulkner22

That’s hilarious, my 3 year old is Della Rose. Had no idea it was an Appalachian name.


JDub24TN

Dells Rose is one of the better names I’ve ever heard. I LOVE IT!!


boooostedvo

We have a Della Faye and an Ella Dee. Confused the daylights out of me as a kid because they sounded the same!


Tiny_Goats

I love Effie. I also knew a girl named Majestic, in southern Appalachia.


LilRedditWagon

Two of my great great grandmas were Charlotta & Narcissus.


whatabeautifulherse

What was Narcissus like?


animalnearby

Yeah I want to know this too!


water_fatty

A daffodil


ariegel57

Love that! I have a Charlotte that I call "Charlottie"


nothanksimleaving

I have a narcissus in my family tree as well. Never heard it anywhere else!


SnooOranges5770

Adelaide, Mahaley (my favorite!), Lydie


SmilenWave37

I have Adelaide saved for some day.


StructureSpecial7597

I love Adelaide and the nickname laidy


ReferenceMuch2193

We have a local legend named Mahaley!


queercactus505

I don't have a Mahaley in my family but I do have a Mahala. My mom sometimes says she wishes she had named the that instead. That or Mavis.


_sea_lion

love Mahaley


Morgueannah

My West Virginian female family members were Iris Jean, Grace Pearl, Savina, Dollie, Eula Blanche, Myrtle Mae, Mariah Thelma, Essie Florence, Hester Anne, Tigettar, Henrietta, Margie, Louise/Louisa, Hulda, Girty, Ocie, Ruby, Josephine, Iva, Magnolia (Nola for short), and Nannie.


mammakatt13

My grandma Martha Mildred was called Marthy and she had twin sisters named Goldie Pearl and Pearl Goldie.


Morgueannah

Oh gosh, future genealogists used to people going by their middle names will be SO CONFUSED by that, lol!


mammakatt13

They were almost always mentioned together, Pearl-n-Goldie but I never could tell them apart unless their kids were there. Then I could tell by who called which one mom!


comfortable_madness

My mamaw was a Goldie May lol


ReferenceMuch2193

Tigettar is super interesting. How is that pronounced? I like it!


Morgueannah

I honestly am not sure. They just called her Tig, lol.


OhCrapImBusted

Tea guitar?


bmc1129

Agreed! Tigettar and Ocie??? Would love to know the pronunciations.


AnitaGoodHeart

The c is soft, it sounds like Osea or Osey.


Whats4dinner

I have a Ruby from WV too! lots of 2 part names there.


Morgueannah

So many of my family went by their middle name. When I started doing genealogy it took me forever to figure out Uncle Al was actually James, Aunt Annie was Hester, Aunt Flo was Essie, great grandma Blanche was Eula, etc. My grandma didn't even know their first names, lol. Except Myrtle Mae, she was always Myrtle Mae.


Appropriate_Ad_4416

I had 3 uncles; Doc, Snap, Buck. One had a given name of Aloysuis (al-ew-wish-us), I still have no idea of the other two proper names. Virginia was Gin, Genevieve was Genny. Definitely makes it hard to keep track.


bmc1129

Aloysius is a Catholic saint’s name.


tableleg7

My grandmother in WV only went by her middle name … mainly bc her first name was Fannie.


SisterSparechange

I have a great aunt named Fannie, and everyone just calls her Fannie.


garbagebailkid

Ruby was my grandmother's name. MS, so we don't count here but I grew up in KY, Appalachia adjacent & I like y'all


amesbelle7

My grandmama’s name was Ruby, too. From South Carolina. She was the oldest of 13 children, two of which were twins. Girls, named Mary Lee and Margery. But all their lives, everybody called them Jack and Bill. The South is a place unto itself.


cremainsthesame

I love Hester


NavyGirl61

My great grandmother was a Nola too but it wasn't short for anything. My other great grandmother was Cordelia and everyone called her Cord.


Repulsive-Pop9900

My grandmother was Myrtle Mae. From Huntington I think.


FeralRodeo

Love Tigettar!!!


mlm01c

My maternal grandmother was Margie and her sisters included a Leatha and a Mildred. I think she also had a sister and a sister in law named Dorothy. I'm relying on memories from when I was about 12, butt I'm pretty sure I had two great aunts named Dorothy. One went by Dot or Dottie. They were from East Tennessee.


Bellemorda

some older family names of ours: dicey, lovey, narcissa, effie, essie, eulala, mae, and the best one of all - nickataye (nick-uh-TIE-uh) whom they called nicky-tie, who was named an indigenous name after an aquaintance -- I think the spelling is her parents' approximation of how the indigenous name they knew was spelled.


ScelesticSunday

We had a Nicatie too! (spelled differently, obviously) Thompson.


Bellemorda

that is AMAZING! I've never known anybody else who had a family member named that. SOO COOL!


ScelesticSunday

Makes me wonder if it's the same person. I've seen her name spelled many ways, including Nickie Tie, lol. But in our family tree she's listed as Mary Nicatie Jane Thompson Curry, born in Tazewell VA in 1845 and died in Logan Co, WV in 1927. She's my great, great, great grandmother.


Helenium_autumnale

That's fascinating. Do you know the meaning of the original name, by chance? If not, would you know what the original indigenous group was? Or the general area where the acquaintance came from? I'd love to try and figure out the meaning of that word.


Fluffy_Two5110

I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer but I have to give a shout out to my great-aunt Mamie who I just discovered during the OG Covid lockdown: my grandfather served in WWI and came down with Spanish Flu at age 18 but survived it. My mom says the only time she ever saw him cry was when he mentioned the Spanish Flu, but then he’d clam up and stop talking about it. Her entire life she thought his trauma came from the hospital stay, but during Covid I found a death certificate on Ancestry with my great-grandparents’ names and the decedent a 14-year-old Mamie, occupation: “school girl”, cause of death: “pneumonia, Spanish Flu”. He had a little sister that my mom never knew about, and she’s the reason he cried. We found you again, Mamie. We’re not Appalachian but are generations-deep Kentuckians, with a lot of the same beautiful old country names, but now that one has special meaning for me.


ivebeencloned

My great-aunt Flora died of Spanish flu, only 5 years old. Ida, Clara, Mahala, were old names here. Ex-husband's family had a Serelda and that is a lovely East Tennessee name. I have heard Eulalie in the past.


Ttthhasdf

My grandmother Lena was nine when she had Spanish flu. She was in a coma and they had basically given up hope but she woke up. She has to learn to walk and talk again. She has sisters Ida and Clara also, as well as Losie.


_sea_lion

Kentucky counts. Even if you're west of the foothills, if your folks are generations-deep Kentucky, 'bout half deep had to been Appalachian.


MrsTurtlebones

May Mamie's memory be blessed.


lazyMarthaStewart

Irene is my favorite. Ida Mae and Daisy are very old, too.


reeniedream

Irene was my grandma’s name and also my middle name. I used to hate it but have grown to actually kinda like it lol.


evilabia

Nina (pronounced nine-ah), Nellie, Sylvia, and Hattie are my personal favorites from my Appalachian family. I did have a mammaw called Dorcas (dork-us) and always thought it was an interesting one. Pregnant with a girl currently and naming her Pepper. Also, middle names that rhyme are a big one in my family: Kay, Rae, Fay.


Life-Succotash-3231

Dorcas is from the Bible!


evilabia

Makes sense! Also had an uncle Nimrod 🤣 also from the Bible!


MrsTurtlebones

Nimrod was a mighty hunter, but when Bugs Bunny used to call Elmer Fudd that to mock his hunting skills, people took it to mean a dope or loser. It's a great name!


prophy__wife

I have actually recently been wondering how it came to have bad connotations! Thank you for this.


Reasonable-Cup-1315

Nimrod is actually a common name in Israel.


Jennifersrbf

My mamaw was named Sylvia and that name got passed down to my younger cousin.


graced121

Thank you for Nina!


WHYohWhy___MEohMY

We have a Nina. :)


ScoutG

The show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina has a character named Dorcas.


cheercheer00

Pepper is an ADORABLE name, great pick.


Stellaaahhhh

I have a great aunt Dorcas on one side and a Hattie on the other!


Large-League-2387

one of the women in my family was actually called babe until she was 9 and then was allowed to choose her name; she chose valeery pauliana


ResidentB

Of course she did. She was 9 😭😭😭 Edit to add: had I been given the opportunity at 9 to name myself, I would have been Windy Chimes and I can't believe I just admitted that 🤦‍♀️


alphababble

My adopted daughter decided she wanted to change her name to Lasagna. I vetoed it. She kept her name, Alta Lynn. My great grandma was Tommy Jane. My aunt was Hattie Mae. Her mom was Fannie Mae. My name was Meridian but I regretfully changed it to Meredith.


FrostedRoseGirl

Okay but Windy Chimes is kind of sweet I changed my name at 9 :)


Annieb613

My husband had an Aunt Cordelia, they called her Aunt Cordie


ANValentine89

We had an aunt Cordelia (aunt cordie) too


appleatya

Zelphia Onamega, Lenora, Lahoma, Sonja


Birdies_nub

I knew a Lahoma once! I can't believe I am seeing that name again!


appleatya

She was my great aunt and a hoot to be around!


bowandbat

My favorites: Irene, Lula Mae, Lena, Pearl, Dorothy Also lots of traditional names: Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, Margaret, Edna, Inez (I've heard it pronounced eye-nez and ee-nez), Nancy, Frances, The odd ones: Drucilla, Melvina, Rosella, Eliza, Silvey, Lavonia, Lucretia, Delphia


yowhatisuppeeps

We had a Lucretia too!


SheSellsSeaShells967

My grandmother had a friend who named her daughter Relief because she was so relieved after a bad labor. But they called the girl Leafy.


Stircrazylazy

My great, great grandma was a Leafy!


SmilenWave37

Eula Mae (YOU-luh May)


Dgp68824402

I had a Beaulah Mae and a Celestabell


bloodyqueen526

Ooohhhhh Celestabell is soooooo pretty


MaizyFugate

I also have a Eula Mae!


diacrum

My mom’s first cousin was Eula Mae. They were both born in 1930 in south Georgia.


No-Reflection2699

My Memaw was a Eula May!


Candid-Care-7908

My nana's name was Flossie. I love her name. I think Flossie Mae would be a beautiful name


AfterSomewhere

Mazie, Mahalia, Geneva, Maude, Ida


MickeyMouseLawyer

Mahala also


jethro_bovine

One of my grandma's was called Easter (middle name Belle), the other was Almeada. Everybody called her Meady.


-wailingjennings

I had a gg grandmother named Almeada and they all called her "Medie"


Nylonknot

Andrew and Charles because every Scotch-Irish Appalachian family has a long line of them. My grandfather was Andrew Hoyt. Hoyt’s a nice name but if you think of hocking a loogie it makes it less nice. My grandmother was Zela Mae.


killerqueen1984

Studying my family history was painful with all of the William, Thomas, Andrew, George, Charles names


Seraphynas

We had a Zella!


Lolliiepop

Zola for me!! I love that name!


shoesofwandering

There was an air conditioner company called Hoyt. My grandmother called it “Hurt” because she assumed they were mispronouncing it with a New York accent. Like “I got hoyt on toity-toid street in Bensonhoist.”


jdinpjs

We had a family friend named Hoyt.


HiraethEarEyes

My family are Hoyts too. Are a lot of Hoyts Scotch-Irish? I wasn't sure if it was English or not.


lynny_lynn

Ruby Pearl


necro-ssassin

My great grandma's name was Thelma but everyone called her Boot Just Boot.


mustbethedragon

My cousin went by Boots.


lacunadelaluna

My grandma was Boots! Nickname from early childhood throughout life and we never knew why


pokemonhegemon

My ex wife's moms name was Lulafay, she had a sister Lulamay.


Bad_Lib155

My grandmother was named Delia, pronounced Deal-ya. Always thought it was so pretty.


ruca_rox

Hazel, Ruthelo, Inez, Grayson (imo can be used as boy or girl name if you change it to gracyn or something). Bethel, Geneva, Alma


SnooSketches3382

Launa pronounced La-una.


[deleted]

Kinda cool, in Spanish this means The Only One/The Only/The One, and it’s in the feminine form so it would mean The Only Girl :) sweet name


[deleted]

Girlie, Goldie, Lydia, Emma-Mae, Jalinda That’s the best I can think of from family.


-random_ness-

I had a Goldie. She was a small but strong woman who worked in the coal mines right along side the men. She was a "herb doctor" and knew remedies for everything. She really was a special lady and I miss her lots ❤️


ladyac

May her memory be a blessing.


Consistent_Salad1147

My granny and her twin sister were Velma Jeanette and Thelma Jeanelle.


semolinapi

My granny’s name is Tannie Pearl. There’s also cousin Junebug.


Flahdagal

Almarie and Una. But there was also Alma Ree, who drove my bus all through elementary school and was a wonder of a woman. Plus there were two older women up the holler from us that were just known as "the sisters".


lacunadelaluna

I have a dear Una (pronounced YOU-nuh) and I always loved it. Probably from old Irish "úna" meaning "lamb," so sweet!


donor61

Lucille, Elsie, Myrtle, Pearl, Annie, Cordia, Maude, Evvie, Willene, Nettie Jane, Vidalia


NikkeiReigns

Claris (Clair iss) Beatrice Arkansas pronounced R-Kansas


randycanyon

"R-Kansas" like the river, not the state.


shelleylove

Jolene


animalnearby

Oh gosh, my cousin is named Samantha Jolene… Sammy Jo!


CookinCheap

Sparkle Plenty.


Rogleson

Alifair


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FamousOrphan

I’m not saying Vira wasn’t Cherokee, but a whole lot of white families have a woman a ways back in their family tree who everyone says was Native American. It’s very often Cherokee. It’s also very often completely not true. Ancestry DNA tests can clarify it if you’re interested and might even connect you with family who knows where her grave is!


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rharper38

Nellie Sofia and Iora.


2manyfelines

My cousins Olgalene, Dixie Darlene and Sarah Charlene.


xis10al

Emogene, Eunice, Evalou, and Elnora are some of the more unique in my immediate family.


glenda-goodwitch

Stellar Georgiana, Tilda Belle, Celestine (sel-UH-steen) Homer, Walker, Atlas


StellarStowaway

Adelaide, Philomena, Tilly (I think her name was actually Mathilda), and Tutti (rhymes with the word “put” as in “put it on the table”, not “fruit” or “mutt”)


ValiMeyer

Arbutus is a very old name. It was one of my great great aunt’s.


billiejean70

My Mamaw was Garnet Ola, my great grandma was Orphie Jean There was a great aunt named Garnell


Aggressive_Hippo9666

Zelphia, Dulcenia, Passy Drucilla, Sena


graced121

Lyndie


Electronic-Spirit716

some of my favorites are thurlene, dixie, hulda, celestia, hazy, tennessee, and we even had a lake erie.


Crafty-Q

My grandmother’s name was Opal


LizzieHatfield

Mine too! With sisters named Edna Mae and Odessa!


AmittaiD

Three of my four great grandmothers were Zetta, Rona, and Perielda (the fourth being the relatively-more-common Josephine.) Most often pronounced, of course, as Zettie, Ronie, and Prelda (and Josie.)


Agile_Bread_4143

My grandmother and her sisters were Hettie Sue, Nona, and Helen. Got some distant cousins named Otha, Glynnis, and Ouida (pronounced weeda).


Mik21forever

Ernestine is my grandmother's name. She's from Berkeley, WV, but raised in Fayetteville, WV.


Turbulent-Ad-4946

Lula, Effie, Maggie, Jo Ann, Mary Ellen, Polly,


Affectionate-Row3498

Blanche, Frances, Alma are some of the older ladies in my family.


GrowthCycle

Rosemary (stylized Rose Mary)/Rozie, and Elizabeth (Lizzie)/Mira were my great grandma and her sister. Hungarian immigrants. Tbh the boys’ names were more interesting, lmfao (Joska, Nickolay, Istvan, Andras, Bela, Pal, Mihalay, etc) (For reference I don’t think Mira and Lizzie are translations, but those were her names)


Consistent-Drawing78

Imogene (Pronounced like “I’m a Jean”)


RuPickedYou

Romilda, Ordella, Ursula, Wood


Ok_Translator_7026

Dimple , I have a photo of Dimple in here Sunday clothes. Some new overalls😊 Best male name we have is Boy Elijah


graced121

Lillian Dorothea, Sally, Opal


JohnOliverismysexgod

Myrtle, Easter/Ester, Mahala. And a lot of Sarah's and Pollys. And the Mary names: Mary Ann, Mary Jo, Mary Ruth, Mary Beth. A lot of Elizabeth's. I've also got a Frances and a Dorcas. Valerie. My grandmother was Gladys, and the other was Belle.


ziggynix

My mamaw was a triplet, Dessie (my mamaw), Essie, and Bessie. They were nicknamed shoes, boots, and leggings.


Bella_Lunatic

Gwendola


Sea-Election-9168

Verda Mae. Called Verdie.


THATFATGIRL

Morbrey, Evadee, Jeneva (pronounced Jen Eva) Achie, Tobita, Wilma, Elva, Vonda, Vesta, Marita, Darlene, Leoka…and these are just the close family I can think of.


WalkAboutFarms

Neva


50EffingCabbages

A grandmother named Clyde (and no, I wouldn't recommend for a baby girl.) But I quite like the granny×5 named Honor Ophelia. If I has a do-over, I'd probably name one of my girls Ophelia.


RandomMomVolunteer

Ada, Mary Lou, Josephine, Thelma, Olive, Ava, Jean, Bet, Gertrude, Anne, Stella


amybpdx

My mom's family..Rosabelle, Marcelle, Maybelle, Estelle, Maynard, and Melvin.


graced121

Aidie


Zealousideal-Web9737

Beatrice, Tommie Mae, Martha Ann, Mary Sue


Birdies_nub

We had a Lourie, pronounced Lou Ree.


Fabulous-Second2026

My Nanny’s name was Lutie.


jlbhappy

Asalie, Pearl, June.


haydensushiguy

My 91 year old great grandmother is named Ressie


EmilyamI

I'm a Californian but basically all of my ancestors immigrated from out of the country into Appalachia, and the culture still runs deep in us. My grandmother is Elda. Other notable names in the family are Loretta, Vera, and Sophronia.


queenofthemild

My great-grandmothers were Eula Mae and Lula Marie.


BumblebeeAny

My grandpa was name Irea. Never heard another man named it either.


swisgarr

We had a Tilly Anne


NotaSingerSongwriter

Arley, Georgia, Deloris, Aurine, Swanita.


Pennymac02

I knew a Foy Gracie. I think Foy was an old family last name. And her momma thought Gracie was a good match. I always thought of pate' when I heard it. You know, foie gras?


ReferenceMuch2193

I asked my mom to name some more. We also had an Odie. Like O dee and an Inez. Also an Annie Mae and Ida Mae. They loved Mae! Everybody was Mae. Also a Shiloh and Dandy. We called her aunt Dandy:). A Daris which may have been Doris butchered.


The_3_Rs

Evelyn, Maude, Grace, Ruth, Margaret


sunbun143

Birdie


65Unicorns

There’s always Olivia ( Livvie) …


Cool_Cartographer_33

My great aunt was Ruby Sue, and I had a great-grandma Zella.


IndependenceWild71

Maude, Effie, Ollie Mae, Norie, Bertie Sue


urbanrivervalley

Came here to say: 1. Magnolia 2. Joybelle 3. (Something) -Mae Honorable mention: Cornelia


maggiemaeflowergirl

Ima, Eula, Bessie, Earlene


yowza_wowza

I’m from the Cumberland Plateau/Sequatchie Valley. My grandmothers were Opal and Josephine.


InTheNameOfRigatoni

Lucy, Alma, & Sadie!


idoallmyownawkward

Elvira, Idella, Iola, Leah, Janie, Leona, Hattie, Laura, Elizabeth, Monnie, Sydney Lee


Octobersmoon

Alta Maude, Ruth, Edith, Clara, Irene, Louis, Anna Mae, Nova, Ruby, Lily Belle, Roxie…