Library Forum

As if the variations on surnames and placenames were not confusing enough, the variations on first names can be added to our difficulties. Looking at the Family Search.org website I found a Bridget O'Keeffe's birth registered on 19 Sept. 1874, whereas she is on the Crusheen Baptismal records as "Delia", bap. 22nd Sept..
I know that "Delia" was used as a pet-name for Bridget, and with all the Bridgets around there had to be a way of sorting them, and I suppose it is no stranger than "Peg" for "Margaret". My theory is that "Bid" was short for both Bedelia and Bridget, and that the other short for Bedelia - "Delia"- got transposed to Bridget. A bit convoluted?
I think "Peg" probably came via "Meg". But, whereas "Peg" was never used formally (as in the census) I think "Delia" often was.

I think that you will find the closest Latin equivalent to Bridget (as used in parish registers) was Bidelia or Bedelia or Bedilia. I have found all three of these spellings used in different sources for the same person. And Delia is just an abbreviation of the Latin. By the mid-20th century, Bridie had become a much more popular diminutive of Bridget than Delia. But in the U.S., these names could also change to things like Beatrice.

This is a chronic problem and the Internet is packed with postings from people asking whether NameX is a synonym for NameY. The same stuff over and over again. Gigabytes of it.

I've long wondered why the major genealogy database websites don't link their Search functions to a database of synonyms so that when one enters Delia, for example, one also gets the entries for Bridget etc. sorted by synonym.

It can't be beyond the wit of the Search programmers people to bolt on something like that.

But perhaps it is.

Paddy

Thanks Pwaldron for your explanation, which makes perfect sense. I didn't know about there were latin equivalents available to priests.

Sheila

You have solved a mystery for me. I have a Bridget JONES baptized 11 Oct 1881 in Sacred Heart Church, Scariff, dau of William JONES and Margaret NAUGHTON. Bridget was the last of their 9 children on the list of baptisms for their family. Other researchers in my family have traced histories for the other 8 children but don't have any information about "Bridget". But we do have info about "Delia" JONES, as she is noted in the 1901 Census, who married Patrick MORONEY about 1907 in Scariff and had a son named John [abt 1909], who married Annie RODGERS. A cousin has since confirmed that our Bridget was called "Delia".