usadeepsouth.com
by Amy Johnson Davis
EDITOR'S NOTE: Every now and then I get e-mail messages from USADEEPSOUTH readers who have taken lots of time to comment on our site. This message from Amy Johnson Davis is one of those. I found her remarks so interesting I wanted to share. As Amy says in her closing, "Enjoy!"
Amy writes:
Hello! I tripped upon your Southern names website and had a couple of suggestions for you. I noticed you have my daughter (Anna Kate) and my mom's older sister (Mary Frances) listed, but I also thought I'd throw another few names out there for you.
- * Billie Ann (mom's younger sister)
* Rosa Nell (dad's younger sister)
* Mary Alice (dad's older sister)
* James Earl (dad's younger brother - strangely, my dad, the only other child in that family, goes by one name - Gene!)
* Sue Mary - my mom's first cousin
- * Martha Frances
* Thomas Allen
* John Allen
* Rhea Leigh (first name pronounced like Ray)
* Joe Eli (pronounced EE-lee)
* Joe Frank (who is already on the list but I had to put him -- he's Joe Eli's son!)
* DeeDee -- this is my mom's nickname in her family (short for her real name, Jareda). I also know a lady called DeeDee whose real name is Adele. And I have a friend D.D. which is a nickname for LaDonna D--- (I don't know her middle name).
* Lue Lee
* DruEllen
- * Bettye B.
* Judy B.
* Bettye V.
* Amy J. <--- that's me! Anyone who REALLY knows me does not call me just "Amy"!
* Mary T. - my grandfather's older sister; her full name was Mary Theodore.
I'm surprised you don't have Jo Ann listed - I know a woman whose name is this, but she spells it "Joan." And I know a plain ol' Jo Ann, too.
The best one of all, just popped into my mind -- there was a girl in the town I'm from whose name was Ladye Love Long. Yes! Is that not totally oozing Southernness?
Don't forget the "Big" and "Little" thing in the South! I know a man named Gerald whose son is Gerald Jr.; they are Big Gerald and Little Gerald. Doesn't matter that they are 60 and 35, respectively! (That may go under your nickname section, though!) I actually dated a guy whose maternal grandparents were Big Mama and Big Daddy - YES! Though, even being Southern through and through, if someone called me "Big" anything I would have to throw off my heels and wrestle them down to the ground. Zoinks!
By the way, I promise that ALL of the names I have listed are from people I know -- I haven't made any of these up! I grew up in a small town called Hernando, Mississippi, which is just south of Memphis. Almost all of these people are from North Mississippi or the Memphis area.
And I've probably forgotten one or two.... Enjoy!
Be sure to visit the USADEEPSOUTH names pages!
Old fashioned Southern Names
Southern grandparent names, nicknames, pet names
Southern double names
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