Birdie is a
given name used in reference to an informal
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national id ...
diminutive
A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A ( abbreviated ) is a word-form ...
word for a
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
. Spelling variants include Birdee, Birdy, and Byrdie.
It has been in use since at least the 1800s in the United States both as a
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
for various formal names such as
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
and as a formal name. It was among the one thousand most popular names for American girls between 1880 and 1940. It then declined in popularity but has since increased in usage and has ranked among the one thousand most used names for newborn American girls since 2021. Some commentators note that the name has risen in use for girls along with other names of a similar style that all exude
cuteness
Cuteness is a subjective term describing a type of attractiveness commonly associated with youth and appearance, as well as a scientific concept and analytical model in ethology, first introduced by Konrad Lorenz. Lorenz proposed the concept of ...
and promote
enjoyment
Happiness, in the context of mental or emotional states, is positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishing and eudaimonia.
Si ...
, perhaps in reaction to serious times.
[ ]
Notable people
*
Birdie Alexander (1870–1960), American educator and music teacher
*
Birdie Amsterdam
Birdie Amsterdam (March 25, 1901 – July 8, 1996) was an Lawyer, attorney and judge in New York City, who became the first woman to serve as a justice of the New York State Supreme Court.
Biography
Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan int ...
(1901–1996), American attorney and judge
*
Birdice “Birdie” Blye-Richardson (1871–1935), American pianist
*
Birdie Draper (1916–2005), American parachutist and stunt performer
*
Birdie Reeve Kay
Birdie Reeve Kay, born Birdie Reeve (January 16, 1907 – May 31, 1996"Birdie Reeve Kay, 89, Performer in Vaudeville", ''Chicago Sun-Times'', June 3, 1996), was an American champion typist who performed in the 1920s in vaudeville.
She reached spe ...
(1907–1996), American champion typist and vaudeville performer
*
Ju-Yun “Birdie” Kim, born 1981, South Korean professional golfer
*
Bertha “Birdie” Parker Pollan (1907–1978), American archaeologist
*
George Robert “Birdie” Tebbetts (1912–1999), American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front office executive.
*
Virginia “Birdie” Fair Vanderbilt (1875–1935), an American socialite, hotel builder/owner, philanthropist, owner of Fair Stable, a Thoroughbred racehorse operation, and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family by marriage.
*
Edmund “Birdy” Sweeney (1931–1999), Irish actor and comedian
*
Jasmine “Birdy” van den Bogaerde, born 1996, British singer, songwriter and musician
*
Evelyn Byrd “Byrdie” Bell, born 1985, American actress
Notes
Given names derived from animals
Given names derived from birds
English-language unisex given names
Hypocorisms
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