Daily AncestorPatsy
Patsy was a common nickname for Martha in American records of the 1700s and 1800s.
In older records Patsy was a pet form of Martha, and sometimes of Matilda. It comes from an old habit of turning a first M into a P, which also gave Peggy for Margaret, with a pet ending added. Today Patsy usually stands for Patricia, so do not read the modern meaning into an old record.
If a search for Martha finds nothing, try Patsy, and the reverse. Treat a match as a lead and confirm it with age, birthplace and family members.
As seen in a recordTown marriage register, 1821; her baptism gives her name as Martha
Orrin Fothergill and Patsy Hollingshead, both of this town, married 8 March 1821
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Patsy." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/nicknames/patsy. Last checked 2026-10-15.