This year, I am participating in Amy Johnson Crow’s 2025 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, weekly prompts to tell your ancestors’ stories.
She recently released the prompt for January 15-21: The theme for Week 3 is “Nickname.” Nicknames can hint to a person’s personality, occupation, or appearance. Which of your ancestors had a nickname? Do you know how they got it? Feel free to post your links and stories in the comments.
My great-great-grandmother Malinda Louanna McGee Monroe had one of the most interesting nicknames I have encountered in my family research. She was lovingly called “Ludie” (Loo-dee). I do not know the backstory of why she was called this, but I am pretty sure it was because Ludie was an affectionate nickname derived from Malinda and Louanna. I looked up the meaning of Ludie, which is of Slavic origin and means graceful, favorable people.1
She led quite an interesting life typical of a Mississippi girl growing up in the late 1850s – 1860s. She went on to marry twice. Her first husband died within the first few years of marriage, and then she married my great-great grandfather, James Marion Monroe, not long after. I know from several accounts that she was a very loved and respected figurehead of the family. She was the glue that kept the entire family together and was well-known in the Newton, Mississippi, community. I hope to uncover more about her as I continue my research.
