Hi, Pat.  I think it would be silly to suggest other than that any or all of your selections might be nicknames or synonyms for the forename Josiah.  It is my impression that there were even more nicknames found in the everyday language of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries than are found today.  

I also believe that those names arose less by reason of the frequent need for phonetic spelling than from the simple urge to abbreviate or otherwise replace given names with "pet" or alternative sounds.  Paul    
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Pat Oliver 
  To: [log in to unmask] 
  Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 7:45 AM
  Subject: Question for Paul Drake et al


  In my Oliver family research I find these given names appearing
  repeatedly over several generations in public records such as census,
  probate, deeds etc: Josias, Josiah, Josier, Josie, Hosea, Hosiah,
  Osiah, Osy, Ocee, Ocie, Osay. Josiah was a king of Judah and I
  believe that Josias is/was an accepted variant of Josiah. The problem
  is that these men were largely illiterate and clerks/enumerators were
  creative spellers so I'm having a lot of trouble separating them. Can
  I assume that all of these given names are all derivatives of
  Josiah/Josias?

  Patrick
  --
  Pat Oliver
  [log in to unmask]

  To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
  http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html

To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html