Minnie

See also: minnie

English

Etymology

Diminutives +‎ -ie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɪni/

  Rhymes: -ɪni

Proper noun

Minnie (countable and uncountable, plural Minnies)

1. A diminutive of the female names Wilhelmina, Minerva, Mary, Mina and Mamie. Popular as a formal female given name in the 19th century.
   • 1880 Emily Faithfull, The Victoria Magazine, v.36 (July-Dec 1880), page 264

     When they are used to express the affectionate regard of near friends and relatives they also may be pretty and appropriate, but they look very silly in a formal signature, and surely do not befit the dignity of womanhood. We had, for instance, among these 800 names scores of Minnies, Mamies, and only here and there a Mary, a much more euphonious as well as a dignified name.

2. A surname.
3. (US, slang) Minneapolis.
4. Alternative letter-case form of minnie (“minenwerfer trench mortar”)

Translations

Diminutive

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 明妮 (Míngnī)

• Esperanto: Minjo (eo)
• French: Minnie
• Japanese: ミニー (Minī)
• Korean: 미니 (ko) (mini)
• Russian: Минни (Minni)
• Vietnamese: Minnie, Min-ni, Min-ny

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Minnie is the 41234^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 528 individuals. Minnie is most common among White (84.28%) individuals.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Minnie”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 2, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 596.