The terms "nursery rhyme" and "children's song" emerged in the 1820s, although this type of children's literature previously existed with different names such as Tommy Thumb Songs and Mother Goose Songs.[1] The first known book containing a collection of these texts was Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book, which was published by Mary Cooper in 1744.[2] The works of several scholars and collectors helped document and preserve these oral traditions as well as their histories. These include Iona and Peter Opie, Joseph Ritson, James Orchard Halliwell, and Sir Walter Scott.[3]
The following is a list of nursery rhymes.
Title | Other titles | Place of origin | Date first recorded | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ah! vous dirai-je, maman | 'Oh! Shall I tell you, Mama' | France | 18th century | |
Scotland | 1825 | |||
'Apple Pie ABC' | England | 17th century/1672 | ||
Akka bakka bonka rakka | Norway | 1888 | ||
All The Pretty Little Horses | 'All the Pretty Horses', 'Hush-a-bye' | USA | ||
North America | 1985 | |||
England | Late 18th century | |||
A Sailor Went To Sea | 'The Sailor Song', 'A Sailor Went To The Sea Sea Sea', 'A Father Went To The Sea', 'A Father Went To The Sea Sea Sea' | England | 1885 | |
USA | 1915 | |||
'A Tisket A Tasket' | USA | c. 1879 | ||
A-Hunting We Will Go | England | 1777 | ||
Akai Kutsu | '赤い靴' or 'Red Shoes' | Japan | 1922 | |
Alphabet Song | 'ABC', 'The Alphabet Song', 'The ABC Song' | USA | 1835 | |
Alouette | 'Lark' | Canada | 1870 | |
Animal Fair | USA | 1898 | ||
'When Johnny Comes Marching Home', 'The Ants Go Marching', 'The Animals Went in Two by Two' | USA | 1863 | ||
'As I was going to Charing Cross' | England | 17th century | ||
England | c. 1730 | |||
England | c. 1744 | |||
Baby Shark | Korea or Germany | 2007 | ||
Backe, backe Kuchen | 'Bake a Cake, Bake a Cake' | Germany | 1850 | |
Bahay Kubo | 'Field House' | Philippines | ||
Baloo Baleerie | Scotland | 1949 | ||
USA | 1912 | |||
'B-I-N-G-O', 'B-I-N-G-O with his name-O', 'Bingo with his name O' | England | c. 1780 | ||
'Bobby Shafto' | 'Bobby Shafto' | England | 1805 | |
England | 1784 | |||
Germany | 1837 | |||
The Cat Sat Asleep by the Side of the Fire | England | |||
Chizhik-Pyzhik | 'Чи́жик-Пы́жик' | Russia | 1994 | |
Christmas Is Coming | USA | |||
England | 1765 | |||
Come Follow Me (To the Redwood Tree) | 'Come Follow Me' | USA | ||
Lowland Scotland | 1870's | |||
Daisy Bell or Daisy Daisy | England | 1882 | ||
Dandini Dandini Dastana | 'Dan-dini Dan-dini Dastana', 'Dandini', 'Dan-dini' | Turkey | ||
USA or Scotland | 1895-1900 | |||
England | 1797 | |||
'Ding Dong Dell' | England | 1580 | ||
Britain Western Font | 1900 | |||
Do Your Ears Hang Low? | England | |||
England | 1844 | |||
Dong, Dong, Dongdaemun | '동, 동, 동대문' | Korea | ||
Down By the Bay | USA or UK | |||
Down By The Station | 'Down at the Station', 'Down by the station early in the morning' | USA or England | 1948 | |
Down Down Baby | 'The Roller Coaster Song' | USA | mid 20th century | |
America | 1931 | |||
'Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo' | Britain, USA or Finland | 1888 | ||
'Heeper Peeper' | England | late 19th early 20th century | ||
'May Limang Pato Akong Nakita' | Philippines | 1921 | ||
'5 Little Monkeys', 'Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed', '5 Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed' | USA | 1871 | ||
'5 Green & Speckled Frogs' | USA | 20th century | ||
For He's a Jolly Good Fellow | 'The Bear Went Over The Mountain' | England | 1709 | |
Foxy's Hole | England | 16th century | ||
'Brother John', 'Are You Sleeping', 'Are you sleeping, Brother John?' | France | c. 1780 | ||
Frog Went A-Courting | 'Frog Wen A-Courtin''| | England | 1549-1611 | |
England | c. 1850 | |||
'Boys and Girls Come Out to Play' | England | 1708 | ||
England | 1784 | |||
Green Gravel | England | c. 1835 | ||
England | ||||
Happy Birthday To You | 'Birthday Song', 'Happy Birthday' | USA | 1893 | |
Hark, Hark! The Dogs Do Bark | England | |||
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes | 'Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes', 'Head and Shoulders' | England and USA | 1961, pre 1960 | |
Here Comes an Old Soldier from Botany Bay | 'Here Comes an Old Soldier' or 'Old Soldier | USA, Australia or British Isles | Late 19th Century | |
Here We Go Looby Loo | 'Looby Loo', 'Loopty Loo', 'Loop de Loo', 'Here We Go Loopty Loo' | USA | ||
'Mulberry Bush', 'This Is the Way', 'This is the way (we)' | England | c. 1850 | ||
England | c. 1765 | |||
'Hickety Dickety Dock' | England | c. 1744 | ||
The Hokey Cokey | 'Hokey Pokey' | England | 1826 | |
Horsey, Horsey | England | 1937 | ||
England | 1797 | |||
Scotland | 1801 | |||
England | 1803 | |||
'Hush Little baby, don't say a word' | USA | before 1918 | ||
I Can Sing a Rainbow | 'Sing a Rainbow', 'I Can see a Rainbow' | USA | 1955 | |
Ichinensei Ni Nattara | '一年生になったら' or 'When I Become A First Grader' | Japan | 1966 | |
'If wishes were horses' | Britain | 1605 | ||
'If You Are Happy and You're Know it', 'If You're Happy and You're Know it, Clap Your Hands' | USA | 1916 | ||
England | 1680 | |||
England | 1789 | |||
Philippines | early 20th century | |||
USA | 1939 | |||
'The Wind' | England, adapted in Ireland | 1988 | ||
I've Been Working On The Railroad | 'Working on the Railroad', 'I Have Been Working on the Railroad' | USA | 1894 | |
'I Love Little Kitty' | England | 1830 | ||
USA | 1939 | |||
'Eensy Weensy Spider', 'Insey Winsey Spider', 'Incy Wincy Spider', 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' | USA | 1910 | ||
England | c. 1765 | |||
England | c. 1760 | |||
England | c. 1815 | |||
England | 1639 | |||
John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt | USA or Canada | 19th century | ||
British Empire | 20th century | |||
Kookaburra | 'Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree' | Australia | 1932 | |
'Ladybug Ladybug' | Britain | c. 1744 | ||
Land of the Silver Birch | Canada | 1920s | ||
'Lavender Blue' | England | late 17th century | ||
Lazy Mary | 'Lazy Mary Will You Get Up' | USA or UK | ||
USA | 20th century | |||
'Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep' | England | c. 1805 | ||
England | c. 1744 | |||
Little Bunny Foo Foo | England | |||
Little Chickens | 'Little Chickies' or 'Los Pollitos Dicen' | Spain | 1875 | |
'Little Jack Horner sat in a corner' | England | 1725 | ||
'Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet' | England | 1805 | ||
England | 1853 | |||
England | c. 1744 | |||
England | c. 1744 | |||
'My Fair Lady' or 'London Bridge' | England | c. 1744 | ||
'Lucy Locket lost her pocket' | England or USA | 1842 | ||
'Mary had a Little Lamb, Little Lamb, Little Lamb' | USA | 1830 | ||
England | c. 1744 | |||
Malbrough s'en va-t-en guerre | 'Marlborough has left for the war', 'Mort et convoi de l'invincible Malbrough', 'The death and burial of the invincible Marlborough' | France | 1709 | |
"Black Paternoster" | Britain | 1656 | ||
Miss Polly had a Dolly | 'Miss Molly Had a Dolly', 'Miss Polly', 'Miss Polly had a little dolly', 'Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick', 'Miss Molly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick' | USA | 1865 | |
England | 1838 | |||
England | 1843 | |||
'Gathering Nuts in May' | England | 1894 | ||
Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be? | 'Johnny's So Long at the Fair' | England | 1770s | |
England | 1708-1709 | |||
'Old McDonald Had a Farm', 'Old MacDonald', 'Old McDonald', 'Ol' McDonald', 'Ol' McDonald Had a Farm', 'Ol' MacDonald', 'Ol' MacDonald' | USA | 1917 | ||
England | 1805 | |||
USA | 1951 | |||
Britain | c. 1780 | |||
One for the Money | USA | 1820s | ||
One Potato, Two Potato | 'One Potato, Two Potatoes' | England | 1870 | |
'1, 2, Buckle My Shoe' | USA or UK | 1805 | ||
'1, 2, 3, 4, 5', '1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught A Fish Alive', 'One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Once I Caught A Fish Alive' | England | c. 1765 | ||
England | c. 1744 | |||
"Pat-a-cake", "patty-cake" or "pattycake" | England | 1698 | ||
'Peas Porridge Hot' or 'Pease Pudding Hot' | England | c. 1765 | ||
USA | c. 1825 | |||
England | 1813 | |||
England | 1803 | |||
Polly Wolly Doodle | USA | |||
'Poor Jenny' or 'Poor Sally' | England | 1880s | ||
England | 1850s | |||
USA | 1940s | |||
Britain | 1782 | |||
Britain | 1805 | |||
'Rain, Rain Go Away, come again another day' | England | 17th century or earlier | ||
'Ride a Cock Horse', 'Ride a White Horse to Banbury Cross' | England | 1784 | ||
'Ring Around the Rosie' | England | 1881 | ||
'Hush a bye Baby', 'Rock a Bye Baby on the treetop' | England | c. 1765 | ||
England | 1784 | |||
Britain | 1940s | |||
USA | 1852 | |||
England | 1798 | |||
Britain | c. 1765 | |||
Sea shanty | 'chantey' or 'chanty' | Britain, Scotland Or Ireland | ||
Shabondama | 'シャボン玉' or 'Soap Bubbles' | Japan | 1922 | |
She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain | 'When She Comes', 'She'll be Coming Around the Mountain (When she comes)', 'She will be coming round (around) the mountain (when she comes)' | USA | ||
England | 1764 | |||
England | c. 1744 | |||
Skidamarink | 'Skinnamarink', 'Ski-dy-mer-rink-adink-aboomp', 'Skiddy-Mer-Rink-A-Doo' | USA | 1910 | |
Skip to my Lou | 'Skip to my Lou, My Darling', 'Skip to the Lou' | USA | ||
Britain | 1842 | |||
Soft Kitty | USA | |||
USA | late 19th century | |||
Britain | before 1872 | |||
France | 15th Century | |||
England | c. 1780 | |||
Ten in the Bed | 'There were ten in the Bed', '10 in the Bed', 'There were 10 in the bed' | USA | ||
'Ten Green Bottles hanging on the wall', '10 Green Bottles hanging on the Wall', '10 Green Bottles' | UK | 1830 | ||
USA | 1868 | |||
'The Farmer's in his Den' | Germany | 1820 | ||
'The Noble Duke of York' | England | 1642 | ||
England | 1708-1709 | |||
USA | 1679 | |||
Germany | 1779 | |||
'Do you know the muffin man?' | England | c. 1820 | ||
The Old Woman and her Pig | 'The Old Woman who found a Silver Penny' | England | ||
The Three Jovial Huntsmen | Britain | 1880 | ||
'The Bus', 'The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round', 'Wheels on the bus go round and round' | USA | 1939 | ||
Britain | 1842 | |||
There Was a Man in Our Town | 'The Wondrous Wise Man' or 'There Wan a Man in Thessaly' | England | 1897 | |
England | 1794 | |||
England | 1714 | |||
'The House That Jack Built' | England | 1755 | ||
This Little Light of Mine | 'This Little Light of Mine, I’m gonna let it shine' | USA | ||
'This Little Pig' | England | c. 1760 | ||
'Nick Nack Paddy Whack', 'Knick Knack Paddywhack', 'Nick Nack Paddywhack', 'Knick Knack Paddy Whack' | England | 1906 | ||
England | 1609 | |||
USA | 1843 | |||
England | c. 1765 | |||
Thumbelina | USA | 1951 | ||
England | 1695 | |||
England | 1611 | |||
Britain | 1795 | |||
Britain | 1805 | |||
The Twelve Days of Christmas | England Or Britain | c. 1780 | ||
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Lyrics) | France, UK | 1806 | ||
'Two Little Black Birds' | Britain | c. 1765 | ||
Two Tigers | 'Two Little Tigers' or 'Liang Zhi Lao Hu' | China | 1845 | |
Walking, Walking | 'Walking, Walking, hop, hop, hop' | USA | ||
Weddings and Funerals | England | |||
Scotland | 1841 | |||
'What Are Little Girls Made Of?' | Britain | c. 1820 | ||
When I was a Bachelor | England | c. 1833[4] | ||
When the Boat Comes In | North East England | 1826 | ||
When the Saints Go Marching in | USA | |||
Where is Thumbkin | USA | |||
'Der Deitcher's Dog' | Germany | 1846 | ||
'The Cock Robin Song' | England | c. 1744 | ||
Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? | 'Who stole the cookie'. 'Who took the cookie', 'Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?', 'Cookie jar song' | England | ||
England | 1890s | |||
USA | 1889 | |||
USA | 1780s | |||
Yon Yonson | 'Jon Jonson', 'Jan Jansen', 'Yan Yansen', 'Yohn Yohnson', 'John Johnson' | USA | 1890 | |
FingerFamily | USA |