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 |
| Aiken Drum | Scotland | 1825 | |
| Apple Pie ABC | '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 | |
| Apples and Bananas | North America | 1985 | |
| Arthur o' Bower | 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 |
| A Wise Old Owl | USA | 1915 | |
| A-Tisket, A-Tasket | '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 | |
| Ants Go Marching | 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home', 'The Ants Go Marching', 'The Animals Went in Two by Two' | USA | 1863 |
| As I was going by Charing Cross | 'As I was going to Charing Cross' | England | 17th century |
| As I was going to St Ives | England | c. 1730 | |
| Baa, Baa, Black Sheep | 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 | |
| Billy Boy | USA | 1912 | |
| Bingo | 'B-I-N-G-O', 'B-I-N-G-O with his name-O', 'Bingo with his name O' | England | c. 1780 |
| Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea | 'Bobby Shafto' | England | 1805 |
| Bye, Baby Bunting | England | 1784 | |
| Can you count the stars | Germany | 1837 | |
| The Cat Sat Asleep by the Side of the Fire | England | ||
| Chizhik-Pyzhik | 'Чи́жик-Пы́жик' | Russia | 1994 |
| Christmas Is Coming | USA | ||
| Cock-a-Doodle Doo | England | 1765 | |
| Come Follow Me (To the Redwood Tree) | 'Come Follow Me' | USA | |
| Daisy Bell or Daisy Daisy | England | 1882 | |
| Dandini Dandini Dastana | 'Dan-dini Dan-dini Dastana', 'Dandini', 'Dan-dini' | Turkey | |
| Did You Ever See a Lassie? | USA or Scotland | 1895-1900 | |
| Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John | England | 1797 | |
| Ding Dong Bell | 'Ding Dong Dell' | England | 1580 |
| Do Your Ears Hang Low? | England | ||
| Doctor Foster | 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 |
| Down by the Station | America | 1931 | |
| Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe | 'Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo' | Britain, USA or Finland | 1888 |
| Eeper Weeper | 'Heeper Peeper' | England | late 19th early 20th century |
| Five Little Ducks | 'May Limang Pato Akong Nakita' | Philippines | 1921 |
| Five Little Monkeys | '5 Little Monkeys', 'Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed', '5 Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed' | USA | 1871 |
| Five Little Speckled Frogs | '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 | |
| Frère Jacques | 'Brother John', 'Are You Sleeping', 'Are you sleeping, Brother John?' | France | c. 1780 |
| Frog Went A-Courting | 'Frog Wen A-Courtin'' | England | 1549-1611 |
| Georgie Porgie | England | c. 1850 | |
| Girls and Boys Come Out To Play | 'Boys and Girls Come Out to Play' | England | 1708 |
| Goosey Goosey Gander | England | 1784 | |
| Green Gravel | England | c. 1835 | |
| Green Grow the Rushes, O | 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 | 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 | |
| Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush | 'Mulberry Bush', 'This Is the Way', 'This is the way (we)' | England | c. 1850 |
| Hey Diddle Diddle | England | c. 1765 | |
| Hickory Dickory Dock | 'Hickety Dickety Dock' | England | c. 1744 |
| The Hokey Cokey | 'Hokey Pokey' | England | 1826 |
| Horsey, Horsey | England | 1937 | |
| Hot Cross Buns | England | 1797 | |
| How Many Miles to Babylon? | Scotland | 1801 | |
| Humpty Dumpty | England | 1803 | |
| Hush Little Baby | '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, Beggars Would Ride | 'If wishes were horses' | Britain | 1605 |
| If You're Happy and You Know It | 'If You Are Happy and You're Know it', 'If You're Happy and You're Know it, Clap Your Hands' | USA | 1916 |
| I Do Not Like Thee, Doctor Fell | England | 1680 | |
| I Had a Little Nut Tree | England | 1789 | |
| I Have Two Hands | Philippines | early 20th century | |
| I'm a Little Teapot | USA | 1939 | |
| I'll Tell Me Ma | '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 Pussy | 'I Love Little Kitty' | England | 1830 |
| It's Raining, It's Pouring | USA | 1939 | |
| Itsy Bitsy Spider | 'Eensy Weensy Spider', 'Insey Winsey Spider', 'Incy Wincy Spider', 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' | USA | 1910 |
| Jack and Jill | England | c. 1765 | |
| Jack-a-Nory | England | c. 1760 | |
| Jack Be Nimble | England | c. 1815 | |
| Jack Sprat | England | 1639 | |
| John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt | USA or Canada | 19th century | |
| Johnny Johnny Yes Papa | British Empire | 20th century | |
| Kookaburra | 'Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree' | Australia | 1932 |
| Ladybird Ladybird | 'Ladybug Ladybug' | Britain | c. 1744 |
| Land of the Silver Birch | Canada | 1920s | |
| Lavender's Blue | 'Lavender Blue' | England | late 17th century |
| Lazy Mary | 'Lazy Mary Will You Get Up' | USA or UK | |
| Little Arabella Miller | USA | 20th century | |
| Little Bo-Peep | 'Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep' | England | c. 1805 |
| Little Boy Blue | England | c. 1744 | |
| Little Bunny Foo Foo | England | ||
| Little Chickens | 'Little Chickies' or 'Los Pollitos Dicen' | Spain | 1875 |
| Little Jack Horner | 'Little Jack Horner sat in a corner' | England | 1725 |
| Little Miss Muffet | 'Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet' | England | 1805 |
| Little Poll Parrot | England | 1853 | |
| Little Robin Redbreast | England | c. 1744 | |
| Little Tommy Tucker | England | c. 1744 | |
| London Bridge Is Falling Down | 'My Fair Lady' or 'London Bridge' | England | c. 1744 |
| Lucy Locket | 'Lucy Locket lost her pocket' | England or USA | 1842 |
| Mary Had a Little Lamb | 'Mary had a Little Lamb, Little Lamb, Little Lamb' | USA | 1830 |
| Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary | 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 |
| Matthew, Mark, Luke and John | "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 |
| Monday's Child | England | 1838 | |
| Needles and Pins | England | 1843 | |
| Nuts in May | 'Gathering Nuts in May' | England | 1894 |
| Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be? | 'Johnny's So Long at the Fair' | England | 1770s |
| Old King Cole | England | 1708-1709 | |
| Old MacDonald Had a Farm | 'Old McDonald Had a Farm', 'Old MacDonald', 'Old McDonald', 'Ol' McDonald', 'Ol' McDonald Had a Farm', 'Ol' MacDonald', 'Ol' MacDonald' | USA | 1917 |
| Old Mother Hubbard | England | 1805 | |
| On Top of Old Smoky | USA | 1951 | |
| One for Sorrow | Britain | c. 1780 | |
| One for the Money | USA | 1820s | |
| One Potato, Two Potato | 'One Potato, Two Potatoes' | England | 1870 |
| One, Two, Buckle My Shoe | '1, 2, Buckle My Shoe' | USA or UK | 1805 |
| One, Two, Three, Four, Five | '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 |
| Oranges and Lemons | England | c. 1744 | |
| Pat-a-Cake, Pat-a-Cake, Baker's Man | "Pat-a-cake", "patty-cake" or "pattycake" | England | 1698 |
| Pease Porridge Hot | 'Peas Porridge Hot' or 'Pease Pudding Hot' | England | c. 1765 |
| Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater | USA | c. 1825 | |
| Peter Piper | England | 1813 | |
| Polly Put the Kettle On | England | 1803 | |
| Polly Wolly Doodle | USA | ||
| Poor Mary | 'Poor Jenny' or 'Poor Sally' | England | 1880s |
| Pop Goes the Weasel | England | 1850s | |
| Pretty Little Dutch Girl | USA | 1940s | |
| The Queen of Hearts | Britain | 1782 | |
| Pussy Cat Pussy Cat | Britain | 1805 | |
| Rain Rain Go Away | 'Rain, Rain Go Away, come again another day' | England | 17th century or earlier |
| Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross | 'Ride a Cock Horse', 'Ride a White Horse to Banbury Cross' | England | 1784 |
| Ring-a-Ring o' Roses | 'Ring Around the Rosie' | England | 1881 |
| Rock-a-bye Baby | 'Hush a bye Baby', 'Rock a Bye Baby on the treetop' | England | c. 1765 |
| Roses Are Red | England | 1784 | |
| Round and Round the Garden | Britain | 1940s | |
| Row, Row, Row Your Boat | USA | 1852 | |
| Rub-a-Dub Dub | England | 1798 | |
| See Saw Margery Daw | 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 | |
| Simple Simon | England | 1764 | |
| Sing a Song of Sixpence | 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 | |
| Solomon Grundy | Britain | 1842 | |
| Soft Kitty | USA | ||
| Star Light, Star Bright | USA | late 19th century | |
| Sticks and Stones | Britain | before 1872 | |
| Sur le Pont d'Avignon | France | 15th Century | |
| Taffy was a Welshman | 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 | 'Ten Green Bottles hanging on the wall', '10 Green Bottles hanging on the Wall', '10 Green Bottles' | UK | 1830 |
| Ten Little Indians | USA | 1868 | |
| The Farmer in the Dell | 'The Farmer's in his Den' | Germany | 1820 |
| The Grand Old Duke of York | 'The Noble Duke of York' | England | 1642 |
| The Lion and the Unicorn | England | 1708-1709 | |
| The More We Get Together | USA | 1679 | |
| The Moon Has Been Arisen | Germany | 1779 | |
| The Muffin Man | '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 Wheels on the Bus | 'The Bus', 'The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round', 'Wheels on the bus go round and round' | USA | 1939 |
| There Was a Crooked Man | Britain | 1842 | |
| There Was a Man in Our Town | 'The Wondrous Wise Man' or 'There Wan a Man in Thessaly' | England | 1897 |
| There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe | England | 1794 | |
| There Was an Old Woman Who Lived Under a Hill | England | 1714 | |
| This Is The House That Jack Built | 'The House That Jack Built' | England | 1755 |
| This Little Piggy | 'This Little Pig' | England | c. 1760 |
| This Old Man | 'Nick Nack Paddy Whack', 'Knick Knack Paddywhack', 'Nick Nack Paddywhack', 'Knick Knack Paddy Whack' | England | 1906 |
| Three Blind Mice | England | 1609 | |
| Three Little Kittens | USA | 1843 | |
| Three Wise Men of Gotham | England | c. 1765 | |
| Thumbelina | USA | 1951 | |
| Tinker, Tailor | England | 1695 | |
| To Market, to Market | England | 1611 | |
| Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son | Britain | 1795 | |
| Tweedledum and Tweedledee | Britain | 1805 | |
| The Twelve Days of Christmas | England Or Britain | c. 1780 | |
| Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (Lyrics) | France, UK | 1806 | |
| Two Little Dickie Birds | '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 | ||
| Wee Willie Winkie | Scotland | 1841 | |
| What Are Little Boys Made Of? | '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 | ||
| Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone? | 'Der Deitcher's Dog' | Germany | 1846 |
| Who Killed Cock Robin? | '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 | |
| Wind the Bobbin Up | England | 1890s | |
| Wynken, Blynken, and Nod | USA | 1889 | |
| Yankee Doodle | USA | 1780s | |
| Yon Yonson | 'Jon Jonson', 'Jan Jansen', 'Yan Yansen', 'Yohn Yohnson', 'John Johnson' | USA | 1890 |