The Genealogy & Family History Social Network
What's your favorite name?
Ignatius, anyone? How about Clotilde?
One of the best aspects of genealogy research, for me at least, is learning some of the names my ancestors saw fit to bestow upon their children. When I first started and I found my 4th g grandfather Micah and his sister Silence, I was fascinated. Now, I know that naming conventions change over time and vary greatly with geography and other factors. (I also have a pet theory about the name Silence... In my family it always seems to have been given to the 11th or 12th child, so I believe that it was wishful thinking.)
Still, some names just jump out at you. My current favorites are:
Clotilde LeGrand (1st cousin twice removed)
Bezaleel Howe (b.1750 MA,d.1825 NY - 4th g grand uncle) (his son was also Bezaleel)
Ignatius Malloy (b. after 1845 - 1st cousin 3 times removed)
and my winner... S. Imogene Addison (b. abt 1820 - 1st cousin 4 times removed.) I think that the "S" was for Silence...
So what are your favorite names?
One of the best aspects of genealogy research, for me at least, is learning some of the names my ancestors saw fit to bestow upon their children. When I first started and I found my 4th g grandfather Micah and his sister Silence, I was fascinated. Now, I know that naming conventions change over time and vary greatly with geography and other factors. (I also have a pet theory about the name Silence... In my family it always seems to have been given to the 11th or 12th child, so I believe that it was wishful thinking.)
Still, some names just jump out at you. My current favorites are:
Clotilde LeGrand (1st cousin twice removed)
Bezaleel Howe (b.1750 MA,d.1825 NY - 4th g grand uncle) (his son was also Bezaleel)
Ignatius Malloy (b. after 1845 - 1st cousin 3 times removed)
and my winner... S. Imogene Addison (b. abt 1820 - 1st cousin 4 times removed.) I think that the "S" was for Silence...
So what are your favorite names?
Views: 1126
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Linda Gail Fry Featherston on
-
I have a Florence Orlou True, story is they couldnt decide on Florence or Lou... Who knows?
My great grandfather was Thaddeus Kosciusko True
On the other side we had a Faith and Patience.
We were in a quandary about naming our son after his grandfathers, Joe Bailey Fry and Noble Hodge Featherston.Noble Joe sounded like the Indian in front of the Tobacco store, Bailey Hodge sounded stuffy,.
Since our daughter is Wendy, my husband thought that Wendell would go nicely with that.
Luckily, my saner head prevailed and we named him Robert Dwayne. (Dwayne for two friends Duane and Wayne).
-
Permalink Reply by Kathleen Fox Allen on
-
Was your great grandfather related to the Tadeusz Kosciuszko for whom the bridge in New York was named?
-
Permalink Reply by Porsha A. Williams on
-
My favourite ancestral name, so far, is a TIE between my great-grandfather, Ephrom Hamilton -- and my great-grandmother, Vi Ella Cauthorn. My favourite name of them all? Hands down, my son's -- Lucian Edward!
-
-
You're right - your son should always win :-)
-
Permalink Reply by Lyn Swan on
-
I am not related to this woman but found the name among a cousins ancestors. Let me preface her name by saying she is child #3 of her parents. They named her Silence Hurd. (any more Silence's with such an appropriate surname?)
If the parents were looking for noise relief it didn't work. Several more children were born after Silence,
-
-
I shared this with my sisters... they loved it! Do you suppose that your Silence's parents saw the humor?
-
Permalink Reply by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on
-
Well, my grandfather's sister was Janet Wilkinson, and she married William Blades and became Janet Wilkinson Blades!
Other strange ones....
Onesiphorous Allen (how is that pronounced?) b. 1642 in Manchester, Mass
Eyestein The Fart (a medieval name, he was b. abt 1782, honestly! Google it!)
Hateveil Nutter b. abt 1603 and lived in New Hampshire (a very good Puritan name!)- he had several descendants with this interesting name
Washington Adams Jefferson Wilkinson b. 1804 in Smithfield, Rhode Island
Boston Draper b. 1718/9 and his brothers Newburyport, New York and James....
Assorted names come up a lot in my family like Freelove, Remember, Desire, Makepeace, Lovewell, etc. and they sound like 60s hippy names but they are actually Puritan virtue names.....
-
-
Wow! You've got quite a few good ones. Apparently the only virtue that my ancestors really prized was Silence (although I do have a couple of women named Charity - they're outnumbered by Silences.)
I'm starting to think that my Allen ancestors weren't creative enough - Onesiphorous???
-
Permalink Reply by Sean K on
-
Bat - My great aunt told me she had an uncle called Bat. I was sceptical, but have now found out that Batson has been a common forename of my ancestors, since my greatx4 grandfather Batson Blunt (1789-1831). A distant cousin of mine who lives nearby to me still has the middle name Batson!
Batson Blunt's wife was known as Savory ...I'm not sure how that came about!
-
-
You'll have to let us know if you find out about Savory... but I think Bat is hard to beat.
-
-
One of my coworkers loves the name Hezekiah - he wants to give the name to one of his future children. Since his last name is Dieudonne, I'm hoping he reconsiders :-)
© 2024 Created by IIGSExecDirector.
Powered by
