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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?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kathleen Fox Allen on
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Lyrical is right... did she have any songs written for her?? Depending on when and where she lived, I would imagine that her suitors serenaded her with both song and poetry. That might have gotten ugly :-)
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Permalink Reply by Sharon Gillis on
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Found another one! Skelton Felton! What were they thinking? Even if he was named after his grandmother Mary Skelton.
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And the beat goes on... I love it, Sharon. Your family obviously has a gift for rhyme!
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Permalink Reply by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on
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I'm a descendant of the Danvers Feltons, too, and I loved the choice of Skelton Felton! Do you go to the Felton Reunions in Danvers? Someone always brings up that name for a joke! It happens every year!
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Heather,
Skelton is but an in-law to me, marrying a 1C9R Hepsibah Sheldon.
Since you are kin to Skelton, perhaps you know which Sheldon his sister, Margaret (1691-?) married?
I started digging, got nowhere but confused, and decided to focus my energies elsewhere. But if you are in the know, I'd love to know!
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Permalink Reply by Vera Moore on
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Kathleen,
My best friend is named Imogene LOL! We are call her Geanie though :)
Here's some for ya!
By far the worse ever!! Mehitable Hamilton, b. 5th Dec. 1735 Chatham, Barnstable, MA (my 6th great-grandmother)
First names like the following were VERY common in so many different families in Colonial U....examples:
Patience Brewster, b. 1590 Scrooby, Nottingham, England, dau. of Wm. Brewster of the Mayflower (my 9th great-grandmother)
Mercy Prence-Freeman b. 4 Jan., 1630 (dau. of Patience Brewster and Thomas Prence....my 8th great-grandmother.
For males I think the strangest name I've got is:
Luverne Elmo Cavalier, b. 21 March, 1929 Leroy, Pembina County, ND, 2nd cousin 4x removed, son of Isreal Cavalier and Marie Claudia Houle.
I like Lucretia too. One of my 4th great-grandmothers was named Lucretia Senter-Weeks, b. 23 Feb, 1779, Peacham, VT.
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Ok... Luverne Elmo is probably my favorite man's name so far. Thanks Vera!
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Permalink Reply by Philip John Tonkins on
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My Favorite names are Marmaduke Widgery of South Molton Devon and Onisipherous Pearse of Beaford Devon
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I have to say, if your last name is Widgery, then Marmaduke flows nicely with it...
Another Onisipherous? What are the chances, even with the spelling difference? When did your Onisipherous live?
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There are two call Onisipherous born abt 1730 and 1772 father and son.The name seems to be spelt differently every time it appears in the registers at one point they just wrote Oni.
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Abbreviation does seem a good way to go...
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Permalink Reply by Lyn Swan on
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Here is one of my favorite families when it comes to the kids names. Just what were the "normal named" parents thinking?
Parents - Richard Owen and Nancy Martin. Children born in early 1800s.
Children - Epaphroditus Crews Owen (Crews is a family name) - No wonder he was called "E. C."
- Asa B. Owen
- Absolom G. Owen
- Temperence Owen
- 2 or 3 unidentified daughters
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