Genealogy Chat

A couple of my ancestors cannot seem to decide what their names are which makes it interesting trying to research them. One of my ancestors was called Henry and he had no middle name but he likes to use Harry(understandable) and John Henry? my second was called James and again no middle name and he likes using John.

Anyone else encountered ancestors who like to constantly change their names?

Tawny

Happens all the time. You can get Henry/Harry, John/Jack, Ellen/Helen etc.
Another favourite is to reverse names or to use middle names especially when a child was named after a parent. It might have avoided confusion in the household at the time, but it plays merry hell when trying to find people in the census record a century later. And don't forget using shortened versions of names, Thomas/Tom William/Willie etc......


...and thats before mis-spelled and mistranscribed records of course..
Andy

Thank you for replying. Henry used John Henry when he married, Harry on his sons birth cert and Henry on the census. However i'm sure i will track all the records for him now I know the different possibilities he might use.

Tawny

Hi I had an uncle (sadly never met him as he had passed away before I arrived) that was referred to as Frank but his name was Bernard Francis so the Francis became Frank, it wasn't until I started my tree I even realised his name was something other than Frank

I had a great uncle called Jack but his real name was John. Further up my tree I have a Henry William who also called himself John!

I have one registered as Silvey.
She was baptised Jane Sylvia, then went through much of the rest of her life as Jane.


Gwyn

My husband's great grandma was Annie Eliza or Annie or Anne or Eliza, depending on what mood she was in!

My grandma was named Isabella May but that was a bit fancy for an orphan child, perhaps, so she was known (and married and died) as May Isabel.

Mum was Doris, known as Doll or Dolly. Even the budgie used to say 'Hello Dolly, give us a kiss!'

Birdi