Genealogy Chat

I understand that is common for surnames and in particular the mother's maiden name to be given as a middle name. One of my ancestors appears to have the unusual middle name of Heltoft although this is not her mother's maiden name. In fact the mother's maiden name of Wright seems very English and not Danish if that is where the name has originated. Any help please - any ideas as to why my ancestor has such an unusual middle name?

Hi Claire Was mother married at the time of the birth ? Were there any connections with Denmark ? I have the middle name Malanon in my tree; reasons unknown as yet ! Joan

I have found several girls given their grandmother's maiden name as a middle name. My mother was given Burch which she hated. It is always possible to find some names mistranscribed. Anne

Giving the mothers maiden name as a middle name was very common, it ment that the name would reach another generation and not be daughtered out. One of my great uncles hd the middle name Tournay which was his grandmothers maiden name.

A slightly different tack. Was the child illegitimate? Sometimes the mother would give the fathers? surname as a middle name?

Illegitimacy is a possibility for Hannah Heltoft Hampson - as she also appears to have given her surname to her offspring with no record of the father. That would be unfortunate two generations running. Thanks for the ideas - given other of our family middle names the reason could be very obscure. Another of my relatives was named after a battle - his middle name being La Basse.

Claire, have you searcheed for the name Heltoft at the same time and location as your relatives birth ? Joan

Once older siblings had received their grandmothers' maiden names (Ketching and Middleton), my great grandmother and her brother were given the maiden names of their uncles' wives (Dutton and Geddes) as middle names.

I am struggling to find any British Heltofts and don't know of any connections to Denmark but that would appear to be the origins of the name.