Genealogy Chat

Is this is what you are thinking of ? Naming Conventions. In the 18 & 19 centuries families tended to name their children in a specific pattern, which can give some guidance to family names: Males First -born son Father's Father Second born son Mother's Father Third -born son Father' Forth - born son Father's eldest Brother Fifth - born son Father's 2nd or Mother's eldest brother Females First-born daughter Mother's mother second -born daughter Father's mother Third -born daughter Mother Forth-born daughter Mother's eldest sister Fifth-born daughter Mother's 2nd or Fathers eldest sister Steve.

Hi, if you go to www(.)compter(.)org and click on the information button it explains how children were named if you were English, Irish, Dutch etc. Remember to remove brackets. Jenny

Lesley I don't know where I read it, but there is a pattern whereby the children are named after fathers and then mothers parents, and then the parents' names, and sometimes siblings. It does get very confusing especially as the men in my family are often John, William or Thomas and the women Eliza or Susan/Susannah. I rather like the posh victorian practice of giving them all names showing birth order: primus, secundus, tertius etc. When you get to Octavius you know you have 7 siblings born earlier!

Hi Lesley The naming pattern was used by my family in Cumbria too. Heather

Im sure I've heard before that children tended to be named after grandparets eg the first born would be named after the fathers parents and the second after the mothers parents parents etc. Does this ring any bells or have I dreamed it. Thanks Lesley