Genealogy Chat

hello I know from my family that before abt the 1900`s almost all had mothers or grandmothers maidenames given to their children as middle names, and in fact some even chose the maidenames as christian names too. i found loads of elusive relatives simply for that reason.

My mother's Scottish family had their maternal grandmother's maiden name as a middle name. The last one with one of these middle names was my sister where the pattern has ended.

It's still pretty common in scotland to give children theor mothers maiden name as middle name. I lived there for 5 years and quite a few friends of mine did it. I only have one so far in my tree and that was 1800's

Ive noticed its common practise in my family for grandparents first name to be used as a middle name. My middle name is that of my grandmother - my neices middle names are those of her grandmothers, my uncles middle name is that of his grandfather etc... Maybe thats a modern slant?

hi thanks for the replies, regards stacy

My Welsh side of the family had quite a distinct naming pattern. My ggg grandmother had a maiden surname of Lovatt which was giving as a second name to one of her children. Subsequently each of her other 6 children gave a middle name of Lovatt to one of their children. Quite handy in distinguishing who are related and who's not!!

I have a few who used mmn as middle names for their child(ren) and in one case that middle name was then handed down to their child. I think it is very much a personal choice thing to use middle names. I think they're probably more common now than they used to be (middle names in general, not using mmn). The use of mmn as middle names sure does help when it comes to bmd searching.

hi reg my grandads family are from lanark area of scotland, seem to all be miners, thanks again reg regards stacy

It seems that you family had a 'naming pattern' system going.........some families did.....particularly in Wales, and, I believe, in Scotland. Reg

hi reg i have not been doing my family tree that long, put it down for a few months, but am now starting again. john GATES brownlie.............mothers maiden name. alexander MCLEAN brownlie.....fathers mother maiden name, janet MCLEAN brownlie same margaret WILSON brownlie.....mothers mother maiden name james and gavin brownlie have no middle name william ANDERSON brownlie..........have not come accross this as a surname yet, may be a chosen name. francis COWAN brownlie................ same regards stacy

Your question set me off on a checking mission......... Oddly enough, the only instance I can see in my direct line of a surname being used as a second forename occurred in 1933, when my only paternal cousin was given our grandmother's surname as his second forename........ There are a couple of instances in my OH's tree.......but those are down to pre-marital conception! Reg

hello thanks for the reply Reg, regards stacy

Personal choice, as it is today. I have about equal numbers of each in my tree. i.e with second forename, and without........ Reg

hi all was it common for children and siblings to be given a middle name ,? ie mothers maiden name, grandmothers maiden name, fathers mother maiden name etc. my great uncles/aunts have different middle names ... thanks in advance stacy