Naming Patterns and Variations

17/50 day Blogging Challenge

For years, as I’ve researched my family history, I’ve been frustrated at the many christian names that seem to be repeated in every generation, which can make it difficult to place a person in the correct generation, when researching.

I’m basing the names below, on the information in my family tree, using only the generations up until the early 20th century. Of course, as any family history researcher would tell you, my tree is incomplete. I am sure there are others in the family with the same names as mentioned below, who haven’t as yet been traced. As I checked these christian names, I was surprised that only three of my family lines have multiple commonly recurring christian names. I have considered multiple to be five or more.

JONES
Joseph 5
Thomas 5

TAYLOR
John 9
William 7
Anne or Annie 7
Charles 5

WATERS
William 11
Thomas 9
David 8
Elizabeth 8
Mary 7
John 5

LLOYD
The name Lloyd as a christian name, originates from my 2x great grandmother Martha, who was married to John Taylor. Martha’s maiden name was Lloyd. John and Martha gave the name Lloyd as a second name, to all eight sons. This continued on through subsequent generations.

My family tree has 20 people who have the name of Lloyd as their second christian name. I know there are many others that I’m not aware of as I have many Taylor family members on my tree, with no second christian name given. I am sure that many of these will have Lloyd as their second name.

There is one Taylor family, who were so desperate to keep the name going that they gave Lloyd as a second name to their daughter.

My own father, Thomas has the second name of Lloyd, as do his brothers. I am aware that this naming pattern continues today, however I don’t have contact with this family, so don’t have 20th and 21st century information on my tree.

Unusual Christian Name

As I’ve researched my family history, I have found that usually when there is an unusual christian name, it can be traced to being a surname and usually the surname of the mother. There is one exception I have found to this rule. My great grandfather was Ernest Welfare Waters. I haven’t been able to find where the name Welfare originates. The other thing to mention about Ernest Waters is that his christian name was spelt as ‘Earnest’ on his birth certificate, however he always spelt it as ‘Ernest’. There is nowhere other than his birth certificate, that I have seen his name spelt as Earnest. I presume it was an error of either the registrar, or mis-spelling by his father, when registering his birth.

Scottish Naming Pattern

• 1st son named after father’s father

• 2nd son named after mother’s father

• 3rd son named after father

• 1st daughter named after mother’s mother

• 2nd daughter named after father’s mother

• 3rd daughter named after mother

Most of my Scottish family lines follow the above naming pattern to the letter. My Morrison family also follows this pattern for the sons of my 3rd great grandfather, William Morrison. There is a slight discrepancy to the naming pattern for the daughters in this family. This makes me think that I may have the birth order incorrect or perhaps I have the incorrect parents of my 3rd great grandmother.

I find it quite interesting that my 2x grandfather’s children, who were all born in Australia, did not follow the traditional Scottish naming patterns at all.

And lastly my Morrison family spelled their name with a single ‘r’ in Scotland but that changed to double ‘r’ after their arrival in Australia.

Do you have any unusual naming patterns? I’d love to hear about them. I do reply to all comments made.

Day 17/50 Family History Blogging Challenge