I'm confused (for a change): Does this debate refer to the FreeBMD site? Because the search page doesn't say either "Forename" or "Christian name". It says "first name(s)" Which seems pretty appropriate to me...? Angie Scan2 > -----Original Message----- > From: Barry and Mary Johnson [mailto:saint.cybi@virgin.net] > Sent: 06 November 2003 12:49 > To: FREEBMD-DISCUSS-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: Unusual Christian name > > > I agree with John, and I know that Peter feels the same. "Name" is indeed > better than both "Christian name" and "Forename", and would be more > appropriate for the FreeBMD project. > > But that won't stop me from carrying on transcribing! > > Barry Johnson > Monmouthshire > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Parker" <homeowner@deardenholt.fsnet.co.uk> > To: <FREEBMD-DISCUSS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 4:14 PM > Subject: Re: Unusual Christian name > > > > I believe that the practice in past times was to use just > "name" for what > > would now be specified as "christian name", "forename", or "given name". > > The Census books for the 1851 Census (which any serious family historian > > will get to sooner or later) instruct the enumerator to enter the "Name > and > > Surname" of each individual. Looking at my own birth certificate (not > quite > > that old but less than 100 years after 1851!), I see that > column 2 (headed > > "Name, if any") has just my christian names (ie "John Stephen") > and column > 4 > > (headed "Name and Surname of Father") has my Father's full name > ("Geoffrey > > Parker"). I note that the final column is headed "Baptismal > Name if added > > after Registration of Birth". > > > > The Penguin Dictionary of English Surnames, first published in > 1967, has a > > very readable introduction which treats "forename" as an > established term. > > > > The Oxford English Dictionary has examples of "forename" used in its > present > > sense from both the 16th and the early 17th centuries. > > > > J S Parker > > > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy > records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >