Thought this might be of interest to some of y'all with English Ancestors, although most of you probably already knew it. Grace S. Green Sebastian, FL Middle Names Illegal For Our English Ancestors >From an article in "Harper's Magazine", early 1900's: via Smoke Signals, publication of Ottawa County Genealogical Society, Miami, OK. Middle names, hard as it is to credit in this generation, ere once illegal. The old English law was very definite as to the naming of children and, according to Coke, "a man cannot have two names of baptism". It is requisite, the law goes on, "that the purchaser be named by the name of his baptism and his surname, and that special heed be taken to the name of baptism". Royal personages have always been allowed to have more than one given name, but as late as 1600, it is said, there were only four persons in all England who had two given names. In 1620 the Mayflower sailed for America, and there was not a man or woman upon it who had a middle name. Even a century and a half ago, double names were very uncommon. The English used to dodge the law at times by ingeniously compounding names. Thus an old parish register in England may occasionally show combinations such as Fannasabilia, which is Fanny and Sibyl joined together, and Anna and Maria. Maris is one of the earliest middle names of record for boys. It was given in honor of the Virgin Mary. As much as they dared, beginning along in the eighteenth century, parents evaded the "one name law". But, even as late as 100 years ago, custom was against the middle name. If the names of the signers of the Declaration of independence be looked over, it will be found that only three of them had middle names. the first five presidents of the United States had only one name each -- George Washington, - John Adams Thomas Jefferson - James Madison - and James Monroe. Before Grant, eighteenth of the line, there were only three double named executives: John Quincy Adams - William Henry Harrison - and James Knox Polk. When middle names got going and became the fashion, the law having dropped into disuse, parents went to work combining names for their offspring enthusiastically One custom was done away with in England in consequence of this, the plan of naming eldest son for the estate, particularly where he succeeds to that estate through his mother. This old practice is still followed to some extent in this country by the mother's maiden name being given to the eldest son, and this identifies the boy when he reaches manhood, and so has some purpose. >From the Augusta Genealogical Society, vol 3, issue 2. Reprinted here with the permission of the Savannah River Genealogical Society, hart County, GA