On Mon, 02 Feb 2015 20:32:50 +0000, Graeme Wall <[email protected]> wrote: >On 02/02/2015 20:21, hownhelcymru wrote: >> "It's a Catholic practice but not necessarily widespread. When you are >> baptised you get a baptismal (saint's) name that may or may not be one >> of your existing names. In some cases that name may get adopted as part >> of the person's name in later life. I've no idea how common a practice >> it is but it may explain why someone with no middle name at birth >> acquires one in later life." >> >> As a life long catholic with scottish and irish roots I have not come across this practice. [That is why I asked whether this was a peculiarly English custom] >> >> I have not come across an instance of a person having a different baptismal name to his/ her registered name. >> >> A saint's name, chosen at Confirmation, has been added to secular documentation in some instances, but not as a rule. >> Thank you for the information >> >> Helenor Jones >> > >I thought it was an Irish practice, the Catholic side of my family comes >from Cork. > The usual version I've encountered in the few RC cases I've come across in England and Scotland is a child being registered with their first name and the middle name being the one added at baptism but not retrospectively added to their birth registration.

On 02/02/2015 22:35, Charles Ellson wrote: > On Mon, 02 Feb 2015 20:32:50 +0000, Graeme Wall > <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On 02/02/2015 20:21, hownhelcymru wrote: >>> "It's a Catholic practice but not necessarily widespread. When you are >>> baptised you get a baptismal (saint's) name that may or may not be one >>> of your existing names. In some cases that name may get adopted as part >>> of the person's name in later life. I've no idea how common a practice >>> it is but it may explain why someone with no middle name at birth >>> acquires one in later life." >>> >>> As a life long catholic with scottish and irish roots I have not come across this practice. [That is why I asked whether this was a peculiarly English custom] >>> >>> I have not come across an instance of a person having a different baptismal name to his/ her registered name. >>> >>> A saint's name, chosen at Confirmation, has been added to secular documentation in some instances, but not as a rule. >>> Thank you for the information >>> >>> Helenor Jones >>> >> >> I thought it was an Irish practice, the Catholic side of my family comes >>from Cork. >> > The usual version I've encountered in the few RC cases I've come > across in England and Scotland is a child being registered with their > first name and the middle name being the one added at baptism but not > retrospectively added to their birth registration. > But could appear on the marriage certificate. I seem to have caused some confusion, I never meant that the name would be added to the birth certificate retrospectively. Baptismal and/or confirmation names could be added to a person's full name in later life, especially if they are devout. -- Graeme Wall This account not read, substitute trains for rail. Railway Miscellany at <http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail>

On 03/02/2015 3:22 AM, Graeme Wall wrote: > On 02/02/2015 22:35, Charles Ellson wrote: >> On Mon, 02 Feb 2015 20:32:50 +0000, Graeme Wall >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> On 02/02/2015 20:21, hownhelcymru wrote: >>>> "It's a Catholic practice but not necessarily widespread. When you are >>>> baptised you get a baptismal (saint's) name that may or may not be one >>>> of your existing names. In some cases that name may get adopted as >>>> part >>>> of the person's name in later life. I've no idea how common a practice >>>> it is but it may explain why someone with no middle name at birth >>>> acquires one in later life." >>>> >>>> As a life long catholic with scottish and irish roots I have not >>>> come across this practice. [That is why I asked whether this was a >>>> peculiarly English custom] >>>> >>>> I have not come across an instance of a person having a different >>>> baptismal name to his/ her registered name. >>>> >>>> A saint's name, chosen at Confirmation, has been added to secular >>>> documentation in some instances, but not as a rule. >>>> Thank you for the information >>>> >>>> Helenor Jones >>>> >>> >>> I thought it was an Irish practice, the Catholic side of my family comes >>> from Cork. >>> >> The usual version I've encountered in the few RC cases I've come >> across in England and Scotland is a child being registered with their >> first name and the middle name being the one added at baptism but not >> retrospectively added to their birth registration. >> > > But could appear on the marriage certificate. I seem to have caused > some confusion, I never meant that the name would be added to the birth > certificate retrospectively. Baptismal and/or confirmation names could > be added to a person's full name in later life, especially if they are > devout. > My maternal grandfather's maternal first cousin (confusing?) was registered as "Charles Kirkland X" (his dad's first name plus his paternal grandmother's family name). I had a hard time finding the family in the census because he was known as "Widmer". On his marriage licence he gave his name as Charles Widmer Nelles Kirkland X. I've no idea where the other names came from; his dad was C of E and his mother Presbyterian. His dad's side of the family didn't seem particularly devout, just odd. AW

On 03/02/2015 13:33, Ann Watson wrote: > On 03/02/2015 3:22 AM, Graeme Wall wrote: >> On 02/02/2015 22:35, Charles Ellson wrote: >>> On Mon, 02 Feb 2015 20:32:50 +0000, Graeme Wall >>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> On 02/02/2015 20:21, hownhelcymru wrote: >>>>> "It's a Catholic practice but not necessarily widespread. When you >>>>> are >>>>> baptised you get a baptismal (saint's) name that may or may not be one >>>>> of your existing names. In some cases that name may get adopted as >>>>> part >>>>> of the person's name in later life. I've no idea how common a >>>>> practice >>>>> it is but it may explain why someone with no middle name at birth >>>>> acquires one in later life." >>>>> >>>>> As a life long catholic with scottish and irish roots I have not >>>>> come across this practice. [That is why I asked whether this was a >>>>> peculiarly English custom] >>>>> >>>>> I have not come across an instance of a person having a different >>>>> baptismal name to his/ her registered name. >>>>> >>>>> A saint's name, chosen at Confirmation, has been added to secular >>>>> documentation in some instances, but not as a rule. >>>>> Thank you for the information >>>>> >>>>> Helenor Jones >>>>> >>>> >>>> I thought it was an Irish practice, the Catholic side of my family >>>> comes >>>> from Cork. >>>> >>> The usual version I've encountered in the few RC cases I've come >>> across in England and Scotland is a child being registered with their >>> first name and the middle name being the one added at baptism but not >>> retrospectively added to their birth registration. >>> >> >> But could appear on the marriage certificate. I seem to have caused >> some confusion, I never meant that the name would be added to the birth >> certificate retrospectively. Baptismal and/or confirmation names could >> be added to a person's full name in later life, especially if they are >> devout. >> > My maternal grandfather's maternal first cousin (confusing?) was > registered as "Charles Kirkland X" (his dad's first name plus his > paternal grandmother's family name). I had a hard time finding the > family in the census because he was known as "Widmer". On his marriage > licence he gave his name as Charles Widmer Nelles Kirkland X. I've no > idea where the other names came from; his dad was C of E and his mother > Presbyterian. His dad's side of the family didn't seem particularly > devout, just odd. > Odd is always an option :-) -- Graeme Wall This account not read, substitute trains for rail. Railway Miscellany at <http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail>

n > >> I have not come across an instance of a person having a different baptismal name to his/ her registered name. This is something I have found pretty frequently -sometimes under pressure from the grandparents, sometimes because a handy rich relative turns up and there are Hopes...It gets really confusing when the baby registered as William Smith becomes George Arthur William later. But another factor which may be necessary to consider is that a man named and emigrating as plain Joe Bloggs would often award himself a middle name for the effort of crossing the sea. The decsendants sometimes get quite miffed that Joseph Starthmore Bloogs can't be found as such - and sometimes that middle name is family, sometimes the ship carrying him. EVE Author of The McLaughlin Guides for Family Historians Secretary, Bucks Genealogical Society