Thank you Cathy, This is really good. I appreciate it Marcia Moore Collins ALWAYS struggling with names! -----Original Message----- From: Bulls0729@aol.com <Bulls0729@aol.com> To: GenTips-L@rootsweb.com <GenTips-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Thursday, June 25, 1998 5:37 AM Subject: Naming Patterns >I have saved a file on tips for naming patterns from other sources for my own >information. I hope this is useful. > >Cathy Murphy >Bulls0729@aol.com > >This first presentation is from an AOL beginners genealogy group. I try to >always note who gave the presentation so I can request permission to sent it >to someone else. In this case, I inadvertently deleted the date, the name of >the group, and the presenter. I sincerely apologize if it's a problem for >anyone that I reprint this information, but I do not know from whom to get >permission. It does give the source for her/his information. > >First of all, I want to welcome everyone tonight. This information >comes from a lecture I attended given by Marsha Hoffman Rising >in 1991. > >Too often the genealogist focuses research on those individuals >bearing the surname and often only in the direct line. For this >reason, records which may clarify relationships, "prove" ancestral >connections or add evidence to support a hypothesis can be >overlooked. It is important that the researcher emphasize the >family network rather than linking via surname. > >This lecture is about finding your family by early naming practices >and studying collateral kin. Since data regarding the direct line >is often not available, you can make the connections by studying >the collateral kin. One of the ways of finding your collateral kin >is by utilizing naming practices. > >In the early colonies, the law of primogeniture was in effect. It is >an exclusive right of the eldest son to inherit the father's estate. >To ensure that the eldest son inherited, in the event the father >died intestate, the eldest son was generally given the same >name as his father. The second son was often given the first >name of one of his uncles, generally the father's oldest brother. >Later, families devised their own system to ensure that their >offspring inherited. ie., giving all children the same middle name, >denoting the fact that all with that name could inherit, and not just >the oldest son. > >As many families were very large, it is possible to find collateral >kin, and thus an earlier ancestor by studying the names of your >ancestors siblings. > >As stated earlier, the eldest son had the same name as his father, >the second son, the first name of one of his uncles. (paternal >usually, unless the father had no brothers, then a maternal uncle). >The middle name was either his mother's maiden name, or >grandmother's maiden name. Basically, as more children were >born, more maiden names were used, but generally those in the >direct line. Great grandmothers, great great grandmothers, etc. >Interestingly, after the fifth child, there will be names of famous >people. ie, Joseph Wheeler, Robert E. Lee, etc. > >Second generation immigrants often deviated from the original >family names. They often named their children after local heroes. >It is not uncommon for a southern family to name male children >after famous southern political personalities, such as Robert E. Lee, >Francis Marion, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, etc. However, the >following generation often returned to the names of the previous >generation. Therefore, when you find a generation of "local heroes", >don't be discouraged. Ignore the names and try to concentrate on >the more common names. This will help guide you back to the >earlier ancestors. > >Women's names follow the same practices as men's names, but >generally follow the maternal line. The eldest daughter is often >named for her maternal grandmother. Once again maiden names >are often used as middle names. Sometimes, if the family is very >large, you will only find one or two of the daughters with a maiden >name as a middle name. Ironically, to find your female ancestor, >you might have to take the first name of the eldest daughter, and >the middle name of the second son. > >Another interesting tidbit regarding women's lines. If you have the >marriage record of your ancestor, and have no information about >the wife other than her name, make a note of the person that >married them. Many times the minister who performed the >wedding is a relative. Her name may be different because >she was a widow, thus being referred to by her first husband's >name, instead of her maiden name. > >It is often difficult to prove identity when there are several >individuals with the same name. Aside from analyzing the >family thru the naming trends, one should attempt to learn >everything about their ancestor; wife, children, children's >spouses, minister, debtors, creditors, occupation, religion, >neighbors, siblings, politics, etc. > >Find his neighbors by studying the description of every >parcel of land that he owned. Try to learn as much about >his neighbors as possible. > >If you own primary research, assume this to be true until >you find out differently. Reconstruct and track the lives of >the various same name people in question. Study the >people, not just the names you are looking for.. > >There are some key principles to remember when researching >collateral lines. First, names may change, particularly with >women, but the relationships will remain, no matter how often >the name changes. > >The strongest kin ties appear between women. The most enduring >bond occurs between mothers and their grown daughters. This >means that you may find more information by looking for a different >surname than the direct line you are researching. Ties to the wife's >kin are generally stronger than those to husband's, unless male ties >are crucial to the husband's occupation. It is therefore necessary >to learn the occupation of your ancestor. > >Social relationships among kin are not broken by geographic mobility. >This is important because you may be looking in an area where the >records have been destroyed. You may find your information from >one that is geographically removed from the destruction. > >Genealogical organizations and literature are based on surnames. >Too often, female lines are neglected. > >Be sure you understand the meaning of kinship terms in the period >in which you are working. In colonial times, "in-law" referred to the >relationships that we now call "step". > >KINSHIP TERMS > >Affinity - relationships which exist because of marital ties. The >contemporary term for these relations is "in-laws." > >Augmented family - extension of nuclear family to include people >bound together by law, rather than blood; eg. half siblings, adopted >children, step-parents, step-siblings, etc. > >Aunt - in American society, this term can refer to a woman in four >different relative positions: father's sister, mother's sister, father's >brother's wife, mother's brother's wife. > >Brother - in addition to obvious meaning may also include >(1) the husband of one's sister >(2) the brother of one's wife >(3) the husband of one's sister-in-law, >(4) half-brother >(5) step-brother. > >Genealogists must also be aware "brother" may refer to a member >of one's church. > >Collateral family - referring to relatives who are "off to one side" i.e. >not in the direct lineal ancestry, but who share a common ancestor. >In western society, these people are called aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. > >Consanguinity - refers to persons who share common descent or >biological heritage. > >Cousin - very general term in American society referring to someone >with whom you share a common ancestor. Can refer to a person >occupying relationship on either mother or father's side; may also >refer to someone related only by affinity. If this person is in a >different generation, the term "removed" is used giving the number >of generations apart. > >Extended family - when families of more than two generations >compose a household or relationship. > >Full sibling - one who has the same biological mother and father >(thus the same ancestry) as oneself A half sibling has one of the >same parents (and therefore shares only one side of the lineage) >as oneself. > >In Law - in contemporary society, term used to designate someone >to whom you are related by your own marriage or that of a sibling. >In colonial society, this term also referred to relationships created >by the marriage of a parent, currently called "step" relationships. >Thus a "mother-in-law" in the 17th century, may have been a >father's second wife. > >Natural child - when the term "natural" is used the researcher >should not jump to a conclusion that it denotes an illegitimate >relationship. It is meant to indicate a relationship by blood >rather than one by marriage or adoption. An illegitimate >child may be called "my base son" or "my bastard son." > >Nephew/Niece - one who is the child of a sibling (or a >half-sibling, or step-sibling, or a spouse's sibling, or your >spouse's spouse's sibling. Since the term derives from the >Latin term, "nepos" meaning grandson, it is possible an >early colonial reference may have this meaning. > >"Now wife"- often assumed that the testator of a will with this >term had a former wife. While this may be true, it is more >likely the testator is indicating the bequest is intended only >for his present wife and not necessarily to any subsequent >wife he may have. Donald Lines Jacobus wrote, ".... it is to >be doubted whether any other legal phrase has fooled so many >of our most experienced genealogists." > > Nuclear family - a family group consisting of mother, father >and dependent children. > > Step-sibling - one related by virtue of a parent's marriage to >an individual with children by a former marriage or relationship. >While no relation by blood, there can be strong ties of emotion >and tradition between step-siblings. > >Uncle - in American society this term can refer to a man in four >different relative positions: >father's brother; mother's brother; father's sister's husband; >mother's sisters's husband. > >Next is a posting from the Research-Howto list >From: trace97@pacbell.net (Tom Broadlick) > >The Illinois US Gen Web has an excellent Web Page that >includes a helpful section "Surnames what's in a name". >Its URL is >http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilgenweb/ > >Next is a posting from my Jones List >From: Ausha74 > >Hi, >One of the best ways I have found to tell whom to search for >in the ancestors, is this naming pattern. It was in a book I read >and they called it the old Jones naming pattern. > >But in checking other surnames I find that it does fit >them also. Check it with your families and see if it works: > >The first son is named after the father's father >the second son is named after the mother's father >the third son is named after the father himself. >the fourth through end son is named after a favorite brother or friend >(usually of the fathers) > >the first daughter is named after the mother's mother >the second daughter is named after the father's mother >the third daughter is named after the mother herself >and the fourth through end daughter is named after a favorite sister or >friend (usually of the mothers) > >Of course in order for it to work you would have to know the first and >second name of all involved. > >There are exceptions of course, like if the naming >pattern was already satisfied. For instance say the mothers name >was Martha and she was named after her mother Martha. Then she >names the first girl Martha after her mother, the second she names >after the fathers mother, and the third girl's name is now open to >other possibilities because she already named a girl after herself, >or she could use her middle name. > >The same is true for the sons also. Especially watch if a child dies >with an important name and they rename the baby the same name; >usually you would try to put that name into the place where the child >died as to follow the naming pattern. I told this to a lady in the >Genealogy library one day when she told me that all of her family >had named their first daughters Margaret and as I was reciting it >she became white as a sheet and started to cry. You see she had >followed the naming pattern and hadn't even known that it existed. >Then when she started following it backwards she realized that >even tho she had a Jones surname, she knew who she was looking for. >Hope you find yours. Good research to you all >Caline Kitchen Ausha74@aol.com > >From: rory70@juno.com (Rosemary Shield) > >Caline is correct about the naming patterns of the Welsh and Irish, >except the third son is named for a brother or friend, not the fourth. >I found the ancestor of my Joshua Jones this way. A book on him >said his father was Evan Jones, yet he waited until his 12th child to >name a son Evan. I knew no one of Welsh descent (he was born in >PA in 1739) would do this. His first son was William, second John, >for his wife's father, third James, for his brother, first daughter for his >wife's mother, etc. right down the line. Evan was the last name of his >wife's mother. > >When I first started genealogy I had found a 1771 will of a William >Jones in Loudoun Co, VA with sons James and Joshua, but it said >Joshua had died shortly after his father. After years of searching >I went back to the records of Loudoun Co, and found that this William >was in fact the father of my Joshua, and the death of Joshua had >been entered in error. Point of all this?------don't throw out any >records that may in the future help with your research. I have found >the ancestors of several of my lines this way. > >Rosemary > >And next a posting from Rowan Roots (NC): > >Subj: Scotch-Irish >From: khodge@gdi.net (Kenneth Hodge) > >The following pattern was used in the late 1700's to early 1800's. >It sometimes can give a clue but not always. > >The 1st son--named after the fathers father >The 2nd son-named after the mother's father >The 3rd son -named after the father >The 4th son-named after the father's eldest brother > >The 1st daughter-named after the mother's mother >The 2nd daughter- named after the father's mother >The 3rd daughter-named after the mother >The 4th daughter-named after the mother's eldest sister > >Ken in Orlando > >And again, from the Jones list: > >Is any knowledgeable about traditional Scotch-Irish naming patters? >Bob Reid (rreid@ap.org) > >Subj: Nicknames, Middle Names & Other Clues >From: Micki.Jones@MCI.Com (Micki Jones) > >The forwarded message has some very good tips. Thought it >was worth passing along. Hope it is helpful. Thanks, Sharon ... >hope you don't mind my sharing this info. > >Micki Jones > >From: Sharon McAllister <73372.1745@COMPUSERVE.COM> > >No hard genealogical data here. I just want to add a bit to the tips >Sharon Crawford shared: > >Nicknames can be VERY important clues -- I have yet to hear >anyone who actually knew my father to call him by either of his >given names, and I can tell how someone knew him by which >nickname is used. But official records and newspaper stories, >like his obituary, give only his proper name. I can imagine how >hard it would be for someone to find hard information about him >starting from family tales. I'm with Sharon, but would add: >Record any nicknames you know and ask elderly relatives about >other people's nicknames -- you'll probably get some juicy stories. > >Middle names can also be a lot of help -- or can be quite >misleading if the person you're searching for has been known by >middle name. One of the things I've learned the hard way is that >if no one knows the middle name of a person only a few generations >back, that may be because it was the middle name that was used. >My gggrandmother, Ellen CROCKET, has been something of >a mystery. Recently a photograph came into my possession, >labeled "Mary Ellen Crockett Cole" in her granddaughter's handwriting. >Maybe, just maybe, this will be the clue I need to break through that >particular brick wall. > >My COLE family is quite a challenge to unscramble. Lots of cousins >in the area, some better documented than others did. I have at least >four related Wm. COLEs in Deep Fork Township at the same time. >Two even had the same middle initial. If I didn't know some of their >nicknames and middle names, I'd have an even harder time keeping >them straight. > >Like Sharon said, family tradition can provide great clues but isn't >infallible. To make the best use of it, look at how many times the >story has been passed down and how long it's been since you >heard it. I had the husbands of one greatgrandaunt out of order. >I knew which one died and which one survived her, so put them down >in that "logical" order. Turns out she'd divorced the first, married the >second, and was then widowed -- but divorce was unmentionable when >the tale was told. > >In one case, it took a nickname, a middle name, AND family tradition >to solve a mystery. I'd "remembered" a greatgranduncle who died >before I was born as Albert Edward COLE. Then found him identified >as "A. G. COLE" in some old clippings. Well, could've been a >misprint..... Found his obituary: Albert Grant COLE. So who >the #$%^&*) was Albert Edward COLE? A figment of my imagination? > >Nope. Cousin "Ed". I knew that "Ed" was short for Edward and had >been frustrated in my attempts to find out his middle name or even >initial. I knew his family well, better than the family of Albert Grant >COLE, and I felt this was something I should remember myself. Then >I found the newspaper clipping about his daughter's wedding -- and he >was identified formally as A. E. Cole rather than Ed Cole. And I >realized that I had been learning about both branches of the family >at about the same time, and the passage of time had simply mixed-up >some of those memories. Once that piece of the puzzle fell into place, >all of the stuff I'd saved about about both A. G. & A. E. COLE made >sense. Often, following Not My COLE has led me to information I >hadn't been able to find directly. > >In a case like this, any and every clue is important. So when in >doubt, I urge you to save that questionable piece of information. >Just as you wouldn't accept it as gospel without further evidence -- >don't reject it unless there's enough counter-evidence to eliminate >it as a possibility. It may come in handy someday! > >Sharon McAllister -- climbing down from her soapbox now.... >73372.1745@compuserve.com > > >==== GenTips Mailing List ==== >To contact the GenTips list owner, use converse@alltel.net > > > >