The Irish frequently used mother's maiden names as first names, especially for the sons .... but also for daughters. Common first names today, like Kelly and Tracy, were mother's maiden surnames when they were originally given as first names or used in combinations such as Mary Kelly. But I think that was later .... and perhaps among those who had a significant maiden name to carry on. The peasants pretty much stayed with their saints' names until they got a little higher up the social ladder in the U.S. and could afford sentimentality. Maureen --- Norafitz@aol.com wrote: > In my husband's paternal family, a great uncle's middle > name was his paternal > grandmother's maiden name. The rest of his siblings had > his mother's maiden > name as a middle name including the girls. > > > > > > > > I've also seen several times a son's first or middle > name is his mother's > > maiden name. This can sometimes prove an invaluable > clue! > > > > ==== IRISH-NEW-YORK-CITY Mailing List ==== > Please keep your anti-virus software up-to-date and run > frequent scans! > > ============================== > 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 > ===== Researching: Costello, Lynch, Raftree/Raftery, Doran, Cotter, Shannon, Sullivan, Gansberg, Bove, Zeidt/Seitz, VonAlleman/Wollerman, Amacher, Giefer, Fischer, Marlot, Koch, Hense, Jackler, Alvine, Shook, Shelly, Prichard, Tye, Daly, Early, Greene, Callaghan, Fitzgerald, McGrath __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness http://health.yahoo.com