Jan, Your theory is highly probable. One of the sources of surnames is that of locality; for instance the surname Melton would have originated as John of Melton, thence becoming John Melton over time. Often the children of a marriage were given the female surname as a second Christian name, and this then developed into a first Christian name. Incidentally, Melton itself is a corruption of Middleton, and the full name of Leicestershire's Melton Mowbray incorporates the Saxon village name, Melton, with the Norman French surname Mowbray, from Roger de Mowbray. It's amazing how things come around if it's appeared as a Christian name. Brian Binns -----Original Message----- From: leicestershire-plus-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:leicestershire-plus-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Jan & Stuart Moon Sent: 28 February 2008 00:32 To: LEICESTERSHIRE-PLUS@rootsweb.com Subject: [LEI] Places as Names?? e.g. Melton Does anyone know if it is likely that people names their children after places they came from? I am curious as I have relatives in NZ and Australia, who's beginnings I don't know yet, but 1/2 a dozen of them were named Melton, and I also have 2 Annesleys. (I thought perhaps after Melton Mowbray, and the place Annesley) Does anyone have thoughts about this? Regards Jan Moon Daintree, Australia ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LEICESTERSHIRE-PLUS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message