Did you know that English tradition named a first son after the father's father? Family Historians usually concentrate on surnames because they are the most important way of identifying related individuals, they are usually inherited, and they typically retain some form of the original. Given names represent a voluntary choice by the parents or, sometimes, by an individual and are usually not given lightly. See what traditional naming patterns can tell you about your family history. Click here, http://www.genealogy.com/35_donna.html, to read this article. Additional Tips "They Changed Our Name at Ellis Island, http://www.genealogy.com/88_donna.html": This article dispels some common myths about name-changing at various points of immigration. "Names and Word Spelling, http://www.genealogy.com/00000015.html": Name spellings weren't standardized several generations ago, so many people spelled even their own name in a variety of ways. Sally Rolls Pavia sallypavia2001@yahoo.com "A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good." List Owner: GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES-L-request@rootsweb.com Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES "All incoming and outgoing email checked by Norton Anti-Virus"