H Teresa, Naming patterns were a tradition in some countries, for example England, Ireland, Germany, Italy and some Scandinavian countries. The tradition is used in many different ways, and in some cases the mother's maiden name can be part of the pattern. In fact my own brother's middle name is taken from the surname one of our paternal great grandmothers. As John said, there are always exceptions. The article at the following web link explains more about it and gives several examples of how it can be used to ferret out potential family connections. [The Importance of Given Names - http://www.genealogy.com/35_donna.html]. It does appear likely that the three men you have identified are connected. Good luck in your search for evidence. Tink At 05:24 PM 8/1/08, you wrote: >About 1800, was it common to assume one's mother's maiden name as a >middle name? Old birth records rarely show a given middle name. But >some of my anc