Your information is great...thank you so much. What do you suggest when researching my 3xg grandmother? Being from West Prussia, I was hoping to look at naming patterns...especially since she elected to give each daughter the same 'middle' name in the US. --- "R. Lipprandt" <rloss@bellsouth.net> wrote: > By given name... I assume you mean the baptismal > name(s) if the family > practiced a religion that baptized infants. > > If the family was Roman Catholic, Orthodox Russian, > Polish or Greek, it > would have been proper to use the names of saints as > the first and sometimes > second and third "given" names with one of the > sponsors/witnesses and the > fourth... maybe a fifth. > > If the family was Evangelical or Lutheran (child > baptisms), then it could be > saints, or all witnesses, or all favorite uncles, > aunts... maybe mothers, > fathers etc. etc. No real patterns unless it was > just a family tradition to > continue the name. > > Or... could be for another deceased child that had > died earlier. > > Unfortunately, there are no hard rules for such an > event. > > Organizing data I would assume you mean the name?? > If I have a birth or > baptismal document, they I will enter the name same > as it would be on the > document. The distinction I would make in my files > is to underscore the > name the individual used during his/her lifetime. > > With Germanic naming, you can rest assured that > there is way more than one > name and that the name they used is somewhere in the > middle of the pack of > what is on the baptismal certificate. > > It is apparently and English thing to put the user > name in the beginning of > the given name. > > This can get really confusing. Bottom line is that > it all depends upon how > the family did their naming practices! > > Regards, Robert Lipprandt > =================== > > Subject: Re: [PRUSSIA-ROOTS] Family names > > > > Thank you for the great information. I didn't > realize > > that folks went by a name other than their given > name. > > I appreciate knowing how you organize your data > also. > > Thanks again. > > > > > > --- "R. Lipprandt" <rloss@bellsouth.net> wrote: > > > >> Maybe... > >> > >> In my particular case, Mina was shortened from > >> Wilhelmina. Also, had a > >> string of Elisabeth's (Elisa/Elsa) for a few > >> generations. > >> > >> Two of my male names are Karl/Carl/Charles and > >> Gottlieb/Gottlob/Gottlief > >> that seem to be family favorites for a few > >> generations. > >> > >> Also, keep an open mind with reference to first > and > >> middle names as is > >> currently popular. In Prussia/Germany the > pattern > >> was for one (of what we > >> consider middle names) was the user name or the > name > >> that the individual > >> went by. At times, the individual grew up being > >> known as one name and > >> growing tired of it and using another given name > >> later in life. > >> > >> At times it's a guessing game. When I find the > name > >> the individual used > >> mostly, I underscore it. > >> > >> Regards, Robert Lipprandt > >> =================== > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to PRUSSIA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message > To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. -Anatole France ____________________________________________________________________________________ Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545367