Which custom are you asking about? Anglicizing names? If so, that has been quite common during American immigration for people from all countries. My own family went from Hilgert (German) to Hilliard a generation or two after they arrived here in the mid 1700s, and the Johan first names became Jacobs. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of others had their first and last names anglicized (or really just butchered) by the people who were trying to apply spelling to them for the first time at places like Ellis Island. -----Original Message----- From: Virginia Beck [mailto:ginia2@san.rr.com] Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2005 6:04 PM To: Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [Sc-Ir] Re: Scotch-Irish-D Digest V05 #204 This sounds akin to what I've been told was the German custom of giving children an "honorary" first name. Some say this was a Saint's name, others that it could be that of a revered leader or ancestor. In the 16-1700s these were Protestants, but I suppose it could have been a Catholic naming convention they continued to follow. In an on-line search, I have been unable to confirm this naming pattern, but in actual research I have come across families where every son was given the same first name - e.g. "Johann", but was always known by his middle name. The same for daughters, where "Maria" seems to have been a favorite. My late husband's immigrant ancestor was Johann Antony or Antonius Beck. He anglicized his name and was known in America as Anthony. Has anyone else heard of this custom? If so, was it restricted to Germany? Virginia > I thought that the "middle" name's origin (was equivalent to) the > "Christian Name" vs "Given Name" naming convention from the Catholic > Church. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.11/191 - Release Date: 12/2/2005

I phrased that question poorly -- I meant the custom of giving all the sons or daughters the same first name, then a middle name by which they were actually known. Responses point to a partial holdover from a Catholic practice of naming a child after a Saint born on his birth date. That Johann and Maria were almost always used is puzzling, however. Perhaps when they became Protestant & gave up some of the rituals and customs associated with Catholicism, they just decided to limit the honorary names to John the Baptist and the Virgin Mother. Thanks, Virginia > Which custom are you asking about? Anglicizing names? If so, that has > been quite common during American immigration for people from all > countries. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.13.12/192 - Release Date: 12/5/2005