It's my understanding that giving all children the same first name and calling them by their middle names, which are different, is strictly a German custom, neither Scots nor Irish. For example, in my German lines, the first names of all the males was Johann -- Johann Jacob, Johann Josef, etc. In my Scots and Irish lines, they follow the traditional Irish naming pattern already discussed on this site: first son after the mother's father, etc. As far as Saints names go, it is STILL practiced that Catholic children's middle names are of a saint, although not of a saint born on the child's birthdate. And Catholics use a whole lot more variety than John the Baptist and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Try Michael, Francis, Theresa, Anne, Timothy, etc. etc. ad nauseum. All the males in my husband's family line (Scotch-Irish) had the middle name (saint's name) of Francis. Hope this illuminates rather than confuses. Julie Parks