This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: scott6672ny Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.stevens/4155.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Whether this is the case with your line I am not sure but the most likely explanation is a tradition where the first two boys born to a family are named after the grandparents and the same was done with the daughters. I know in several of my lines there were large families with 10 siblings being common. Consequences are that you have many children in one generation that have the same names. If this tradition was not upheld it would have been that the person the child was named after was held in high esteem within the family. I am speaking more so 1600-mid 1800's. It seems the more mobile society became and therefore families became separated the less likely this tradition carried on. Scott Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.