This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: White Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.tennessee.counties.greene/1769.1770.1786.1798.1794.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: As far as I can tell Pharoah was his given name (spellings vary). He used it for all census/marriage/enlistment type official records. I've wondered if it was really a given name at birth or if he just started using the name later. I've suspected I found his family and here's a note from my file.... " If Ann White is indeed his mother, it's possible that Pharoah's middle name is Eastwood.... In 1850 in the household of Ann White, there is an Eastwood age 14 (in the 1860 census Pharoah's age is listed as 24, so that would be consistent.... Unfortunately his ages aren't as consistent in later census years.... 1870 appears to show Pharoah as 33 and 1880 looks like 48) " I've had a few reasons for suspecting this family to be related to Pharoah and it's a good match with the exception of a child named Pharoah... Of course, I've wondered how many mothers would name their child Pharoah? That doesn't really answer your question I suppose, but it is a good question... and it probably get's to the point.... in the days before birth certificates what was the difference between a name and nickname? If at a certain age someone decided that the name Eastwood didn't sound as good as Pharoah - then what record would there have been to say otherwise? He's my gg-grandfather as well and probably one of the more enigmatic of the bunch....