Hello Jane and all, Firstly thank-you Jane for all the information that you provide us with. It is great to have you share your knowledge with us. Afraid I do not know about female Christian names being given to men and I think it is a real dilema. I thought my FOSTER family made it hard for us by calling all their children by their second Christian names. The few records I have found are John George called John, Sarah Isabella called Bella and Ernest William called Bill,(my Dad). I guess they didn't know there would be fossickers like us looking for them 100s of years later. Regards to all, Eleanor in Queensland.