Hi Tina, I think you have the son's naming pattern correct but the first daughter was named after the mother's mother, so Elizabeth was probably her maternal grandmother's name and so on. Just to really confuse things this whole pattern could change if there was a death of a child or other close family member and the next baby would be named after that person in their honor. Hope this isn't too confusing. Regards, Joan in New Jersey In a message dated 3/21/2006 12:37:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: I wonder if you could help me with the Irish naming system. I gather that the tradition was/is that the eldest boy is named after the father's father - ie baby's Paternal grandfather and that the next oldest boy is named after the mother's father - ie baby's maternal grandfather. Does that work with the girls? ie is the eldest girl named after the father's mother and the next girl is named after the mother's mother? My grandmother Elizabeth Doyle was the eldest child, so can I presume that her father's mother was also Elizabeth and that therefore my GGgrandfather Edward Doyle was married to an Elizabeth? And that then would follow that the next girl born was named Margaret so therefore my GGgrandfather Patrick Murphy was married to a Margaret? ( Lawrence and Mary followed the tradition when naming the boys, Edward was the eldest boy and Patrick was the next one) Hope you don't mind my asking, but you seem to be a fount of knowledge about these things and I don't know where to go next!!!!!! Tina

In response to Tina and others, Joan has it covered to a degree, usually it works this way: Children within a family were traditionally named according to the following pattern although sometimes they would deviate from this, not often though! More often than not, when this deviation occurred it's as Joan explained. First son after the father's father Second son after mother's father Third son after the father Fourth son after the father's eldest brother Fifth son after mother's eldest brother First daughter after the mother's mother (or father's mother) Second daughter after the father's mother (or mother's mother) Third daughter after the mother Fourth daughter after the mother's eldest sister Fifth daughter after the father's eldest sister It is more common these days, with odd names such as Shane, Wayne, Wendy etc. (not traditional Irish at all), that I can see the naming patterns changing for good, not necessarily for the better! (Another tradition dying out). It's more confusing still, when a father and son have the same name and the younger is called Jnr. and the name becomes the norm within the living family. Other confusions come about with people being known as JJ (John Joseph) or PJ. (Patrick John, or Joseph) Mathew becomes Murt, or whatever! Confusing isn't it? But fun! slan Cyril Newsome Loch Garman... ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2006 7:20 PM Subject: Re: [WEX] Doyle > > > > Hi Tina, > I think you have the son's naming pattern correct but the first daughter was > named after the mother's mother, so Elizabeth was probably her maternal > grandmother's name and so on. Just to really confuse things this whole pattern > could change if there was a death of a child or other close family member and > the next baby would be named after that person in their honor. Hope this > isn't too confusing. Regards, Joan in New Jersey > > > > > In a message dated 3/21/2006 12:37:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > [email protected] writes: > > I wonder if you could help me with the Irish naming system. > I gather that the tradition was/is that the eldest boy is named after the > father's father - ie baby's Paternal grandfather and that the next oldest > boy is > named after the mother's father - ie baby's maternal grandfather. Does that > work with the girls? ie is the eldest girl named after the father's mother > and > the next girl is named after the mother's mother? > My grandmother Elizabeth Doyle was the eldest child, so can I presume that > her father's mother was also Elizabeth and that therefore my GGgrandfather > Edward Doyle was married to an Elizabeth? And that then would follow that > the next > girl born was named Margaret so therefore my GGgrandfather Patrick Murphy > was > married to a Margaret? ( Lawrence and Mary followed the tradition when > naming > the boys, Edward was the eldest boy and Patrick was the next one) > Hope you don't mind my asking, but you seem to be a fount of knowledge about > these things and I don't know where to go next!!!!!! > Tina > > > > > > > > > ==== WEXFORD Mailing List ==== > This list is for the discussion of Genealogy and History, primarily regarding the Wexford area in Ireland. Discussion of migration patterns, immigration,heraldry, historical sketches, census data, wills, family Bibles, vital records, web sites, etc. involving this area is encouraged......... > > >