Genealogy Chat

For Marilyn

nudged tip

Posted this some time ago,might help someone.


SCOTTISH NAMING PATTERNS

First son is named for the Father's Father.
Second son is named for the Mother's Father.
Third son is named for the Father's Father's Father.
Fourth son is named for the Mother's Mother's Father.
Fifth son is named for the Father's Mother's Father.
Sixth son is named for the Mother's Father's Father.
Seventh through Tenth sons are named for the Father's Great-Grandfathers.
Tenth through Fourteenth sons for the Mother's Great-Grandfathers.

First daughter is named for the Mother's Mother.
Second daughter is named for the Father's Mother.
Third daughter is named for the Mother's Father's Mother.
Fourth daughter is named for the Father's Father's Mother.
Fifth daughter is named for the Mother's Mother's Mother.
Sixth daughter is named for the Father's Mother's Mother.
Seventh through tenth daughters are named for the Mother's Great-Grandmothers.
Tenth through fourteenth daughters for the Father's Great-Grandmothers.

NOTES:

In some cases you will find that the order is reversed with the first and second children, i.e. the first-born son being named after the mother's father and the second-born son after the father's father. If this is the case then the daughters are also usually reversed.

You will also find instances where a child is named 'out of pattern', after an aunt or uncle who has died, or after an admired other relative or friend of the parent.

If a child dies in infancy, his or her name is often given to a subsequent child - a natural consequence of the high birth rate and infant mortality rates of past times.

These are only general guidelines and were certainly not always followed.


Blue

nudged tip

I have noticed the traditional naming pattern was adhered to in my family right up to the generation born around/just after 1900, when they started to stray from the tradition, introducing what must have been modern names. Up til then it had been all William, Thomas, Elizabeth, Mary Ann etc and the next lot were Walter, Stanley, Gladys, Doris etc.

The only exception (with my lot who stuck to traditional naming patterns) seemed to be when a close family member died about the same time as a new born entered the world. The baby was given their name, thereby throwing the traditional naming pattern off balance slightly.

Also, if a child died, the next one born of the same sex was given the name of the deceased child, ensuring the name was kept in the family.


I think using the naming patterns is a lovely tradition and I'm sorry that we, in the UK, have not kept up with it.


K

Jewish parents tended not to name children after living relatives.

Both sets of my grandparents didn't name their children after any relatives. My parents were born in the 1930s

There must have been family arguments about what the naming pattern was:

Marriages Jun 1936 (>99%)
Powell Hilda L A G A M A V Long Medway 2a 2340 [image says 2540 - correction sub'ed]

Thanks, extremely useful, Glad I looked at this post. It helps explain for me why members of the same family, ie brother, sister all called the family with similar names
thanks again. M.

Very useful naming patterns :-)

That makes life very difficult at times for researchers.

my family couldnt do the fathers name pattern bit because they never knew their fathers half the times.

meercat.

That applies to English certainly, including the Mother's maiden name.

Thank you, Meercat.
The Irish naming pattern was totally ignored by my Irish great-great-uncle. He married in 1885.

does anyone know when the naming pattern died out.

very interesting thread by the way.


meercat.

Did the Scottish system also include the mothers maiden name as a middle name too for All the children?

Joan

Thanks Joy. :)

Seriously old, but useful :-)

This is a seriously old thread...... It even has my real name on it which I no longer want to be visible on GR.

I have now deleted my post, but please be very careful about resurrecting threads which are almost four years old as it can cause problems.

Found for Lesley :-)

Nudge

Bumped up for Rosalyn