naming tradition

[Alison]

I just found another family in my Scottish ancesters using naming tradition patterns. May not work for everone and is not always so easy but heres how I did it.

Names I had were

Robert Scougal who Married Martha Wallace. Roberts parents were James Scougal and Catherine Mclean but didnt have details of Martha's parents. Their children were...

Robert c1840 named after his father
Martha Somerville 1841 1st name after her Mother, middle name Unknown??
Mary 1843 named after Unknown?
Martha 1845 assume 1st Martha must have died so named after her sibling
James 1847 named after his fathers father .
Margaret 1849 named after Unknown??
James 1851 named after dead sibling
Catherine 1852 named after fathers mother

from looking at their childrens names I'm left with Margaret, Mary and the name sumerville, which I used to find the parents of Martha Wallace, I have no extra male names, so assume Marthas father has the same name as her husband or her husbands father (James or Robert) and found her parents were infact James Wallace and Mary Sumerville who had a total of 10 children now added 2 my tree

Alison

 

[barbarajoh]

Hi Alison,

Usually the naming patterns were
first boy after father's father,
first girl after mother's mother
second boy after mother's father
second girl after fathers mother
and then the parents' names. That is the Scottish way. The English one is different. So I would have expected Robert's parents to be Robert and Mary! And Martha's to be Martha and James. But at least it helped you know they would be using those first names

http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/help/index.aspx?561

the above is a link to the Scottish naming patterns. I use it a lot at the archives where I volunteer especially when you are pre registration and are trying to work out numerous families all calling their children the same names.

regards
Barbara

 

[Alison]

Yeah think thats acually the Irish way but the Scottish one are slightly different, they are in my tree anyway, they often use the mothers mother as a middle name!

Alison

 

[barbarajoh]

My way is def the Scottish way, Alison, but some families didn't stick to it or did it a bit topsy turvy - just to confuse us!!

I prefer them to use a maiden name as a middle name, makes life easier.

I sometimes wonder if some of the wives rebelled and said - no he is getting called after MY father! But prob not

What do the Irish do then? After the parents first? l like to learn as I go.

Barbara

 

[Alison]

http://www.babynamesofireland.com/irish-naming-traditions

This is the only one I'M aware of, all my Irish follow this pattern so far with a few stray names here and there.

Not noticed any pattern in my English ancester yet, need to have a closer look as Im sure there is one.

Alison

 

[barbarajoh]

Thanks for that, much the same as the Scottish though so will remember that if looking at Irish in Scotland.

Barbara