Old Naming Patterns
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The following is a list that periodically appears on one or
more of the genealogy mailing lists for the purpose of sharing
with other researchers. I, myself, cannot take credit for
compiling this, but felt that posting it might be of help to
those not active on the lists
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The first son was named after the father's father
The second son was named after the mother's father
The third son was named after the father
The fourth son was named afther the father's eldest brother
The first daughter was named after the mother's mother
The second daughter was named after the father's mother
The third daughter was named after the mother
The fourth daughter was named after the mother's eldest sister, always
ALSO:
2nd wife's oldest daughter named after the first wife, using her full name
Children after those listed above were usually named after a favorite
relative with some possible exceptions:
if a child died in infancy, a later child might be given the same name
when a newly ordained minister baptized his first child, if that child were
a boy, he would be named for the minister, if a girl, she would received his
surname as her middle name
if a child were fostered, usually because of being orphaned, he may be named for
the foster parent
if you are sure that you have the earliest birth or baptisms and that they are
in the correct order then, if John's first son is named Charles & his second
daughter is named Elizabeth, then John's parents must be Charles & Elizabeth
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Common nicknames for given names
Allie - usually Alice, Aline or Aletha
Bell - usually Arabella, Annabelle, Isabel, Rosabel, etc
Cindy - usually Lucinda or Cynthia
Daisy - usually Margaret
Delia - usually Cordelia or Adelia
Dora - usually Theodora, Eudora or Dorothy
Effie - usually Euphemia, but sometimes Sarah
Elsie - usually Elizabeth
Fanny - usually Frances
Greta - usually Margaret
Hal, Hank or Harry - usually Henry
Hallie - usually Harriet or Henrietta
Hettie - usually Hester, but sometimes Esther or Henrietta
Jack - usually John
Jake - usually Jacob
Jenny - usually Jane, Virginia, Janet or Jennifer
Larry - usually Lawrence
Lena or Lina - usually a name ending in those letters (Emeline, Seline
or Selina, Magdalina or Magdaline, Pauline, Angeline, etc.)
Lettie - usually Letitia
Libby - usually Elizabeth
Madge, Midge, Meg, Maggie or Maisie - usually Margaret
Mattie - usually Martha, but sometimes Matilda
May or Maisie - usually Mary
Millie - usually Mildred, but sometimes Amelia, Millicent or even Mary
Minnie - usually Mary, but sometimes Marie
Molly - usually Mary
Nancy - usually Agnes or Ann(e)
Nannie - usually Nancy
Nell - usually Ellen, Helen or Eleanor
Nora - usually Eleanor, Honora or Lenore
Patsy - usually Martha or Patricia, but sometimes Matilda or Patience
Peggy - usually Margaret
Polly - usually Mary
Sally or Sadie - usually Sarah
Sukie - usually Susan
Tillie or Tilda - usually Matilda
Xr - Christopher
Zeke - usually Ezekiel or Hezekiah
