The naming game part 3

German Naming Pattern

Pattern A

1st son=father's father
2nd son=mother's father
3rd son=father
4th son=father's father's father
5th son=mother's father's father
6th son=father's mother's father
7th son= mother's mother's father

1st daughter=mother's mother
2nd daughter= father's mother
3rd daughter =mother
4th daughter=father's father's mother
5th daughter=mother's mother's mother

Pattern B

The pattern is the same for the sons but different for the daughters.


1st daughter=father's mother
2nd daughter=mother's mother
3rd daughter= mother
4th daughter =mother's father's mother
5th daughter=father's father's mother


Pattern C

1st son=father's father
2nd son=mother's father
3rd son=father's oldest brother
4th son=father


1st daughter=father's mother
2nd daughter=mother's mother
3rd daughter= mother's oldest sister
4th daughter =mother

German children had the same first names, but went by their middle names. First name is usually a saints name.

If a child dies young the next child is names the same.

The term cousin is widely used for any relative.

And remember Van is Dutch and Von is German

What is in a name....part 2

Irish Naming Pattern

1st son=father's father
2nd son=mother's father
3rd son=father
4th son=father's eldest brother
5th son=mother's eldest brother

1st daughter=mother's mother
2nd daughter=father's mother
3rd daughter= mother
4th daughter =mother's eldest sister
5th daughter=father's eldest sister

If the father remarries after the death of his first wife the first daughter to the new union is often named for the first wife.

If a child dies young the name is often used for the next child of the same sex, thus honoring the child is named for.

The Irish used this pattern into the 20th century; especially those families who came over from the potato famine.



Dutch Naming Pattern

Van is Dutch Von is German

1st son= fathers father
2nd son= mother's father
3rd son= father

1st daughter= mother's mother
2nd daughter= father's mother
3rd daughter= mother

The Dutch sometimes named daughter's after grandfathers using feminine versions of a name.

Sometimes when a mother's family is more prominent mother's names would be used first.

The naming game

I have a few family lines that drive me crazy. Everyone is a John or Andrew. Even cousins born the same year have the same name. So the next few posts will naming patterns. They can be helpful. Just remember it is a pattern and not always used. So we will start with ....

English Naming Pattern

1st son = father's father
2nd son= mother's father
3rd son= father
4th son= father's oldest brother
5th son= father's second oldest brother or mother's eldest brother

1st daughter=mother's mother
2nd daughter=father's mother
3rd daughter= mother
4th daughter=mother's eldest sister
5th daughter=mother's second oldest sister or father's oldest sister

This pattern continued to about 1870


Colonial America

New England's first settlers gave three different types of names:
1. English origin
2. Hebrew/ bible names
3. Names associated with moral qualities: Patience, Mercy, Charity, Thankful

In New England, Virginia and later in other colonies it was common to see surnames as a middle name.

Southern names typically use basic English names such as Mary, Richard. However, regional names did develop such as Ashley, Courtney, Tracy, Shelby. Also two word names are Southern such as Billy Bob, Betty Jean. There is a French influence in the south from Louisiana such as Beau, Paulette.

Quakers and Puritan especially used the biblical names. Puritans would often open the Bible, close their eyes and point to a word at random. Thus you had such names as Maybe, Freegift etc.