Our Family
English & Welsh Naming Comventions, 1700 - 1879
Naming Order of Children
SONS
- The first son was named after the paternal grandfather
- The second son was named after the maternal grandfather
- The third son was named after the father
- The fourth son was named after the oldest paternal uncle
- The fifth was named after the second oldest paternal uncle or the oldest maternal uncle
DAUGHTERS
- The first daughter was named after the maternal grandmother
- The second daughter was named after the paternal grandmother
- The third daughter was named after the mother
- The fourth daughter was named after the oldest maternal aunt
- The fifth was named after the second oldest maternal aunt or the oldest paternal aunt
Often, in the past, boys and girls were given the mother's maiden name as their middle name which can be a clue in looking for the mother's maiden name.
Exceptions apply if there was a duplication of a given name. In that case the practice was to skip to the next name on the list.
In a traditional French household in Louisiana, the wife kept her maiden name and is listed on records with it instead of the husband's surname. The children were named with the husband's surname.