two Christian names in Leeds in 1801: how unusual?

[nicholastolson]

On an 1801 marriage certificate from Leeds, the bride has two Christian names: Elizabeth Catharine. This appears to be unusual, at least in the circles our family moved in (stonemasons, watermen &c).

How unusual was the use of two names at the time? Could it be a clue that Elizabeth Catharine is from another region, eg, southern England? Or that she was born into another social class? I haven't been able to find a record of her birth or baptism. (Her full name, before marriage, is Elizabeth Catharine Ellis.)

I suppose it's also possible that "Elizabeth Catharine" was a common pairing and thus considered one name, like "Mary Ann".

[mazi]

A random search of Familysearch for all the. "Greens". Born in England 1801 seem to suggest about one in twenty were christened with two names, likewise with all the " Windsor"s

Mike

[avm228]

One possibility is that it was a name taken on after her birth such as a confirmation name (if Catholic).

[ThrelfallYorky]

Quite often I've found two Christian names - I'd always assumed that if there was a "Mary", and she had a daughter of the same name, you could go to "Molly" or "Polly", but after that passing on a loved name might get a bit complicated, and even confusing, but if she was named "Mary Ann", or "Mary Jane" then the name went on, and might please Auntie Ann or Aunt Jane, too ... and possibly there could be two grandfathers, so say a son may be named "Harry George" after each grandfather, especially if he was a late call after a procession of girls....
-And some might have thought it just sounded a bit "posher" than one name alone.
But I don't really think it mattered a lot what the social class was. One of the fanciest names I ever saw was the daughter or an itinerant basket weaver! Three elaborate names - not my line, so I can't recall them all but I seem to recall an Emmeline and a Charlotte amongst them.

[clayton bradley]

I have a William Joseph Broadley, much later than 1801, born into a family who used one christian name per child. In his case, his father, William, had been married before and had 2 sons. When William married again, his second wife wanted to call a child after her father, Joseph. Unfortunately, one of William's sons by his first wife, was already called Joseph, so they compromised on William Joseph. Which of his parents called him what, I don't know, but maybe your Elizabeth Catharine has a back story like that, cb