Puzzle - does this name help my long search?

[sallyyorks]

I have been trying to find a birth/baptism about 1802 for my 3xgt grandmother Bathsheba Boothroyd - well, it seems like since Noah was a lad!!

19th century West Yorkshire folk seem to have had a penchant for naming their children by a surname associated with the family - often the mother's maiden name.

Yes true but you might need to go back further in the tree to find the surname first used as a forename.

I have a surname, Sugden, that was used as a forename almost into the 20th century and on two branches of the tree. But I had to get back to the 1790s to find the origin of it as a surname.

It's a bit of a sad story, as the first Sugden forename I found was a boy (Sugden Hoyle bapt 1791) baptised the same day as his mothers funeral. It was his mothers maiden name. After that, it is used for many generations and as I said, on two branches. So your surname, used as a forename, might also be on a sideways branch (if that makes sense) and started as a forename quite a few generations further back

[bykerlads]

The very strong tradition in West Yorks of using the mother's surname as a first name for a son, was explained to me in two ways:
- a way of emphasising the status and importance of the mother in a world where largely women had little real influence.
- a way of keeping in favour with the mother's family, especially if they had "a bit o'brass" (money)
It seemed to die out during the first half of the 20thC. But I am rather fond of the Sykes Briggs, Schofield Sykes and Mellor Barber in my own tree!

[jillruss]

I suppose, if I ever do manage to find a baptism for my Bathsheba, the surname/forename might come to light a few generations back. At this rate, I may never know!!

It hasn't entirely died out - one of my nieces (daughter of my brother so nee Russell) has given both her sons the middle name Russell, but then I suppose its a forename as well so perhaps it doesn't count! 

[Rena]

The surname Boyes appears to be more prevalent in North and East Yorkshire during your time frame, not the West Riding.

My gt. grandfather carried the full name of his father's first employer.  Huddersfield was known for its trade in woollens, which means farmers, trades people (some rich, some not so rich) would have travelled to and from the town  and I'm wondering if either of your couple was or had been employed by a member of an out of town Boyes family as an indoor servant, or farmhand, or weaver, etc.

I had a quick look at the national archive website and had a grin when I saw a given name that competed with Bathsheba - his name was Bethell Boyes.