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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Berwickshire => Topic started by: USCRx on Sunday 04 June 17 06:29 BST (UK)
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I'm sure this topic has been addressed before, but I can't find any previous post about it. So here goes . . . .
My Scottish ancestors in the very early 19th Century had 5 children, 1 son, and 4 daughters. The first son was named according to the naming pattern, and the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th daughters were named as if they were the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The first daughter's name is not connected with any relative, as far as I can tell.
In your experience, under what circumstances have you seen exceptions to the traditional Scottish naming pattern?
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Could be anything. a cousin, a laird or his wife, a minister, royalty even. How many Albert's were there before Victoria married?
Skoosh.
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Could be something as simple as named after a good family friend who passed away.
Annie
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I remember when I was little my dad saying the Scots were peculiar people as they even named children after the local doctor.
I discovered an anomally in the naming pattern of my gt. grandparents I found their first daughter had been named after a wife of a childless friend. Further research showed the wife was actually a cousin of my gt. grandparents.
I've also found that a second wife will name a daughter in favour of the first wife in the event the first wife didn't bear a daughter.
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Your second comment has been my suspicion. I've discovered possible evidence of a first marriage in 1798, where the first wife's name was Isabella. And then my ancestor, William Jeffrey, and his wife, Mary, named their first daughter Isabella in 1801. I was wondering if this was a possibility?
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My Grandmother and her siblings were all named as follows in Scotland 1888 to 1905.
1st child - Daughter - mother's name
2nd child - Daughter - not named after a family member (my grandmother)
3rd child - Son - father's name
4th child - Daughter - Maternal grandmother's name
5th child - Daughter - Paternal grandmother's name
6th child - Son - Paternal grandfather's name
7th child - Son - not named after a family member
8th child - Son - not named after a family member
9th child - Son - Maternal grandfather's name
10th child - Son - not named after a family member
I have no idea who some of them were named for but perhaps as suggested a good family friend.
Dorrie
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Your second comment has been my suspicion. I've discovered possible evidence of a first marriage in 1798, where the first wife's name was Isabella. And then my ancestor, William Jeffrey, and his wife, Mary, named their first daughter Isabella in 1801. I was wondering if this was a possibility?
I think it most probably is the case that the baby was named in favour of the first wife Isabella. Unless you find that either William or his wife Mary had a step mother called Isabella.
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My Grandmother and her siblings were all named as follows in Scotland 1888 to 1905.
2nd child - Daughter - not named after a family member (my grandmother)
7th child - Son - not named after a family member
8th child - Son - not named after a family member
10th child - Son - not named after a family member
I have no idea who some of them were named for but perhaps as suggested a food family friend.
Dorrie
An old aunt born at the turn of the century in England told me that sickly babies who weren't expected to live long would not be given family names (something about bad luck). I subsequently discovered her grandparents ( my gt.grandparents) gave their second son non family names of Stanley Percival who only lived three weeks.
On the other hand back in the 1700s My father's Scottish ancestor John named three of his sons John and as there were several cousins named John I never discovered if any of "my" John's Johns died or whether all three survived. Furthermore, which John married Agnes who was widowed before the 1841 census when she was 40. Was it one of the three sons named John or did the old man take a younger wife and died of old age? I'll never know as there don't seem to be any surviving burial records
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... I remember when I was little my dad saying the Scots were peculiar people as they even named children after the local doctor ...
My grandfather's brother was named after the doctor and my grandmother was named after (a different) doctor's wife! ;D
Best wishes
Rockford
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The only one of my 10 who did not survive long after birth was the 4th child named after her maternal grandmother who was still alive at the time.
She was a premature birth and only survived for 17 hours. My great grandfather (who I knew) had to go a few days later to register her birth and death at the same time.
So sad.
Dorrie