Author Topic: Why change a christian name?  (Read 5024 times)

Offline HeatherB

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Why change a christian name?
« on: Sunday 12 February 06 21:51 GMT (UK) »
Have many of you discovered that children who get registered under one name often get called something totally different sometimes a nickname other times a totally different christian name.

A Sylvia that was called June a Millicent called Paula, a Paul that was called Peter

Seems to be fairly typical to call someone by their second name especially if more than one person in the household has the same name, that makes sense to avoid confusion.

Because of the way that people were named in the past a presumption of what your fathers name was on a certificate totally wrong.

Of course abbreviations and nicknames are common.
I know lots Bubby, Girlie, Sissie, Honey a Nathan who become chopper because the day  his dad came home and he had his first two teeth dad said "hey son you have got your first choppers" and that has been his name since.
Big James the father who is a lot smaller than little James the son.
Someone called red because they had red hair and someone else called blue for the same reason.
I have a cousin who being a foundling was named after the area she was found in.

Most you can sort out but sometimes it comes as a great shock to someone when they send for a certificate to get married and find the name they have been using all their life is not theirs.

Cheers Heather

Offline Nick Carver

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Re: Why change a christian name?
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 12 February 06 23:08 GMT (UK) »
My grandmother didn't like her given name Nellie, so told everyone her name was Nancy.  If you think back to the generations when the eldest son got named after his father and likewise for no 1 daughter, it is not hard to see nicknames creeping in. I'm sure Jack for John is an example of this. All rather complicated for the poor family history researcher.
E Yorks - Carver, Steels, Cross, Maltby, Whiting, Moor, Laybourn
W Yorks - Wilkinson, Kershaw, Rawnsley, Shaw
Norfolk - Carver, Dowson
Cheshire - Berry, Cooper
Lincs - Berry
London/Ireland/Scotland/Lincs - Sullivan
Northumberland/Durham - Nicholson, Cuthbert, Turner, Robertson
Berks - May
Beds - Brownell

Offline Emmeline

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Re: Why change a christian name?
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 12 February 06 23:26 GMT (UK) »
My mother's friend had a brother always known as 'Chopper' - I never heard his real name. Wonder if it was because of his baby-teeth. I'll never know now.
During the war a neighbour was always known as 'Dolly with the teeth ' - perhaps there were other Dolly's in the street.
These sorts of nick- names seem to have been used more in the past.

Offline HeatherB

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Re: Why change a christian name?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 12 February 06 23:40 GMT (UK) »
I know someone who named the child after the husbands motor bike in the hope that more interest would be given the child.

Did it work? No the bike still came first.

Cheers Heather


Offline Taidquest

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Re: Why change a christian name?
« Reply #4 on: Monday 13 February 06 00:40 GMT (UK) »
hi heather,
                this subject is very close to home for me,examples are
being called by my second christian name(i'm second youngest in a
family of seven)because my dad wanted to name me after my mother,
so she called me by my second name to save confusion(did'nt work)
but for official documents i have to use my first name,other people in the family tree called lillie who were actually elizabeth, then one g'mother called lillie who used that on marriage and her childrens birth certs(wonder if her birth cert when i find it will have lillie or elizabeth?  i have known people baptised sarah but known as sally all
 their lives or julia and  then known as sheila(told recently that sheila is the gaelic  for julia ???.) and last but not least the lucky boy whose father wanted him baptised 'arkle' after the famous racehorse,at least his mother called a halt to that one ;D
i'll bet there are many more examples out there,but i'm as bad,i gave my son 3 christian names,my excuse?if he did'nt like his first name he could use the first letter of each of the second and third names together as a nickname. :)
                           regards,anne
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Offline rbangorreg

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Re: Why change a christian name?
« Reply #5 on: Monday 13 February 06 03:52 GMT (UK) »
Hi.
   Don't know if this will help,If you GOOGLE (nicknames) , then click Franklin, it will come up with many names , I was looking for Ronald ... but every thing lead to Reginald, found the answer with Google , Ronald is Reginald.
             Regards
                         Reg.
ThaiThyme

Offline HeatherB

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Re: Why change a christian name?
« Reply #6 on: Monday 13 February 06 06:29 GMT (UK) »
What fascinates me is why on earth someone with the surname John would call their child John or a John Johns and a William, Williams I have several of these in the family tree and they strike me as very odd.

I have a daughter called Hellen two LL's so was my aunt and grandmother and teachers all the time told her she was spelling her name wrong . My grandmother said it had always been spelt that way in her family seems she was right as Hellen Ferguson born abt. 1760 seems to have had it spelt that way I guess it could have been an error but we will never know.

Cheers Heather

Offline Ros Fornaro

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Re: Why change a christian name?
« Reply #7 on: Monday 13 February 06 06:47 GMT (UK) »
I have a cousin names Robert Cameron but when Christened it was changed to Cameron Robert.  When I asked my aunt why she said they didn't want him called RC!!!!

Ros
Bell Coatbridge Sct
Cassels Dunbarton Lnk Sti Sct
Heggie Lnk Sct
Lusty Gls Eng Lnk Sct
McLuckie Stirling Sct
Moss Leek Sts Eng Vic Aust
Pride Gls Eng Geelong Vic Aust

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Offline HeatherB

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Re: Why change a christian name?
« Reply #8 on: Monday 13 February 06 07:39 GMT (UK) »
Good strategic thinking.

Cheers Heather