Author Topic: Unusual First Names  (Read 125162 times)

Offline lydiaann

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Re: Unusual First Names
« Reply #207 on: Sunday 25 September 16 08:52 BST (UK) »
Marrying into my family was an Agathos, who named his son Augustus.  The latter is not so unusual but whence came papa's name?

Definitely looks Greek, and may be their version of Augustus.  Ag- meaning Saint or saintly.

It would be quite unusual.  These were a family of lowly origins and were mainly domestic servants, agricultural labourers, gamekeepers, etc.  Not to say that they weren't intelligent but looking at the censuses, none of the family went to school past the age of about 12 (until they had to stay until they were 14 in the 1800s).  Interesting, though...
Cravens of Wakefield, Alnwick, Banchory-Ternan
Houghtons and Harrises of Melbourne, Derbyshire
Taylors of Chadderton/Oldham, Lancashire
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Offline lydiaann

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Re: Unusual First Names
« Reply #208 on: Sunday 25 September 16 15:05 BST (UK) »
Found this, in regard to Agathos...

" ...inherently (intrinsically) good; as to the believer, 18 (agathós) describes what originates from God and is empowered by Him in their life, through faith..."

The Greek word for saint is 'agios' (male) or 'agia' (female), so it's obviously the same root;  however, the question still remains...I wonder where they got the idea for the name, as it's not actually a name but an adjective ??? ???
Cravens of Wakefield, Alnwick, Banchory-Ternan
Houghtons and Harrises of Melbourne, Derbyshire
Taylors of Chadderton/Oldham, Lancashire
MacGillivrays of Mull
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Offline Andrew Tarr

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Re: Unusual First Names
« Reply #209 on: Sunday 25 September 16 18:48 BST (UK) »
...I wonder where they got the idea for the name, as it's not actually a name but an adjective ??? ???

So (I believe) is Augustus, or Benedict or Amanda.  Most names will have been descriptive originally, those meanings have just faded away, or come from an unfamiliar language.
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Offline CarolA3

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Re: Unusual First Names
« Reply #210 on: Monday 26 September 16 18:28 BST (UK) »
Isn't it just the masculine form of 'Agatha'?

Carol
OXFORDSHIRE / BERKSHIRE
Bullock, Cooper, Boler/Bowler, Wright, Robinson, Lee, Prior, Trinder, Newman, Walklin, Louch


Offline Andrew Tarr

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Re: Unusual First Names
« Reply #211 on: Monday 26 September 16 23:10 BST (UK) »
Isn't it just the masculine form of 'Agatha'?

Yes, it will be; and as Agatha (according to my name book) means Good Woman (Greek) it will simply mean Good Man.  Rather uninteresting really ...  :-[
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Offline Rosinish

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Re: Unusual First Names
« Reply #212 on: Saturday 29 October 16 03:32 BST (UK) »
Just found this while helping a RC'r;

Heiress Mcgillivray (1807) Aberdeen

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XB7K-5JD

Annie
South Uist, Inverness-shire, Scotland:- Bowie, Campbell, Cumming, Currie

Ireland:- Cullen, Flannigan (Derry), Donahoe/Donaghue (variants) (Cork), McCrate (Tipperary), Mellon, Tol(l)and (Donegal & Tyrone)

Newcastle-on-Tyne/Durham (Northumberland):- Harrison, Jude, Kemp, Lunn, Mellon, Robson, Stirling

Kettering, Northampton:- MacKinnon

Canada:- Callaghan, Cumming, MacPhee

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Offline Annie65115

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Re: Unusual First Names
« Reply #213 on: Tuesday 01 November 16 18:45 GMT (UK) »
Bungate Bunney was not a Beatrix Potter character, but a child christened in Rothley, Leic, in May 1737   ;D
Bradbury (Sedgeley, Bilston, Warrington)
Cooper (Sedgeley, Bilston)
Kilner/Kilmer (Leic, Notts)
Greenfield (Liverpool)
Holyland (Anywhere and everywhere, also Holiland Holliland Hollyland)
Pryce/Price (Welshpool, Liverpool)
Rawson (Leicester)
Upton (Desford, Leics)
Partrick (Vera and George, Leicester)
Marshall (Westmorland, Cheshire/Leicester)

Offline bitzar

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Re: Unusual First Names
« Reply #214 on: Sunday 18 December 16 03:09 GMT (UK) »
I've just come across 'Onely'...

I thought it must of been transcribed incorrectly until I found her getting married!

bitzar.
ROBERTS / ROBERT / ROBERTSON (Paternal) - Dunbartonshire/Stirlingshire, Scotland
NEWEY - Leicestershire, England
FITZGERALD - Co. Cork - Ireland
HOWLETT - Suffolk, England
PHILMORE - Wiltshire, England
CHAPMAN - Cornwall - England
NICHOLLS - Cornwall - England
SHAW - Nottinghamshire, England
PRITCHARD - Salop, England
ROBERTS (Maternal) - Surrey, England

Offline Renatha

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Re: Unusual First Names
« Reply #215 on: Sunday 18 December 16 03:24 GMT (UK) »
I've put this on another thread in the past, but came across this recently: Thomas and Mary Day had a son born 25 December 1762 and named him Christmas.  ;D I even have proof in 1801 with his signature on a marriage document when he was one of the witnesses!

BETTS Brisbane, LEWIS Llangurig, PADFIELD Coleford, BUTTON Somerset, LERGESSNER Berlichingen, DONNELLY Tyrone, BETTS Suffolk, NEEDHAM Norfolk.