Two children, same name. Just a tip

[Mogsmum]

Only relatively recently did I discover that if a child died, it was not uncommon for a subsequent child to be given the same name.

Knowing this, suddenly made clear why some families appeared to have two children with exactly the same names.

I'm sure it's common knowledge to most people, but it took me a while to find out and I thought it might assist a newcomer.

[daveb]

Hi,

 A bit more info on this one.
The already named child does not have to be dead to have a sibling of the same name. I came across this with two Johns in the 1500/1600s who I had assumed must be cousins but I then found a Will from their mother in 1567, I think it was, wherein she left property to her son John the elder and John the younger, amongst others. I think it must to do with the custom of naming children after grandparents. Perhaps both were John in that case but as it is so early in he records I can't prove this.

 Daveb

[brushbroomstick]

One of my ancestors had 4 children named after their father and all died. I would have given up after 2.
Irene

[genjen]

I have a situation where a man, let's call him George for the sake of ease, married  a woman called Eliza and they had several children, the oldest of whom was called George. Ok so far....

Eliza died and George senior married again, this time to a woman called Ellen, who was very much younger than he was. They also had several children, one of whom was, yet again, called George.

So we now have three Georges - one father, two sons.

Then, some time in the 1890s, George Snr dies.

In the 1901 census, what do we find but the elder of the two sons named George as head of household with his stepmother, Ellen, named as his wife! By 1911, they are still together, with shed loads more children, mercifully none of whom is called George..

It took me more than a little while to work that one out and I still haven't managed to find a way of entering the children of Ellen and the younger George on to my tree!

Jen

[Billyblue]

There is also the case, I'm told, where a tenant farmer has 'manor rights' as long as the tenancy stays in the one name.
The family then have to make sure they have a surviving son of the correct name!!!

In my dad's family, when he and Mum married, mum told me she got all sorts of scolds from dad's family for calling my older brother (recently deceased) Robert, because "it's not a family name".
  When I started doing the FH, what did I find but that Dad's grandparents had not one, not two, but three sons called Robert, until they managed to have the last one live - until he was 90, as it turned out.  So much for 'not a family name' !!

Dawn M

[LizzieW]

One of my ancestors had 4 children named after their father and all died. I would have given up after 2.

One of my something x g.grandfathers (not got my tree handy at the moment) had 2 older brothers who died, so he was the 3rd William.  Good job his parents didn't give up after 2, or I wouldn't be here.

[genjen]

Same here Lizzie,

Jane Raitt born 1837 - I ( and others researching this family) presume she died.
Jane Raitt, same parents, born 1849 - my 2 x ggrandmother.

Mind, I suppose this could be yet another case of two living girls with the same name?


Jen

[Mogsmum]

Re-marriages should be banned!

One of mine married, had 4 children before his wife died.   

He then married a widow, who brought with her, her 3 natural children, plus the 5 children she'd 'inherited' from her 1st husband (who was a widower when she'd married him). 

With me so far?  

They then went on to have a further 4 children - giving him a grand total of 16 for whom he was responsible - the felony compounded because George, Henry, Eliza, Mary-Ann, Frances Ann and/or Ann Frances were popular names (although I thank heaven for dear old Isiah)! 

No wonder I have people in my tree who could easily appear to have 4 surnames - unless you read the notes 

[Sharon01]

Hi,

Except from having 2 children with the same name (after death) I have also had in two separate sides of the family an Eliza & Elizabeth as children without any of them dying.

Sharon