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Author Topic: Friend as a name  (Read 1267 times)

Offline joopow

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Friend as a name
« on: Sunday 12 June 11 15:12 BST (UK) »
Friend is an unusual first name Can anyone tell me anything about it please ?
There do seem to be others in Yorkshire but I have found them in others parts too.
Is it in any way connected to Quakers ?
Or was there a famous person that this child might have been named after ?
He was born 1913 Barnsley.
Thankyou

Offline dave the tyke

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Re: Friend as a name
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 12 June 11 22:46 BST (UK) »
Hi joopow

Not sure if this is relevant but Khalil which means friend in Arabic is a popular first name amongst Arabic speaking countries.

Dave
Bland, Greenwood Bland, Ellis, Benn, Woodhead, Priestley, Illingworth, Lightowler, Platts, Boys, Bradley, O'Hara, Hall<br /><br />Areas -  North Bierley, Northowram, West Bowling, Horton, Shelf, Allerton, Queensbury, Haworth, Ovenden, Halifax, Luddenden, Midgley, Elland, Littleborough

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Online KGarrad

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Re: Friend as a name
« Reply #2 on: Monday 13 June 11 09:19 BST (UK) »
The 1901 England & Wales census has 655 people called Friend!

Mainly in West Riding of Yorkshire.

Apparently came from the surname Friend?
Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline jillruss

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Re: Friend as a name
« Reply #3 on: Monday 13 June 11 11:45 BST (UK) »
Could the family have been Quakers? (Society of Friends)

Jill
HELP!!!

 BATHSHEBA BOOTHROYD bn c. 1802 W. Yorks.

Baptism nowhere to be found. Possibly in a nonconformist church near ALMONDBURY or HUDDERSFIELD.

Offline pityackafromblyth

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Re: Friend as a name
« Reply #4 on: Monday 13 June 11 12:27 BST (UK) »
joopow,
I am from the North-East of England, and moved to Yorkshire in 1961.  Initially I lived in the Dewsbury area, ' the heavy woolen district."  One acquaintance, who frequented the same pub I used, had the Christian name of 'Friend'.  I forget his surname.  I thought it was an unusual name at that time, having never come across it before.  I do not believe the family had any Quaker connection.  He would be in his early 20s at that time(1961), yet his older brother had the Christian name of Harold.

Offline avm228

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Re: Friend as a name
« Reply #5 on: Monday 13 June 11 12:28 BST (UK) »
"Friend" comes up quite a bit in my West Riding family branches as a male given name in the 18th and 19th centuries.  None of them were Quakers. I suspect it started off as a "surname as first name" and then became more popular locally as a nice friendly (!) name.
Ayr: Barnes, Wylie
Caithness: MacGregor
Essex: Eldred (Pebmarsh)
Gloucs: Timbrell (Winchcomb)
Hants: Stares (Wickham)
Lincs: Maw, Jackson (Epworth, Belton)
London: Pierce
Suffolk: Markham (Framlingham)
Surrey: Gosling (Richmond)
Wilts: Matthews, Tarrant (Calne, Preshute)
Worcs: Milward (Redditch)
Yorks: Beaumont, Crook, Moore, Styring (Huddersfield); Middleton (Church Fenton); Exley, Gelder (High Hoyland); Barnes, Birchinall (Sheffield); Kenyon, Wood (Cumberworth/Denby Dale)

Offline bykerlads

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Re: Friend as a name
« Reply #6 on: Monday 13 June 11 22:26 BST (UK) »
It is the case that there was a very strong tradition in WEst Yorkshire of using the mother's surname as the Christian name for one of her sons- giving rise to such names as Sykes Briggs, Ranfield Mellor, Schofield Sykes.
This might explain the use of Friend as a name except that I don't really think that Friend is/was a local surname- I've never actually come across it as a surname.
Other unusual names in our area- Shepherd Hill, Original Bower.....any others?
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