Names and gender

[Graham47]

I may have located a grave for one of my ancestors, but the problem is the gender seems to have been recorded incorrectly. The records in my case show a Hannah of the right age but recorded as the nephew of others interned alongside rather than as a niece as expected. I have not had sight of the actual stone yet but is it possible for Hannah to have been the name of a male rather than a female and that the records are in error. I know that names are not always gender specific, but Hannah?
 

[aghadowey]

Where is the gravestone? Hamish would look much like Hannah.

There can be serious errors on headstones and it can be difficult to tell from a transcription if the details have been recorded correctly.

[Graham47]

The stone is in Tadcaster, Yorkshire so I doubt it's as you suggest. Interesting thought though 

I just wondered if Hannah was ever a male name hence the supposed inscription of "nephew" rather than "niece".

[aghadowey]

Just another idea- the surname Hanna could be used as a first or middle name for a male child (and stonemason spelt it as he was used to).

[Graham47]

Ah yes, I have seen examples of that.
In this case though Hannah is clearly the christian name alongside the surname.

[GR2]

Hannah is not a male name, so it is likely to be an error. In the 19th century, some people still used "nephew" in its original sense of grandson, but that is not relevant here.

[aghadowey]

If, and this is just an if, the person's first of middle name was Hanna (from a family surname) and the family asked the details to be carned on a headstone then the stonemason could easily used the common spelling of the female name Hannah.

For example, John Hanna Smith was named for maternal grandfather John Hanna but known always as Hanna Smith. When he died the name was carved as Hannah rather than Hanna.

In any case it would be best to check the orginal stone and then other sources. Newspaper obituary, death certificate, burial register...

[weste]

Check entry at the archives and if possible the actual burial register, those would be the first things i'd want to check. There was a gravestone which I checked out for someone and found the marriage in Staffordshire parish reg society book and sot the maiden name. The microfische entry says the same although not very clear copies can done from it but the bishops transcript gives wrong partner for the entry and they are very clearly written.