Strange middle name

[warpo]

My nanna's brother was called George Eric Cook Wilmore. My nanna and all her siblings had the surname Wilmore as obviously it was their fathers name. However, George was born two years after the father Wilmore had died, so he couldnt have had the same father and must've been a step-brother. I assume he was named Wilmore after his mothers married name.

Father Wilmore died 9th July 1915.
George was born 30 Sep 1916.
Mother Wilmore married Whitney 29 June 1919.

Its the middle name Cook that intrigues me. I'll have his birth certificate in a couple of days but wondered peoples thoughts were on it.

Would Cook be considered a normal name, or would you think im right to think it is possibly a fathers name?

He was born to late to really be a Wilmore, and 2-3 years previous to marriage to Whitney.

Thanks in advance

[Marmalady]

Yes it is possible that Cook is his birth father's name

But don't set too much store in finding any more info from his birth certificate -- for illegitimate births, the father's name can only be entered if he attended the registration of the baby along with the mother

[aghadowey]

However, George was born two years after the father Wilmore had died, so he couldnt have had the same father and must've been a step-brother. I assume he was named Wilmore after his mothers married name.
If George was an illegitimate son of the mother's then George would have been a half-brother to the children from Wilmore marriage not step-brother.

You haven't mentioned the mother's name but the 1916 birth for George E.C. Wilmore gives mother's maiden name as Major (FreeBMD).

[Mart 'n' Al]

I got started on this crazy game 3 years ago, trying to find out why my grandfather had an unusual middle name, Sedcole. Firstly I found out he was actually my great grandfather and then I found the unusual middle name was his mother's sister's husband's surname. They must have been desperate for names.

[warpo]

If George was an illegitimate son of the mother's then George would have been a half-brother to the children from Wilmore marriage not step-brother.

You haven't mentioned the mother's name but the 1916 birth for George E.C. Wilmore gives mother's maiden name as Major (FreeBMD).

Yes half-brother. Sorry my bad. And yes his mother was Ethel Major. Married to Wilmore then remarried to Whitney a couple of years after becoming a widow.

[Marmalady]

I got started on this crazy game 3 years ago, trying to find out why my grandfather had an unusual middle name, Sedcole. Firstly I found out he was actually my great grandfather and then I found the unusual middle name was his mother's sister's husband's surname. They must have been desperate for names.

My husband's grandfather also had his father's sister's husband's surname as a middle name
Tho as he was later heard to say "it never did him any good as they never left him owt"

In some cases a baby can be given a god-parents name -- I don't know if this is the case for my husband's grandfather

[warpo]

But don't set too much store in finding any more info from his birth certificate -- for illegitimate births, the father's name can only be entered if he attended the registration of the baby along with the mother

How about George's marriage cert?

[Marmalady]

Same will apply to the marriage certificate - it will greatly depend on what he knows about his birth father

He may give his step-father's name (Whitney)
He may give his mother's first husband's name (Wilmore)
He may give his birth father's name if he knows it
He may give a fictitious father's name
He may give no father's name at all

[brigidmac]

My family have scots naming tradition where children inherit grandparents firsj name and surnames. So firstborn would be same as fathers fathers  name s

Second born mothers  father s names

Third after father
4th born son takes great grandfathers name

Looks like you already had Cook in  the family
Do the other children have middle names ?
 Could be following this pattern


Ore
 were there any  George or eric Cook something in the area at the time who could have been his dad ...check electoral rolls ....dna would be the ultimate proof .