Christian name

[mona lisa]

Unable to make out a few letters in Christian name begins with G ***s....could almost be Guines but makes
no sense  unless someone being funny (his .father was a spirit merchant) so may have been referred to as
Guinness as a nickname. Anyone else come across a name in jest ?

[goldie61]

Unable to make out a few letters in Christian name begins with G ***s....could almost be Guines but makes
no sense  unless someone being funny (his .father was a spirit merchant) so may have been referred to as
Guinness as a nickname. Anyone else come across a name in jest ?

If you give the place and reference where you have found this, we can take a look and maybe help.
You can always take a 'snapshot' and attach the image on your post here on Rootschat. It's always a good a idea to clip a little more of the page than just the word you need, to be able to compare letter formation etc.

[mona lisa]

Its from his 2nd marriage / Scotlands People  /  1856  December Glasgow Scotland of my great great grandfather Irish born Valentine Armstrong to 2nd wife and then his death   Scotlands People 1859 September 1, Glasgow.
I almost thought Graime./ First son John. 2nd son William./Tossing ideas about if traditional naming pattern used.
 

[aghadowey]

The Scotland's People record is pay per view so you'll need to do as goldie61 suggested and post a snippet for us to look at. Lots of male names begin with 'G' and not all families followed naming patterns.

FS has a marriage extract but not details of groom's father-
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTBP-SBW

Is this an earlier marriage for same Valentine Armstrong?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTYT-FZY

An online tree (may not be accurate) has a Valentine Armstrong born 1811 "County Armagh, Slago, Ireland' with father Graham Armstrong. [Sligo? which makes no sense]. Perhaps Armagh is also incorrect since a half-brother supposed to be born 32 years later in Randalstown, County Antrim when mother supposed to be 66 years old 

[gaffy]

... I almost thought Graime...
 

Alarm bells are ringing for me with this, for I've been here before in the past... firstly, the forename Graham/Graeme (I haven't seen Graime) in its own right is pretty rare for the Irish context and era you mention.  By way of example, there are only 224 examples of it in the 1901 Ireland census (out of 4.4 million people) and a good many of these are clearly a surname incorporated as a second forename, rather than a forename in its own right. I'm not saying impossible, just pointing out how uncommon it is.

Secondly, on several topics in genealogy fora I have encountered over the years about a forename of poor legibility, 'Graham/Graeme' has turned out to be simply 'James'. Is there a chance that this instance is James as well (you did mention a possible 's' at the end)?

Agreed that a snippet here would be helpful.

[Jebber]

Could it be the Irish name GAINES meaning Ingenious or clever man.

[Gadget]

I was intrigued:

[dublin1850]

Could easily be James. That other mark could be random. Is there an example of a known G elsewhere?

[Gadget]

-It's a G  compared with other G on record.

See J in  Joyce  as MMN.