Monday, January 14, 2013

Naming Patterns


Do you have a naming pattern or naming tradition in your family tree?
I have ancestors in Scotland and have found that the use of the Scottish Naming Pattern was indeed used in the naming of my family members.
The tradition is as follows:
First son is named for the Father's Father.
Second son is named for the Mother's Father.
Third son is named for the Father's Father's Father.
Fourth son is named for the Mother's Mother's Father.
Fifth son is named for the Father's Mother's Father.
Sixth son is named for the Mother's Father's Father.
Seventh through Tenth sons are named for the Father's Great-Grandfathers.
Tenth through Fourteenth sons for the Mother's Great-Grandfathers.

First daughter is named for the Mother's Mother.
Second daughter is named for the Father's Mother.
Third daughter is named for the Mother's Father's Mother.
Fourth daughter is named for the Father's Father's Mother.
Fifth daughter is named for the Mother's Mother's Mother.
Sixth daughter is named for the Father's Mother's Mother.
Seventh through tenth daughters are named for the Mother's Great-Grandmothers.
Tenth through fourteenth daughters for the Father's Great-Grandmothers.
Further reading on naming patterns can he found at these sites:
I actually did not know about the naming pattern till I was down the track with my research, mainly with the assistance of the Scotland census and Family Search some years ago and subsequent contact with a distant relative online from Canada.

It was like the discovery of the use of the naming pattern validated or confirmed my research!  It also helped explain the unusual middle name of my Grandmother

The Scottish naming pattern was so strong that it continued after emigration to Australia and despite the mix of the addition of Irish and English brides along the way. Some names can also be historically linked to a place.

Further reading







Tip - link with other researchers researching your name subject


If you have a story, tip, tool, or trick about naming patterns and traditions that we find in our family history research, please leave a comment below.  You may also like to email Maria Northcote
at the Genies Down Under Podcast   who is preparing a show on this for February release. 

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