Things you want to share with P&B

[Venti]

Just now, Derry Alli said:

Palms are sweaty?

Knees weak, arms are heavy?

Vomit on dis sweata

[bennett]

 

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

6 hours ago, GordonD said:

In my family it's George, James and William over and over going back. My mum deliberately avoided all three when picking my name.

What did she call you instead?

[GNU_Linux]

[GordonD]

24 minutes ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

What did she call you instead?

Not saying in case of identity theft.

[Jacksgranda]

17 hours ago, Eednud said:

Possibly smelly but most likely hairless.

Not sure if reading that before my tea was a good idea...

At least it's not fish.

[Jacksgranda]

12 hours ago, Eednud said:

My grandad was Richard and his first son was named Richard who had a son named Richard who had a son named Richard. So it was Grandad, Uncle Dick, Little Richard or Ricky and Wee Richard. Someone did a family tree once and Richard and James were common both reaching double figures going back to some time in the 18th century. In a time of large families and higher infant mortality there a few occasions where a James or Richard died young where the name was recycled when child number 5 or beyond was born. 

Aye, I've heard of that, but don't think it happened in our family.

My grandad was James, my uncle Jimmy was James and it was assumed that I'd be James, but my mother put her foot down and said "That name is cursed". (Vague memories of being told this.)

My cousin's grandfather was James, his father was James (Jimmy) and it was assumed that he'd be James, but he was called Peter.

I also had another uncle James on my mother's side of the family, called Jim.

So that would have been 7 Jimmys in the one family.

[velo army]

9 hours ago, KnightswoodBear said:

My old man was Francis Joseph and his old man was Francis Joseph.

Thank f**k he didn't carry on the tradition with me 

That's some pretty devout nomenclature you've got there pal.

[HibeeJibee]

On 18/05/2023 at 17:21, Zetterlund said:

My mate John's dad and grandad are also called John. To avoid confusion within the family, the older Johns are universally known as Jack and Jocky. Why not just give your son a different name to start with if you're going to confuse your family for generations?

 

On 18/05/2023 at 17:51, RawB93 said:

Always found naming a child after yourself to be a really weird tradition.

 

23 hours ago, alta-pete said:

My neighbour’s called Gregor. His dad’s called Gregor; his eldest 7yo laddie? You guessed it..

 

13 hours ago, Eednud said:

My grandad was Richard and his first son was named Richard who had a son named Richard who had a son named Richard. So it was Grandad, Uncle Dick, Little Richard or Ricky and Wee Richard. Someone did a family tree once and Richard and James were common both reaching double figures going back to some time in the 18th century. In a time of large families and higher infant mortality there a few occasions where a James or Richard died young where the name was recycled when child number 5 or beyond was born. 

 

10 hours ago, hk blues said:

I'll hold my hand up now - Grandad, dad, me and son all have same name - but it is Auld Jim, Jim, Jimmy and James.  No f**** given! 

 

9 hours ago, GordonD said:

In my family it's George, James and William over and over going back. My mum deliberately avoided all three when picking my name.

 

29 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said:

Aye, I've heard of that, but don't think it happened in our family. My grandad was James, my uncle Jimmy was James and it was assumed that I'd be James, but my mother put her foot down and said "That name is cursed". (Vague memories of being told this.) My cousin's grandfather was James, his father was James (Jimmy) and it was assumed that he'd be James, but he was called Peter. I also had another uncle James on my mother's side of the family, called Jim. So that would have been 7 Jimmys in the one family.

Outside of Gaelic areas and Roman Catholic families - where somewhat different rules applied - there was basically a 'system' in Scotland which has only "broken down" since the middle of last century. Basically your initial 3 boys would be named after the father's father, the mother's father, then the father (in that order); ditto your initial 3 girls after the mother's mother, the father's mother, then the mother.

It was a social norm to an astonishing degree especially in the countryside.

In my own family it only ended at my own generation on my father's side and my mother's generation on her side (even then my mother and uncle have them as middle names). I did some our of family trees some years ago - and several times went looking for 'missing' person as a name hadn't appeared in sequence, and found them.

There were some exceptions within the tradition e.g. it was popular to name your child after the doctor / midwife if it was their first delivery or the minister if it was his first baptism. As you say names were sometimes reused if an older sibling had died. Plus if you had lots of girls and not many boys, you might give up waiting and call #4 "Thomasina" and #5 "Williamanna" etc. - only for Thomas and William to arrive next.

Extended families might feature numerous grandfathers, fathers/uncles and cousins all sharing the same name.

EDIT: Worth adding that where a middle name features for working class people it'll almost invariably be the mother's surname, to perpetuate it another generation.

Edited May 19, 2023 by HibeeJibee

[Jacksgranda]

11 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

 

Outside of Gaelic areas and Roman Catholic families - where somewhat different rules applied - there was basically a 'system' in Scotland which has only "broken down" since the middle of last century. Basically your initial 3 boys would be named after the father's father, the mother's father, then the father (in that order); ditto your initial 3 girls after the mother's mother, the father's mother, then the mother.

 

My wife's two boys have her father (eldest) and then the father's father (second boy) as middle names.

Eldest daughter named after wife's mother, middle name father's mother.

Second daughter named after father's mother. Middle name wife's name

Next girl - name plucked out of thin air as far as I can see, middle name feminised version of her father's nickname.

Youngest daughter named after my wife's aunt/great aunt. Middle name after wife's sister (and an aunt).

Next door neighbour's eldest child is called Roberta. Guess what his name is?

When I lived in Coleraine landlady's mother was Ina, but can't remember if she was Thomasina or Williamina.

Edited May 19, 2023 by Jacksgranda

[alta-pete]

I once had a neighbour called Andrewina. Make of that what you will…

[Rugster]

4 minutes ago, alta-pete said:

I once had a neighbour called Andrewina. Make of that what you will…

 

 

[German Jag]

15 minutes ago, alta-pete said:

I once had a neighbour called Andrewina. Make of that what you will…

I‘ll see your Andrewina and raise you a Rudolfina. (Was assistant to the CEO etc. 20 years ago. Her colloquial name was Susie). 

Edited May 19, 2023 by German Jag

[HibeeJibee]

24 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said:

My wife's two boys have her father (eldest) and then the father's father (second boy) as middle names.

Eldest daughter named after wife's mother, middle name father's mother. Second daughter named after father's mother. Middle name wife's name Next girl - name plucked out of thin air as far as I can see, middle name feminised version of her father's nickname. Youngest daughter named after my wife's aunt/great aunt. Middle name after wife's sister (and an aunt).

Next door neighbour's eldest child is called Roberta. Guess what his name is?

When I lived in Coleraine landlady's mother was Ina, but can't remember if she was Thomasina or Williamina.

Just looked out my own family tree on my father's side which I got back into 1700s without many gaps.

Tallying-up my direct ancestor each generation (plus their wives), their brother & sisters and nieces & nephews:

... out of 46 men there are only 10 different first names
... more than half were Robert, David or Alexander

... out of 52 women there are only 15 different first names
... almost two-thirds were Elizabeth (including a pair of Elizas), Isabella, Agnes or Mary

... of 22 middle names 18 were reused surnames (including 2 with a pair), just 2 first names, and 2 a pair from each

Poignantly among them Henry (born 1857 in Scotland) and his brother Henry (born 1860 in New Zealand).

[GordonD]

1 hour ago, alta-pete said:

I once had a neighbour called Andrewina. Make of that what you will…

My former boss's mother (who worked in the same office) was called Andrewrina. Apparently she was supposed to be named Andrena (her grandfather was Andrew) but her dad and grandad were pished when they went to register her birth and got it slightly wrong. She refused to use it and would only answer to Rina.

[BFTD]

Just occurred to me that, had Andy Pandy become king, he'd have been Andrew Rex, so we could've called him Andrex.

Sorry, carry on.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

[HibeeJibee]

Occurs to me the names stuff may have been even worse in the sixteenth century considering all of Mary Queen of Scots ladies-in-waiting were called Mary and all of John Knox's colleagues at the inaugural General Assembly were called John.

[D Angelo Barksdale]

And so it begins...

 

[Venti]

52 minutes ago, Marlo Stanfield said:

And so it begins...

 

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