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Strange second names?

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Shazzlou

Shazzlou Report 30 Nov 2008 14:12

Has anyone come across strange second names whilst search parish records my gt gt gt grandfather William was Welsh & had the second name of Griffiths and his sister Hannah seems to have the second name of Woodland.
I wondered if Williams second name was actually his mothers maiden name?

 Lindsey*

Lindsey* Report 30 Nov 2008 14:30

Very often the middle name was either the mothers maiden name or a family name,

2 Surnames can also indicate that the child was illigitimate, so the parents were not married.Not unsusual in their time.

AnnCardiff

AnnCardiff Report 30 Nov 2008 14:36

my father's christian name was his mother;s maiden name - Harman

Redharissa

Redharissa Report 30 Nov 2008 14:53

Sometimes a godparent's surname will be used as a middle name for the godchild.

Shazzlou

Shazzlou Report 30 Nov 2008 14:57

Thanks will remember that, maybe worth looking at registers again for marriage with maiden name as Griffiths just in case!

Kathy

Kathy Report 30 Nov 2008 16:33

i found my great grandmother through my grandfathers middle name his name was harry then middle name DITCHFIELD hurst ditchfield being his mothers maiden name maybe our ancestors were trying to leave us a clue..

Merlin38

Merlin38 Report 30 Nov 2008 16:46

Using family surnames as 2nd and/or 3rd given names is not uncommon in my tree. Even have one branch where a family surname was given to one daughter, and an anagram of the surname to her younger sister.

Have just come across one relative who was lumbered with the names Pharoah Abraham when he was born. No surprise he never used his 1st name as soon he was old enough to answer back!!

RStar

RStar Report 30 Nov 2008 17:36

Yes, Lux.

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it Report 30 Nov 2008 18:32

My 5xgrt grandmothers elder sister was Martha Philadelphia Wood. No connection to Philadelphia known and she wasnt illegitimate

Battenburg

Battenburg Report 30 Nov 2008 18:50

Middle names are frequently the names of grandmothers maiden name

RStar

RStar Report 30 Nov 2008 22:10

Shirley, Philadelphia is a popular Romany name.

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!)

Jill 2011 (aka Warrior Princess of Cilla!) Report 30 Nov 2008 22:15

Is it? We have a Philadelphia somewhere back there in the tree ... Sounds exciting!

Jill

SJR

SJR Report 30 Nov 2008 22:18

I found family members because my gr, grandmother's maiden name was used as a second name.

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it

Shirley~I,m getting the hang of it Report 30 Nov 2008 23:00

Hi Romany ,thats interesting , cant see how it fits with the family in this instance .Her dad was a Mariner in the Royal Navy and mums family were all mariners from Heybridge in Essex. Wonder what might crop up tho .Martha was born in 1830

AnnCardiff

AnnCardiff Report 30 Nov 2008 23:10

I think Philadelphia is a lovely name

Richard in Perth

Richard in Perth Report 1 Dec 2008 00:41

Yes usually an unusual middle name will be a family surname - but not always! One of my gt-grand aunts was Elizabeth Winchester Sugden - an unusual middle name, especially for a female. However, I could find no family connection to anyone with the Winchester surname. Then I realised that she was born at sea (her father was a soldier and she was born en route for India). When I traced her birth, the name of the ship was - of course - HMS Winchester!

Redharissa

Redharissa Report 1 Dec 2008 01:03

I've brought my old Philadelphia thread back from the dead for all you Philadelphia fans!

Grandad Bear

Grandad Bear Report 1 Dec 2008 04:15

I have two Uncles, Grandfather,and Gt Grandfather with the middle name Fishwick, this was the maiden name of my Gt Gt Gt Grandmother

+*+blossom In Essex+*+

+*+blossom In Essex+*+ Report 1 Dec 2008 10:40

One of my relatives has the name George Lindergreen Jenkins Baker. Actually, it's down as Lindergen and Lindergreen according to where you look. Jenkins was his mother's maiden name, but I still haven't managed to trace the Lindergreen even after two years!

ForeverMystified

ForeverMystified Report 1 Dec 2008 11:47


My 4xgrt grandmother was Frances Bartendale Oates, Bartendale was her fathers mothers maiden name, her sister was Elizabeth Boden Oates, Boden being from her mothers maiden name. Great help in proving who's who.