Interesting Names

This is not strictly speaking a genealogy story, but is interesting nonetheless. The BBC News website has an article about how some people in Britain have struggled with having unusual names. The names, such as Formaggia, Bandoodas, and Akinyemi, are described as "foreign-sounding." In other words, they are only unusual in Britain because they are not native to the country.

From a genealogical perspective the article is interesting for two reasons:

• Firstly, some of the people in the article share personal stories of their relatives and how they migrated to Britain. 
• Secondly, there are instances of names being changed over the years. As every genealogist knows, this can be extremely frustrating and troublesome when conducting research.

The article is worth a look, and can be found on the BBC News website.

What's In A Name?

I wanted to write a follow-up to my previous post about names. The reason for this additional post is that names are so important when researching your family tree that they merit discussing in more detail. 

Your ancestors' names will be found on any vital records, and this is what allows us to further our research using other resources. There are several difficulties that can arise when researching using names, any one of which can bring your research to a stop, or send you in the wrong direction. Some dangers to be aware of include:-

• It is much harder to research a common name than an uncommon one. If your ancestor had a name such as John Smith then you will need other pieces of information in order to narrow down your search. A year and place of birth is a good place to start.
• Spellings can vary between vital records. Many search engines on genealogy websites have a wild card function to allow you to check different spellings of a name.
• Names will often be shortened on census returns. An ancestor you know as William could be listed as Will, Bill or Billy, and a name such as Elizabeth has many different variations.
• Prior to the nineteenth century a woman would not necessarily take the name of her husband when married.
• When a child died the parents would often give a subsequent child the same name.
• If your ancestors were from the Scottish Highlands be wary of the fact that as usage of the Gaelic language declined some Gaelic families Anglicized their names.

As mentioned in my previous post, the Gaelic prefix 'Mac' means 'son of.' It is also sometimes written as 'Mc.' Therefore if your surname is 'MacDonald,' for example, then at some point in your family history an ancestor named Donald had a son, starting the name. This would have occurred many centuries in the past, most likely outside the scope of your genealogical research.

Perhaps a more useful naming pattern to be aware of is the Scottish tradition of naming an eldest son after the paternal grandfather. The second son was then named after the maternal grandfather. A third son would then be named after the father. The eldest daughter would be named after the maternal grandmother, the second daughter after the paternal grandmother, and the third daughter after the mother.

These rules were often followed quite strictly, and I have personally found this to be the case. Since families historically were often large, it is possible to discover the names of grandparents if you have the names of the grandchildren. There is no guarantee that these rules will have been followed, so names always have to be verified, but this naming pattern can provide important clues to past generations.

The names of our ancestors gives us a fascinating insight into our history. I love finding ancestors whose names are unusual in modern times. Jamesina and Brownlow stand out. On the other hand, I also like the fact that I have five generations of ancestors called George Cruickshank. It shows a very definite link stretching back for almost two hundred years.

Names and Places

When you are researching your family tree the surnames you discover can often give an indication as to where your ancestors came from. Surnames that begin with Mac or Mc are typically Scottish in origin, for example. Similarly, names such as O'Reilly would suggest a family line originating in Ireland.

In addition to these obvious national indicators, it is often the case that a surname can provide a clue regarding the particular area of a country that your ancestors came from. This is especially true in Scotland, where the clan system ensured that people with the same surname could often be found grouped in the same specific locations. This is by no means an exact science when it comes to genealogy, but it is useful information to have at your disposal. 

I wanted to highlight some of the ancestors I have discovered as examples.

• Cruickshank - this name and its variants is very common in the north-east of Scotland. My line goes back to St. Fergus in Banffshire.
•  Third - another north-east name, I have traced my line to Fraserburgh, and before this to Rathen in the mid 1700s.
• Campbell - one of the most common Scottish names. The earliest ancestor I can find is Edward Campbell, born in Edinburgh in 1806.
• Leith - from Slains in the north-east.
• Kennedy - although Irish in origin, there is a large population of Kennedies in Ayrshire in Scotland. The earliest ancestor I have been able to find is Hugh Kennedy, who was born in Colmonell in 1753.
• Cummings - another Irish name, my line goes back to the early nineteenth century in County Tyrone.

These are just some of the names to be found in my family tree, and I'm sure other people have found ancestors from much more exotic locations. I'm hoping to do so myself. I have, however, been able to travel to many of the towns and villages where my ancestors lived. To stand where your forebears stood hundreds of years before is a humbling experience, and I recommend it to anyone.