What's your favorite name?

Ignatius, anyone? How about Clotilde?

One of the best aspects of genealogy research, for me at least, is learning some of the names my ancestors saw fit to bestow upon their children. When I first started and I found my 4th g grandfather Micah and his sister Silence, I was fascinated. Now, I know that naming conventions change over time and vary greatly with geography and other factors. (I also have a pet theory about the name Silence... In my family it always seems to have been given to the 11th or 12th child, so I believe that it was wishful thinking.)

Still, some names just jump out at you. My current favorites are:

Clotilde LeGrand (1st cousin twice removed)
Bezaleel Howe (b.1750 MA,d.1825 NY - 4th g grand uncle) (his son was also Bezaleel)
Ignatius Malloy (b. after 1845 - 1st cousin 3 times removed)

and my winner... S. Imogene Addison (b. abt 1820 - 1st cousin 4 times removed.) I think that the "S" was for Silence...

So what are your favorite names?

Tags: favorite names, first names, fun names, names, odd names, surnames, unusual names

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Permalink Reply by Cheri Boyd on June 19, 2011 at 2:14pm

Mine would be Dicey. Something about it has a spark....flair. Dicey shows up for the first time on the 1870 census for Sauartown, North Carolina. I thought it was unique but found it to be a name that seems pretty relevant for that time period. Dicey Hairston found you then and haven't found you since. Anyone knowing of Dicey Hairston, daughter of Robert and Betsey Hairston give me a shout.

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Permalink Reply by Julia Coppard on June 21, 2011 at 11:12am

Anyone else have a "Thickpenny" in their family tree! Poor child, what were his parents thinking in the 1700s!

Most likely it was his mother's maiden name, but when your siblings are all standard English names such as William, George & Robert what must it have been like to be Thickpenny :-)

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Permalink Reply by Hannah Chambers on June 22, 2011 at 12:36pm

Hehe - thickpenny!

Meaning "stupid" is first recorded 1590s - so yes, even back then it would have been a curse.

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Permalink Reply by James P. LaLone on June 24, 2011 at 2:07pm

Not a favorite name, but it does remind me of a "genealogy" joke. The census taker knocks on the door and introduces himself to the lady who answers the door, explaining his purpose. He starts asking her various questions including how many children she has. "12" she responds. "Oh, what are their names?" the census taker asks. "Lee", she responds. "All of them are Lee?" he asks. "Yes", she answers." It is really handy, watch". She goes to the back door and yells, "Lee, dinner!" and all twelve come marching in and sit down for dinner. Afterwards, she says "Lee, do your homework" which they go do. Of course, the census taker.says he is impressed, but wants to know what she does when she wants an individual? "Oh" she says "I call them by their last name".

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Permalink Reply by Susan Skilton on July 15, 2011 at 5:09pm

One name I am very fond of is Fleury Keith, my 3x great-grandfather.When I was growning up our family had no idea where his first name came from. It seemed French and that is about all we knew. Once I got into serious researching, I learned from distant relatives that his father, Phineas Keith of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, had fought alongside Francois Louis Tessiedre Fleury, of France, and his companion, Lafayette in the American Revolution. In fact, Fleury Keith named one of his sons Fleury Fayette Keith. We always liked the name Fleury, but apparently Fleury Fayette Keith sometimes went by Frank!

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Permalink Reply by laurie fegal-witzberger on July 24, 2011 at 12:32pm

Adeliza De Louvain, Consort Queen of England (my 18th gr grandmother)

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Permalink Reply by Jim Avery on July 28, 2011 at 12:42pm

My favorite name right at the moment is Ruby Rose. She was a child of an Avery who lived in Missouri.

On the other end of the scale my mom and her 4 sisters had names that didn't really go together. My mom was Gaihl Thelma Romayne Bartels. Her sisters were Gertrude Sophia Lillian (she went by Lillian or Lil or Lovie), Gladys Viola Mae, Goldie Pauline Ruth, and Grace Lizzie Moore.

Their father's generation had Luther George Wohlford Bartlels ( my grandfather), Lizzie Moore Ruth, Fanny Sophia Olive, and Lawson Charlie Allen.

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Permalink Reply by Courtney Fleming on September 30, 2011 at 8:45pm

I have a Marinda (2nd g grandmother), a name I love. I also have a Surelda (or possibly Sarilda) a name I am not in love with!

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Permalink Reply by Maureen on October 4, 2011 at 4:52pm

I have a relative on my grandmother's side that their first name is Euchariste......surname Montmarquet....so far I only see this name once in my research so far.