Named for Whom?
Michael John Neill
Research your family tree long enough, and you will see theories on how the names of children were chosen. There are many versions of
this scheme, but all have certain elements in common. Remember that as theories, these rules are not hard and fast but rather are tendencies.
These rules generally follow the form:
The first son was named for the paternal grandfather.
The first son was named for the maternal grandfather.
The first son was named for the father.
The first son was named for the milkman . . .
Oh wait, that's another article!
Seriously though, these naming trends can provide clues when you are reasonably certain the family was naming children for other family
members. Surf enough genealogy websites, and you are certain to run into one of several guides to how children were named in a certain
culture, time period, or social class. I was never a big fan of these guides, not because they were wrong, but because people assumed
these naming conventions were always correct. There are several guides to how children were named, one of which are reproduced here...
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