What's in a Name?

Suzanne

It's always interesting to know where your name came from.  You may have been named for a favourite aunt or grandfather.  I was named after my cousin, Carolyn Bragg from Collingwood, Nova Scotia.  My Mom thought she was the most beautiful baby ever - but she changed the Carolyn to Marilyn to avoid confusion.  When my daughter was born, she got the Carolyn back.  We are not always happy with our parent's choices and so, at the age of 3, I insisted my name was Suzie and would not answer to anything else.  When my little sister came along, she became Suzanne - to thwart the Suzie thing - and I went back to being Marilyn.  (Sorry, Suzanne).

There are times, however, when we can be grateful for not being named for an ancestor and I've found a few in my research to prove the point.  There was a family legend that all first born boys in the Symons family were called William - with no middle name.  The truth is, however, that for many centuries the oldest male in the Symons' families was named Sampson.  Glad I didn't know that when Bill was born!

Here are just a few of our ancestors you can be glad you were not named for:

You could have been Ezekiel..

Burpee S. Miller, Brunette Johnson, Beulah Knight, Artemas Betts,  Chadsey Swallow, Crowe Campbell,  Ebenezer Fisher,  Eliakim Tupper, Elilles Fountain, Eudavilla Augusta Studivan,  Fidelia Richards, Flavilla Knapp,  Gerhom Flagg, Hepzibah Teed, Jabez Eagles, Lenthall Kibbey, Manford Cranswick Swallow, Neltreenlie Blanch O'Brien,  Persis Eames, Rhuharah Treen, Sedquist Ripley, Sigvulda Burgess,  Stukeley Horton, Theophilus Darius Betts and Titus Crawford.

Thomas Cheeseman Swallow

During the early nineteenth century, biblical names were very popular so we see many Isaacs, Ephraims, Jacobs, Ezekials, Abrahams, Benjamins and Calebs.  We also have a set of twins named Martin Luthur and John Knox Gamble.

Children often had their mother's maiden name for a middle name.  Alexander Peers and Mary Bolding had a son, Daniel Bolding Peers.  His wife was Mary Sweeney and their son was Barney Sweeney Peers.  Mary Sweeney's mother was Ellen Doherty, so the couple also had a son, James Doherty Peers.  Thomas Swallow's mother was a Cheeseman, so one of his sons was Thomas Cheeseman Swallow.  John Bragg and Jane Rogers' daughter Amy Ann named her youngest son John Bragg Carter.  It's pretty easy to follow the generations this way.

John Bragg Carter

The most common names, as may be expected are: John, William, Mary, Jane, Elizabeth, Thomas, Daniel,  David, Eleanor, George, Hannah, Henry, and James.

So what's in a name?   Each name represents a personal story, a family history and the hope that each new birth brings.