Traditional Child Naming Patterns by Culture
One overlooked source of clues in genealogy is literally the birth order of names in a family. I know it sounds silly, but there were stretches of time in human history where baby names weren’t just chosen at whim, but were predetermined long before the child is even conceived.
| Child | Scottish/Irish Gaelic | Greek | Southern Italian |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Son | Paternal grandfather | Paternal grandfather | Paternal grandfather |
| 2nd Son | Maternal grandfather | Maternal grandfather | Maternal grandfather |
| 3rd Son | Father | Father | Father |
| 4th Son | Father’s eldest brother | Father’s brother or paternal uncle | Father’s eldest brother |
| 5th Son | Mother’s eldest brother | Maternal uncle or maternal relative | Maternal uncle |
| 1st Daughter | Maternal grandmother | Paternal grandmother | Paternal grandmother |
| 2nd Daughter | Paternal grandmother | Maternal grandmother | Maternal grandmother |
| 3rd Daughter | Mother | Mother | Mother |
| 4th Daughter | Mother’s eldest sister | Mother’s sister or paternal aunt | Mother’s eldest sister |
| 5th Daughter | Father’s eldest sister | Father’s sister or maternal aunt | Father’s eldest sister |
In the Jewish tradition, parents name their child after a loved one who has passed. According to the lore, this is the way to outsmart the Angel of Death and keep your baby safe. You can use this knowledge to untangle confusing birth and death dates in a family.
Other traditions are more complicated. My Irish and Scottish ancestors were expected to use naming conventions that honored the women on both sides of the family. Some US Census years required women to list the number of pregnancies they’ve carried and the amount of living children they had.
In the case of Elizabeth McDonald, her 1900 census showed that she had given birth to 6 children, but only 4 were living. Three of them were living with her that year, but in prior years, I can see that her oldest living child is Elizabeth J. Later in life, she’d be referred to as Jennie Morrison.
If the McDonalds adhered to their ancestral naming conventions, we can assume that the two children who didn’t survive were both girls born before Jennie Morrison, since she carries her mother’s name she’d be the third daughter. If I ever find documentation about the two children she lost (assuming she’s followed these rules), I can learn the names of my great great great grandparents too.
Then, we can assume that her sisters Agnes and Mary are named for Elizabeth & John’s oldest sisters. And that leaves my Great great Grandma Helen officially “off the chart” so I need to research what the naming convention was for sixth daughters.
Ironically, my sixth daughter is Evelyn, and according to this chart from FamilySearch, the names Evelyn and Helen are both derived from the same Irish formal name.
I wonder if it caused a hubbub when my great great grandparents William and Helen (Nellie) ignored the historic naming conventions their ancestors used for so many generations. Instead of naming their first daughter Elizabeth, after Nellie’s mother, they chose to name their first daughter Margaret, presumably after her paternal grandmother instead, Margaret Van Riper.
Their son William was their second and only child. As tradition would have it, his name should have been George, after his paternal grandfather. Instead he is named for his father.
I’m not surprised that my ancestor was the one who broke with tradition, I find that very relatable but I am disappointed that so far I haven’t been able to use this code to solve any of my own mysteries yet. But I’m glad I learned about them, they seem to hold true for a lot of my ancestors on other branches
- These patterns often shifted if a child died young (names might be reused), or if a close relative had a bad reputation.
- In all three cultures, religious or saint names sometimes influenced naming, particularly in Greek and Italian tradition (e.g., naming after a patron saint or feast day).
- The order of naming could also change depending on whether the family lived with or depended more on one set of grandparents.