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Early Naming Patterns

© Jeannine Dugan

Anyone who has ever tried to trace their families’ roots, and has gotten back to the early American colonies, has probably run into a situation where there are 4 Johns, or 5 Williams in one generation, or the 7th child is a Jr. Why is that?

English Naming Patterns

Up until the revolution, and sometimes until the 1850’s, most families of English descent (and the Scots who settled in North and South Carolina) followed the following naming pattern:

• First-born son named for Father’s Father
• Second-born son named for Mother’s Father
• Third-born son named for Father
• Fourth-born son named for Father’s eldest brother

• First-born daughter named for Mother’s Mother
• Second-born daughter named for Father’s Mother
• Third-born daughter named for Mother
• Fourth-born daughter named for Mother’s eldest sister

Any subsequent children where usually named for other ancestors.

For example, a family found in Halifax County, Virginia has the following names and ages: James (33), Mary (35), John (12), Evin (10), Mildred (8), Adolphus (6), James (4), Mary (1), Martha (1), Richard (4 months). Living next door are James’s parents, named John and Mildred.

Let’s apply the naming pattern. The father’s father is John, as is the eldest son. We can assume that either they had a daughter who died or that Mary’s mother was also named Mildred, since the eldest daughter appears to be named for the Father’s Mother. The fourth son is named for the father, which is a slight variant from the pattern but the third daughter is indeed named for the mother. If you look at other information this family, you may find siblings of the parents named Richard and Martha.

A frequently found variation from this pattern is: Eldest son named for Mother’s Father Second son named for Father’s Father Eldest daughter named for Father’s Mother Second daughter named for Mother’s Mother.

Variations

The first settlers in New England generally bore names with English origins, Biblical connotations or moral significance. Biblical names were generally preferred over names connected with the Church of England. Common names among the Puritans included Chastity, Love, Obedience, Patience and Mercy. Other popular names included Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Ruth and Hannah for girls while John, Joseph, Samuel, Nathan and Josiah were popular for boys. Often the eldest son and daughter would be named for their parents.

In Virginia and the Southern colonies, biblical references were less common though not unseen. Often children were given classical Greek names and popular English (folk) names. Boys could be named William, Richard, Edward, George, Adolphus, Theophilus, or John. Girls were often named Margaret, Martha, Elizabeth, Jane, Catherine and names such as Penelope, Permelia, and America were not very uncommon. First-born children were also often given their parents’ names in lieu of the names of their grandparents.

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