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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: suey on Sunday 29 August 04 15:16 BST (UK)
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We have a thread for 'unusual names' and now one for 'unfortunate surnames' so how about one for the 'nice' names.. or perhaps just the name that you would have liked instead of the one you were given !
Heres a few for starters..
Ellen Alicia - we have two of these (both known as Nellie poor souls). I think it has a certain ring to it.
Lavinia Naomi - prettty posh I thought for an Ag Labs missus in 1873.
Charlotte Eugenia - we have several of these, all called 'Lottie'
I should have been a Jennifer, then Joanna till mother changed her mind at the last minute and called me Susan..I've got used to it :-\
Suey.
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Hello Suey,
I have a Jemima in my family she is my great grandmother x 3, I have become quite fond of her and her name. I just like the sound of it.
Her mother's name was Lydia, I think this is also a nice name.
My husband's grandmother's name is Eleanor but it to get shortened to Nellie, which isn't as nice.
I would not change my name Jacqueline even though I shortened it Jacquie.
My name was going to be Alice Edith, which is my dad's mother's name. Although I like the name Alice I am glad I did not get it because that's my mother-in-law's name, not that I don't like my mother-in-law but my husband has his father's name which is Richard so it would have been a bit confusing with two lots of Richard and Alices
Regards Jacquie.
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:D I like my wifes middle name of
KETURAH
DIFFERENT.. ::
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My wife is Charlotte Flora, which I always liked, but if she had been a boy, she would have been named.................
NIMROD !!!!
A lucky escape me thinks.
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;D LUCKY FOR YOU OR HER AS WELL :o
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Great stories, thanks for shareing folks!
I like my name, 'Ryan Jon Hill'. My parents decided that 'Ryan' reflects my small chunk of Irish heritage, and my Father's middle name is 'John', as is my Grandfather and GG Grandfather's middle name.
If I was a girl I was going to be called either 'Rhianna' ("Ree-Anna") or 'Lynley' (similar to my Mum's name - 'Lynda'), which I think are both pretty names.
I'm also a huge fan of my Grandma's given name, 'Lily', I think it's very beautiful and feminine!
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Nice names? For men: James, Oliver, Tom.
For women: Jane (cool and elegant) Madeleine, and yes I like Lydia too, although Lydia Bennett in Pride & Prejudice needed a slap. My niece is Charlotte which I don't like. I think my favourite name for women is Celia (after St Cecilia, the patron saint of music).
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;D Hey wot about ,,,
ROBIN...?????????????
;D ;D
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In my family tree, I have lots of Frances, I had no idea it was such a common name in the C19th. I have a GG-Grandmother Selina, which is probably my favourite. I also have an Emmeline, and a Lillian Selina.
The men are not so interesting, have a few Edwins, not so keen on them, and a G-Grandfather Isaac, who I would like more if he didn't still elude me.
Kazza.
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Having found an entire family tree full of John, James, Thomas, Ann, Mary and Elizabeth I am thrilled to bits with my latest find - 3rd great grandfather
;D Elias Shepherd ;D
If I have the right person on the IGI I get the added bonus of his brothers - Lot and Uriah :-X
Obviously a religious bunch - just like me! ;D ;D
May not be everyone's fancy but a change is as good as a rest!!
Aaron ;)
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I don't think these are my favourites but I have a Trit (male), Uriah, Esau, Mansell, and an Israel, have lots of the normal Davids' and Thomas' (Welsh), have a Lidiah, Kezia, - I like that one :), Jestina, Gwenllian, I like Phoebe - several of those,
Newbie
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Hi Newbi, ;D
I like Kezia too - it seems to have been a really popular name in the past but I had never heard of it until I started researching.
Aaron
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Once, I too had got excited about haveing a GGG Grandfather named Elias Hart. But sadly, I was let down. He was no relation at all :(
I've got 2 Keziahs and one Cassiah (both I like). Keeping to the theme of religious names I also have Job, Jabez, Hezekiah, Mehitable, Caleb, Kane et cetera. *shudders*
Some of the worse names I have come across are those above, as well as Webb, Pasca, Ethel, Mable and Justice. :P
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Graceland, I see what you mean, but I could never have married a Nimrod. ;)
My mum was going to call me either Paul or Barry after some pop duo of the time, sort of glad it wasn't Paul, a bit too many of them around, although I've never been that keen on Barry either. Here! Thats a question, what name would we choose if we had to change it?
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Well I chose my name because I hated the one my mother gave me. It has been changed by deed poll. I'm not saying what it was, you will all have to guess if you want to know. Also I am worried anyone out there who has this name, or has a loved one with it, will be upset that I think it's a TART'S NAME!!
:D
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Latricia? Chastity? What are tart's names anyways???
(not that those ones are particularly tartish)
;D
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Nope! Worse! Keep guessing!
If you're all extra good, I will give you a clue! ;D ;D ;D
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It's not Jezebel is it Mrs Lizzy ;D ??
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Hey
I kinda like the names Arianwen, Ashsa or Akasha for girls, for lads more simple ones like James, David or Max. Me I was Harriet May for about 3 days (My Dad did not like it, and the nurse put my mother off by the way she said Harriet!!). So I ended up with Corinne ::) and I gave myself Rhian as a middle name when I was 8!. Although it's not as bad as the names my sister was going to give my niece; Morgana, Angharad I believe, she ended up being called Rhiannon. My ancestors on the other hand all seem to be called Caroline, Catherine, Margaret, Elizabeth, Mary or Sarah, John, James, William George, Joseph or Daniel!. A little change now and again is a nice suprise! ;D
Rin :)
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:D What about DILLYS i think its Welsh ! :D
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Just yesterday I recvd. info. on a Lancelot Stansted Mountfitchet D'Arcy, a very grand name for the son of an agricultural labourer.
Born in the area which is now occupied by Stansted Airport and named after the hamlet of nearby Stansted Mountfitchet I presume.
Named after their birthplaces, I also have;
Leicester [forename], Cambridge [middle name], Moffat [forename] and Jersey [forename].
Anyone else have any?
Tom
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Being a South Australian ....here in South Oz my footy team is the "Adelaide Crows".... there is a lady who is a member (BIG FAN) elderly lady.....I have seen her on the teli a few years back going to the finals when we were in them......and as hard to believe as it is.....her name is legitimately ADELAIDE CROW......How could she barrack for any body else! ::)
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I wish it WAS Jezebel!
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I HAVE NO IDEA MRSLIZZY!!
A clue would be fantastic ;)
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The only Tarts names I know are Jam, Bakewell and Apple oh and Blackcurrent, is it any of these Miss Lizzy?
Su
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My full name is Janine - which I absolutely hate, SORRY Mum & Dad!!!! I started using Jan when I began senior school and that's what everyone calls me now. My Dad keeps using the Janine and it drives me mad. I've no idea why ???
My family tree however are full of very ordinary names: Richard, James, John, Anne, Jane, Joseph, Thomas, Mary etc etc.
But I do have a Reuben, Zipporah, Cecilia, Millicent, Martha & one of my favouriites Phoebe.
Jan :)
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Mrs Lizzy, give us a clue about your real name, PLEASE ;D
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Was trawling through the LDS earlier and for a minute thought I was related to a Jane Austen, the daughter of a bookseller. But I am related to a Wellington Brewer but that's about the most exciting name so far. Found someone who lived in a place called Tidly Wink, ooh how a giggled ;D
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Mrs. Lizzy - 3 guesses at a tart's name
1. Bakewell
2. Tipsy
3. Custard
Am I close? Otherwise I plump for Lavinia. I was in a Bernard Shaw play at school "Androcles and the Lion". My only line was "And Lavinia shall be the tart". As it was a boys grammar school this brought the house down.
My late sister-in-law was called Lola - that is really a tart's name and she secretly hated it but never found anything better as she disliked her second name even worse. I don't know why as it was Kathleen. My grandmother, the one who married 4 blokes, was Ada Mary. When she decided she was fed-up with Ada she decided to be called Katherine. When she got fed-up with telling people how to spell Katherine she decided she would be called Kathleen. That shows that one man's fish is another man's poisson as the French say - but now I am rambling and that last tot has made me sleepy at last.
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I notice Mrs Lizzy is keeping very quiet and not giving out any clues...come on ! it can't be that bad, can it ?
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Thought I would post regarding my husband's Great Grandmothers name.
Born Lucy Cowlin, she married a Farr
yes youv'e guessed it Lucy Farr (Lucifer)
We all have had a chuckle over that one, much to the distaste of my father-in-law (it was his Grandmother)
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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I suppose Wellington Brewer made bootleg liquor [groans all round]. :D
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Genius, just genius!
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Hi everyone
My name's Janus - you can imagine the rhyming slang that name has conjured up over the years!!
Everyone knows me as J, Jan or Jani and when they find out the "secret", the meaning gives them more cause for concern.
I hated it as a youngster but now I'm a ::)teenager it's not so bad at all. At least I've never met another haha.
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Hi Janus :D
just curious - were you named after the Roman God of beginnings and endings - or is there another reason?
The fact that it is an unusual name makes you very special.
Darcy
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Hi Darcy,
Sorry haven't responded much sooner, holiday and family stuff, but how very kind of you to say I'm special and yes you're right the Roman God of beginnings and endings, (new world - old world); some less kind people say two-faced but its OK I can take it. Now that I'm older I do actually like having a name that's unusual. I passed it on to my daughter as her middle name (she doesn't appreciate it just yet I think).
How it occurred was: Dad shielded by family abroad during WW2, they had new born son named him Janus (cos its a man's name me thinks) but Dad loved the meaning of the name, I was on the way and the rest as they say is........
Regards
Jan P
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My tree is full of Joseph's, Joseph William's, Caroline's and Caroline Charlotte's. With the odd Maria, John and Elizabeth thrown in. It gets very complicated when they're all named after one another. They've all got numbers instead now............ ;D ;D ;D
Kimi ;)
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Hi again Jan, ;D
thanks for the interesting explanation of of your name.
I think it's lovely and only the uneducated would consider it to mean two faced! - you tell 'em Janus!
Darcy ;)
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Wouldn't be Cherry would it Mrs. Lizzie, if so, it's a nice name in my book.
I nearly called my son Christopher Robin :o but thankfully my husband had more sense. Well I was very young ;D
I hated my name at school and at 8 years of age started a new school, I registered myself as Felicity. My mother and
aunt went to a parent's evening and when the teacher
referred to me as Felicity they looked at each other, I
just wished the floor would open up - I had some
explaining to do when we got home
Recently found an Amelia on my father's side, I like
that.
:)
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My great great grandmother was Sarah Sofia which is very pretty - my great aunts were called Flantan and Fulantua!!! Is MissLizzy's name Nancy - she was a bit of a tart in Oliver Twist.
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Looking for the marriage of someone else on Free BMD just came across this young lady - well I presume she's female..
Peachy Chambers, how sweet !
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Wish I'd known about my ggrandmother's name, Keziah, in time to have passed it on to one of my daughters - however one of them is the sixth generation of Elizabeth - just don't shorten it!
Wonder why Queen Victoria's name didn't seem to catch on - I've hardly ever come across it in my searches.
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I have come across a few Adelaides in my tree, can be shortened to Adela. I think that is a nice name for a girl ... but I don't have any daughters.
Peter
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My maternal grandmother's family name is Gurner, and my brother was christened Marcus Timothy Gurner Sherwood. However, when still rather young and unclear about the precise nature of his forenames he was asked by another little friend of his what the M.T.G. stood for. He was heard to announce proudly:
"I'm Marcus Timothy Grandma Sherwood...."
Keith
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One of the nicest names (or so I think!) is one of my gr gr grandfather's who was called Gaius. I really like that. However his middle name was Diana, I wonder if he got teased at school. ??? ???
kerryb
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Anyone any thoughts on why someone would call their son, Crapper?
I also remember that from some years back Mr & Mrs Cart i Huddersfield called their son "Orson Cart"!
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:) :) :)
In my Williamson family, some of the women were called THEODOSIA (or gift of God). My mother's Gt. Aunt was Theodosia Mary. Nice name I think.
:D :D :D
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Hi, Mobo,
How strange, my gt-gt-grandmother was Mary Theodosia, the other way round to your ancestor. I was just about to post this on when you beat me to it. She was baptised Mary Theodosia in 1830 - I wonder whether there was a topical reason then - Theodosia certainly doesn't feature in the current top 50 girl's names published this morning in my paper!
keith
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;D
My g grandmother's name was Thrisa. I have still to find out what her maiden name was :( - I cant find the little minx anywhere!!
She named one of her children Queenie... :-\ not sure bout that one
My name is Jacqueline (I shorten it to Jacqui) - I cant think of what I would change it too though... ::)
jax
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Jax,
I too wasn't sure about it when I found out that my Great Grandmother had a sister named Queenie, as your relation was. It turned out that Queenie was simply a nickname. Her real name was Doris :-\
My cousin's Great Grandmother, of whom I do not share with her, was named Marcella. I have only ever come across this once in my entire tree.
Ryan.
:)
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Like Ryan, my favourite girls name is Lily, I just think it's really timeless and beautiful. Haven't found a Lily in my tree yet, but hoping I will just as another excuse to use it if I ever have kids! Think my nan might have had a sister named Lilian, but that's not quite the same.
Other names I think are nice are...
Girls: Elizabeth (nan's name) Bee (just think it's cute) Sky, Kitty, Iris (old fashioned but still lovely) Phoebe.
Boys: Rhys (welsh roots) James and Joseph (grandad's brothers)
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;) How cool Rachel! I'm pleased you love Lily as much as I do. Nice choice with Rhys by the way.
I also like your name too, I'm a fan of all things 'R' ;D
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:) :) :)
And talking of 'naice' names, did you know that John (get off your horse and drink your milk) Wayne, was actually called
Marion Michael Morrison
ooohhh !
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I always hated my first name of Wanda so I droped it at age 20 (A looong time ago!) and use my middle and baptismal names which I like, Lea Maria. They "Sing" If I had ever had a dau. she would have been Bronwyn Meghan. My poor mother had 4 names at birth, Madalene Alicia Julia Maria. I like all but the Madalene there. She was called Judy when she was married to my father by all But the family who always called her Maddy or Mats (which I really hate). Now she is back to being called Maddy by all. At one time I thought of changing my name to Lea Emerald Alica then the first letters of my names would Spell my First name, Lea. I was born in May so emerald is my birthstone. But name changes are too much trouble. I won't even change my name If I ever get married again. Leagen
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My favorite name of all my ancestors has got to be Starkey Roberts there have been none since and none prior I just wonder where they got it from its not a maiden name of any of the mother/gmothers etc
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My wife has a couple of men in her tree whose Christian name was Friend. I always think of it as a solid comforting name. They were both from Yorkshire so maybe its a local thing there. One of them died in WW1.
Peter E
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My family has 2 Willows (the second named after her Aunt, the first one. The second hated it so much she changed it to Wilma and named Her dau. Wilma too. I think Willow is very nice but Wilma awful.), 2 Favors for men (father and son) And several Enochs which I like a lot. Then there is a Beryl which I don't like at all, sounds too harsh for a female. But then it turned out that particular woman Was Harsh so her name fit! Leagen
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have just discovered that an ancestor was married to Fanny Piper, so have been looking through freebmd and came across a Happy Piper. :D :D Wonder if she was?
aussieshirl :) :) :)
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First I expect that you readers will think me strange, but I must say it as I mean it. there are two names in my family tree I admire. One on my wife's side and one on my side:
My great grandfather: Maurice (pronounced morris)
Wife's grandfather: Murdock
(spelled phonetically in case that is not the actual spelling)
I wanted to name my second son Murdock, but my wife said NO! kids will call him "doc" instead of his real name. so I agreed. Years later when we were attending a play that the son (David O'Connell) was a castmember of, I heard someone call out "Hey, Doc! come over here a second..." David started to go and I said "he called you doc, didn't he? " Yes, said Dave, it's my initials, you know "D. O'C" it just goes to show you.....don't it!
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Don't know about nice but I have a Harriet Clara Frances Isabel Horrocks........what a string. Any advances on long names?
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Hi
Yes I have a long and difficult name in my tree:
Helena Lorraine Stamford Lovekin Smith, and this lady using different parts of her name on certs and census as the whim takes her. Very difficult to find her therefore!
:o :o :o
kerryb
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Kerry,
You have my sympathies.
My Gt Grandfather was Courtney George Waldern Wescombe or any combination of 1, 2 or 3 along with several variants in the surname. The Courtney and Waldern bits make him easier to spot but even they get spelled umpteen different ways.
My wife's grandmother was Viola Rhoda Roberta Farr-Cox which is quite poetic, not quite iambic pentameter but close.
Paul
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don't people know how inconvenient it makes it for descendents trying to find them. Helena is Lorraine Smith in one census. Helena Smith in another. My dad, when questioned referred to her daughter as Luffkin!!!! ::)
Fine except that her marriage certificate she is Helena Lovekin.
No consideration at all ::) ::) Still I soldier on and I will find her! eventually.
kerryb
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MY GRANDPA WAS SQUIRE..I WOULD GIVE A BIT OF A FINGER TO KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM SINCE HIS BROTHERS WERE THOMAS,WILLIAM,&HARRY.
THE FATHER OF MY GRANDPA WAS HARRY. AT HIS WEDDING IN 1894 ONE OF THE WITNESSES WAS A LADY CALLED ANNIE ALPINE. I CHECKED HER OUT AND SHE WAS A NAIL MAKER...OH HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVED...COOL NAME THOUGH
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I have a Venetia and Johann which are a bit diferent.
Two surnames I like in my tree, Craze and Batty.
Perhaps that says a lot about me ;D
Jonathan
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My G-Grandmother was called Olga Beatrice Amy Mountford and her sister was Abani Pretoria May.....all the brothers and sisters had long,unusual names..sadly,i am just Julie..most unglamorous! ;D
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Hows this for a nice name found today -
Ruth Peace Harmer born 11/11/1918 :) :)
kerryb
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Not in my family tree,
but a name i heard recently belonging to a little local girl who is presently starring as the son in our theatre production of "Miss Saigon". (fab!! went to see it last week)
Persephone .. i thought it was beautiful and so was she.
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I don't have that many unusual names in my english family tree all seem to be Mary Jane's, Thomas, William, John, Elizabeth and Alices and the most common James!
I do note a common thread though, everyone close enough to me seems to start with J!
My ggrandparents were James and mary Jane, grandparents Jack and Jean, father John and to top it off mine Jennifer Jean!!
We have a little rhyme in the family which i think is silly but it indicates the 'j' sound at the start of the name... Jack, John, Geoffrey, Richard, Peter, Jimmy (short for James). Peter's middle name is James as well so it doesnt seem to end there. ::)
My mothers side though, being spanish, seem to have more colourful names and i quite like my mothers, Carmen Liliana Elizabeth (though she gets called Lili for short)
So if ever i have a girl it will be called Liliana and NOT something starting with J! ;D
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Anyone else got a Thomasina?
Just remembered Aunt Thomasina Wright.
Haven`t figured where she fits yet, great aunt i think. (Northumberland possibly Earsdon). Cannot find her anywhere up to now.
Just remember this old lady in black who used to sit silently in the corner of an Aunts house when we visited at Xmas. She had an old fox fur complete with head and fangs that we used to play with ... ugh!
Think she was still in mourning for her husband who died many years before.. but .. u know what thought did!
While on the subject of Thomas. My gran`s father (different branch) is listed as Thoams. Is there such a name or can i take it as mis transcription?