RootsChat.Com

Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Inverness => Topic started by: fraser1 on Monday 16 March 20 11:48 GMT (UK)

Title: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: fraser1 on Monday 16 March 20 11:48 GMT (UK)
I am not sure if this is the correct place for this query.  Please move if more appropriate elsewhere.
It is out of curiosity.
I have Ianswythe MacDonald Grant 1922 - 2016 daughter of Ewan Smith Grant and Edith Pursey.
She was born in Duthil and died in Pitlochry. I have googled the name and eventually found it on a list but couldn't get a translation of which country.  Scandinavian?  Recently in the news an Anglo Saxon princess Eanswythe.
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: josey on Monday 16 March 20 12:07 GMT (UK)
The princess name sounds very similar....
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: barryd on Monday 16 March 20 14:57 GMT (UK)
Try this - a  northern European name! And Language ? 

www.navnebetydning.dk/pigenavn/Ianswythe.shtml
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: fraser1 on Monday 16 March 20 16:23 GMT (UK)
Thank you both for your replies.  It is such an unusual name to me.  Is there any way to find out if there is anyone else in Scotland with that name
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: barryd on Monday 16 March 20 16:55 GMT (UK)
Unless the name is spelled slightly different and that fails to give a hit

Scotlands People

Four Women married with that name
Two Women died with that name
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: sonofthom on Monday 16 March 20 17:28 GMT (UK)
Actually only three occurrences of the name on Scotland's People as three of the marriages listed are the same woman. Surnames of the women are Grant, Inglis and McIver. As all three are in the same area (Inverness/Duthil) and as this is such an unusual name I would suspect that there is a connection between all three.
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: rlw254 on Tuesday 17 March 20 06:12 GMT (UK)
Perhaps a variant of Ainsworth? Local dialect? Maybe a family connection in the mix.
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: heywood on Tuesday 17 March 20 07:15 GMT (UK)
There are several references in BMD  on Ancestry and Free BMD  for the name Eanswythe/Ianswyth
St Eanswith  - the Anglo Saxon Princess https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eanswith

Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: fraser1 on Wednesday 18 March 20 19:24 GMT (UK)
Thank you for your replies.  I will investigate further the possibility of a family connection.  Can't do much at the moment as other calls on my time.
I appreciate all efforts to help.
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: Forfarian on Thursday 26 March 20 19:42 GMT (UK)
(1) Ianswythe Macdo... Grant born 1922, Duthil, married Ian Alistair Grant, Duthil, 1952, died 2016, Pitlochry
(2) probably still living so can't post details, married
(3) probably still living so can't post details, married

These three individuals account for all instances of the name in any document in Scotland's People. You can view the full indexes at Scotland's People.

Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: fraser1 on Saturday 28 March 20 22:50 GMT (UK)
Thank you Forfarian.  I have been on SP but can't find birth for Inglis. Found marriages and divorce records but as you said probably still living.  I wonder where the name came from as looking back my tree there does not appear to be any links to Scandinavia or Anglo Saxon princesses.
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: Forfarian on Sunday 29 March 20 10:09 BST (UK)
I speculate that two of these three may have been given a name that their parents came across somewhere rather than being given a name that has come down through the family.

Try searching for *nswyth* instead of for Ianswythe - wildcards are always useful for picking up different spellings.
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: Forfarian on Sunday 29 March 20 10:13 BST (UK)
Try this - a  northern European name! And Language ? 
Danish.
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: heywood on Sunday 29 March 20 10:13 BST (UK)
See my reply #7
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: Forfarian on Sunday 29 March 20 10:18 BST (UK)
See my reply #7
Apologies if you feel that I trod on your toes, heywood. I only wanted to clarify the answer to the question in barryd's post.
Title: Re: First name of a Scottish female, Not sure if this us the right place foIanswythe
Post by: heywood on Sunday 29 March 20 10:40 BST (UK)
Not at all but there are BMD records for that name *nswyth and *nswythe so I was offering it as a legitimate albeit rare name.