Scottish Naming Conventions/1800's

[Jeanne K.]

My husband's great-grandfather was born in Old Deer, Aberdeenshire in 1858.  His parents were quite poor; they were unlanded and his father was a ploughman.  This great-grandfather of my husbands was named James Ferguson Blaikie King.  This seems like an awfully grand name for the 6th child in a family of 8 children born to poor parents.  On the birth record, his name is shown as James King. Would his name be shown in official records as James King, when his whole name was James Ferguson Blaikie King?   Ferguson and Blaikie are not family names, as I have been able to determine.  Was this common practice in the mid-1800's in Scotland, to have such involved names?  Since he came to America, there have been two of his descendants named James Ferguson Blaikie King(2nd and 3rd).  Family story has it that the Blaikie was named after a well known professor at University of Edinburgh.  Seems unlikely in a poor family with minimal education.  Any ideas on the name or naming conventions?

[poppysmum]

Hi, I don't really know too much but quite a few people in my tree have middle names that appear during their life.  My great granny has a middle name on her marriage certificate that is not there on her birth cretificate, nor is it a family name, no idea where it came from!  quite a few have middle names on their death cretificates that they don't have elsewhere during their life.
Hope this is some help, caroline

[Grothenwell]

Hi Jeannie,

Presumably you have went further back and Ferguson and Blaikie weren't maiden names or middle names of Grandparents. If so perhaps they were close friends who witnessed the christenings or marriage of his parents?

Interesting topic as I also have a few middle names of ancestors I can't, as yet, find a reason for.

Of course perhaps they were "celebs" of their day! My wife stopped me having my sons middle names also being  Ferguson after the great Sir Alex, ex manager of Aberdeen!

Grothenwell

[loo]

I too have at least 2 people who acquired extra forenames during their lifetimes, one in London and one born in Germany who seems to have acquired the extra name in London.  I didn't realize it was a trend!

[Jeanne K.]

Neither Blaikie or Ferguson are family names, as far back as I can go.  Maybe the family friend or witness at his christening is a possibility.  Part of what I was wondering, if it says just "James King" on the birth record does that mean that was his full name at birth?  Or would the birth record show as "James Ferguson Blaikie King", if that was the name given at birth? Or would the "Ferguson Blaikie" part of the name most likely be added later on, such as at a christening?  Just wondering.  Thanks for your replies.

[BevL]

My own opinion is that with the way they named children, i.e. 1st son after father's father etc. that there finished up too many running around with the same name, so some decided to add an extra name/s to distinguish themselves from others of the same name.
Bev

[loo]

My own opinion is that with the way they named children, i.e. 1st son after father's father etc. that there finished up too many running around with the same name, so some decided to add an extra name/s to distinguish themselves from others of the same name.
Bev

This could be true.  They also would often call the second and subsequent same-name people by their middle names or by nicknames.  Catherine becomes Kate, Cathy, Kit etc for various individuals, for example, in order to distinguish them.
Ferguson could easily become "Fergie", and often was.
I wouldn't assume that because you haven't found it, that these were not family names.  I have some that have showed up a few generations down the road.

[poppysmum]

it does help us sometimes when they give themselves a middle name, especially if they have a common name, it helps to identify them. My great granny had the middle name 'weir' on her marriage certificate and i can't for the life of me find it anywhere else!
i don't know much about christenings but i think that the name on the birth cetificate is the name they were given at birth, i don't know where you would find the records for the baptism. we have a baptism certificate for my granpa and it is the same name as on his birth certificate.
caroline

[loo]

This is English, not Scottish, but I have one fellow whose middle name is Adams.  The only surname Adams I can find is the boarder who was living with them, who seems to have been a family friend as he also shows up as a witness at a wedding, but I have found no genealogical connection to him.  Perhaps people felt sorry for those who had no children of their own, and named their children after them??, or perhaps it was a way to honour your close friends?