Traditional Irish naming pattern

[Sinann]

My families follow the naming pattern, although this is the first I've heard about the deceased angle, there is one father who didn't get a look it. There was no shortage of boys to name after him but his name was never used. I just though they didn't like him but perhaps he was deceased. Interesting.

[Sonas]

The problem with relying too heavily on naming patterns is that, apart from the fact that not all families followed it, there are lots of things that can upset it. Common ones that I have encountered are when the father and either of the grandparents have the same name. So you obviously can’t have two or even three sons all with the same name, so a different name must be used instead; if a child dies young, then it was common practice to re-use the name. And if you don’t know about the death, your analysis of who they were named after could be completely wrong; Or if a close relative had just died and their name was used out of respect. I have also noticed that many families liked to name the odd child after the local Minister/Priest, schoolteacher or a relative with no children of their own. So for all these reasons, whilst tradition says, for example, that the 4th son was usually named after the father's eldest brother, it isn’t always so.

Another one that can throw out naming patterns is a second marriage eg if a child from the first marriage already has the name the child from a second marriage is 'due' to be called.

[Sonas]

My families follow the naming pattern, although this is the first I've heard about the deceased angle, there is one father who didn't get a look it. There was no shortage of boys to name after him but his name was never used. I just though they didn't like him but perhaps he was deceased. Interesting.

I have a great-great grandmother who didn't name a son after her father until she got to son number 5. Am suspecting she didn't like him!

[Sinann]

Perhaps my lot in a sea of Patricks, Williams, Christophers, Johns, Edwards Peters and Laurences  just couldn't handle a Gordon. 
Gordon just isn't rural-Irelandish.

[Nettie]

One of the issues I have come across with families paying some adherence to the naming pattern is that to avoid confusion, they seem to christen the child with one name and call him something else. With many records only having a first name on it, it is nearly impossible to know that  the 'Maurice' on the records is in fact the 'James' you are looking for, as it is with one of my ancestors. Indeed, I have one family, mainly boys born in fairly quick succession, who only seem to be known by their second names. Thankfully, the 1901 census has the first and second names recorded- very helpful.

[noland01]

One of the issues I have come across with families paying some adherence to the naming pattern is that to avoid confusion, they seem to christen the child with one name and call him something else. With many records only having a first name on it, it is nearly impossible to know that  the 'Maurice' on the records is in fact the 'James' you are looking for, as it is with one of my ancestors. Indeed, I have one family, mainly boys born in fairly quick succession, who only seem to be known by their second names. Thankfully, the 1901 census has the first and second names recorded- very helpful.

More common than you might think.

My nephew is officially one particular name but it has never been used.Instead he is known by an abbreviated version of a name that is not found at all in our family.This is used on everything he gets,despite having no official status.

A neighbour is the same,called a name that was something that his granny called him when he was young.

Strangely enough,my own godfather was unaware of what he was christened until he went looking for his baptismal cert. when he was getting married.He honestly got a shock when the priest told him that there was no one of that particular name on the register(Thomas  *******) but there was a Martin ******* born to the correct parents about that time.

A bit off topic I know ,but have had many a "discussion" regarding both given and surname spelling and versions with people who try to tell you"but we never spelled it that way so it couldn't be our crowd"
For example people used Mcdonnell ,Mcdonell,Mdonnel,Macdonald,Mcdonald, etc as the same surname or Walsh,Walshe,Welsh,Welshe etc
Even simple versions of christian names can be different eg. Anne or Ann or Catherine,Katherine and Kate used on official papers plus lots of examples of people as the above poster mentioned,using their second name to distinguish themselves from another family member or even a cousin or neighbour(common enough where you have lots of different famikies in the same small area with the same surname

[atmartinas]

One of the issues I have come across with families paying some adherence to the naming pattern is that to avoid confusion, they seem to christen the child with one name and call him something else. With many records only having a first name on it, it is nearly impossible to know that  the 'Maurice' on the records is in fact the 'James' you are looking for, as it is with one of my ancestors. Indeed, I have one family, mainly boys born in fairly quick succession, who only seem to be known by their second names. Thankfully, the 1901 census has the first and second names recorded- very helpful.

The first 4 in my family (2boys, 2girls) are all called by a name other than the name we were christened. John is Sean, other 3 are called second names.  My mum said she felt obliged to christen us after our Grandparents but didn't want to use the names as too many Johns etc already in the locality.
 My family both sides through the generations did stick rigidly to a naming pattern and although it can be a useful guide there are lots of exceptions, deaths of children and reusing names, paternal and maternal grandparents with same name, death of someone around the time of the birth not always a relative just someone prominent eg Priest.
I even have a cousin born in the mid 60's and the priest changed the name her mum wanted, my Aunt was not there (Christenings were usually the next day and mums did not attend) to insist on the name she had chosen! She was 6th in the family and grandparents were already honoured so her dad said he didn't see any need to argue with the Priest!
M

[Sinann]

Had fun in the bank trying to close two of my mothers bank accounts, how she ended up with three is another story, but having one in a different first name to the other two threw the bank staff into a panic 

My niece was giving the nurse funny looks on a visit to her Gran in hospital, so I told her the nurse was correct that was her Gran's real name, I than told her her Uncle and Aunts real names.
"Is Daddy really .....?"
Her mother answered " Yes but you other Gran isn't ........ She's ....."
"Ahaaaa I don't even know my own family"

[mairepad]

I've looked for this naming pattern, and note the following: Thomas Young and wife Susannah (Flannigan) had sons Alexander, Charles and daughters Mary Elizabeth, Anne and Susannah Elizabeth.  Mary Elizabeth and Anne seem to have died in infancy. I conclude that Elizabeth was the name of someone important to the couple, since it was used twice (either's mother seems likely.) I keep looking for Charles and Alexander as I try to locate the origins of Susannah and Thomas, but so far no luck. BTW, they both died young, and the children were in an orphanage. That ended any naming pattern.