Known by middle name rather than first name - South West trait?

[nanny jan]

Hi,

Some of my London ancestors, both men and women, had a habit of switching their names;  I spent time looking for Frank........when I found his birth he was Peter Frank.       Just to keep me on my toes Maria Rachel was sometimes Maria, sometimes Rachel!


Nanny Jan

[jael438]

Hi,
I had the same problem and thought it was confined to Derbyshire!  I am in the South East. also fatehers and sons have been named the other way around so Brian Morris (known as morris), his son was Morris Brian (known as Brian)

[Greensleeves]

It was fairly common in Welsh villages for the sons to be known by their second names because - as has previously been mentioned - sons were often named after their fathers, grandfathers, uncles.... so there had to be a way of avoiding confusion.   In the village where we used to live there were only about four surnames so to avoid confusion, people were known by their house or farm names rather than their surnames.  This unofficial system worked well except for the family who lived next to the public conveniences in the village.  The locals had dubbed their house  'Toilet Cottage' so the unfortunate resident was referred to as Dai Toilet  

[Edrubava]

Hi all

I also thought it was just my Northamptonshire family that managed to change things around - several were known by their middle names throughout their lives - my maternal grandmother was christenend Alice Mildred but always known as Millie?!

 

[mona lisa]

My father was one of 7 brothers. They all had 3 christian names and were called at home by their 3rd name but at work some of them  by their first name.

[breenbyrne]

In parts of Ireland it was often more (or less, depending on your viewpoint)confusing.
Say you were christened Daniel Murphy in area where Murphy was a very common surname, you could quite easily be identified by adding your father's name (called Michael for this example) and would be known locally as Danny Mick.  Now your children would be called  Joe Danny Mick, Mary Danny Mick, Tom Danny Mick etc - so that the "seed, breed and generation of you", as the saying goes, would be known.

[Edrubava]

That's hilarious breenbyre - love it!  Can't quite decide whether it's 'more' or 'less' confusing.

[majm]

NSW Australia 

My NSW born Parents and their respective siblings have ALL been known by their "middle names" with one exception (see later).

You see, on my Dad's side, he was one of 17!  All the boys first names were JOHN or ROBERT (in turn of course, their Grandfather's were John and Robert).   All the girls first names were MARY or ELIZA (you guessed it, their Grannys names !)

Similar on my mother's side, and she was one of 11 !

The exception is my late Uncle ....  John George Albert (3 given names) ...... he was known as "Gareth" from his earliest days ....  and as "Uncle Gar" to my generation and Pop Gar to the younger set.     When he married, his three given names were recorded on the church documents, and the civil registration has JGA too, BUT he signed "Gareth" .....  The Minister being his older bro      You will realise that JGA used his "usual signature" to sign those ledgers.     

My cousins and I have a good laugh at what future family history searchers will make of that possible confusion.

Cheers,  JM

[Jean McGurn]

I have always been know by my middle name and was even taken out of my first school at the age of 5 because the teachers insisted on using my first name.

Funny thing is both names are my birth names and  was adopted into my family from the age of 2 months but my new mother didn't like my first name.

However I had to get used to my first name when I did Jury Duty couple of years ago 

Jean