What is your most uncommon name?

[DebbieDee]

Hi everyone,

I've just discovered two female ancestors called Mitchell Brister and Gilling Stabbins.  Mitchell married to become Mitchell Dean and Gilling became Gilling Lloyd.  Could have been far worse I suppose.  I'm now trying to find the origins of both names.  Mitchell is probably either from the surname or a feminine version of Michael - there are some others around in the censuses.  Gilling's grandmother was possibly a Gillian but I think that may be a mistranscription.  

Debbie  

[alcrighton]

There's a Gillian Williams born 1795 in the 1861 census for Swansea however the earliest Gillian I can find in the England censuses was Gillian Anger born 1805.  So not common before 1800 but (just) in use.

Allan

[DebbieDee]

Hi Allan,

I've just looked on the IGI and there are hundreds of Gillians going back to 1500s!  There's also quite a few female Gillings.  Gillian is supposed to be a variation of Juliana etc.  I have both the baptism and marriage of Gilling but only a marriage for Gillian.  Now wondering if Gilling was pronounced Jilling or as in fish gill?   

Shame I'll never know 

Debbie

[jorose]

From the French side - Rock/Rhoc/Roc Praud, father and son by the same name.

Just found a sibling to one of my ancestors (in Nottingham) was called Winter Knight.

There was also a lady by the name of Adwadata Morrell on the Cornish side - in the baptisms of her children she went by Addy or Adye.  Tried to order the films for Truro to check this, but the LDS only have the transcribed version it seems!  Her granddaughter was Adadedata Casier.

[JAP]

Hi Jorose,

Had to chuckle at Winter KNIGHT.

Checked the IGI and there's a lady of this name marrying in 1708 in London; is this the same one.  No other seasonal KNIGHTs.

Though there is a Pleasant KNIGHT.

JAP
PS: and Happy KNIGHT.

[Dave Male]

I have to admit that this person is not in my tree but worth adding all the same (from a mailing list I saw today)

R Diddams

Dave

[stevefoote]

My favourite is my great x 6 grandfather, Phoenix Marquand, who was born in Guernsey in 1682.

As far as I know he was not cremated !!

[casliber]

I have a Friend Snowden/Snowdon from early 1800s Yorkshire (nr Bradford)

[Heather D]

At last I can add to this thread 

Researching at Notts Archives on Friday, I came across a Doctor Padgett baptised in 1726, Elston Notts. In brackets after the name it said "seventh son"

Bearing in mind that every generation of my Padgett family seems to have a boring stock set of names that are constantly recycled, I had to call over my friend to confirm what I was seeing!

But a quick google on doctor + seventh son tells me that this was down to the belief that a seventh son had special powers - particularly healing powers. The link is here for anyone interested, scroll about half way down.

http://www.thebookofdays.com/months/jan/26.htm

Now I'm itching to get back and find out what happened to my "Doc" Padgett!