Family surnames as first names.

[coombs]

A thread on names different to unusual names, as first and middle names that sound more like surnames are not necessarily odd, more that it was the name of a local figure or more importantly to us family historians, a family name.

For instance my ancestor is Nathan Jackson Quilter born c1752 in Essex. Died 1817 in Rettendon, Essex aged 75. I have scoured many, many SEAX Essex registers for a baptism to no avail yet but his middle name is food for thought. I did find a Roger Quilter wed a Mary Jackson in north Essex in 1604. But this could be name coincidence, then again sometimes a family name given as a first or middle name can be from a few generations back.

These are particularly common in East Anglia. I have a Mary Newman Smith in my tree who wed in Foulness, Essex in 1780. Such occurrences can be helpful.

I have a Amis Hempson in my tree and the Amis link is several generations back.

[Erin2012]

This happened a few times in my family, in most cases the child's first name was the mothers maiden name (Eustace, Barbour, Carpenter)....

[bevj]

It's happened in mine too.
My grandfather's middle name was Simla, named after his (I think) godfather whose family had been missionaries in India (Simla).
I also have the usual instances of mother's maiden name, e.g.  Isaac Handscomb Branson plus the odd illegitimate child whose middle name was a big clue as to the identity of the father   
A branch of my family who emigrated to Western Australia from Colmworth, Bedfordshire. later gave two of their children the middle name of Bedford - obviously not wanting to forget their origins
What is really annoying is when you find a middle name which is obviously a surname but you have no idea where it came from. 
Bev

[Skoosh]

Very common in Scottish guys.

Skoosh.

[Seoras]

Verra true Skoosh. Of my mother and her 7 siblings, only one didn't have a former family surname as a middle name. Her mother, my gran had two.

[Skoosh]

Shockin score the night Seoras, I still like wee Strachan though!

Skoosh.

[Seoras]

Three good headers Skoosh but the score didn't reflect the game really. I think it's best to stick with Strachan too.

[Janelle]

And common practice amongst Scots-Irish ...

Johnston Ambrose (surname)Crozier is a recent example in my family
Or early days ...
Cadwalander Blaney who married mary Sproule and yup very kindly named a son Sproule Blaney

I could go on haha

[McGroger]

I have a Horatio Ross McGregor, born 1848, who was born after his family moved to Ross-shire. I thought he was named after Horatio Nelson and the county they’d moved to, until I realised that it was probably more likely that he was named for Horatio Nelson’s god-son, Horatio Ross, a famous sportsman of that era.