Unusual first names - were they any help?

[andrewalston]

I'm pretty sure that most of the Howcroft families in the Bolton area are related, but most of them head back to ancestors called James in the first half of the 18th century.

There are, however, at least 3 James baptisms in the right time frame, along with a couple who died in childhood.

My branch has Ralph and Hermon in that period, and they link me back to a Ralph Howcroft who fought in the Civil War.   

[coombs]

I think I have made a breakthrough with the Lorkin Wallaker, his mother was Margaret Wallaker nee Rand and his gran (Margaret's mum) was Hannah Lorkin, born 1713 in Little Cornard, Suffolk. I am just getting more info to verify this. The likelihood of being related to Babs Windsor is high as there is a Golding line from Cavendish/Glemsford where her ones were.

[Millmoor]

To answer the question posed in the topic title my answer would be very much yes. I have three unusual first names in my tree, namely Chancellor, Attiwell and Farrer. The first originated in Lanarkshire, probably from the surname of the landed family in the parish of Libberton. All my Attiwells and Farrers are from Northumberland and Durham. I found that just doing a search using these first names was of great value (as you get a perfectly manageable number of hits) and came to the conclusion that the vast majority, if not all, were connected.

William

[Redroger]

So long as the numbers remain low. Believe me 25 Hephzibahs are just as bad as 25 Williams to research.On my mother's side I have virtually the entire cast of the old testament!

[jbml]

I have an unusual name which recurs in my Martindale line ... Tamer.

When I first came upon this name (Harriet Tamer Martindale) I assumed that it was after the river which forms the county boundary between Devon and Kernow (and, indeed, it is sometimes spelled Tamar in the records) and that it indicated a West Country link. But no such link exists.

The Martindale name is a geographical surname, originating from the village of Martindale, just to the east of Ullswater, and all Martindales eventually trace back to there. My Martindales were in London, and I have yet to identify the migrant. The line has, however, dried up and I suspect my current research subject MAY have been the migrant.

And that's when I made the remarkable discovery ... that there were a LOT of people called Tamer in the Lakeland village of Holm Cultram. AND there were Martindales in Holm Cultram. Including a Tamer Martindale.

It looks remarkably like I may have found the correct line for further research here! I have not yet managed to establish the link ... but I am hopeful that it is there just waiting to be proved.

So yes ... an unusual name is proving very helpful here ...

[Sloe Gin]

I think Tamar is a Biblical name.

[Redroger]

I think Tamar is a Biblical name.

If so, then it's one that my lot missed

[andrewalston]

Tamar/Tamer seems to have been quite popular in Cumberland. I have several in the Whitehaven area, but none in other counties.

[MercianSte]

I believe I have an ancestor called Fortune Wright (nee Kirk), I have no idea where that name comes from! I know that surnames can sometimes become first names but I have never seen this happen with a female before. Looking through the baptism register for Cotgrave there is actually quite a few Fortune's baptised, I wonder if they are all named after one person (and probably all descended from the individual) or if it was a name doing the rounds in late 1600's Nottinghamshire.


As I said, I believe she is my ancestor as I am descended from a Thomas Wright who was born in the 1720's at Wysall, Nottinghamshire. There are two entries in the register one in 1724 (the son of Edmund and Fortune) and one in 1726 (the son of Charles and Mary). As Thomas named a daughter Fortune and a son Edmund I think it is safe to say that my Thomas was born 1724!


As for a male name, I do have a Justus Bosward from Warwickshire. It's a good job he had an unusual name as well, his baptism was entered as Justus Boswell.


And as for the most unusual name I have come across during my research (and not been related), I always remember finding a marriage in Birmingham for a Shropshire Newbrook.