mother's maiden name as child's middle name

[slewi4]

I've seen a lot of maiden names as middle names in my family too - including one where I have not yet found the original woman who passed on her name.

Sometimes, however, the middle name is a location, which, if the name could also be a surname, can lead you well off-track. I had a few of these (e.g. Richmond, and Clifton), but I was sceptical about Augathella from the outset!

The location most often used was the birthplace of the child, but could also have been the birthplace of either parent (particularly if they had emigrated). Around 1915-1920 Anzac and Gallipolli became surprisingly popular middle names for boys in Australia, possibly due to the media reports of the WW1 fighting there, or maybe the death of the childs father there. I've seen other battlefield names used as middle names too.

If the name is a location, its sure to be another clue to follow.

Sandra

[stonechat]

I've had Beaumaris as a middle name, nut no family of that name and no apparent conneciton wit Beaumaris.

Not sure people had David Beckham's ideas in those days - (Brooklyn Beckham after place of conception)

Bob

[devaboy]

This has been a regular occurrence down one branch of my family free; there are at least 5 Pembertons that I know of so far, going back to 1804. The problem I have is that I have not yet found the original maiden name .............. so, strictly speaking, I haven't proved that it is a maiden name.

As this is also a town in Lancs, there may be a connection there but, so far, no leg of the family tree is in that part of lancs.

[BridgetM]

In my family the mother's maiden name was sometimes used as a child's first name.  My ggg grandparents Thomas Machell and Mary Rowlandson had a son named Rowlandson Machell.  Thomas's son William married a Mary Wilson and had a son named Wilson Machell.

[busybod]

My Great Uncle Bill was William Bickerdike Walker, Bickerdike being his Mother's maiden name.  He was born in the late 1890's.


Busybod