Why do they add extra names?

[Ruskie]

Ann and Agnes are interchangeable particularly in Scotland, so I wonder if the trees mean “Ann/Agnes” rather than adding Agnes as an additional middle name.

It could have originated from a tree owner who knew her by her middle name - maybe she favoured Agnes though the official records show Ann as her name.

[Billyblue]

As an indexer for the Ryerson Index, I can assure you that lots of people apparently go by / are known by names which bear no relation to their given names.      

Dawn M

[Ruskie]

That is very true Dawn.  (My OH’s maternal family had some doozies.)

[ALAMO2008]

I had a Relative shown as Joe on all the Census Records to 1911 yet no trace of his Birth only an Ernest for the year he claimed born.
Then discovered from Relatives that he called himself Joe from a very early age because he didn't like the name Ernest.
Yet on Birth, Marriage and Death records he is declared as Ernest.

Just researched another -  Christian Names = Oswald Ivor Rees Field always known as Tom.

[Ayashi]

I agree with someone else who said that sometimes people amalgamate two people into one, I've seen that happen and it can be hard to correct it once it gets passed around.

I was reminded of a story an old friend of mine told me- when he was a little boy he would take his father's lunch to the factory for him. His father was called Ernest but I think he said there was more than one Ernest at the factory so for some reason they renamed his father to Pete and he'd have to ask for Pete or nobody knew who he meant lol
(This was the same friend who told me his grandmother was called Poll, short for Pauline. After some confusion I found out it was, of course, Mary Ann. He said "oh yeah, that's right")

[ALAMO2008]

My Mother in law Kathleen grew up and went to school in Ireland
At school nearly all the girls in her Class were named Kathleen
Since was born in May so the Teacher on Roll call called her May
Throughout her life till the day she died she was known as May including by her Husband
But on Offical records Kathleen

Have lots of Relatives known as Cissie and not the Birth Names

[DianaCanada]

My mother was registered as Kathleen Joyce, in England, but every other record I have found she was Joyce Kathleen, and always known as Joyce.  Never thought to ask her why! 

[DianaCanada]

Ann and Agnes are interchangeable particularly in Scotland, so I wonder if the trees mean “Ann/Agnes” rather than adding Agnes as an additional middle name.

It could have originated from a tree owner who knew her by her middle name - maybe she favoured Agnes though the official records show Ann as her name.

The medieval pronunciation of Agnes was Annis, and in fact, I went to college with an Annis.  I think Agnes went out of favour with the Reformation in Britain, and when it was revived in Victorian times, the g was sounded.
The origin of Ann is supposedly from Johanna, Latin female form of John.  It also gave us Jane ands many variants and in many languages.  Not sure if Hannah stands alone, from the Bible?

[BenRalph]

My partner's grandma died last year and her oldest 2 daughters didn't know she was born Grace as everyone called her Pat[ricia]. Her dad couldn't spell Patricia so named her after his baby sister.

An old aunt Cissy was really called Ivy and an old cousin Ivy didn't know why she was named after aunt Cissy.

I have a cousin called Kyle who everyone calls Jimmy. No idea why.