First Names.....

[wini]

Was it a common practice in the 19th Century to name a child after a previously deceased child?

I have come across this a couple of times now, where e.g. you have Mary child 3 and then Mary child 5

wini

[Ina]

HI Wini,

I believe that is the custom. I've noticed in my own family, that when a child dies the next child born of the same sex takes on the same name.

Regards,

Ina

[StewL]

As Ina said it was a common practice, even in my own family, although it skipped from the next born son (me) to my brother

[wini]

Thanks Stewie and Ina for clearing that up.

I wonder why they did that?
You may know the answer to that Stewie. I can't imagine that it is a thing I would have ever done. Thank goodness I never had to consider that.

wini

[StewL]

Hello wini

Sorry I cant tell you why they did it, even up until recently, whilst I knew I had an elder brother who only lived one day. There were different stories as to what was the cause of his death. When DWW helped me find the DC, it had a different cause of death to what I had been told. Yet when I told my brother (his namesake) this, he said he knew as mum and dad had told him

So I really have no idea as to why families did this.

[DavidWW]

Was it a common practice in the 19th Century to name a child after a previously deceased child?

I have come across this a couple of times now, where e.g. you have Mary child 3 and then Mary child 5

wini

Practice varied widely from family to family, and area to area.

In some families the name was reused, quite possibly more than once.

In other families the idea prevailed that it was bad luck to reuse the name.

DavidWW

[wini]

thanks david,

It was only a personal preference then but not uncommon

wini

[joette]

In mine it related to passing on the name of John Scott. The first is born 1843 & is dead by 1855.There is William born 1847 & the 2nd John in 1853.So I am presuming he died sometime between 1847& 1853.There has been five generations of John Scott's although my parents gave it as a middle name as my brother has.
My G-Grandparents gave their youngest daughter-of eight, the name of their eldest daugher who died as a child.
I guess they wanted the name to survive.

[Thrall]

I wonder why they did that? I can't imagine that it is a thing I would have ever done. Thank goodness I never had to consider that.

Wini, perhaps you would have been more comfortable here in Iceland with a name repeat in siblings - the first child did not have to die! It is not very common, but I know of a few examples. There were simply two people that the parents felt they had to honour by naming the newborn appropriately. Causes a certain amount of confusion, but what does that matter when one is doing the decent thing and everyone is happy, at least when they meet at the christening.

BTW, the ´phone book in Iceland is arranged by given names rather than patronymics, but professions (or should I say "job titles") are usually included to make life easier.

Thrall

[Tracey]

Hi Wini

I saw this on a site ages ago and added it to my many notes

The practice of using the same name more than once is particularly evident where the child who died was named after a grandparent.

another possibilty as to why they were determined to have a surviving child carrying a particular name

Tracey