Traditional Naming Patterns

Information obtained from various Public Genealogical Sources

Naming patterns may provide important clues in family history research. People of all countries tend to name children after other family members, often using an unwritten, but traditional formula. Surnames in some Scandinavian countries are indicative of a child's parentage - the Swedish surname Johannson, for example, indicates the "son of Johann." Surname endings can even indicate the country of origin. The -son ending mentioned above is typically Swedish, while -sen (Jensen) is more likely to be Danish or Norwegian.

Middle names can also provide wonderful clues to ancestry. Children have often been given the mother's maiden name as a middle name to identify their ancestral ties. Or they may have been named after an uncle, aunt, or other more distant relative. French families frequently gave the father's name to a girl by changing one or two letters to a feminine form. You'll often find such family-derived names handed down from generation to generation.

While surnames seem to dominate our genealogy research, given names can also provide important clues. In other cultures, children may be named after deceased relatives, usually recently deceased relatives. If a baby in the family died, the next baby born of the same sex was often given the same name. Therefore, as you search, be sure to study the given names as well as the surnames - they can often provide valuable hints about your family heritage.

Below are some general naming patterns that were used.  These can be used as a guideline in your research.

English and Welsh 1700-1870

1st son  was named after the father's father
2nd son  was named after the mother's father or mother’s father’s mother
3rd son  was named after the father
4th son  was named after the father's oldest brother
5th son  father's 2nd oldest brother or mother's oldest brother 
1st daughter was named after the mother's mother
2nd daughter was named after the father's mother
3rd daughter was named after the mother
4th daughter was named after the mother's oldest sister
5th daughter after the mother's 2nd oldest sister or father's oldest sister

Irish 1800's

1st Daughter was named after the Paternal Grandmother
2nd Daughter was named after the Maternal Grandmother
1st Son was named after the Paternal Grandfather
Second Son was named after the Maternal Grandfather
Then alternate names using the Grandmother's, Grandfather's, Mother's, Aunt's, and Uncle's names

Scottish 1700 - 1800 and early Dutch

1st Daughter was named for her Maternal Grandmother
2nd Daughter was named for her Paternal Grandmother
3rd Daughter was named after her Mother
Other Daughters were named after other Family Members
1st Son was named after his Paternal Grandfather (sometimes Maternal)
2nd Son was named after his Maternal Grandfather (sometimes Paternal)
3rd Son was named after his Father

Old German

The first name of each Daughter was usually the first name of the Mother
The first name of the Son was usually the first name of the Father
Often times the middle name of each child was the name of the baby's baptismal sponsor and they were usually called by his/her middle name