CATAWBA-WEST-L Archives

Archiver > CATAWBA-WEST > 1999-09 > 0938476128


From: Agnes B Yount <>
Subject: Middle Names
Date: Mon, 27 Sep 1999 19:48:48 EDT


Some time ago, I did an analysis of the use of middle names among
families of German ancestry, using as a data base, Lorena Eaker's "German
Speaking People West of the Catawba River...".

The use of saints' names as first names had virtually disappeared by
1800. For males, such names constituted 25% of the total from 1701-25,
15% from 1726-50. 6% from 1751-75, 1.5% from 1776-1800, and about 1% from
1801-1850. For females, the corresponding percentages were 37% from
1701-25, 34% from 1726-50, 17% from 1751-75, 3.5% from 1776-1800, and
3.4% from 1801-50.

For "conventional" middle names as we know them today, the breakdown for
males was 0% from 1701-25, 0.3% from 1726-50, 2.0% from 1751-75, 5.4%
from 1776-1800, 15% from 1801-25, and 40% from 1826-50. For females,
they were 0% from 1701-25, 1.8% from 1726-50, 1.6% from 1751-75, 1.6%
from 1776-1800, 8% from 1801-25. and 35% from 1826-50.

Of course, these percentages are probably lower than actual since in
many cases, full names did not survive in the written records except for
baptisms.

Best Regards,
Ray

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