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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2001-04 > 0986768356


From: Norma Rudinsky <>
Subject: Re: Surname as first name in 17th c
Date: Sun, 8 Apr 2001 15:19:16 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <3ACFC3C6.CB21953D@cwcom.net>



Use of mother's and grandmother's surname as Christian name did occur
also in the 17th century, though perhaps not commonly.

We have Oakley Leigh (est b.1640), son of Dorothy Oakley and Richard Leigh
who named a son (b.1688) Oakley Leigh, who in turn named a son (chr 1716)
Oakley Leigh, these latter two possibly construed as named for their
father and/or grandfather. We can't rule out that an Oakley was not a
godparent as the two families were close in these years.

The first Oakley also named a son Nash Leigh (chr 1682) for his paternal
grandmother ELizabeth Nash (d. aft 1608), and named a son Sheldon Leigh
(chr 1684) for Dorothy Oakley's maternal grandmother Christian Sheldon
(d.1592). As far as we know, the Nash and Sheldon families were no longer
around the Leighs by the time their surnames were used as Christian names.

In any event, in addition to "recognizing" the maternal side, the likely
motivation included honoring the maternal families as a whole.

Norma Leigh Rudinsky


On Sun, 8 Apr 2001, Renia wrote:

> Common uses of surnames as Christian names in the 19th century:
> 1. The maiden name of the mother
> 2. The surname of a local or national hero e.g. Josiah Wedgwood Smith (or whatever)
>
> 3. The surname of a Godparent
> 4. The maiden name of a grandmother
>
> Common uses of surnames as Christian names in the 17th century:
> 1. The surname of a family friend (who may well have been a Godparent)
> 2. The surname of a Godparent
> 3. The true patrynimic in lieu of an adopted surname


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