ROOTS-L Archives

From: "Detlefsen" <>
Subject: Naming Practices
Date: Tue, 14 Dec 1999 13:58:29 -0800

In V99 #886 it is said that, with reference to

> a custom of who you named the children after. It differed
> in places, but an example would be the first son named after the
> paternal grandfather, the second son, after the maternal grandfather. If
> both grandparents were Henry's, then both sons would be also.

"[t}his practice is called Patronymics"

In patronymics, the name is derived from the father or a paternal ancestor
"usually by the addition of a prefix or suffix" [Webster's]. This results in
names such as MacDonald (son of Donald), Ivanovitch (son of Ivan), or the
frequent endings in northern countries such as -sen and -son (son of...)
and -dottir and -datter (daughter of...)

This thread:

• Naming Practices by
  • Re: Naming Practices by Gunilla Manell <>

  • Naming Practices by "Detlefsen" <>