Horrific names from your family tree

[Fantail]

We have been working a little bit on DH's family tree lately. There are some names in there but none more horrific than a little boy in the 1800s named Ethelbert who grew up in East London.

Have you come across any in your family?

[YokoUhOh]

I quite like Ethelbert - it has a home-town connection for me. It's not that different to Albert or Herbert :)

I reckon horror-names of the 2300s will be Kevin and Gary. And Wayne.

[NadiaWadia]

I found an Ebeneezer, which is worse than yours I think. One of many children of a Methodist minister in Yorkshire.

We are laughing now, but both will probably come back into fashion within a few years. People would have hated names like Wilfred and Arthur about 15 years ago, but now they are all over the place.

[Andcake]

Gladys - all the others are quite nice

[hardtostayfocused]

I came across one of a very large family called Welfare! Born 1837.

But the best one is Tryphena. Tryphena Leggett.

[Fantail]

Nadia - yes I think you win with Ebeneezer, although if someone comes up with a Bertha I think that is a name that you probably wont see again...

[2tired2bewitty]

There was a decided lack of horror names in our family - pretty much everyone was called John or Mary [imaginative]

[5OBalesofHay]

Whats wrong with Ebeneezer and Bertha? Bit rude about my children!

[TwatWeevil]

Ooh, I think we had a Tryphena too. Maybe it was the Emily of the time?

We had a lot of Herberts too.

[gwenniebee]

We have an Ebeneezer too.

[lanbro]

Great grandmothers Bertha and Wahlberg! FILs middle name is Lancelot!

[kansasmum]

I worked with a nurse called Tryphena once!!

I can give you a bad name from family tree: VERE. And my bloody mother saddled ME with it as middle name. I hate it. Everyone thinks it's VerA (which is almost but not quite as bad) - Mum thinks it's lovely cos it's her middle name too. She thinks she's really posh cos it's 'unusual'!

Arghhhhh! ( sorry for mini rant!)

[hardtostayfocused]

Me too with Herberts TwatWeevil. Perhaps you are related to my DH!!

[MadBusLady]

I've got Tryphenas too - are your families from the west country? Also several Hermans for some reason, and Dinah I'm not keen on. Thomasin looks a bit ugly to my eye, but said in westcountry accent (ie Tamsin) it's nice, so I'll give them a pass on that.

Also I have a Lancelot Taylor, but actually think that's pretty cool and not horrific He was a blacksmith.

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

I'd love to trace my family tree but wouldn't know where to begin

[Rigbyroo]

I've got a Lancelot in my family too!

[lljkk]

I meet your Ebeneezers (36 of them!?) and raise you Aristobulus, Abijah & Othniel.

For the ladies I give you Dulzebella and Mahitabel.

I've got more, Don't get me started. I even fired up my gedcom software to revel in it.

[lljkk]

ps: 12 Berthas.

[17leftfeet]

I've got a Lancelot

[Fantail]

MadBusLady - Lancelot Taylor is a great name for a blacksmith!

[hardtostayfocused]

No, these Tryphenas be fenland Tryphenas... Guess it's not as unusual as I'd assumed.

Do you think Olive will come back into vogue?

[lljkk]

But not a single Lancelot

[Sukebind]

I have an Amiral, Major and Captain - as first names!

[hardtostayfocused]

Gasp at lljkk! Bowing out gracefully....

PS to NoArmani, I just did a free 2 week trial on a popular genealogy website and cancelled before the subscription hit.

[Throughthelongnight]

We have a Euclid, who clearly liked his name as he named his son Euclid as well.

I love the name Gladys!

[notso]

Brother and sister Boy and Baby surname Fokker. I'm not even joking