Rather weird question, but anyone good on family history, 19th century etc?

[GrendelsMum]

I've just come across two men, one early nineteenth century, one later nineteenth century, whose first name was 'King'. With the first one (the excellently named King Sparks), I assumed his mother's surname was 'King'. Now I've come across the second one (King Huggeston), I'm starting to wonder if this was actually a name? Or perhaps just a coincidence, and he too had a relative whose surname was King.

[doubleexpresso]

Can't really help I'm afraid, but I am interested in the answer. I've always loved the name Isambard Kingdom Brunel...

[WickedWench]

The normal naming convention was to give the first born son his mother's maiden name as a middle name rather than a first name. That has certainly been borne out by my research anyway.

It could just be a favoured family name. Sometimes children were named after a wealthy relative in the hope that they would leave them a wodge of cash look kindly on them.

Some families just have names they like to hand down from generation to generation. I worked with a woman whose DH's family insisted that all the first born boys were called George. She called her first born DS Oliver

[WickedWench]

Oi Mumsnet. Yer strikeout thingy aint working!

[MrsBadger]

you have to strike out word individually, not a whole sentence

see, tis fine

[GrendelsMum]

But King is such a daft name to give a child, that you really have to hope that the wealthy relatives did indeed cough up lots of dosh.

[WickedWench]

Aha Mrs Badger, now I understand, thanks.

I would hope they did cough up lots of dosh too GrendelsMum. But I have come across some weird and wonderful names whilst researching my family tree.

My favourite family - who are not related to me but were neighbours of one of my ancestors in a census return - are the Bastard family. And no, they didn't have a son called Robin!

I'm absolutely serious. They were REALLY called that!

[nooka]

My dh's grandfather was called Baron, so perhaps not that strange.

[GrendelsMum]

Thanks everyone - I shall continue to dig around and see what I find.

[frakkinaround]

It is a name. King, Baron, Earl and Prince are all listed in my baby names book but I'm not sure how common it was in the 19th century.

[bigstripeytiger]

There is a person in my family tree with the first name Sparks.