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Baby names

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Original poster

Horrific names from your family tree

155 replies

Fantail · 14/01/2014 21:12

We have been working a little bit on DH's family tree lately. There are some Hmm 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?

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Original poster
Fantail · 15/01/2014 09:16

pavlovscat - probably, but only if Hymen had a sister called Virginia

OP posts:
roguepixie · 15/01/2014 09:16

A great uncle named Septimus Eugal.
A great aunt named Nelly. Another named Olive.
Lots of Italian names...one of which means Humbert when translated.

DessieLou · 15/01/2014 09:07

Wentworth & Smith....can you imagine?! Poor kids.

happytalk13 · 15/01/2014 08:54

I had a Queenie in the Oz branch of the family

UsingMyRedPen · 15/01/2014 08:45

Ex insisted Gizberg was from his family tree and if we had a boy we had to call him that. Met this announcement with a heartfelt Fuck Off!!!

QueenTea33 · 15/01/2014 08:43

My great grandma was a Jemima and we found a Herbert and a Gertrude. Everyone else was called John.

AntoinetteCosway · 15/01/2014 08:39

Not that far back in my family tree there is a Marmaduke!

PavlovsCats · 15/01/2014 08:39

I have a 'Hymen' in mine...

Do I win?!

Hermionewastherealhero · 15/01/2014 08:25

I teach a Bertha, a really gorgeous girl

AphraBane · 15/01/2014 08:24

I'm tickled pink by the Tickle wing of my family.

We had generations of Charles, William, David, Thomas and other such standard names (in fact, this was Wales, so we have a David Davies and Thomas Thomas), then in the late 19th century my great-grandmother had an Egerton and a Paxton. That's as exotic as it gets.

throckenholt · 15/01/2014 08:14

Mine are mostly the traditional ones - but had a Gertrude, Ethelwynne, Horace, Fridenea and Bertha in the early 1900s.

Israel, Wellington, Octavius, Jacoba, and Philadelphia in the 1800s

Kerenhappuch, Dyer, Ezra, Silvanus, Uriah, Japhet and Lettice in the 1700s.

Bearleigh · 15/01/2014 07:32

MrBearleigh has a Horace Higginbottom in his family tree.

AcrossthePond55 · 15/01/2014 04:52

Not necessarily horrible, but 'unusual' where I live.

Had great aunts named Everett and Lilias.

Had an uncle named Vivian. Extremely unusual name for a boy in the US. He hated the name and nicknamed himself Pete. Everyone called my dad, who was younger, Re-pete.

The only unusually named ancestors on dad's side we've found are Israel, Kerensa and Loveday.

On Mom's side are the odd names. Great aunts Elva & Erba. Grandmother was Opal. Grandad was Orville. Yep, Opal and Orville.

ThomasLynn · 15/01/2014 04:04

I've got:

Gottlieb (every bloke on mum's side has Gottlieb as a middle name. It appears that I'm expected to continue this...)
Dietrich
Waldemar
Three brothers named Korbinian Heironymus (all alive simultaneously)

and for the wimminz

Dagmar
Cymballine (which actually is awesome)
and Clytemnestra
Also Bobbie Peace (born in 1945)

NancyinCali · 15/01/2014 03:36

The earlier poster talking about surnames on the census reminded me of my grandad's neighbours with the surname Bastard. He used to call them "the bastards next door". Ah memories!
This thread is making me want to do my family tree again. I know there's a great aunt Gerty on it but I can't remember any more.

NoArmaniNoPunani · 15/01/2014 01:31

Thanks to a lovely MNer who PMed some info I've been up until now making a start on my family tree. No unusual names yet but a few sad details already - people showing up on the census in institutions etc

Newjobthankgod · 15/01/2014 01:11

Pasquala, Priscilla, Augustine. Pluggie as a nick for John. Don't ask.

Ercole. Concetta. Franco. Rocco. Antonio.

Most of the guys are either Big Frankie or Little Frankie. Or Tony.

Yeah my family is Italian-American.

1944girl · 15/01/2014 00:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

amimagic · 15/01/2014 00:16

We have a Boadicea. Apparently she was known as Aunty Bow-ad.

TheRaniOfYawn · 15/01/2014 00:03

too much.

TheRaniOfYawn · 15/01/2014 00:03

My grandmother had a cousin or possibly uncle called Isleworth Zabriskie who was a biscuit magnate in New York in the 1920s. He sounds to much like a P G Wodehouse character to be true.

mathanxiety · 15/01/2014 00:03

A Norbert on Dad's side.
A Sylvester, last name Lester on mum's side.
Gertrud, but she was a blow-in from Germany.

Some names here are gorgeous imo, but some are best not revived, methinks.

nagynolonger · 14/01/2014 23:56

I went to school with a boy who's first name was Norton.

We have a Tryphena, Hepzibah, Dorcas, and several Fannys (almost always nn for Hannah).

For the males. Theophilus, Rimmington, Ambrose, and Cornelius.

BuntyPenfold · 14/01/2014 23:53

Clytemnestra.

Selks · 14/01/2014 23:50

I have in my family

Bartholomew, married to Bertha
Lovell
Demelza
Margaretta
and a Godwynne