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Baby names

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Original poster

Awesome, unusual or just plain weird ancestor names...

68 replies

umpteennamechanges · 26/08/2018 22:47

I've just been researching family history for me and DH and have come across these awesome / weird names...anyone else have any to share?

  • Cave
  • Radalphus
  • Oldcot
  • Septimus
  • Ephraim / Levi / Job / Reuben (not that unusual but unexpectedly religious)
  • Zebulon (!)

All men's names. Seems that women's names were not as out there but we do have a number of 'Penninahs' which I haven't heard before.

OP posts:
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Twistedinknots · 28/08/2018 21:06

Tempest :)

AnnDerry · 28/08/2018 20:57

Zebulon is also Biblical.. one of Jacobs 12 sons.
Reciting the 12 tribes of Israel is one of my party tricks. Not because I am pious but because I can sing Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat all the way through (and do the colours of his coat.)

AnnDerry · 28/08/2018 20:54

We don't have anything very exotic but there are some fabulous name in our family trees:

Betty Barnfield
Amy Bees
Sybilla Clatworthy
Kitty Dando
Pollie Dinsdale
Fanny Farly
Sampson Fudge
Ethelbert Mogg

AlliKaneErikson · 28/08/2018 18:02

I have an Osbert and a Gilbert, but nothing really out of the ordinary. Some lovely names like Rose Esther and Harriet Ann (known as ‘Tan’) amongst my ancestors but can’t think of anything that unusual (will have to look as I’ve prbably forgotten something obvious).

BlueChampagne · 28/08/2018 13:26

Wreford and Jamesina (both Scottish).

ladycarlotta · 28/08/2018 12:20

@RedDwarves

*I had a William Shakespeare (Surname) in my family in the 1700s.

Obviously aspirational*

A 'George Washington (Surname)' here! Pretty strong! I think he died in infancy though, poor little chap.

I've mentioned my favourite of my ancestors' names in another thread - Rayden (m) and daughter Sopenah; Experience, Relief, Volney... My Scottish ancestors are literally all called James or Isabel tho AND FURTHERMORE MANY BRANCHES EVEN HAVE THE SAME SURNAME. Literally have an example of a brother and sister James and Isabel [Adams] marrying, respectively an Isabel [Adams] and a James [Adams], all apparently unrelated. Wtf.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 28/08/2018 10:14

@olderthanyouthink, way back, I have an Izetta. Love Etta !

WhyDidIEatThat · 28/08/2018 09:35

Just found a little set of siblings end 19th/beginning 20th century

sisters: Moltie, Lueco (sometimes spelt Lucio) Billie, Alda and their brother: Ezelle

WhyDidIEatThat · 28/08/2018 08:51

This is my favourite thing about ancestry, wish I’d looked into it earlier and sneaked some of these in as middle names for my poor children 😀

Not so many generations ago (so great or great great aunts/uncles?) hillbillies with British isles ancestry.

The men: Esca, Orin, Rolland, Reuben, Hallie, Manning, Rezen, Alonza.

There’s a Wellie a bit further back, gender unknown.

Women: Rheba, Lema, Letha, Duree, Martilla

DeadDoorpost · 27/08/2018 21:24

Zebulon is also Biblical.. one of Jacobs 12 sons.

I've got a Thalia Vosper and a Thurston... a Helnor as a middle name...

Vanillaradio · 27/08/2018 21:14

Weirdest one so far are (female) Mahala and (male) Bullen.

Petalflowers · 27/08/2018 21:12

We’ve got Jabez as well. Seriously wish I was brave enough to,use it. Slightly regret I haven’t.

maZebraltov · 27/08/2018 21:10

ps: Freelove was British at birth :).

maZebraltov · 27/08/2018 21:10

American. Lots are 1700s & 1800s & earlier. Most have surnames that seem awfully Anglo-Saxon like Bowers, Bacon, Bourne, Blake. Dmytro has very slavic surname, fair enough.

Ooh! I found a first name= Freelove. Born 1752. Beat that.

Original poster
umpteennamechanges · 27/08/2018 20:17

@maZebraltov

There are some seriously unusual names there...were they British ancestors?

OP posts:
MorvaanReed · 27/08/2018 18:40

My great, great grandfather was a Jehonadab.

NicoAndTheNiners · 27/08/2018 18:40

Tedbar. I’m sad I didn’t have a boy so I could continue the Tedbar family tradition.

girlandboy · 27/08/2018 18:35

I found an Esmaralda and several boys baptised Jabez

girlandboy · 27/08/2018 18:35

I found an Esmaralda and several boys baptised Jabez

olderthanyouthink · 27/08/2018 18:31

I really like Etta as a nickname but struggling to find a full name I like for it, got a couple more ideas here, thanks.

Zebulon sounds v. sci-fi Grin

FairfaxAikman · 27/08/2018 18:20
  • names
FairfaxAikman · 27/08/2018 18:19

In my family Wright and Duff are fairly common surnames

Prometheus · 27/08/2018 18:17

I researched our family tree a few years ago. Liverpool family, generations of very poor, working class dock workers. All called good English, Christian names (John, James, William etc) except for one great, great, great uncle born much later than his siblings and called Felicio. No idea why, we have no Italian blood in the family (or so we had assumed!)

MollyMallyMindy · 27/08/2018 18:16

There were a couple Rosettas, both born shortly after the stone was discovered.

IlPorcupinoNilSodomyEst · 27/08/2018 18:15

I love Hepzibah or Eppie for short ... Silas Marner for the Leaving Cert many years ago.

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