#52Ancestors, Week 25, Same Name

Who to choose ? The repetitive use of the same small pool of names was one of the first things to captivate my interest in family history. That and the custom of naming subsequent children with the name bestowed on their non-surviving elder siblings. I've picked three, all slightly different examples of "same name".

My 2x great grandfather James Davys, coincidentally born 193 years ago this week (26 June 1825), was the 4^th James Davys in a row of direct ancestors. He broke the pattern, only giving his name as a second Christian name to one of his sons. But it was back a generation later, when his son Francis named his eldest son James and started it again. That James has a namesake in every subsequent generation and was my Dad’s uncle. So although the same name continued it was no longer part of my direct line.

In 1870 my great grandmother’s aunt Harriett started something I bet she never expected. She named her second daughter Minnie Mildred. Six years later Harriett’s elder brother George named his eldest daughter Minnie Mildred. In 1880 Minnie was #32 on the top 200 names for girls in Britain and Mildred was #106, so relatively popular I guess. The first Minnie Mildred emigrated to New Zealand with her parents and named one of her own daughters as her name sake in 1896. George’s family however took the name to a whole new level. His daughter Minnie Mildred bestowed her name, including her maiden surname on one of her daughters in 1895. George’s son William named one of his daughters Minnie Mildred in 1905, and included the surname of the first Minnie Mildred. Then George’s son Arthur gave the name to his fourth daughter in 1910. There was another, just Minnie, in 1898; granddaughter of George and Harriett’s elder brother Henry. William’s daughter Minnie (1905) went on to give one her daughters a different variation in 1934. His son William emigrated to the USA and named one of his daughters Mildred Langford in 1922. Maybe it is still carrying on…who knows ?

Minnie Mildred Langford b 1870

Minnie Mildred Kelsey b 1876

Minnie Mildred Kelsey Evans b 1895

Minnie Mildred Lang b 1896

Minnie Kelsey b 1898

Minnie Mildred Langford Kelsey b 1905

Minnie Mildred Kelsey b 1910

Mildred Langford Kelsey b 1922

Mildred Kelsey Wotherspoon b 1934

Harriett’s line / George’s line / Henry’s line (none of the abovenamed are living)

In this same family there are at least nine occurrences of William Henry as well. Hmmm.

Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth. The first two I understand – since Elizabeth #1 died in infancy. Why though name the third daughter Elizabeth as well ? I believe it is an error as the younger one later seemed to become Eliza. Just to make things slightly trickier to untangle Elizabeth #2 and Elizabeth #3 (Eliza) went on to marry brothers.