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Unusual or Interesting Names in your Family ?

(108 Posts)
FannyCornforth Mon 07-Jun-21 10:44:28

Hello Everyone! ?

Vaguely topical, but very non-controversial.
I'm fascinated by names - I know that a lot of us are.

It's oft mentioned that names' popularity is cyclical; and I recall that recently someone in the public eye has named his new born daughter after her grand mother and great grandmother...?

My Grandparents' names have never really come back into fashion:
Kenneth Gilbert and Doreen Clara on one side, and on the other, Frederick and Margaret.

I think that Freddie is currently quite popular, and Margaret, I'm sure, must be due due for a revival.
Gilbert is an an absolute cracker!

So, what were your Grandparents' names?
Or do you have any unusual or interesting names in you family?

Thank you! x

Greenfinch Thu 08-Sep-22 11:35:10

I had an Auntie Ida too,the youngest sister of my mother. She was supposed to be called Isa (is that Scottish? ) but somehow it got changed to Ida. On our last holiday we met a toddler called Ida so maybe it is on its way back.
My Geordie grandmother was called Wilhelmina and her mother was Williamina but I don’t see that name returning.

annsixty Thu 08-Sep-22 11:24:44

The mention of Clara and Clarice reminds me of the recurrence of that and variations in my family.
I traced my family tree back to 1787 when my sometime xgreat was named Clarissa.
It occurs in each generation since as Clara or Clarissa until me and my D.
My mother was Clarissa but was called Clarice which she disliked.
When my GD was born it was her late paternal GM ‘s birthday and she had been named Clarissa and also the name of my Mother (GGM) so it was added to her name
It is not her first name by which she is known but she
loves the name so if she has a daughter it will certainly stay in the family.

My father ‘s mother and one of his sisters were named Sabina.
No one has yet revived that.

Daisymae Thu 08-Sep-22 11:08:05

Chocolatelovinggran

Daisymae, Dorcas was a follower of Jesus who sewed for the poor: I believe that there was a Dorcas Society in the past.

Oh, I didn't know that. There are some Quakers in the mix but I don't think that they are close on the family tree.

Jaxjacky Thu 08-Sep-22 11:01:21

My parental Granny was an Ida too Aldom.
My Dad was Denyer, not heard of it since.

Aldom Thu 08-Sep-22 10:58:03

JackyB

I haven't seen Ida mentioned so far. I thought everyone had an Auntie Ida!

My lovely maternal granny was Ida.
Maternal GF Joseph.
Paternal GM Louise. Peternal GF Francis. My late, younger brother has Francis as a middle name. My cousin was Ida.

Chocolatelovinggran Thu 08-Sep-22 10:56:13

Ooh, I love Hepzibah, and Bathsheba...

Chocolatelovinggran Thu 08-Sep-22 10:54:27

Daisymae, Dorcas was a follower of Jesus who sewed for the poor: I believe that there was a Dorcas Society in the past.

VB000 Thu 08-Sep-22 10:52:15

Maggiemaybe

DH and I each have a Hephzibah in the family tree (mine was known as Aunt Eppie), and he has several Dukes dating back to the early 1800s (sadly just the name, not the title).

Got a couple of Hephzibahs in my family tree as well, on maternal and paternal sides! Can't see it making a comeback somehow!

varian Thu 08-Sep-22 10:46:48

Both DH and I had grannies called Euphemia, a popular name in 19th century Scotland, often shortened to Effie or Fay.

Daddima Thu 08-Sep-22 10:44:10

Lin52

My G G Aunts on mums side, Thirza, Clarice, Olga, Una Tessibell, Zetha and Aurelia. Twelve children in total.

My late friend had one of those names! She would have been chuffed to hear of another one.

GagaJo Thu 08-Sep-22 10:42:13

FannyCornforth

Thank you Gwyneth
Clara was my great grandmother's first name.
She pronounced it Clare-a, not
Clah-ra.
And my Nan pronounced her own name Duh-reen, not Door-een.
That side of the family must have an awkward streak!

I should have just titled the thread 'Grandparents' Names', come to think of it!
Dwynwen is beautiful.

Clera, pronounced Clare-a was my granny's name. Family were originally German in origin. I wonder if that is anything to do with it?

Blondiescot Thu 08-Sep-22 10:35:15

Esspee

I started work on my family tree at the end of last year and was delighted to find I had a great granny Fanny.
[Please don't bother trying to inform me it was Frances as some gransnetters did. It wasn't. I have her birth certificate.]
Somehow I can't see her name coming back into fashion.?

You should look for the Irn Bru Fanny advert - I think it's on YouTube!

Daisymae Thu 08-Sep-22 10:29:15

I have, a lot of great grandmothers back, a Dorcas. I always thought that this was male name but maybe it's dual or has changed over the centuries. My great, great grandmother was Keziah which seems to have well and truly fallen out of fashion. Her daughter was called Fanny, can't see that coming back any time soon!

Nanawind Thu 08-Sep-22 09:46:31

In our family we have a Vina and a Lavinia. Everyone else is quite boring.

Mamardoit Thu 08-Sep-22 09:21:05

Albert Henry and Lizzie. Not Elizabeth just Lizzie.

Florence and John.

DH, Albert and Beatie (Beatrice), and Harry and Alice.

The only one repeated in the family for a great, great grandchild is Alice.

Going further back Cornelius, Ambrose, Dorcus, Hephzibah, Tryphena, Theodolphus and Christiana.

Maggiemaybe Wed 07-Sep-22 23:39:38

DH and I each have a Hephzibah in the family tree (mine was known as Aunt Eppie), and he has several Dukes dating back to the early 1800s (sadly just the name, not the title).

Yammy Wed 07-Sep-22 22:32:39

In the area I come from surnames were and are used as first names, I had an uncle Thompson never Tom , Ferguson as a first name Wordsworth and Wedgwood used the same way, one poor chap was Wordsworth shortened to Waddy William Wedgwood.
Isabella which is now very popular runs through my family since the 1700's. The oddest I have found are Coronation her father Gildereye and sister Bathsheba, the latter sounds very Thomas Hardie to me.
My grandparents' names were normal Victorian ones. My granddad's sister was Nellie who I thought was Helen but was Eleanor. The most unusual was Annunziata who had Italian links.

Clawdy Wed 07-Sep-22 22:16:26

My grandparents were Rose and May, Frederick and Joseph. But Joseph's little sister was called Iphigenia!

Hellogirl1 Wed 07-Sep-22 21:45:06

I used to have an Auntie Fanny.
The most unusual names in our family at the moment are 3 of my great grandsons. They are Jaylen, Alby and Hudson

Floradora9 Wed 07-Sep-22 21:39:59

Way back I had a lady named Grizel .

Georgesgran Wed 07-Sep-22 13:32:44

I reported it earlier too - but GN admin is having problems. It was an old thread anyway.

Calendargirl Wed 07-Sep-22 13:23:47

lucastill19 reported.

Nightsky2 Wed 07-Sep-22 13:21:29

Henrietta, Hetty and James paternal grandmother.
Jack and Kate, maternal grandparents.
Lots of James’s Jim’s and Jimmy’s in my family.

lucastill19 Wed 07-Sep-22 13:05:56

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lucastill19 Wed 07-Sep-22 13:05:17

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