What is the most unusual name in your family tree? (father, history)

[Coldjensens]

Probably my daughter Cjersti.

Grandma Alta is unusual these days and Aunt Ted is a bit unusual (named for teddy rosevelt). Oh I also have an aunt Dode.

[Nothere1]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I found one recently from the mid 1700s era. The wife's name was Experience.

Is that the modern equivalent of Candy, just joking.
Most of my family was stereotypic euro-trash so 3/5 kids where named Paul on my mother's side. I think in an effort to be more Anglo-Saxon-ish, my father's Norwegian forefathers were named cheap names like Christian.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by TracySam

I have women named:
Zerviah
Mehittaball
Jemima
Meribah
Those first three were from the colonial period, but the 4th one was born in the late 1800s when all her contemporaries were Mary, Ann, Jane.

I have a Swedish man in my tree whose name was Martin Fager. This was at the time when families had to choose a family name and stick with it. Fager apparently means "handsome" in Swedish, so Martin picked that for his last name. Martin the Handsome Guy. He was humble too.


I have a woman in my German line whose last name was Schlagenhauf. I don't really know if it's unusual, but it kind of makes me giggle to think that I came from some long line of Schlagenhaufs. I think it means "whipping" or "beating up."

I have always thought Jemima is a super cute name. I ts too bad it doesn't get revived.

[Tracysherm]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I have always thought Jemima is a super cute name. I ts too bad it doesn't get revived.

I think it just evokes pancakes and syrup and the lady in the kerchief. I don't think that will go away. But I agree with you, if you forget about the pancake lady, it could sound cute.


But then again, the girl's first name "Camden" sounds pretty too, unless you're from NJ.
Associations are everything.

[nightbird47]

My maternal grandfathers mother's name is Euphemia Portus. Her family was from Scotland. Her nickname was Feem. I saw a listing of her grandmother as another Euphemia. I don't think anyone here carried on the name.

My mom was a Laura, and her grandmother was a Laura, and if my son had been a daughter she was going to be another Laura.

[jiminnm]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

I have always thought Jemima is a super cute name. I ts too bad it doesn't get revived.

Google Aunt Jemima, look at some images and you'll see why.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by TracySam

I was researching my brother-in-law's family, and he has a Mormon ancestor whose first name was Ransom. I thought it was pretty cool, and thought they should have named my nephew that They decided No, but I'm still hoping they'll name a dog Ransom.

The founder of Oldsmobile?

[MaryleeII]

Originally Posted by CraigCreek

Purify, a young woman's given name. It was inspired by a grandmother's maiden name (which had a different spelling and probably a different pronunciation).

This was NOT in Puritan New England, but in colonial Virginia.

Then there was Adam Toot. Different family line, about 100 years later than Purify.

I also had a g-great aunt whose given name was recorded as "Arrow Bell", by a semi-literate census taker. In reality, she was "Arabelle", rather obviously.

We had a family member "re-named" by a census worker, too. My grandfather's sister's name was Lillian Gay. The census worker's handwriting was poor, and it was transcribed as Little Guy

[Diane de Poitiers]

Offhand, I'd say it would be one of my female cousins on my dad's side of the family - her middle name is "Robbiemarie". (not sure if that's spelt as one word, or "Robbie" and "Marie" are separate)

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Welcome! It's a nice change from the serious stuff. Good names--I wonder what their nicknames were, lol.

G g gf....his brother's name was George. Sisters were Susan and Barbara Ellen. My g g gf....Ananias Jeremiah.

His nickname was Ank.