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Geni naming conventions - Colonial America
See the projects Geni naming conventions and Geni naming conventions - data entry for general guidance.
- Use ordinary case. Name Preference Settings can be used to change how names are displayed to your personal preference.
- Place the last name a person was born with in the Birth Surname field and the last name they died with in the Surname field. All other names and nicknames go in the “also known as” field, comma separated.
- America was colonized by different European countries. Names were regulated by the “mother” entity. Historically, in British America, the majority of women changed their surname when they married. This however was not the case in the French colonies, as example. So follow the naming conventions for the European entity in those cases.
- Immigrants from other countries may best be shown using both their original language name and their anglicized name. Additionally, a name change is well depicted by use of both “original” and “last” names.
- Early native Americans peoples did not traditionally have a surname. Leave birth surname and Last Name / Surname fields blank. See Native American naming conventions.
- Enslaved persons may have acquired a surname, but may not have been born with one, so “birth surname” should be blank. See more at Naming conventions for American enslaved people.
Colonial history of the United States
From < Wikipedia >
The colonial history of the United States covers the period of European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies into the United States after the Revolutionary War.
European settlers came from a variety of social and religious groups, including adventurers, farmers, indentured servants, tradesmen, and a very few from the aristocracy. Settlers included the Dutch of New Netherland, the Swedes and Finns of New Sweden, the English Quakers of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English Puritans of New England, the Virginian Cavaliers, the English Catholics and Protestant Nonconformists of the Province of Maryland, the "worthy poor" of the Province of Georgia, the Germans who settled the mid-Atlantic colonies, and the Ulster Scots of the Appalachian Mountains. These groups all became part of the United States when it gained its independence in 1776. … The diverse colonists from these various regions built colonies of distinctive social, religious, political, and economic style.
British America
Extracted from “British America” < Wikipedia >
British America comprised the colonial territories of the English Empire, and the successor British Empire, in the Americas from 1607 to 1783.[1] These colonies were formally known as British America and the British West Indies immediately prior to thirteen of the colonies seceding in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and forming the United States of America. After the conclusion of war in 1783, the term British North America was used to refer to the remainder of Great Britain's possessions in what became Canada, the British West Indies in reference to its various island territories, Belize, and Guyana.
English Naming Conventions
Derived from “British Culture” and then edited < link >
- English naming conventions arrange names as follows: [first given name] [middle given name(s)] [FAMILY NAME]. For example, Jack Samuel ADAMS (male) or Emily Claire TAYLOR (female).
- One’s ‘first name’, known as a ‘personal name’ or ‘given name’, is chosen at birth as the individual’s personal identifier. It always comes before the family name.
- The ‘family name’, known as a ‘surname’ or ‘last name’, is inherited from one’s parents and shared with other members of the individual’s immediate family.
- English names are traditionally patrilineal, whereby children are given their father’s family name. However, this is not an enforced custom.
- It is traditional for women to adopt their husband’s family name at marriage. However, this practice is declining and less of a cultural requirement.
- [After about 1800], many also have a ‘middle name’, which is a secondary given name written between the person's first name and their family name. For example, Emily Claire TAYLOR’s middle name is ‘Claire’.
- Middle names are optional and are rarely used in daily life. However, most [Americans] have one or multiple.
Note: children born out of wedlock were given their mother’s surname.
Note: No middle names were in use until after the Revolutionary war, except the “double-barreled” forenames seen in recent European immigrants.
New France
From “New France” < Wikipedia >
New France (French: Nouvelle-France) was the territory colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spain in 1763 under the Treaty of Paris.
After the Seven Years' War (which included the French and Indian War in America), France ceded the rest of New France to Great Britain and Spain in the Treaty of Paris of 1763 (except the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon). Britain acquired Canada, Acadia, and French Louisiana east of the Mississippi River, except for the Île d'Orléans, which was granted to Spain with the territory to the west. In 1800, Spain returned its portion of Louisiana to France under the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso, and Napoleon Bonaparte sold it to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, permanently ending French colonial efforts on the American mainland.
New France eventually became absorbed within the United States and Canada, with the only vestige of French rule being the tiny islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, an overseas collectivity of France, although Quebec remains predominately French-speaking. In the United States, the legacy of New France includes numerous place names as well as small pockets of French-speaking communities.
Names
Derived from “French name” < Wikipedia >
French people have at least one given name. Usually, only one of them is used in daily life; any others are solely for official documents, such as passports or certificates.
Second and further given names, when given, typically honour a child's grandparents, great-grandparents, or other ancestors. This practice has become less common, often being considered old-fashioned. Though using more than one name is rarely done today, using two or even three of the given names daily was fairly common until the early 20th century. … Compound given names, such as Jean-Luc, Jean-Paul or Anne-Sophie are not uncommon. These are not considered to be two separate given names. The second part of a compound name may be a given name normally used by the opposite sex. However, the gender of the compound is determined by the first component.
In France, until 2005, children were required by law to take the surname of their father. If the father was unknown, the child was given the family name of the mother.
Some French last names include a prefix called a particle (French: particule), a preposition or article at the beginning of the name. The most widespread of these are de (meaning "of"), le or la ("the"), and Du or de La ("of the"). The capitalisation of particules can vary. In France, particles de, le and la are generally not capitalised, but Du and the double de La are. In other countries and languages, capitalisation may follow different rules.
In the case of nobility, titles are mostly of the form [title] [particle] [name of the land]: for instance, Louis, duc d'Orléans ("Louis, duke of Orléans"), or simply Louis d'Orléans. Former president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's father had his surname legally changed from "Giscard" to "Giscard d'Estaing" in 1922, claiming the name of a family line extinct since the French Revolution.
A French woman retains her birth name when she marries. In some cases, a woman may take her husband's name as a "usage name".[15] This is not a legal obligation (it is a contra legem custom, as French law since the Revolution requiring that no one may be called by any other name than that written on their birth certificate), and not all women decide to do so.
See also: French-Canadian Naming Conventions
New Netherland
From “The Rise and Fall of New Netherland” < National Park Service >
Wealth in the United Provinces lie in the hands of the landowners. Land and jobs were plentiful there, and people lived without fear of persecution. There had been, however, a large number of foreigners or “Walloons” who decided to try life in a new part of the world. This included Belgians who had moved first to the Netherlands, then to the Americas. The first 31 families arrived in the harbor of the North River in 1623 aboard the “New Netherland,” and by 1624, the colony of “New Amsterdam” began to be formed. Soon Dutch colonists were claiming land as far north as present day Albany, New York; as far south as to include all of present day New Jersey; to Cape Henlopen, Delaware; and as far east as the Connecticut River.
Names
From “Naming conventions for the Dutch part of the tree”< link >
- Please keep in mind that with a marriage in the Netherlands the wife keeps her own last name, so please do NOT enter the last name of the husband in the last name field of the wife (you can use is in the Display name and/or in the Also known as)
- The Dutch do not have a middle name, so that field is used for patronymics (please put all given names in the First name field)
- Please do not put a nickname in the First name or Middle name field, please put it in the Also know as field and if you want to also in the Display name
- please keep in mind the Dutch can have a prefix name part that should be in lower case and should go in the Last name field before the last name (most common ones are: van, de, van der, van de). The Belgium's do not have this prefix field so they write the name parts all with a starting capital if it is a Belgium last name. This also makes a difference in sort order when sorting on last name.
- Please user proper case (names start with uppercase letter followed by lower case letters (see https://www.geni.com/account_settings/name_preferences to display in uppercase). You can use SmartCopy (https://www.geni.com/projects/SmartCopy/18783) to convert all caps to proper caps
- please use the default language tab if the profile has only Dutch names, only use the Dutch language tab if names are changed on emigration or when a historical profile with sources in multiple languages.
- This may be helpful (please read): New Netherland naming systems and customs (you might need a free Family Search membership to be able to read it). < link >
See also: Dutch name < Wikipedia >
New Sweden
From “The Rise and Fall of New Netherland” < National Park Service >
In March of 1638, Minuit led a flotilla of Swedish immigrants into the South River and proclaimed the colony of New Sweden on the abandoned land that would become Northern Delaware, Southwestern New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania. Ultimately, control of this Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area remained under Dutch authority with Dutch and Swedish settlers continuing to populate the southern area. Swedes were living there, but the colony of New Sweden lasted only 17 years. The Swedish presence and influence in North America remain to this day.
Names
“Swedish names becoming American names” < Wikitree >
Have you ever wondered what name your emigrants from Sweden took in North America? Or do you have Swedish ancestry but don't know what their Americanised name might have been in Swedish? This is why I started this page and if you have anything to add please leave a message for me.
First names like Anders and Nils became Andrew and Nels, Carl/Karl became Charles, Gustaf/Gustav was shortened to Gus, Johan/Johannes became John, Hjalmar became Helmer, Märta/Martha, Elisabet/Betty/Beth, etc.
Last names like Andersson and Persson just dropped one s and became Anderson and Person. Johansson and Jönsson changed into Johnson. Some might just have changed å, ä, ö to a and o, like Lindström became Lindstrom and some might have a letter added, Lindgren became Lindgreen. Those are quite easy...
But a name like Björk might have changed into Burke. Quite close in prenounciation but I, as a Swede, would never have thought to look for Burke. Sometimes they would also drop a soldier name and change back to the patronymic or their father's surname. This is why I made this page.
Once I get examples of enough names I will try to publish a table of the names. Below are some examples. …
New Spain
“Naming customs of Hispanic America”< Wikipedia >
In the colonial period and nineteenth century, it was common to have between one and three given names followed by a second name with a "de" (from) in front. For example, the Saint Teresa de Los Andes whose birth name is Juana Enriqueta Josefina de los Sagrados Corazones Fernández del Solar. Where "Juana", "Enriqueta" and "Josefina" are her first names, followed by the second name "de los Sagrados Corazones". Her paternal surname is "Fernández" and her maternal surname is "del Solar".
Another form of second name can be preceded by a "de" particle, which can be varied to "del" or "de los". Examples are "José del Pilar", "Rosa del Carmen", "Fidelina de las Mercedes". These second names are only used in formal occasions, and in many cases only registered in the birth, marriage and death certificates.
See also: Spanish naming customs < Wikipedia >
Colonial America – Early Naming Patterns < link >
Anyone who has ever tried to trace their families’ roots, and has gotten back to the early American colonies, has probably run into a situation where there are 4 Johns, or 5 Williams in one generation, or the 7th child is a Jr. Why is that?
English Naming Patterns
Up until the revolution, and sometimes until the 1850’s, most families of English descent (and the Scots who settled in North and South Carolina) followed the following naming pattern:
First-born son named for Father’s Father
Second-born son named for Mother’s Father
Third-born son named for Father
Fourth-born son named for Father’s eldest brother
and
First-born daughter named for Mother’s Mother
Second-born daughter named for Father’s Mother
Third-born daughter named for Mother
Fourth-born daughter named for Mother’s eldest sister
Any subsequent children where usually named for other ancestors.
For example, a family found in Halifax County, Virginia has the following names and ages: James (33), Mary (35), John (12), Evin (10), Mildred (8), Adolphus (6), James (4), Mary (1), Martha (1), Richard (4 months). Living next door are James’s parents, named John and Mildred.
Let’s apply the naming pattern. The father’s father is John, as is the eldest son. We can assume that either they had a daughter who died or that Mary’s mother was also named Mildred, since the eldest daughter appears to be named for the Father’s Mother. The fourth son is named for the father, which is a slight variant from the pattern but the third daughter is indeed named for the mother. If you look at other information this family, you may find siblings of the parents named Richard and Martha.
A frequently found variation from this pattern is: Eldest son named for Mother’s Father Second son named for Father’s Father Eldest daughter named for Father’s Mother Second daughter named for Mother’s Mother.
Variations
The first settlers in New England generally bore names with English origins, Biblical connotations or moral significance. Biblical names were generally preferred over names connected with the Church of England. Common names among the Puritans included Chastity, Love, Obedience, Patience and Mercy. Other popular names included Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Ruth and Hannah for girls while John, Joseph, Samuel, Nathan and Josiah were popular for boys. Often the eldest son and daughter would be named for their parents.
In Virginia and the Southern colonies, biblical references were less common though not unseen. Often children were given classical Greek names and popular English (folk) names. Boys could be named William, Richard, Edward, George, Adolphus, Theophilus, or John. Girls were often named Margaret, Martha, Elizabeth, Jane, Catherine and names such as Penelope, Permelia, and America were not very uncommon. First-born children were also often given their parents’ names in lieu of the names of their grandparents.
The Quakers in Pennsylvania and Delaware generally followed the English naming pattern. Also popular were biblical names such as John, Joseph, Thomas, William and George for boys, Mary, Hanna, Esther, Elizabeth, Sarah and Phebe for girls. Names denoting moral virtues such as Patience, Preserve, Grace and Chastity were also favored.
The frontier settlements of early America generally followed the same naming patterns of the southern colonies, but also tending to make up more unusual names for their children. These settlers were German, Irish, Scottish, French, Dutch and Scandinavian and tended to Americanize their children’s names in an effort to fit into their new country (this included surnames as well as given names). Some popular names in these regions included Alexander, Charles, James, Percy, David, Richard, Robert and John.
One last common naming pattern was the use of surnames as given names. For example, the child of John Woodson and Catherine Haynes might be Haynes Woodson. After the Revolution, it was common to see surnames given as middle names.
A Word About Middle Names
Before the American Revolution, it was against English Common Law for commoners to have middle names. The German population generally ignored this law, giving two or three given names to each child. If a man was known by more than one name before the Revolution, it was generally a nickname or a name used to tell him about from the other John’s in his family (as in “John the elder”) After the Revolution, the giving of a middle name became common. Often, a surname was given as a middle name, such as the name of a maternal grandmother or other distant relation.
Recognizing Names < Study Guide: Colonial American Handwriting >
Names are often hard to recognize in part because spelling conventions weren't fixed. Names may be spelled in ways that you don’t expect: fro example, Alice Daggett spells her name “Elis”; sometimes a person will even spell his name two different ways in the same document. People also often used abbreviations for their own names and those of other people. Play the name game until you feel comfortable recognizing these common colonial names.
Immigrants
German Americans < Wikipedia >
According to the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy in 2012, "German-Americans make up the largest self-reported ancestry group within the United States, accounting for roughly 49 million people and approximately 17% of the population of the U.S.". The first significant groups of German immigrants arrived in the British colonies in the 1670s, and they settled primarily in the colonial states of Pennsylvania, New York, and Virginia.
She has the Same Name. Is She her Sister? Naming Conventions of our Ancestors. < PDF >; (document attached)
Fires that destroyed census records, court house records, and church and cemetery records present obstacles for genealogists that have tested us for years. Equal to these challenges are the numerous naming conventions used by our ancestors. Growing up in a society that bestows first, middle, and last names to children, it is often unnerving to discover all cultures don’t conform to this rule.
Why did Uncle Albert name all his daughters Maria? Why would I search on someone’s middle name to locate their record? How many Christiana’s can one family have? These are just a few of the questions that plague beginning as well as seasoned researchers. Not only did our ancestors bring their families to America, they brought their language, traditions, and customs.
German Naming Conventions
A good understanding of the conventions used by German families for naming children is essential to German genealogy research. This knowledge helps identify family relationships and explains multiple children with similar or, in some cases, the same name. Both Catholic and Protestant religions adopted this method of naming children.
Customarily at baptism a child was given two names. The first was a religious name and the second their call (Rufnahme) name. Unlike today, people were known by their second or middle name. Johann Ludwig Steck was called Ludwig or Louis. However, he can be located in various records as Johann, John, Ludwig, and Louis. Families often used the same saint’s name for most or all their children’s first names. Mary or Maria were popular for girls and St. John and St. George were popular for boys. Consequently, 12 Georges in the same family!
Children were also named for their baptismal sponsors, who normally were a close relative or trusted friend. The baptismal records of St. James Catholic Church in Baltimore, Maryland, illustrate this among the first generation of German immigrants. Many children were named after Christiana Würz Lauer, who was a prominent midwife in nineteenth century Baltimore.
If all this isn’t confusing enough, the German language added an ‘in’ or ‘en’ to the surname of females.
See also: German name < Wikipedia >
See also: German naming conventions
Other Nationalities
Many nationalities followed similar naming patterns as the Germans. Variations include naming fourth and subsequent children after brothers and sisters. Patronymic naming is common among various nationalities such as Russian names, Irish names, and Welsh names. Spanish and French names are also high in patronyms.
Colonias europea en América siglo XVI-XVIII
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colonias_europea_en_America... (public domain)
Non Native Political Evolution of North America
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Non-Native_American_Nations... (public domain)
British America at its greatest territorial expance from 1763 with its acquisitions from the fall of New France to 1783 with the British defeat in the American Revolution and creation of the United States, (in dark red). (Other British colonies held at that time are labeled in pink.)
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:British_America.png (CCA-SA 3.0 unported license)
Thirteen colonies in North America: political organization and location of individual colonies.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thirteencolonies_politics_c... (CCA-SA 3.0 unported license)
References
- “Surname” < Wikipedia > A surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family.[1][2] It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person.
- Colonial history of the United States < Wikipedia >
- Colonial America – Early Naming Patterns. < worldhistory.us >
- Study Guide Colonial American Handwriting < link >; recognizing names < link >
- Naming customs of Hispanic America < Wikipedia >
- German Americans. < Wikipedia >
- Oaths of Fidelity and Abjuration, ca.1760, and List of Oath-takers - November 1, 1763 < link > Between 1727 and 1775, more than 70,000 [Germans] arrived. … In 1727, Governor Patrick Gordon warned the legislature that the "large numbers of Strangers" entering "daily" could endanger Pennsylvania's "peace and security." The Governor and the council then required all foreign males age sixteen and over to take an oath of allegiance to the King of Great Britain, a requirement that remained in force until the end of the colonial period in 1776.
- European colonization of the Americas < Wikipedia >
- Dutch colonization of the Americas < Wikipedia >
- New Netherland < Wikipedia >
- What Was New Netherland? < New York State Library > Colonists arrived in New Netherland from all over Europe. Many fled religious persecution, war, or natural disaster. Others were lured by the promise of fertile farmland, vast forests, and a lucrative trade in fur. … New Netherland came under British control in 1664. Despite this transfer of power, Dutch influence remained strong in the former New Netherland, throughout the seventeenth century and beyond; many parts of the colony remained culturally Dutch up to and beyond the American Revolution.
- French colonization of the Americas < Wikipedia >
- “New France” < Wikipedia >
- Spanish colonization of the Americas < Wikipedia >
- “Naming Success: how does a person’s name affect their future can.” < link >
- “Why No Middle Names?” < National Park Service >
- “The Use of Middle Names” < Bob's Genealogy Filing Cabinet - Southern and Colonial Genealogies >