Our ancestors often used the following naming pattern when selecting a name for a new child. This explains why certain names are very common in a family line. Watching for these patterns can help in your genealogy research.

Naming pattern:

1^st son = father’s father
2^nd son = mother’s father
3 rd son = father
4^th son = father’s oldest brother
5^th son = father’s second oldest brother or mother’s eldest brother

1^st daughter = mother’s mother
2^nd daughter = father’s mother
3^rd daughter = mother
4^th daughter = mother’s oldest sister
5^th daughter = mother’s second oldest sister or father’s oldest sister

It is also common to use:
the mother’s maiden name as a second name;
the surname of close friends as a second name;
give another child exactly the same name as a previous child who had died; or
give a child the name of a relative or friend who had recently died.

• Colonial Naming Patterns
  English and Welsh
  Old German Naming Patterns
  Old Irish Naming Patterns
  Scottish Naming Patterns
  Surname Mean