Names that aren’t used anymore

[JonnyP]

Not uncommon names as such, but in line with Chris’s post above (including Annabel in a man’s name).  Both of my nieces have their father’s first name as a middle name due to being born in Egypt and the father’s first name being included on the Arabic language birth certificate.  So two girls called Benjamin!

[Ju_dy@RT]

^^ yeah very common.  I have a dutch friend (female) who has 5 names as she was an only child... 3 of which are male. Petrus, Frans & Andre

[Ju_dy@RT]

My great-great grandfather (1821 to 1910) was Horatio Annabel Bartholomue Leedham.   His father served under Lord Nelson so that is where the first name came from.  Annabel was his grandmother's name

He became a master builder and built the first railway tunnel under the Mersey between Birkenhead and Liverpool which opened in 1886.  The Prince of Wales came to the opening and congratulated him in that "only 33 men and 14 horses" perished during construction

He lived in Nottingham and Leicester and had 15 children.  12 of them outlived him.  Being a master builder, he had, for the time a good income, his wife was a Quaker and she saw to it that the children were well looked after

I have the photographs from the constructors album.  This is the Illustrated London News engraving

Thanks for sharing... great story/heritage!

We're waiting a few years until the DNA banks in England build up a bit, then I'll be sending hubby's details in to see where the connections lie. His great grandfather probably lived somewhere in the greater london area , but his identity is unknown as  hubby's grandad was "scandalously " born out of wedlock (presumably) as no father on the birth entry.

[Katji]

My cousin did the genealogy, she found that one great-uncle had 3 wives, at least one while he was still married to a previous one.

[Katji]

Horace 
Father was Horace Eric, he was known as Eric.

[Family_Dog]

Eric... such a lovely name 

Horace, not so much 

[chrisc]

There are always skeletons in the closet

My best one dates back to 1806.  Benjamin Leedham held up a stagecoach and robbed the passengers of 5 shillings.  He was sentenced to death, but luckily for him, it was changed to transportation to America and he arrived in Canada in 1810

When I was doing my ancestry research in 2009 with the help of my English cousin, I happened to look at the Church of the Latter Day Saints (the Mormons) website who operate a vast genealogical database.  To access a file, you need to provide your email address and name

About 3 weeks later, I received this email from a lady who lives just north of Vancouver.  She was looking at the same entry and spotted my name and email.  After a bit of correspondence, we discovered that our families had diverged in about 1740, when everyone lived in Norfolk.   It turned out that she was a direct descendant of this Benjamin fellow who settled in Canada and got married.  She said that she was initially embarrassed that this should come out, but her daughter told her not to be silly

She also said that if I was in the area, I should come for tea.  I explained that I lived in Cape Town in South Africa, but she said this did not make any difference!

If you have ever watched Poldark, the gent who is married to Demelza in Cornwall, those are the stagecoaches used in those days

[vleisman]

Siobhan - and such a lovely name imo

[Trompie67]

Siobhan - and such a lovely name imo

Not that uncommon. I have 2 friends, one in her 30's, the other in her 20's who are both Siobhan.

[Ju_dy@RT]

My cousin did the genealogy, she found that one great-uncle had 3 wives, at least one while he was still married to a previous one.

I'm HOPING to find something equally scandalous!  The old lady was a "house maid" in the early 1900's... so yes, first suspect would be her employer.  Not uncommon during those times.

I've got the address, so all I would have to is a deed search. If the owner's family pops up on the gene search, we'll have a winner!  The house was destroyed though... presumably in the blitz.

[zer0]

Depending on how factual Monty Python movies are, there may have been some very odd names in ancient Rome

If you have or had kids in school the last few years you may also have seen some very odd names. Often made weirder by the surname.
Santa-Maria van der Merwe is one that comes up.

[chrisc]

I had an employee Helen, an intelligent young lady when I ran a call centre.   One day she told me she was pregnant.  I asked about a husband (none) who the father was (she did not know).  Anyway, the little boy was born and an "auntie" looked after him

Within 2 years she was pregnant again.  No idea whose it was, she said.  I told her that if she could identify the father, he would be compelled to contribute to the child's upbringing

I was told told that in Ocean View (a predominantly coloured area near Kommetjie) it did not work like that

Fast forward 3 years, pregnant again.  Same story

She managed to inherit a house from an aunt, so I set her up to rent it out.  A current boyfriend was a collector for a legal firm, so no problem collecting rent

We all have different ways of managing our lives

[Katji]

Eric... such a lovely name 

Horace, not so much 

That's how I get reminded of it these days.
Yes, it's a good name, not common but not weird.

[Baine Bloodhoof]

Muriel
Josephine
Mildred
Johanna
Shirley
Maud
Agatha
Agnes
Arthur
Magdalene
Bartholomew
Salome
Anastasia
Archibald

My mom's name was Magdelene and my grandmother Johanna. I think most of the names listed here are considered "ou karton" by the current generation. A few I have to admit I wouldnt bestow upon my next child. Juure heaven forbid I have another one at my age

[Baine Bloodhoof]

Just out of interest sake, should any of you have another baby, boy or girl, what would you name them? For me, if it was a boy it would be Micheal, a girl would be.... I have to ask the Mrs