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Naming Traditions

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

Sons

1st Son = Father's father


2nd Son = Mother's father


3rd Son = Father


4th Son = Father's oldest brother


5th Son = Father's 2nd oldest brother or Mother's oldest brother


Daughters

1st Daughter = Mother's mother


2nd Daughter = Father's mother


3rd Daughter = Mother


4th Daughter = Mother's oldest sister


5th Daughter = Mother's 2nd oldest sister or Father's oldest sister


           

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