Friday, May 14, 2010

How Scottish children were named by Alan T. Forrester

The Scottish American History Club meets in North Riverside, Illinois, on the first Saturday of each month, except July, August and December. We meet in Heritage Hall of the Scottish Home which also contains the Scottish American Museum. On site, we maintain a library and several years ago purchased "Scots in Michigan" by Alan T. Forrester. He writes about the traditions of naming and says the following:

The first son was named after the father’s father.
The second son was named after the mother’s father.
The third son was named after the father.
The fourth son was named after the father’s eldest brother.
The first daughter was named after the mother’s mother.
The second daughter was named after the father’s mother.
The third daughter was named after the mother.
The fourth daughter was named after the mother’s eldest sister.

“Official middle names were not always given, but when they were, they were typically the mother’s maiden name or another surname honoring grandparents, other relatives, or close friends.”

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