A 'GUIDE' TO NAMING PATTERNS                                                                   
                                                                                                     © Judith-Ann S. Adams

                     Generally in Genealogy the names of Children are commonly used as a yard-stick  when researching prior generations.                                                   

                     Certainly all Christian Names chosen by Early Families up until the 20th Century were namesakes of Family Members.  
                     In earlier centuries these names were normally applied in order, from the highest ranking Family Member.
                     An Early Naming Pattern;                                      
                                                                          The eldest son was named after the father's father [or most senior Family Member]
                                                                          The second son after the mother's father
                                                                          The third son after the father,
                                                                          The fourth son after the father's eldest brother,
                                                                          The first daughter after the mother's mother,
                                                                          The second daughter after the father's mother,
                                                                          The third daughter after the mother,
                                                                          The fourth daughter after the mother's eldest sister.  

                    However difficulties occur in using the formula in that some elder unbaptised children died during infancy or early childhood may
                    have been buried unrecorded, particularly in the mid 17th Century when the financial burden of Burials in Wool, introduced to 
                    aid the ailing Wool Industry in England, became mandatory and was generally strictly enforced.  

                                                
                                             Early Parish Burials Entries dated 1741 showing 'far right' acknowledgement that an 'Affidavit'
                                             had been provided by the attending Nurse, Doctor, Undertaker or Official that the deceased wore a shroud 
                                             made of Wool.  Far bottom left corner the signatures with date of inspection were provided by appointed officials
                                             [i.e. bailiffs etc.] whose duty it was to check Parish Records to ensure that the mandate was enforced.
                   Wool burials were largely ignored towards the end of the century but gaps in names during the interim would have occurred in 
                   apparent Family ranking.

                   There were exceptions:    An obvious 'jump' in order occurred if the Grandfather's name was the same as the Father.
                                                                Names of the Paternal and Maternal Grandparents, Uncles and Aunts would often have been repeated.
                                                                The name of a Benefactor in a recent Will [usually a family member] would 'jump the queue' in favour. 
                                                                Avid Royalists naming their children after reigning Monarchs was extremely rare.  

                   This Naming Pattern began to emerge in England since the Earliest Parish Registers.
  
                                   Found from the Reformation [1538] it appears to have been continued in many areas until the late 17th Century,
                                   prevalent in more affluent families although many lay families appeared to imitate the Pattern particularly with
                                   their first and second sons and daughters.
  
                                   By the mid 18th Century the strict 'Rank Order' lost favour with the general population, the parent names assuming
                                   precedence, particularly in regard to the eldest son.  Subsequent issue continued to carry the names of family members
                                   paternal and maternal in loose order.  It was during this period that the introduction of  'MIDDLE' Names, derived from
                                   Paternal and Maternal lineages and became popular in order to preserve distinction.  This pattern was continued
                                   into the 20th Century.

                                   By the 20th Century the pattern was largely ignored after World War I although naming patterns of the 1ater 18th 
                                   century relating to elder sons persisted and occurs in many families to the present time.  
                                   Post World War II more 'popular' names of the era came into vogue, however the favoured use of 'Middle Names' continued, 
                                   primarily to record and preserve family connections.  This pattern is still found in use today, a remnant of centuries past.