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Help[Facts] Meaning of Gesina?
I'm trying to find the meaning of the female name Gesina. I think it's origin is German, but that's about all I know. Can anyone help?
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What's more, there's a suburb of my home town called Gezina. Herewith a brief history lesson: at the end of the 19th century there were two little independent Dutch-speaking republics in inland South Africa which might have lived happily ever after except that gold was discovered in the more northerly one. Its president was Paul Kruger, and its seat of government was Pretoria; Gezina was his wife's name, so she got the suburb named after her.
It wasn't a nn for Gertruida (the local form ...) to my knowledge - she had it as a given name in its own right.
By the way, old President Kruger had three given names: Stephanus Johannes Paulus, of which he used the third. I believe that this is the German custom - ie a German named Karl-Heinz would be called Heinz, whereas an Englishman named Charles Henry would be called Charles. Am I right, Satu, or am I raving (not unusual ...)?
It wasn't a nn for Gertruida (the local form ...) to my knowledge - she had it as a given name in its own right.
By the way, old President Kruger had three given names: Stephanus Johannes Paulus, of which he used the third. I believe that this is the German custom - ie a German named Karl-Heinz would be called Heinz, whereas an Englishman named Charles Henry would be called Charles. Am I right, Satu, or am I raving (not unusual ...)?
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Hi Anneza!
Yes, in Germany (and some other countries) the name which is used in everyday life doesn't need to be the first forename in a row.
When your name is
ANDREAS CHRISTIAN WILHELM MÜLLER
and you go by Christian, then
ANDREAS CHRISTIAN WILHELM is your "Vorname" (literally: forename)
CHRISTIAN is your "Rufname" (literally: *call name*)
and MÜLLER is your "Nachname" (literally: surname)
Parents can choose the Rufname as they like. It can be the first one, the second one, the third one etc.
Nowadays it's the first one very often, but some centuries ago it was very varying.
Most people I know whose name is Karl-Heinz are called Kalle, which is a common nick name for Karl in the northern part of Germany.
Satu
Yes, in Germany (and some other countries) the name which is used in everyday life doesn't need to be the first forename in a row.
When your name is
ANDREAS CHRISTIAN WILHELM MÜLLER
and you go by Christian, then
ANDREAS CHRISTIAN WILHELM is your "Vorname" (literally: forename)
CHRISTIAN is your "Rufname" (literally: *call name*)
and MÜLLER is your "Nachname" (literally: surname)
Parents can choose the Rufname as they like. It can be the first one, the second one, the third one etc.
Nowadays it's the first one very often, but some centuries ago it was very varying.
Most people I know whose name is Karl-Heinz are called Kalle, which is a common nick name for Karl in the northern part of Germany.
Satu
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