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Help[Facts] Prussian Names?
When using Prussian names, would they have used their names as a double barreled name, only used the middle name, or use the first?
I ask because I have many ancestors in which all females in the family are named Anna (insert middle name), Maria (insert middle name) or Johann (insert middle name). Many families have multiples with the same name but differing middle names, so I am wondering what the common naming practice was, would you say for instance:
Ex. Anna Maria Dorothea Schultz
Anna
Anna Maria
Anna Maria Dorothea
Maria
Maria Dorothea
I ask because I have many ancestors in which all females in the family are named Anna (insert middle name), Maria (insert middle name) or Johann (insert middle name). Many families have multiples with the same name but differing middle names, so I am wondering what the common naming practice was, would you say for instance:
Ex. Anna Maria Dorothea Schultz
Anna
Anna Maria
Anna Maria Dorothea
Maria
Maria Dorothea
1
Replies
In Germany there was until recently the notion of Rufname, this is the given name by which you usually go. In principle the Rufname could be any of the given names, in practice it was mostly the first one or the second one. In personal documents the Rufname was marked by underlining but this practice was given up a few decades ago.
The resulting problems (people being called by their first name that wasn't their Rufname) lead to a change in German law: it is now allowed to officially reorder one's given names to put the Rufname first.
In your example Anna Maria Dorothea Schultz, The Rufname could be one of Anna (or a diminutive like Änke, Ännchen, ...) Maria (Marike, Mariechen, ...), or Dorothea (Dorle, Thea, Orthe, ...).
The resulting problems (people being called by their first name that wasn't their Rufname) lead to a change in German law: it is now allowed to officially reorder one's given names to put the Rufname first.
In your example Anna Maria Dorothea Schultz, The Rufname could be one of Anna (or a diminutive like Änke, Ännchen, ...) Maria (Marike, Mariechen, ...), or Dorothea (Dorle, Thea, Orthe, ...).
1
This is helpful, thank you.
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