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ArchivesNaming children for dead siblings
A couple hundred years ago and earlier, it was fairly common for children in the Western world to be named for deceased older siblings. When and why did this trend begin? Did the younger children go by nicknames to distinguish them from their dead namesakes? If they didn't, what did religious parents think would happen when they (the parents) reached Heaven? They would just have two or more children with the same name? When and why did this trend go by the wayside?
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It might be unpopular now, but it still happens. I was born in 1995. A girl from my high school class has a younger sister named Maria. Before my ex-classmate was born, her parents had had quadruplets, all of whom died within days. One of them was a girl, whose name was also Maria. Honestly, I find it somewhat creepy.
I'd say that this trend stopped being a trend when children mortality rate went down.
I'd say that this trend stopped being a trend when children mortality rate went down.
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The deceased older siblings, if my grandmother's family is anything to go by, would themselves have been named after relatives, living or dead. For instance, in her family the father, Robert, named his first son William; William named his first son Robert; who named his son William ... My grandmother never mentioned this; as far as I knew, she was the only girl, and her brothers were John William, Edward and Robert. Long after her death, I looked up her family in UK census records and found the family consisting of Robert (eldest) and John William. I was puzzled - Robert was the youngest of them all, I knew that - and checked the death records. Sure enough, Robert had been the eldest son and had died at the age of I think eleven. Can't recall. That left John William, Edward, my grandmother and the youngest son: another Robert, who was always known as Bob. No idea whether the original Robert had a nickname and if so, what it was. For the record, John William was known as Jack and Edward as Ted. Oh, and Robert had a son and named him William, but William's marriage was childless and there the tradition ended.
As for going to Heaven, surely in Heaven of all places that wouldn't be a problem. If they all ended up in Hell, there would certainly be opportunities for unpleasant name-calling etc. But one wouldn't plan for that. Anyway, when fewer names were in use than there are now, any family in Heaven would have numerous relatives of all ages named John and Mary. I'm sure they all coped, as they would have in life.
In South Africa, the tradition in Afrikaans families used to be very powerful: first son named after paternal grandfather, second son after maternal grandfather ... same for girls and grandmothers. Now, that would be a rarity. Fashions have changed, international trends have become acceptable rather than threatening, and parents are quite capable of splicing their own names together to make a new one, especially for girls: I know a Jeanine who married a Rudolf and named their daughter Runine, which I found unfortunate but they found meaningful.
As for going to Heaven, surely in Heaven of all places that wouldn't be a problem. If they all ended up in Hell, there would certainly be opportunities for unpleasant name-calling etc. But one wouldn't plan for that. Anyway, when fewer names were in use than there are now, any family in Heaven would have numerous relatives of all ages named John and Mary. I'm sure they all coped, as they would have in life.
In South Africa, the tradition in Afrikaans families used to be very powerful: first son named after paternal grandfather, second son after maternal grandfather ... same for girls and grandmothers. Now, that would be a rarity. Fashions have changed, international trends have become acceptable rather than threatening, and parents are quite capable of splicing their own names together to make a new one, especially for girls: I know a Jeanine who married a Rudolf and named their daughter Runine, which I found unfortunate but they found meaningful.
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Thanks for the answer. I've heard about Afrikaaner name-splicing. It's very interesting. Have you ever heard of it being done for boys?
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Don't think I have! Boys tend to be named more conservatively than girls, of course. I'll keep an eye out for examples, and provide them here if they ever turn up.
The full names of everyone who passed the 12th-year school-leaving exam used to appear in the daily newspapers, but there has been a policy change so my major source of teenage naming info no longer exists. Pity!
The full names of everyone who passed the 12th-year school-leaving exam used to appear in the daily newspapers, but there has been a policy change so my major source of teenage naming info no longer exists. Pity!
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I don't think that "naming children for deceased older siblings" frames the practice right. The tradition was to to preserve the names from the family history, typically from the grandparents' generation. When one child dies, the name is used again to prevent it from dying out. Because children mortality was high some centuries ago, this naming practice can look quite desperate to modern observers.
I don't have any information about the religious issues you are asking about.
The trend vanished with the decrease of infant mortality.
I don't have any information about the religious issues you are asking about.
The trend vanished with the decrease of infant mortality.
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