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ArchivesRe: Attn Cleveland Kent Evans re: Alifair/Alafair
in reply to a message by Cleveland Kent Evans
I think you can rule out a Welsh origin. That particular Lee family were travelling Romnichal - British Romanies, who have a tradition of highly unusual names. I also found an Alefare Smith married in Hackney in 1849, and Smith is another common Romany surname in the UK. So there's another possible origin.
edit: and an Alifear Byford who's also from a Romany family - and an Alafear Wright b. 1839: can't confirm her being Romany, but there are definitely Romany Wrights (there was a fairly well-known Romany maker of wagons/vardos called Wright). Of course this may have nothing to do with the US names, but it's looking like a good possibility.
Wild guess, from what I know of British Romany names - could have originally been a corruption of Alethea.
edit #2: Another possible origin for the US names might be a former Native American tribe from the Florida region, the Alafaes (also Alafay, Alafaia, Elafay, Costa, Alafaia/Alafaya/Alafeyes Costas) - those variations look closer to the OP's set.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_tribes_in_Florida)
edit: and an Alifear Byford who's also from a Romany family - and an Alafear Wright b. 1839: can't confirm her being Romany, but there are definitely Romany Wrights (there was a fairly well-known Romany maker of wagons/vardos called Wright). Of course this may have nothing to do with the US names, but it's looking like a good possibility.
Wild guess, from what I know of British Romany names - could have originally been a corruption of Alethea.
edit #2: Another possible origin for the US names might be a former Native American tribe from the Florida region, the Alafaes (also Alafay, Alafaia, Elafay, Costa, Alafaia/Alafaya/Alafeyes Costas) - those variations look closer to the OP's set.
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_tribes_in_Florida)
This message was edited 9/16/2009, 4:29 PM
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Replies
The Romany idea is certainly an amazing and interesting possibility. That might help explain why no one has been able to find any indication yet of who Alafair Wright's parents were.
I doubt, though, that the name has anything to do with the Native American tribe in Florida. I just can't see parents in Maryland giving the name of a Florida tribe to a girl born in 1768. Remember that Florida wasn't even purchased by the USA from Spain until 1819. In 1768 Florida would have seemed a world away to people in Maryland, and I think it's highly doubtful the average Maryland family would ever have even heard of the Florida tribe. Finally, using tribal names as given names would have been highly unusual back then. The use of names like Cheyenne and Cherokee for babies is really a modern innovation.
I doubt, though, that the name has anything to do with the Native American tribe in Florida. I just can't see parents in Maryland giving the name of a Florida tribe to a girl born in 1768. Remember that Florida wasn't even purchased by the USA from Spain until 1819. In 1768 Florida would have seemed a world away to people in Maryland, and I think it's highly doubtful the average Maryland family would ever have even heard of the Florida tribe. Finally, using tribal names as given names would have been highly unusual back then. The use of names like Cheyenne and Cherokee for babies is really a modern innovation.
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