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ArchivesRe: uncertainty about a name pronuciation-see below
in reply to a message by michael Casasanto
The closest Italian name I can find is Biagio [byah-djo] (Blaise in English). The Italian form of Benjamin is Beniamino, although I'm not sure that such a name is commonly used in Italy — Old Testament names are rarely used in Catholic countries.
Perhaps he was called Biagio in Italian but had Benjamin as his English name? It isn't uncommon for immigrants to adopt an English name that is unrelated to their original name (or being called a totally unrelated non-English name by their non-English speaking family), especially if the direct translation doesn't exist or is too unusual in English. A Biagio going by Benjamin (a classic English name with the same initial) or vice-versa doesn't seem farfetched to me.
The only way to be sure is to try to trace your uncle's documents — finding his birth certificate and / or immigration register shouldn't be too difficult.
Alexandrina, Annabella, Clementine, Charlotte, Emilienne, Florence, Frederica, Katharina, Mary (May), Maud, Penelope, Rosamund, Theodora (Teddy).
Aubrey, Axel, Benedict, Bertrand (Bertie), Cuthbert, Dashiell, Everard, John (Jack) Leopold (Leo), Magnus, Matthias, Maximilian (Max), Wilfred.
Perhaps he was called Biagio in Italian but had Benjamin as his English name? It isn't uncommon for immigrants to adopt an English name that is unrelated to their original name (or being called a totally unrelated non-English name by their non-English speaking family), especially if the direct translation doesn't exist or is too unusual in English. A Biagio going by Benjamin (a classic English name with the same initial) or vice-versa doesn't seem farfetched to me.
The only way to be sure is to try to trace your uncle's documents — finding his birth certificate and / or immigration register shouldn't be too difficult.
Alexandrina, Annabella, Clementine, Charlotte, Emilienne, Florence, Frederica, Katharina, Mary (May), Maud, Penelope, Rosamund, Theodora (Teddy).
Aubrey, Axel, Benedict, Bertrand (Bertie), Cuthbert, Dashiell, Everard, John (Jack) Leopold (Leo), Magnus, Matthias, Maximilian (Max), Wilfred.
This message was edited 6/21/2015, 6:13 PM
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