Naming Practices

First son - named for paternal grandfather
Second son - named for maternal grandfather
Third son - named for father
Fourth son - named for father's oldest brother
Fifth son - named for mother's oldest brother

First daughter - named for maternal grandmother
Second daughter - named for paternal grandmother
Third daughter - named for mother
Fourth daughter - named for mother's oldest sister
Fifth daughter - named for father's oldest sister

Does this hold true?


Samuel Lathrop married Elizabeth Scudder in Barnstable, MA in 1644, English ancestry
Children:

1. John - Samuel's father was Rev. John Lathrop ;)
2. Elizabeth - Elizabeth's mother was Elizabeth Stoughton ;)
3. Samuel - Elizabeth's father was John Scudder :( named for his father instead of the 3rd son
4. Sarah - Samuel's mother was Hannah House :(  no aunt named Sarah
5. Martha - obviously not as her mother was Elizabeth Scudder and her older sister is Elizabeth :( - no aunt named Martha
6. Israel - obviously not as his father was Samuel Lathrop :( - no uncle named Israel
7. Joseph - Samuel's oldest brother was John; his next younger brother was named Joseph :(
8. Abigail - Elizabeth had no sisters; Samuel had a younger sister Abigail
9. Anne - Samuel's oldest sister was Jane :( his second oldest sister was named Anne

David Robertson married Rebecca Clark in Galliopolis, Ohio, 1821, Scottish ancestry

Children:

1. Hudson Brice - David's father was David Robertson; David had a younger brother named Brice; David's mother's surname is not known, it could be Hudson
2. Judith - Rebecca's mother was Mary Darby :(
3. David Clark - Rebecca's father was Samuel Clark; so this child was named for his father & grandfather David Robertson and was given his mother's maiden name
4. Amos Sloane - obviously not named for his father; Rebecca had an older brother named Amos; Sloane may also be a family name from either side of the family
5. Hannah Carpenter - David's mother was named Mary Ann; Rebecca had a sister named Hannah who married William Carpenter
6. Eleanor J. - obviously not named for her mother; no known aunt named Eleanor; David had a sister who's name is not known
7. James Henry - David's oldest brother was James Robertson ;)  Rebecca had an older brother named James as well.
8. John Dewitt - Rebecca's oldest brother was Samuel Clark and she didn't have a brother named John :(  David's second oldest brother was John
9. Mary Elizabeth - Rebecca didn't have a sister named Mary or Elizabeth.  Both Rebecca & David's mothers were named Mary

Alfred David Morehead married Elizabeth Durall in Muhlenberg Co. KY in 1824 - a southern family 

Children:

1. James - Alfred's father was Armistead Morehead :( no uncle named James
2. David - Elizabeth's father was named David ;)
3. Lewis - obviously not :( no uncle's named Lewis
4. John Henry - Alfred's oldest brother was Charles :( he had a brother named John Berry and a brother named Henry; Elizabeth had a brother named John and her grandfather's name was John Durall
5. Alexander - 5th son not covered in the naming scheme above; Elizabeth had a brother named Alexander
6. Susanna - Elizabeth's mother was Susanna ;)
7. Mary E. - Alfred's mother was Anne Morgan :(  Alfred's oldest sister was mary Wheatley Morehead

John Speer married Mary Barbary Grove in Morganton, NC ca. 1806.  They moved to Kentucky ca. 1811 where most of their children were born.

Children:

1. Samuel - John's father was John :( John had an uncle named Samuel Speer and his grandfather may have been named Samuel
2. John Grove - Mary's father was John Grove ;)
3. Margaret Cloyd - Mary's mother was Anna Margareta; John's mother was Margaret Cloyd - so a variation on the theme
4. Susan - John's mother was Margaret Cloyd and the first daughter was named for her; Mary had a sister named Susan
5. Marquis de Lafayette - obviously not :( he was named for Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier whose title was Marquis de Lafayette which was becoming a common American tradition to name sons after American Revolutionary patriots such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette and Francis Marion
6. Amelia - obviously not :(  Mary had a sister named Amelia
7. James Monroe - John was an only child; he was named for the sitting president James Monroe
8. Martha Jane - I do not know the birth order of Mary and her siblings, however she did not have a sister named Martha or Jane :(
9. Julia Ann - no known family members named Julia :( 

In the south, many children carry the mother's surname as a first name or second name.  This is done even if a daughter ends up with a masculine sounding name.  

Who has the most say in the naming of children - father or mother?

Irish 1800's

First son named for paternal grandfather

Second son named for maternal grandfather

First daughter named for paternal grandfather

Second daughter named for maternal grandmother

Additional children named alternately for grandmothers, grandfathers, father, mother, aunts and uncles

Old German 

The first name of each daughter was usually the first name of the mother

The first name of the son was usually the first name of the father

Often the middle name of each child was the name of the baptismal sponsor and that was the name commonly used by the child.  

This is not unlike George Foreman who has named his sons:  George Foreman II, III, IV, V, VI and VII . . . 

Middle names did not come into common use until the mid-1700's in Virginia, mid-1800's in the southern colonies.