Middle initial 'B P'

[*bunty*]

Something I discovered while researching my normally bland line of Smiths was the initials 'B P'. These were given to a David Smith born in 1900. His siblings either side were rather plain in name, and lacked middle names completely. I started digging into what the 'B P' stood for, and on seeing his name in the BMD index he was surounded by dozens of other Smiths with the B P in the middle, all born in 1900. I also discovered the B stood for Baden, and after googling Baden Powell discovered he became a national hero from a famous battle in the Boer War, and this battle took place in 1899. Hence, many of the children born shortly after this time had his name as part of theirs. So my David Baden Powell Smith was named for this reason, as were many other children of his era. Very interesting! Anyone else have ancestors with Baden Powell as middle names?

[suedent]

I don't have a Baden Powell but I do have one with the middle name Kitchener, named for similar reasons. I also have a Samuel Mafeking Bray born in 1901, sadly young Samuel died in 1905.

[Jan1954]

So, I thought that I would throw the first names "Baden Powell" into FreeBMD to see what came up.

Between 1899 and 1910 there were 452 entries - this does not include those registrations with these as middle names.

Of these, in 1900, there were 392 entries - 225 alone being in the June quarter.

Can't see anything like that happening today...

[*bunty*]

John David Beckham Smith? |biggrin|

Sarah Britney Spears Jones? |biggrin|

Not a lot of real life heroes left ;). (well there probably are, but we tend to hero worship the wrong people these days ;)).

[suedent]

So, I thought that I would throw the first names "Baden Powell" into FreeBMD to see what came up.

Between 1899 and 1910 there were 452 entries - this does not include those registrations with these as middle names.

Of these, in 1900, there were 392 entries - 225 alone being in the June quarter.

Can't see anything like that happening today...

There are those poor children entered into the Guinness Book of Records because their doting fathers have given them the names of a full football squad. :rolleyes:

[Sandyhall]

Hi

I have a George Baden-Powell Mafeking Hutchins b1900 Brentford, Middlesex
in my Family. What a mouth full.
Also Christopher Inkerman Moss and George Alma Moss twin brothers named after battles in the Crimean War.
Sandy

[Colin Moretti]

There are celebrities and celebrities; I once worked with Lloyd Askwith Winston Ewart surname - guess which political party his parents supported!

Colin

[MarkJ]

I have a couple of ancestors with various famous names from their times, but the best (and strangest) is the one with a middle name of Census! As you may guess, he was born on the day of the 1861 census and I suppose his parents thought it a good name - rather like those born on Christmas Day called Holly and other similar things!

Mark

[Ladkyis]

When my husband began his research his father asked "Have you found Ramsey yet?" we said we hadn't yet and he smiled.

A cousin of my father in law was given the wonderful name of James Ramsey MacDonald Macey.

[daleaway]

It's worldwide.
Down here in the South Pacific it is not unknown to name children after an event, like a big storm, which happened at the time of their birth.

We have plenty of baby boomers named after World War II locations their returned soldier fathers fought in - Tobruk, Alamein, Cairo, Cassino etc. We recently had a lady Member of Parliament called Alamein.


I had a neighbour once called Whakairi. "Unusual name," I said, "What does it mean?"

She said: "It means hanging. I was born on the day my grandmother hanged herself."

There's no adequate reply to that.

[ProspectHill]

My g-g-grandfather was Henry Clay A., and his son was Henry Clay A. jr., in honor of a USA senator. There is a woman in the family book named Cinderella A. Wish I had thought of that when I was a new Mom.

[Sue Mackay]

Can't see anything like that happening today...

Sadly it's a sign of the times. Instead of being named after famous politicians or battles (I don't think there was a rise in popularity of the name Stanley in 1982 but I may be wrong) the fashion in names comes from TV programmes. The Darrens and Samanthas (remember 'Bewitched'?) are probably grandparents now, and the Kylies are reaching motherhood too.

There is an interesting link to the most popular male and female names in countries around the world at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_popular_given_names

One phenomenon I find interesting is the traditional short forms of names. My son was christened James because it went better with his middle names but we wanted to call him Jamie, and did for the first three years of his life. When he went to nursery he decided he wanted to be James and has been ever since - not one of his friends has shortened it to Jim or Jamie. He has friends called Richard and William but they never get called Dick or Bill. However, for several years now the most popular boy's name has been Jack. Very few of the parents using this name know that it was the familiar form of John. Similarly Harry and Charlie have become popular names in their own right.

[SBSFamilyhistory]

Parents should be shot for some of the names they give their children..

I know of children with thw following names and not I have not made them up. and no this is not an April Fool

Diamond White
Brittany Beech
London Experience and then her last name
Princess Diana then her last name
Baby, when this was questioned we were told, he will be able to choose his name when he gets old enough!


to name but a few..

Sue|jumphappy

[MythicalMarian]

Parents should be shot for some of the names they give their children..

I know of children with thw following names and not I have not made them up. and no this is not an April Fool

Diamond White
Brittany Beech
London Experience and then her last name
Princess Diana then her last name
Baby, when this was questioned we were told, he will be able to choose his name when he gets old enough!


to name but a few..

Sue|jumphappy

Yep - and although Bob Geldof has much to commend him, his choice of names for his daughters is disgraceful - every one reads likes a cat's pedigree:

Fifi Trixie-Belle
Peaches - something (can't remember)
Pixie - something ditto
And the last unfortunate half-sister: Heavenly Irana Tiger Lily.

There is a trend lately for Apple and Poppy - vile! And what about the Phoenix clan? River, Leaf, Summer etc. At least Leaf has reverted to Joachin.

I am still to this day a great fan of the legendary Mr. David Bowie - and although he was as mad as any other 70s rock star, David gave his son the name of Zowie to rhyme with Bowie, but also the middle name of Duncan to use when he grew up. As Bowie's real surname is Jones, it is not surprising to find young Zowie now actually calls himself Duncan Jones. Unlike the kids of Frank Zappa born in the 60s who still call themselves Dweezil and Moon-Unit (the latter being a girl!)

Hats off to good old Rik Mayall for naming one of his sons Sidney. I love the old-fashioned names, and gladly they are making a comeback.

As for footballers - our super Frankie Lampard named his daughter Luna Lampard - to me that sounds like a drag act! :confused:

[ProspectHill]

http://www.babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html
type in your name or that of your least favorite cousin.