Childrens Names

[The Walking Dead]

Naming children isn't always easy. Children are named after family members and historical figures like George Washington and Robert E. Lee. During the War and after were children ever named after Civil War battles/places?

We were blessed with daughters and our oldest is named Shiloh.

 

[lupaglupa]

I have not seen that in any of my extended family research. I think for many people who lived through the War, the names of battles or places where battles took place would have sad connotations and they would be less likely to choose them.

 

[Fairfield]

I have not seen that in any of my extended family research.

Nor I--although I narrowly escaped being given "Chattahoochee" as a middle name. I have encountered names which stem from historical significance...such as "Pearl Harbor" (now, didn't that date the child for the rest of her life?). A member of my genealogy group is named "Enola" which she hates (and hopes to live long enough that no one remembers). A cousin of my mother's was named "Oradell" but I don't believe that there were ever any battles there.

 

[JeffFromSyracuse]

I have not seen that in any of my extended family research. I think for many people who lived through the War, the names of battles or places where battles took place would have sad connotations and they would be less likely to choose them.

I need to dig a bit more, but one of my sources for my regimental project may have named his youngest child "Weldon." Said officer was hit in the chest at Weldon RR and resigned his commission because of it.

 

[lupaglupa]

A couple at my church named their daughter Katrina the same year the hurricane hit NOLA. I thought that was weird. But I'm guessing by the time she's grown it won't matter.

And I bet @The Walking Dead a whole lot of Shiloh's friends will not know her name is anything but a pretty sounding name. I can just imagine the day they get to that unit in history...

 

[archieclement]

Here in cemeteries one will find some wartime babies named after Confederate Heros, ussually Robert E Lee and Sterling Price, havent noticed many or any after Union generals. Not sure if it was common everywhere, or if it was a way for people of an occupied state to show defiance.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Shiloh is a pretty sounding name. But imagine naming your child Bull Run or Cross Keys! My mother was a teacher and actually came across a REAL "Puggsley" and "Wednesday." She IMPRESSED upon me, at an early age, to never, ever name your child names that are going to mark them for tragic/stupid/tv events. OR combine names so that the initials make up a horrible name.

My cousin named her only daughter "Feather" after the short-lived tv show, "Feather and Father" to "be different." Her daughter has spent her WHOLE LIFE correcting people, who think they have misheard her saying "Heather."

No one would mishear "Bull Run" but it now sounds like the name of a bucking bull in a rodeo. We no longer live in the age where you can name a child "States Rights" and people understand what it means. I've always wondered if he even liked that name!

 

[DaveBrt]

Naming children isn't always easy. Children are named after family members and historical figures like George Washington and Robert E. Lee. During the War and after were children ever named after Civil War battles/places?

We were blessed with daughters and our oldest is named Shiloh.

Shiloh is a name in Genesis for the Messiah. I would never think to associate a person's name to a battle, unless it was unmistakable, like Iwo Jima.

 

[Fairfield]

OR combine names so that the initials make up a horrible name

When I was in Scotland, I was told that is lucky to have the initials spell out a word--but even they specified that it should be a nice word. When my brother was born, my two Norwegian grandfathers thought that it would be nice to have the baby named after them--but one was named Hjalmar and the other was named Olaf. Our surname begins with a "G" and my quick-thinking mother pointed out that--if the suggestion was followed--the child's initials would spell HOG in the US. . My grandfathers backed down!

 

[John Winn]

When I was in Scotland, I was told that is lucky to have the initials spell out a word--but even they specified that it should be a nice word. When my brother was born, my two Norwegian grandfathers thought that it would be nice to have the baby named after them--but one was named Hjalmar and the other was named Olaf. Our surname begins with a "G" and my quick-thinking mother pointed out that--if the suggestion was followed--the child's initials would spell HOG in the US. . My grandfathers backed down!

A Texas governor with the last name of Hogg named one of his daughters Ima. She had fun with her name and wasn't ashamed of it. I think she inherited well and became a big-time philanthropist. Long before the internet people used to say Ima had a sister name Ura or Sheza but that's false (fake news of the day). I remember my father telling me that (I thought he was pulling my leg but I now think he actually believed the rumors).

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

I've read in a number of places, over the years, that she had three sisters!

I'll give you this - you can carry off a name like Ima Hogg IF you have GREAT wealth. Not so much if you don't.

 

[John Winn]

I've read in a number of places, over the years, that she had three sisters!

I'll give you this - you can carry off a name like Ima Hogg IF you have GREAT wealth. Not so much if you don't.

Yeah - money talks. I believe she actually had only brothers (but don't quote me - Google could be our friend but I'm lazy right now).

And off topic really all that reminds me of one of my favorite Clifton Chenier tunes: I'm A Hog For You Baby. And now for something completely different.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

Shiloh is a pretty sounding name. But imagine naming your child Bull Run or Cross Keys! My mother was a teacher and actually came across a REAL "Puggsley" and "Wednesday." She IMPRESSED upon me, at an early age, to never, ever name your child names that are going to mark them for tragic/stupid/tv events. OR combine names so that the initials make up a horrible name.

I always kinda liked "Antietam" maybe as a dog name. lol
An old friend of mine named his son Anakin.... yes as in Skywalker. He named his son after Darth Vader. lol

 

[The Walking Dead]

When I was in Scotland, I was told that is lucky to have the initials spell out a word--but even they specified that it should be a nice word. When my brother was born, my two Norwegian grandfathers thought that it would be nice to have the baby named after them--but one was named Hjalmar and the other was named Olaf. Our surname begins with a "G" and my quick-thinking mother pointed out that--if the suggestion was followed--the child's initials would spell HOG in the US. . My grandfathers backed down!

My father's initials were DAD.

 

[Kathy WI]

I have a friend whose first name is Daniel, AND whose initials spell out DAN. I always thought his parents were clever. On the other hand, I knew someone by the last name of Schauer who named her daughter April, thereby making her daughter the butt of jokes every time her name was pronounced. The girl got married at 18 and changed her name. I think some people have the temperament and money to make hay out of a joke-name, and others do not.

My granddaughter's initials are REM — not coincidentally, one of her parents' favorite bands in their youth.

On the subject of hero-naming, I recently discovered an ancestor named George Washington [family last name here].

 

[27thVA]

Here in cemeteries one will find some wartime babies named after Confederate Heros, ussually Robert E Lee and Sterling Price, havent noticed many or any after Union generals. Not sure if it was common everywhere, or if it was a way for people of an occupied state to show defiance.

My GG, Ulysses Grant Higgins, was born December 1865. Always preferred to go by Grant.

 

[JeffFromSyracuse]

View attachment 402837
My GG, Ulysses Grant Higgins, was born December 1865. Always preferred to go by Grant.

Kind of funny that he went by his middle name, since Ulysses Grant's real name was Hiram Ulysses.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

I have a friend whose first name is Daniel, AND whose initials spell out DAN. I always thought his parents were clever. On the other hand, I knew someone by the last name of Schauer who named her daughter April, thereby making her daughter the butt of jokes every time her name was pronounced. The girl got married at 18 and changed her name. I think some people have the temperament and money to make hay out of a joke-name, and others do not.

My granddaughter's initials are REM — not coincidentally, one of her parents' favorite bands in their youth.

On the subject of hero-naming, I recently discovered an ancestor named George Washington [family last name here].

I went to school with a kid who's name was Tom Morrow. A lot of jokes about that where made daily.

 

[DixieRifles]

My GG, Ulysses Grant Higgins,

My Gr-Gr-Grandfather was names James Beauregard Tilghman but there are no Beauregard families in my tree.
My Gr-Gr-Grandmother living during the War had an old fashioned name: Eliza Jane. When my daughter was expecting, she searched and searched for a name and kept it secret until her baby was born. By accident, she picked Eliza Jane — even though ~3 years earlier she has visited our ancestor's grave.

 

[Fairfield]

My Gr-Gr-Grandfather was names James Beauregard Tilghman but there are no Beauregard families in my tree.
My Gr-Gr-Grandmother living during the War had an old fashioned name: Eliza Jane. When my daughter was expecting, she searched and searched for a name and kept it secret until her baby was born. By accident, she picked Eliza Jane — even though ~3 years earlier she has visited our ancestor's grave.

Aside: A friend told me that when her daughter was expecting, she advised her daughter to keep the chosen name to herself & husband. Said the daughter: "My mother-in-law gave us the exact same advice!".