What's in a NAME?
8 Generations
Newly pregnant with my first child, I shared with Mom the names that we had selected (Emily or Andrew) and she replied …’Is there a Saint Emily?’ I followed that question with the answer “Maybe she will be that saint.” (FYI - there is a Saint Emily de Vialar and she was a French Nun that founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition - thank you Google!) Names are important and personal and I suspect that quite often names are selected based upon family or simply the love of that name. Lately I have been working on a family tree using Ancestry.com (so cool and will soon be uploaded to the RFT website) and I have been struck by recurring names. It also stood out to me that PAUL (our Dad) was the first to bear that name and have it connected to the surname - Ringwood. Take a look at the eight generations of Ringwood names below...Dad (back to his great-great grandfather) and forward to his great grandchildren. What a lineage! Our family seems to have a combination of family and popular names - and let’s not forget the saints. Also included are surnames used as middle names and I wonder if that was something popular when Mom and Dad were growing a family.
Nancy Joan (named for Aunt Nancy? Mom)
Michael Paul (popular? Dad)
Patricia Mary (popular?)
Thomas George (both side grandfathers)
John Leo (both side fathers)
Teresa Boyle (maternal grandmother / paternal maiden name)
Paul James Jr. (!!)
David Crawford (popular ? - Mother maiden)
Peter William (family consensus)
Robert Michael (family consensus)
The newest baby to join this family is Avri Monroe and when I asked Erin about the selection, she said because they loved those names and the combination. And now, Avri, unique in the line of Ringwoods. Another baby is soon to arrive and we already know that his name will be Billy Allen (named after both fathers). Ha ha … he will also bear the initials BAD - Billy Allen Doss!!
I am curious … what stories do you know that are connected to your name and how and why did you settle upon the names of your children? Please share.
JAMES
Ann, John, Mary, William, JAMES
THOMAS, Catherine, James, William, Bartholomew, John, Elizabeth, Edward, George, Rose, Christopher
Elizabeth, Ann, Joseph, Katherine,Leo, Louis, THOMAS
PAUL JAMES RINGWOOD
Nancy, Mike, Patty, Tom, Jack, Teresa, Paul, David, Peter, Bob
Kelly, Patrick, Molly, Caitlin, Matt, Josh, Ben, Nathan, Sarah, Tom, Erin, Mark, David, Ned, Ben, Emily, Andrew, Maggie, Kevin, Paul, Mitch, Ryan, John, Will, Emma, Hannah, Hunter, Colin, Abby, Sean
Michael, Allysa, Sammy, Jack, Michael, Charlotte, Brielle, Owen, Olive, Avri, Zoe, Ruby, Madeline, Billy
