England Unusual Names - International Institute

Strays
A term used by family historians for events that are recorded in unexpected places, especially outside the county of birth. The Federation of Family History Societies co-ordinates county indexes of strays and they are a good source when you are stuck on a certain line, a person having seemingly disappeared. Contact any British Family History Society for details.

‘Suitable’ Occupations
Here are a few of the gems found when trolling through censuses:

Would you patronize these professionals?


 * Argue and Phibbs, solicitors in Sligo, Ireland
 * Blight the fruitseller in Bournemouth
 * Cecil Kermode, sanitary inspector in London
 * Doolittle and Dally, real estate agents in Bexley
 * Dr. Phang, dentist of Hammersmith
 * Dr. Screech, dentist in Exeter
 * John Crook, solicitor
 * Joseph Doubtfire, tobacco pipe maker in Hackney 1881
 * Mr. Slaughter, surgeon of Farningham, Kent 1880
 * Mr. Stiff, cemetery superintendent in Woolwich
 * Tugwell the hairdresser in St. Leonards
 * Waite and Waite, real estate agents
 * William Waterfall, Manager for Sheffield Water Works

Did their names ‘make them do it’?

Freelove Frink confessed to fornication in Connecticut in 1739, and Mercy Giggles was fined for using strong drink in 1718.

Unusual Combinations of Names

Some gems—are they yours? Twin girls named Treasure and Coral Island, Radulphus Doffer, Lamentation Caudle, Zilpher Spittle, Hunting Jolly, Rivett Anguish, Colville Lumpkin, Modesty Towel, Neptune Blood, Christmas Knight, Obsingoldbey Humblebee, Greediana Tarboy, Bytown Scarf, Gopwing Grey, Fresh Salmon, Abner Twaddle and the Reverend Pine Coffin (some from Crosby).

How about some marvellous marriages?


 * Wickhambreaux, Kent 13 Jan 1709 Edward Mutton + Anne Gammon


 * St. Giles, Colchester, Essex 6 Dec 1768 Richard Letch + Martha Kisser


 *  St. Runwald’s, Colchester, Essex 20 May 1810 John Seaborn + Catherine Leak


 *  Geelong, Victoria, Australia 1999 Matthew Bald + Melinda Wiggs


 *  [Don’t remember where] John Jolly + Ann Merry

Are these 7 sister brides for 7 brothers?

Marriages on 24 Dec 1831 in Saco, Maine


 * Theophilus Hutcheson = Martha Wells 
 * Richard Hutcheson = Eliza Wells
 * Thomas Hutcheson = Sarah Ann Wells
 * Titus Hutcheson = Mary Wells
 * Jonathan Hutcheson = Judith Wells
 * Ebenezer Hutcheson = Virginia Wells
 * John Hutcheson = Peggy Wells (from The Examiner, London 22 Apr 1832)

Margate, Kent 1771. Marriage. Pleasant Fright. Late 1600s, Whitfield, Kent Theophilus Porridge. 1881 census—Mr. Thorn lived in Rose Cottage, whilst a woman named Rose married Robert Garden.

Most unpronounceable surname—Squlthz

There’s got to be a story behind this surname! 1616 15 April at Ilton, Somerset Mary Twothomastwowills daughter of Thomas Twothomastwowills

To finish off with, how about some paranomastics—inventing ‘suitable’ surnames for given names (Dunkling 1977), like Justin Thyme, Eileen Dover, Gustave Wind, Lorne Order, Justin Case, Herbie Hind, Linda Hand, Neil Downe or Hugo Ferst!

An idea for a party game for your next genealogy social! For those who want to stock up before they go, Leslie Alan Dunkling (The Guinness Book of Names, 1989) has over 200 of them, along with all kinds of other information about naming everything from apples to yachts—a jolly good read.

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Information in this Wiki page is excerpted from the online course English - Understanding Names in Genealogy offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. To learn more about this course or other courses available from the Institute, see our website. We can be contacted at [mailto:wiki@genealogicalstudies.com wiki@genealogicalstudies.com]

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