My Favorite Ancestor Name

The very first favorite name that comes to mind is Sarah Angeline Corset Wiedrich. I love Sarah Angeline. It’s such a sweet name and it doesn’t hurt that I knew and loved her. My great grandmother was born in 1868 and was probably named Sarah after her maternal grandmother, Sarah Norton. I don’t know where the Angeline came from. I don’t know her father Edward Corset’s ancestry, but his surname suggests French.

Another name that appeals is Andrew “AJ” Moore. I don’t think of initial nicknames for those who lived mid nineteenth century but there are those Civil War generals like US Grant. The other part of the appeal is his tragic death at the Battle of Little Big Horn.

Then there are the not so appealing names. My maternal grandmother was named Hazel. Such an unattractive name for such a lovely person. She disliked her name and said she’d return to haunt anyone who name their child Hazel. Even worse is Elephalet, my Connecticut ancestor. When I first heard it, I thought it a misspelling of Elephant.

We are all at the mercy of being named by our parents. My grandmother, Hazel named her daughters: Yvonne, Bonalyn, Millicent and Constance. Her desire was to give them beautiful names. I received my mother’s name reversed, Arlene Millicent. My brother, Terry was named for a baseball player when there was family dispute the night before he was born. They did agree to a middle name after his grandfather, Charles.

My son, Sean was named after John Wayne’s character in the movie The Quiet Man with another Irish name, Patrick for a middle name. We were sure the next child would be a girl, so our plan was to name her Mary Kate after Maureen O’Hara’s character in that movie. We got a surprise when instead of a girl a little boy arrived. Bill named him Travis after the commander of the Alamo. And for a middle name it was my dad’s, Earl.

And when you find yourself a grandparent you have to rein yourself in and lets the kids do their own naming. You’ve had your turn and no matter the name it’s soon the one that rolls easily off your lips to brag to one and all.

#52 Ancestors 2018, #Favorite Names, #Moore genealogy, #Baker genealogy, #Wiedrich genealogy