German Naming Pattern

German Naming Patterns

In German families, the researcher might notice a few variations from the English pattern listed above. In German families, it was customary to give, at baptism, two names. The first was a spiritual or a saint\'s name in honor of a favorite saint. The second or middle name was the name the person was known by within the family. For example, you may see in one family a Johann Adam, Johann George, Johann Jacob Hetzel and some favorite female names were Anna Barbara and Anna Margaret Hetzel. It was also common practice in some German families to add the suffix "in" or "en", added to the end of a name, such as Anna Maria Hetzelin denoted female, often an unmarried female.

There are three common naming patterns used by German families. Whenever a duplicate name occurred in these patterns, the next name in the series was used. If a child died in infancy the name was often reused for the next child of the same gender. A rare twist occurred sometimes. A child�s name would be reused when a spouse died and the surviving spouse remarried and had more children with the next spouse.

Pattern A<br />\nfirst son father\'s father          first daughter      father\'s mother<br />\nsecond son   mother\'s father          second daughter   mother\'s mother<br />\nthird son    father          third daughter      mother<br />\nfourth son   father�s paternal grandfather      fourth daughter   father�s paternal grandmother<br />\nfifth son mothers�s paternal grandfather          fifth daughter mothers�s paternal grandmother<br />\nsixth son father�s maternal grandfather      sixth daughter father�s maternal grandmother<br />\nseventh son mothers�s maternal grandfather      seventh daughter   mothers�s maternal grandmother<br />\nPattern B<br />\nfirst son      father\'s father          first daughter father�s mother<br />\nsecond son      mother\'s father          second daughter      mother�s mother<br />\nthird son father          third daughter mother<br />\nfourth son   father�s paternal grandfather          fourth daughter      mothers�s paternal grandmother<br />\nfifth son   mothers�s paternal grandfather      fifth daughter father�s paternal grandmother<br />\nPattern C<br />\nfirst son     father�s father             first daughter father�s mother<br />\nsecond son    mother�s father             second daughter      mother�s mother<br />\nthird son     father�s oldest brother         third daughter mother�s oldest sister<br />\nfourth son father           fourth daughter      mother