Naming patterns

[Muggins in Sussex]

Was it common for parents to give their children forenames beginning with the same initial? - I am thinking 1910-1920 time?

Thanks

[Merry]

In England?

I have one family on my tree who named their children A....., B...., C.... etc and another where they all began with L for no apparent reason, but both of those families are quite a lot earlier than you are talking about. The only oddity I have from that era is a family with two sons called Frederick, both alive at the same time.

I don't think it was common, but probably happened occasionally. Families were generally smaller by 1910, so it might be easier to almost accidentally have several with the same initial!

[Muggins in Sussex]

Thanks Merry

Yes, in England - I was thinking specifically of two children called Eileen (b.1909) and Eric (b.1919) and trying to work out whether they are siblings - ooh this has given me another quandry I think! :eek:

[Uncle John]

Names go in and out of fashion all the time, for all sorts of reason. It's much more likely to be a coincidence - you need a sample bigger than 2 to prove a trend!

[Mary from Italy]

I have quite a big tree, and just one family where all the 10 children had a Christian name beginning with A.

I'm afraid you're clutching at straws here...

[Nell]

I don't think you can deduce anything from a name beginning with the same letter. But I do have a gt aunt who named her children Eleanor and Eric and I have several families with children whose first names begin with the same initial.

I'm with Mary, straws and clutching!

[Muggins in Sussex]

Thanks all- yes, I am clutching at straws! - but it's got the the stage where straws is all I have :d