Douglas as a girl's Christian name? - Genealogists' Forum

ElizabethHerts · #1 11-09-12, 21:36

http://www.lincstothepast.com/Record...8588&iid=25201

Right-hand page, two burials for sons of John and Douglas Toyne.

Olde Crone · #2 11-09-12, 21:39

Elizabeth

I can't help with your query, sorry, but this thread has reminded me of "another site" where we all spent ages looking for a Stuart somebody or other, only to find out Stuart was a female. The irate poster said that everyone should have known that Stuart was a girl's name, lol.

OC

ElizabethHerts · #3 11-09-12, 21:41

http://www.lincstothepast.com/Record...8588&iid=25200

This is their marriage in 1668.

ElizabethHerts · #4 11-09-12, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olde Crone

Elizabeth

I can't help with your query, sorry, but this thread has reminded me of "another site" where we all spent ages looking for a Stuart somebody or other, only to find out Stuart was a female. The irate poster said that everyone should have known that Stuart was a girl's name, lol.

OC

Well, I can see how you might all have been barking up the wrong tree!

Must be fun when you see a Douglas giving birth.

kiterunner · #5 11-09-12, 21:46

I haven't come across Douglas as a girl's name before as far as I can remember, but I have seen a few oddities such as Florence for a man (mostly in Ireland, I think)

#6 11-09-12, 21:46

Well not sure about Douglas but I have a few female ancestors named Nicholas all descended from the same family, its defintely Nicholas.

Merry · #7 11-09-12, 22:13

Yes, I have seen Douglas as a girl's first name - several times over on some fiche PR copies I have, but I don't remember which part of the country they are for - might be in Bedfordshire??

Asa · #8 12-09-12, 05:42

There was a quite a famous C16th Douglas(s) - Sheffield, nee Howard who was a mistress of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Wikipedia says she was probably named after her godmother Lady Margaret Douglas.

ElizabethHerts · #9 12-09-12, 05:59

Merry and Asa, very interesting. I have quite a few women who have family names, but usually as their second names.

My Lincolnshire ancestors were very good at giving surnames as Christian names. Hence I have "Newbourn Wood" and "Gawthorpe Wood" to name just a couple, but these were men.

Merry · #10 12-09-12, 06:05

Wikipedia says:

Quote:

Although today the name is almost exclusively given to boys, it was used as girls name in the 17th and 18th centuries, in the north of England

So, I'm thiking it probably wasn't my Bedfordshire fiche! But I don't have any north of England fiche, so that's a bit strange! I'm sure the entries I saw were earlier than the 18thC.