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Distinctive Forenames?

I think a normal first name with a distinctive second name is a good solution. A lot of my ancestors have had a second name which is a family surname passed through the generations. One of my lines has a middle name Conway which I first found in 1780 and was still being used in 1920. I still haven’t found the original Conway.
 
Some 19th century people in Lacock, Wilts gave their children unusual Old Testament names, e.g. my ggg grandparents Daniel and Sarah Gray had a son Shadrach. But the prize must go to Nebuchadnezzar Grey (or Gray), 184o-1921, son of Henry and Anne. Needless to say, the Ancestry transcribers, census enumerators, and even the clergyman who baptised him had a bit of trouble with that! His brother Uriah probably caused less of a problem...
 
As I feared might happen, I just saw this news report! I think that the original reporter should go for a hearing check (there is no t) and perhaps the child might eventually call herself Abi with silent cd (as with p in swimming).
 
While browsing through a Wiltshire BT from 1669, I came across the somewhat unlikely forename Grease. However, as the name was followed by 'daughter of', I realised it was probably an imaginative way of spelling Grace.
 
I came across a marriage recently in the Colchester records for the parish of St James in 1702 where the bride's name was Phenix Cheek. Tryphena was a not unusual girl's name in the late 1600s, and the most common were Elizabeth and Mary.
 
Jewish families regularly gave Old Testament names to their children. My father was registered as Israel. The problem is that they rarely used those forenames in life, which makes tracking that much harder. Uncle Jack was registered as Jacob; uncle Sid was Isidore; Auntie Betty was Bertha and Uncle Alf was Abraham. Easier, however, than the Welsh side. Bad enough to pin down a John, Thomas, Evan or Morgan: worse when they took patrimony too far, such as John John, Thomas Thomas, Evan Evan or Morgan Morgan. I even came across a Morgan Morgan Morgan which, quite accurately, showed him as Morgan, son of Morgan, who was also son of Morgan.
 
I have a relative with the forename Damsel. Appropriate for a young girl, I guess, but less so for a married woman with a brood of children!
 
The Puritans of New England had a penchant for Biblical (or Biblical-sounding) names, and not just the common ones. Some in my tree: Abiathar Millard (great-grandfather of President Millard Fillmore), Allatheah Winslow, Aretas Leavitt, Asahal Carpenter, Benaiah Varney, Berzilla (or Barzilla) Barker (male), Bethuel Gardner, Jarijah Clapp.

And some of the truly devout used "virtuous" names: Watching, Hopestill, Deliverance, Preserved (including 3 generations of men named Preserved Fish), Increase, Thankful, Love, Waitstill, Wait, Desire, Experience, Return, Supply, Submit, Thanks
 
JimP said:
And some of the truly devout used "virtuous" names:
Click to expand...
Sounds a bit like the Christian Community here in NZ called Gloriavale. Some of their names are/have been Elijah Overcomer, Steadfast Joy, Faith Ben Israel, Pearl Valour and Dove Love.
 
And I thought Absolom Jermia Nehemia was unusual and Napthali married to Wyramenta among the 'Smith' Gypsy (Traveller) clan I recently researched for the wife of a cousin, and posted about in the Forum. I presumed the unusual first names were hereditary, and - being early/mid 19th Century - were never spelled the same twice in subsequent Censuses.

I noted they also like to go by name derivatives: like Hammi for Ambrose and if that wasn't enough to add a distinguishing nickname like Hammi (Turtle) -my brackets - to distinguish him from perhaps another Hammi. I also noted when say a 'Smith' family married (eg) a 'Booth' resulting offspring often included both surnames...such as Amadine Booth Smith and Ciamenta Booth Smith.

My favourite Census comment came with a Wyramenta married to the family Head when in one Census the Enumerator commented after her name "was not in the tent at the time of the Census"... but was included nevertheless. Priceless!
 
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