Swedish and German naming patterns

 One of the biggest problems I run into while researching ancestors is finding two or more people in the same family with the same name. It's not uncommon to have a mother, daughter, and daughter-in-law all with the same name. Or, to have a father, grandfather, son and uncle all be named Charles. Why? Let me attempt to explain.

There used to be traditional naming patterns that parents would use with their children. Different cultures and groups of people developed their own patterns over time. Now, not everyone held steadfast to these naming rules. Exceptions were made all the time. Knowing the naming pattern of a certain group of people can help in research though. Knowing that in Sweden a person's last name would be the father's first name can help you find the father of Lars Eriksson. His father must be named Erik. Ingrid Johannsdotter would be the daughter of Johan. 

According to "The Family Tree German Genealogy Guide" by James M. Beidler, Family Tree Books, the naming pattern for many German speaking areas went like this:

Sons: First born, for father's father.

Second born, for mother's father.

Third born, father of the child

Fourth born and on, for uncles of the child.

Daughters were also named the same way.

First born, for father's mother.

Second born, for mother's mother.

Third born, mother of child

Fourth born and on, for aunts of the child.

If a child died, the next born child of that sex might be named after the dead child. Children might also be named after one of their baptismal sponsors. These would often be close family members, or close friends. 

"The Family Tree Scandinavian Genealogy Guide by David A. Fryxell, Family Tree Books, tells us the naming pattern of Sweden. 

Sons:

First son, for the father's father

Second son, for the mother's father

Third son, after the father

Fourth son, after the father's eldest brother

Daughters:

First born, after the mother's mother

Second born, after the father's mother

Third born, after the mother

Fourth, after the mother's eldest sister

As in Germany, it was not uncommon to use a deceased's child's name on the next child born of the same sex. In Sweden, it was also common to name a child of the same sex after a deceased spouse. So, if Lars and Ingrid were married and Lars passed away suddenly, when Ingrid remarried she might name the next boy born, Lars, after her deceased first husband.

How did families keep everyone straight? People would often go by a nickname, or their middle name. In Germany, the first part of the name would often by dropped. Therefore, Wilhelmina would go by "Amena" or maybe "Minnie." 

While  I think it's interesting that William and Mary Strandt named their eldest daughter and son after their parents, when eldest son Carl had his first born son, he chose to name him after his brother and grandfather, Howard Charles. Charles being the English version of Carl. Later, son Milton also received the middle name of Karl. "William" was never used.

In the Henrickson household, George and Malvina named their eldest daughter, Selma, after Malvina's sister. It wasn't until 6th born daughter, Ingrid Ulrika, was a child named after her grandmothers. Second born son, Carl, was named after his maternal grandfather. No son was ever given the name, Johan, or John, the name of George's father. 

As we move into the 20th century, and people came to America, these naming patters definitely changed. New names entered the scene. People began to name their children after friends, actors and actresses, even presidents. Some people even made up names. The more unique the name, the easier it is to research the person. 

I hope this helps on why you'll sometimes see the same names over and over again in the same family. 

Copy of Immanuel Lutheran church register with names of George and Malvina's children. 

Note how many are new names. Not names already in the family.