hannover-l - Nachricht 2005-10 00184

[Kathy Reed <khreed(a)...]

I'm open to being corrected on this.  However, I read an article that said 
that in this part of Germany, the child was actually "known" by the last 
name in the list -- just the opposite of in the U.S.  This is true for my 
family.  I can also tell you that first and in some cases second generation 
immigrants in this country followed the same nameing convention.  If I look 
at baptismal records for my family here in Cincinnati and northern KY, they 
usually were given three names but were "known" by the last name in the 
list.  I have a grandmother, for instance, who was baptized using the German 
naming convention but her birth certificate reads just the opposite.  I know 
of several other cases like that.

I'm sure others are more knowledgeable.  I, too, have done a fair amount off 
research in the Neuenkirchen area and seen the name Richter in the records.

Kathy Reed
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rikus kaijer" <rikusk(a)...
To: <hannover-l(a)...
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2005 2:20 AM
Subject: [HN] Richter


Hello All,

In my research on Richter in Rieste, Neuenkirchen and surrounds I come 
accrosss many Richters with identical names. Sometimes they have 4 
birthnames like Johann Gerhard Heinrich Josephus Richter.
Yet sometimes when they get married you might only see Heinrich Richter.
This makes it very hard to connect the right names to the right family.
Can somebody explain to me how the birthnames are worked out.
Is the child named after the father first (when a boy) or do the godparents 
have a role to play? Often I see that the name of the child is the name of 
one of the godparents (paten)
Who are usually chosen as godparents (paten). Is this always a brother or 
sister?
And / or friends? Are there specific rules that were followed?
This seems to be the only way to connect families.
I hope you can help me.
Also I like to get in touch with anybody that researches the above named 
villages.

Greetings Rikus Kaijer.

P.S.
Sorry to have to ask in English. My German is not as good as my English.
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