Nickname & Odd Name.....

[James Clark]

Nickname

While looking through a census to try and find a family member I found what I think is the correct family. The wife/mother I expect to be named Margaret is listed as May. I realize that any sort of nickname may be possible but has anyone encountered this one before?

Odd Name (at least it was to me!)

I was looking into some cousins and thought I had discovered the first same-sex marriage. My 1st cousin 3x removed Alexander married Frank. I had not seen the name Frank as a womans name before.

[karenc]

Hi James

Well as for Frank, it is probably shortened from Francis which i have seen used as a girls and a boys name.

I also had a similar problem with a Margaret in my research, who on a couple of occasions has called herself mary

i think they did it just to confuse us later generations

good luck with the rest of you research

karen

[James Clark]

I had thought of Francis as well but it was listed on the BC as Frank Miller Sinclair. maybe they just really wanted a boy??

[karenc]

Or maybe there has been a transcription error somewhere

[StewL]

Hi James

I doubt very much that it would really be a same sex marriage As even now in most countries you would not be able to register the marriage

I would go with what Karen said about a transcription error, or it may just be that it was a revered family name that was carried on.

[ninatoo]

Margaret...my Mum is a Margaret but has always been known as Rita. Her cousin Margaret is known as Peggy. Another cousin, Margeret. There may have been a number of Margarets in the family, like mine, and they called them by a nickname so as to not confuse them. So May might have evolved from that.

Incidentally I have one ancestor who was known as May, but her name was Mary.

Nina

[mallog]

I think Margaret is a name you could expect lots of possibilities. You coud have Meg and I have a Maggie and I am sure we could come up with more.

[wini]

Yes, I too have a Margaret.
During the years she is called Peggy and on her DC she is Mary and the person who signed the DC is her son so you would assume he would know her name.

wini

[Russell]

Hi James

I have a Margaret from a tangle of Margarets in her family, who was called Pearl all her life and even her mother apparently forgot her given name at times. This info from my mother who didn't believe her cousin's given name until I showed her the birth certificate.

Russell