WHAT NAME DO YOU USE:
In my genealogical research I have often found interesting naming patterns in specific families. While it was common to name children after a grandparent or a sponsor, in one of my lines I found patterns that could not be linked to a specific reason.
I did learn after much research, that in the 19th century, German children were often given multiple first names, including biblical names, names of saints and old family names. Common names for boys were Johann, Friedrich, Wilhelm, while common girls names were Anna, Maria, Elisabeth. Typically only one of the names was used throughout the person's life.
In my paternal Feucht family this was certainly true and many times the chosen name was substituted for another of the two or three names making research very difficult.
My 2nd great grandparents, Johann Jacob Feucht and Magdalena Helena Bauer were both born in Germany. Johann Feucht was born in Tamm, Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, Germany and Magdalena was born in Schwarzenbach by Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany.
They both immigrated to Detroit, Michigan at separate times, and married in Detroit on 20 February 1859 at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Ten children were born to them as follows:
Johann Georg Feucht - born 25 February 1860 and died 25 July 1860.
Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Feucht - born 12 July 1861 and died 17 February 1937. She was known as Elizabeth or Liz throughout her life
Anna Margarethe Elizabeth Feucht:
Kunigunde Margarethe Rosa Feucht - born 12 January 1864 and died 11 November 1908. She was known alternatively as Rosa, Rose and even Kunigunde on various documents throughout her life.
Kunigunde Margarethe Rosa Feucht:
Johann Conrad Feucht - born 29 June 1866 and died after November 1908. Documents over the years have noted him listed as Johann, John and Conrad. He disappeared from records after November, 1908 and he is still a brick wall for me.
Karoline Margarethe Mary Feucht - born 2 August, 1868 and died 7 May 1869. Documents in her brief life have shown her listed as Karoline and Mary.
Christine Katharine Juliane Feucht - born 16 February, 1870 and died 14 January, 1907. This was my great-grandmother and throughout her 37 year life she was known as Julia, Julie, Juliane and Julia Anna.
Christine Katharine Juliane Feucht:
Margarethe Feucht - born 4 July 1872 and died 1 January 1936. The multiple naming pattern seemed to stop with her though she was known alternatively through her life as Margaret, Maggie, Meg.
Margarethe Feucht:
Helene Feucht - born 6 March 1875 and died 3 June 1957. She was mainly known as Lena or Helene throughout her life. She lived the longest of the Feucht siblings. She was also the only one of the daughters that was actually named after her parent.
Helene Feucht:
Johann Georg Feucht - Another child given the same name as their firstborn son. This son was born 20 October 1877 and died 7 January 1933. Documents over his lifetime indicated he was using the name George.
Charles Henry Feucht - The last of the children of Jacob and Helena Feucht. He was born 15 January 1881 and he died 6 October 1945. He used the name Charles throughout his life. He was only 4 when his mother died and 11 when his father died.
There were 4 sons with 3 of them given the first name of their father - Johann and 1 daughter named after her mother.
Every one of the 10 children had multiple baptismal sponsors but none could be connected to any known relatives - aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc even after I was able to trace both the Feucht line back many generations in Tamm, Württemberg, Germany and trace the Bauer line back 15 generations! in villages surrounding Nürnberg, Bavaria, Germany.
Despite the various names chosen by my great-grandmother and her 9 siblings, I am pleased that I have been very successful in tracing both lines of my family back in Germany and to have connected by DNA matches with 3 different "cousins" still living in various parts of Germany.
copyright 2025, Cheryl J. Schulte
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