The importance of first names in genealogy: revealing family history

Like surnames, the first names of our ancestors and collaterals are of great importance within our genealogical trees.

A real fashion phenomenon, original choice or inheritance first name, deciding how to call a child is never easy for parents.

The origin of first names

Small etymology lesson: the first name, from Latin "praenomen", designates from ancient Rome A name located before the family name To distinguish individuals.

Originally and within small groups, only the name (which can be considered today as a first name) was enough to define the identity of a person. It was only when it was no longer enough for the surnames and the nicknames.

Until the end of the Middle Ages, in France, we had a person's name, or a baptismal name (that of one of the saints of the birth day often) followed, if necessary, a name to distinguish itself: according to geographic origin, the place of residence, the parentage, the profession ... The surnames we know today are most often from these means of distinction.

This is how the name "of distinction" took the only place of name and that the baptism names then became pre-noms.

Religion has long kept an important place in the choice of first names. For a long time, the parents stood in the names of the saints, and the Catholic church made sure that "profane or ridiculous" first names are not given to children until publishing lists of authorized first names.

The law of 11 Germinal year XI Forced parents to give a first name from calendars or historical figures. And in April 1966, first softening, regional first names, composed, from diminutive or drawn from mythology are authorized.

Today and since The 1993 law which has enabled a significant diversification of first names, the influences are much more numerous and international. The law even authorizes to invent a first name as long as it meets the criteria of the Civil Code and does not go against the interest of the child.

The civil status officers had and always have the power to accept or refuse a first name at the time of the declaration of birth.

First names as genealogical indices

First names also have the power to tell us stories, our story. Over the generations, first names are transmitted, transform and carry into them the stories of traditions, culture and family life. They are witnesses to the evolution of our family over time.

First names are the vectors of family traditions, the cultural origins of the family, the importance of historical events, migration, generational trends and religious celebrations. The names of the godparents as well as the nicknames and the dimintes are just as useful to realize the past of our ancestors.

It is not uncommon, in genealogy, to Find the same first name from generation to generation. Several reasons explain this phenomenon: cultural and traditional heritage, respect for the elders, religious practice, perpetuation of memories following a death, feeling of belonging or even time economy.

In genealogy, always, it is important to Understand the nuance between the first name and the usual first name. You may have already found different names for the same person in civil status acts. The first name is the first name that can be found in the baptismal act or birth certificate. While the usual first name is that by which the person is commonly known and called on a daily basis. This distinction is essential to guarantee the accuracy of your genealogical research and avoid identification errors (homonyms).

Avoid traps on first names in genealogy

We were talking about it a little higher, it is important to avoid identification errors concerning your ancestors. Indeed, at a time when the first names were less numerous and especially transmitted from generation to generation, Confusions can be numerous. It is by being rigorous in your research and by multiplying the sources (birth acts, marriage acts and other registers) that you can ensure the identity of an ancestor.

Other challenges may also run for you, such as Orthographic variations on the same first name or even the use of Different but close names (for example: Gilette and Gilonne, Perrine and Pétronille, Yvonne or Guyonne…). Also, you may be faced with abbreviations in certain registers. If this is the case, sometimes difficult to know that "JN" is the abbreviation of Jean, "mie" that of Marie or "MTE" that of Marguerite ... It is therefore important to read an act several times, to check and cross your sources, but also to be helped by the community of genealogists in reading an old act if necessary.

To go further, you can consult these few resources: 

- first names.com : The statistics site of first names given in France from 1920 to 2020

- INSEE.fr : the first names in France since 1900

- Nelly, ancestor of Poitou : a case study, first names and genealogy, by the blogger of the same name

- The saga of first names : Statistical studies of first names of the genealogy of Hervé Fauve

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