Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Surnames as First Names

In Albion's Seed, David Hackett Fischer argues that giving a child a surname as a first name was common in Virginia. I haven't done much work on the subject, but working on the Boyle diary, I have come across dozens of Boston men who have surnames as first names. I'm not far enough into the research to say whether these are their mothers' maiden names or other family names, but I'll report back once I am.

Today's name:

Shrimpton Hunt

Presumably, Shrimpton is named after the family that gave us Epaphras Shrimpton. He married Elizabeth Fairfield on November 18, 1770.

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