Sicilian naming conventions: were sons ever renamed?

[johnnyonthespot]

Two things you will often find with Italian birth records (at least, in the ares I am researching):

1) Male children are very often given the second name "Maria", even within the same family. So, Giovanni Maria, Giuseppe Maria, Antonino Maria, etc.

2) Female children are often given the first name Maria followed by a second name. Hence, Maria Giovanna, Maria Rosa, Maria Francesca, and so on.

On later records such as marriage, birth of children, and death, it is not unusual to see the second name missing for men and the first name missing for women. These records will refer to Giovanni, Giuseppe, Antonino, Giovanna, Rosa, and Francesca with the Maria being dropped entirely.

[johnnyonthespot]

These two women have no middle name, that could have been different, they both have one name, Maria. I thought this was very odd.

Another thing to be very careful about is to ensure that you really are dealing with two children born to the same parents. Not just parents with the same names, but the same computed birthdate (parents' ages at time of the first birth record should correctly compute to the ages shown on the second birth record.

In the town I am currently researching, it is just incredible how many cases there are of "John Brown" marrying "Mary Smith" both within a single generation and spread across many generations. With your two Marias being a full generation apart (18 years), you want to check carefully to see that they really are of the same parents.

Also, as noted above, the only place you can be certain of finding a child's full name is on the Atto di Nascita. I would be very surprised to find two children in the same family with the exact same name unless the first one died before reaching the age of majority.

[Eleven]

Carmine, I have found that with the Maria's also...both with the men and women. At some point, the Maria is dropped.

I am absolutely sure, these are the same parents (the two Marias).

For the month and a half, that I have had this ancestry account, I have been copying ALL of these town records (so that I always have them). Not only that, but, I have been in and out each year, searching for records of those people who belong to me.

The ages of the parents, match my maria's parents (within a year or so). There is no one else with the mothers name, that I have come across as of yet (in her age group). She seems to be the only one of age, to give birth to this other Maria and mine.

Believe me..I dont put anyone into my tree (in my program), unless I am absolutely sure, that I have the right one. (Well, other than when I had to use my aunts information, from her memory, when I started, but all of this info is now confirmed with documents).

There could always be the slightest chance that I am wrong..but, I dont think so.

[Joannsalvo]

I have researched my ancestors from Pedace, Cosenza, Calabria, Italy and Belmonte Mezzagno, Palermo, Sicily and I have found that they did rename a child the same name of a child that had died.
I thought this pracitce was common in Italy.

[maestra36]

Yes, it was common to name a subsequent child the name of a child who had died, but not after the subsequent child had already been named. Then the name of the deceased child would go to another child who would be born at a later date and not to a child already living who already had been given a different first name

[Eleven]

Joann, he means child one's name was Giuseppe. Chid two"s name was Antonio. Child one dies and they take away Antonios name and call him Giuseppe, instead.

We know they use the name of a dead child for another newborn. But, nobody has ever seen them take away a childs name and replace it with the name of a dead child.

[maestra36]

I have done microfilmed research of more than 20 towns and have never seen the practice of renaming a child who had already been given a name just because an older sibling with that name had died.