What about this Italian naming convention !

[stfrancis]

I attach the marriage for Federico Angelo Balsamo to Colomba Moccia, in Afragola, 1823.

As you can see, it says his father is Domenico.

Assuming this is the first born son, would his paternal grandfather be Angelo, or Federico, or neither!

Any ideas...

Thanks

[gaspaol]

It's likely that his paternal grandfather would be named Federico, but it's definitely not an universally applied rule. It could be anything.

[Italysearcher]

That kind of reasoning you use when you have two records for the same name person and have to decide which is the right one.

[stfrancis]

Thank you both. I cannot rely on the so called naming convention.

I noticed in some generation they applied it perfectly, but in other families not at all.

[NickAndreola]

That is true. It is a clue/possibility/basis for searching etc...;but not concrete/absolute/always to be counted on etc...

Some families follow it rigorously/religiously--some not all--some most of the time but alter it for special circumstances.

The really fun part is that you don't know which category a family fits in until you have successfully connected multiple generations and can then stand back and get an overview

[stfrancis]

Yes, it's fun.

I just noticed the first born daughter is named Rosa, which is the same name of who I think is the paternal grandmother. So it maybe fits. The problem is the parents, and grandparents died before 1809 so I have no way of verifying if Domenico matches with the correct grandparents...


Now, on the other hand, I have Michele Balsamo, who I'm sure is Angelo's son, and I thought was Domenico's brother. But it appears his first daughter was named Giovanna Ma., and the second daughter was named Rosa Ma. The first son was named Federico Ant.. The mother's name is Veneranda Castaldo. So in this case almost nothing fits, except for Rosa (the paternal grandmother), and she is out of order. Neither paternal or maternal grandmothers are named Giovanna!

Of course some of Michele's children may have died before 1809, so I can't know them, maybe they were named in the convention but then died after the next child was born...

There does seem to be a common thread with my lineage which includes a lot of "Federico's" (in every family).

I have asked the church for Angelo's (Rosa's) marriage, but it's unlikely I will hear back. I would probably need a listing of all Michele's children, but it's too much to ask for !

[Italysearcher]

Time for a trip to Italy!

[NickAndreola]

Yes! Please!

Soon. I just retired from work and a trip to the 'hometown' is on the bucket list.

stfrancis, in some of the families I've researched that are in the rigorously/religiously category, they'll keep naming children the 'appropriate' name until one of the children survives.......sometimes 3 or 4 infants with the same name.

[stfrancis]

Definitely, in about 15 more years....