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We have almost no record that far back. My mom has worked for thirty years trying to reconstruct family history.

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The one pair I know about are Knut and Inga. (And we know about them because Knut murdered Inga, abandoned his children, wandered around the Dakota territories in the US, was written about as "the Wandering Lunatic" in local papers, and them killed himself by stealing a police officer's gun and shooting himself after they arrested him.)

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We know they had three children. We know one was Martha - because she is the one I'm descended from. We don't even know the names of the other two, let alone what happened to them.

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Edited: I would not name my children after them. I could see using Martha - that name traversed that family line for several generations. But Knut? Nope. Inga? Sorry, you deserved not to get murdered, but I'm not sure I'd use your name.

This message was edited 5/8/2025, 11:23 AM

John Caleb and Sarah Elizabeth
Henry Clay and Ida Louisa
Wilhelm Martin and Elizabeth
John and Mary
George Thomas and Cora Ann
William Stewart and Lucille
Robert Allen and Jennie Ethel
Thomas Tate and Sadie Myrtle

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I would use William or Jennie as a nickname for something. I would maybe use (or at least as middle names) John, Caleb, Sarah, Elizabeth, Henry, Clay, Louisa, Mary, Lucille, Robert, Allen, Thomas, or Sadie, depending on the situation.

Mary E.
Laurance Augustin
Maria (pronounced ma-RYE-uh)
William Alexander
Dorcas
William
Senia Ann
Joseph

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Elizabeth
Daniel Webster
Sarah Elizabeth
John Joseph
Diana
John Edward
Rebecca
Benjamin Franklin

I know on my maternal grandmother's side:

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GGGP: François Alewijn
GGGM: Anna Frederika Maria

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François and Alewijn were both on my boy list, but turns out I'm having girls. I like each of my GGGM's names individually, but not enough to use them.

Mother's side:
Fidencio & Maria Abraham
Pantaleon & Gumecinda
Esteban & Maria
Librado & Maria Trinidad

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Father's side:
Cirilo & Silvana
Petronilo & Juana

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Wow, lots of Marias
I wouldn't use any but Silvana is pretty (maybe Silvan?)

Esther, Anne Cecilia, Margaret, and Arthur William are nice! Those are my favorites.

James
David Craig
Frederick
James Charles
Albert
William
George Henry
Andrew

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Agnes
Helena “Lena”
Isobel Lucy
Agnes
Sarah Jane
Margery Ann
Grace
Louisa

This message was edited 5/6/2025, 3:15 PM

Mother’s side

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Elisabetta
Antonio
Caterina
Ermenegildo
Anne
Earl
Friedrich
Mabel

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Father’s side

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Pauline
Joseph
Anna
George
Stella
Patrick
Gertrude
Lawrence

Moses David and Spicey Ann
Warrick Erastus "Pete" and Nancy "Nannie" Grizella
James Green and Jane Elizabeth
Holly "Hal" Randall and Susan R.

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John Henry Alton and Sarah Ella
Zachariah Lee and Nancy Angeline
James Dennis and Zipporah
Samuel Augustus and Lilly Ann

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I like all these names, even the "Spicey" ones!

Cool question!

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Great-great grandfathers:
Ernst Emil
Frank
Frederick Julius
Isaac Isidor
Louis
Mose
Richard Franz
Solomon Samuel

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Great-great grandmothers:
Anna Maria Wilhelmina "Minnie"
Bessie Libe
Caroline "Lina"
Emma Elizabeth
Jeanette "Jennie"
Martha
Rose Selma
Sadie Pearl

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My top choices from these would be Isidor (spelled as Isadore), Isaac, and Emma, though I'd probably put Emma as a middle since it's too common. I also enjoy Emil (which it looks like he often went by based on records), and I'd 100% use Rose as a middle name. Frederick Julius is probably the coolest combo on this list, but I don't think it's actually my style when it comes to using names.

This message was edited 5/6/2025, 9:41 AM

Paternal

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John and Irene

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Amos Sawyer and Alice Delaney

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William Seth and Claudia Lorena

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Joseph John and Eliza Loretta

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Maternal

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Albert and Clara

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James Charles and Mary Rose

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Lewis and Cora Maude

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Clarence Leon and Madeline Louise

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I'd use several of these names for real, they're fine lol Leon is the only one that's on my top 25 though!

This message was edited 5/6/2025, 9:03 AM

I don't know all of them.

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Hettie
Catherine Dora
Rosa Bell
Clara Ellen
Cary Geneva "Eva"

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Amzi
Elias Loew "Ernst / Ernest"
James Franklin
James Monroe
Jesse

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I think I'd be most likely to use Amzi, Jesse, Geneva, Rosa (or Rosabell). Elias, Ernst, Catherine also seem ok. I dislike both of the James combos.

This message was edited 5/6/2025, 8:58 AM

My great-great-grandfathers:

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Aapeli (Abel)
Antti (Anders) x 2
Henrik Edvard
Juho
Kaarlo Iivari "Iivari" (Karl Ivar)
Kaarlo Oskari (Karl Oskar)
Samuli (Samuel)

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My great-great-grandmothers:

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Aino
Alfhilda "Alli"
Cecilia Josefina Lucia "Cissi"
Effia Wilhelmina / Vilhelmiina
Emma Cecilia
Hanna Eliise / Eliisa
Hilja Amanda
Sigrid Maria "Siikri"

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I'm quite fond of Edvard, Hilja and Sigrid (and the nickname Siikri), and would consider using those.

Jonas
Sophie

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Israel
Mary

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Edward
Emily Bertha

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Jean Baptiste Augustin
Marie Esther

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Carlos Alberto
Angelina

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Martín
Maria Josefa

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Samuel Reed
Nellie Lucy

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John
Elizabeth

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I like Jonas, John, Mary, Carlos, Angelina, and the French names, but doubt I would use any of these.

I only know a few, from my maternal side.

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Lillie & William Thomas
Jeanne & Francois "Frank"
Lottie Marian & William
Marie Louise Constance & Robert George Gabriel

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I'd use Jeanne, Constance, Marian and Lottie. I also like Bennett, which was Lottie's maiden name, and Francis "Frankie" (for any gender) which would double-honour grandpa Frank and Lottie's married name. I'm not opposed to William but I have no strong feelings about it.

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I do love Roberta for a girl, and I like George and Gabriel as well, but that guy is legendary in my family for his awfulness, so I wouldn't want to tap into that. I also like Lillie, but she was a destructive influence as well.

The only information I could find or knew beforehand were these ones:

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Abraham & Sally
Samuel & Clara

Goodness, I don't remember any names very well, family had some unusual/rare names too (some ahead of its time, others... not quite). But from the top of my head: Philomena. Nickname "Mina" is cute, but I'd probably use that for a character, not a child.

I can't remember how many greats these were or even if they were the same generation. But there's a couple-of-greats-grandmother named Amanda, and a couple-of-greats-grandfather named Pushmataha.
I would use Amanda. I would not use Pushmataha. Even Pushmataha didn't. He went by Sam, but whether that was from a middle name or what I don't know. Sam is okay.

maternal grandmother's maternal grandparents: Stanisław and Felicja

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maternal grandmother's paternal grandparents: Aleksander and Marianna

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maternal grandfather's maternal grandparents: Bolesław and Bronisława

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maternal grandfather's paternal grandparents: Franciszek and Marianna

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no clue on father's side.

Charles
Albert Edward
Henry
James
John
William Stiven
Alexander William
Hugh

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Mabel
Mary Ellen
Esther
Elizabeth Jane
Agnes Letham
Margaret Clason
Margaret McIntyre
Janet Kinninmount

Kirsten is the only one I know of.

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Did some digging on my dad's side ( genealogy is well documented on that side.?

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Fredric Werner
Johanna

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More digging
Coral Effie
John Henry
John
Hannah Virginia

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Just can't find my paternal grandmother's family and maternal grandfather.

This message was edited 5/6/2025, 3:22 AM