Some of the names are described as terceiro or segondo do nome (most say primeiro do nome). Was it t

LegacyUser

Some of the names are described as terceiro or segondo do nome (most say primeiro do nome). Was it the custom to have more than one child with the same name or does it mean that the previous children of that name died?

LegacyUser

PS I'm looking at Portuguese baptisms from 19th century Olhao.

Ali.M. Pili

I could not find any clarification on Family Search Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Portugal_Naming_Patterns), but the following article may help: https://geneall.net/pt/forum/151888/esclarecimento-sobre-primeiro-segundo-do-nome/

If I understand the translation correctly of this article it appears that as you stated it was the custom when more than one child had the same name. This may mean the previous child died, but not always.

I wonder what others know of this topic?

Ali

LegacyUser

Ali, Many thanks for looking into this. The link you shared seems to support the idea that it was common practice to have multiple children with the same given name. That would logically explain why even the first child given a particular name would be labelled e..g. Jose primeiro do nome..." anticipating that later siblings would be given the same name. Perhaps this was indicative of the high infant mortality rate at the time.

 

Another possibility is that the names would have other names added later. This would be similar to what one sees with the girl's name "Maria" where an attribute is attached e.g. Maria da Conceição, Maria das Dores, Maria da Assunção, etc. So João might become João Bautista.

 

Only speculating, I also wonder if someone else might have a more authoritative take on this question.

ANINHAS

Please go to etombo.pt Faro, choose Olhão and after the respective historical records, baptim, marriage ou death.

Adilia Mata

You need to consider that in Portugal children usually received only one name (first name, no surname) when they were baptized.

It is true that many times, when one child passed away the next of the same gender would receive the name of the other. However, there was also the practice of later acquiring a second first name. For instance, there could be several children named Maria born of the same couple, but one would be Maria Joaquina, another Maria Amelia, another Maria Rosa, another Maria Leopoldina, etc. They all received the name Maria when baptized. And it also happened with male children, Antonio Manuel, Antonio Francisco, Antonio Eduardo, and so on. Hope it helps.