Genealogy Chat

Everyone thanks for all the input. The thing is this wasnt a mistranscription but the name he had throughout, from his baptism onwards! Even his parish record marriage gave his name as Sandor. I think he was always Alexander but no one could pronounce it or spell it! I thought it was a really interesting name and one day I would find someone in the line with the maiden name Sandor! When I told my sister she said, 'Do you remember the film The man who would be King - when the three soldiers went treasure hunting?' (I think Michael Caine and Sean Connery were in it and someone else) Anyway, when they arrived at this land that had long been cut off from the world - the natives were all chanting 'Sandor, Sandor' - because the last time they saw 'white men' was Alexander the Great. Mmm interesting!

Heather, The best one I have found so far is Inas. Was actually looking for Thomas - tried Thos - and then spotted the entry for Inas as birth year and place were correct - yes the image did say Thos. Maureen

Heather, If Sandor is his true name, then it is Hungarian and pronounced Shandor Some people Anglisised their names, so that is probably how it became Alexander, though a Sandor I once knew always used the name Steve. Just a peice of useless information that you may find useful.

Both Christian and surnames can be very local, particularly if they are unusual. There is a cd of name distributions in 1881. Surprisingly, although people have moved into cities, it does reflect the origins of these names. One of my ancestors was called Beata Cook. I had never heard of this as an English Christian name before, and she appears in records as Beatti and even Batti. The cd demonstrates that her name was still popular in the region of her birth a century later.

I have just looked for someone, not sure of her christianname so looked back 10 years, she is there, still with the same , what i thought was mistranscribed name, GUNILDA Mmmmm Parents with an imagination then! Jess

Hi I put a request on the boards, looking for my friend's relly, Thomas Bowen in Aston on the 1881 and someone found him, transcribed as Thomas HIGGINS!!!! Ann

First names are just as likely to be mangled as surnames - odd as its clear to me that Chanty should be Charity, etc. My grandfather had a very uncommon Biblical name - Jeuel. He's the only one on freebmd! But in the census he is Juel and Jewel, and in the 1901 he was Denel! Also found him on the electoral roll as Jule. nell

For ages I had thought what an unusual first name my GGFx4 in Sussex had - Sandor. It appears on the census in 1841 and on his baptism details. I finally tracked down his daughter's marriage and there,under father -ALEXANDER Verrall!