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What's in a Name.....
Back when our ancestors lived, naming children took on a very different meaning that today. Very few children were named something just because his/her parents liked the name. Most kids were named after a family member and in some cases close family friends or famous people. So you can imagine that in any given family group there would be a lot of people with the same name running around. Using nick-names was a very common way to distinguish one person from another.
I realize, it might be confusing to some who read my blog with all the Bordeaux names/nicknames flying around. So I thought it would be a good idea to go over them.
Keep in mind that below is a mixture of information that I received from my grandmother with a little family history thrown in. Some of my readers may be able to add to, or correct their personal ancestors information.
Let's start with John and his wife:
Louisa Bordeaux
Louisa Virgina Elvira Princess Swain Williams Bordeaux
Nick-name - Lou
She has the longest name in the family.
Her marriage license says Miss "Virginia Elvira Louiza Swain Williams"
The Princess name came from my Uncle Elmer who said she always called
herself "Princess."
I wonder if "Swain" was her Mother's maiden name and "Williams" her
Father's last name? Unfortunately, no one knows anything about Louisa's past, her parents or siblings. We only know that she was at least part Cherokee Indian. Everything else is a mystery. So I am left wondering, "Was any of her children named after her side of the family?"
John Washington Bordeaux
John W. Bordeaux
His name is pretty straight forward.
No nick-names
He was named after his father's older brother who was also a "John W. Bordeaux"
The name "John" was commonly used in the Bordeaux family There were many of them.
Their Nine Living Children:
Charles William Bordeaux
Always known as Charles
No nick-names
He could be named after his mother Louisa's last name, "Williams" Or maybe his great grandfather William L. Bordeaux.
But where does "Charles" come from?
There are no other Charles in the Bordeaux family..... so I'm thinking maybe from Louisa's side? Maybe that was her father's name??????
Sarah Virgina Bordeaux
Always called Betty
No other nick-names
She decided herself to have others call her Betty. I'm not sure why. (Do any of you out there reading this know?)
Her middle name of "Virginia" was obviously taken from her mother.
I'm not sure where her first name "Sarah" came from. Possibly John's aunt who was named Sarah L. Underwood.
Mary Emma Bordeaux
Always known as Mary
No nick-names
She was named after John's mother "Mary Jane" and grandmother "Mary Ann." Her middle name came from his younger sister "Emeline"who was always called "Emma"
Lula Mae Bordeaux
Went by Lula all her life.
Nick-name - Luler This just sounds like an effortless southern spin put on the pronunciation of her formal name by her family. The same happens below with Delana.
I'm not sure who she is named after, but I bet you, someone somewhere before her, also had the name Lula.
James Eldridge Bordeaux
Always called Jim.
No nick-names
Jim was named after John's natural father, "James N. Bordeaux." And John's sister's husband was named Eldridge N. Coplen. So maybe Jim's middle name came from him.
James was also a very common name among the Bordeaux family.
My grandmother named two of her sons after her favorite brother Jim. My dad was "James." and my uncle was named "Nathan Eldridge"
Ida Delana Bordeaux
Always called by her middle name, Delana
Nick-name - Delaner
Again, I'm not sure who she is named after.
Ellene Juanita Bordeaux
Her formal name of Ellene is pronounced with a long "e" sound.
Nick-name - Bill
I don't know who she is named after.
And I sure would like to know where the nick name "Bill" came from.
Drucilla Lela Bordeaux
Dewey L. Bordeaux
Nick-name - Dewey
She changed her 1st and 2nd names around when she was an adult, so she
became Lela Drucilla Bordeaux
But to her parents and siblings she was always Dewey.
I don't know who she was named after.
Nathan Harvel Bordeaux
Always called by his middle name, Harvel
Nick-names - Brother, Uncle Fuller ( nieces and nephews)
He was named after Johns cousin Nathan M. Bordeaux and John's mother's maiden name of Harvill. John also had an uncle named Nathaniel F Bordeaux.
Nathan was another name that was very common throughtout the Bordeaux family.
The first time I met him I was eight yrs.old. He smiled as he told me in a kind voice his name was " Uncle Harvel" but if I couldn't remember it, I could just call him "Uncle Fuller" because it was a lot easier and other kids called him that. This made a real impression on me as a kid. He seemed like a really nice guy.
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