What’s your favorite holiday? Would you be inspired enough by your enjoyment of that holiday, or the season it falls in, to name your child after it? Ancestry.com found some strange names in the census, including a woman named Halloween. This isn’t the only person with a name that fits into this holiday! There are two main things that influence a parent to choose a name for their child. One strong influence is the existence of a “family name”. Parents name their children after the child’s grandparents, or they give their baby a name that has been passed down through … Continue reading →

Genealogy is the study of family. Genealogists spend a lot of time doing research about the people who are in their family tree. In some ways, it can be said that foods also have a family tree. Here is a little bit of information about pumpkins, their closest relatives, and their “family history”. The pumpkin is intrinsically associated with Halloween. We carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. We make pumpkin pies, roast pumpkin seeds, and add pumpkin to pastries and coffee. It seemed like the perfect time of year to dig into the family tree of the pumpkin. Pumpkins are a member … Continue reading →

What’s in a name? More than you might think! Genealogists at FindMyPast have reviewed data about names that were taken from the U.S. Social Security Administration and compared the popularity of names from 1940 to the names of children today. A popular name, that is no longer as common, could reflect social changes. Parents who are seeking a name for their newborn frequently take inspiration from one of two sources. They might select a name that has been passed down through their family for generations, or name their child after his or her grandparent. Or, parents might look to popular … Continue reading →

Have you heard of a game called Hidden Chronicles? It is one of the many games produced by Zynga that can be played through Facebook. I’ve noticed that there is a little bit of genealogy sprinkled through this particular game. Genealogists might want to check it out when they have a few moments to spare. Zynga is a company that makes a variety of online games. Some of them can be played on the Zynga website, and many can be played through Facebook. No matter which Zynga game you choose, there is one dynamic that is common to all of … Continue reading →

Genealogy is fun, and there are even moments where you may have a hard time controlling your laughter as you piece together your family tree. Don’t worry, it’s okay to laugh a little along the way – unless you are in the library doing research. Everybody knows that you are not supposed to laugh in the library. In fact, I do not frequent libraries because inevitably, every time I do, I have a funny thought and have to run outside before I burst out laughing and disturb the silence. I have no idea why this happens, it just does. Laughter … Continue reading →

Those of us who have been on Facebook for a while are well aware of the potential for drama to occur on this popular social networking website. Ancestry.com has launched a contest on its Facebook page, that has unintentionally caused quite a bit of drama. It seems the entry form doesn’t work correctly. I was on Facebook yesterday, when I noticed an ad that caught my attention. The ad said something about a historic, holiday card, that Ancestry.com had on their Facebook page. I decided to check it out, if for no other reason than it had the potential to … Continue reading →

Parents spend a lot of time deciding on the best name to give their baby. It could be a family name, that has been handed down for generations. Sometimes, parents desire to give their child a name that is unique. Those names might have been inspired by popular culture. Genealogists spend a lot of time looking for the names of relatives and ancestors. In some families, there could be a first name that is especially popular. In my family, for example, there are a lot of relatives who are named James. What name appears the most on your family tree? … Continue reading →

The BabyCenter website has revealed the list of the most popular baby names of 2011. The list includes 100 names of girls, and 100 names of boys. The names that a generation of parents gives to their children reveals a lot about the popular culture of that year. Genealogists may come across some unusual and unfamiliar names as they learn about their ancestors. If you dig around a little bit, you might be able to find information that helps explain where the inspiration for those names came from. This could give you a clue into the types of books, movies, … Continue reading →

In this season of ghosts, monsters, and carved pumpkins, there is scarcely a turnip in sight absent the ones that are in the kitchen awaiting their ultimate fate. What’s this about turnips? Why would I mention turnips in a post about Halloween? Some of my ancestors are of Irish descent, and while I have not yet traced them back as far as the Celts it is interesting to earn about Celtic history and tradition. The Celts used to carve monster faces into turnips to keep evil spirits away. They placed the turnips on their doorsteps with lit candles inside, just … Continue reading →