View Message

[Facts] French ancestor
Hello, I have an ancestor in my family tree and his name is Francois ELEONORE Gormont. I have his birth record and the names of his wife and children,so I am sure he is really a he! I wonder if anyone has heard of a masculine use of the name ELEONORE. Thank you for any insight you can give.
vote up1vote down

Replies

Middle names in France are usually given after ancestors and family members, and it's not unusual to find the occasional female family name given to a male child. So Eleonore may have been your ancestor's grandmother, or aunt, or cousin.For example:
http://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4524926 - this is a list of recent birth announcements; amongst the male names you'll find a boy with the middle name Isabelle.
vote up1vote down
That's interesting. And I don't know how it was back then, but nowadays middle names are seldom used. So even if it is a more female name, he was probably mostly referred to as François.
_____________________________
http://goldirarolloverq.com

This message was edited 8/23/2014, 7:08 AM

vote up1vote down