Family Lineage Names



Most people enjoying doing their family history and genealogy to especially see how far back they can trace their ancestors. One aspect that helps in identifying ancestors are names – given and surnames.

Many children are named for a relative so that name can be carried on for generations. The same is true of naming a child with a family surname such as the mother’s maiden name. Knowing the names of relatives can help in tracing other family ancestors.

The following is an example of the Furlong family and how they carried their naming method for many generations.

Furlong’s Family Lineage

Richard James Furlong, one of Stuart, Florida residents and proprietor of the Rex Hotel, south of the Roosevelt Bridge in 1948, had an unusual distinction in reference to given name. He was actually the twelfth in family lineage with the exact same full name, so he was Richard James Furlong, the 12th. He had a son, 13th in lineage and a grandson, the 14th! This unbroken chain of given names began in England in the 17th century, but it was Richard James Furlong the 4th who would be the first of the family to resettle in the colony of South Carolina in 1720. Furlong the 12th, born July 29, 1888 in Charleston, SC, had been a railroad civil engineer, building inspector and owned hotels in Miami for years before coming to Stuart. He died in Dade County on February 27, 1955 but the family tradition of naming continues to this date.

Related FamilyTree.com Blogs:

Lineage Societies

Unusual Given Names

Surnames and More

< Return To Blog

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.