John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 637

A subscriber to the list here recently commented that a set of given names sounded as if the parent(s) might have had a German origin.  I agree that the thought is a valid concept.  In the last note I introduced Michael Thomas, who is found in North Carolina.  He is said to have had an origin in Culpeper County, Virginia, among the Germans there.  Michael's children are known.  Let's take a look at their given names.

1. John, born ca 1772,
   
2. Adam, born ca 1773, died ca 1853,
   
3. Samuel,
   
4. Mary,
   
5. Joanna,
   
6. Anna,
   
7. Susanna,
   
8. Catherine,
   
9. Elizabeth, and
   
10. James.

Do you think that the parent(s) of these children had a German origin? Yah?  With the exception of the "Joanna," these names are very German.  My standard is the names given to children in the Hebron Lutheran Church.  Just looking through the Register of births at the church in the time period the children above born, the names above are even more " German " than the typical names in the Register.

When I first heard the story of Michael and was given the names above, I said to myself that it was very believable that Michael was German.  Of course, the name Michael itself is very German and, in the German Thomas family of Culpeper County, it would have been very logical for John Thomas to have named a son after his brother Michael.

Of the family names associated with Michael Thomas in North Carolina, I compared them to the names found in Culpeper County.  Perhaps fifty percent of the names were in common, but that may not have been significant, since so many people from Virginia were moving to North Carolina in this time period.

I have not found it hard to believe that Michael Thomas of North Carolina may be the son of John Thomas of Culpeper County, Virginia.  Maybe someone will prove me wrong but until that time I am inclined to believe that Michael was the son of " German " John.