| The Scottish immigration into the New World was | | | | many families of Scottish were still using this |
| voluminous. Certain regions became bastions of | | | | traditional custom of naming children in a specific |
| Scottish traditions as they expanded from the | | | | way. |
| Eastern United States to the West. In this article I | | | | Among the Scottish, the general custom, with |
| give you some hints at extending your Scottish | | | | some minor variations, was to name the children |
| lineage by using traditional Scottish naming | | | | as follows: |
| patterns. | | | | - the eldest son after the paternal grandfather |
| It is likely that you have some Scottish ancestors | | | | - the second son after the maternal grandfather |
| somewhere in your lineage. As early as 1629 the | | | | - the third son after the father |
| Scottish had settled in Nova Scotia. In the 17th | | | | - the eldest daughter after the maternal |
| Century, many Scots were deported as criminals, | | | | grandmother |
| many being sent to the New World. And, | | | | - the second daughter after the paternal |
| between 1842 and 1910 nearly one half million | | | | grandmother |
| Scottish immigrants entered the United States. | | | | - the third daughter after the mother |
| The earliest Scottish settlers came from | | | | The younger children were often named after |
| Southern Scotland, and many of the later came | | | | earlier forebears, but there was not a specific |
| from Edinburgh and other northern areas of | | | | pattern after the third son or daughter. |
| Scotland. | | | | So, to make the point briefly, I assumed that if |
| My Ross lineage originated primarily in the North. | | | | the family had used this system, the given name |
| My research into this ancestral line had hit a brick | | | | of my 2nd great grandfather would be Robert. |
| wall with the generation of my 2nd great | | | | There were two Robert Rosses living in the area |
| grandfather, James Ross. There were several | | | | of Ohio where my great grandfather lived. I sent |
| Ross families living in the three county area of | | | | off for the wills of both. One proved to be the |
| southeastern Ohio in the mid 1800's and I only | | | | right one. It had the names of my great |
| had information passed down from a few of my | | | | grandfather, James, the siblings I already knew, |
| older living relatives. Then someone put me on to | | | | and the rest of his siblings. Robert's son Joseph |
| the Scottish naming system, and I attempted to | | | | was executor of the will. I had found my 2nd |
| use it to aid in my research. | | | | great grandfather by using the traditional Scottish |
| I knew the name of my great grandfather and | | | | naming system. I already knew the 2nd great |
| several of his siblings. The oldest was Robert J. | | | | grandfather on my grandfather's wife's side. The |
| Ross, my great grandfather, and his only brother | | | | naming there fit the naming system also. |
| was named Joseph. So, using the naming system | | | | If you have Scottish ancestors, check out the |
| outlined below I was able to find my 3rd great | | | | pattern and see if it was followed in your |
| grandfather, Robert Ross. | | | | ancestral families. You may be as lucky as I was. |
| Up until at least the latter part of the 1800's | | | | Good luck. |