What do you know about your name? One of the suggested “About Me” activities on FamilySearch’s In-Home Activities page is learning all about “My Name.” To do so, some of the suggested items include the following:
- Ask a parent about the story of how you got your name.
- What do you want your name to stand for? What do you want people to think of when they hear your name?
- Talk with your family about your family’s name. Where does it come from? What legacy do you want it to have?
- Ask a parent or grandparent if any of your ancestors share your name.
I always heard I was named after my great-grandmother Alice Constance Banks. As I was growing up, I thought my name was too old-fashioned, but as time has passed, I have come to love it more and more. A decade or so ago, I called my parents to get some information about Great-Grandma Alice for a project I was doing about my name. My Dad pointed out that there were Alice’s on both sides of the family, something I hadn’t really thought about before. In the course of our conversation I discovered more about not one but three Alice’s that are direct ancestors.
Alice Constance Banks
- Loved going to the mountains with her grandfather as a child, picking wildflowers and gathering pine nuts.
- Loved to crochet, knit and do other fancy handwork.
- Played the organ and sang in the choir.
- Afflicted with arthritis at the age of 22. Her great faith helped her remain cheerful. She was an inspiration to her family, never complaining but trying to be helpful instead.
- Peace and harmony, close family ties, and plenty of humor prevailed in her home.
Alice Lavina Hobbs
- Walked across the plains when she was six years old.
- Continued as a pioneer, moving to northern Wyoming after she was married.
- Created a beautiful home with her husband, one of the first with a shingled roof and complete with rag rugs that she wove. They put straw underneath and tacked them down around the walls.
Barbara Alice Ward
- Described as a woman of unusual charm and dignity with beautiful features and a smile one could never forget.
- Had a beautiful singing voice and cheerful disposition.
- Mother of 11 children, she enjoyed sports and games, especially baseball. She made and covered the best baseballs.
- Was known to clear out her kitchen for a children’s dance.
- Skilled with a needle and a good housekeeper.
- Even with her large family she learned obstetrics and practiced as a midwife.
- Was very spiritual and fulfilled church assignments conscientiously.
- Her baby son died while her husband was on a mission to England.
- She bore great sorrows, death, disappointment and poverty, but she was brave and no one knew the depths of her wounds.
As I gathered additional stories about these women, my name became much more meaningful to me. It was inspiring to learn more than just their names–to see the wonderful people these women were. Their examples of faith, perseverance, and devotion to their families have given me a desire to be more–to aspire to live up to the name of Alice.
What does YOUR name mean to you? Do you know why your parents chose your name or whether you have ancestors that share it? There are a few tools that can help you answer these questions. First, FamilySearch has a discovery tool that will tell you all about your name and the year you were born. You can access it here. After signing in to your FamilySearch account, you will see a number of clickable options to help you learn more.
Ancestry provides the capability to search your family tree for a particular name. Simply enter your first name in the “Tree Search” field, which is located on the upper right corner of your screen as you view your Ancestry Family Tree. If you have the Ancestry mobile app, tap the silhouette of a person with a magnifying glass on the upper left of the screen, then enter your first name in the search field to bring up a list of everyone on your tree with that name.
Discovering more about your name is meaningful for people of all ages. Knowing about your name can help give you a sense of identity and connect you with your ancestors. Thankfully, we live in an age when we have tools to help us learn more in just a few minutes. Enjoy!
