Ok, this post is about names. For some this may get confusing, so pay attention lol.
Now obviously, our ancestors and even current family members are named Joseph or Margaret. Could they not think of anything else? Or maybe it was because they are/were Catholic, that must be it! That maybe partly true, I suppose. Going WAY back in time to like the 13th-15th Centuries the Roman church had a lot to do with Italian names. Then you get the Italian "family traditions" that take hold, turning it into just that---a tradition, out of honor and respect to the elders in the family. Which I have found to help me out in tracing back the family tree. Thank goodness for traditions! I think though that the move to America created a pathway for new traditions to take form, letting go of old one's. Kind of sad in a way, but I am sure it was freeing for most.
Here I am going to go through our family's naming tradition that took hold in Southern Italy as far back as the 1700's.
Many traditions, perhaps centuries old, have been handed down from generation to generation. Italian culture, as the world knows, centers on family traditions. Actually, traditions vary by location. Our family brought with them traditions from southern Italy. There is a fine line between traditions and politics, and families would follow the traditions, as that was the rule. If you did something breaking the tradition, it was not viewed as politically correct by the older generations, or sometimes even by your peers.
The following are examples of Cenatiempo family traditions, as they existed when the children of the transition generations were growing up as the first generation in the United States. Generally, family and friends worked along traditional lines. There would be serious ramifications if they broke tradition. Occasionally people did break tradition as they assimilated into American society and this pained the elders, but it resulted in a slow evolution of acceptable behaviors.
Here are the Naming Traditions:
In existence for centuries, the naming tradition is widely manifest in Italian culture. This tradition is rooted in respect to our heritage. The recognition of our family heritage and ancestors is ingrained in the value system and everyday life of peasant families.
I don't know how many family members realize the true traditional significance of their names. Once I figured it out, I was excited to realize why most of my family were given the names they have. It was almost like finding a last piece of a puzzle. It tied all this confusion together and confirmed most of the family information I have. And possibly created a path to explore generations even further back!
Although by the second generation born in the United States this tradition isn't maintained fully, some branches of the family did try to maintain the Cenatiempo name tradition. I believe that this family tradition would have been completely accepted and applied to more generations had our family married other Italians. But thanks to new world freedoms, some traditions ended and new ones began. Which makes us truly who we are today, Americans. Anyhow...here's how it goes.
1) First-born son
The first-born son is named for the paternal grandfather. In our family, you can see the application of this naming tradition. The four brothers of our transition generation named their first born sons Joseph (Giuseppe in Italian). Because their fathers name was Joseph (Guiseppe) Cenatiempo.
2) First-born daughter
The first-born daughter is named for the paternal grandmother. If the first-born daughter is also the first child, either she may be named for the paternal grandmother or she may be given the feminine derivative of the paternal grandfather's name. In the Cenatiempo family we see the name Margaret named after their paternal grandmother being Margherita Napoleone.
3) Second-born son
The second son is named for the maternal grandfather. Thus, in Joseph's (the oldest of the 4 brothers) clan, the first born son and daughter are Joseph and Margaret after the paternal grandparents (Joseph's parents) and the second born son John after the maternal grandfather (Louisa's father).
4) The second-born daughter
is named for the maternal grandmother. Thus in Joseph's clan, the second-born daughter is Restituta (Ruth) named after her maternal grandmother (Louisa's mother). Since Restituta was a twin I am not sure where they got the twin sisters name.
5) Other naming conventions
Aside from these conventions, children were named in many ways. There were aunts and uncles to be named after as well as a multitude of saints, godparents, and friends. Naming a child for a person was often out of honor and patronage.
6) Breaking the naming tradition
In Italy, many people continue this naming tradition. It is, however, a general convention and not a steadfast rule. While it may help us to learn about our ancestors, for example, it is not a guarantee.
