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Naming Patterns

If Olaf had a daughter that he named Inga. Inga  would be named:  Inga Olafsdotter (or Olaf's daughter)
If Olaf had a son that he named Sven, his son would be called:  Sven Olafson.
When Sven has a daughter that he names Olga, Olga's name would be Olga Svensdotter.
Her brother Lars would be:  Lars Svenson.

SCOTS PATTERN OF NAMING

Our Dunn family was really stuck in the pattern. William begot James, James Begot William, William begot James etc., etc., etc., down through the generations. It was the traditional Scots way of naming. This was also apparent in the women of our family. You will also find that middle names are quite significant if your ancestors are from Scotland. Often the middle name reflects a previous generation Sur-name. For instance, William Abercromie Dunn, was the son of James Dunn and Mary Birnie. James parents were William Dun (notice spelling change in descendants) and Margaret Abercrombie. William Abercrombie Dunn and his wife, Annie Young, named their children, in my grandfather's generation, with the same pattern as described first. His children were:

My Grandfather: Andrew Carnegie Dunn, was a broken part of the pattern. William didn't have an older brother. The name, Andrew Carnegie, came from his employer and friend. The Andrew Carnegie, Steel Magnate.

Mary Birnie Dunn, named for William's mother, Mary Birnie.

This continues through the remaining 12 children. Sylvia was the first to discover the naming pattern when she did the initial research. She found alternating William and James and found it more than a coincidence. It didn't take long to discover that it was a common practice amongst the Scots.