With many cousins on both sides of my family having babies, I thought it it would be fun and helpful to share some family names from our tree! While some are quite common, so many of them are wonderful and unique and I would LOVE to see them passed down to future generations!
Starting with my maternal side, the following two sets of names belong to the family line of my grandfather, Dexter Jennings.
Jennings & Zerbe
Grandfathers
Dexter
Arthur
Cecil
William
Gilbert
Thomas
James
Jacob
Issac
Henry
Uncles
Dennis Dion
Myron
Miles
Ralph
Fletcher
Oliver
Benjamin
Albert
Robert
Grandmothers
Leona
Lillian “Lillie”
Sarah
Lydia
Deborah
Ann
Elenor
Hettie
Mariah
Keturah
Aunts
Ruth Ann
Sherla
Eva
Cleona Belle
Eveline
Elenora “Ella”
Mary Etta
Henrietta
Martha
Cavanagh & Hughes
(Grandma Bergman)
Grandfathers
Howard
Daniel
Andrew
Oliver
Alfred
Enoch
Nathanial
Theobold
George
Elias
Uncles
Asbury
Alexander
Floyd
Ivan
Clifford
Samuel
Harrison
Walton
Rupert
Grandmothers
Margaret Elizabeth
Edna
Minnie Etta
Charlotte
Agnes
Jane
Nancy
Hannah
Catherine
Eva
Aunts
Marian
Emma
Harriet
Minerva
Amanda
Maria
Letitia
Eliza
Rebecca
The next set of names belong to the Polish family line of my grandmother Janice AKA “Mimi” in our family.
Jurek & Magdziarz
Grandfathers
Bernard “Benny”
Leon
Adalbert
Matthew
Michael
Jan (John)
Martin
Andreas
Jozef (Joseph)
Laurentius (Lawrence)
Uncles
Jerome
Gordon
Josephus (Joseph)
Adam
Stanislaw (Stanley)
Frank
Simon
Peter
Sabastian
Grandmothers
Janice Ann
Violet
Anna
Marianna
Victoria
Magdalena
Catherina
Agnes
Sophia
Thecla
Aunts
Lorraine
Eva
Alvina
Irene
Antonia
Catherine
Yadviga
Josepha
Mary
For the paternal line of my family tree, below are the family names from both my Italian grandfather Philip Carra and grandmother Bernice Schroeder.
Carra & Tiberino
Grandfathers
Philip
Samuel
Uncles
Stanley
Paul
Gregory
Donald
Joseph
Pietro (Pete)
Natale (Nick)
Angelo
Anthony
Carmelo
Grandmothers
Violetta (Viola)
Santa
Barbara
Aunts
Esther Lena
Angela
Joan
Theresa
Marie (by marriage)
Anna (by marriage)
Rose (by marriage)
Schroeder & Vanocker
Grandfathers
James
John
Henry
Hugh
George
Frederick
Lester
Daniel
William
Alexander
Uncles
Joel
Hosea
Owen
Julius
Charles
Arthur
Harry
Clyde
Rudolph
Herman
Grandmothers
Bernice Eileen
Alma
Zenanah Rose
Patience
Charlotte
Juliette
Sarah
Julia
Elizabeth
Saloma
Aunts
Carole
Helen
Cleona Belle
Rose
Edith
Enda
Emma
Florence
Mary
Thankful
I’m a sucker for anything vintage and names are no exception!
Below are my favorite 5 of each:
Boys
Cecil
Oliver
Fletcher
Dexter
Gilbert (Gil for short)
Girls
Rose
Leona
Violet
Minnie Etta
Emma
Please leave a comment with your favorites or let me know which ones surprised you the most!
If you are curious to learn more about any specific ancestors or relatives I’ve included on these lists, please let me know and I would be happy to share!
These delightful crispy treats have been a holiday staple in our family for generations and are my absolute favorite sugar cookie!
Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins | Total Time: 30 mins
Servings: 36-48 Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) softened margarine
1 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 cups all-purpose flour (loose not packed)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper to prevent sticking.
Mix baking soda, salt, cream of tartar and flour together in a bowl and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat powdered sugar, white sugar and softened margarine together until smooth.
Add in oil, eggs and vanilla and beat with mixer until combined. Slowly add flour mixture, mixing with a strong spoon until cookie dough forms.
Roll the dough into 2-inch balls (or larger for larger cookies) and then roll the top ½ of the cookie ball in a separate bowl of granulated sugar (it’s fun to use colored sugar) then place on cookie sheet.
Space the cookies about 3 inches apart and then use a decorative cookie stamp (like the set below) to smash down the sugar covered cookie ball (the more you smash the thinner and crispier the cookie will be). If you don’t have a fancy cookie stamp, the bottom of a decretive glass or sugar bowl will work just fine!
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min or until the bottom of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. It’s better to pull them out a little bit early if you’re not sure they’re done…however, the smell should tell you.
Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
Store cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Below is a 4 Generations Photo of Violet Jurek “Babcia”, Daughter Jan, Granddaughter Jodi and Great-Granddaughter Megan (me) taken in Violet’s home in Duluth, Minnesota in October of 1990. We were visiting to celebrate her 80th birthday!