Best family names turned up in a weeklong ancestry.com binge.
Greenleaf N. Pickerill (Dad’s 2nd great-grandfather matrilineally. Presumably named for John Greenleaf Whittier for literary or political purposes — he was born the same year Whitter published Justice and Expediency, one of his most famous abolitionist tracts.)
Fanchery Bartholomew (Greenleaf’s mother. A name I’ve never seen before.)
Poppa De Valois (Mom’s 26th or so great-grandmother patrilineally.)
Ivar Halfdansson (One of Poppa’s great-grandparents-in-law — it’s true, I’m Norwegian if you go back far enough! They’ll never kick me out of Minnesota now!)
Olaf Ingjaldsson (Ivar’s Swedish father.)
Syche Hendrickson (Dad’s 6th great-grandmother matrilineally, from the Dutch strain that settled New Amsterdam. She married one of my illustrious New Jersey ancestors, who brought her to New Jersey, where she lived the rest of her life probably wishing she was back in New Amsterdam. I really like the first name Syche, which is another one I’ve never seen before, and which I presume must be pronounced like ”Psyche.”)
Harrison Pittenger (Dad’s 2nd great-grandfather matrilineally, who fought in the Civil War. A very action-oriented name.)
Anthoyne Dickensonne (Mom’s 20th great-grandfather matrilineally. Just a very solid medieval English name, the nomenclatural equivalent of a ruffled white collar.)
Syche Ivar de Valois Fanchery Greenleaf Sturdevant-[Spouse’s name] (Good news, future spouse! I have a great suggestion for a baby name!)
