My great-grandmother had a first cousin whose name was Fairy, but I never really believed that was her actual name.
I had assumed for years that Fairy’s first name was not actually Fairy at all, but instead was Frauke, Folke, Feeke, or some other low-German name and that she had simply used Fairy as an alternative. My own great-grandmother’s actual name was Trientje, but I never heard her referred to as anything other than Tena and Tena was what she used on every record from her marriage going forward.
Many others of their generation, born to parents (or at least a parent) who spoke a low-German dialect referred to as “Platt,” had names that were later replaced with English sounding nicknames, diminutives, or crude Anglicizations.
But that was not the case with Fairy.
Her 1897 birth certificate clearly indicated Fairy was her actual name.
I assumed and I should not have. Even when assumptions are reasonable, it does not mean that they are necessarily valid. Obtain actual records if possible. Fairy’s baptismal record in a nearby German-speaking church also indicated Fairy was her name.
So much for that theory. Getting actual records has a way of making us see the error of our ways.
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