Published by Nuestros_Ranchos –
Joseph,
 
After many years of searching the IGI and microfilms, I think that everyone in Mexico was named Jose or Maria, or Jose Maria, or Juan, since I run into the same things you have.  It seems that the priests would also often abbreviate these three common names.  Juan was often used with Juan Jose or Juan Francisco. More often I see Jose--Jose David, Jose Gabriel, Jose Miguel, etc.  Sometimes I see Juan de Dios or Jesus de la Cruz.  Would that last one be called just Cruz by his family?  Yet I never heard of anyone called just Dios. I have seen people named Santiago or Santacruz or just Santos. Maria is sometimes Maria de los Santos, or Maria de los Dolores, or Maria de Jesus, etc.  I have also noticed in the films that all children baptised or born on or near a certain day were given the same saint's name.  So in a village there might by several people with the same saint's name and surname, making my search for one particular person harder since I have to search then for the parents' names or other clues to be sure I am researching the right person.  I remember as a small child that people would sometimes exclaim, "Jesus, Jose y Maria!" when something excited them.
 
An example:  My great-great grandmother in Dona Ana County, New Mexico was named Maria de Jesus Medina.  I found a lady by that name living in 1880 married to a Jose Provencio, the name of my great-great grandfather. but instead of living in Chamberino NM, this couple lived in La Mesilla, about 20 miles north, and not in Chamberino where I was told they had always lived.  I later finally found the other couple, the one I am descended from, living in Chamberino at the same time.  The ladies were both Maria de Jesus Medina, the men were my great-great grandfather Jose Eligio Provencio and the other Jose Provencio was Jose Maria Provencio.  It took me years to find I was following leads on the wrong Maria de Jesus Medina.  I kept wondering why her husband kept changing his name from Jose Maria to Jose Eligio.
 
So, in searching the IGI, if at first I don't find someone by the name known to his/her family, I will enter as a first name simply Jose, or Maria, or Je., or Jn. or Ma. or Mra. and I find what I am looking for.  In the actual records, I do see that sometimes, rarely, a person was baptised simply as just Jose or Maria.
 
Emilie Garcia
Port Orchard, WA
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Joseph Puentes
Sent: Friday, July 08, 2005 3:53 PM
To: LosRanchos
Subject: [ranchos] Juan v. Juan Jose v. Jose Francisco
 

I'm pondering some first names. I've got a relative, Vicente Diaz who had 9 children but in every example and in his first wedding his father was listed as Jose or Josse Diaz.

Now isn't listing a person as Jose Diaz over and over again the equivilent of saying that he didn't know or remember his name?

Or that something was up with the name that he didn't want to give it?  Are there examples of people in the late 1790's and early 1800's being named "Jose" by itself without another name, the real name? I know that in later times there are examples of just plain "Jose" being used but I'm unsure of the used of "Jose" only in the later time period.

okay so then at 62 years of age around 1844 Vicente Diaz remarries and lists his father as Juan Jose Diaz then he dies around 1849 and his father is listed as Juan Diaz.

Something is fishy here and I think that Vicente really didn't have a good handle on what his father's name was. I have a brother of his who also listed his father as Jose Diaz over and over again but whose father on his marriage certificate is listed as Francisco Diaz

And I found a Jose Francisco Diaz married to Concepcion Castaneda (correct name for the spouse of Francisco, Juan and Juan Jose in every case) who had a Vicente Diaz in the right place (Cuculiten, Zacatecas) at the right time.

so I'm wondering if my Juan Diaz or Juan Jose Diaz is really Jose Francisco Diaz.

I've got other information, indirect as it maybe, that lends support to this theory. . . .I sure would like a shut and closed case but though there is a multitude of records I can't seem to get that door closed.

Sounds like I"m reaching. . .

joseph


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