Vital Records Tour-
Examples of Birth / Baptismal Records

In reviewing the 18th and 19th century time period, the structure and layout of the records from Galicia/Halychyna are identical to other regions in the Austrian (after 1867 Austro-Hungarian) Empire.  This fact certainly helps anyone researching other family lines from different parts of the Empire, such as today's Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, etc. 

Sure, vital records all contain basically the same information.  In the case of birth/baptismal records, there is the place of the event, the name of the child, the parents' names (and often occupations) as well as the godparents' names (and again often occupations).  However, reading the records can be quite different.

What's in a name?

The column "Nomen" means "Name", and therefore is the place you'll find the name of the child born/baptized.  Sounds easy? 

Sure...but be careful...

Take a look at the following peculiarities.

Double Name - "Binominis"

The Latin term "Binominis" or its abbreviations "bin." or "binom." means "double name".  Therefore, it's one child and not two.  This naming convention is more common with members of the higher classes, but became "fashionable" even among the peasants in the later half of the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

from the village of Usznia, Roman Catholic Biały Kamień parish, 1851.
Names translated into Polish, my preference since it's a Roman Catholic baptism.

Triple Name - "Trinominis"

This record is interesting.  A person with three names, born to a father and mother who each have three names.  And check out the father's and mother's titles...Serenissimus Dominus and Serenissima Domina, and her father's title Excellentissimus Dominus!  Definitely no peasant here!

Eustachius Cajetanus Vladislaus born to Joannes Paulus Alexander Prince Sapieha and Severina Maria Caesaria Urusska

from the village and Roman Catholic parish of Biłka Szlachecka, 1881.

Quadruple Name -- "Quadrinominis"

And just when you thought you wouldn't find more.  Here's a child who's given four names...Maria Cassandra Ludovica Leonarda!!

from the village of Bełzec, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1847.

Twins

The Latin terms for twins are "gemelli" for two boys or a boy and girl, and "gemellae" for two girls.  (Though sometimes you'll still find "gemelli" for two girls even though it's not proper Latin.)  Also note the additional godparents...a set for each child.

from village of Usznia, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1860.

Saint's Full Name

Sometimes, the child is named after a saint's full name, such as "Stanislaus Kostka" or "John the Baptist".  Make sure to note this accurately in your family tree and genealogical records.

from village of Usznia, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1867.

Special Names

Once in a while you come across a unique name.  I got a kick out of the name of this boy, born in a rural tiny village way out on the edge of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1868...with the name "Charles the Great" or commonly known in history as "Charlemagne".  I wonder what the laborer parents <laboriosus listed in the record> were thinking!

from the village of Usznia, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1868.

Careful reading columns and information

Of course, be careful in reading the records.  Not knowing that the Latin abbreviation "Obx.", which stands for "Obstetrix", means "Midwife" in English could lead to a serious mistake.   In this record below, the name of the child is Apollonia.  The midwife is Agata Wojciechowska.

from village of Stare Miasto, Roman Catholic parish of Podhajce, 1864.

Name Day / Saints' Feast Days

A common tradition in Galicia/Halychyna, as well as much of Christian Europe, was to name the birth child based on the Saint's Feast Day on or near which the child was born or baptized.  However, this was not a "forced rule" as children could also be named after a parent, grandparent, godparent, beloved saint or personal reason.  But knowing the Saint's Feast Day could be a clue to finding a birth or baptismal record.

Determining a Saint's Feast Day can be tricky.  There is not a one-to-one ratio where every day can be associated with one saint, nor can one saint be associated with only one day.  I use the incredible source First Names of the Polish Commonwealth: Origins & Meanings written by William F. Hoffman and George W. Helon to determine the Saints' Feast Days.  This one source lists all the days associated with the saint.  For example, the entry for Bogdanus (which is Latin; in Polish it's Bogdan, in Ukrainian it's Bohdan) lists the following saint's days for the Catholic Church: February 6, March 19, July 17, August 10 & 31, September 2.

Examples of naming children after a Saint's Feast Day

Here, you can see that girls born in the middle of December were often named Victoria (which is Latin,  Polish is Wiktoria, Ukrainian is Viktoriia).  This is not merely a coincidence since December 23 is St. Victoria's Feast Day.  Here are two examples from two different years.

For translations, see numbers 1 and 2 below.

from village of Usznia, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1850.

from village of Usznia, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1852.

Example where Saint's Feast Day not used

July 17 is the Feast Day for Ignacy, which is illustrated by the second two births below.  However, the first Ignacy born, on June 20, is not named based on the Saint's Feast Day.  (This Ignacy, my great-great grandfather, could have been named after an uncle on the father's side or another personal reason that will never be known.)

For translation, see number 3 below.

from village of Usznia, Roman Catholic parish of Biały Kamień, 1867.

Also, keep in mind the Catholic tradition of celebrating one's "Name Day" (in Polish "Imieniny"), on the Saint's Feast Day after which the child was named.  Therefore, someone named Czeslaw may have been born on January 1, but celebrated his "Name Day" on July 20, which is St. Czeslaw's Feast Day.  So, you may find July 20 listed as Czeslaw's "Birth Day" on forms and documents.  This is no longer as common a practice as it was in earlier centuries.

Translation of #1 from above ("Victoria" example #1):

Translation of #2 from above ("Victoria" example #2)

Translation of #3 from above ("Ignatius" example)

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