What's in a Name

The first question in To Our Children's Children, a book of interview questions to prompt the telling of family history, is, "What is your name?" I could say Jane and be done with it. Or I could say, I was Janey for years until I informed my family that I had grown out of it. (My sister Ann will still revert sometimes.) My mother said in choosing a name for me it was either Jane or Susan and I always told her I was so glad they picked Jane. Was I named after anyone? I'd like to think Jennie, my grandmother, but I think we were supposed to be named after saints. I don't think I ever found much on St. Jane Frances de Chantal to inspire me. (Time out to Google: patron saint of in-law problems??) For confirmation we were allowed to choose another name. I found this very exciting and chose Josephine. I think it was the influence of Little Women at the time. Nothing spiritual about it.
When I am researching families I always look for recurring names as a clue to possible relatives. I make the assumption that people like to name their children after a beloved ancestor. Whom were you named after? How often does this hold true? And how often are we simply caught up the name trend of the time?
If you are collecting history on a person, be prepared to find them under many disguises. For example, Aunt Fran. Born Elizabeth Frances. Called Lizzie as a child when the census taker came around.
Lastly be sure to ask someone's maiden name. In my case, I chose to keep my own name Johnston, but tracing back gets difficult if your maiden name is a mystery.