The Unwin "Naming Ways" - Placenames and Zairs

Some years ago, when I was still at University, I completed a history paper that focussed on the "ways" in which New Zealanders did things.  One part of this paper was "naming ways" - the brainchild of Dr. Peter Gibbons, History Department, University of Waikato.   History as a discipline seeks to observe "patterns", so in essence "naming ways" is about observing the presence of naming patterns.  Interestingly enough, I've noticed two "naming ways" in the Unwin lineage.  This post is me, looking at what we have thus far and whether this is enough to write a piece for publication.

The first is the naming of children after place names.  The second is the usage of name sakes, particularly the name 'Zair'.   We also have a number of Huberts, which is worth keeping in mind.  I have a suspicion that Hubert comes from Ann Reid's family and since a number of use are attempting to make sense of the DNA matches with the Reids of Newfoundland ... I keep on keeping an eye out for the name Hubert.    In any case, Place names and Zairs ... 

(1) PLACE NAMES

CEDA :  A place in Canada
[Ceda Marie Unwin, Ceda Kaituna Williams]
FREDERICK :  Possibly Fort Frederick in Placentia, Newfoundland
[Frederick Unwin, Frederick Williams]
COLYTON :  A place in New Zealand
[Evelyn Colyton HOWIE]
KAITUNA :  A place in New Zealand
[Ceda Kaituna WILLIAMS]
TIMARU : A place in New Zealand
[Frederick William Timaru ERSKINE]
RAWEA : A place in New Zealand
[Dorothy Rawea HOWIE]

If any relatives know any more examples of these, please ... write it in the comments box below.

(2) HUBERT 

Here are the Huberts, I have made the relevant point above re: Hubert.

Hubert Edward Unwin
Hubert Zair Howie
Hubert Howie  (son of Francis)

(3) ZAIR - the Main Event 😎

'Zair' as a first name (christian name) in the Unwin family, derives from Mary Zair (1804 - 1875), Thomas Zair Unwin's Mother.   It's a common enough English naming practice/custom for a child to have his or her Mother's maiden name as one of his or her Christian names.
[insert examples of  English custom]
BUT ... there are a number of factors that make *ZAIR stand out.

LONGEVITY :  Naming children Zair has prevailed over a number of generations! Particularly if we consider that we have not been "Zairs since Mary!"  That is six generations to me.  In my generation, the Zairs are Sally ZAIR Swenson and ZAIR Parsonson (m.Taylor) and seven generations to Jade ZAIR Kupa and Kiriana ZAIR Morrison.  Still going strong!  Mary would be proud!

COLLECTIVE MEMORY :    Whose Mary???  Yes, opportunities I've had to talk to various Zairs in the Unwin lineage, there has been no indication that any of the Zairs remember Mary per say!  Nor the Birmingham roots.   Amusingly, family members that knew anything about the name Zair referred to the section of the Zair Family who were the Birmingham whip makers! Lol.  While this is true, they were indeed master whip makers, but what about Mary though???
  😅😄 Furthermore, most of our Zairs are actually Zairettes, are we happily naming our daughters after Whipmakers.  💓💙💜 This is probably not the case, and in fact, the "Zairing" of our females is very matrilineal.  The most recent Zairs, have been named after their Mothers or Grandmothers.  Remininescent of that Grand Old Dame, even if Unwin descendants know it or not.

FREQUENCY:
13!  13 Zairs, probably means this is beyond your everyday 'name saking', this is an actual naming tradition/naming custom, worthy of a name ... perhaps articulated as the Zair naming tradition of the Unwin lineage.   When I updated the table below, I had a count of nine.  Then I posted it on my facebook page, to show my family and boom, another four Zairs or should I say Zairettes were waving from Hawkes Bay, ie: Cyril Howie's family.   This took the Count up to 13!  I plan to re-do the table in the next week or so, I need to think of a snazzy layout first.

THE THIRTEEN NAMESAKES OF MARY ZAIR! 

1(gen.1) Thomas ZAIR Unwin (1839 - 1881)
2(gen.2) Thomas ZAIR Unwin Jr (1880 - 1880) 
3(gen.3) Hubert ZAIR Howie (1905 - 1983) 
4(gen.3) ZAIR Williams (1904 - 1983) 
5(gen.3) Eda ZAIR Unwin (1900 - 1990)
6(gen.4) Betty ZAIR Howie (1920 - 1978)**
7(gen.4) ZAIR Edward George Hurrell (1931-1994)
8(gen.5) Priscilla ZAIR Bruce
9(gen.6) ZAIR Parsonson 

ZAIRS THAT I NEED TO ADD TO A NEW TABLE

10. Pamela ZAIR Thrupp  (Ian Douglas Howie's daughter) and her daughter
11. Sally ZAIR Swenson, and her daughter [My Gen]
12. Jade ZAIR Kupa

Betty ZAIR Howie**>[Grandad's Gen.] 
Margaret Thomson > [Dad's Gen]
Libby Thomson > [My Gen]
13. Kiriana ZAIR Morrison.  

The Zair Whip-Makers - G. & J. Zair

Fate Acquired by Swaine & Adeney in 1927

Successor Swaine Adeney Brigg

Founded 1830s in Birmingham by John Zair (c. 1809–1881), and his sons

 George Zair (1839–1914); John Zair Jr (c. 1842–retired in 1893); and Grandson, George Percy Zair (1877–retired in 1947).

Products Whip-makers

The founder John Zair, was Mary's younger brother. 

Certainly, Thomas would have known about his Uncle's business, in fact by the time Thomas arrived back in Birmingham from Canada, the business would probably have been in the hands of his cousins.   This is not particularly our history though.  Nor does it encapsulate the historical origins of the Zair name, 

So the next post will be a quick recap at what we know thus far about Mary Zair and her family!