Children's Books and Family History: The Gift of a Family Name

Names are often the first gift we receive from our families. They become part of our identity and the beginning of our story. Some names honor ancestors, reflect traditions, or capture a moment in time. Some parents carefully choose a name years in advance, while others wait until they meet their child face to face. No matter the circumstances behind how we received our name, there is usually a story waiting to be told. 

Alma is frustrated. She feels her name is simply too long. One day, while trying to fit her full name onto a piece of paper, she shares her frustration with her father. The story unfolds as Alma learns about the family members she was named after and the reasons those names were chosen. As she begins to see herself reflected in the stories of her ancestors, she starts to feel honored to carry their names forward.

When learning about her first name, Alma, her father tells her, “I picked the name Alma just for you. You are the first and the only Alma. You will make your own story.”

Each of us has a story to tell.

Family history gives us the opportunity to preserve those stories and remember the people who came before us. Just like Alma discovered that her name carried connection, memory, and meaning, we too can learn more about ourselves as we discover the stories of our ancestors.

I first felt the power of connecting with an ancestor when a death certificate arrived at my mum’s house

for her Aunt Betty. I didn’t know much about Betty — only that she was my grandad’s sister and that she had died at just nineteen years old.

When I looked at her death certificate, one word stopped me cold: spinster. It shocked me that her life was being defined by what she didn’t have — no husband, no children. It felt unfair and incomplete for such a young woman whose life must have held so much more.

I began to wonder how Betty would be remembered if she had no children of her own to carry her

legacy forward. In that moment, I quietly decided that if I ever had a daughter, her middle name would be Betty. This way, Betty’s name would continue, and she would know that her family had not forgotten her.

Years later, when I learned my first baby was going to be a girl, I knew what her middle name would be.
Naming her Hannah Betty felt sacred — a personal connection to someone I had never met in this life.

Now my Hannah carries Betty with her every day. Betty’s story did not end when her life did. It continued the day Hannah’s began. It is not just Hannah’s name — it is their name: two girls, one name, with a legacy to pass on.

One of the beautiful things about family history is that it does not have to begin with a large research project or hours spent searching records. Sometimes it begins with something much smaller: a name, a story, or a simple conversation shared between generations. Books like Alma and How She Got Her Name remind us that children are often eager to learn where they come from and why family stories matter.

Here are a few simple ways families can begin:

• Ask children if they know the story behind their name

• Share stories about grandparents or ancestors during dinner

• Look through old photographs together

• Write down one favorite family memory each week

• Call an older relative and ask about family traditions or childhood memories

Activity!

Write your child’s full name on a piece of paper and talk about why each name was chosen. Was it inspired by an ancestor, a family tradition, a meaningful place, or simply a name you loved? Invite children to draw pictures, add photos, or write down the stories connected to their name. This simple activity can help children see that their name is more than just what they are called, it is part of their story.