Baptism/Christening and naming conventions for children
The two traditional naming conventions are the Cape Dutch and the German traditions respectively.
In accordance with the Cape Dutch tradition the first three sons and daughters would be named as follows:
Boys - Grandfather on the father’s side
Grandfather on the mother’s side
The father’s name
Girls - Grandmother on the mother’s side
Grandmother on the father’s side
The mother’s name
Additionally, if a child should die, the next child’s name will revert to the convention.
The German tradition did not have a set convention, but generally children were named after the witnesses to the baptism/christening. The function of the witnesses were not so much as to witness the event, but rather to ensure that the parents complied with their vows and to accept the responsibilities for care of the child if the parents should meet with misfortune.
Baptisms in the early days did not necessarily take place on a Sunday and in church. Because of the difficulties in getting to towns by ox wagon or horse and cart, and the spread-out distribution of the nomadic farmers, the ministers did the travelling. So that if a minister was visiting a certain area, the word would be spread to the Trekkers. Thus they would meet on a given day of the week on a farm in the barn or house. At such times all the un-baptised children would be baptised and the minister would travel onwards to the next area.
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