I"m not sure about the 'patterns' per se......but I do know that the Virginia BAKER family I am researching back into the 1600's was Samuel, then Bartholomew, then Samuel, then Bartholomew until finally there was a break in the line about 1820's. Bartholomew was still used....but the line I'm working on didn't carry that name. To make matters worse on my husband's paternal side.......his grandmother line was MIXER from the Mass. area......some how he inherited 6 generations of Joseph MIXER! Now with families being large and all......what would you think of the odds of a line coming down with one line of 6 generations of Joseph....considering "Joseph" could be placed with any of the men born during any of those 6 different families? It has made documentation very difficult and confusing.........and of course in naming our own children I followed tradition and my son is a fourth generation Roland and all middle names are either a C or a G depending upon the sequence. The next BAKER boy should be a Roland with a "G". In my own way I've already made life difficult for some future genealogist....... {:>( Sharyn Baker To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html