Hi Jo,

I think you are right about the names of the deceased babies being given to the next born babies: those names must have meant something significant in their family tree, like the father's name, father's father's name; mother's name, mother's mother's name, etc. The parents must have felt it was very important to carry on the name of the significant person in their own past history. I suppose it was fulfilling to the parents as long as enough babies were born to them.

Another case in my dad's mother's Scottish family history is a family of 7 children where 4 of the babies died: the 2nd, the 4th, the 6th, and the 7th babies died. Sadly, the 7th was named after his father, who died at the age of 32, just around the time of the 7th baby's birth.
Of the babies who died, they all had been baptized with names of significant members in their family tree.

Thanks for the your information about the English tradition.
Penny