Too much of a coincidence

[sigma]

In my tree I have a Zephaniah Rice b. 1792 in Suffolk. In the records Zephaniah is spelt in various ways.
There are two people named Zephaniah Rice, both born 1792 both in Suffolk.
With such an unusual christian name it seems too much of a coincidence.
I can understand it with a name like Jack Jones but not Zephaniah.

[jno]

maybe. But if it was a family name, more than one branch of the family might have used it.

[craft1948]

I had this trouble with one branch of my family from Lincolnshire. They tended to be large families and they all gave their children the same 'family' names At one point I had 3 living Canutes!

[cazzz1975]

check out both, chances are they are related as family names back then seemed to be repeated ad nauseum sometimes :S

[sigma]

Thanks for that, daft as it may seem i never considered that they may be related

[Segilla]

Beware the name Rice. Can look like Price.
Same problem with Preece and Reece