Baby Name: Witness

From the late 1890s to the early 1920s, Ernest Deme Grabert and Alexina Grabert (née Pertuit) of Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, welcomed 16 children — most of whom had names starting with the letter W.

Here are all 16 siblings, from oldest to youngest:

1. Wilson (born in 1897)
2. William (b. 1898), nicknamed “T-Lam”
   • Here’s more on Cajun nicknames.
3. Witness (b. 1899)
4. Wenise (b. 1900)
5. Winnie (b. 1902)
6. Willie B. (b. 1903)
7. Wilda Josephine (b. 1904)
8. Inez (b. 1906)
9. Wilfred (b. 1908)
10. Wildon Joseph (b. 1909)
11. Wiltz Joseph (b. 1911)
12. Norris Jean (b. 1913)
13. Ernest D. (b. 1915)
14. Lena (b. 1917)
15. Darris J. (b. 1920)
16. Dave J. (b. 1922)

Wildon (#10) went on to have seven daughters, most of whom had L-names: Leola, Lula, Lorella, Lorina, Lillie, Eloyse, and Louella.

Sources:

• Ancelet, Barry Jean, Jay D. Edwards, and Glen Pitre. Cajun Country. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 1991.
• Ernest Deme Grabert – Find a Grave
• Wildon Joseph Grabert – Find a Grave
• FamilySearch

Image: Ein Kinderfest (1868) by Ludwig Knaus

[Latest update: Sept. 2024]