Adaliza

I grew up hearing about my great-grandmother who was called Adaliza.  She was my grandfather’s mother.  My maternal grandfather and grandmother lived with us so I heard about his family as he stayed in touch with his brothers (all 8 of them) and his only sister Lily, Adaliza’s 9th child and only girl.

I remember, some years ago, deciding that I wanted to give my sewing hobby a name.  I wanted to keep my own name private, especially as I was teaching full-time and didn’t want my lovely nosey 6th form students knowing all about what I was making in my spare time, as a hobby!

One day, I can remember it so clearly, I had popped home for lunch and had decided that ‘today was the day’.  I had so little time to think – I was going to register a domain for a website – and it was going to be done before afternoon classes began back at college (in about 20 minutes’ time).

I looked out of the window, thought about what I wanted in a name – something English, traditional, easy to spell, something that meant something to me – and like a ray of sunshine, Adaliza sprang into my mind.  I worked fast to complete the registration and went back into the staffroom with a huge smile saying to my friends “I’ve got a website, and I’m calling it Adaliza”.

Very recently, during the past couple of months, my Dad said he’d found some papers amongst my grandfather’s documents including a cutting from a local newspaper about the funeral arrangements for my great-grandmother, from well before I was born.  Her name was actually Adeliza.

I’d never seen it written down, just heard it spoken and I spelt it as it sounded.  So, my Adaliza is a misspelling of my great-grandmother’s name Adeliza.

A quick scout around the internet has revealed some fairly well-connected Adeliza’s:

William I’s daughter, Adeliza
Adeliza of Louvain, Queen and wife of King Henry I

Blue blood in the family?  I suspect not, but it’s been interesting to find out more about the name.  I’m going to keep my misspelt version – it’s unique and I actually love it.

Do you have any name stories to tell?

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Adaliza x

Tagged: Adaliza Patchwork Quilts, Adeliza of Louvain

§ 2 Responses to What’s in a name?

• Sarah says:

  12/10/2015 at 19:54

  That’s a wonderful story of how your blog got it’s name. I wonder if your great grandmother was also as talented as you with her needlework. Sarah x

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• adaliza says:

  12/10/2015 at 21:54

  I don’t know much about her, but I imagine she had her work cut out with 8 sons and a daughter. My great-grandfather was a train driver on GWR,

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