Is Onesime Girard really Louis de Gonzague Girard?

Question

According to the 1911 census Onesime was born June 1867. His age in the 1871 (3), 1881 (13), 1901 (34) and 1921 (55) also correspond pretty well with a birth year of 1867. Also, he was 44 when he crossed the border to the US in 1912. For the years 1866 - 1869 the only child baptized in Saint-Charles to his parents is Louis de Gonzague on 15 June 1867. The only child buried of the couple is Rose de Lima in 1868. There is no Louis living with the family in the 1871 census but Onesime is there at age 3. I'm guessing since Louis was his father's name he may have gone by Onesime. Thoughts?

Comments

I would say, looking at the evidence, that Onésime was a familiar name used by the family and that these two are one and the same person. Having a name like Louis-de-Gonzague would be rather awkward, in truth.

Answer 1

Well, no, no way to affirm that, Onésime is 3 on 1871 census and 13 on 1881 census, so from that he would be born around 1868.  Louis de Gonzague is actually a saint's name.  Nothing awkward about it, no more than Onésime.  Often kids with these long names just used the short form.  Might have dies young, if you compare 1871 and 1881 censuses, there's a Joseph in 1871 missing from 1881 census.

The 1901 census gives his dob as 15 June 1866. and the 1911 one as June 1867.  

In fact, if you look at Onésime's marriage record, cited present is Louis Girard, brother of the groom.

Comments

There is however a brother born to him 15 Oct 1855 named just Louis.  Profile not showing in the family.

---

Louis Girard, son of Louis Girard and Olive Nadeau was born and baptized on 15 Oct 1855 in St-Charles. He is the Louis that married Denise Gautron dite Larochelle on 08 Feb 1876 in St-Raphael, Bellechasse, not  Louis-de-Gonzague as I have found on some Ancestry.com trees. Louis-de-Gonzague would have been only 8 years old in 1876 so he obviously was not the Louis that married Denise. Denise died on 22 Oct 1921 and Louis remarried to Alphonsine Sophronie Langlois on 11 Feb 1924 in St-Cajetan, Armagh. I see that he died on 25 Sep 1938 in Quebec but I have not found a burial record.