] My family (as were lots of people of olden days) were very superstitious. My Mother and Grandmother had more old wives tales than I can possibly remember. When I saw your comment above about the name "Thomas" it reminded me that they might have been reluctant to name a child after someone who had a "problem" for fear that it might be "unlucky".

This was interesting so I thought I'd have a look at this idea in the next generation. Of JA's six brothers, only George (special needs) did not marry. Of the remaining five only James and Henry had less than two boys. The other three brothers (Edward, Francis and Charles) all named their second sons George, presumeably after their respective grandfather George Austen but obviously the same name as their "poor uncle George" too.