Mary Scary and Mr Spooky are among weird and wacky names unearthed in a study of historical records

Mary Scary, Mr Spooky and Frank N Stein are among weird, wacky and even scary names unearthed by a family history website.

Ancestry.co.uk said a study of names on its site going back hundreds of years, ranging from school registers and marriage records to phone books, revealed some unusual entries.

Names of interest included Norfolk woman Mary Scary born in 1843, butcher Fran Pire, who left New York for Southampton in 1926, a First World War soldier called Will Fright and a Southampton newsagent described in a phone book as Mr Spooky.

Ancestry.co.uk international content director Miriam Silverman said: "Drawing attention to this somewhat curious selection of names highlights the fact that not just life but also history has a way of imitating art."

PA