New Post
Search
HelpSome 1800s female gems and their dads
I was perusing a state birth record recently for name ideas and came across some names I had never seen before. (To clarify, these are from birth records from the late 1700s and early to mid 1800s.) Some are completely foreign to me, some seem downright crazy, and I can't wait to hear what you all think. Here are some of the best:
Arda
Jennet
Dice
Melvina
Corra (not odd at all, but the spelling amuses me)
Lamul
Phebe (the o got lost somewhere?)
Achsa (or Achsah)
Annelly
Sophronia (as a mn for Marion)
Lavina
Siba
Lecta
Rosella (as mn for Lillian)
Philana (as mn for Rachel)
Abba Dell
Clary
Abalena
Jerusha
Zarviah
Robinah
Fidilla
Aurilla
Syrena
Lilins
Lamira
Phidalia
Philura and Philucia (mother was Parmelia)
Alphonsine
Eibel
And the greats from the list of fathers:
Barachias
Philander
Aureliuss
Bancroft
Lyman
Welcome
Eliphalet
Asael
Lemuel
Freegrace
Bildad
Zebina
Salathiel
Trumbull
Arunah
Alphens
Collamer
Danforth
Labine
Hornell
Benning
I only went 20 pages in and there are hundreds more, so I can post another list if there is interest. What do you all think? Are any of these names familiar or even common to you? Are any of them usable now?
Arda
Jennet
Dice
Melvina
Corra (not odd at all, but the spelling amuses me)
Lamul
Phebe (the o got lost somewhere?)
Achsa (or Achsah)
Annelly
Sophronia (as a mn for Marion)
Lavina
Siba
Lecta
Rosella (as mn for Lillian)
Philana (as mn for Rachel)
Abba Dell
Clary
Abalena
Jerusha
Zarviah
Robinah
Fidilla
Aurilla
Syrena
Lilins
Lamira
Phidalia
Philura and Philucia (mother was Parmelia)
Alphonsine
Eibel
And the greats from the list of fathers:
Barachias
Philander
Aureliuss
Bancroft
Lyman
Welcome
Eliphalet
Asael
Lemuel
Freegrace
Bildad
Zebina
Salathiel
Trumbull
Arunah
Alphens
Collamer
Danforth
Labine
Hornell
Benning
I only went 20 pages in and there are hundreds more, so I can post another list if there is interest. What do you all think? Are any of these names familiar or even common to you? Are any of them usable now?
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
Zarviah is interesting to me.
1
Believe it or not, I know of two girls named Melvina and Philana. Philana was a year or so ahead of me in school. She had an older sister named Paquita, though I'm not real sure of the spelling offhand.
Melvina was a classmate of my husband's. She was nicknamed Dr. M, for her basketball and track skills.
Freegrace sounds like either some sketchy televangelism movement or like Grace is in jail and people want to get her out.
Melvina was a classmate of my husband's. She was nicknamed Dr. M, for her basketball and track skills.
Freegrace sounds like either some sketchy televangelism movement or like Grace is in jail and people want to get her out.
1
Thanks for posting! It's very very interesting :)
I think Arda is absolutely gorgeous! I like Sophronia and Abalina, too.
From the dads list, I like Philander.
There weren't any informations about the family background, or something? I'm just curious ;)
I think Arda is absolutely gorgeous! I like Sophronia and Abalina, too.
From the dads list, I like Philander.
There weren't any informations about the family background, or something? I'm just curious ;)
1
There was a date of birth for each girl, and a town listed, as well as the father's and sometimes mother's names. No nationality, etc. Glad you liked them!
1
Phil- names must have been popular. My great grandma Mary Philena was born in 1867, and she was named after her grandma Philena, who was born in 1804.
I saw Lavina on Who Do You Think You Are- Christina Applegate's episode.
Trumbull- I think that's the name of a collection of papers about the Revolution. I saw a mention of them while working on my tree.
Danforth- that was VP Dan Quayle's mn. (James Danforth was his full name.) It sounds like a surname name, like Benning, Bancrroft, and Lyman.
I saw Lavina on Who Do You Think You Are- Christina Applegate's episode.
Trumbull- I think that's the name of a collection of papers about the Revolution. I saw a mention of them while working on my tree.
Danforth- that was VP Dan Quayle's mn. (James Danforth was his full name.) It sounds like a surname name, like Benning, Bancrroft, and Lyman.
1
Philena looks like an alternate spelling of Felina (or at least that they'd be pronounced the same or very similarly), but I'm guessing they are actually etymologically unrelated.
1
If you wouldn't mind sharing a few more...
because this was actually pretty fun. :)
And it's kind of fascinating to see the sorts of names that were in use at the time.
because this was actually pretty fun. :)
And it's kind of fascinating to see the sorts of names that were in use at the time.
1
Of course! Be on the lookout for Some more 1800s F gems...
Glad you liked them!
Glad you liked them!
1
I figure Googling would be cheating here, so I'm just throwing out my own ideas/guesses.
Arda - this is the world in Lord of the Rings (which, of course, hadn't actually been written yet). I would assume it's related to the word "ardent." I can totally see a Tolkien fan naming a child Arda, and I honestly don't think it's a bad name at all, so I'd say it's probably usable.
Jennet - a form of Jannet. I feel like everyone would think it was a typo, though, so probably not usable.
Melvina - most likely a feminine form of Melvin. Probably usable, but it's really not my style.
Corra (not odd at all, but the spelling amuses me) - I've seen Korra (as in, 'The Legend of Korra'), so this doesn't look quite as odd to me. I'd consider it usable, though I'd be more likely to use Korra myself.
Lamul - possibly a variation of Lemuel? Idk if it's usable, and it's really not my style.
Phebe (the o got lost somewhere?) - don't really pronounce the 'o', so why not? I'd consider it usable, though of course the spelling would probably confuse some people.
Annelly - probably a combination of Anne and Nelly. Idk if it's usable; it feels kind of "dated," and it's really not my style.
Lavina - I have absolutely seen this name before at least once. Possibly in a movie/show/book from the 1800s? I'd consider it usable.
Rosella - probably Rose + Ella. And I'm sure I've seen it before. It's a "Rose" name, like Rosalie, Rosamund, Rosemarie, Primrose, etc. Seems perfectly usable.
Abba - this is a word for "father" or "daddy" used in the Bible. Seems like a bit of a strange name for a girl, given that, but I'm probably missing something. I wouldn't consider it usable, even for a boy, honestly.
Arda - this is the world in Lord of the Rings (which, of course, hadn't actually been written yet). I would assume it's related to the word "ardent." I can totally see a Tolkien fan naming a child Arda, and I honestly don't think it's a bad name at all, so I'd say it's probably usable.
Jennet - a form of Jannet. I feel like everyone would think it was a typo, though, so probably not usable.
Melvina - most likely a feminine form of Melvin. Probably usable, but it's really not my style.
Corra (not odd at all, but the spelling amuses me) - I've seen Korra (as in, 'The Legend of Korra'), so this doesn't look quite as odd to me. I'd consider it usable, though I'd be more likely to use Korra myself.
Lamul - possibly a variation of Lemuel? Idk if it's usable, and it's really not my style.
Phebe (the o got lost somewhere?) - don't really pronounce the 'o', so why not? I'd consider it usable, though of course the spelling would probably confuse some people.
Annelly - probably a combination of Anne and Nelly. Idk if it's usable; it feels kind of "dated," and it's really not my style.
Lavina - I have absolutely seen this name before at least once. Possibly in a movie/show/book from the 1800s? I'd consider it usable.
Rosella - probably Rose + Ella. And I'm sure I've seen it before. It's a "Rose" name, like Rosalie, Rosamund, Rosemarie, Primrose, etc. Seems perfectly usable.
Abba - this is a word for "father" or "daddy" used in the Bible. Seems like a bit of a strange name for a girl, given that, but I'm probably missing something. I wouldn't consider it usable, even for a boy, honestly.
This message was edited 6/27/2015, 11:07 PM
1
Syren is Swedish for Lilac (it's not used as a first name, but I've seen it used as a surname). Perhaps Syrena could be of Swedish heritage?
1
Could be.
1
Philander is an established surname here in South Africa! Luckily, most people don't do much etymology in their spare time! Try Googling Vernon Philander for a famous bearer du jour.
Rosella I know as a name for the hibiscus flower, and I suspect it's an Australian placename.
Eliphalet and Salathiel probably had parents who chose names for them by opening the Bible at random and using the first suitably gendered name they spotted. Same with Jerusha, probably. Not a system I'd recommend.
Rosella I know as a name for the hibiscus flower, and I suspect it's an Australian placename.
Eliphalet and Salathiel probably had parents who chose names for them by opening the Bible at random and using the first suitably gendered name they spotted. Same with Jerusha, probably. Not a system I'd recommend.
1
Yes, it is. Meet me, teenage TMI Fangirl. It's short for Clarissa in the books
:)
:)
1
Yeah, I'm a tiny bit addicted. :) I'd always assumed Clarice/Clarissa/Clarisse was related to Clara/Clare/Claire. They've all got that similarity to the 'clar' root, as in 'clarity'. Clear and bright. I'd be surprised if they weren't related. Ooh, and here it says that Claritia is a derivative of Clara, so that's good to know. Clarice and Claritia definitely seem like they're related.
1
I've seen Phebe before, although it doesn't look right, I think it's considered a legit alternate spelling. And I know I've seen Lyman and Lemuel before. Other than that the men's list looks more like a list of last names rather than actual names.
1