When we think about the names dating back to the Victorian age, when everything was much simpler and more essential than today, we're led to think that everyone then were called John and Mary ... yes, maybe someone, but not everybody, and not only... Names were much more complex than today in order to the symbolic value that our Victorians attributed to everything that was part of the 'habitus vivendi' of their time ...
First of all, it should be said to be more different than ours today were mostly the female names, and both males and females had at least two names, or three: often the first name was derived from the Sacred Scriptures, from the novels already famous at that time, such as those by Charles Dickens or Sherlock Holmes, from the newly born states - Texas, Nevada, Tennessee; for girls the name was often chosen among virtues - Charity, Hope, Temperance - while for males people were also looking at the heroes of classical history or mythology - Hector, Augustus, Achilles.
The second name was almost always a surname to became name, maybe that of the mother or of an affectionate friend, the common name of a trade, the father's one or that of a close relative or even the nickname with which the child was affectionately called inside the family: they came out, as you can imagine, some rather unusual names like John Butterfield Smith, Christopher Columbus Johnes, Marcus Doctor Harvey, Owen Captain Johnson, or Fitzhugh Lafayette Smith!
Alcie | Alla | Alpha | Aquilla |
Arrie | Ara | Araminta | Asa |
Avie | Bena | Celestia | Bufor |
Cordie | Cinda | Delphia | Commodore Perry |
Dessie | Effa | Drusilla | Eldon |
Dillie | Eola | Electa | Elisha Emmet |
Dovie | Esta | Etna | Jeptha |
Fronnie | Ila | Fidelia | John Wesley |
Hassie | Iola | Leta | Marcellus |
Jettie | Letta | Mahala | Masheck |
Lovie | Linna | Mahulda | Meriwether Lewis |
Ludie | Loma | Orpha | Mordecai |
Lutie | Manda | Ottilie | Nimrod |
Manie | Netta | Parthenia | Ninian |
Mintie | Nolia | Permelia | Obediah |
Nealie | Orilla | Preshea | Octavius |
Neppie | Sina | Rowenia | Ora |
Osie | Ula | Sula | Oral |
Rillie | Vena | Vertiline | Pleasant |
Sudie | Zona | Zylphia | Uriah |
Of course we should not laugh at the names of people who have died so much time ago, but a good-natured smile, let's allow it ourselves ... how much things have changed during these years my friends!
I hope you enjoyed this topic a bit unusual,
but certainly interesting and curious for some of you
and with sincere gratitude,
I take my leave of you by wishing you the very best you may want
see you soon 💕
Quando pensiamo ai nomi risalenti all'epoca vittoriana in cui tutto era molto più semplice ed essenziale di oggi, ci viene di fatto di pensare che tutti allora si chiamassero John e Mary ... sì, forse qualcuno, ma non tutti e non solo ... allora i nomi erano molto più complessi di oggi in virtù del valore simbolico che i Victorians attribuivano ad ogni cosa che facesse parte dell'habitus vivendi del tempo ...
- fotografia 1
Innanzitutto va detto che se ad essere più diversi da oggi erano soprattutto i nomi femminili, sia i maschi che le femmine avevano almeno due nomi se non tre: spesso il primo nome era tratto dalle Sacre Scritture, dai romanzi del tempo già famosi, primi fra tutti quelli di Charles Dickens o di Sherlock Holmes, dagli stati da poco nati - Texas, Nevada,Tennessee; per le fanciulle esso era sovente scelto tra le virtù - Charity, Hope, Temperance - mentre per i maschi si guardava anche agli eroi della storia classica o della mitologia - Hector, Augustus, Achilles.
Il secondo nome era quasi sempre un cognome che diventava nome, magari quello della madre o di un amico affezionato, il nome comune di un mestiere, quello del padre o di un caro vicino oppure ancora il vezzeggiativo con cui veniva chiamato il bimbo affettuosamente in famiglia: ne uscivano, come potete ben immaginare nomi per noi alquanto inusuali del tipo John Butterfield Smith, Christopher Columbus Johnes, Marcus Doctor Harvey, Owen Captain Johnson o Fitzhugh Lafayette Smith !
Dando un'occhiata ai primi fogli anagrafici che fecero la loro comparsa in America nel 1880 si scoprono cose davvero curiose: la prima cosa che salta agli occhi è che il nome più diffuso in assoluto era quello di Victoria e ben comprendiamo perché, ma accanto ad esso leggiamo nomi femminili che sembrano dei diminutivi o vezzeggiativi - nella prima colonna sotto tutti terminanti in - ie, nella seconda, ancor più brevi, tutti in a -, e nomi ormai del tutto caduti in disuso, femminili, nella terza colonna, maschili nella quarta ...
- fotografia 2 - tabella
Per certo non dobbiamo ridere dei nomi di persone che sono defunte da tempo, ma un sorriso, bonario, lasciamocelo sfuggire ... quanto sono cambiati i tempi amici miei !
Spero che abbiate gradito questo argomento un po' insolito,
ma di certo interessante e curioso per alcuni di voi
e con sincera gratitudine prendo congedo da voi augurandovi quanto di meglio possiate desiderare
a presto 💕
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VINTAGE CHARM PARTY
Things have changed and so have names over time. The one constant in life is change.
RispondiEliminaHave a fabulous day, Dany. ♥♥♥
@ Sandee
Eliminayou're like a bright ray of cheerful sunshine, I heartily thank you, Dearie !
Hope you're having the best of weeks,
I'm sending blessings on your coming days ಌ•❤•ಌ
The history of names is a very interesting topic. And I absolutely adored the baby photos.
RispondiEliminaHave a beautiful week Dear Friend,
All my Love,
Andrea
@ Andrea
EliminaI'm always far delighted by welcoming you here, sweetest friend of mine, and to read that you loved it, well, it truly makes my day !
Trusting you also are enjoying a pleasant week,
I'm sending my dearest love to you,
with sincere thankfulness ✿⊱╮
A very interesting post. I especially enjoyed the baby photos! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
RispondiElimina@ Marci
EliminaDearest One, thanks most sincerely for your so beautiful words, they fill my heart to overflowing !
Wishing you a joy-filled day, today,
and peaceful days to comes,
filled with gladness and smiles ❥
A fun and informative mini lesson in the history of Victorian names. The babies are adorable in their period piece attire!
RispondiEliminaHave a lovely week,
Poppy
@ Poppy
Eliminayou're so heartily welcome, sweet friend, thank you for your nice and kind words !
Hope you're having the best of weeks,
I'm sending all my love to you,
thanking you once again *•♥♥•*
Oh how beautiful is your mosaic of babies in their elaborate Victorian perambulators! Most of the Victorian names might sound strange to our modern ears but there are some in the list that I like very much. Wouldn't you love to meet a little girl named Araminta? I know I would.
RispondiElimina@ Maggie
EliminaI'm so, so glad you loved it, I heartily thank you, Dearie, I so love your comments which seem to make my days a bit brighter, and I'm so grateful to you for this !
Sending blessings on the remainder of your week
with utmost gratitude ღ❀ღ
Interesting reading about names and the babies are cute <3
RispondiEliminaI personally happen to have three names: Helmi-Riitta Marjatta. Helmi translates as Pearl, my mother and granddaughter bear Helmi too. Riitta has no special meaning, maybe translates as Rita. Marjatta comes from our national epic Kalevala :) I blog as Riitta but in real life use Marjatta, which causes problems in official forms while being the last name. So many a time my first name appears to be Helmi :)
Sorry this personal explanation - wishing you a lovely week dear Dany.
@ riitta
Eliminayou needen't to apologize, darling, precious friend, indeed, I found your comment so very interesting and I'm grateful to you for sharing your personal explanation with us !
Thinking of you and sending wishes for a peaceful and beauty-filled remainder of your week,
♥♡♥ with sincere thankfulness ♥♡♥
It is fun to look at how names change. The fact is, many of the names today will be smiled over in the years to come.
RispondiEliminaWhen it came time to name my own children, i decided to use more common names, the kind that "wear well in the wash and don't fade," so to speak. If they wanted to have an odd nickname with their friends, i decided i'd let them pick that for themselves.
@ messymimi
Eliminaas for today's names you're so right, dearest friend of mine, and as for your children names I think you've done the right thing, if they love some funny name, they may always choose it as their nickname :) !
Sending all my love to you,
with utmost gratitude ༺♡❀♡༻
Hello Dany, what an interesting topic. The baby pictures are adorable. I have heard of some strange names lately. Thanks for sharing. Happy Monday, enjoy your day and the new week ahead!
RispondiElimina@ eileeninmd
Eliminathanks for gracing my blog today, sweetest friend, you always put me in such high spirits with your so precious presence here !
Thanking you for your kind and nice words too, as well,
I'm sending blessings on your day,
may it be filled with love and smiles ⊰✽*♥*✽⊱
I don't think I would name my son Nimrod! Thank you for linking to Blue Monday!
RispondiElimina@ Magical Mystical Teacher
Eliminafor sure I do agree with you :) !!!
It is I who thank you, Dearie,
♥∗✿ blessed be ✿∗♥
So interesting! And some of these come back in use and go out again, etc. Great baby photos!
RispondiElimina@ podso
EliminaI cannot believe that some of them are coming back in use !
So happy to read that you enjoyed this post of mine,
I'm sending hugs and ever much love to you,
I'm sincerely overjoyed by welcoming you here today, sweet friend ♡❤♡
Fun post. Some of those names are making a comeback. Enjoyed the baby photos!
RispondiElimina@ Snap
EliminaI'm sincerely delighted to read that I've entertained you pleasantly, dear, dearest friend, thank you !
Hope you're enjoying the best of weeks,
I'm sending blessings across the miles ⊰♥⊱Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ⊰♥⊱
Such sweet little babies in their carriages... no matter what their parents called them. I've certainly never heard of many of those names, but Victoria is still in use today! My mother named my brother after her father (first name) and her mother's maiden name for his middle name.
RispondiElimina@ Sallie
EliminaI think that Victoria is the only one which hasn't fallen in disuse at all, at least till now, but the others sound so unusual to us today, don't they ?
And reading your words I understand that some mores are still current today, I heartily thank you for letting me know it !
Sending blessing across the many miles, my Lovely Lady,
may the month of June be as Beautiful as you ❥
A happy mosaic Monday
RispondiEliminamuch love...
@ Gillena Cox
Eliminamuch love to you too, darling friend, and lots of thanks for taking the time for stopping by and for commenting, with your presence here you always make my day, blessed be !
Wishing you a most beautiful weekend to come,
with sincere gratitude ❀≼♥≽❀
i enjoyed this very much! i love your research. these names are wonderful! have a lovely week, sending many good and loving thoughts your way. xo Michele
RispondiElimina@ Michele
EliminaI welcome you with a big hug, Dearie, you always make my heart sing with joy !
I felt your loving thoughts and hope you'll feel mine too !
❖ May your day be filled with gladness and smiles ❖
Ed ecco spiegato il perchè di molti nomi strani
RispondiEliminae curiosi che si sentono spesso nei libri o nei film
ambientati nell'epoca vittoriana.
Se voglio sapere qualcosa devo solo rivolgermi alla mia carissima amica Daniela e lei saprà soddisfare ogni mia curiosità!!
Un abbraccio mia dolcissima amica e buona giornata
Love Susy ♥
@ Susy
Eliminabuongiorno tesoro e felice giornata di festa a te !
Che meraviglia averti qui, non immagini la gioia che mi dai con le tue parole, dolcezza !
Ti invio un abbraccio forte forte dal profondo del cuore
e ti ringrazio come non mai augurandoti un sereno weekend ... ormai d'estate,
e possa il mese di giugno recarti tutta la gioia e la serenità che meriti,
mia cara ♥∗✿∗♥
Daniela, Your post was very interesting. Great research. Thanks for sharing. Have a great week. Sylvia D.
RispondiElimina@ Sylvia
Eliminait is I who thank you, wholeheartedly, your words bless my heart, Sweet Friend !
Hope you're having the best of weeks,
I'm sending all my love to you ♥♡♥
Mi è piaciuto molto leggere gli insoliti nomi che usavano nell'epoca vittoriana. Le immagini dei piccoli bimbi sono incantevoli
RispondiEliminaBacioni Alessandra
@ Alessandra
Eliminafelicissima di averti intrattenuta piacevolmente, ti abbraccio con il cuore augurandoti una serena giornata ed un mese di giugno prodigo di gioia e di soddisfazioni !
Bacioni anche a te,
mai dolce ♡ஐ♡
Bel post , molto particolare , che mi mette a conoscenza di un aspetto della quotidianità Vittoriana che mi mancava.
RispondiEliminaA proposito , sai che il nome Drusilla mi piace ?!
Un saluto grande ,
Franca
@ Franca
Eliminamia dolce, sai che con il nome Drusilla mi sono sentita trasportare di colpo nel mondo della nostra poesia, al mio amatissimo Eugenio Montale che della poetessa Drusilla Tanzi fu il marito ... dapprincipio sentivo l'altisonanza di questo nome, ma non riuscivo a recuperarlo nella memoria, ... poi di colpo mi sono illuminata, evviva !
Sì, anche a me non spiace e forse di quelli sopra è davvero l'unico che potrebbe ancor oggi essere portato con disinvoltura, oltre Victoria, ovviamente !
Ti abbraccio forte forte ringraziandoti come sempre ed augurandoti un lieto prosieguo di questo giorno di festa e del nostro lungo weekend, buona serata preziosa amica mia ❥
This was such an interesting post. Many of these names I have never heard of before. Have a wonderful sun filled week.
RispondiElimina@ Decor To Adore
EliminaI'm so grateful to you, dearest, cherished Laura, your words of interest truly make my day ... it's always such a blessing to me to have you here, my sweet-hearted lady !
Wishing you a wonderful end of your week,
always thinking of you with much love ಌ❀ಌ
I've always been fascinated by names and naming trends, so I enjoyed this post and the list. I was surprised to see the name Mahala on the list. My mother's great-aunt was named Mahala and she's the only one I've ever heard of. Some of the other great old names in my mom's family are Opal Cleo (her mother), Civilla Alzora, Burr Griffith (Griffith was his mother's maiden name), and Burnis Gillespie; there were also Lafayette and Jasper, whose middle names I've forgotten. These old names sometimes make me giggle, but they're no worse than some of the "new" ones I've heard.
RispondiElimina@ Anonimo
Eliminathanks most sincerely for your contribution to this post of mine, with your own life and experience you gave it a touch of reality, you're so heartily welcome !!!
Sending hugs and love on your weekend,
with heartfelt thankfulness ✿⊱╮
Interesting post. We still have plenty of odd names. l
RispondiElimina@ Linda
Eliminadearest friend of mine, I think that every age has its strange names, indeed, that names which seems normal sound strange when they fall in disuse with the flowing of the time.
With utmost gratitude,
I'm sending my dearest love to you,
and may your weekend be filled with smiles ♡❤♡
Dany, I love this post. I like reading about unusual names, though I wish people wouldn't name their babies strange names. My father had a cousin named Alpha Omega! What's a girl to do with a name like that!
RispondiElimina@ Jean
Eliminathank you for gracing my blog today, Dearie !
To be honest, this is the very first time I hear such a name,
I will hope that she hadn't had problems, expecially as a child and as a young girl, with a name which for sure had no comparisons with the others of the girls of her same age, poor darling !
I think that sometimes parents don't think about the embarrasement that a name could bring to their baby, they just choose the one they like most ...
Thanking you more and more, but never enough, for your so precious presence here,
I'm sending blessings on your weekend,
may it be full of joy and love,
sweetest friend ⊰✽*Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ*✽⊱
What a great post, Dany!
RispondiEliminaAnd how names have changed!!
Many of these names, I really like, but some of them...
Let's just say that if I were named Ludie, I may have to change my name. :-)
Have a wonderful weekend, sweet friend.
Sending you hugs from across the ocean.
xo.
@ Lisa
Eliminaloving friend of mine, you're lucky to have to chance to change your name, if you don't like it, for us it's not possible, we have to keep all life long the one our parents have chosen, alas !
When I was a little girl I didn't like mine at all, but now I see that I could be less, less fortunate, and after all Daniela is not too bad :)
Sending much love to you ♥¸.•*´¨`*•.♥
Dearest Dani, as always, your posts are like a whisper from another era. So much research goes into them, and I feel your passion in every word and image. Love, Mimi xxx
RispondiElimina@ Mimi
Eliminayour words bless my heart with the deepest joy ever, I'm sincerely grateful to you, my Lovely Lady !
With utmost gratitude,
I'm sending hugs and ever much love to you ಌ•❤•ಌ
What an interesting post, Dany !
RispondiEliminaAnd I so love those cute baby photos !
Have a wonderful weekend, sweet friend !
Hugs,
Sylvia
@ Sylvia
Eliminamay your weekend too be filled with joy and wonder, adorable friend of mine, thank you for your words of appreciation, they really fill my heart !
⊰♥⊱ MUCH LOVE ⊰♥⊱
Hi Dany, what an interesting post about the history of names. Loved reading the list of names. I see one similar to mine. Wishing you a wonderful weekend my sweet talented friend.
RispondiEliminaxo
@ Celestina
Eliminayou're always so generous with me, my Beautiful Lady !
May you enjoy a wonderful end of your week,
filled with so many little things which to be glad for ✿⊱╮
Interesting post! I will always remember when, in my 20's, someone told me my name, Betty, was an 'old' name.
RispondiElimina@ bettyl-NZ
Eliminayours is truly a very old name, Dearie, old and wonderful, indeed !
Wishing you a most lovely remainder of your week,
I'm sending blessings on your way ಌ❀ಌ
All very interesting, Dany! I hadn't even heard of many of those names....our children are all named after family members gone before us, plus confirmation names, then of course our last name. Pretty simple, really:) Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm! xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home
RispondiElimina@ Kathleen
EliminaDearest One, it's truly pretty simple and normal for nowadays life, but once things went in another way, it was quite complicate to choose the name for a new baby, there was a always such a study behind it ... and how strange they sound, don't they ?!
Hope you're having the best of weeks,
I'm sending my dearest love to you ♡❤♡
I love old fashioned names. I have one granddaughter and her name is Eva...lovely just like she is! Hugs, Diane
RispondiEliminaDiane,
EliminaDearest One, I also love old fashioned names and Eva is truly wonderful!
With sincere thankfulness for this so nice visit of yours,
I'm sending hugs and ever much love to you ✥*⊰♥⊱*✥
All is changing ... but sometimes things get back, it's a question when. We see this phenomen in the fashion too. I love this Post, thank you for sharing.
RispondiEliminaMany hugs to you
EricaSta,
EliminaMany hugs to you too, and thank you for your so lovely comment, Dear!
And happy month of February ஜ♥♡♥ஜ
Fascinating topic, Daniela. In my family, the names of the men were used over and over, which makes it very difficult to track a family history! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!
RispondiEliminaAngie,
EliminaTo link my posts to Mosaic Monday is my pleasure, sweet friend of mine!
With sincere thankfulness for your words of appreciation,
I'm sending my dearest hug across the many miles ✻ღ*✷*ღ✻