British Baby Names from 1863

General Name Discussion
1

So I found this list of baby names from 1863…. Anything interesting?
FINDS FROM 1863

A selection of names from the GRO Birth Records for [name]England[/name] and [name]Wales[/name] in 1863. All are first names and middle names — the surnames are not included unless indicated by ‘sn’ — and have been checked against other records for accuracy.

Boys:
[name]Albany[/name] [name]Horace[/name]
[name]Aldred[/name] [name]Henry[/name] [name]John[/name]
[name]Alfred[/name] Mahershalalhashbaz
Amandus [name]Francis[/name] [name]Charles[/name]
[name]Anderson[/name] [name]Charles[/name]
[name]Anstice[/name] [name]Arthur[/name] [name]Charles[/name]
Arphaxad [name]Vernon[/name] [name]Lewis[/name]
Azeline [name]Edmund[/name]
Baskervyle [name]Thomas[/name] Overington
[name]Blair[/name] [name]Daniel[/name]
[name]Bruno[/name] [name]Simon[/name] DeLacy Aemilianus
Cephas [name]Jason[/name]
Cloudsley Shovel [name]Henry[/name]
Crestova
Chrysidus [name]Adelbert[/name] [name]Isadore[/name] [name]Cyrus[/name] De’[name]Lys[/name]
[name]Cyprian[/name] [name]Spencer[/name]
Ecroyde [name]Heywood[/name]
Epenetus
Excelsior [name]Tyrel[/name] Chiney
[name]Ferdinand[/name] [name]Artemus[/name]
Garibaldi [name]Forest[/name]
[name]George[/name] [name]Leonidas[/name]
[name]Golden[/name] [name]Charles[/name]
Hadderreezar [name]Benjamin[/name]
Hippolite [name]Louis[/name]
[name]Horatio[/name] [name]Theophilus[/name]
[name]Ivor[/name] [name]Ajax[/name]
[name]Lovel[/name] [name]Adolphus[/name]
[name]Mark[/name] [name]Adolphus[/name] [name]Claudius[/name] Cline
[name]Mason[/name] [name]John[/name]
[name]Napoleon[/name] [name]Alfred[/name]
[name]Nehemiah[/name] [name]Joel[/name]
[name]Omar[/name] [name]Oliver[/name]
[name]Prince[/name] [name]Albert[/name] [name]Edward[/name]
[name]Prince[/name] [name]Alfred[/name]
[name]Prince[/name] [name]Arthur[/name]
[name]Rafael[/name] [name]Carlos[/name] [name]Amador[/name]
Ranulphus [name]John[/name]
[name]Robert[/name] [name]Ernest[/name] Alphaeus
[name]Septimus[/name] [name]Ido[/name] [name]Francis[/name]
Shadrach [name]Levi[/name]
[name]Sharp[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Squire[/name] Sykes
Strange (sn: Livings)
[name]Theobald[/name] [name]Wolfe[/name]
[name]Theophilus[/name] [name]Elihu[/name] Elkanah
[name]Walter[/name] Vandeleur Zaphnath-paaneah
[name]Welby[/name] Were
[name]Wellington[/name] [name]George[/name] [name]Richard[/name]
Westmorland
[name]Xerxes[/name]
[name]Zachariah[/name] [name]Ephraim[/name]

Girls:
Admonisha
[name]Agnes[/name] [name]Amy[/name] [name]Esther[/name] [name]Fanny[/name] Tryphena
[name]Alberta[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] [name]Sophia[/name] [name]Mary[/name] [name]Ernestina[/name]
[name]Alice[/name] [name]Alexandra[/name] [name]Beatrice[/name] [name]Mary[/name] [name]Magdalene[/name] [name]Eugenie[/name] [name]Victoria[/name]
[name]Alivia[/name] [name]Zaida[/name]
[name]Annabella[/name] [name]Lilla[/name]
Anstruther [name]Taylor[/name]
[name]Arthurina[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Augusta[/name] [name]Georgiana[/name] [name]Alberta[/name] [name]Kate[/name]
Birthday
[name]Brock[/name] [name]Mary[/name]
Bronzola [name]Anastasia[/name]
[name]Clara[/name] [name]Clarissa[/name]
Commarina [name]Mary[/name]
[name]Constantia[/name] [name]Alberta[/name]
Desirée [name]Esther[/name] [name]Rachel[/name] [name]Anita[/name]
[name]Eola[/name] [name]Christiana[/name]
Etheldred St [name]Barbe[/name]
[name]Eudora[/name] [name]Beatrice[/name] [name]Stella[/name]
[name]Evangeline[/name] [name]Alicia[/name] & [name]Thirza[/name] [name]Regina[/name] (twins)
Everalda [name]Maria[/name]
[name]Ferdinanda[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Maria[/name]
[name]Florence[/name] [name]Sophia[/name] [name]Honorine[/name]
[name]Frances[/name] Boadicea
Hesse [name]Priscilla[/name]
Jessina [name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Julia[/name] Jamesena
Kalitha [name]Marianne[/name]
Kendaleana
[name]Laura[/name] Endora
Lealliwah [name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Lena[/name] Elfleda
[name]Lilla[/name] [name]Ximena[/name] [name]Alexandrina[/name]
[name]Louetta[/name] [name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Lystra[/name]
[name]Mary[/name] Christophera
[name]Mary[/name] [name]Elvira[/name] Voltelina
[name]Minetta[/name] [name]Theodocia[/name]
[name]Myra[/name] [name]Hortensia[/name]
[name]Nerissa[/name] [name]Rosalind[/name] [name]May[/name]
Nineveh
[name]Noa[/name] [name]Florence[/name]
Orizaba [name]Harriet[/name]
Pethena [name]Ann[/name]
Phylotha
Pleasance [name]Janette[/name]
Pleasure [name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Princess[/name] [name]Alexandra[/name] (no doubt named in honour of [name]Prince[/name] [name]Albert[/name] and [name]Princess[/name] [name]Alexandra[/name]'s wedding that year)
[name]Priscilla[/name] [name]Glennie[/name] [name]Agnes[/name]
Repentance
[name]Rose[/name] [name]Alice[/name] Emerentiana
Sevinah [name]Jessie[/name]
Shelomith [name]Ann[/name]
Susieva [name]Marina[/name]
[name]Sybil[/name] Coranda
Theodorine [name]Eugenie[/name] [name]Anne[/name]
Tydfil [name]Mary[/name]
[name]Ursula[/name] [name]Selina[/name]
[name]Venus[/name] [name]Lilia[/name]
[name]Venus[/name] [name]Pandora[/name]
[name]Verona[/name] [name]Sylvia[/name] [name]Seraphina[/name] Phancy
Zeffie [name]Agnes[/name] [name]Lydia[/name] (sn: Tilbury – the actress)
[name]Zelah[/name] [name]Alexandra[/name]
[name]Zillah[/name] Mesetta
Zingra [name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Zuleika[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]

There are definitely some strange ones… Zingra? Orizaba? Ranulphus? Ecroyde?

But I feel like some of them could feel modern. [name]Zillah[/name], [name]Verona[/name] (esp. for a [name]Romeo[/name] & [name]Juliet[/name] fan), [name]Louetta[/name], Ninevah (a biblical place name), [name]Albany[/name], [name]Anderson[/name], [name]Noa[/name], [name]Lilia[/name], and I definitely feel like Cloudsley will be used by a reality TV star at some point. :confused: There are a few more too, but definitely some that should stay in the dustpan of history. Also interesting how many children were given the names [name]Prince[/name] and [name]Princess[/name].

Source: http://www.britishbabynames.com

2

Strangest [name]Male[/name] Combo: Excelsior [name]Tyrel[/name] Chiney, Garibaldi [name]Forest[/name], [name]Golden[/name] [name]Charles[/name], [name]Sharp[/name] [name]James[/name], [name]Squire[/name] Sykes and Strange Livings.

Strangest Female Combos: Pleasure [name]Elizabeth[/name] (oh dear! I’m glad she’s not living in this day and age. [name]Golden[/name] and Pleasure for siblings, anyone? :)),Tydfil [name]Mary[/name], [name]Brock[/name] [name]Mary[/name] and Commarina [name]Mary[/name].

Names that Sound like Diseases and/or medications: Phylotha, [name]Lystra[/name], Zingra, Crestova, Orizaba, Bronzola (too much sun on the skin), Admonisha (a cleanser to wash away your sins?)

An Old English treasure: Ethelred

Thanks for sharing!

3

Going to check some of these against Ancestry because I don’t believe them quite frankly, lol.

EDIT: Posting names that DON’T exist in the records for 1863 or any other time. Will add as discovered:

Alfred Mahershalalhashbaz

…

All the others seem legit, though I didn’t check every single one. Bronzola is a typo. The record is actually Bronzolia O_o

4

Aside from a few of these that have already been pointed out, this could pass for a berry’s list. Multiple middles, elaborate feminized forms, word names for boys, and a dash of V, X, and Z. I’m rather surprised that there aren’t many more [name]Marys[/name] and [name]John[/name] is only a middle name.

My favorites are:
[name]George[/name] [name]Leonidas[/name]*
[name]Ivor[/name]
Ranulfus [name]John[/name]
[name]Septimus[/name] [name]Ido[/name] [name]Francis[/name]
[name]Zachariah[/name] [name]Ephraim[/name]*
[name]Florence[/name] [name]Sophia[/name] [name]Honorine[/name]*
Susieva [name]Marina[/name] – smoosh name? I think it’s kind of cute!
…[name]Seraphina[/name] Phancy <-- as if the first 3 names weren’t already fancy enough…

Love it. Thanks for posting, alphabetdem!

5

Renrose, because there are so many transcription errors and typos, I check every name against marriage, death and census records as well to find the most common spelling. If a name on my list does not exactly match the birth transcription, it’s because the birth entry itself doesn’t reflect the most accurate form of the name (Amandus was mistranscribed as Amandine, for example).

Bronzolia Houchen is listed on the 1863 birth entry, yet it’s Bronzola Houchen on her marriage entry in 1927 and on census entries (many of these are mistranscribed into the database – e.g. “Brensely” – but can be clearly seen when you look on the original pages).

Orizaba [name]Harriet[/name] is Oriziba [name]Harriet[/name] on birth record, Orizaba [name]Harriett[/name] on her baptism record, Orizaba [name]Harriett[/name] on marriage, Orizoba H. on death record. She is also Orizaba on census records. I’ve just checked and “Orizaba [name]Wallace[/name]” is on the 1911 census on ancestry.

I’m surprised Ancestry didn’t show Kendaleana. Kendaleana Chew is one of the few people whose name appeared in this exact same spelling for her birth, both marriage (in 1888 and 1900), death entry and 1881 census. Her grandfather was [name]Kendal[/name] Chew, so she appears to have named after him.

6

Ok so, I checked all but the crazy one and you’re right. Those are there without the ‘exact’ setting and ignoring the birth date as 1863.

Alfred Mahershalalhashbaz is still a mystery to me… Where is that exactly?

7

[name]Ah[/name], his name was [name]Alfred[/name] Mahershalalhashbaz Clayden, but it has been mistyped as “[name]Alfred[/name] Maharshalalhashba”. The middle name is clearly meant to be from the Mahershalalhashbaz that is mentioned in the bible: Complete Bible Genealogy - Mahershalalhashbaz
I mostly find the name in [name]Norfolk[/name] parish records, where it was commonly later shortened to Maher.

8

[name]Alice[/name] [name]Alexandra[/name] [name]Beatrice[/name] [name]Mary[/name] [name]Magdalene[/name] [name]Eugenie[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] - wow that’s a mouthful and a half!