I’m a total history nerd and was just doing some research about the civil war and I came across this website that had lists of popular names during the civil war era. (Most Popular Given Names, US 1800 to 1999) Some of them were surprisingly modern others it seems have just been completely forgotten! so I just thought I’d share the ones that surprised me and ask if there are any on the list you would use today, what your favorites were or what surprised you!
[name_f]My[/name_f] most surprising (this was just for girls)…
[name_f]Dahlia[/name_f]
[name_u]Angel[/name_u]
[name_f]Amanda[/name_f] & [name_f]Amy[/name_f] (because I associate them strongly with the 80’s/90’s)
[name_f]Barbara[/name_f] (same as above but the 50’s/60’s)
[name_f]Mahala[/name_f]
[name_f]Elmira[/name_f]/[name_f]Almira[/name_f]
[name_f]Missouri[/name_f]
[name_f]Electa[/name_f]
[name_f]Christia[/name_f] (I wonder if this wasn’t ‘[name_m]Christian[/name_m]’ it seems some of the last letters were cut off)
[name_f]Drusilla[/name_f]
Sophrona
[name_f]Arabella[/name_f]
[name_u]Indiana[/name_u]
[name_f]Lida[/name_f]
[name_f]Linda[/name_f] (because of it’s association with the 50’s/60’s)
Rox
Not
No
[name_m]Zel[/name_m]
[name_f]Lulie[/name_f]
Ma
Sis
[name_f]Babe[/name_f]
[name_f]Easter[/name_f]
[name_u]Tennessee[/name_u]
[name_f]Myrtie[/name_f]
[name_f]Mittie[/name_f]
Permilia
Kesiah
[name_f]Parthena[/name_f]
[name_f]Malvina[/name_f]/[name_f]Alvira[/name_f]/[name_f]Melvina[/name_f]/[name_f]Elvina[/name_f]/[name_f]Elvira[/name_f]/[name_f]Lavinia[/name_f]/[name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]/[name_f]Olive[/name_f]/[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f]/[name_f]Violet[/name_f]/[name_f]Elva[/name_f]/[name_f]Luvenia[/name_f] (the ‘l’ & ‘v’ sounds seem as fashionable then as today)
I know this is a census so the listings for no & not might mean not named or no name (and maybe babe was an unchristened baby?) but nonetheless still interesting