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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Unusual Victorian/Edwardian names please

139 replies

Jimjamjools · 25/03/2019 18:26

Purely hypothetical as baby number 2 doesn't exist yet, but I've been broody and currently obsessed with unusual period names.

I have an ancestor from about 1900-1910 called Mahala which I think is beautiful, and an Everilda (less so...)

For boys I love Rudyard, but think that might be a passing thing!

So, what other unusual slightly out there period names are there?

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Fifthtimelucky · 25/03/2019 21:40

Horatio
Willoughby
Claude

Original poster
Jimjamjools · 25/03/2019 21:39

Fabulous suggestions! Drusilla is spectacular but will forever be the Buffy character to me

OP posts:
AndItStillSaidFourOfTwo · 25/03/2019 21:38

Marilla, as in Marilla Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables.

I think Lettice is a variant of Laetitia, which I've always really liked.

I want boy/girl twins now so I can name them Isambard and Euphemia.

JumpingFrogs · 25/03/2019 21:29

Marjorie
Madge
Blanche
Walter
Myrtle

KingHenrysCodpiece · 25/03/2019 21:10

Auberon is awesome!

Hortensia
Prissie
Delphie
Verity
Olwen
Meldrith
Drusilla

Dickon
Dickory
Vanderbant
Melchezedick
Edbert
Leander
Willaby

cushioncovers · 25/03/2019 20:33

Found these from 1908

Unusual Victorian/Edwardian names please
Unusual Victorian/Edwardian names please
Unusual Victorian/Edwardian names please
BigFatBloomers · 25/03/2019 20:30

SapphireFire Loveday is a traditional Cornish name.

I can offer Constance and Lettice,

Yorkshiremum17 · 25/03/2019 20:25

We have
Doris
Elsie
Lena
Ida
Margaret (Madge)
All born early 1900's

mnahmnah · 25/03/2019 20:23

My mum had a great uncle Auberon which I always loved. Aubie for short.

Haz1516 · 25/03/2019 20:20

Loretta
Rosetta
Honora

mathanxiety · 25/03/2019 20:17

Ignatius
Michaelangelo (a middle name)
Cornelius
Sylvester

SapphireFire · 25/03/2019 20:17

Scarlet! I'd forgotten about Biba. I love that book and that name.

Eliza
Effie

SapphireFire · 25/03/2019 20:14

Loveday.

Just LOVE that name! Sadly, no one agreed with me 😂

ScarletPower · 25/03/2019 20:14

My family tree has a Bathsheba and an Adelaide. Bathsheba is a bit out there but I love Adelaide

Adelaide is lovely.

I read an Erin Kelly book where one of the characters was called Biba (which I loved) and that was shortened from Bathsheba.

Of course, Queen Victoria was originally named Alexandrina which is a bit of a mouthful.

Another character in a book I read was Persephone which I loved and she was shortened to Percy.

tormentil · 25/03/2019 20:11

Skeffington

ThisThatAndTother · 25/03/2019 20:10

Nell

ThisThatAndTother · 25/03/2019 20:09

Honoria
Ada
Esther
Victoria
Lucy

RustyBear · 25/03/2019 20:07

DH has Ebenezer, Jesse, Hiram and Cornelius in his family tree.

EleanorOalike · 25/03/2019 20:06

I think the most unusual/not heard of in our family that would work in a Western country would be Honoura nn Nora, there’s a few back in the family tree. I think it’s quite pretty.

Daisypie · 25/03/2019 20:04

My mother had great aunts Forestina and Meliora.

Yorkshiremum17 · 25/03/2019 20:02

I fell in love with Zephaniah, my son is so glad I didn't know of this name until long after he was born! On the other hand he would have had a great nickname of Zeph. Still love it but no more kids for me, here's hoping for a grandson!

ivykaty44 · 25/03/2019 19:58

Slapdash - yes it was part of the Boer war

ivykaty44 · 25/03/2019 19:58

Ernest was the most popular name in 1901 for Male babies

Rosins
Mary Ann were also popular
Queenie
Bessie
Job was a name often seen in parish baptism registers
Zachariah, Levi biblical names were very common place

Slapdasherie · 25/03/2019 19:56

Obviously that was the Seige of Mafeking.

Slapdasherie · 25/03/2019 19:53

There was a Mafeking somewhere in my family, always known as Aunt Maf.

The Seige of Mageking was in 1900 in the Boer war, I think.

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