You know how authors often choose character names from cemeteries?

[CormoranStrike]

JK Rowling is just one famous example, there’s a cemetery at Greyfriars in Edinburgh where you can ‘meet’ many of her Harry Potter characters.

Anyway, on my walk today I went to a cemetery near me with parts dating back 200 years.

Many if the names are similar to ones you would see today, but I picked out a few I loved, most almost or well over a century on from their deaths. I do like to read these names and in some way know these people are not forgotten.

My favourites today include:

Myrtle Gwendoline
Betsy Brown
Christian Lewison
Hume Easton
John Kindred
Nancy Pagan
Dotsy Wyness

Interestingly, Christian - not Christina - was a popular name for women a century or so back

When we lived in London there was a very small cemetery local to us.

One of the names there is Tryphena Giblett.

That is a marvellous name

Oh fabulous names.

I think Myrtle Gwendoline is my favourite.

Now I think about it, I am surprised that Myrtle didn't make a comeback with all the nature names around. Maybe the Harry Potter effect is too strong

I love that you’ve started this thread, fantastic idea!

I find old graveyards such peaceful places . And I know it sounds weird but I feel reading the names in some way honours them.

In some ways that’s the reason for a headstone. So their names and stories are not forgotten.

My favourites are when there's a woman who's obviously been named after a male family member and they've added -ina to the end.

I've seen Howardina, Jamesina, Douglasina and Haroldina amongst others.

Tryphena.

never ever heard of that. Wonder where it came from and why her parents chose it?

Near me there's:
Keturah Sullivan
Willis Walker
Jabez Cooper
Septimus Frost

Some first names (can't remember surnames):
Easter
Angelia
Pricila
Eulalia
Thirzah
Zillah

Urban
Norton
Hosea

We walk through most days, it's a beautiful place.

well, I googled it, and it means delicate or dainty, so I am picturign a tiny scrap of a baby.

It is mentioned in the Bible, Paul meets a woman caled tryphena in Rome. Its funny, because I knwo my Bible quite well, and I have never noticed it. So I looked it up. There is a whole long list of people, Paul sends greetings to.
Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.

Now I am curious and them both, why such similar names? Were they sisters?
Tryphosa means thrice shining apparently.

It all makes me so curious, untold stories of thousands of lives.

Septimus Frost is amazing.

I know a Thirza.

Pricila
Thirzah
Zillah

these are Biblical names. I know a couple of Tirzahs (with and without an h)
and I know lady called Zillah, very nice, but very down to earth sensible ordinary sort of lady and she is now 80 and really her name has been a bit of a burden all her life. I think she would much rather have been Joan.

There's a Betsy Pepper and a May Day too, I love those.

There is a Fanny Thrower near me.

Do you think Septimus was a seventh child?

I always thoguht it would be cool to have 8 and call the 8th Octavia.

@PenguinsOnParade I met an Angusina once

My sister's local shop is run by a woman called Donaldina!

@steppemum

Thanks for researching that - interesting.

It is a very old cemetery and not currently in use (apart from the drug dealers!)

I seem to remember that she had died quite young - maybe in her teens. I might ask my brother to have a look as he still lives near there.

There's an Ada Caladine in our local cemetery. Always imagine her as pure Hollywood glamour. 😍

One from a twig in my family tree: Zebulon Titley

My great grandmother was a Zillah, she was a fabulous and formidable lady! If I'd had daughters instead of sons, I'd certainly have been tempted to use it in her honour!

Not from a gravestone, but there’s a road near here called Fanny Hands Lane.

I assumed Fanny Hands was a local woman of some importance, so I googled Fanny Hands. Not the best idea, as it turns out.

so I googled Fanny Hands. Not the best idea, as it turns out.

When Brian Blessed did "Who do you think you are?" he had an ancestor called Jabez.
I like this grave inscription

One of the headstones today was for a family who lost all of their children as toddlers.

It read “Time is so short, eternity so long”

I sometimes walk my dog in a Victorian cemetery. There’s a Fanny Wellbeloved which always makes me snigger. There’s also a Cinderella, which I imagine raised a few eyebrows back then.