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Original poster

Are we due a revival of obscure Victorian names?

273 replies

Delphigirl · 04/09/2024 09:36

Just reading something where the protagonist is Alfrida. Her brother is Kenelm. I am really feeling both of them. I tried to persuade a niece to call her new son Sylvester a few months ago and I’m still feeling cross she didn’t leap on it. Is the zeitgeist moving towards these long-ignored names? Or maybe it is just me.
Let me know what names you would revive and please please if anyone has used a name like this recently would you share? I would LOVE to know.

OP posts:
MsNeis · 04/09/2024 11:06

Ooh, I'd love that!
Amelia, Adelaide, Gertrude, Bertha...

OtherS · 04/09/2024 11:11

halava · 04/09/2024 11:00

T(iago) is a very popular name in Portugal and Brazil, similarly Sant(iago) de Compostela in Spain is the same. Iago is a derivative of James and Jacob. But you might know this already!

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I do know of a Brazilian Thiago, it didn't occur to me that it was related to Iago for some reason! That could be a compromise, hopefully it sounds a bit less evil. I know that it's another James/Jacob/Seamus etc, I think Jacob's the best alternative - but I have an awful ex called Jay, so I'd worry it would get shortened to that.

MsNeis · 04/09/2024 11:13

housethatbuiltme · 04/09/2024 10:38

Except they are not, historic names where based on combinations of words and descriptors. That is why proper names have meanings.

For random instance taking a more obvious one: Caroline = Carol (meaning Sing/Song) and 'ine' Latin suffix meaning 'like' so Caroline means 'Song like' etc...

Misspellings of these word combinations occurred historically due to rampant illiteracy not on purpose.

They didn't just say lets stick some random letters together. Just because spread across the world/language barriers and some historic misspelling became common to the point many don't recognize the original words doesn't change that they where based in actual language not 'made up'.

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Thank you, yes! There's a whole field of study for it (onomastics) and it's fascinating!
To be fair to the pp, though, some fashionable names nowadays seem to be completely random and devoid of meaning 🤷‍♀️ (and the alternative and completely made up spellings... aarrrggg)

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Families
maximist · 04/09/2024 11:16

PiggieWig · 04/09/2024 09:57

Theres a Septimus in my family tree.

I have a Septimus and an Octavius. Yes, they were the seventh and eighth sons (no girls!)

WheresMySupportCat · 04/09/2024 11:16

SirSidneyRuffDiamond · 04/09/2024 10:52

My great grandparents were Hester and Ephraim. Love both names. My grandmother was Myrtle (she was just Victorian, born in April 1900). More fabulously my great great grandfather had the middle name Godsend. His sister's middle name was Godsgift.

ooh interesting!

We have the census records of our Victorian house and the middle name of one of the female inhabitants was Godwin. Godwin is a common surname of course, but I had not twigged it was particularly religious until now.

StiggyZardust · 04/09/2024 11:17

Hepzibah is one of my favourite names. Also like Zipporah.

WheresMySupportCat · 04/09/2024 11:19

Anyway (insert random piece of info here) I think Myrtle became relatively common with Queen Victoria because she grew Myrtle at Osborne House, her beloved family home on the Isle of Wight. A sprig was first included in the wedding bouquet of her daughter and has been a feature in every royal brides' bouquet ever since.

Another of DH's aunts was a Myrtle.

edited to fix grammar- though not sure I got it right the second time either.

SirSidneyRuffDiamond · 04/09/2024 11:28

Godsgift has a very long usage. I seem to recall that the Anglo Saxon rendition was Godgifu later corrupted into Godiva. I find it fascinating that occasionally Victorian girls were sometimes given male middle names (perhaps in the absence of sons?). For example Lizzie Borden's middle name was Andrew (after her father).

Idontevenknowmyname · 04/09/2024 11:35

I know a couple of primary aged Ezra’s but none of the other names listed here. They all feel very flouncy. Short and blunt seems to be the current trend. I would love to meet a little Ann or Jane, maybe too popular as middle names for women in their 30s/40s though.

housethatbuiltme · 04/09/2024 11:38

YesIReallyDoLikeRootBeer · 04/09/2024 11:04

But ALL words are made up. And just because at some point people decided to put a couple words together to make a name does not mean it was not "made up" Its just WHEN the names were made up that seems to matter to you.

Show quote history

Once again not 'made up'.

Language is a the very core of just it a set of rules. These rules date back thousands and thousands of years and formed all modern languages although evolved separately in different areas, without the rules though language doesn't exists and no one could communicate.

Words follow those rules they aren't just 'made up'.

PurpleChrayn · 04/09/2024 11:41

I know a lot of Singaporean Chinese people and their english names are often names like this. Perpetua, Euphemia, Calvin, Walter.

ginasevern · 04/09/2024 11:48

I love the name Hepzibah although for anyone historically minded it does conjure up the Salem witch trials.

I discovered a Dulcima in my family tree which I think is rather unusual. Dulcie for short I assume.

HectorPlasm · 04/09/2024 11:49

Sonolanona · 04/09/2024 10:12

My friend has just had a baby Wilfred :)

DD is expecting no 2 and is leaning towards an old family name (not common but goes back a long way) for a boy and a Shakespearean name or a Greek Goddess for a girl . Her Dh wanted to name no 1 Isambard or Columbus if he was a boy, but DD vetoed those a a bit TOO out there!

Wilfred is a great name

Spacie · 04/09/2024 11:49

I have an ancestor named Philadelphia (Delphy for short). Her sisters were Ann, Mary, Elizabeth and Sarah. There's an Angelina in another branch. (Angelina's brother was Wilfred)

HectorPlasm · 04/09/2024 11:51

One of my great great aunts had the middle name Nova Scotia as she was born on a boat with that name. Her birthplace is listed as 'Atlantic Ocean'

Original poster
Delphigirl · 04/09/2024 11:52

Latenightreader · 04/09/2024 09:52

I was surprised how many Rosinas I came across when doing research using the census. Maybe that should have a come back? I also came across a Keziah (my 4x great grandmother) and a Kerenhappuch (who called her daughter Ann).

Love Rosina

OP posts:
DeanElderberry · 04/09/2024 11:53

Ones that were common in Ireland that I'd quite to see revived include Hanora/Anora/Honora and Bedelia. There also used to be lots of Rosanas and Rosannas.

Original poster
Delphigirl · 04/09/2024 11:55

Meadowwild · 04/09/2024 09:54

Isambard

Yes yes

also euphemia

i love Sylvester because of the georgette heyer hero. And the cat.

love Wilfred, and septimus but not sure I could manage Epsibeth… fab to know it exists though. Thank you!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Delphigirl · 04/09/2024 11:56

DeanElderberry · 04/09/2024 11:53

Ones that were common in Ireland that I'd quite to see revived include Hanora/Anora/Honora and Bedelia. There also used to be lots of Rosanas and Rosannas.

Amelia Bedelia was a series of 1930s children’s books. Love Bedelia!

OP posts:
Original poster
Delphigirl · 04/09/2024 11:56

HectorPlasm · 04/09/2024 11:51

One of my great great aunts had the middle name Nova Scotia as she was born on a boat with that name. Her birthplace is listed as 'Atlantic Ocean'

Fabuloso!

OP posts:
Original poster
Delphigirl · 04/09/2024 11:57

SirSidneyRuffDiamond · 04/09/2024 11:28

Godsgift has a very long usage. I seem to recall that the Anglo Saxon rendition was Godgifu later corrupted into Godiva. I find it fascinating that occasionally Victorian girls were sometimes given male middle names (perhaps in the absence of sons?). For example Lizzie Borden's middle name was Andrew (after her father).

This happens in Greece. If your father is Nicolas your middle name is Nicola, but it is less of a given name than a patronymic

OP posts:
PenelopePitStrop · 04/09/2024 11:58

I see my contender Isambard has been mentioned.

Also Hepzibah

I had a great aunt Hepzibah, known as Epzi.

ObieJoyful · 04/09/2024 11:58

maslinpan · 04/09/2024 10:09

Lettice is surely due a revival.

I really wanted to call DD Lettice, but DH was having none of it.

warmheartcoldfeet · 04/09/2024 11:59

Esmerelda!

ObieJoyful · 04/09/2024 12:00

My great grandmother was Blodwyn.

Anyone know any young Blodwyns?

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