Below are the Top 100 names from England and Wales in 1944 according to the Office of National Statistics:
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1 |
JOHN |
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1 |
MARGARET |
Statistics taken from data supplied by the Office for National Statistics.
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June 2011
21/06/2011
The Top 100 Names in England and Wales 1944
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The Top 100 Names in England and Wales 1934
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1 |
JOHN |
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1 |
MARGARET |
Statistics taken from data supplied by the Office for National Statistics.
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20/06/2011
The Top 100 Names in England and Wales 1924
Below are the Top 100 names from England and Wales in 1924 according to the Office of National Statistics:
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1 |
JOHN |
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1 |
MARGARET |
Statistics taken from data supplied by the Office for National Statistics.
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The Top 100 Names in England and Wales 1914
Below are the Top 100 names from England and Wales in 1914 according to the Office of National Statistics:
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1 |
JOHN |
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1 |
MARY |
Statistics taken from data supplied by the Office for National Statistics.
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19/06/2011
The Top 100 Names in England and Wales 1904
Below are the official Top 100 names from England and Wales in 1904 according to the Office of National Statistics:
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1 |
WILLIAM |
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1 |
MARY |
Statistics taken from data supplied by the Office for National Statistics.
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18/06/2011
Name of the Week
A sleek and swift Welsh classic with oodles of history
behind it and a modern feel.
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Origin: |
Most likely from an old Welsh term meaning "ardour", "fervour", "glory" and "splendour", no doubt connected to the Welsh rhysu "to rush, to entangle" , rhyswr "combatant, hero, champion" and rhysedd "abundance, excess, glory." |
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Usage: |
Rhys was very common in the Middle Ages and was borne by many members of the medieval Welsh nobility, the most famous of whom was Welsh hero Rhys ap Gruffydd (1132-1197). One of the earliest bearers recorded is Rhys ap Ithel (c.745—775), King of Glywyssing . His grandson, a later king, was also named Rhys, as were many more succeeding Welsh royals and nobles. The phonetic spelling Hris is recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of Cambridgeshire in 1052, and a Rees is listed in the Domesday Book as the 1066 owner of a small holding in Erbistock, Cheshire*. The name was often transposed into English as Rees, Latinised as Resus, by medieval scribes, and this spelling is prevalent in records right up to the 18th century. In the 16th century the anglicised spelling Rice was also used, most likely as a mispronunciation of Rhys. The popularity of the name, and its abundance of spellings, can be found in the surnames Rhys, Rees, Rice, Reese, Reece, Rease, Prys, Price and Brice. Rhys is one of the few Welsh names that sustained popular usage even after the suppression of the Welsh language from the 16th to 18th century. It most commonly appears on census and birth records in the spelling Rees - but this is more likely to be due to anglicisation on the part of those recording the name. After 1901, when households filled out their own census forms the original spelling appears more frequently. On the 1841 UK census 4,067 males are listed with the name: 97% of whom were recorded with the spelling "Rees" and 96.5% living in Wales. By 1861 the figure was a consistent 4,599 (with 89% spelled Rees and 92% living in Wales) and had rised slightly to 5,676 (88% spelled Rees, 3.5% spelled Rhys, 91% in Wales) by the 1881 UK census. The number was still very consistent on the 1911 census at 5,682, but this time the spelling Rees only represented 78.5% while the spelling Rhys had risen to 15%. In the 20th century the name has gained much more global attention, and has had much more usage outside Wales. Between 1996 and 2008, Rhys has consistently ranked between #49 and #56 in England and Wales. In 2009 Rhys fell to #59 (1208 births), and #65 (1037 births) in 2010. Individually, Rhys ranked #15 in Wales, #74 in England and #50 in Scotland in 2010. Back in 1996, Reece was the more popular spelling at #41, but has since fallen to #84 (771 births) in 2010. Reese ranked #1241 (20 births) for boys and #1180 (27 births) for girls. Rees only had 4 births. |
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Famous Bearers: |
History: * Rhys ap Ithel (c.745–775), king of Glywyssing. Contemporary: * Rhys Muldoon (b.1965), Australian actor. |
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Variants: |
Rees, Rice, Reece, Reese (Anglicised) |
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Pronunciation: |
HREES (Welsh) REES (Anglicised) [key] |
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Sibling Names: |
Carys Bethan Isla Caitlin Seren Megan |
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Name Lists: |
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If you like Rhys you may also like: |
,
This post was revised August 2012.
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17/06/2011
Friday's Digest
Sorry for the lack of updates this week. I've been full swing with report writing.
This week's updates:
- Elliot, Everard and Everett have been added to the 1911 Census Name Combos.
- I've added a bibliography page which I will be updating (and adding links to older posts) when I can.
- I also finally got round to writing an About page.
Coming soon:
- Next week I'll be taking a look at my ultimate name love: Welsh names. Or, at least, I'll restrain myself to looking at the modern coinages.
- I'll also be diving in to the data from the turn of the last century to see to what extent we have come full circle.
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Beyond BBN this week:
- I had some name joy yesterday when my sister sent me a great link to a genealogy site. She had been busy googling her name (time to kill?...not that I'm jealous...) and found a namesake from the eighteenth century in Massachusetts. Our surname originates from Norfolk, which is highly appropriate because my father is a born-and-bread Norfolk man, but there are more people with the name in the US and Canada than here in Britain. The site details the complex genealogy of the founding families in Barnstable, Massachusetts and I was in heaven seeing so many biblical, virtue and classical names in one place.
Some of my favourites included: Antipas, Bliss, Blossom, Emery, Melatiah, Zacheus, Zenas, Deliverance, Experience, Freelove, Hopestill, Huldah, Reliance, Remember, Thankful. I never realised it before, but I think I'm a closet virtue name fan. - Speculation is rife about what Natalie Portman has named her son.
- And there are also Australian celebs who are coining fabulous sibsets. I just love Mila and Zara together.
- Despite the obvious connections to Les Miserable, I think Eponine has a lot of potential.
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15/06/2011
Nymphs of Greek mythology
I was going to move on to demi-gods and mortals of ancient mythology, but I got sidetracked when I rediscovered my love for the names of Greek Nymphai. These names are so great, they needed a list all to themselves.
Nymphs were minor goddesses that presided over aspects of nature, from rivers, plants, honey and clouds. Some names will be familiar, some outlandish, and others are underused delights -- almost all have wonderful meanings.
I have opted for the Latinised version (as in the more accessible Achaeia for Akheiia) where appropriate or more generally well known.
| Aba Actaea Admete Adrasteia Aegina Aethria Aethusa Aia Aigle Amphiro Achaeia Akraia Aktaie / Actaia Alexiroe Alke Alcinoe Alcippe Amatheia Ambrosia Amphinome Amphiro Amphithoe Amphitrite Amymone Anthe Anthracia Antiope Arethusa Arsinoe Asia Asteria Asterodia Asterope Astris Atlantia Bateia Bolina Bromia |
Caliadne Calligenia Calliroe Calypso Castalia Celaeno Chariclo / Hariklo Chione Chryseis Chrysopeleia Clymene Coronis Daeira Danais Daphne Dexamene Diogenia Dione Diopatra Doris Eidothea Eidyia Echo Elektra Endeis Erato Eriphia Evadne Eucrante Eudora Eulimene Eupheme Eurynome Euthemia Galatea Galaxaura Galene Halia Harpina |
Hegetoria Helia Helike Iaira Ianassa Ianeira Ianthe Iasis Ida Idaia Io Ione Ismene Kallianassa Kallianeira Kalliphaeia Kalliste Kalypso Kapheira Karya Kerkeis Kisseis Klaia Kleeia Kleodora Kleokhareia Klytie Klymene Kymopoleia Kyrene Lampetia Laomedeia Larissa Leuce Leucippe Libethrias Lilaia Limnoreia Liriope |
Lysianassa Maia Maira Melaina Melanippe Melia Melite/Melita Menippe Merope Messeis Metioche Metis Minthe Morea Moria Myrtoessa Mystis Naïs Neaira Neda Nemea Nemertes Neomeris Nephele Nesaea Nikaia Nomia Nonakris Nysa Oenoe Oinone Oiolyka Okyrhoe Opis Oreithyia Ornia Orphne Orseis |
Ortygia Othreis Ourania Pallene Pareia Pasithea Pasithoe Penelope Periboia Perseis Petra Petraea Phaethusa Phaino Phaio Phaisyle Pherousa Phiale Philia Philyra Phoebe Phosthonia Phrixa Physadeia Pirene Plataea Pleione Polydora Polyhymno Polynome Polyphe Polyxo Pontomedousa Pontoporeia Praxithea Prosymna Protomedea Psamathe |
Ptelea Rhanis Rhene Rhetia Rhodia Rhodope Sagaritis Salamis Samia Sinope Sose Speio Sterope Strophia Syllis Symaithis Synallasis Tanagra Teledike Tereine Thaleia Thebe Themis Themisto Theonoe Thero Thespia Thetis Thisbe Thoosa Thrassa Thronie Thyia Triteia Tykhe Xanthe Zeuxippe Zeuxo |
NOTE: Any letter C is a Latinisation. In Greek it was a hard K when 'c', or KH (pronounced with an aspirated H) when 'ch'.
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13/06/2011
12/06/2011
Curiosities of the Eighteenth Century
As we leave the the seventeenth century behind we now move on to see what gems can be found in Norfolk baptisms from the eighteenth century -- a time of the Georgians, the Age of Enlightenment and the beginning of the British Industrial Revolution. This period is covered much more across the records, hence the larger number of names listed below.
It is also toward the end of this century that the use of middle names appear more frequently.
Beyond Mary and John:
| Abel Absalom Aegidius Aesop Ambrose Amis Amos Amyas Ansell Archibald Asher Augustine Augustus Aziza Barnabas Bartholomew Caleb Clement Cleophes Christmas Constantine Cornelius Crispin Cuthbert Cyprian Dennis Dionisius Duncan Ebenezer Elias Elijah Ellis Erasmus Esau Esdras Ezekiel Felix |
Gabriel Gamaliel Gideon Harvey Heth Hezekiah Hodijah Horatio Humphrey Hushai Ireland Isaiah Israel Issachar Jabez Jasper Jehoshaphat Jeremiah Jesse Job Jonah Jonas Josias Justin Kelah Lancelot Lazarus Lionel Magnus Mahershalalhashbaz Marcus Marmaduke Matthias Micaiah Mordecai Moses Noah |
Obadiah Octavius Oliver Onesiphorus Owen Pearl Peregrine Philemon Philomath Phinchas Reuben Russell Sacheverell Sebastian Seth Sewel Shadrach Shiloh Silvester Solomon Swithin Titus Theoderick Theodore Theophilus Tobias Tristram Uriah Valentine Zachariah Zachary Zaphnathpaaneah Zebulon Zephaniah Zurishaddai |
Algerina Almira Amphillis Angelica Aquila Arabella Arabia Arimathae Audrey Aurelia Avis Barbara Bathsheba Benedicta Bethia Bexelinda Biddy Blythe Britannia Caelia Camilla Cassandra Cassia Cecilia Christiana Christmas Clementia Climelche Cloelia Damaris Deborah Delphi Diana Dinah Dorcas Easter Edina |
Edna Elosia Erita Eularia Euna Eunice Gertruda Henrietta Hephzibah Hester Honora Iris Isadora Jemima Josepha Judith Juliet Kerenhappuch Keturah Kezia Leonora Letitia Lucretia Magdalene Marina Marthanna Mary Magdalene Mary Virgin Mirabel Octavia Olivia Pamela Paulina Penelope Philadelphia Philippa Phillis |
Phoebe Priscilla Rhoda Robina Rosamund Rosanna Rosemary Ruenna Sabina Sabra Scarlet Selina Sylvia Tabitha Theodosia Theophila Thomasin Tryphena Ursula Valentine Violet Violetta Wilhelmine Zeferra |
Virtue names:
| Amorous Christian Covenant Fortune Noble Providence Wholesome |
Charity Clemency Comfort Constance Dove Faith Grace |
Honor Joy Love Lovely Mercy Modesty Patience |
Pleasance Providence Prudence Silence Temperance Verity Virtue |
Surname-first names:
| Akers Appleby Atterton Baker Baldwin Barber Barlee Beaupre Bell Benning Bishop Bosom Briggs Bradberry Brereton Brett Britton Brown Brownlow Buckenham Buckworth Butcher Calthorpe Caston Chamberlain Chaplin Chapman Cheney Clarke |
Claxton Claybrook Clopton Cloudsley Colman Cook Corbitt Cory Cotts Coultry Cullham Dalton Dix Doyle Drake Drury Dudes Dunham Dycker Eales Eastberry Eastgate Emery Emmerson Epher Euston Everitt Farwell |
Fordby Fountain Framlingham Frankland Fuller Gaywood Gazely Geybon Goddard Goldsmith Gunton Hall Ham Hammond Hannover Harboard Harmer Helsden Hempestella Hepburn Holland Jackson Jenkinson Jervis Kennedy Kettwood King Kirby |
Lake Law Lemon Lilly Littlewood Major Manning Markham Meadows Myens Nelson Neve Newman Nickison Osborne Overton Palmer Parkins Paston Pitt Poltock Press Ransome Reeve Riseborough Risin Roades Royal |
Rumbold Saddleton Salmon Sandall Saunders Seaman Shakespeare-Bell Shambrooke Sharp Shovell Smithly Snelling Spooner Spurrell Starling Sucklin Taylor Thredisting Tilson Wasey Wayman Waynford Wells Weston Woolmer Wright Yarham Zankey |
Attwood Boyden Curtis Davis Elden Emery Flanders Flowerdy Garlick Kingborough Palgrave Parnell Piercy Raley Ro-Herring Selverton Shelton Simonds Spencer Thirley Trim Whitaker Willoughby Wishers Wright |
Gender-benders:
| Clare Allen Christian Judah Julian* Matthew Uriah |
My own great (x6) grandfather is on this list. His name was Meshach and he had siblings: Mary, John, Seaman, Jemima, Shadrach, Kezia and Peter. I also have one of the Hammonds and Reeves in my tree.
I also came across an Adam Adams who had a twin sister called Eve Adams.
*St Julian of Norwich was a medieval female saint. Her real name is unknown and so was called "Julian" after the church in which she was anchoress.
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'Twas Ever Thus...
For this edition of 'Twas Ever Thus we take a look at the opinions of a journalist in a Scottish newspaper in 1900 concerning the trend of giving children "outlandish" names, second, third and fourth names, same initials, and family-surnames-as-first names.
OUR CHILDREN'S NAMES.
It always seems to me in choosing names for one's children that their feelings on the subject should be of paramount importance.
Yet how many unoffending babes are there who are foredoomed to much discomfort (if not misery) throughout childhood because their parents will not take the trouble to consider the consequences which must inevitably result from giving them an outlandish name?
Why should a boy, because he happens to be the son of a music loving father, be condemned to stagger through life under the title of "Bach Beethoven Tschaikowski," or what excuse is there for obliging a boy to answer to the name of "Julius Caesar"?
Girls too, are often given sentimental, high-sounding names, and many a bad-tempered little maid becomes still more so when she is sneered at by her school-fellows as "Angelina" or "Pearl"; and it is certainly trying to a rubicund little dumpling to own that she is a "Blanche."
Moreover, many children grow up with a bitter grudge against uncles, aunts, or old cousins who do nothing more for them than the handing on of an uncouth surname, which had to do instead of a proper Christian name.
Again, why is a hapless babe forced to go through life with two, three or four names when one would do? The craze for many names is comparatively modern. Before the Stuarts no child was given two; the practice was rare up to the Revolution, and became common only under the Hanovarians. In China at the present time the number of names given generally has some relation to rank, those children with three names being of superior station to those who possess only two; but what civilised man or woman is there in this busy age who is not devoutly thankful that his other signature involves but one Christian name?
Then why should children be named after their parents, thus causing endless confusion in later years.
Parents would do well, too, to see that all their children have a different initial for the first name, as much trouble is often caused when this simple expedient is not adopted.
The Courier and Argus
(Dundee), Tuesday, October 23, 1900
Posted at 06:48 AM in Historical Name Commentary | Permalink | Comments (2)
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