Top 200 Most Popular Names in England and Wales in 1850

 

Below are the compiled rankings for the most popular births in England and Wales in 1850 from the England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915. 

Disclaimer: It should be noted that the data is not without its flaws. Births were originally recorded by a registrar (in their own handwriting) which were later written up into the register. Some names are invariably recorded incorrectly and it is impossible to know where the mistake was made. Also, I have been compiling the ranks myself, and while I have endeavored to record the number of names as accurately as possible I am also liable to human error. This, however, should not affect the rankings very much overall.
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The Top 200 names in England and Wales in 1850: 

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 63 65 66 67 68 68 70 71 72 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 81 83 83 85 86 87 87 89 89 89 92 93 93 95 96 97 97 99 100 101 102 103 104 104 106 107 108 109 110 110 112 113 114 114 116 117 117 119 120 121 121 123 123 124 126 126 128 128 128 131 132 133 134 135 136 136 138 138 138 141 142 142 144 144 146 147 148 149 149 151 151 153 153 153 153 157 157 157 157 161 161 163 163 163 166 166 168 169 169 169 169 169 169 169 176 176 176 176 180 180 180 180 180 180 186 186 186 186 190 191 191 193 193 193 193 193 198 198 198

William John Thomas George James Henry Charles Joseph Robert Edward Richard Samuel Alfred Frederick David Arthur Walter Edwin Benjamin Francis Albert Daniel Isaac Peter Harry Stephen Edmund Frank Tom Michael Matthew Herbert Abraham Alexander Mark Frederic Andrew Philip Jonathan Christopher Evan Jesse Hugh Joshua Lewis Ralph Josiah Jacob Eli Reuben Patrick Owen Amos Elijah Moses Job Enoch Sidney Fred Martin Cornelius Anthony Ernest Jabez Levi Luke Joe Ebenezer Adam Jeremiah Sam Nicholas Aaron Oliver Timothy Nathaniel Edgar Emanuel Leonard Noah Griffith Jonas Allen Ephraim Nathan Elias Ambrose Caleb Dennis Rees Solomon Rowland Horace Ellis Abel Louis Phillip Isaiah Roger Simeon Paul Ben Morgan Simon Sydney Lawrence Augustus Clement Bernard Morris Wilson Squire Sampson Archibald Theophilus Israel Ezra Seth Dan Gilbert Horatio Jonah Humphrey Miles Silas Elisha Maurice Hiram Joel Uriah Wright Percy Vincent Reginald Septimus Enos Harold Allan Felix Johnson Mathew Bartholomew Theodore Austin Edmond Adolphus Smith Robinson Absalom Valentine Jenkin Lionel Harrison Howard Hubert Matthias Cuthbert Giles Shadrach Wilfred Hartley Jim Douglas Ezekiel Jasper Llewellyn Wallace Lot Arnold Denis Donald Gabriel Howell Samson Titus Abram Hezekiah Laurence Walker Christian Harvey Julius Oswald Stanley Watkin Marshall Oscar Spencer Thompson Watson Godfrey Zachariah Dick Esau Llewelyn Obadiah Percival Alan Nelson Nehemiah

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 82 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 103 105 106 106 106 109 110 111 112 113 113 113 116 116 116 119 120 121 122 123 124 124 125 127 127 129 130 131 131 133 134 135 136 136 138 139 139 141 141 143 143 143 146 147 148 148 150 150 152 153 154 154 156 157 157 157 157 161 161 161 161 161 161 167 167 167 170 170 172 172 172 172 176 177 177 179 180 180 180 180 180 185 185 187 187 189 189 191 191 191 191 191 196 196 196 196 200 200 200

Mary Elizabeth Sarah Ann Jane Emma Eliza Ellen Margaret Hannah Emily Martha Alice Harriet Maria Louisa Fanny Charlotte Caroline Catherine Frances Isabella Anne Lucy Amelia Susan Esther Rebecca Susannah Eleanor Matilda Clara Agnes Julia Catharine Harriett Anna Rachel Lydia Sophia Susanna Betsy Ruth Selina Grace Kate Annie Helen Nancy Henrietta Phoebe Rose Betsey Jemima Betty Edith Priscilla Laura Jessie Rosa Bridget Amy Dorothy Dinah Lavinia Rhoda Ada Rosina Harriot Georgiana Adelaide Phebe Barbara Florence Hester Christiana Ellin Rosanna Marian Leah Georgina Naomi Miriam Isabel Rosetta Rachael Kezia Mercy Janet Angelina Thirza Augusta Letitia Harriott Joanna Helena Bertha Sally Deborah Jennet Johanna Sabina Teresa Gertrude Theresa Cecilia Phillis Bessy Abigail Celia Marianne Katherine Nanny Flora Prudence Annis Olive Patience Diana Marion Winifred Clarissa Dorcas Gwenllian Agness Constance Judith Arabella Hephzibah Elinor Adah Honor Selena Amanda Rosannah Lois Pamela Adeline Cordelia Margery Blanche Ellenor Keziah Kitty Zillah Josephine Emely Emmeline Katharine Margaretta Tabitha Annette Lavina Charity Victoria Eunice Jessey Mahala Rosena Tamar Bessey Faith Hellen Jenny Lettice Tryphena Drusilla Edna Levina Elenor Honora Bessie Elisabeth Lizzy Olivia Lucretia Ellinor Margarett Marie Dora Emeline Gwen  Juliana Millicent Cecelia Rosamond Kathleen Mildred Adela Christina Cicely Georgianna Leonora Louise Myra Beatrice Maud Penelope Philippa Blanch Joan Thomasin

                                            Statistics compiled by Eleanor Nickerson at britishbabynames.com
                                                     No unauthorised copying without credit or permission.

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These rankings are incredibly "top heavy". Far more so than today. There were over 50,000 boys named William or girls named Mary in 1850. Compare that to the mere 6941 boys named Oliver and 5158 girls named Amelia in 2015 and we can see that the difference is massive -- especially when we take into account the smaller population size back in 1850. 

In 1850, 226,944 girls and 260,775 boys were given a name in the top 20.

However, only 57,954 girls and 38,885 boys were given a name that ranked between #21- #200.

So, while it's tempting to imagine a bevy of Victorian children running around with the names Tryphena, Hephzibah, Ursula, Watkin, Hezekiah and Shadrach, these were very much in the minority in a world dominated by William, John, Mary and Elizabeth. 

The top six names for both genders remains unchanged from 1850 to 1860. However, what is most notable is how much higher Old Testament names -- Moses, Jabez, Emanuel, Jonas, Solomon, Elisha, Thirza, Deborah, Dinah, Judith -- ranked in 1850 compared with later decades, while the likes of Percy, Harold, Herbert, Ada, Beatrice and Maud, were yet to catch on as they did by the end of the century.