How popular is the baby name Drusilla in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Drusilla.

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Popularity of the baby name Drusilla


Posts that mention the name Drusilla

Baby names that re-emerged most impressively in the U.S. data, 1882 to today

young leaves

We know which names debuted most impressively in the U.S. baby name data, but what about the baby names that returned most impressively? That is, the names that re-emerged in the data (after an absence of at least one year) with the highest number of babies?

Below are the most popular re-emerging names for every single year on record, after the second.

Here’s the format: Girl names are on the left, boy names are on the right, and the numbers represent single-year usage (following an absence). In 1971, for instance, the girl name Devonia returned to the data with 22 babies, and the boy name Idris returned to the data with 21 babies.

  • 1882: Harry, 14; Saul, 15
  • 1883: Luna, 17; Anna, 20
  • 1884: Eulalia & Margaretta, 15; Billie, 18
  • 1885: Philomene, 13; Kirby & Lamar, 14
  • 1886: Ammie, Attie, Drusilla, Eulalia & Narcissus, 14; Emmit & Ivy, 15
  • 1887: Idell, 12; Benjaman, 13
  • 1888: Guadalupe, 18; Hunter, 16
  • 1889: Leonie, 21; Leander, 22
  • 1890: Delila, Hildegarde & Sabra, 17; Buford, Loyal & Pleasant, 13
  • 1891: Marvel, 15; Roswell, 20
  • 1892: Jennette, 16; Vernie, 15
  • 1893: Byrd & Corda, 16; Salvatore, 14
  • 1894: Mozelle, 15; Essie, 18
  • 1895: Consuelo, 16; Adelard, 16
  • 1896: Dorris, 17; Bertrand & Hilliard, 16
  • 1897: Coletta & Marilla, 13; Gale, Harve & Odell, 13
  • 1898: Vlasta, 16; Oakley, 16
  • 1899: Gwen & Velda, 15; Ivory, 14
  • 1900: Ammie, 21; Lonzo, 22
  • 1901: Alvera, 17; Ernesto, 11
  • 1902: Hermine, 17; Junious, 20
  • 1903: Genie, 17: Lesley, 17
  • 1904: Laurel & Santa, 16; Caesar, 15
  • 1905: Ellar, 15; Cicero & Quincy, 15
  • 1906: Osa, 18; Craig & Tracy, 16
  • 1907: Joanne, 19; Gale, 15
  • 1908: Merna, 18; Andres, 19
  • 1909: Aili, 22; Loy, 22
  • 1910: Corean, 21; Lou, 18
  • 1911: Aune, 17; Ozie, 17
  • 1912: Veryl, 21; Arvin, 21
  • 1913: Loise, 25; Magnus, 15
  • 1914: Rema, 23; Elio, 18
  • 1915: Alleyne & Cledith, 20; Reyes, 24
  • 1916: Ercelle & Fayette, 14; Pleas, 25
  • 1917: Lowell, Mazelle & Patria, 16; Woodruff, 18
  • 1918: Victory, 78; Everitt, 19
  • 1919: Lanell, 16; Olney, 21
  • 1920: Iline & Keitha, 18; Heath, 19
  • 1921: Gilberte & Jacklyn, 16; Donold, 16
  • 1922: Basilia & Glayds, 15; Jw, 17
  • 1923: Marvene, 18; Silvestre, 19
  • 1924: Willadeen, 35; Delno, 19
  • 1925: Noralee, 20; Primitivo, 16
  • 1926: Sondra, 20; Torao, 27
  • 1927: Elga & Lindy, 27; Shoji, 81
  • 1928: Remona, 22; Windle, 17
  • 1929: Darla, 19; Davy, 25
  • 1930: Evalene, 17; Anastasio, 17
  • 1931: Marilyne, 17; Meliton, 15
  • 1932: Maribelle & Wynne, 16; Jacqueline, 18
  • 1933: Sheryl, 24; Lanny, 24
  • 1934: Carolynne & Viona, 15; Filiberto, 20
  • 1935: Vanessa, 32; Kenley, 29
  • 1936: Ardene & Lucienne, 18; Domenico, 15
  • 1937: Nadeen, 19; Lavell, 19
  • 1938: Josette, 44; Bertil & Jerol, 18
  • 1939: Charmayne, 18; Wilborn, 15

(The Social Security Administration’s baby name data isn’t perfect, but it does get a lot more accurate starting in the late 1930s because, according to the SSA, “many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security card, so their names are not included in our data.”)

  • 1940: Wendell, 25; Wilkie, 61
  • 1941: Aloma, 47; Maximo, 16
  • 1942: Victory, 51; Corey, 27
  • 1943: Corliss, 44; Amando & Cheryl, 16
  • 1944: Drenda, 50; Ruperto, 16
  • 1945: Drena, 37; Arie, 16
  • 1946: Cherylene, 56; Cliffton, 17
  • 1947: Asenath, 32; Baltazar, 20
  • 1948: Valli, 45; Carley, 15
  • 1949: Lark, 66; Buel, Dennison & Nehemiah, 18
  • 1950: Jasmine, 24; Jory, 52
  • 1951: Vendetta, 48; Alfonzia, Clell, Rondy, Ulysee & Vander, 15
  • 1952: Whitney, 20; Adlai, 40
  • 1953: Lugene, 30; Kervin, 18
  • 1954: Jyl, 80; Rahn, 66
  • 1955: Danni, 49; Teri, 17
  • 1956: Kirsti & Skye, 29; Timonthy, 21
  • 1957: Tammara, 38; Creed, 20
  • 1958: Elfreda, 33; Yancy, 24
  • 1959: Torrie, 42; Kym, 41
  • 1960: Pollyanna, 21; Armon & Delray, 20
  • 1961: Marnita, 145; Cord, 45
  • 1962: Anetta & Colinda, 18; Buckley, 18
  • 1963: Michaelann, 30; Georgie & Jerrod, 19
  • 1964: Djuana, 190; Destry, 149
  • 1965: Virna, 38; Horatio, 17
  • 1966: Tamatha, 222; Trevin, 21
  • 1967: Millette, 68; Arnel, Keary, Ky & Ricco, 15
  • 1968: Neely, 40; Griffith, Kacy & Troyce, 16
  • 1969: Francelia, 23; Darrius, 18
  • 1970: Telisha & Zenja, 26; Germaine, 29
  • 1971: Devonia, 22; Idris, 21
  • 1972: Contina, 209; Keelan, 20
  • 1973: Shenika, 33; Bram, 19
  • 1974: Seandra, 31; Reuven, 18
  • 1975: Mandee, 74; Jermale, 19
  • 1976: Niya, 97; Askia, 21
  • 1977: Kizzie, 286; Kenta, 48
  • 1978: Kylene, 88; Kodi, 41
  • 1979: Ranada, 37; Emmet, 19
  • 1980: Hanni, 34; Lando, 25
  • 1981: Jennilee, 37; Tristen, 21
  • 1982: Terran, 27; Ryne, 31
  • 1983: Yomaira, 45; Drue, 16
  • 1984: Leonela, 46; Catlin, 57
  • 1985: Sharda, 70; Justn, 23
  • 1986: Faren, 85; Adison, 21
  • 1987: Conchetta, 42; Najee, 50
  • 1988: Brogan, 36; Nikko, 59
  • 1989: Kyara, 65; Rishawn, 42
  • 1990: Tichina, 25; Telvin, 47
  • 1991: Bronte, 48; Dilon, 21
  • 1992: Oneisha, 39; Levonte, 32
  • 1993: Amairany, 41; Adonnis, 23
  • 1994: Marimar, 101; Corliss, 22
  • 1995: Shatasha, 26; Tryston, 42
  • 1996: Karrington, 34; Tysheem, 20
  • 1997: Neyda, 35; Voshon, 32
  • 1998: Arrion, 29; Amere, 29
  • 1999: Karyme, 40; Neo, 24
  • 2000: Laisa, 36; Perrion, 41
  • 2001: Torrance, 40; Andrik, 46
  • 2002: Naydelin, 58; Bode, 131
  • 2003: Princesa, 70; Anden, 41
  • 2004: Jenascia, 70; Cabot, 29
  • 2005: Jolette, 258; Greco, 40
  • 2006: Akeelah, 403; Corde, 51
  • 2007: Ambrielle, 46; Osmel, 29
  • 2008: Allysson, 61; Rohaan, 18
  • 2009: Ailea, 57; Kipton, 60
  • 2010: Solara, 40; Dyland, 67
  • 2011: Harnoor, 24; Dakhari, 18
  • 2012: Hareem, 54; Lio & Wayden, 19
  • 2013: Tahiry, 112; Zylen, 27
  • 2014: Yazaira, 42; Alyan, 22
  • 2015: Pihu, 19; Jonael, 232
  • 2016: Yurani, 97; Jru, 31
  • 2017: Brennley, 56; Noriel, 50
  • 2018: Roselyne, 87; Torryn, 31
  • 2019: Yameli, 49; Amyas, 21
  • 2020: Elleri, 34; Dutton, 27
  • 2021: Josiane, 41; Elkin, 21
  • 2022: Thena, 25; Kymeir, 23

I’ve already written about some of these names, and I’ll write about others in the future. In the meantime, feel free to beat me to it! Leave a comment and let us know what popularized Jory in 1950, or Marnita in 1961, or Catlin in 1984…

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from First leaves Novosibirsk Siberia 24.04.2012 by Mikhail Koninin under CC BY 2.0.

Common Amish names: Jacob, Malinda, Benuel, Naomi

Amish boy in horse-drawn buggy

Which names are the most common among the Amish?

The simplest answer is “Biblical names,” but that’s not the full answer.

Because certain Biblical names are preferred over others, and Biblical names aren’t used exclusively.

Plus, the prevalence of a name could vary depending upon the specific Amish settlement you’re talking about.

I’ve gathered about 100 of the most common Amish names below. Before we get into specifics, though, here’s a bit of background on the Amish…

Who are the Amish?

The Amish are an Anabaptist group that intentionally maintain a degree of separation from the wider world. They wear plain clothing, eschew modern conveniences (like cars), and partake in traditional occupations such as farming, carpentry, blacksmithing, and (for women) homemaking.

The Anabaptist movement began in Europe in the 1520s, at the time of the Protestant Reformation. The Anabaptists were particularly known for the practice of adult baptism. They were also opposed to war, and they believed in the separation of church and state.

Considered radicals, the Anabaptists were widely persecuted.

In 1693, the Swiss branch of the Anabaptist movement (a.k.a., the Swiss Brethren) experienced a schism. Those who followed reformer Jacob Amman came to be known as the Amish, whereas those who did not came to be known as the Mennonites (after Dutchman Menno Simons, one of the original Anabaptist leaders).

In the early 1700s, many Amish (and Mennonites) immigrated to the New World — specifically to the Province of Pennsylvania, which had been founded upon the principle of religious freedom.

Today, over 367,000 Amish live in the U.S., and roughly two-thirds of them reside in three states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.

Amish man and sons in horse-drawn wagon

Common Amish names

The most comprehensive source of Amish names I came across was also the oldest, so let’s go through all the sources chronologically.

In 1960, researcher Elmer L. Smith published data on the most common male and female names among the Amish of southeastern Pennsylvania from 1890 to 1956.

The 1,337 Amish males in the study shared a total of just 72 different first names. Over a quarter of the males had one of the top three names (John, Amos, or Jacob), and over 81% had one of the top 20 names.

The 1,356 Amish females in the study shared even fewer first names: only 55. Over a quarter of the females had one of the top three names (Mary, Sarah, or Annie), and over 88% had a top-20 name.

According to Smith’s research, these were the 20 most common names per gender (plus their frequency of usage):

Amish female namesAmish male names
1Mary, 10.0%John, 11.9%
2Sarah, 7.9%Amos, 7.3%
3Annie, 9.1%*Jacob, 6.5%
4Katie, 7.1%David, 6.4%
5Lizzie, 6.4%Samuel, 6.2%
6Rebecca, 6.1%Christian, 6.1%
7Fannie, 5.3%Daniel, 5.5%
8Barbara, 5.1%Benjamin, 3.8%
9Rachel, 5.1%Levi, 3.7%
10Lydia, 4.9%Aaron, 3.1%
11Emma, 3.8%Jonas, 3.0%
12Malinda, 3.5%Elam, 2.8%
13Susie, 3.2%Stephen, 2.8%
14Sadie, 2.5%Isaac, 2.5%
15Leah, 1.9%Henry, 2.4%
16Hannah, 1.5%Jonathan, 1.8%
17Naomi, 1.4%Eli, 1.7%
18Mattie, 1.3%Gideon, 1.6%
19Lavina, 1.1%Moses, 1.5%
20Arie, 1.1%Joseph, 1.1%
*Annie was ranked below Sarah in the research paper, but this seems to be a typo, given the percentages.

Smith also wrote the following:

Other given names for males may reflect the important place the martyred forefathers hold in the minds of the sect members. The given name Menno is frequently found; this honors Menno Simmons [sic] an early leader of the plain sects. Ammon is also quite common, and is traced to Jacob Amman for whom the Amish sect is named; otherwise given names are from the Bible.

(Menno, a form of the Dutch name Meine, can be traced back to the Old High German word magan, meaning “strength.” The occupational surname Amman(n), which was derived from the German word amtmann, originally referred to someone employed as an official or administrator.)

A couple of years after Smith’s study came out, Dr. William Schreiber (a professor at the College of Wooster in Ohio) published a book about the Amish of east-central Ohio. In one paragraph, he mentioned some of the names he’d encountered:

One learns here that the good old biblical names are still common with the Amish but are in competition with modern or more euphonious ones. The names of the children of large families are often a study in contrasts. In one family there are, for example, Benjamin, Samuel, Isaac, Stephen, John, Israel, Christ, Barbara, Mary, Hannah, Annie, Mattie, and Lizzie. Another family has chosen these names for its children: Sarah, Lizzie, Samuel, Benjamin, John, Annie, Marie, Daniel, David, Enos, Sylvia, and Malinda. Then there are three Amish brothers named Isaac, Levi, and Elmer. One wonders how Vesta, Delila, Dena, Saloma, Drusilla, or Verba, or boys’ names like Junie, Venus, or Aquilla came into strict Christian families?

Speaking of east-central Ohio, Barbara Yoder Hall — who was born in 1940 and grew up with ten siblings in the Amish community of Holmes County — recalled in her book Born Amish (1980) the following first names:

First names for girls are usually Cora, Mattie, Annie, Lizzie, Barbara, Fannie, Katie, Mary, Naomi, Emma, Jemima, Ella, Sarah, Levina and Mandy.

First names for boys are John, Mose, Ferdinand, Dannie, Sam, Amos, Albert, Emanual, Levi, Rudy, Enos, Eli, Jacob and Joseph.

Amish kitchen

Now for a pair of sources from the digital age…

The website Amish America, run by Erik Wesner (who is not Amish, but has visited Amish communities in 15 different states), lists the following names as being common among the Amish. He found many of the male names in Raber’s Almanac, which “contains a listing of Amish church ministers,” while many of the female names came from various church directories.

Common Amish female namesCommon Amish male names
Elizabeth
Emma
Fannie
Hannah
Katie
Linda
Lizzie
Lovina/Lavina
Martha
Mary
Miriam
Naomi
Rebecca
Ruby
Ruth
Sadie
Sarah
Waneta
Abram
Amos
Atlee
Eli
Elmer
Harley
Isaac
Jacob
John
Lavern
Leroy
Mark
Melvin
Mervin
Samuel
Vernon
Wayne
Willis

Some of Erik’s commentary…

  • Eli: “You see a lot of Elis among Amish, but not many Elijahs.”
  • Leroy: “Seems to be more common in Midwestern communities.”
  • Lizzie: “Lizzie is a popular form in some Pennsylvania communities.”
  • Naomi: “Amish, at least in Lancaster County, pronounce this ‘Nay-oh-mah.'”
  • Ruby: “Quite a few Rubies in northern Indiana.”
  • Vernon: “[P]retty common in places like northern Indiana and Holmes County, Ohio.”

Finally, according to the blog Amish Heritage, written by a woman named Anna (who grew up Amish in Pennsylvania), common Amish names include…

Common Amish female namesCommon Amish male names
Amanda
Anna/Annie
Barbara
Betty
Clara
Edna
Elizabeth
Esther
Fannie
Hannah
Lavina
Lena
Lydia
Malinda
Martha
Mary
Miriam
Naomi
Priscilla
Rachel
Rebecca
Ruth
Sadie
Sarah
Susie
Aaron
Abner
Abram
Amos
Benuel
Christian/Christ
Daniel
David
Eli
Elmer
Emmanuel
Henry
Isaac
Jacob
John
Jonas
Leroy
Lloyd
Mark
Melvin
Mervin
Moses
Omar
Paul
Samuel
Steven/Stephen
Vernon

Both websites noted that some Amish communities (particularly New Order Amish communities) have recently started giving their children less traditional first names.


So how do these lists square with what we’ve observed in the U.S. baby name data?

It’s hard to tell with historically popular names like Mary and John, but we can see some interesting things when we focus on relatively rare names.

For instance, the names Atlee, Benuel, Delila, Dena, Lavina, Menno, Saloma, and Willis have all been mentioned recently in my posts about names with a high degree of state specificity (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021). As you’d expect, they were associated with the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and/or Indiana. (Benuel, in fact, has only ever appeared in the Pennsylvania data — going all the way back to the 1940s.)

Several of the other names — including Amos, Elam, Fannie, Malinda, and Mervin — saw higher usage in Pennsylvania than in any other state in 2021.

I was surprised that none of my sources listed the name Barbie. Most of them mentioned Barbara (one of them was even named Barbara), and all of them included nicknames (like Lizzie). But Barbara’s diminutive form was curiously absent — even though most of its usage occurs in Pennsylvania:

Girls named Barbie, U.S.Girls named Barbie, Penn.
20213722 (59%)
20202617 (65%)
20193320 (61%)
20182113 (62%)
20172916 (55%)
20162814 (50%)

Rhoda and Mahlon are two more names that I somewhat expected to see.

Ammon is a very interesting case, because the name also has significance to an entirely different religious group: the Mormons. (The Book of Mormon features two prominent figures named Ammon.) From the 1910s to the 1960s, the name Ammon — much like Benuel — only appeared in the Pennsylvania data. Since the 1980s, though, the state with the largest number of baby boys named Ammon has been Utah.


What are your thoughts on the first names used by the Amish? Which of the above do you like the most?

And, for anyone out there with close ties to an Amish family/community: What other names would you add to this list?

P.S. This post is dedicated to my delightful commenters alex and Andrea. :)

Sources:

Images (horse-drawn buggy, horse-drawn wagon, farmhouse kitchen) from Library of Congress

How did “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” influence baby names?

The character Dobie Gillis of the TV series "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" (1959-1963).
Dobie Gillis from “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

Girl-crazy teenager Dobie Gillis was a character created by writer Max Shulman in the 1940s. He was first brought to life in the movie The Affairs of Dobie Gillis in 1953, but the most memorable portrayal of Dobie was by Dwayne Hickman in the four-season TV sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, which premiered in September of 1959.

Dobie Gillis is notable for being “the first prime-time series to consistently privilege teenage characters, activities, and spaces over those associated with family shows.”

It was also known for the unusual character names. Dobie (pronounced doh-bee, rhymes with Toby) had friends with names like:

  • Maynard (a beatnik played by Bob Denver, who later portrayed Gilligan)
  • Zelda (a brainiac played by Sheila James Kuehl, sister of Jeri Lou)
  • Thalia Menninger (a rich girl played by Tuesday Weld)

These “uncommon first names [were] evidently meant to seem vaguely silly in their failure to conform with ’50s norms.”

The show ended up influencing the usage of several baby names. First of all, it was behind the debut of the name Dobie in 1960:

  • 1964: 9 baby boys named Dobie
  • 1963: unlisted
  • 1962: 6 baby boys named Dobie
  • 1961: 8 baby boys named Dobie
  • 1960: 9 baby boys named Dobie [debut]
  • 1959: unlisted
  • 1958: unlisted

The name Thalia also saw a spike in usage in 1960, which makes sense because all but two of the episodes featuring Thalia Menninger were first-season (1959-1960) episodes. Dobie pronounced Thalia’s name thale-ya.

  • 1964: 46 baby girls named Thalia
  • 1963: 42 baby girls named Thalia
  • 1962: 42 baby girls named Thalia
  • 1961: 46 baby girls named Thalia
  • 1960: 90 baby girls named Thalia
  • 1959: 30 baby girls named Thalia
  • 1958: 24 baby girls named Thalia

Finally, the name Zelda saw elevated usage in the early ’60s:

  • 1964: 133 baby girls named Zelda
  • 1963: 171 baby girls named Zelda
  • 1962: 178 baby girls named Zelda
  • 1961: 168 baby girls named Zelda
  • 1960: 136 baby girls named Zelda
  • 1959: 142 baby girls named Zelda
  • 1958: 131 baby girls named Zelda

Fun fact: Zelda — who pursued Dobie as ardently as Dobie pursued all other females — once convinced a girl named Phyllis to break it off with Dobie by warning her that her married name would be “Phyllis Gillis.”

Many of the secondary and single-episode characters had unusual names as well. Here are some examples:

Aphrodite
Arabella
Aristede
Blossom
Bruno
Bubbles
Chatsworth
Clothilde
Clydene
Drusilla
Esmond
Glynis
Imogene
Jethro
Kermit
Laurabelle
Leander
Maribelle
Mignonne
Poppy
Riff

Do you like any of the above Dobie Gillis names? How about the name “Dobie” itself?

Sources:

  • Kearney, Mary C. “Teenagers and Television in the United States.” Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television, ed. by Horace Newcomb, 2nd ed., New York: Routledge, 2013, pp. 2276-2281.
  • Sterritt, David. Mad to be Saved: The Beats, the ’50s, and Film. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1998.
  • The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (TV Series 1959–1963) – IMDb

Popular baby names in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1867

19th-century Providence, Rhode Island
19th-century Providence

The registrar of Providence, Rhode Island, published a series of documents listing all “of the names of persons deceased, born and married in the city of Providence” during years 1866, 1867 and 1868. The series may have been longer, but these are the only documents I could find online.

I’ve finally finished creating a set of rankings using one of the documents — 1867. But before we get to the rankings, here are some stats:

  • 1,547 babies were born in Providence in 1867, going by the number of babies listed in the document itself. According to the document’s introduction, though, the number is 1,625. Not sure what to make of this discrepancy.
  • 1,431 of these babies (713 girls and 718 boys) had names that were registered with the government at the time of publication. The other 116 babies got blank spaces. Either their names hadn’t been registered yet, or they hadn’t been named yet, or perhaps they died young and never received a name.
  • 254 unique names (141 girl names and 113 boy names) were shared among these 1,431 babies.

And now, on to the names…

Top 5

A quick look at the top 5 girl names and boy names in Providence in 1867:

Top baby girl namesTop baby boy names
1. Mary
2. Catherine
3. Ellen
4. Margaret
5. Sarah
1. John
2. William
3. James
4. Charles
5. George

All Girl Names

Notice how the #1 name, Mary, was bestowed three times as often as the #2 name, Catherine.

  1. Mary, 138 baby girls
  2. Catherine, 46
  3. Ellen, 37
  4. Margaret, 34
  5. Sarah, 31
  6. Annie, 19
  7. Elizabeth, 16
  8. Alice, 15
  9. Florence, 14
  10. Ann, Emma & Ida, 12 each (3-way tie)
  11. Minnie, 11
  12. Harriet & Julia, 9 each (2-way tie)
  13. Anna, Caroline, Carrie, Jennie, Joanna & Louisa, 8 each (6-way tie)
  14. Cora & Eliza, 7 each (2-way tie)
  15. Agnes, Clara, Edith, Rosanna & Theresa, 6 each (5-way tie)
  16. Bertha, Grace, Hannah, Hattie, Jane, Lillian, Maria, Martha, Nellie & Susan, 5 each (10-way tie)
  17. Eleanor, Fannie, Gertrude, Helen, Isabella, Lucy & Rosa, 4 each (7-way tie)
  18. Anne, Bridget, Ella, Emily, Esther, Eva, Lizzie, Mabel, Matilda & Ruth, 3 each (10-way tie)
  19. Ada, Amelia, Charlotte, Dora, Eleanora, Elvira, Henrietta, Jessie, Josephine, Kate, Louise, Lydia, Maggie & Rosella, 2 each (14-way tie)
  20. Abby, Addie, Adelaide, Adelia, Almina, Almira, Amanda, Amey, Amy, Anastasia, Angelie, Annis, Antoinette, Augusta, Aurelia, Bethiah, Cecelia, Celia, Clarissa, Clementina, Corielynn, Cornelia, Drusilla, Effie, Emeline, Estella, Ethelin, Fanny, Florentina, Frances, Gelie, Genevieve, Georgiana, Georgianna, Helena, Honora, Irene, Isabel, Issie, Juliann, Julietta, Katie, Laura, Leah, Leonora, Lillie, Lillis, Lily, Lottie, Luella, Margaretta, Margery, Margret, Marietta, Maude, May, Millie, Myra, Nelly, Phebe, Robie, Rosalthe, Rose, Selina, Sophia, Susanna, Susannah, Vienna, Viola, Vira, Virginia & Winifred, 1 each (72-way tie)

All Boy Names

  1. John, 87 baby boys
  2. William, 75
  3. James, 64
  4. Charles, 50
  5. George, 45
  6. Thomas, 40
  7. Joseph, 30
  8. Walter, 21
  9. Edward, 16
  10. Francis & Michael, 14 each (2-way tie)
  11. Patrick, 13
  12. Arthur & Robert, 12 each (2-way tie)
  13. Frank, Frederick & Henry, 11 each (3-way tie)
  14. Albert, 9
  15. Daniel & Peter, 8 each (2-way tie)
  16. David, Eugene, Howard & Samuel, 6 each (4-way tie)
  17. Alexander, Louis & Stephen, 5 each (3-way tie)
  18. Harry, Herbert, Hugh & Martin, 4 each (4-way tie)
  19. Carl, Edgar, Everett, Jeremiah & Willie, 3 each (5-way tie)
  20. Abraham, Alfred, Clarence, Cornelius, Dennis, Ernest, Ezra, Franklin, Freddie, Jacob, Jesse, Lewis, Luke, Nicholas, Philip, Sylvester, Theodore, Timothy, 2 each (18-way tie)
  21. Abner, Adam, Adolph, Amos, Andrew, Appleton, Archibald, Ashel, August, Benjamin, Benno, Bernard, Bertram, Burt, Byron, Clifford, Davis, Dexter, Dunlap, Edmund, Edwin, Elmer*, Embert, Forrest, Freddy, Gustav, Herman, Isaac, Jeffrey, Jerome, Josiah, Lucian, Malcolm, Matthew, Maurice, Milton, Nathan, Nehemiah, Nelson, Oren, Oscar, Otto, Owen, Paul, Ralph, Reginald, Richard, Sanford, Seth, Shirley, Sullivan, Terence, Theobald, Victor, Wanton, Warren, Weston, Wheelan, Wilford, 1 each (59-way tie)

*Elmer, who had the middle initial “E.,” was likely named after early Civil War casualty Elmer E. Ellsworth.

Twins & Triplets

Twenty-one sets of twins and two sets of triplets were born in Providence in 1867. (All of these names were accounted for above — I just thought it’d be fun to check out the sibsets.)

Girl-girl twinsGirl-boy twinsBoy-boy twinsTriplets
Annie & Fannie
Annie & Mary
Ann & Ellen
Jennie & Minnie
Margaret & Martha
(blank) & (blank)
Ann & Maurice
Grace & George
Harriet & Albert
Ida & Ashel
Mary & James
Abraham & George
Charles & George
Charles & John
Daniel & David
Dunlap & Frank
Eugene & Timothy
George & John
George & William
James & John
John & Martin
Carl, (blank) & (blank)
James, Alexander & Sarah

I’ll post Providence’s 1866 and 1868 rankings as soon I get them done. Until then, here are two older posts featuring uniquely named Rhode Islanders: Aldaberontophoscophornia (b. 1812) and Idawalley (b. 1842).

Sources: