A few weeks ago I visited the pilgrim exhibit at the Provincetown Museum. A sign that was part of the exhibit read:
The Mayflower, a merchant ship of 181 tons and a length of just over 100 feet, carried on its historic first voyage to the New World [in 1620] 102 passengers and a crew of about 30. The voyage lasted 66 days. In the crossing, William Button died and Oceanus Hopkins was born. 102 passengers arrived in Provincetown. At Provincetown, Peregrine White was born, Dorothy Bradford, James Chilton, Jasper More and Edward Thompson died.
Oceanus, whose name is the Latin word for “ocean,” was born in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Peregrine’s name comes from the Latin word peregrinus, meaning “foreigner,” “traveler,” “one from abroad.” (The word Pilgrim is derived from the same source, in fact.)
Update: Here are all of the Pilgrim names, a post from several Thanksgivings ago.
Just learned this: The very first ethnic European baby born in the New World was Snorri Thorfinnsson (born sometime between 1004 and 1013). His name comes from the Old Norse word snerra, which means “attack, onslaught.”