How popular is the baby name Albert 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 Albert.

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Popularity of the baby name Albert


Posts that mention the name Albert

The names Seventeen, Eighteen, and Nineteen

Baker family on the 1880 U.S. Census
Baker family, 1880 U.S. Census

Yesterday’s post on the Rosado family of Brazil reminded me of a Tennessee family I spotted in the 1880 U.S. Census.

The parents were Stephen and Maria Baker, ages 52 and 45, and the three youngest children were listed as…

  • Billy (?) Seventeen (male, age 4)
  • Lady Eighteen (female, age 3)
  • Aurilla Nineteen (female, age 0)

My hunch is that they were the 17th, 18th, and 19th children, but I haven’t been able to verify it yet.

The older children still at home in 1880 were named Millie, Buddy, Willie, and Albert.

On the 1870 U.S. Census, the family’s children were listed as Rachel, James, Francis, Florence, Milley, Budie, and Wm (an abbreviation for William).

Unusual real name: Annexation

Annexation Beitel on the 1860 U.S. Census
Beitel family of Texas on 1860 U.S. Census

On October 1, 1845, a baby girl was born in Texas to German immigrants Joseph and Elizabeth Beitel.

What did they name their daughter? Annexation.

Why? Probably to celebrate the annexation of the Republic of Texas by the United States.

In February of 1845 — during the last days of the presidency of John Tyler — the U.S. Congress voted in favor of admitting Texas to the Union. That the summer and fall, Texas assented to the annexation and drew up a new constitution. Finally, in late December, President James K. Polk signed the annexation bill into law, making Texas the 28th state.

Though she’s listed as “Annexation” on both the 1850 and 1860 U.S. Censuses, Annexation Beitel seemed to prefer the nicknames “Anna” and “Annie” during her lifetime, as this is how her name appears in most other places.

Joseph and Elizabeth also had at least eight other children from the 1830s to the 1850s. Here are the names of all nine, from oldest to youngest:

  • Charles
  • Catherine
  • Francis
  • Elizabeth
  • Henry
  • Annexation
  • Rudolph
  • Louisa
  • Josephine
  • Albert

Sources: FamilySearch, Find a Grave, Texas annexation – Wikipedia

Image: Clipping of the 1860 U.S. Census

Armistice babies in Canada and England

A couple of Armistice Day baby name stories for you…

First: A baby boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Herod of Ottawa, Canada, less than one minute after the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 1918. Mr. Herod had planned to name the baby Albert after himself, but then Canada’s Governor General personally requested that Albert name his son Victor, in honor of the end of the war. Albert agreed; Victor Herod it was.

(The Governor General also happened to be a Victor, coincidentally.)

Second: A baby boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Howe of Middleton, England, “on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.”

My mother told me that while I was born she could hear bands playing outside as people celebrated the end of the war. People were coming up with all sorts of names but in the end they settled on Victory Haig to honour when I was born as well as General Douglas Haig.

Victory Howe went by “Victor” as an adult.

Sources:

  • Hull, Norman. “Government Gives Name.” Windsor Daily 29 May 1939: 5+.
  • Jones, Chris. “Victor was born winner as nation celebrated peace.” Manchester Evening News 11 Nov. 2010.
  • Rennie, Gary. “It’s No Longer ‘remembrance’ Day For Victor.” Windsor Star 11 Nov. 1976: 3.

P.S. The baby name Armistice has been used in the U.S. as well…

London babies named for the Boer War

British infantry, Second Boer War

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the two wars were fought in South Africa between the British and the Boers. During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), certain patriotic London parents gave their children names “commemorative of our great generals and victories in South Africa.” Here are some examples:

NameInspiration
James Albert Redvers Kirby
Audrey Buller Lily Wallace		Gen. Redvers Henry Buller
Hector Macdonald MatthewMajor-Gen. Hector MacDonald
Frank Kimberley StuckeySiege of Kimberley
Thomas Elands Laagte WilksBattle of Elandslaagte
Margaret Ellen Ladysmith AngramBattle/Siege/Relief of Ladysmith
Colenso Stuart Dudley MiddletonBattle of Colenso
James Spion Kop SkinnerBattle of Spion Kop

Babies were also named Frere (for Bartle Frere), Glencoe (for the Battle of Glencoe), Kitchener (for Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener), Mafeking (for the Siege of Mafeking), Pretoria, and Tugela (for the Battle of the Tugela Heights).

And, oddly enough, a few London babies were named Kruger for Paul Kruger, President of the South African Republic.

Source: “Boer War Babies.” Leader [Regina, Canada] 31 May 1900: 2.

Image: The Second Boer War, 1899-1902