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

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

Baby name stories: Maitland

Aviators Lt. Albert Hegenberger (1895-1983) and Lt. Lester Maitland (1899-1990)
Albert Hegenberger and Lester Maitland

On June 29, 1927, two baby boys born in Honolulu, Hawaii, were named Maitland:

  • Maitland Paul Stearns
  • Maitland Albert Jowell

Why?

Because that was the day U.S. Army Lieutenant Lester Maitland landed in Honolulu after piloting the first transoceanic flight from the mainland to the islands.

Maitland and navigator Lt. Albert Hegenberger set off from San Francisco, California, in a Fokker airplane early on June 28. They flew about 2,500 miles in a little over 25 hours.

Here are some of the quotes they gave the Honolulu Advertiser upon landing:

  • “During the day we flew at an altitude of 300 feet in order to be below the clouds. We encountered cross winds during the first 500 miles, with much rain.”
  • “When night came we climbed to an altitude of 10,000 feet and above the clouds, so that we could see the stars. The weather up there was fine, but very cold. At 2 a.m. this morning our center motor developed trouble and worried us. We descended through three cloudbanks to an altitude of 4,000 feet and the motor picked up and started working perfectly again. We rose to 12,000 feet and remained there until we were off Kauai.”
  • “We were off our course slightly when we sighted Kauai this morning at 6 o’clock. We had come all the way almost exclusively by dead reckoning and celestial observation.”

The airmen got a chance to meet the newborn Jowell baby, whose middle name honored Hegenberger. A photo of the baby, his mother, and the two men ran in the newspapers in mid-July.

P.S. Five weeks earlier, Charles Lindbergh completed his solo transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.

Sources:

  • “Active Day for Flyers to Islands.” Los Angeles Times 2 Jul. 1927: 1.
  • “Fly by Stars When Radio Beam Lost.” Honolulu Advertiser 30 Jan. 1927.
  • “Honolulu Baby Is Named for Pacific Aviators.” Evening News [San Jose] 12 Jul. 1927: 7.