How popular is the baby name Brewster 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 Brewster.

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Popularity of the baby name Brewster


Posts that mention the name Brewster

Name change: Bernard McFadden to Bernarr Macfadden

Physical culture promoter Bernarr Macfadden, formerly named Bernard McFadden (1868-1955)
Bernarr Macfadden

Bernarr Macfadden (1868-1955) was an eccentric businessman and health crusader of the early 20th century.

His most successful business venture was his publishing empire, starting with Physical Culture magazine (1899-1955). This was followed by other magazines and over 100 books, including Virile Powers of Superb Manhood (1900) and Muscular Power and Beauty (1906).

He also organized bodybuilding competitions, opened health food restaurants, and even tried to found a community based on his beliefs called Physical Culture City. (It was in New Jersey.)

But he had plenty of detractors, including the editors of TIME magazine, who nicknamed him “Body-Love” Macfadden.

Speaking of names, Bernarr wasn’t born with the name Bernarr. His birth name was Bernard Adolphus McFadden. In his late 20s, while working in New York City as a personal trainer and physical therapist, he decided to rebrand himself. He ultimately settled on the distinctive “Bernarr Macfadden.” Here’s one version of the story:

Bernard Adolphus McFadden was a name that did not satisfy him. He had experimented with Bernard Adolphus, B. A. McFadden and B. Adolphus McFadden. Professor B. McFadden was not much of an improvement. Bernard sounded weak to him. If he accented the last syllable and substituted an R for the D, it would seem powerful, something like a lion’s roar — Bernarr, a unique name that people would remember. He dropped the Adolphus and, probably because there were so many McFaddens, he chose the name Macfadden, much to the resentment of his relatives scattered across the Midwest.

Bernarr Macfadden with wife and four of his children (Helen, Byrnece, Beulah, and Braunda)
Bernarr with family

Bernarr Macfadden married several times and had a total of nine children — first six girls, then three boys. Their names were Helen, Byrne, Byrnece, Beulah, Beverly, Braunda, Byron, Berwyn, and Brewster. The B-names were clearly inspired by the “B” of Bernarr, and I suspect that Braunda was named with the word “brawn” in mind.

Sources:

Images from the books Vitality Supreme (1915) and Manhood and Marriage (1916).

Pilgrim surnames for Thanksgiving

Painting "Signing the Mayflower Compact 1620" (1899) by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris

Thanksgiving is almost here!

I’ve already posted about Pilgrim names and Pilgrim baby names, so this year let’s try Pilgrim surnames. Would any of them make good baby names?

Here are the 37 surnames of the 41 men who signed the Mayflower Compact:

  1. Alden (John Alden)
  2. Allerton (Isaac Allerton, John Allerton)
  3. Billington (John Billington)
  4. Bradford (William Bradford)
  5. Brewster (William Brewster)
  6. Britteridge (Richard Britteridge)
  7. Browne (Peter Browne)
  8. Carver (John Carver)
  9. Chilton (James Chilton)
  10. Clarke (Richard Clarke)
  11. Cooke (Francis Cooke)
  12. Crackstone (John Crackstone)
  13. Doty (Edward Doty)
  14. Eaton (Francis Eaton)
  15. English (Thomas English)
  16. Fletcher (Moses Fletcher)
  17. Fuller (Samuel Fuller, Edward Fuller)
  18. Gardiner (Richard Gardiner)
  19. Goodman (John Goodman)
  20. Hopkins (Stephen Hopkins)
  21. Howland (John Howland)
  22. Lester (Edward Lester)
  23. Margeson (Edmund Margeson)
  24. Martin (Christopher Martin)
  25. Mullins (William Mullins)
  26. Priest (Degory Priest)
  27. Rigsdale (John Rigsdale)
  28. Rogers (Thomas Rogers)
  29. Soule (George Soule)
  30. Standish (Myles Standish)
  31. Tilley (Edward Tilley, John Tilley)
  32. Tinker (Thomas Tinker)
  33. Turner (John Turner)
  34. Warren (Richard Warren)
  35. White (William White)
  36. Williams (Thomas Williams)
  37. Winslow (Edward Winslow, Gilbert Winslow)

Some aren’t too appropriate (I’m looking at you, Crackstone!) but I think many of the others — Martin, Warren, Brewster, Fletcher, Lester — would be great options for Thanksgiving Day babies.

Which of the above surnames would you be most likely to use as a first name?

Source: Mayflower Compact signatories – Wikipedia