How popular is the baby name Guillaume 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 Guillaume.
The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.
This little verse was sent to me by a reader named Petra: Algy met a bear. The bear was bulgy. The bulge was Algy.
Petra went on to ask: “Is the name Algernon/Algy still in use or has it sunk without trace? I’m curious!”
The name Algernon is still in use, but just barely. And Algy is so rare that it’s nearly extinct.
Here are the SSA’s most recent numbers for Algernon:
2011: (fewer than 5)
2010: 9 baby boys named Algernon
2009: 5 baby boys named Algernon
2008: (fewer than 5)
2007: 9 baby boys named Algernon
And here’s similar data from England and Wales:
2011: (fewer than 3)
2010: (fewer than 3)
2009: 4 baby boys named Algernon
2008: (fewer than 3)
2007: 4 baby boys named Algernon
I was able to find only a handful of babies (born in the last 2+ decades) with the legal name Algy/Algie.
One of the most interesting things about Algernon? The name’s rather manly etymology.
Algernon originated as a nickname for William de Percy, who moved from France to England during the Norman Conquest.
His family name being probably reserved for occasions of form and ceremony, he was familiarly known in his own day as Guillaume al gernons, that is, Will with the Whiskers–which puts us in possession of at least one point in the personal appearance of this founder of the English house of Percy. Hence Algernon became a common baptismal name among his descendants.
It didn’t become a “baptismal name” until four centuries later, though.
The first descendant to get the name was Henry Algernon Percy (1477/8-1527), 5th Earl of Northumberland. Other descendants named Algernon include:
Algernon Percy (1602–1668), 10th Earl of Northumberland
In yesterday’s post I mentioned that, up until the 1960s, the citizens of France were forced to obey a restrictive baby name law that was enacted in 1803.
Why did that law exist?
In order to curb the very non-traditional baby naming practices that had evolved during the years of the French Revolution.
It all started in September of 1792, one day before the French National Convention abolished the monarchy. On that day, a decree was issued. The decree allowed the citizens of France to change their forenames quite easily — all they had to do was “make a simple formal declaration before the registrar of their local municipality.”
Many people took advantage of this decree and chose new names with a revolutionary flavor (i.e., names that referred to nature, to the new republican calendar*, to republican virtues, to republican heroes, or to antiquity).
And, of course, they started giving their children revolutionary names as well.
Examples of these names include…
Name
Translation/Significance
Abeille
“Bee” / refers to the date Germinal 15 (Apr. 4)
Abricot
“Apricot” / refers to the date Thermidor 13 (Jul. 31)
“Poplar” / refers to the date Pluviôse 9 (Jan. 28)
Philippe Thomas Ve de bon coeur pour la République
Philippe Thomas “Go with a good heart for the Republic”
Phytogynéantrope
according to one source, it’s “Greek for a woman giving birth only to warrior sons”
Pomme
“Apple” / refers to the date Brumaire 1 (Oct. 22)
Porte-arme
“Weapon-holder”
Racine de la Liberté
“Root of Freedom”
Raifort
“Horseradish” / refers to the date Frimaire 12 (Dec. 2)
Raison
“Reason”
Régénérée Vigueur
“Regenerated Strength”
Rhubarbe
“Rhubarb” / refers to the date Floréal 11 (Apr. 30)
Robespierre
refers to politician Maximilien Robespierre
Sans Crainte
“Without Fear”
Scipion l’Africain
refers to ancient Roman general Scipio Africanus
Seigle
“Rye” / refers to the date Messidor 1 (Jun. 19)
Simon Liberté ou la Mort
Simon “Freedom or Death”
Spartacus
refers to ancient Roman gladiator and military leader Spartacus
Sureau
“Elderberry” / refers to the date Prairial 17 (Jun. 5)
Thermidor
based on thermon, Greek for “summer heat” / one of the summertime months of the republican calendar
Travail
“Work”
Tubéreuse
“Tuberose” / refers to the date Fructidor 6 (Aug. 23)
Unitée Impérissable
“Imperishable Unity”
Vengeur Constant
“Constant Avenger”
Victoire Fédérative
“Federal Victory”
Though it’s impossible to estimate just how many revolution-era babies got revolutionary names, the number seems to be well into the thousands, judging by statements like these:
“[I]n the winter and spring of 1794 at least 60 per cent of children received revolutionary names in Marseilles, Montpellier, Nevers, and Rouen.”
“[I]n Poitiers…only 62 of 593 babies born in the year II [1793-94] were named after saints in the ancien régime manner. Instead, they were given names reflecting the contrasting sources of political inspiration.”
About a decade later, however, all this creative naming came to an end.
Under Napoleon Bonaparte, the French government enacted a law that restricted French given names to “names used in various calendars” (that is, the names of Catholic saints) and “names of persons known from ancient history.” In essence, the law was meant to “put an end to citizens bearing absurd names that signified inanimate objects, forms of vegetation, membership of the animal kingdom and abstract concepts.”
….And this was the law that gave the Manrot-le Goarnic family so much difficulty when they tried to give their children Breton names a century and a half later.
*The French republican calendar, in use from 1793 to 1806, was a secular take on the Catholic Church’s calendar of saints. The months “were named after natural elements, while each day was named for a seed, tree, flower, fruit, animal, or tool.”
While cleaning out my bookmarks the other day, I rediscovered this post on French names from francophile blog Polly-Vous Francais. It contrasts the names found in the birth and death announcements of a French newspaper. Here’s a sampling:
Male Births
Male Deaths
Female Births
Female Deaths
Anselme Edouard Guillaume Hipployte Hugo Lancelot Louis Timothée Victor Vladimir
Albert Emile Gabriel Jacques Jean Paul Pierre Roger Vincent Yves
This website or its third-party tools process personal data.In case of sale of your personal information, you may opt out by using the link Do not sell my personal information.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.