How popular is the baby name Hawthorne in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, check out all the blog posts that mention the name Hawthorne.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Hawthorne


Posts that Mention the Name Hawthorne

Popular and unique baby names in Iowa, 2017 & 2018

I publish a set of name rankings every week, but I don’t post many U.S. state-released rankings anymore. Why? Because the SSA’s yearly dataset always includes a state-by-state breakdown, and the SSA’s data tends to be basically equivalent to what each state releases.

Except for…Iowa! I totally forgot last year to check up on Iowa, the only state I know of to release full sets of baby name data. (Bravo, Iowa!) The last Iowa rankings I posted were for 2016, so, in this post, to catch up, I’ll be covering two years at once.

First up, 2017.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, the most popular baby names in the state in 2017 were Emma and Oliver.

Here are Iowa’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2017:

Girl Names, 2017

  1. Emma, 175 baby girls
  2. Harper, 172
  3. Olivia, 168
  4. Evelyn, 158
  5. Charlotte, 157
  6. Ava, 139
  7. Amelia & Nora, tied, 127 each
  8. Sophia, 94
  9. Scarlett, 92
  10. Elizabeth, 90

Boy Names, 2017

  1. Oliver, 219 baby boys
  2. Henry, 181
  3. Liam, 179
  4. Lincoln, 160
  5. William, 155
  6. Owen & Wyatt, tied, 151 each
  7. Noah, 135
  8. James, 129
  9. Logan, 124
  10. Benjamin, 118

In the girls’ top 10, Scarlett and Elizabeth replaced Addison and Grace. (The SSA’s data for 2017 was similar, but had Harper in first place.)

In the boys’ top 10, James and Logan replaced Jackson.

And here are some of the names bestowed just once in Iowa in 2017:

Unique Girl Names, 2017Unique Boy Names, 2017
Adelheid Brunnhilde, Axsys, Bergamot, Calladee, Dellaveene, Exaucee Nitocris, Focus, Graxceldie, Hawthorne, Iowa, Ixamara, Jeggsley, Kalaivani, Lahpoe, MellowBelle, Nyantut, Onolinne, Prairie, Prynne, Quebella, Rieslyn, Shelter, Tracieux, Vjosa, Wave, Yatzlimar, ZuzuAknowlegde, Bray Ole, Carefree, Dockerty, Dovahkiin, Essolabina, Frantzley, Gamachis, Helgenberger, Igneous, Jake Lasi Flex, Kellz, Lyrics, Mattavion, Novum, Oracle, Pradyumna, Quintelle, Rinidi, Salix, Sundayboy, Thwin, Tritium, Vindrix, Wattney, Yaeger, Zollie

Possible explanations/associations for a few of the above:

Now, on to 2018…

The most popular baby names in the state in 2018 were Evelyn and Oliver. Here are Iowa’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2018:

Girl Names, 2018

  1. Evelyn, 167 baby girls
  2. Harper, 158
  3. Charlotte, 155
  4. Emma, 153
  5. Olivia, 142
  6. Amelia, 126
  7. Ava, 119
  8. Sophia, 113
  9. Nora, 106
  10. Isabella, 103

Boy Names, 2018

  1. Oliver, 183 baby boys
  2. Henry, 176
  3. Liam, 174
  4. William, 170
  5. Owen, 161
  6. Wyatt, 143
  7. Noah, 137
  8. Lincoln, 130
  9. Jackson, 124
  10. Hudson, 120

In the girls’ top 10, Isabella replaced Scarlett and Elizabeth. (Yet again: the SSA’s rankings were similar, but had Harper in first place.)

In the boys’ top 10, Jackson and Hudson replaced James, Logan, and Benjamin.

And here are some of the names bestowed just once in Iowa in 2018:

Unique Girl Names, 2018Unique Boy Names, 2018
Avocent, Brklyn, Callalily, Currence, Dacheline, Emcee, Ever-After, Frisquette, Granuaile, Hallow, Hladini, Izanami, Jariahlexa, Kelaviene, Lotus Lou, Mighty, Neshbly, Opry, Plu, Qori, Rexha, Samadhi, Sinamika, Tamber, Ventica, Wildly, Ylsy, Ziggy-GreyActs Gabriel, Awnry, Braveheart, Corvinus, Drinian, Evenir, Festo, Flynnigan, Gypsum, Him-Henry, Isidore, Jongroor, Kipden, Kladge, Liamko, Mastajabu, Nuke, Ordie, Paddington, Questan, Rolex, Safe Haven, Thrusher, Vhett, Wrecker, Ychiari, Zallard, Zohnti

Possible explanations/associations for some of the above:

Sources: Top Baby Names – Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal, frisquette – Wiktionary

Numerology & baby names: Number 4

Baby names with a numerological value of 4

Here are hundreds of baby names that have a numerological value of “4.”

I’ve sub-categorized them by overall totals, because I think that some of the intermediate numbers could have special significance to people as well.

Within each group, I’ve listed up to ten of the most popular “4” names per gender (according to the current U.S. rankings).

Beneath all the names are some ways you could interpret the numerological value of “4,” including descriptions from two different numerological systems.

4 via 13

The following baby names add up to 13, which reduces to four (1+3=4).

  • “13” girl names: Cai, Eh, Ece, Gea
  • “13” boy names: Cade, Cai, Al, Eh, Cj, Jc, Dace, La

4 via 22

The following baby names add up to 22, which reduces to four (2+2=4).

  • “22” girl names: Lia, Kaia, Ila, Giada, Ali, Hala, Aicha, Bibi, Lee, Adel
  • “22” boy names: Ali, Lee, Dale, Hadi, Bane, Mace, Akai, Adel, Boe, Agam

4 via 31

The following baby names add up to 31, which reduces to four (3+1=4).

  • “31” girl names: Blake, Demi, Kara, Macie, Miah, Aliah, Janae, Delia, Haddie, Gina
  • “31” boy names: Jacob, Blake, Kaleb, Cash, Kane, Ahmed, Koda, Taj, Gian, Cedar

4 via 40

The following baby names add up to 40, which reduces to four (4+0=4).

  • “40” girl names: Maya, Lola, Angela, Kiara, Megan, Alaya, Linda, Maleah, Kenia, Hailee
  • “40” boy names: David, Diego, Camden, Jude, Zaid, Neil, Lucca, Allan, Boden, Abner

4 via 49

The following baby names add up to 49, which reduces to four (4+9=13; 1+3=4).

  • “49” girl names: Emilia, Athena, Jayla, Logan, Kyla, Harlee, Karen, Dallas, Aliza, Milan
  • “49” boy names: Logan, Luke, Aaron, Jose, Ayden, Milo, Adriel, Dallas, Milan, Bruce

4 via 58

The following baby names add up to 58, which reduces to four (5+8=13; 1+3=4).

  • “58” girl names: Lily, Arianna, Liliana, Natalia, Daisy, Josie, Nicole, Ariella, Aniyah, Ryan
  • “58” boy names: Ryan, Nathan, Miles, Jesse, Holden, Hayes, Pedro, Albert, Kieran, Isaias

4 via 67

The following baby names add up to 67, which reduces to four (6+7=13; 1+3=4).

  • “67” girl names: Gabriella, Michelle, Ruth, Lyric, Paislee, Kaliyah, Aurelia, Jessie, Brylee, Jillian
  • “67” boy names: Julian, Dominic, Miguel, Bradley, Jensen, Jaylen, Brycen, Julio, Cullen, Marcelo

4 via 76

The following baby names add up to 76, which reduces to four (7+6=13; 1+3=4).

  • “76” girl names: Kinley, Emory, Lorelei, Rory, Hayley, Addisyn, Emmeline, Ansley, Kathleen, Kataleya
  • “76” boy names: Thomas, Emmett, Dawson, Jeremy, Louis, Rory, Dexter, Nixon, Jerry, Sylas

4 via 85

The following baby names add up to 85, which reduces to four (8+5=13; 1+3=4).

  • “85” girl names: Anastasia, Gracelyn, Brinley, Ainsley, Madisyn, Aubrielle, Tinley, Paityn, Sevyn, Finnley
  • “85” boy names: Steven, Donovan, Kayson, Franklin, Finnley, Boston, Ulises, Korbyn, Zackary, Jovanni

4 via 94

The following baby names add up to 94, which reduces to four (9+4=13; 1+3=4).

  • “94” girl names: Willow, Genevieve, Harmony, Evangeline, Alessandra, Antonella, Bernadette, Kinsleigh, Emberlyn, Aislynn
  • “94” boy names: Braxton, Jaxtyn, Brayson, Everest, Reynaldo, Trevon, Jiovanni, Sebastien, Alexandro, Gregorio

4 via 103

The following baby names add up to 103, which reduces to four (1+0+3=13).

  • “103” girl names: Princess, Scarlette, Roslyn, Merritt, Nicolette, Rosemarie, Justyce, Valkyrie, Violett, Xitlaly
  • “103” boy names: Greyson, Solomon, Yisroel, Zeppelin, Marquise, Merritt, Perseus, Tiberius, Jaxston, Tyrus

4 via 112

The following baby names add up to 112, which reduces to four (1+1+2=4).

  • “112” girl names: Brooklyn, Emmersyn, Victory, Weslynn, Divinity, Odyssey, Reighlynn, Zeplynn, Kopelynn, Houston
  • “112” boy names: Stetson, Valentino, Guillermo, Houston, Zayvion, Brooklyn, Augustin, Hawthorne, Ollivander, Trayson

4 via 121

The following baby names add up to 121, which reduces to four (1+2+1=4).

  • “121” girl names: Persephone, Courtney, Tiaraoluwa, Kierstyn, Zonnique, Amarachukwu, Morrison, Cortlynn, Estrellita, Ivylynn
  • “121” boy names: Courtney, Morrison, Kristofer, Christofer, Quintus, Aloysius, Trysten, Christophe, Trustin, Zymarion

4 via 130

The following baby names add up to 130, which reduces to four (1+3+0=4).

  • “130” girl names: Oluwatoni, Mariaguadalupe, Monzerrat, Viktoriya, Christionna, Constantina
  • “130” boy names: Wynston, Prynceton, Xzayvier, Souleymane, Washington, Oluwaseyi, Oluwatoni, Juventino, Ugochukwu, Oluwakorede

4 via 139

The following baby names add up to 139, which reduces to four (1+3+9=13; 1+3=4).

  • “139” girl names: Gwyndolyn, Oluwadamilola, Anuoluwapo, Christopher, Quetzally, Mariavictoria, Kymberlynn
  • “139” boy names: Christopher, Kristopher, Martavious, Fitzpatrick, Oluwadamilola

4 via 148

The following baby names add up to 148, which reduces to four (1+4+8=13; 1+3=4).

  • “148” girl names: Oluwateniola, Marykatherine, Moyinoluwa, Oluwatobiloba
  • “148” boy names: Oluwatobiloba, Michaelanthony

4 via 157

The boy name Marquavious adds up to 157, which reduces to four (1+5+7=13; 1+3=4).

4 via 166

The boy name Muhammadyusuf adds up to 166, which reduces to four (1+6+6=13; 1+3=4).

4 via 175

The unisex names Kosisochukwu adds up to 175, which reduces to four (1+7+5=13; 1+3=4).

What Does “4” Mean?

First, we’ll look at the significance assigned to “4” by two different numerological sources. Second, and more importantly, ask yourself if “4” or any of the intermediate numbers above have any special significance to you.

Numerological Attributes

“4” (the tetrad) according to the Pythagoreans:

  • “Anatolius reports that it is called ‘justice,’ since the square (i.e., the area) […] is equal to the perimeter”
  • “It is the prerequisite of the general orderliness of the universe, so they everywhere called it a ‘custodian of Nature.'”
  • “Everything in the universe turns out to be completed in the natural progression up to the tetrad”
  • “The tetrad is the first to display the nature of solidity: the sequence is point, line, plane, solid (i.e. body).”
  • Examples of things that are divided into four parts:
    • “four traditional seasons of the year — spring, summer, autumn and winter.”
    • “four elements (fire, air, water and earth)”
    • “four cardinal points”
    • “four distinguishing points – ascendant, descendant, mid-heaven and nadir”
    • “Some say that all things are organized by four aspects – substance, shape, form and principle.”

“4” according to Edgar Cayce:

  • “In four, it makes for the greater weaknesses in the divisions…four being more of a division and weakness” (reading 261-15).
  • “In four, we find that of a division – and while a beauty in strength, in the divisions also makes for the greater weakness” (reading 5751-1).
Personal/Cultural Significance

Does “4” — or do any of the other numbers above (e.g., 22, 49, 76, 103) — have any special significance to you?

Think about your own preferences and personal experiences: lucky numbers, birth dates, music, sports, and so on. Maybe your favorite football team is the San Francisco 49ers, for example.

Also think about associations you may have picked up from your culture, your religion, or society in general.

If you have any interesting insights about the number 4, or any of the other numbers above, please leave a comment!

Source: Theologumena Arithmeticae, attributed to Iamblichus (c.250-c.330).

List of unusual names: Delazon, Twentyman, Narsworthy

Here are many dozens of interesting and uncommon names that have caught my eye over the years…

  • Adonijah Strong Welch (b. 1821) – U.S. Senator from Florida.
  • Adoniram Judson (b. 1788) – the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to Myanmar.
  • Aeriwentha Faggs “Mae” Starr (b. 1932) – American athlete.
  • Alcaeus Hooper (b. 1859) – mayor of Baltimore, Maryland from 1895 to 1897.
  • Almroth Wright (b. 1861) – British bacteriologist and immunologist.
  • Anning Smith Prall (b. 1870) – U.S. Representative from New York.
  • Anzia Yezierska (b. 1885) – Polish writer.
  • Arphaxed Loomis (b. 1798) – U.S. Representative from New York.
  • Astyanax M. Douglass (b. 1838) – Politician/physician from Tennessee.
  • Atoosa Rubenstein (b. 1972 in Iran) – Former editor-in-chief of Seventeen magazine.
  • Autherine Juanita Lucy (b. 1929) – Activist from Alabama.
  • Banastre Tarleton (b. 1754) – British soldier and politician.
  • Baskerville Holmes (b. 1964) – American basketball player named for The Hound of the Baskervilles.
  • Behethland Foote Butler (b. 1764) – from Virginia.
  • Berbiedell Slate (b. 1930) – from North Carolina.
  • Beveridge Webster (b. 1908) – pianist.
  • Bird Segle Mcguire (b. 1865) – U.S. Delegate and representative from Oklahoma.
  • Bland Ballard (b. 1761) – soldier and statesman.
  • Bluma Appel (b. 1919) – Canadian philanthropist.
  • Bolling Hall (b. 1767) – U.S. Representative from Georgia.
  • Bourke Blakemore Hickenlooper (b. 1896) – U.S. Senator from Iowa. (Previously the Governor of Iowa.)
  • Brazilla Carroll Reece (b. 1889) – U.S. Representative from Tennessee.
  • Bunnatine “Bunny” Greenhouse (b. circa 1944) – Halliburton whistleblower.
  • Burgoyne Diller (b. 1906) – abstract painter.
  • Burrhus Frederic “B.F.” Skinner (b. in 1904) – American psychologist, author and inventor.
  • Calouste Gulbenkian (b. 1869) – Armenian philanthropist.
  • Calvary Morris (b. 1798) – U.S. Representative from Ohio.
  • Camoralza Hagler Spahr (b. 1826) – Politician from Ohio.
  • Canvass White (b. 1790) – American civil engineer.
  • Carpoforo Mazzetti Tencalla (b. 1685) – Painter/sculptor from Switzerland.
  • Catulle Mendès (b. 1841) – French writer.
  • Cedella “Ciddy” Marley Booker (b. 1926) – mother of Bob Marley.
  • Chamintney Stovall Thomas (b. 1899) – Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame inductee.
  • Cherubusco Newton (b. 1848) – U.S. Representative from Louisiana.
  • Chesselden Ellis (b. 1808) – U.S. Representative from New York.
  • Chichester Bell (b. 1848) – Chemist from Ireland.
  • Chittenden Lyon (b. 1787) – U.S. Representative from Kentucky.
  • Chloethiel Woodard Smith (b. 1910) – architect and urban planner.
  • Ciallagalena “Lena” Cobb Williams (b. circa 1900) – from Faubourg Tremé (New Orleans).
  • Clairève Grandjouan (b. 1929) – Archaeologist from France.
  • Claricia (13th century) – German illuminator:

claricia, german psalter

  • Cleanth Brooks (b. 1906) – Literary critic and Yale professor.
  • Collingwood Schreiber (b. 1831) – Canadian surveyor and engineer.
  • Comfort Sands (b. 1748) – merchant, banker and politician.
  • Cornthwaite Ommanney (b. 1736) – grandfather of Erasmus, below.
  • Cotton Tufts (b. 1734) – U.S. physician.
  • Coventry Patmore (b. 1823) – English poet and literary critic.
  • Craphonso Thorpe (b. 1983) – professional football player. (“Craphonso” is a combination of his father’s given names, Craig and Alphonso.)
  • Cree Summer Francks (b. 1969) – Actress and musician. (Her brother is Rainbow, below.)
  • Crispus Attucks (b. circa 1723) – first of five civilians killed in the Boston Massacre.
  • Cydnor Tompkins (b. 1810) – U.S. Representative from Ohio.
  • D-Cady Herrick (b. 1846) – politician from New York.
  • De La Mancha “Mancha” Bruggemeyer (b. 1865 in England) – Chicago judge.
  • Delarivier Manley (d. 1724) – (female) English novelist.
  • Delazon Smith (b. 1816) – Senator from Oregon.
  • deLesseps Story Morrison (b. 1912) – mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana from 1946 to 1961.
  • Delloreese Patricia Early (b. 1931) – American actress (stage name Della Reese).
  • De Sacia Mooers (b. 1888) – Silent film actress from Michigan.
  • Dingle Foot (b. 1905) – British barrister and politician. (His first name was his maternal grandmother’s maiden name.)
  • Diocletian “Dio” Lewis (b. 1823) – early exercise advocate, from New York. (He wrote about the importance of physical training for both sexes in The Atlantic in 1862.)
  • Donelson Caffery (b. 1835) – U.S. Senator from Louisiana.
  • Dunkinfield Henry Scott (b. 1854) – English paleobotanist who established the class Pteridospermeae.
  • Dusolina Giannini (b. 1902) – Italian-American soprano.
  • Elbridge Thomas Gerry (b. 1744) – Fifth Vice President of the United States.
  • Elfyn Llwyd (b. 1951) – Welsh barrister and politician.
  • Elgin Gay Baylor (b. 1934) – NBA Hall-of-Famer who was named after the Elgin National Watch Company.
  • Eliphalet Dyer (b. 1721) – U.S. Delegate from Connecticut.
  • Epaphroditus Champion (b. 1756) – U.S. Representative from Connecticut.
  • Epiphanny Prince (born in the 1980s) – Set the U.S. high school girls’ basketball record by scoring 113 points in a single game on February 1, 2006.
  • Erasmus Ommanney (b. 1814) – English explorer.
  • Erminnie Adele Platt Smith (b. 1836) – American geologist and linguist. (Erminnie is a diminutive of Ermintrude.)
  • Errett Bishop (b. 1928) – mathematician.
  • Espy Van Horne (b. 1795) – U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
  • Eudald Carbonell i Roura (b. 1953) – Spanish archaeologist, anthropologist and paleontologist.
  • Eulavelle Lee Drake (b. 1913) – from California.
  • Falconer Madan (b. 1851) – Librarian of the Bodleian Library of Oxford University. (His granddaughter was Venetia Burney, below.)
  • Felissa Rose Esposito (b. 1969) – Actress.
  • Feramorz Little (b. 1820) – mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah from 1876 to 1882.
  • Filippo “Lippo” Lippi (b. 1406) – Italian painter.
  • Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (b. 1882) – U.S. Representative from New York. (Later the Mayor of New York.)
  • Fitzedward Hall (b. 1825) – Sanskrit scholar and OED contributor.
  • Fitz-Greene Halleck (b. 1790) – poet.
  • Foxhall A. Parker (b. 1821) – U.S. Navy officer during the American Civil War. (His father was also a Foxhall, and he had a brother named Dangerfield.)
  • Ghillean Tolmie Prance (b. 1937) – British botanist and ecologist.
  • Ginery Twichell (b. 1811) – U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.
  • Glendy Burke – mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana in 1865. The Stephen Foster song Glendy Burke is about a steamboat that was probably named for the mayor.
  • Godlove Stein Orth (b. 1817) – U.S. Representative from Indiana.
  • Gouverneur Morris (b. 1752) – U.S. Senator from New York.
  • Goyn A. Sutton (b. 1816) – mayor of Springfield, Illinois from 1860 to 1864.
  • Grantzberg Hart (b. 1961) – musician.
  • Green Berry Raum (b. 1829) – U.S. Representative from Illinois.
  • Green Clay (b. 1757) – Kentucky politician.
  • Grlenntys Chief Kickingstallionsims (b. 1986) – Alabama State University basketball player.
  • Gumersindo Laverde Ruiz (b. 1835) – Spanish writer.
  • Halifax Shackleton (b. circa 1895) – 16-year-old girl born in Halifax, Yorkshire, according to the 1911 England and Wales census.
  • Harlow Shapley (b. 1885) – American astronomer.
  • Harmanus Peek (b. 1782) – U.S. Representative from New York.
  • Hawthorne Wingo – New York Knicks player during the 1970s. (Discovered this one in a Beastie Boys song, of all places.)
  • Heartsill Ragon (b. 1885) – U.S. Representative from Arkansas.
  • Hempstead Washburne (b. 1852) – mayor of Chicago, Illinois from 1891 to 1893.
  • Henderina “Rina” Victoria Scott (b. 1862) – was born in English botanist and cinematographer.
  • Hiester Clymer (b. 1827) – politician from Pennsylvania.
  • Hoagland Howard “Hoagy” Carmichael (b. 1899) – American composer, singer, actor, and band leader.
  • Holiday Reinhorn (b. 1964) – fiction writer and wife of Rainn Wilson (see below).
  • Hubbard Hinde Kavanaugh (b. 1802) – Methodist Episcopal bishop.
  • Hurieosco Austill (b. 1841) – from Alabama.
  • Huw Wheldon (b. 1916) – Welsh broadcaster and Royal Television Society president. (Huw is the Welsh version of Hugh.)
  • Icie Macy Hoobler (b. 1892) – American physiologist and biochemist.
  • Idawalley Zorada “Ida” Lewis (b. 1842) – American lighthouse keeper.
  • Idola Saint-Jean (b. 1880) – Canadian activist.
  • Iley Lawson Hill (b. 1808) – from Ohio. One of the longest-living “Real Daughters” of the American Revolution, she died in 1913 at the age of 104.
  • Isagani R. Cruz (b. 1945) – Filipino writer.
  • Isambard Kingdom Brunel (b. 1806) – English engineer who created the Great Western Railway, along with a number of steamships, bridges and tunnels.
  • Ithamar Conkey Sloan (b. 1822) – U.S. Representative from Wisconsin.
  • Itimous Thaddeus Valentine (b. 1926) – U.S. Representative from North Carolina.
  • Itti Kinney Reno (b. 1862) – writer from Tennessee.
  • Jacobena Angliss (b. 1896) – Australian philanthropist.
  • Jacquemin (15th century) – brother of Jeanne d’Arc.
  • Jacquetta Hawkes (b. 1910) – British archaeologist and writer.
  • Ja Hu Stafford (b. 1834 in North Carolina) – early Arizona settler. His name was originally Jehu. He also went by “J. Hugh.”
  • Jascha Heifetz (b. 1901) – Lithuanian violinist.
  • Jawaharlal Nehru (b. 1889) – First Prime Minister of India. Served for 4 terms, from 1947 until 1964.
  • Jeduthun Wilcox (b. 1768) – U.S. Representative from New Hampshire.
  • Jeh (pronounced “Jay”) Charles Johnson (b. 1957) – politician from New York. His name “comes from a Liberian chief his grandfather met on a U.N. mission” according to the Washington Post.
  • Jettabee Ann Hopkins (b. 1905) – radio scriptwriter from Nebraska.
  • Jetur Rose Riggs (b. 1809) – U.S. Representative from New Jersey.
  • Jouett Shouse (b. 1879) – lawyer, newspaper publisher, and politician.
  • Kindred Jenkins Morris (b. 1819) – mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1869 to 1871.
  • Kirkpatrick Macmillan (b. 1813) – Scottish blacksmith who invented the pedal bicycle (circa 1840).
  • Kirtland Irving Perky (b. 1867) – U.S. Senator from Idaho.
  • Kittredge Haskins (b. 1836) – U.S. Representative from Vermont.
  • Kroum Pindoff (b. 1915) – Canadian philanthropist (originally from Bulgaria).
  • Lascelles Abercrombie (b.1881) – British poet and literary critic.
  • Le Gage Pratt (b. 1852) – U.S. Representative from New Jersey.
  • LeBreton Dorgenois – mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana in 1812.
  • Leonidas Lent Hamline (b. 1797) – U.S. philanthropist.
  • Lianella Carell (b. 1927) – Italian film actress.
  • Lieven Gevaert (b. 1868) – Belgian philanthropist.
  • Lilialyce Akers (b. 1927) – first female professor at the University of Louisville.
  • Loammi Baldwin (b. 1744) – Engineer, politician, and American Revolutionary War soldier.
  • Lodowicke Muggleton (b. 1609) – English religious thinker.
  • Lodusky Jerusha Taylor (b. 1856) – from Minnesota. (The name Lodusky is based on the name of the 18th-century opera Lodoïska.)
  • Loleatta Holloway (b. 1946) – American singer.
  • LuEsther Mertz (b. 1905) – U.S. philanthropist.
  • Lystra Gretter (b. 1858) – Nurse and public health care innovator.
  • Macpherson Robertson (b. 1859) – Australian philanthropist.
  • Magloire Pélage (b. 1769 in Martinique) – Soldier and leader of the resistance movement against the English.
  • Mahonri Macintosh Young (b. 1877) – sculptor and artist.
  • Majestic Mapp (b. 1980) – basketball player. (Brother of Scientific, see below.)
  • Mamphela Aletta Ramphele (b. 1947) – South African doctor and activist.
  • Manton Marble (b. 1834) – editor of the New York World.
  • Marjabelle Young Stewart (b. 1924) – etiquette expert from Iowa.
  • Marshevet Hooker (b. 1984) – American sprinter.
  • Mattiwilda Dobbs (b. 1925) – American opera singer.
  • Marmaduke Furness (b. 1883) – English shipping magnate.
  • Marmaduke Williams (b. 1774) – U.S. Representative from North Carolina.
  • McKaskia Stearns Bonnifield (b. 1833) – from West Virginia.
  • Mellcene Thurman Smith (b. 1872) – from Missouri.
  • Melquiades R. Martinez (b. 1946) – U.S. Senator from Florida.
  • Melusina Fay Peirce (b. 1836 in Vermont) – Feminist and leader of the “cooperative housekeeping” movement.
  • Meridel Le Sueur (b. 1900) – American feminist/socialist writer.
  • Merze Tate (b. 1905) – scholar and professor.
  • Middleton Barrow (b. 1839) – U.S. Senator from Georgia.
  • Miel de Botton (b. 1960s) – Swiss art collector.
  • Milward Lee Simpson (b. 1897) – Governor of Wyoming.
  • Minervina (4th century) – the first wife of Constantine the Great.
  • Miquita Oliver (b. 1984) – British TV presenter and actress.
  • Montague Lessler (b. 1869) – U.S. Representative from New York.
  • Montfort Stokes (b. 1762) – Governor of North Carolina.
  • Moscelyne Larkin (b. 1925) – Native American ballerina.
  • Nanaline Holt Inman Duke (b. 1871) – Mother of Doris Duke.
  • Naphtali Daggett (b. 1727) – Pastor, professor, and Yale’s second president.
  • Narsworthy Hunter (b. circa 1802) – U.S. Delegate from Mississippi Territory.
  • Nelleke Noordervliet (b. 1945) – Dutch novelist.
  • Ney Elias (b. 1884) – English explorer/diplomat.
  • Nomaindia Mfeketo (b. 1952) – the fourth woman and the first black woman to become mayor of Cape Town, South Africa.
  • Nunnally Hunter Johnson (b. 1897) – American filmmaker.
  • O’Brien Smith (b. circa 1756) – Irish-American politician.
  • Odalys García (b. 1975) – Cuban actress and singer.
  • Olinthus Gilbert Gregory (b. 1774) – English mathematician.
  • Orange Noble (b. 1817) – Pennsylvania politician.
  • Orator H. LaCraft (b. 1850) – Politician from Wisconsin.
  • Orchard Cook (b. 1763) – U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.
  • Orrice Abram Murdock, Jr. (b. 1893) – U.S. Senator from Utah.
  • Oseola McCarty (b. 1908) – U.S. philanthropist.
  • Ossian Ray (b. 1835) – U.S. Representative from New Hampshire.
  • Otha Donner Wearin (b. 1903) – Representative from Iowa.
  • Ottobuono de’ Fieschi (later Pope Adrian V) was born in Italy during the 13th century.
  • Ottorino Respighi (b. 1879) – Italian composer, musicologist and musician.
  • Outerbridge Horsey (b. 1777) – U.S. Senator from Delaware.
  • Ovington Eugene Weller (b. 1862) – U.S. Representative from Maryland.
  • Owsley Brown Frazier (b. 1935) – businessman and philanthropist.
  • Pantazi Ghica (b. 1831) – Wallachian-born Romanian politician, lawyer and writer.
  • Pelatiah Webster (b. 1726) – political economist and writer.
  • Percenia Johnson – American nurse. She was on the cover of Jet in 1953:
percenia, nurse
  • Persifor Frazer (b. 1736) – soldier and industrialist from Pennsylvania.
  • Person Colby Cheney (b. 1828) – Senator from New Hampshire. (Previously the Governor of New Hampshire.)
  • Phanor Breazeale (b. 1858) – U.S. Representative from Louisiana.
  • Philadelph Van Trump (b. 1810) – U.S. Representative from Ohio.
  • Phyllida Law (b. 1932) – Scottish actress. Also the mother of actress Emma Thompson.
  • Pierpont Edwards (b. 1750) – U.S. Delegate from Connecticut.
  • Pitcairn Morrison (b. 1795) – American army officer.
  • Pomeroy Tucker (b. 1802) – American journalist.
  • Potto Brown (b. 1797) – English miller and philanthropist.
  • Powhatan Ellis (b. 1790) – Senator from Mississippi.
  • Powhaten Woolridge Maxey (b. 1810) – mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1843 to 1844.
  • Quirinus Kuhlmann (b. 1651) – German Baroque poet and mystic.
  • Race Imboden (b. 1993) – Olympic foil fencer from Florida. He was named after the Jonny Quest character Race Bannon.
  • Rainn Wilson (b. 1966) – actor and husband of Holiday Reinhorn (see above).
  • Rainbow Sun Francks (b. 1979) – Canadian actor and songwriter. (His sister is Cree, below.)
  • Rensis Likert (b. 1903) – American organizational psychologist.
  • Rensselaer Westerlo (b. 1776) – Representative from New York.
  • Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. (b. 1764) – U.S. Senator from Ohio. (Later, the Governor of Ohio. Later still, Postmaster General.)
  • Reverdy Johnson (b. 1796) – statesman and jurist.
  • Rienzi Melville Johnston (b. 1849) – U.S. Senator from Texas.
  • Rikissa Birgersdotter (13th century) – Queen of Norway.
  • Ringgold Lardner (b. 1885) – sports columnist and writer.
  • Rivers Cuomo (b. 1970) – musician.
  • Roberdeau Buchanan (b. 1839) – American astronomer. was born in Pennsylvania in 1839. (His first name was his mother’s maiden name.)
  • Rousseau Owen Crump (b. 1843) – U.S. Representative from Michigan. (Previously the Mayor of West Bay City.)
  • Rulon Gardner (b. 1971) – American Greco-Roman wrestler.
  • Rychacviana Coffie – Miss Curaçao 2005.
  • Sacheverell Sitwell (b. 1897) – English poet and art critic.
  • Schelto Patijn (b. 1936) – Dutch politician.
  • Scientific Mapp (b. 1980) – basketball player. (Brother of Majestic, see above.)
  • Shirin Ebadi (b. 1947) – Iranian lawyer and human rights activist. First Iranian and first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (in 2003).
  • Smedley Darlington (b. 1827) – U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. (Grandfather of Smedley Darlington Butler, below.)
  • Smedley Darlington Butler (b. 1881) – at one time, the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. (Grandson of Smedley Darlington, above.)
  • Smoloff Palace Love (b. 1826) – Soldier, teacher, and lawyer from Kentucky.
  • Sobieski Ross (b. 1828) – U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
  • Spark Masayuki Matsunaga (b. 1916) – Senator from Hawaii. (Previously a Representative from Hawaii.)
  • Speedy Long (1928-2006) – U.S. Representative from Louisiana.
  • Spessard Lindsey Holland (b. 1892) – U.S. Senator from Florida. (Previously the Governor of Florida.)
  • Spottswood William Robinson (b. 1916) – civil rights attorney and judge.
  • Spruille Braden (b. 1894) – Diplomat and businessman with an interest in Latin America.
  • Spurzheim “Spud” Derby (b. 1856) – Indiana politician.
  • Squire Whipple (b. 1804) – civil engineer.
  • Stanyarne Wilson (b. 1860) – U.S. Representative from South Carolina.
  • Stevenson Magloire (b. 1963) – Haitian painter named after U.S. politician Adlai Stevenson.
  • Stirling Silliphant (b. 1918) – U.S. screenwriter.
  • Stith Thompson (b. 1885) – folklorist.
  • Sunshine Hillygus (b. circa 1976) – associate professor at Harvard.
  • Susybelle Wilkinson Lyons (b. 1923) – U.S. philanthropist.
  • Tapping Reeve (b. 1744) – law professor, jurist and writer. Opened the first law school in the United States.
  • Tazewell Ellett (b. 1856) – U.S. Representative from Virginia.
  • Tench Coxe (b. 1755) – U.S. Delegate from Pennsylvania.
  • Theophylact Bache (b. 1735) – merchant.
  • Thorowgood Smith (b. 1744) – mayor of Baltimore, Maryland from 1804 to 1808.
  • Tilghman Mayfield Tucker (b. 1802) – U.S. Representative from Mississippi. (Previously the Governor of Mississippi.)
  • Tomlinson Fort (b. 1787) – U.S. Representative from Georgia.
  • Torquil Norman (b. 1933) – English philanthropist.
  • Trevanion W. Hugo (b. 1849) – mayor of Duluth, Minnesota from 1900 to 1903.
  • Trevenen Huxley (b. 1889) – Huxley brother (born after Julian, but before Aldous).
  • Turbutt Wright (b. 1741) – U.S. Delegate from Maryland.
  • Twentyman Wood of Connecticut received U.S. patent 19,275 in 1858. (His name reminds me of Twentynine Palms, California.)
  • Tzovfit Grant (born in 1964) – Israeli actress and TV show host. (Her first name is sometimes spelled Tzufit.)
  • Uncas Aeneas Whitaker (b. 1900) – U.S. philanthropist.
  • Uz McMurtrie (b. 1884) – Politician from Indiana.
  • Venetia Phair (née Burney, born in England in 1919) – Suggested the name for the planet Pluto when she was 11 years old. (Her grandfather was Falconer Madan, above.)
  • Verplanck Colvin (b. 1847) – lawyer, author and topographical engineer.
  • Verrazzani C. Bratton, Sr. (b. 1860) – Arkansas judge.
  • Vespasian Warner (b. 1842) – U.S. Representative from Illinois.
  • Victory Birdseye (b. 1782) – U.S. Representative from New York.
  • Volckert Petrus Douw (b. 1720) – mayor of Albany, New York from 1761 to 1770.
  • Voltairine de Cleyre (b. 1866) – Anarchist and feminist.
  • Waddy Thompson (b. 1798) – U.S. Representative from South Carolina.
  • Wallingford Constantine Riegger (b. 1885) – American composer.
  • Wambly Bald (b. 1902) – U.S. writer/columnist.
  • Waveney Bicker Caarten (b. 1902) – (female) English playwright.
  • Wealthy Babcock (b. 1895) – professor at the University of Kansas.
  • Wellington Webb (b. 1941) – mayor of Denver, Colorado from 1991 to 2003.
  • Wentworth Miller (b. 1972) – American actor.
  • Whitehead Hicks (b. 1728) – mayor of New York City, New York from 1766 to 1776.
  • Whitemarsh B. Seabrook (b. 1793) – South Carolina politician.
  • Wigbolt Ripperda (b. circa 1535) – Governor of Haarlem (in the Netherlands) while the city was under siege by the Spanish army during the Eighty Years’ War.
  • Wilmot Redd (d. 1692) – one of the (female) victims of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.
  • Wingfield Bullock (d. 1821) – U.S. Representative from Kentucky.
  • Wyke Bayliss (b. 1835) – British painter.
  • Wynkyn de Worde (d. 1534) – French printer. (The surname refers to a location in France, not words on the page, unfortunately.)
  • Xenophon P. Huddy (b. 1876) – American lawyer. An early specialist in automobile law.
  • Xenophon Pierce Wilfley (b. 1871) – U.S. senator from Missouri.
  • Xiuhtezcatl (pronounced shu-tez-caht) Martinez (b. circa 2000) – Environmental activist.
  • Yellow Light Breen (born in the 1970s) – lawyer and senior VP of Bangor Savings Bank.
  • Zackquill Morgan (18th cen.) – founder of Morgantown, West Virginia. Son of Morgan Morgan.
  • Zadock Pratt (b. 1790) – U.S. Representative from New York.
  • Zealous Tower (b. 1819) – American soldier and civil engineer.
  • Zell Bryan Miller (b. 1932) – Senator from Georgia. (Previously the Governor of Georgia.)

Have you encountered any unusual or rare names lately? (In the phone book? In the paper? On TV?)