How popular is the baby name Roper 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 Roper.
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.
I’ve posted about plenty of babies named after the boats on which they were born (e.g. Australis, Burgess, El Nil, Jesse Roper, Numidian) so here’s something new — a baby born on a boat, but named after the holiday on which she was born:
La Champagne, like the Cedric, had a pleasant voyage and reported, as her principal contribution to the news of the day, the fact that on Easter Sunday there had been born on board the liner a little girl to Mme. Boyer, one of the cabin passengers. The baby was named Pascaline.
A much better choice than “Champagne,” certainly.
Pascaline is related to the adjective paschal, which refers to both Passover and Easter. Historically, many babies born around the time of Easter/Passover were given some form of this name.
Source: “Liners’ Good Weather.” New York Times 20 Apr. 1903: 3.
This has to be the craziest birth story I’ve ever heard.
It was early 1942. Joseph and Desanka Mohorovicic and their daughter Visna, 2, were moving from Yugoslavia (recently invaded by the Axis) to the United States.
The family had traveled together as far as Cape Town, South Africa, but were split up when Desanka was refused passage on a ship to the U.S., possibly because she was 7 months pregnant. So she and Visna stayed behind while Joseph went ahead to New York, where he was to work as an attaché of the Yugoslav Consulate.
Desanka and Visna embarked a month later on the U.S. steamship City of New York.
They were near the end of their voyage when, on March 29, about 40 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, the City of New York was hit by a torpedo. It was under attack by German submarine U 160. The ship fired back, but when a second torpedo hit it began to sink. Dozens of crewmen and passengers were killed.
The survivors crowded onto lifeboats. The ship’s doctor, Dr. Leonard Hudson Conly, wisely followed Desanka and Visna onto their lifeboat. (He fractured two ribs while boarding, though.)
That night, Desanka went into labor. Dr. Conley had no anesthesia to offer her (or use for himself) and few medical instruments to work with. The lifeboat was being tossed about by 15-to-20-foot waves. It was dark, it was cold, and everyone was soaked with seawater. And, of course, at least one enemy U-boat was nearby.
Despite all this, Desanka gave birth to a baby boy in the wee hours of March 30.
“I didn’t have to wash the baby,” Dr. Leonard Conly would later say. “The sea did that for me.”
The destroyer USS Roper soon arrived to rescue the survivors and transport them to Norfolk, Virginia. The baby was later named Jesse Roper Mohorovicic after the rescue vessel, which had been named in honor of naval officer Jesse M. Roper (1851-1901).
Sadly, Jesse Roper Mohorovicic passed away just a few years ago, in 2005. (He was buried at sea.) But a few months before he passed, a grandson was born. One of the baby’s middle names? Roper, just like grandpa.*
Sources:
“Baby Born in Lifeboat Named for Rescue Ship.” New York Times 12 April 1942: 13.
*Update, 2/4/2020: I recently received an email from Jesse’s daughter, Caroline, who let me know that her son’s full name is Jesse Roper Rees. (His grandfather’s New York Daily News obituary had him listed as “Joseph Roper Mohorovic Rees.”) Thank you, Caroline!
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.