During his 37-year military career, British naval commander Horatio Nelson was directly responsible for several major victories.
One of them was the Battle of the Nile, in which the Royal Navy defeated Napoleon Bonaparte‘s French Mediterranean fleet off the coast of Egypt in August of 1798.
The destruction of the French fleet not only changed the balance of power in the Mediterranean, but also inspired expectant parents (both in the UK and elsewhere) to name several hundred baby boys after Nelson. Some examples…
- Horatio Nelson Bakewell, b. 1798 in England
- Horatio Nelson Davison, b. 1799 in Canada
- Horatio Nelson Freeman, b. 1799 in the U.S. (Vermont)
- Horatio Nelson Mallalieu, b. 1799 in England
- John Horatio Nelson Merryweather, b. 1799 in England
- Horatio Nelson Thompson, b. 1798 in England
A handful of the names even featured Nelson’s rank:
- Horatio Admiral Nelson Crane, b. 1799 in the U.S. (Massachusetts)
- Admiral Nelson Vrooman, b. 1799 in Canada
Nelson’s most famous (and final) engagement was the Battle of Trafalgar, in which the Royal Navy defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet off the coast of Spain in October of 1805.
News of the victory — which ensured Britain’s safety from Napoleonic invasion — and of Nelson’s death by enemy fire brought about a second (and larger) wave of namesakes, including…
- Horatio Nelson Abbott, b. 1805 in the U.S. (Connecticut)
- Horatio Nelson Andrews, b. 1806 in Canada
- Horatio Nelson Chandler, b. 1806 in the U.S. (New Hampshire)
- Horatio Nelson Crosby, b. 1806 in England
- Horatio Nelson Dallas, b. 1805 in Scotland
- Horatio Nelson Edmond, b. 1806 in England
- Horatio Nelson Gardner, b. 1805 in Canada
- Horatio Nelson Goddard, b. 1806 in England
- John Horatio Nelson Houghton, b. 1805 in England
- Horatio Nelson Hurlbut, b. 1806 in the U.S. (New York)
- Horatio Nelson Scot, b. 1806 in Scotland
- Joseph Horatio Nelson Strickland, b. 1806 in England
Again, some of the names featured Nelson’s rank, as well as various titles:
- Viscount Nelson Ball, b. 1805 in the U.S. (Vermont)
- Lord Nelson Holt, b. 1807 in England
- Admiral Nelson Lumbard, b. 1807 in the U.S. (Massachusetts)
Dozens of the second-wave names also commemorated Nelson’s last battle:
- Nelson Trafalgar McPherson, b. 1805 in Scotland
- Horatio Trafalgar James Sidaway, b. 1805 in England
- Horatio Nelson Trafalgar Hope, b. 1806 in Scotland
- Trafalgar Nelson Francis, b. circa 1807 in England
- Horatio Trafalgar Beck, b. 1807 in England
Impressively, Horatio Nelson fought the battles of the Nile and Trafalgar after having already lost sight in his right eye (in 1793) and most of his right arm (in 1797).
Sources:
- Wikipedia: Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, Battle of the Nile, Battle of Trafalgar
- Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson – History – BBC
- FamilySearch.org
Image: Adapted from Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson (1799) by Lemuel Francis Abbott
