Baby Names Before 1850
Records on baby names only started in the US in 1880, and so getting an accurate read on names from the 1800s before this time can be difficult at best.
But researcher Douglas Galbi has compiled lists of baby names drawn from census records of the early 19th century. We combed through Galbi’s data on baby names from 1800 to 1850 in search of trends, patterns, and vintage baby names that go way beyond the expected John and Mary, Elizabeth and James.
Read on for our findings, and inspiration from a rarely-tapped source.
Popular 1800s Names
The top three baby names from 1800-1850 were consistent classics: Mary, Elizabeth and Sarah for girls, and John, William and James for boys.
Beyond these, many of the most popular names of the era are stylish again today, some of them after a long decline (or two) and rebirth. These include:
Abigail Caroline Charlotte Emily Hannah Jane Julia Lucy Lydia Matilda Benjamin Charles Edward George Henry Jacob Joseph Lewis Samuel Thomas
Religious Names
Religious names, particularly from the Bible, predominate for both sexes in the early 19th century.
The queen of religious names was Mary: at some points it was used more than twice as much as the next most popular names, Elizabeth and Sarah (also biblical).
Other popular biblical girl names were Martha, Ann, Rebecca, Rachel, and Esther. More unusual religious names for girls include:
The most popular religious names for boys were predictable classics like the top name, John, as well as Andrew, Daniel, David, Peter, and Michael. Many of the less common biblical boy names are Old Testament choices that are now enjoying a revival (and some that we think should come back!). These include:
Names from Mythology and History
Early 19th century Americans revered the classics, and just like parents today, they often turned to names from mythology and ancient history for baby names. Some of our favorites are:
Cecilia Drusilla Fidelia Lavinia Leta Minerva Narcissa Parthena Sabina Sophrona Ambrose Cornelius Cyrus Erasmus Homer Horace Leander Leonidas Lucius Rufus
Americana Names
In the decades after the birth of the United States, names that honored American places and heroes were popular. These included:
Now-Unisex Names for Boys
Names in common use for boys from 1800 to 1850 include several choices that are now unisex, or mostly female. But what goes around comes around, and these many of these names have old-fashioned charm on a boy today.
Modern-Sounding Names
Among the old-school Mildreds and Leonards are several names that feel more like modern children. They include names more associated with a later era, like Taylor, and contemporary-sounding nature names like Dahlia.
Alma Angel Dahlia Easter Keri Lee Lou Marci Olive Samantha Rox Almond Anderson August Green Jesse Miles Spencer Taylor Wesley
Lost Names of the 1800s
There are many names on the rolls for 1800-1850 that are rarely found today. Some names were spelled differently then (at least in the census records): Malinda, Malissa, and Phebe, for instance.
Here are some names that don't appear at all on the most recent baby name records. Which ones would you like to see come back?
Read our Historic and Vintage Names Lists for more name inspiration from yesteryear.