Patriotic Baby Names: 4th of July revolutionary picks

This year once more, and again with apologies to our dear Britberries, we honor some of the (more interestingly named) heroes in the struggle of the US to gain its independence from the mother country, as well as some of the more unusually named Signers of the Declaration of Independence.  Here, some early patriotic choices that work as July baby names:

Women

BETSY (Elizabeth) Ross—even though she may not have actually made the first American flag

DEBORAH Sampson — first known female to impersonate a man in order to join the army and take part in combat

LYDIA Darragh – Quaker woman who (probably) warned Washington of an impending attack

MERCY Otis Warren –a political writer and propagandist who authored plays and poems advocating independence

MOLLY Pitcher, born Mary Ludwig, given that epithet because she fetched water to soldiers in battle; later Washington made her a non-commissioned officer

POLLY COOPER – an Oneida Indian woman who took part in an expedition to aid the Continental army at Valley Forge

SYBIL Ludington – a sort of female Paul Revere who, at 16, rode 40 miles in a night storm to warn the militia that the British were burning Danbury, Connecticut

Men

AARON Burr—fought in the War for Independence before he served as Vice President and fought his famous duel

ALEXANDER Hamilton—served as aide-de-camp to General George Washington during the Revolutionary War, before his later accomplishments

ANTHONY Wayne – won major recognition for bravery as a general in the American Revolution, also known as (oops!) “Mad” Anthony Wayne

ARTEMAS Ward —  an important general in the war and a Congressman from Massachusetts

AUSTIN Dabney – a slave who became a private in the Georgia militia and fought the British

CASIMIR Pulaski – Polish-born “Father of the American Cavalry” under Washington

CRISPUS Attucks – a fugitive slave who became the first casualty of the Revolution when he was shot and killed in the Boston Massacre

EBENEZER Learned – a brigadier general in the Continental Army

ENOCH Poor –another brigadier general, called by Washington “an officer of distinguished merit”

ESEK Hopkins – a Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy during the war

ETHAN Allen – war hero who formed the Green Mountain Boys and was responsible for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga

EVAN Shelby, Jr – a Revolutionary War militia leader

HAYM Solomon – Polish-born Jewish immigrant who played an important role in financing the Revolution

HORATIO Gates – a retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary War

ISAAC Shelby —  a captain who served under his father Evan

ISRAEL Putnam – one of the great military heroes of the American Revolution, known for his reckless courage and fighting spirit

NATHANAEL Greene – Quartermaster responsible for getting supplies to the army

PATRICK Henry – patriot and brilliant orator (“Give me liberty or give me death.”)

PAUL Revere–a courier for the rebels, immortalized in the Longfellow poem about his midnight ride

PEYTON Randolph —  A Revolutionary leader who was called “the father of his country” before Washington was

SALEM Poor – A hero of the battle of Bunker Hill

SAUL Matthews –African-American Revolutionary War spy who obtained important information from the British and was then given his full freedom

SETH Warner – Revolutionary War hero, a leader of the Green Mountain Boys

SILAS Deane –the first U.S. Diplomat sent abroad to secure French aid for the Revolutionary cause

THADDEUS Kosciuszko –a Polish nobleman who fought for American independence as an engineer and a cavalry officer

SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE– not named John, James, Thomas, William et al

ABRAHAM Clark

ARTHUR Middleton

BUTTON Gwinnett

CAESAR Rodney

CARTER Braxton

ELBRIDGE Gerry

JOSIAH Bartlett

LYMAN Hull

OLIVER Wolcott

ROGER Sherman

Any of these set off fireworks for you?

HAPPY FOURTH, EVERYBERRY!