Names you just don't see anymore

[ali607]

One of my older ancestors is called Wilhelmina Adilla and she called her daughters

Gladys Augusta Lewis-Woodcock!!

Adilla?? ANyone any ideas?

Alison

[chris_49]

Another ordinary name I have is Clare - but he's a boy!

Some of these names seem unique, others seem pretty everyday to me. I think it depends on the era. There were hardly any Gertrudes before the 1890s, then it became popular, then it more or less died out. Perhaps it sounded too German.

I don't think you should try this too often on what is obviously a volunteer site, but have you tried putting a rare forename in FreeBMD *on its own*? I found a ship's record where there was a listed "Joy" born about 1905. I thought this sounded a bit early for what is very much a mid-20th century name, and so it proved: very few records before 1912. She turned out to be an "Ivy" - easy mistranscription with the rounded "v", and a common enough name at the time.

Similarly, I had a Merrill (spelling varied) who was widowed and remarried a man who already had a daughter named - Merrill! I thought this was an odd coincidence, because the name proved to be exceptionally rare in the mid C19th. I thought - maybe an earlier, illegitimate daughter of hers, but no. It all made sense when I found out she'd got married to her late sister's widower - the girl had been named after her own aunt!

[alllegs]

I also found a lad called German yesterday....

[chris_49]

I also found a lad called German yesterday....

German is not uncommon in Spanish speaking countries. Pronounced Herrman

[Alandal]

What would you name a new son as ?

After Isaac, Richard and Thomas as older brothers, we have found one family who created a unique name – the family name was Funnell…… so they named the third son…… Llennuf (and no, they were not welsh !)

Now think of the names some families could invent .... has any found any Senoj, Rekab, Notlaw  ??

Al & Al

[aghadowey]

I know a SENGA named after her great-aunt AGNES.

[Elliebob]

I knew of someone who called themself Senga when her actual name was Agnes!!

Ellen

[lmw22]

My husband has:
Audine, Augustus, Britannia, Caleb, Cicely, Claud, Clorine, Constance, Cornelius, Cushi(?), Dora, Ephraim, Etheldereda, Etheline, Eustace, Gertrude, Henrietta, Hephzibar, Herbert, Hester, Honor, Josiah, Nelson,  Norah, Patience, Queenie, Ruby, Sybil, Theodore, Theophilus, Violet, Walter, Wilfred, Winnifred and Zebedee!

I have Abraham, Alphonse, Alphonso, Angelina, Barnabus, Bertram, Bessie, Betsey, Cecil, Celia, Cissy, Cuthbert, Daphne, Doris, Edgar, Edith, Edmund, Elias, Etho, Genevieve, Jesse, Jonah, Jonas, Kerrenhappuck, Mavis, Mervyn, Mildred, Millicent, Miriam, Myrtle, Nancy, Octavius, Olive, Ramage, and Reginald.

These all seem to have disappeared but in their time sat very well amongst the Williams and Elizabeths etc.

Lynnck

[julianb]

I am very jealous of you having a Myrtle.  Wish I had 

I've got a few Shadracks though.

JULIAN