Search Antique Baby Names
Searching through the old fashioned baby names on this website is as satisfying as a trip to an antique shop. You’ll be surprised by old favorites and discover some unique and surprising treasures. There are also names that are a bit worn around the edges and have not stood the test of time, failing to hold up to use in the present.
Find Antique Baby Names
The adventure may prove the old saying “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” You may find a diamond in the rough that has been relegated to the attic and with a little tender loving care sparkles anew. Sometimes you stumble upon something barely worn. Other times a rare old favorite.
Antique Baby Names is a collection of old, familiar names and rare, seldom-seen names. The names have been collected from United States records. Each name is annotated with the year and place of birth (or in some cases time and place of marriage). The year of birth has been determined from the age given on records.
Historical Old Fashioned Baby Names
It is not the purpose of Antique Baby Names to delve in to the origins and meanings of names. It is our hope that you will simply enjoy the names that reference our history (Lincoln, Monroe, Jefferson), our nation’s geography (Missouri, Tuscaloosa, Indiana) and those names that reflect America’s spiritual roots (Temperance, Obadiah, Modesty). Many names point towards an individual’s heritage as in the French names of Louisiana, Anglo-Protestant names of the Northeast, the Spanish names of the Southwestern United States and the Anglicized versions of Native American tribal names (Native American names are noted in this book as they appeared on records – without surnames).
About The Format
A few words are needed about gender usage. Sex is designated by the letters “f” and “m” on the left of each page, but the visitor should keep in mind that names were not exclusively used for men or women even in earlier times. Names that were used for males a century ago may now be more commonly used for a female child. However, it’s generally the rule that once a male name became commonly used for females it did not often revert back to male usage (Shirley, Hillary, Leslie).
Also concerning female names; the surnames noted on Antique Baby Names are sometimes their birth names and sometimes their married names.
Maybe you will find inspiration for a naming dilemma. Common names took on uncommon charm through the phonetic spellings in early records; making them a unique choice for use today. Names were not always pronounced as we pronounce them today as in the case of the long “I” sound (Malvina, Sophia). The current trend to use a surname as a child’s given name is not new at all; there are numerous examples in Antique Names.
If you are searching for a truly unique name, you can follow our ancestors’ path to a whimsical name by choosing a descriptive noun, verb or an adjective (Posey, Tickle, Spicy).
This website is dedicated to the uniqueness of each individual expressed in the memory or their name.