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By Constance Manoli-Skocay, reference librarian at the Gleason Public Library in Carlisle and an intern at the Special Collections of the Concord Free Public Library. For the past eight months, she has been organizing and processing Carlisle's local history collection. Naming a baby is one of the most important responsibilities of new parents. We carry our names happily or miserably throughout our lives, so choosing a name is a serious decision. Parents-to-be are influenced by many factors when choosing a name: friends, family, religion, ethnic background, and personal preferences. The culture (popular and otherwise) surrounding us is often one of the strongest factors influencing the choice of a baby's name, and is largely responsible for the names found on the top ten name list released annually by the U. S. Census. But despite the popularity of certain names at certain times, 21st century parents can choose from thousands of possibilities for baby names. In colonial Concord, the choices were limited to a handful.  From 1639, when Concord's birth records began to be kept, until the
mid-17th century, nearly all of Concord's children received names that
were Biblical in origin. The majority of girls were named Sarah, Mary,
Hannah, Rebecca, or Elizabeth; boys were predominantly John, Samuel,
Joseph, and Peter.During the second half of the 17th century there was a sharp increase in the number of babies born in Concord as the town's population grew. The majority of girls were named Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Hannah, Abigail, and Rebecca (usually spelled Rebeckah at this time). But the growing population meant a wider variety of names and baby girls were also called Ruth, Dorothy, Susanna, Dorcas, and Pricillah [sic] with some frequency. John, Joseph, and Samuel (sometimes spelled Samewell) still reigned among boys, but were followed in popularity by Thomas, Jonathan, William, Ebenezer, Benjamin, Daniel, and Nathaniel. Also among the records are the "virtue" names that we often associate with 17th century New Englanders: Thankfull [sic], Prudence, Mercy, Experience, and Deliverance. The period between 1700 and 1750 brought the births of many of those who would grow up to be participants in the Revolution. In addition to the ubiquitous John, Samuel, and Joseph, there were also numerous boys named Jonathan, Josiah, and Jonas -- names often associated with the events of 1775. Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Hannah, Rebecca, Lydia and Abigail remained the most common names for girls, but there were many more choices for parents, ranging from the Biblical: Ruhamah, Mehitable, Beulah, Bethiah, and Keziah; to the virtuous: Charity, Patience, Grace, Submitt [sic], and Silence. Perhaps the favorite is that of the twins, Love and Mercy Minott, born in 1702. Also beginning to emerge were non-Biblical names like Helen and Allis (Alice), with Lucy becoming one of the most popular names in the 1726 to 1750 period.
The 1750 to 1775 era began to reveal the first of the names that would increase in popularity during the early 19th century, like Isabella and Sophia for girls and Charles, Stephen, and David for boys. In addition to traditional names, boys at this time began to receive names like Oliver and Thaddeus and girls were more often called Anna and Molly. But at the same time, the majority continued to be named traditional Biblical names, and despite a trend toward more contemporary names, an Old Testament name like Hepzibah surged in popularity. The first middle names began to appear during this period, as well as the use of a mother's maiden name as a middle name, as when Reverend William Emerson and Phebe (Bliss) Emerson named their daughter Hannah Bliss Emerson when she was born in 1770. It was during the late 18th century and into the first half of the 19th century that real changes in naming become apparent. Though a large number of girls continued to be given traditional names like Mary and Sarah, an entirely new crop of names made their appearance. Now baby girls were just as often called Charlotte, Maria, Eliza, Caroline or Clarissa. The use of simpler names like Sally, Polly, and Betsy, which had become increasingly popular throughout the 18th century remained strong, but many of the newer-style names begin to appear in the records. A traditional name like Mary might instead be Mary-Ann; Ann might be dressed up as Anna Maria, which are indicative of an overall increase in the number of compound names. More children of both genders also were given middle names. The mania for things "classical" in American culture at this time, best illustrated by styles in architecture, was also reflected in child naming. Examples include Sophronia, Diana, and Augusta for girls; Horace, Darius, and Augustus for boys.
This brief study suggests that Concord parents were predominantly influenced by family and religion when naming their children, and were far more influenced by tradition and cultural expectations than parents are now. Even so, it is interesting to note how many of the oldest names continue to be popular today, while some of the more obscure might present novel alternatives for today's parents to consider when choosing that all-important baby name.
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The repetitive quality of these names derives in part from the large
number of children who were named for parents and grandparents, so that
the introduction of new or different names increased slowly over many
generations. Families like the Wheelers, Healds, Davises, and Hartwells
continuously engaged in the practice of naming after family members,
resulting in these names being perpetuated across many generations.
George, Charles, and Henry became popular names for boys in the early
19th century, but some parents also chose to name their sons after
famous men. During the late 18th to early 19th century period can be
found recorded the names of John Jay Bryant (born 1799, son of Reuben
and Julia Bryant); George Washington Barron (born 1800, son of Benjamin
and Sarah Barron); John Hancock Richardson (born 1803, son of John and
Hannah Richardson); and Elbridge Gerry Robinson (born 1805, son of
William and Patty Robinson). The names George and Elbridge in general
took on new popularity for boys.