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I've been filling in my family tree but have come across a problem. In my reference book, it says that a Zelpha and a Hazel were married (and had kids). Both are defined as girls names but I was wondering if anyone here has heard any of the two names used as boy names.
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"....A simple I love you means more than money...."- Frank Sinatra
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"....A simple I love you means more than money...."- Frank Sinatra
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I have seen Hazel used as a male name in the 19th century USA before. This could have come about in two different ways:
1. It could be a transfer to given name status of the surname Hazel. In the early 19th century it was common for parents to give a son almost any surname of a relative, friend, or famous person that they admired as his first name.
2. I think it may also in some cases come from confusing the Old Testament male name Hazael (Hebrew "God sees" according to Who's Who in the Old Testament) with Hazel. Hazael in the Bible was a general of Aram (present day southern Syria) who visits the prophet Elisha and is told he will become king of Aram. Hazael turns this into a self-fulfilling prophecy by going home, killing the present king, and usurping the throne. Hazael is not presented positively in the Old Testament, but occasionally even Old Testament characters with an even worse press such as Jezebel and Ahab got real kids named after them in the 18th and 19th centuries.
1. It could be a transfer to given name status of the surname Hazel. In the early 19th century it was common for parents to give a son almost any surname of a relative, friend, or famous person that they admired as his first name.
2. I think it may also in some cases come from confusing the Old Testament male name Hazael (Hebrew "God sees" according to Who's Who in the Old Testament) with Hazel. Hazael in the Bible was a general of Aram (present day southern Syria) who visits the prophet Elisha and is told he will become king of Aram. Hazael turns this into a self-fulfilling prophecy by going home, killing the present king, and usurping the throne. Hazael is not presented positively in the Old Testament, but occasionally even Old Testament characters with an even worse press such as Jezebel and Ahab got real kids named after them in the 18th and 19th centuries.
This message was edited 4/3/2006, 9:17 AM
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Well in the book Watership Down Hazel is the name of a male... rabbit. ;) Maybe there was a time when it was used for male humans too. Actually, I think I rather like the sound of it as a male name.
Great book too. You should read it if you haven't already. :)
Great book too. You should read it if you haven't already. :)
This message was edited 4/2/2006, 9:47 PM
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I concur - male nature names aren't popular the way female nature names are, but they're not unknown - Rowan, River, Stone, Oakley (ok, I'm stretching lol), etc. I can see Hazel as a slightly odd but legit Victorian male name.
♦ Chrisell ♦
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
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I agree
A quick scan of the SSA tally for the top 1000 male names in 1880 includes Elizabeth, Katherine, Rose, Daisy, Shirley, Emma, Clara and Edith. I can easily picture a guy named Hazel in such company. Or Zelpha, for that matter.
~Lillian~
Proud daughter of Ann and John
Proud sister of Lauren and Leah
Proud wife of David
Proud mother of Alexander, Scarlett, Sophia, and Gideon
A quick scan of the SSA tally for the top 1000 male names in 1880 includes Elizabeth, Katherine, Rose, Daisy, Shirley, Emma, Clara and Edith. I can easily picture a guy named Hazel in such company. Or Zelpha, for that matter.
~Lillian~
Proud daughter of Ann and John
Proud sister of Lauren and Leah
Proud wife of David
Proud mother of Alexander, Scarlett, Sophia, and Gideon
1
Those are mis-codings, not genuine names
Those names are not the names of actual people, but the names of people whose forms were incorrectly marked 'male' when they should have been marked 'female' (and vice versa for the girls named Matthew, William etc). The SSA website where that data comes from has a disclaimer to that effect: they have just transcribed the data, they haven't attempted to sort it. That's why there's non-names such as Baby, Male and Female in those lists as well.
♦ Chrisell ♦
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
Those names are not the names of actual people, but the names of people whose forms were incorrectly marked 'male' when they should have been marked 'female' (and vice versa for the girls named Matthew, William etc). The SSA website where that data comes from has a disclaimer to that effect: they have just transcribed the data, they haven't attempted to sort it. That's why there's non-names such as Baby, Male and Female in those lists as well.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
This message was edited 4/3/2006, 7:55 AM
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Ah, thanks for that
nt
~Lillian~
Proud daughter of Ann and John
Proud sister of Lauren and Leah
Proud wife of David
Proud mother of Alexander, Scarlett, Sophia, and Gideon
nt
~Lillian~
Proud daughter of Ann and John
Proud sister of Lauren and Leah
Proud wife of David
Proud mother of Alexander, Scarlett, Sophia, and Gideon
1