View Message

This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

[Facts] Re: is there a possibility that these birth records are fake? (Birth Records for England and Wales in 1877)
I wouldn't cite this as a source or reproduce this list anywhere, since they don't cite their source properly, but it seems fairly plausible. I don't see why they would make this up. They mention cross-referencing some records and the fun facts at the bottom gives it some extra legitimacy, IMO. They've obviously picked out the weirder names from a much longer list. I wish they gave more details on the source and which cities/counties the names come from, although I'm sure that information is possible to find if you're willing to do some digging. Your best bet would probably be in online genealogy archives.I've been reading a French book about baby names that covers that period and more (Le manuel des prénoms by Edouard Lévy, 1922 - the first part covers from the early 1800s until 1921, the second part zooms in on the 1790s). There's the same amount of wonderful weirdness, with the caveat that the author is specifically picking out extreme examples to illustrate various points.
vote up2vote down

Replies

also about the book, is it available online for free?
vote up1vote down
It's not, unfortunately! It should be in the public domain, but it hasn't been digitized. I had to get it as a reference loan from my local library. I'm working on transcribing some of the name lists, though!
vote up2vote down
I believe they're British judging from the content of the website but they do look like American colonial-era names
vote up1vote down
Oh, yeah, sorry, I wasn't doubting that part! I just meant it would be nice if they were more specific about which parts of England/Wales the names are from.
vote up2vote down
it's okay
I was just speculating
vote up1vote down