Colonial Names for Boys and Girls

The Freake Limner
(American Colonial Era Painter,
active 1670-c 1680)
Mrs Elizabeth Freake and Baby Mary 1674

British Colonial America was a very important time in our history. They are the ones that started it all with a sense of freedom and independence. The ones who made the voyage over were discovering a whole new land and developing their own rules in their own new towns.

They also had some interesting names, some of which you don't hear often today, and others that might just be cool enough to actually use again. These names were popular in colonial times, taken straight from the 18th century!

Some of these overlap with the Biblical names list, and they seem to be much different than the names popular in England during the Victorian era. If you're looking for some cool, historical choices, perhaps you'll find a name that you like here!

Boys:                              Abel Abiel Abijah Abimael Abner Abraham Absalom Adonijah Ajax Alden Amias Amiel Ammiras Amos Amzi Ansel Archibald Asa Asahel Azariah Balthasar Barnabas Bartholomew Bazel Benajah Boaz Chauncey Clement Comfort Constant Cotton Cyrus Duncan Ebenezer Elbert Eleazar Eli Eliab Eliakim Elias Elihu Elijah Eliphalet Elisha Emanuel Emory Enoch Enos Ephraim Experience Ezekiel Garvan Gawen Gerrard Gideon

Hannibal Hercules Hezekiah Hiram Holmes Homer Horatio Hosea Increase Isaac Isaiah Isham Israel Jabez Jared Jedidiah Jehu Jeremiah Jethro Job Jonas Josiah Jothan Kenelm Lazarus Lemuel Levi Linus Matthias Micajah Miles Nehemiah Noble Obadiah Philo Philomon Phineas Prosperity Reason Rufus Salmon Sampson Seth Silas Simon Solomon Thaddeus Theophilus Truth Zaccheus Zachariah Zadock Zebulon Zephaniah Zophar

I noticed that there were a lot of Ab- and El- names. The list includes some biblical names that are common and even popular today like Elijah, Isaac, Josiah and Seth to name a few.

Click here to view an updated report on the 10 Best Colonial Names for Boys and Girls!

As for the girls, the list is a bit more limited. Again, there are some biblical names but also some virtue names that were popular with the puritans.

Girls:                       Abigail Abitha Amity Anne Aphra Aurinda Azuba Candace Catherine Charity Charlotte Chastity Clarity Comfort Cornelia Constance Dorcas Edith Eleanor Electa Elizabeth Emeline Esther Fanny Fidelity Georgine Harriet Hecuba Helen Henrietta Hepzibah

Hester Isabella Jane Joy Judith Keturah Keziah Lydia Mahala Martha Mary Mercy Modesty Patience Phila Phoebe Primrose Prudence Rebekah Remember Rosanna Sarah Selah Silence Susanna Tabitha Temperance Theodosia Verity Virginia Zipporah

Do you find any of these names completely unusable for a modern baby? Which is your favorite?