My grandmothers, both born more than a century ago, were baptized as Agnes and Bertha, names that sound charming but antiquated today. Here the Minneapolis Tribune, borrowing freely from a New Orleans newspaper story, reports on the most popular girls names of 1890, based on public school records of the Crescent City. Not an Ashley or a Madison in the bunch.

GIRL’S NAMES CHANGE

The Decline of Susan, Mary, Jane, Sarah, Catherine, and All the Old Favorites.

Sporting two of the more popular names of the era, Sadie Ray and daughter Marguerite sat for a photo in about 1895. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

The roll of honor in the public school affords us an excellent opportunity to study the present fashion in girl’s names. The names of our mothers and grandmothers, largely biblical and universally in use at the beginning of this century, are out of favor today, says the New Orleans Times-Democrat.

In nearly a thousand names there is no Nancy (extremely popular in the last century) and but a single Martha and Maria. Jane has almost gone out of use, there being but two recorded, and, strange to say, both of French parentage, but a number of Jennies and Jeannettes survive. There is one Emily, one Charlotte, no Catherine, but two Kates, and innumerable Katies, which seems to be the latest form that Catherine has taken – Catherine, Kate, Katie. Sarah, very popular 50 years ago, has practically disappeared in favor of Sallie and Sadie. Caroline is also out of fashion, superseded by Carrie and Lena. Susan does not boast a single representative, but there are a number of Susies; and Elizabeth has retired from service in favor of Lizzie. There are but three Margarets, but plenty of Marguerites and some Margarettas. Ellen is dead as a name, but Nellie is still quite popular.

Mary has been thought the most frequent female name, being both euphonious and pleasantly and honorably associated. It is said that one-third of the women and girls of France are Maries. It is different in New Orleans, where the number of Marys is very small and growing smaller every day. There are a number of Mollies and Mamies, and not a few Maries; indeed, at one time it looked as if all the Anglo-Saxon Marys would be Gallicized into Marie, but so many become converted that it rather overdid the business, and Marie became as common as Mary, which may account for the number of girls of French or creole parentage who bear the English form of the name “Mary.”

Viola V. Berry in about 1895, as photographed by Charles Alfred Zimmerman of St. Paul. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

Shakspere’s names are coming in as fashionable, even at this late day. There were more Violas on the roll of honor of the public school than Janes, Kates, Emilys, Ellens, Nancys, Margarets, Carolines, Marthas, Marias, Susans, and Sarahs together. The name is fashionable just now, but we are afraid its popularity will not last long, for our colored fellow-citizens have taken to it and have doomed it to the same fate as Violet and Pinkie. Stella is a good second, and Mabel, Ethel, Alma, Daisy, Luella, Loretta, Edna, and Rita follow as in most favor just at present. Any one of them will discount Susan, Sarah, or Jane many times over, and even lead Mary.

Ruby, quite in favor 15 years ago, is getting rather antiquated. The fanciful names of the last century as Amanda and Malvina are also going out. Hazel, which came in with Hazel Kirk some dozen years ago, did not “stick” and is not increasing. “Birdie” has been laughed out and is less common than 10 years ago: indeed, a number of Birdies have converted it into Bertie. Gladys is apparently forcing its way to the front and promises to be well received. Pearl, Pearlie and Pere are also coming in, and nearly any form of Rose will do but Rose itself for there are Roseltas, Rosettas, Roselias and Rosamonds.

Another image from about 1895: Alma Hinrichs (Mrs. Ferdinand Hinrichs) holding her daughter Helen. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

Shakspere, as we have said, is a prime favorite for female names. His Viola leads them all in New Orleans, and ever Ophelia is quite common among the girls, notwithstanding that lady’s unhappy fate; but apparently mother has had the courage to name her daughter Desdemona. The opera has given us Aida, Norma and Carmen – which seem to have crept in of late – all rather inappropriate names, taking the lives of those ladies into consideration. Longfellow’s Priscilla has but a single representation on the roll. Secessia recalls the late war; but how is it that a Secessia is attending the public schools at this late day?

But of pure fancy names, picked up here and there from novels or poems, or possibly “thought out,” there is no end.

It will be seen that if any one can suggest a good name for a girl, there are dozens of mothers prepared to adopt it at once. If the present tendency continues, Sarah and Susan will become so rare in another generation that they will sound sweet to us again and be honored by our grandchildren as they were by our grandfathers. We feel it necessary to warn godmothers that the Viola, Stella and Daisy racket is being overworked.

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