baby names

Name Your Child As If You Were a Celebrity in the 1880s

Photo: General Photographic Agency

Arika Okrent with the Week combed through the Social Security Administration records to find the least popular names for babies from 1880 to 1932. She selected the most intriguing and delightful names. So put on your hat, Starling, and take a seat, Spurgeon. Trot on over, Texie, because you’re all about to learn about some fantastic monikers of the fancy (Parthenia, Ova), professional (Lawyer, Author), insulting (Icy, Flem), and stupidly adorable (Leafy, Dimple) variety.

Someone assign these to characters in a short story you’re writing and send me a draft pronto. Please make Texie the unlikely hero.

Let’s Look to the 1880s for Baby Names Shall We?