Beyond John and Priscilla: Surprising Names of the Mayflower Pilgrims
Looking for creative baby name ideas? You could flip through an atlas, check tonight's reality TV listings or even browse the models at your local car dealership. Chances are, though, that even at Thanksgiving time you won't be tempted to search the passenger manifest of the good ship Mayflower. Most parents today give 17th-century style a pass. After all, of the 74 men aboard the Mayflower, 16 were named John.
Perhaps you should think again. Centuries before anybody thought to turn Heaven inside out and make Nevaeh, the Pilgrims were dishing out creative, spiritual "meaning" names. Nestled among the Mayflower's familiar classics you'll find names so unusual they'd stand out even in today's anything-goes playgrounds.
Here's a lineup of genuine pilgrim names that go way beyond John and Priscilla. You can consider them as creative ideas for your own Thanksgiving baby -- or at least scare your relatives with the prospect:
The Voyagers
Two baby boys were born on board the Mayflower, and both were christened in honor of the voyage: Oceanus (in ancient times, the name of a vast body of water thought to encircle the world) and Peregrine (meaning wandering or migrating, from the Latin for traveler). Modern counterparts: Journey, Destiny
The Modest Virtues
These are the names with the most distinctive Pilgrim style: Resolved, Humility and Remember. A name like Remember sounds androgynous today, but in the 17th century Resolved was consistently male, Humility and Remember consistently female. Modern counterparts: Serenity, Sincere
The Not-So Modest Virtues
They may have sounded pious in the Pilgrims' time, but a son named Love and a daughter named Desire would come across rather differently today. Modern counterparts: Cherish, Bliss
The Macho
The name Wrestling was short for "Wrestling with God." Is there any tougher way to show your devotion? Modern counterparts: Blaze, Gunner
Comments
Mmmm. . .Peregrine also sounds good for a falcon, don't you think? ;-)
Alex
I actually think Peregrine and Oceanus are both great names for a contemporary baby!
Don't forget their last names! Our little Alden is quite modern, we think.
I once read a book as a child about a girl named Remembrance Patience Whipple about 10-12 years ago, and the name has stuck with me since. I personally prefer Remembrance over Remember - that imperative verb is a bit much, especially for a child. At the back of the book the author talked about the naming conventions of the Saints (what we now call pilgrims).
Here's the book's info/URL. < http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Journey-to-the-New-World/Kathryn-Lasky/... >
xerx, in the book you are referring to the girl's name is Remember, not Remembrance.
Oops! I guess I'm mixing up two characters in my head. *blush*
Oops! I guess I'm mixing up two characters in my head. *blush*
My son's best friends name is Hansel And his sister is Gretel, of course. I couldn't believe until I got to know them.
My son's best friends name is Hansel And his sister is Gretel, of course. I couldn't believe until I got to know them.
My son's best friends name is Hansel And his sister is Gretel, of course. I couldn't believe until I got to know them.
My daughters' names are Katharine Lelah and Amelia Claire. They go by the nick names of Katie and Amy. Simple. Easy to remember, easy to spell, easy to pronounce. Of course, as all siblings do, they get into squabbles, and when they do, I refer to them as "Kane and Abel." Love my girls!
Going back through my family tree, I noticed a bunch of women named Comfort - I'm seriously considering seeing if my husband will consider it as a middle name
I'm pretty sure that Pippin from Lord of the Rings (one of the four main Hobbits) is named Peregrin Took nn Pippin - which I assume is just a variant of Peregrine kind of interesting to know it means traveler - I like the name but it will also be a Hobbit's name to me!
super interesting posting!
It's a Welsh word that is impossible to pronounce unless you know how. But come to think of it, the sound is very trendy and the excess of y's would appeal to some. free advertising|automotive manufacturers
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