Category Archives: ~Coulture

Victorian Poetry

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The word Victorian or Victoriana has connotations of repression and social conformity, however in the realm of poetry these labels are somewhat misplaced. The Victorian age, which is defined as the events in the age of Queen Victoria’s reign of 1837-1901, provided a significant development of poetic ideals such as the increased use of the Sonnet as a poetic form, which was to influence later modern poets.  Poets in the Victorian period were to some extent influenced by the Romantic Poets such as Keats, William Blake, Shelley and W.Wordsworth. Wordsworth was Poet Laureate until 1850 so can be viewed as a bridge between the Romantic period and the Victorian period. Wordsworth was succeeded by Lord Tennyson, Queen Victoria’s favourite poet.

Victorian Poetry was an important period in the history of poetry, providing the link between the Romantic movement and the modernist movement of the 20th Century. It is not always possible to neatly categorise poets in these broad movements. For example Gerard Manley Hopkins is often cited as an example of a poet who maintained much of the Romantics sensibility in his writings.

Before the Victorian era there were very few famous female poets. In the early nineteenth century writing was still seen as a predominently male preserve. However despite views such as this the Victorian period saw the emergence of many important female poets.

The Bronte sisters were perhaps better known for their romantic novels but their poetry, especially that of Emily Bronte, has received more critical acclaim in recent years. Many have suggested that her works were a reflection of the difficulties women of that period faced. Other significant female poets include Elizabeth Browning and Christina Rossetti. Christina Rossetti in some ways could be viewed as a more typical Victorian poet. Her poetry reflected her deep Anglican faith and frequently pursued themes such as love and faith.

Victorian Names

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It is a simple fact that names change in use and popularity, over time, and the names we give our kids today are probably not what our great-grandmothers used. The Ambers and Wendys and Brandons of today were the Netties and Elizas and Philips of yore. It is my humble opinion that using period-correct names can add a certain “ring” to a story. During the Victorian era, Biblical names probably saw the most prevalent and common use, both for boys and girls, to include the familiar names from the New Testaments, and also the tongue-tanglers from the Old. However, their child-naming practices also borrowed heavily from prominent sources including national and political leaders, notable religious leaders, and celebrated military heroes. It was common find children named for famous figures in contemporary and ancient history, great literature, (authors and characters,) or sometimes even ancient mythology, such as Achilles or Hector. Likewise with names of royalty, such as William, George, Victoria, etc.

Nor was it unusual for parents to look closer to home, borrowing from close friends or people they admired. (I have a Captain Henley and a Doctor Harvey in my family tree – those were their names, not their occupations!) Not uncommonly they recycled family surnames, for instance inserting the mother’s maiden name as a child’s middle name. This applied to both boys and girls, which meant you might be named along the lines of John Butterfield Smith or Louisa Jefferson Jones. Sometimes those family surnames were used as given names, as well, so a boy might be named something like Fitzhugh Smith. Girls were also given virtuous names, such as Hope or Charity. Names were often handed down, too, so you might see an extended family tree with a Christopher Columbus Jones found in each of three or four consecutive generations. Likewise you might see a middle name reoccurring time and again, which was often an ancestor’s name or surname.

In a few places on this list, I have enumerated certain first and middle names together, (such as Sarah Ann,) because I find them joined thus so many times on old public records, that it is apparent those name-pairings enjoyed great popularity. Where common nicknames were often used, those are indicated, as well. Plus, I have included a few appellations which are so odd and obscure that I can only guess as to their origins, but they were popular in their day. All of these have been found countless times on census, marriage, and other public records during my own genealogical travels, dating back to the early 1800’s. These were certainly not the only names used, but they are among the most commonly-seen. Thus it is with some confidence that I can present this list as a fair example of child-naming practices of the Victorian era. Names have changed in popularity, over time, and while many old standbys are still used and loved today, others of this epoch are certainly antiquated in their sound, and all but forgotten in application. I present this compilation in the hopes that fiction writers will be able to make use of it, and so perhaps add a little extra color and atmosphere to their work.

Female Names:
* Abigale / Abby
* Ada
* Adella
* Agnes
* Allie
* Almira / Almyra
* Alva
* America
* Amelia
* Ann ~ (also nickname for Nancy) / Annie
* Arrah
* Beatrice
* Becky ~ (see Rebecca)
* Bernice
* Bess, Bessie, Beth, Betsy ~ (for Elizabeth)
* Charity
* Charlotte
* Chastity
* Claire
* Constance
* Cynthia
* Dorothy ~ (also Dot)
* Edith
* Edna
* Edwina
* Ella
* Eleanor
* Ellie
* Elizabeth ~(also Eliza, Liza, Lizzy; see Bess.)
* Elvira
* Emma
* Esther
* Ethel
* Ettie ~ (see Henrietta)
* Eudora
* Eva
* Fidelia
* Frances
* Fanny ~ (usually nickname for Frances)
* Flora
* Florence
* Geneve
* Genevieve
* Georgia
* Gertrude / Gertie
* Gladys
* Grace
* Hannah
* Hattie
* Helen
* Helene
* Henrietta / Hettie ~ (also Ettie)
* Hester
* Hope
* Hortence
* Isabell / Isabella
* Jane
* Jennie
* Jessamine
* Josephine
* Judith
* Julia
* Juliet
* Katherine / Kate
* Laura
* Leah
* Lenora
* Letitia
* Lila
* Lilly
* Lorena
* Lorraine
* Lottie
* Louise / Louisa
* Lucy
* Lulu
* Lydia
* Mahulda
* Margaret ~ (see Peggy)
* Mary
* Mary Elizabeth
* Mary Frances
* Martha
* Matilda / Mattie
* Maude
* Maxine /Maxie
* Mercy
* Mildred
* Minerva
* Missouri
* Molly ~ (nickname for Mary)
* Myrtle
* Nancy ~ (see Ann)
* Natalie
* Nellie / Nelly
* Nettie
* Nora
* Orpha
* Patsy
* Parthena
* Peggy ~ (nickname for Margaret)
* Permelia
* Phoebe
* Philomena
* Polly ~ (nickname for Mary)
* Preshea
* Rachel
* Rebecca ~ (see Becky)
* Rhoda / Rhody
* Rowena
* Rufina
* Ruth
* Samantha
* Sally
* Sarah
* Sarah Ann
* Sarah Elizabeth
* Savannah
* Selina
* Sophronia
* Stella
* Theodosia
* Vertiline ~ (also Verd)
* Victoria
* Virginia / Ginny
* Vivian
* Winnifred / Winnie
* Zona
* Zylphia

Male Names:
* Aaron
* Abraham / Abe
* Alan / Allen
* Albert
* Alexander
* Alonzo
* Ambrose
* Amon
* Amos
* Andrew / Drew / Andy
* Aquilla
* Archibald / Archie
* Arnold
* Asa
* August / Augustus
* Barnabas / Barney
* Bartholomew / Bart
* Benjamin
* Bennet
* Benedict
* Bernard
* Bertram / Bert
* Buford
* Byron
* Calvin
* Charles / Charley / Charlie
* Christopher
* Christopher Columbus
* Clarence
* Clement / Clem
* Clinton / Clint
* Cole
* Columbus (also Lom or Lum)
* Commodore Perry
* Daniel / Dan
* David
* Dick ~ (see Richard)
* Edmund
* Edward
* Edwin
* Eldon
* Eli
* Elijah
* ElishaEmmett
* Enoch
* Ezekiel ~ (also Zeke)
* Ezra
* Francis
* Frank ~ (also nickname for Francis)
* Franklin
* Frederick / Fred
* Gabriel / Gabe
* Garrett
* George
* George Washington
* Gideon
* Gilbert / Gil
* Granville
* Gus ~ (see August)
* Hank ~ (nickname for Henry)
* Harland
* Harrison
* Harold / Harry
* Harvey
* Henry ~ (see Hank)
* Hiram
* Horace
* Horatio
* Hugh
* Isaiah
* Israel
* Isaac ~ (also Ike)
* Isaac Newton
* Jacob / Jake
* James ~ (also Jim)
* Jasper
* Jack ~ (for John)
* Jefferson / Jeff
* Jedediah / Jed
* Jeptha
* Jesse
* Joel
* John ~ (see Jack)
* John Paul
* John Wesley
* Jonathan
* Joseph
* Josephus ~ (also “Cephas”)
* Josiah
* Joshua
* Julian
* Julius
* Lafayette ~ (also Lafe)
* Lawrence / Larry
* Leander
* Les / Lester / Leslie
* Lewis / Lew / Louis
* Levi
* Lucas
* Lucian
* Lucius
* Luke
* Luther
* Louis
* Levi
* Lucas
* Lucian
* Lucius
* Luke
* Luther
* Matthew
* Marcellus
* Mark
* Martin
* Martin Luther
* Masheck
* Maurice
* Maxwell
* Merrill
* Meriwether
* Meriwether Lewis
* Michael/ Mike
* Micajah ~ (have seen nickname “Cage”)
* Mordecai
* Morgan
* Morris
* Nathaniel / Nathan / Nate / Nat
* Ned ~ (short for Edward)
* Newton / Newt
* Nicholas / Nick
* Nimrod
* Ninian
* Obediah
* Octavius
* Ora / Oral
* Orville
* Oscar
* Owen
* Paul
* Patrick / Pat
* Patrick Henry
* Paul
* Perry
* Peter
* Pleasant
* Ralph
* Raymond
* Reuben
* Robert ~ (also Bob)
* Robert Lee
* Richard / Rich ~ (see Dick)
* Roderick
* Rudolph
* Rufus
* Samuel
* Sam Houston
* Seth
* Silas
* Simon
* Simeon
* Stanley / Stan
* Stephen
* Thaddeus
* Thomas / Tom
* Thomas Jefferson
* Theodore / Ted
* Timothy / Tim
* Ulysses
* Uriah
* Victor
* Walter
* Warren
* Washington
* Wilfred
* William / Will ~ (also Bill, Billy)
* Willie ~ (Not always for William)
* Zachariah
* Zebulon
* Zedock