The Victorian Smiths in the 1840s

This is post 2. For more information about what this is all about try going here.

Ok, the 1840s are the beginning of the study. I divided it up into two sections - Mar 1840 to Dec 1844, and Mar 1845 to Dec 1849 (this is when the birth indexes were published). I will look at these two parts separately.

1840-44:
The top 10:

1	Mary
2	Sarah
3	Elizabeth
4	Ann
5	Jane
6	Emma
7	Eliza
8	Hannah
9	Ellen
10	Harriet

Mary as #1 is going to get rather boring. It stays there until nearly the end of the period studied. A list I have from Christian Names in Local and Family History by George Redmonds (at least I think it is), lists Elizabeth as the most popular name in England from 1550 to 1649, when it is replaced by Mary (the lists go up to 1700). Mary's relative lack of popularity during those years is usually credited as a result of the Reformation, when Marianism was eradicated from the English church in favour of more Protestant values, and the unpopularity of 'Bloody' Mary Tudor. 1660 was the beginning of the Restoration of Charles II - a time much more favourable towards Catholics - Charles II converted to Catholicism upon his deathbed, and James II lost the throne due to his refusal to revoke his Catholic faith, this may account for Mary's revival .

The only name on my list that has its peak in 1840-4 is Maria. EG Withycombe's Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names states that Maria came into vogue in the 18th century (1700s) and thus was declining by the beginning of 1840s. At this time, the pronunciation mah-rye-ah would have been as recognised as the more commonly used today pronunciation of mah-ree-ah.

1845-9:

1	Mary
2	Elizabeth
3	Sarah
4	Ann
5	Jane
6	Emma
7	Eliza
8	Hannah
9	Ellen
10	Harriet

I don't think that there are any new additions to the top 10 in this 5 year period, though Elizabeth and Sarah have swapped places. Adding all the Elizas to Elizabeth does not make Elizabeth overtake Mary, but does assure its position above Sarah. Elizabeth's real peak was in the 16th and 17th century -Withycombe states it as providing 16% of all female births in 1560, and over 20% by 1600 - a position that Mary would later hold. Elizabeth's popularity in the 16th century can be attributed to a succession of English queens - Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York, and, mostly importantly, Elizabeth I Tudor.

Jane (and Maria, though that has already been studied) peaked 1845 to 9. It had already overtaken Joan (which by 19th century is uncommon) around 1600, coming to prominence in England with Henry VIII's third wife Jane Seymour, and Lady Jane Grey who was nominated by Henry VIII's son Edward VI as his heir, instead of his Catholic sister Mary. Whilst it is easy to say that Jane Grey was named after Jane Seymour being born 1536/7 around the time of Jane Seymour's marriage, Jane was already associated the Grey family - as borne by Jane Shore, mistress of Thomas Grey, Jane Grey's great-grandfather . As with most popular names, Jane fell down the class system, so that by the mid-19th century - according to Withycombe - it was associated with maidservants. 1847, right in the middle of this period, was the publication of one of literature's most famous Janes - 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Brontë, which I believe was a success almost immediately.

Data- click tabs at top to see 1840 and 1845 data.