If you’re a fall fanatic who eagerly covers your home with turkeys and cornucopia, you probably want a baby name that pays homage to your favorite fall holiday: Thanksgiving. And who knows? Maybe you’re sufficiently fascinated by the pilgrim’s journey to the New World to even consider looking at the Mayflower manifest for naming inspiration.
Or maybe you read this title and think it’s a bunch of gravy. Perhaps the idea of naming a child after a Pilgrim’s name seems odd, and perhaps even in bad taste, given the divergent American views on Thanksgiving in terms of its influence on indigenous culture.
In any case, the trend of old-fashioned baby names is still strong, with the top three names for boys and girls being named Noah, Liam and Oliver respectively, with Olivia, Amelia and Emma leading the way. But how far back do some of these popular baby names go? Some of them date back to the Mayflower.
The names below are the same as those of passengers who traveled from England to America in 1620. These are also the names you’re likely to see written on kindergarten strollers in five years’ time.
henry
Henry has been a popular boy’s name for a while now, currently ranking at number 13. It comes from German roots meaning “lord of the house,” and seems like an appropriate name for a settler.
Elias
Elias, ranked 24th in 2024, was also the name of a Mayflower passenger. With Hebrew and Greek roots, this name has a Biblical meaning: “The Lord is my God.”
samuel
Number 31 on our list of classic names with many nickname options, Samuel also has a Biblical meaning, derived from the Hebrew word for “name of God.”
william
The name William, which ranked 34th this year, may be shared by pilgrims who fled England, the current British royal family, and maybe even your child. Meaning “guardian”, this was the name of nine (!) Mayflower passengers.
elizabeth
Not surprisingly, there were not as many female passengers on the Mayflower as there were male passengers. Many of the female passengers were not named, only listed as “wife.” But Elizabeth is not only on the passenger list, but also on the 2024 list of popular baby girl names, ranking 35th. The name comes from the Hebrew word meaning “oath”.
miles
Miles, which ranks 46th in the popular boy’s name list, has multiple meanings, including “soldier.” I believe the British translation of this name is “kilometre”. (Just kidding!)
Isaac
After Miles, Isaac was also the name of one of the passengers on the Mayflower. This name, which means “one who laughs,” is a great choice for future humorists.
john
A perennial favorite, John ranked 48th on this year’s list of baby names. It was also the most popular name on the Mayflower, with 15 of the more than 100 passengers all named John. He must have been a little confused when he asked, “John, can you pass me the potatoes?”
joseph
Number 55 on the baby name list, Joseph was the name of a child traveling on the Mayflower. Another Biblical name, Joseph, means “he adds” and may be a good choice for your new name.
alice
Alice, which ranks 60th on this year’s list of popular girls’ names, is a wonderful name that means “noble” or “noble.” Does it rank high on your own baby name list?
thomas
Derived from the Hebrew word Thomas, meaning “twin,” Thomas was a name shared by several Mayflower passengers, although there is no record of any of these Thomases traveling with twins.
christopher
Not to be confused with Christopher Columbus. There was a passenger on the Mayflower named Christopher. This name continues to be a popular choice for baby names, ranking 81st among boys’ names this year.
sarah
According to Baby Center, the name Sarah was recently dropped from the top 100 names for girls for the first time in many years. Ranked 108th, Sarah remains a popular name. (However, it may not have been as popular as it was in 1620.)
The name of the Mayflower probably won’t be in the top 100 anytime soon.
If you’re looking for something more obscure, there were some unique names for passengers on the Mayflower.
- love
- wrestling
- Remember
- resolved
- Constance
- humility
Personally, I don’t recommend using random adjectives that are synonymous with Puritan virtue, but if you’re determined to name your baby “Determination,” that’s your choice, baby!
So if you decide to discuss baby names at the dinner table this Thanksgiving, you’ll probably see a few names appear on this list. At the very least, there’s a good chance that at least one of these names will be present at your family gathering. (There are two Josephs and one Thomas at my table.)
