18th Century Archetypal Names

November 26, 2015 3:29 PM

Asking for my sister.

I'm trying to create a LARP event (18th century) and I'm looking for character names that imply various stereotypes, like the town gossip or the crazy recluse.

She is not looking for made up names, but is looking for names that allow you to know what character they are. Some of the other characters she's mentioned to me are: suspicious character, herbal healer, healers apprentice (female), but please don't limit yourself to these characters alone.
posted by Confess, Fletch to Society & Culture (15 answers total)

This might be useful.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:16 PM on November 26, 2015

18th century where?
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:37 PM on November 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: US, Northeast, around the time of the Revolution.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 4:42 PM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Here are some 1790 census records from Massachusetts, plus some virtue names and (less true to the time period) Puritan names.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 6:30 PM on November 26, 2015

I just got done transcribing a family tree that had a ton of people in that area at that time. Not that these names convey any particular meaning, though. The first one of those to come to mind is Gladys as a busy-body.

Joseph
Edward
Thomas
James
Uriah
William
Peter
Robert

Abigail
Mary
Harriette
Hannah
Miriam
Anna
Sarah
Frances
Catherine
Elizabeth
posted by wwartorff at 6:41 PM on November 26, 2015

Dudley DoRight
Snidely Whiplash
Mrs. Grundy
Nosey Parker
Martinet
Chauvin
Bluebeard
posted by bq at 8:07 PM on November 26, 2015

Best answer: Herbal healer and/or apprentice: Tansy, Rue, Rosemary, Yarrow, etc.
posted by Specklet at 8:11 PM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Cassandra
Doggerel
Tom Foolery
Jack Napes
Granny Weatherwax
Jonah
Judas
Methuselah
Mickey Finn
Quisling



Many profession names: glover, brewer, Harper, Orpin, Culpepper, Pulver,
posted by bq at 8:44 PM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Mary Parish and John Parish. At some foundling homes those were the names given to every single foundling left on the parish. So few survived that it didn't result in too much duplication.


Mr. Leech the apothecary
Josiah Gotobed the innkeeper
Sukey Thrupence, the peddler woman
Captain Saltman, the sea captain
Peter Pollock, the fisherman
Mr. Niggler, the master of the workhouse
Thomas Quill the counting house clerk

Mr Sly, the suspicious character

Rosemary Pennyroyal, the herb woman (Goodwife Pennyroyal)
Doll Bawdler the madam at the house of ill repute
Pinchpenny the miser
Mrs. Meek
Mary and Kitty Mudlark, the oyster girls/beachcombers
Mr. Curmudgeon
Farmer Goodacre
Tattler, the gossip
Mr. Wakeful, the town watchman
Mr. Brutal
Captain Buckler the swordsman
Lavinia Snide
Mrs. Pye the bakestress

Are these the right type of names? None of them is invented as they are all genuine surnames and first names, but of course they were put together by me.
posted by Jane the Brown at 8:04 AM on November 27, 2015 [4 favorites]

Shades of Squire Allworthy (Tom Jones). I loved the way Dorothy Sayers gave the parish sexton the last name Gotobed, and even had a character remark about it (The Nine Tailors).

A religious character could be named Faith, or given the name of an Old Testament prophet.

You could also borrow names from classic literature: Jason, Hector,Helen,Achilles. Hercule Poroit was named after Hercules.

Charles Dickens was a past master at picking names.of course, sometimes common usage originated with the Dickens character, e.eg. Scrooge, Tiny Tim.
posted by SemiSalt at 8:51 AM on November 27, 2015

Biddy is both a perfectly normal nickname for Bridget/Brigid, and as a common noun means "a woman, usually an elderly one regarded as annoying or interfering". So if one of your middle-aged gossips needs a first name, this might be great.
As slight warning, other usage refers to the maid or cleaning girl, which is slangy/racist, in the same vein as calling all Irishmen Paddy. (you are calling all Irish women Brigid and assuming they scrub floors for a living)
posted by aimedwander at 12:58 PM on November 27, 2015

CURIOSITIES OF PURITAN NOMENCLATURE
BY
CHARLES W. BARDSLEY
AUTHOR OF “ENGLISH SURNAMES, THEIR SOURCES AND SIGNIFICATIONS”

But when we come to realize that nearly one-third of Englishmen were known either by the name of William or John about the year 1300, it will be seen that the pet name and nick form were no freak, but a necessity. We dare not attempt a category, but the surnames of to-day tell us much. Will was quite a distinct youth from Willot, Willot from Wilmot, Wilmot from Wilkin, and Wilkin from Wilcock. There might be half a dozen Johns about the farmstead, but it mattered little so long as one was called Jack, another Jenning, a third Jenkin, a fourth Jackcock (now Jacox as a surname), a fifth Brownjohn, and a sixth Micklejohn, or Littlejohn, or Properjohn (i.e. well built or handsome).

posted by ohshenandoah at 5:28 PM on November 27, 2015 [2 favorites]

I always quite liked Hackabout as a surname. Moll Hackabout was a well-known prostitute whose story was fictionalised by Hogarth in A Harlot's Progress. She had a brother named Francis Hackabout who was a highwayman.

Some colourful names from John Gay's The Beggar's Opera (1728):

Jemmy Twitcher
Crook-Finger'd Jack
Wat Dreary (Wat was short for Walter)
Robin of Bagshot
Nimming Ned – ("Nimming" meaning thieving)
Harry Padington
Ben Budge
Matt of the Mint - (the Mint was an area of Southwark that was notorious for crime; details here)
Tom Gagg
Beetle-brow'd Jemmy

Diana Trapes
Mrs. Coaxer
Dolly Trull
Mrs. Vixen
Betty Doxy
Jenny Diver ("diver" meant pickpocket)
Mrs. Slammekin
Sukey Tawdrey
Molly Brazen
Black Moll
Betty Sly
Suky Straddle

This article gives a list of first names of the women who lived in Southwark Mint;there are some lovely ones there. (Marabel! Thomasin! Phyllis! Clementia! Sulana!)
posted by Pallas Athena at 6:18 PM on November 27, 2015

Response by poster: My sister says, "Thank you very much, this has been very helpful."
posted by Confess, Fletch at 6:12 PM on November 28, 2015

The first one of those to come to mind is Gladys as a busy-body.

Just FYI - I think this comes from Bewitched.
posted by CathyG at 8:25 PM on November 28, 2015