MEN’S NAMES IN PLYMOUTH AND MASSACHUSETTS IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY - A Statistical Study of Name-Giving Habits

Q: What is the main goal of the study?

To demonstrate, primarily through statistical methods, the habits of name-giving among certain New England groups before 1700, using men’s names as the primary focus.

Q: What data structure does the study rely on?

Five countings are presented in tables 1 to 5, with computations performed and reported using slide-rule methods.

Q: How does the study address errors in the counting and tabulation?

It identifies possible error sources including human fallibility, editor mistakes in reprints, inaccuracies in original records, and judgment when deciding what counts as a spelling variation; it notes absolute consistency is impossible.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Skyler

A statistical study examines habits of name-giving among certain New England groups before 1700, focusing on men’s baptismal names in Plymouth and Massachusetts. The research is built chiefly on five countings presented in tables, using historical records and edited reprints, with slide-rule computations reported to significant figures. The work acknowledges possible errors from human fallibility, editorial mistakes, inaccuracies in original records, and judgment in classifying name spelling variations. Spellings are normalized to King James Bible forms or modern usage for non-biblical names.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Method and source basis

Accuracy and potential errors

Normalization of spellings

Table 1: London, 1540-1549

MEN’S NAMES IN PLYMOUTH AND MASSACHUSETTSIN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY BY GEORGE R.STEWART UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLISHVolume 7,No.2,pp.109-138 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESSBERKELEY AND LOS ANGELES 3 17+ # MEN’S NAMES IN PLYMOUTH AND MASSACHUSETTSIN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY GEORGE R.STEWART UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESSBERKELEY AND LOS ANGELES 4 UNIVERSITY Or CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS IN ENGLISHEDITORS(BERKELEY):A.G.BRODEUR,J.R.CALDWELL,W.丑.DURHAM Volume 7,No.2,pp.109-138 Submitted by editors April1,1947Issued March 3,1948Price,50 cents UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESSBERKELEY AND Los ANGELESCALIFORNIA CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESSLONDON,ENGLAND .00 MEN’S NAMES IN # PLYMOUTH AND MASSACHUSETTS IN THESEVENTEENTH CENTURY BY GEORGE R.STEWART I THIS STUDY attempts,primarily by statistical methods,to demonstrate the habits of name-giving among cer-tain New England groups before I700.Although thispresent project is limited to men's names,I may say that Ihave also collected and digested the same basic statisticsupon women's names,and am sure that much the samegeneral conclusions can be drawn for them as for men'snames. The study is based chiefly upon five countings,which arepresented in tables I to 5.2 1 Previous writings to which I make reference under the last name of the writerare:C.W.Bardsley,Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature (London,I88o);WilliamCamden,"Christian Names,"in Remains Concerning Britain(originally published,I605;I have used the London,I870,reprint of the "seventh impression"of I674); D.K.Dodge,"Puritan Names,"New England Quarterly for October,I928;ErnestWeekley,jack and fill (London,I939);Č.M.Yonge,History of Christian Names(London,I863).My colleague Professor James D.Hart has supplied me variousnotes drawn from his extensive reading of seventeenth-century diaries and otherdocuments;these are similarly acknowledged.I am also indebted to ProfessorWilliam Popper for help with Hebrew meanings and formations. 2 The countings and tabulations for tables 4 and 5 were done for me by Mr.Donald Drury.I myself am responsible for the other countings and for all thecomputations.All these are slide-rule work,and are presumably accurate to threesignificant figures,although usually the small number of instances available doesnot warrant recording more than two figures. Although the work has been carefully done and some of it double-checked,thereare undoubtedly errors.(I)Some of these are the ordinary errors of human falli-bility.(2)The countings were done from edited reprints,and the editors havepresumably made mistakes.(3)The original records themselves must be sometimesin error;as possible instances,Melatiah,a man's name in the Bible,was apparentlyused chiefly by the Puritans as a woman's name,but is once recorded as a man’sname,and Jerusha,a woman's name in the Bible,is recorded for a man;moreover,my guess would be that Jabesh is a mere misspelling for the commoner Jabez,butsince Jabesh exists as a Biblical name,I can only follow the record.(4)At times acompiler must himself exercise some judgment and is therefore liable to introduceerror.Absolute consistency is impossible.For instance,I have tried to ignore mere University of California Publications in English TABLE1LoNDON:I540-I549 (The total number of individuals is 427) | Name | Number of
occurrences | Per cent | | --- | --- | --- | | I.John...............
2.Thomas..........
3.William..........
4.Richard........·
5.Robert..........
6.Ralph.......
7.Edward...........
8.George............
9.James.........·
ro.Edmund........
Nicholas........
Timothy........
Harry...........
David...........
Adam...........
Christopher......
Henry..........
Samuel.......... | IO4
57
50
3I
24
I4
I3
9
8
7
7
7
6
4
3
3
3
3 | 25·3
I3·3 <

FAQs

What is the main goal of the study?

To demonstrate, primarily through statistical methods, the habits of name-giving among certain New England groups before 1700, using men’s names as the primary focus.

What data structure does the study rely on?

Five countings are presented in tables 1 to 5, with computations performed and reported using slide-rule methods.

How does the study address errors in the counting and tabulation?

It identifies possible error sources including human fallibility, editor mistakes in reprints, inaccuracies in original records, and judgment when deciding what counts as a spelling variation; it notes absolute consistency is impossible.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Skyler