September 6, 2019
Introduction: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches the U.S. Federal Census to find funny names that parents have given their children. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.
Call me curious or call me bored, but odd and unusual names tickle my fancy.
So, it shouldn’t surprise anyone who follows my popular, shared (and, sadly, often stolen) humor articles that I’ve researched a literal plethora of funny monikers in the U.S. Federal Census.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
For instance, if your surname was Lamb and the family lived on a farm, were the parents tempted to name their child Mary – so that they could say: “Mary was and had a little lamb”?
To find out, I searched the U.S. Federal Census on GenealogyBank. The “Mary Lamb” query returned over 7,000 results – although I was disappointed not to find a girl with the middle name of “Hadda.”
I found a parent named Mary Lamb who had a daughter called Little Lamb!
Animal Names
Turns out there are all kinds of word play names if your surname happens to be an animal name. Some are reversible names like Bird Byrd.
Others are avian combos. Consider Bird Parrott, Bird Peacock or even I. M. Peacock. They’re all found on the census, so try querying if you don’t believe it.
Some of my favorites are the names Ada or Etta Parrott whose name sound like “ate a parrot.” Meal time humor must have gotten old when siblings and friends asked them if they just ate a parrot!
One Etta had others in the family with funny names, such as Minnie and M. E. Parrott – and the bird lover in me notes that there is a type of bird called Myrtle which also showed up in this family.
To be fair, it isn’t just bird names that parents with a droll sense of humor choose. How would you like to be named L. E. Fant?
These are right up there with Cricket Duty – but you can also find parent pranksters who named their children Law Duty, Visa Duty, Washington Duty, Guy Duty and even A. M. Duty.
This last one makes me think that little A. M. must have woken the family up very early as a crying baby!
Harry B.
Sometimes a person’s initials create a sentence, such as Harry B. Sharp.
He is in good company with a variety of “Harry B.” names. Try searching for Harry B. Good or Harry B. Wright and you’ll be certain to find a number of similar examples for people with the middle initial C, not to mention all of the Harry Mann and Harry [animal] names.
Ima Names
A female counterpart is the name Ima, such as Ima Nutt who lived in Texas for many years – but you’ll also find women named Ima Mann, Ima Valentine and even Ima Payne.
Double Meanings
Almost any name with a “double entendre,” or double meaning, can be cleverly chosen, such as Smart Enemy, Smart Shellman or Venus Mars.
Phrases
In the phrase category is High Price along with several counterparts.
Payne Family
In addition to Ima Payne, B. A. Payne, U. S. Payne and Mary A. Payne, you’ll even find several women saddled with the name Fanny Payne!
I could go on and on about funny names recorded on the census, so let me leave you with a patriotic example: Liberty Bond. During World War I, Liberty Bonds were sold to support the Allied cause, about the time that this Liberty Bond was really born.
Isn’t this more fun than a sack full of kittens – an expression undoubtedly heard in the Kitten family?
Here are links to my previous articles on funny names. Don’t forget to query the U.S. Federal Census on GenealogyBank and let us know about any new ones you find.
- A Genealogist Has Fun with Names & Mistaken Identities
- Genealogy Humor: Unusual & Funny Names of People
- Genealogy Humor: Unusual & Funny Names of People (Part II)
- Genealogy Humor: Unusual & Funny Names of People (Part III)
- How to Research a Town’s Genealogy, & Funny Texas Town Names
I’ve found several hilarious names in my extended family tree, and have been keeping a running list:
Peoples Packing Brown, Hardwick Hooks, Fannie Fobbs, Charity Veals, Readie Mae Buly, Feaster Grier, Willie Wormley, Luetesia Wormley, Happy Canty, Fannie Lovelady, Silva Lovelady, Wallas Lovelady, Shamrock Rivers, Horace Absolum Beaver, Balma Glaze, Clammie Craft, Beets Jarion, Hady Bunkly, Columbus Spooney, Watson Goostree, William Bumpus Jernigan, Ewing McGhee Jernigan, Winnie Davis Wuns, Florida Blye, Climby Greek, Jasper Hyde Smotherman, Lee O. Law, Ethel J. McCoo, Wicagah Culpeper, Thomas Lily White Sr., Plum Mulky, Pecola Pelt, Felcey Mae Killings, Fudge Hogbrook, Doctor McDuffy (8 years old), Lawyer McDuffy (8 years old) (both from 1910 census, Hastings, Fla.), Patient Hood, Scrappy Lockett, Bonnie Bake Balls, Date A. Fason, Famous Battles, Boggy Battles, Mary Warrior, Smart Parker, Stits Melvin, Topsy Turner, Gussie S. Goggins, Pet Burrows, Pet Alice Cooper, Joe McClam, Kenneth Shorts — son of John Jeness, Baby Doll Reid, Leola Wigfall, Orange Wiggins, Pumpkin Walker, Hoppie Season, Joke Brewer, Hannie Hicks, Pink Kinney, Pluma Bush, Judge Uggy Nealous, Honnie Huggins, Pebbie Bacon, Havana Bland, Tiny Johnson, Buttman Jones, Hercules L. Neighbors, Crocket Nickelberry, Chase Artdeco Valentine, James William Porn, Messalonskee Duffy, Ziberia Persley-Puryear, T.V. Hall, Perke E. Glenn, Mary Spicy, Elvira Teems, Welthy Guernsey, Curley Purdue, Hurley Purdue, Pompy Munigault, Judith Twopence, George Pickel Queen, Bubber Love Cooper, Earley Pringle, Rural Pringle, Fary Pringle, Pollie Booie, Berry Tater Cobb, Classy Murray, Nicey Brothers, Fannie Person, Champion Bowman, Nimrod Burgett, Illegitimate Patterson (I know, not the real name, but that’s what the Census read), Library Sanders, Dorcas B. Sanders, House Walker, Lotta Walker, Jackson Saxon, Smart Chip, Hog W. Carter, Uneeda P. Hampton, Gypsi Parrott, Dolphus Tankersley, Polly Ann Bolig Beaver, Square Jernigan (also known as Squire, son Dock Jernigan), Polly Porcott, Bascom Green Heath, King Nickleberry, Lucious Hardnett, King Rufus Perkins, Bobby L. Butts, Chub Darisaw, Joke Brewer, L. Sneed High, Plum Mulky, Wanda Waddy, Juanita Waddy, Creasey Peay, Asso Tucker, Creasy Goins, Joe Janitor Waddy, Johnnie Mae Peppers, Milton Duboius Ware, Hezekiah Bones, Gay Farmer, Trevellous Cheek, Munnee Green, Small Locket, Please Crowder, Pleasure Lyons, Destiny Crumbley, Hazzard Snow, Mazzie Chitty Fall, Prude Wilmington Flowers, Weather Nettles, Saucy Puce, Shavious McGill, Meater Timmons, Kootie Nettles, Mulwee Cephas, Titie Hood, Lively Geary, Pennie Shines, Orange Sapp, Undine Self, Crook Lawson, Shug Crump, Georgia Maps, Tink and Tank Daniels (twins), Hershel Fudge Grant, Lawn Brown, Groover McKinnon, Laverne Earl Vern, Black Jack Steven, Winsey A. Suggs, Flim Whitaker,Headley Handy Henderson, Shuford Fizer, Fate Lefall, Layer A. Muff, Layer Barley, Layer Bundick, Silver L. Bell, Palestine Huey, Chauncey Chow, Gussie Yam, Fedora White, Pompy White, Buxie Keels, Clearn D. Mapes, Teaner Whack, Florrie Pet Burrows, Sinclair McClam, Queenie Minus, Dukes (1877) and Hazard (1879) Hanna (brothers), J.D. Slappey, Verlean Boney, Roman Holly, Shamrock Rivers, Jane Thiclips, Love Graves, Mary Jiggetts, Umpstead “Umpsey” Booker, Gemmie Pelt, Baby Pelt, Squeaky Hicks, Flora Spight Funches, Spiddy Foncha, Plato Fann, Sweety Murph, Wood Murph, McCray LaSane, Crutcher Garner, Pinkey Weatherspoon, Hattie Game, Bina Dick, Nicey Langly, Speedy Fulton, Pokey Fulton, Moochie Fulton, Hemp Horsely, Fig Pitts, Otto Pitts, Bus Whitus, Maggie Staggus, Pignese Pendergrass, Ervin Pig Pressley, Polly Mcrae-Cray, Suckey McCutchen, Treasure King, Burney Cool Hallback. Rural Lee Keel, Bootie Scott, Tennessee Garland, Missouri Booker, Poney Jefferson, Honest Favors, Baby Ruth Hallback, Hoggie Hallback, Fancy Thomas, Elver Pressley, Choice F. Lamb, Burleigh Soape, Bus Vann, Freeman Brown Dicks, Napoleon Bonaparte Dudley Walls, Dr. Oliver Hazzard Perry Walls , William Jennings Bryan Walls, Martin van Buren Riggs, Comfort Walls, Temperance Walls, Patience Walls, John Wilkes Booth (likely my most famous relative in the last two centuries), William Ayres Walls (Bill Ayres?), Andrew Jackson Walls, Bathsheba Walls, Prettyman Walls, Levi and Levin Walls (twins), Leroy “Red” Bethea (met him on his farm in Hastings, Florida), Erasmus Darwin Dingle, Nancy Spurgeon, Giles Bethea, Manlove Walls, Beeks Gears, Annie Hester Mustard Walls, Dr. Job Walls, William Tell Walls, Nimrod Walls of Oblong, Illinois, Zipporah Jefferson, Pinkey J. Jester, Hester E. Jester (God rest her), Gideon Walls married Loleta, 44 years his junior. Now that’s a real Lolita! J. Molten Blizzard, H. Truitt Pettyjohn, Catherine B. Kitty Mustard, Wealthy Brown, Emma Etta Ella Butts, Columbus Butts, William Jennings Bryan (not that WJB), Grover Cleveland (not that Grover Cleveland either), Royal Stanton Hall, Zella Bonham Carter, Gibbons L. Pharaoah, Ury Reddish, H.R. Geiger, Arizona Pitts, Eldridge Saxton Whidden, Epanimous E. Holland, Badger Welton Biggs, Wiley E. McCall, Tweedy Nevin, Dimmer Jones, Craven Tate, Paradine Hack, George Temple Trusty, Alfred Esau High, C.S. Smoke, Sallie Talley, Ellinder Rottinberry (now that’s some strange fruit there).
Tom,
That’s quite a list you shared. Thanks for the laughs.
Mary
I cant believe I opened this to find my granfathers name! He was Cricket Duty! Although they spelled it Duety. My uncle was also named Cricket but preferred to be called Jr.
Also amusing that grandpa married Hallie who would become Hallie Duety!
Good ones, Darrell! Thanks for writing us.
Sounds like his parents had a sense of humor. Thanks for sharing.