Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Christmas Names in the Ancestry.com Records

Here's an oldie but a goodie for my devoted readers --

I was devastated when, several years ago, Dan Lynch posted 
about Christmas characters on his web site, http://www.1930census.com/santa_clause.php. I had worked on most of those names for two weeks and was waiting for the "season" to post them.

So, here are the rest of my "character" findings (originally posted in 2006) with some recent additions:

1) Ebenezer Scroggs (1850, Harrison County OH) is as close to Ebenezer Scrooge as I can get.

2) Robert Crachet (1880, Scott County AR). Another Robert Crachet flew into New York City from Paris on Air France on 2 August 1956 - maybe to perform in a play on Broadway?

3) Three Grinch brothers (Charles, John and Lenwards) came into New York City on 6 September 1875 aboard the "Egypt." There is no word if they came to steal Christmas. Obviously, if they did, they failed.

4) There is a Jasper Magi and Baldermo Magi (1930, Fairfield County CT) but no Melchior; there are Gaspar Wiseman (1930, Queens County NY) and Melvin Wiseman (1930, Muskegon county MI), but no Balthasar or similar.

5) There are 18 Harold Angel persons in the 1930 census. No Hark Angel, however.

6) Sila Knight (1870, Randolph County, AL) is the closest to Silent Night I could find. Lots of Silas Knight people.

7) There are 3 Noel Noel persons in the 1930 census.

8) Angel Angel (1930, Maricopa County AZ) is one of the repeating angels.

9) There are two Merry Christmas girls in the 1930 census (there are lots of Mary Christmas females too).

10) Holly Bush (1930, Roanoke County VA) sticks out.

11) Christ Tree (1930, LaPorte County IN) probably extended his branches

12) Jessie Manger (1930, Polk County IA) - parents were not Joseph and Mary

13) Then there are Santa's reindeer: Were they:

* Cupid Wiseman
* Melvin Dancer
* Hugo Blitzen
* Chris Donder
* Rudolf Dasher
* Dasher Berry
* Prancer Saner
* Vixen Locke
* Theodore Comet

Just wondering!!

14) You know, if Bah Morgan (1900, Stephenson IL) had married Cecil Humbug (1900, Delaware County PA) we would have had more Humbugs than we would know what to do with.

15) I'm wondering if Alvin Monk (1930, Schoharie County NY), Simon Monk (1930, Lonoke AR) and Theodore Monk (1930, Cotton County OK) really got together in 1958 to sing The Chipmunk Song. Maybe they weren't a figment of Ross Bagdasarian's imagination!

OK, I'm done! I hope you enjoyed this little prance down Santa Claus Lane.

What other Christmas related names are there? C'mon, lay them on me.


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Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver



3 comments:

Chris said...

Felix Navidad is in the 1930 Mexican census. Joy Noelle lived in Blairsville, GA in 2000. There are many listings for M. Nollag. The Irish term is Merry Nollag. I had to stretch for the Norwegian God Jul. But in the 1925 City Directory there is a Good Whojesaaw Jul.

Merry Christmas.

Chris said...

That is the 1925 San Francisco city Directory.

Larry said...

I grew up in Marshall, Saline, Missouri, and lived only a block and a half from Santa Claus. He was a minister who tried to live up to his name.