Many of the baby names that were widely used during colonial times have been out of use for enough time that they’re beginning to sound fresh and cool again. Early Americans used a range of baby names from obscure biblical picks such as Micajah and Zophar, to evocative virtuous word names such as Increase and Prosperity (which honestly wouldn’t sound so out of place today). Of course, the most common boy name during colonial times was John, closely followed by other very classic boy names such as William and Henry.
Along with John and William, other colonial names for boys in the US Top 200 include Abraham, Alexander, Christopher, Elias, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, and Nathaniel. Unique colonial-era nicknames for boys include Cuddy, Dobbin, Fate, Hiley, and Quill.
If you like historic baby names but want to move beyond the Victorian and biblical choices we've heard so much of in recent years, consider these names culled from Revolutionary War rolls and eighteenth-century town histories. Here, our lineup of colonial baby names for boys.
Meaning: drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace
