Most common first names list
Baptismal Records 1867-1880
Rathdowney Roman Catholic parish
I have taken most of the first names in the baptismal records of the parish of Rathdowney, Laois for the years 1867-1880.
People in other countries seem to think that the Irish all had two first names. That is not true. People of the Church of Ireland and perhaps other non Catholic religions had two first names but not the Catholics. I hold that Catholics only took on two first names post 1900. I have 4 siblings and not one of us has two first names..
There was a total of 3146 first names in my table. I have the names of the parents and the children i.e. 3 names per record. Some of the first names were difficult to read, these have been excluded.
Of those 3146 first names there are only 28 people who have two first names. Everybody else has one only first name.
A number of first names are spelled without a letter, in a different way. I have lined up all the first names and I have ‘added’ the numbers of each first name to give me a total. So, when you look at this list, if you see only one number but a few first names then that number is the total of however many people there were for each first name.
Mary is the most common female name with 427 of these people having the first name Mary (plain Mary)
John is the most common male name with 338 people having John or Jon as a first name.
I am giving you an index which is alphabetically sorted so it will be easy for you to find the first name you are interested in. I have sorted the names so that names which are shortened versions of the full name, nicknames of the full name lie together.
As I was loading this file I noticed that I had made a few mistakes or rather missed a bit of lining up similar names with one another. You’ll be able to see where I missed these quite easily.
Eliza can be a shortened version of Elizabeth.
The short name or nickname for Catherine can be Kate
Ellen can be Helen
Fanny is a short for Frances
Jermh is Jeremiah.
Finally, while I have a table here which is sorted alphabetically by name, if you want to see which of the names are most common please go to the table beneath.
List with names in alphabetical order
| Name | No of people | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander | 2 | ||||||||
| Alice | 1 | ||||||||
| Anastasia | 1 | also | Anistacia | also | Anty | ||||
| Andrew | 10 | ||||||||
| Ann | 116 | also | Anne | ||||||
| Ann Mary | 1 | ||||||||
| Anna Mary | 1 | ||||||||
| Arnold | 1 | ||||||||
| Bartholmw | 2 | also | Bartholw | ||||||
| Bernard | 1 | ||||||||
| Bridget | 291 | also | Biddy | also | Bridgt | and | Brigt | ||
| Bridget Elizabeth | 1 | ||||||||
| Catherine | 105 | ||||||||
| Catherine Mary | 1 | ||||||||
| Charles | 14 | ||||||||
| Charlotte | 6 | ||||||||
| Christopher | 5 | also | Christy | ||||||
| Cornelius | 4 | also | Con | ||||||
| Daniel | 50 | also | Dan | also | Danil (sic) | and | Danl. | ||
| Denis | 30 | ||||||||
| Dominick | 3 | also | Dominic | ||||||
| Dympna | 2 | also | Dymna | ||||||
| Edmond | 5 | also | Edmund | ||||||
| Edward | 45 | also | Edwd | also | Ewd | and | Ned | ||
| Eliza | 73 | also | Elliza | ||||||
| Elizabeth | 17 | also | Bess | also | Bessy | and | Betty | ||
| Ellen | 67 | ||||||||
| Ellenor | 2 | ||||||||
| Esther | 5 | ||||||||
| Eugene | 2 | ||||||||
| Fanny | 8 | also | Fany | ||||||
| Fintan | 4 | ||||||||
| Francis | 2 | ||||||||
| Francis Joseph | 1 | ||||||||
| George | 2 | ||||||||
| Gertrude | 1 | ||||||||
| Grace | 1 | ||||||||
| Hanna | 1 | ||||||||
| Harry | 1 | ||||||||
| Henena | 1 | ||||||||
| Henry | 5 | ||||||||
| Hie (sic) | 1 | ||||||||
| Honoria | 78 | also | Honora | also | Oney | ||||
| Hubert | 1 | ||||||||
| J. Edward | 1 | ||||||||
| James | 133 | also | Jas. | ||||||
| Jane | 9 | ||||||||
| Jas. E. | 2 | ||||||||
| Jas. Patrick | 1 | ||||||||
| Jeremiah | 3 | also | Jer. | also | Jeremiagh | and | |||
| Jermh. | 18 | ||||||||
| Jno George | 1 | ||||||||
| Johana | 13 | ||||||||
| Johanna | 26 | ||||||||
| John | 338 | also | Jon | ||||||
| John Francis | 1 | ||||||||
| John Joseph | 1 | ||||||||
| John William | 1 | ||||||||
| Joseph | 33 | also | Joe | ||||||
| Judy | 43 | also | Judeth | also | Judith | ||||
| Julia | 22 | ||||||||
| Julia Ann | 1 | ||||||||
| July Agnes | 1 | ||||||||
| Kate | 100 | ||||||||
| Kyran | 10 | also | Kieran | ||||||
| Laurence | 4 | ||||||||
| Lucy | 11 | ||||||||
| Margaret | 172 | also | Mar | also | Margret | and | Margt | also | Peggy |
| Martha | 5 | ||||||||
| Martin | 60 | also | Marten | ||||||
| Mary | 427 | also | Maria | ||||||
| Mary Agnes | 2 | ||||||||
| Mary Ann | 39 | also | Mary Anne | ||||||
| Mary Catherine | 2 | ||||||||
| Mary Ellen | 1 | ||||||||
| Mary Jane | 1 | ||||||||
| Mathew | 5 | ||||||||
| Maurice | 1 | ||||||||
| May | 2 | ||||||||
| Michael | 159 | also | Mic (sic) | also | Michl. | ||||
| Michael John | 1 | ||||||||
| Michl John | 1 | ||||||||
| Mick | 1 | ||||||||
| Murtagh | 3 | also | Murta | ||||||
| Nancy | 4 | ||||||||
| Nanni | 1 | ||||||||
| Nannie M. | 1 | ||||||||
| Nanny | 4 | also | Nanne | also | Nano | ||||
| Nicholas | 7 | also | Nicolas (sic) | ||||||
| Nora | 2 | ||||||||
| Owen | 1 | ||||||||
| P. Joseph | 1 | ||||||||
| Patrick | 234 | also | Pat | also | Patt | ||||
| Patrick J. | 1 | ||||||||
| Patrick Joseph | 3 | ||||||||
| Patt John | 1 | ||||||||
| Peter | 23 | ||||||||
| Philip | 8 | also | Phil | ||||||
| Rhody | 1 | ||||||||
| Richd | 4 | also | Rody | ||||||
| Robert | 15 | ||||||||
| Rosand | 1 | ||||||||
| Sally or Lally | 1 | ||||||||
| Sam | 1 | ||||||||
| Sarah | 23 | also | Saragh | also | Serah | ||||
| Sarah Eliza | 1 | ||||||||
| Simon | 1 | ||||||||
| Stephen | 7 | ||||||||
| Susan | 1 | ||||||||
| Terence | 2 | ||||||||
| Thomas | 91 | also | Thos. | also | Ths. | and | Tom | ||
| Timothy | 30 | also | Tim | ||||||
| William | 114 | also | Wm. | ||||||
| Winifred | 3 |
List with names and numbers of name. Lowest to highest numbers
| Name | No of people | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice | 1 | ||||||||
| Anastasia | 1 | also | Anistacia | also | Anty | ||||
| Ann Mary | 1 | ||||||||
| Anna Mary | 1 | ||||||||
| Arnold | 1 | ||||||||
| Bernard | 1 | ||||||||
| Bridget Elizabeth | 1 | ||||||||
| Catherine Mary | 1 | ||||||||
| Francis Joseph | 1 | ||||||||
| Gertrude | 1 | ||||||||
| Grace | 1 | ||||||||
| Hanna | 1 | ||||||||
| Harry | 1 | ||||||||
| Henena | 1 | ||||||||
| Hie (sic) | 1 | ||||||||
| Hubert | 1 | ||||||||
| J. Edward | 1 | ||||||||
| Jas. Patrick | 1 | ||||||||
| Jno George | 1 | ||||||||
| John Francis | 1 | ||||||||
| John Joseph | 1 | ||||||||
| John William | 1 | ||||||||
| Julia Ann | 1 | ||||||||
| July Agnes | 1 | ||||||||
| Mary Ellen | 1 | ||||||||
| Mary Jane | 1 | ||||||||
| Maurice | 1 | ||||||||
| Michael John | 1 | ||||||||
| Michl John | 1 | ||||||||
| Mick | 1 | ||||||||
| Nanni | 1 | ||||||||
| Nannie M. | 1 | ||||||||
| Owen | 1 | ||||||||
| P. Joseph | 1 | ||||||||
| Patrick J. | 1 | ||||||||
| Patt John | 1 | ||||||||
| Rhody | 1 | ||||||||
| Rosand | 1 | ||||||||
| Sally or Lally | 1 | ||||||||
| Sam | 1 | ||||||||
| Sarah Eliza | 1 | ||||||||
| Simon | 1 | ||||||||
| Susan | 1 | ||||||||
| Alexander | 2 | ||||||||
| Bartholmw | 2 | also | Bartholw | ||||||
| Dympna | 2 | also | Dymna | ||||||
| Ellenor | 2 | ||||||||
| Eugene | 2 | ||||||||
| Francis | 2 | ||||||||
| George | 2 | ||||||||
| Jas. E. | 2 | ||||||||
| Mary Agnes | 2 | ||||||||
| Mary Catherine | 2 | ||||||||
| May | 2 | ||||||||
| Nora | 2 | ||||||||
| Terence | 2 | ||||||||
| Dominick | 3 | also | Dominic | ||||||
| Jeremiah | 3 | also | Jer. | also | Jeremiagh | and | |||
| Murtagh | 3 | also | Murta | ||||||
| Patrick Joseph | 3 | ||||||||
| Winifred | 3 | ||||||||
| Cornelius | 4 | also | Con | ||||||
| Fintan | 4 | ||||||||
| Laurence | 4 | ||||||||
| Nancy | 4 | ||||||||
| Nanny | 4 | also | Nanne | also | Nano | ||||
| Richd | 4 | also | Rody | ||||||
| Christopher | 5 | also | Christy | ||||||
| Edmond | 5 | also | Edmund | ||||||
| Esther | 5 | ||||||||
| Henry | 5 | ||||||||
| Martha | 5 | ||||||||
| Mathew | 5 | ||||||||
| Charlotte | 6 | ||||||||
| Nicholas | 7 | also | Nicolas (sic) | ||||||
| Stephen | 7 | ||||||||
| Fanny | 8 | also | Fany | ||||||
| Philip | 8 | also | Phil | ||||||
| Jane | 9 | ||||||||
| Andrew | 10 | ||||||||
| Kyran | 10 | also | Kieran | ||||||
| Lucy | 11 | ||||||||
| Johana | 13 | ||||||||
| Charles | 14 | ||||||||
| Robert | 15 | ||||||||
| Elizabeth | 17 | also | Bess | also | Bessy | and | Betty | ||
| Jermh. | 18 | ||||||||
| Julia | 22 | ||||||||
| Peter | 23 | ||||||||
| Sarah | 23 | also | Saragh | also | Serah | ||||
| Johanna | 26 | ||||||||
| Denis | 30 | ||||||||
| Timothy | 30 | also | Tim | ||||||
| Joseph | 33 | also | Joe | ||||||
| Mary Ann | 39 | also | Mary Anne | ||||||
| Judy | 43 | also | Judeth | also | Judith | ||||
| Edward | 45 | also | Edwd | also | Ewd | and | Ned | ||
| Daniel | 50 | also | Dan | also | Danil (sic) | and | Danl. | ||
| Martin | 60 | also | Marten | ||||||
| Ellen | 67 | ||||||||
| Eliza | 73 | also | Elliza | ||||||
| Honoria | 78 | also | Honora | also | Oney | ||||
| Thomas | 91 | also | Thos. | also | Ths. | and | Tom | ||
| Kate | 100 | ||||||||
| Catherine | 105 | ||||||||
| William | 114 | also | Wm. | ||||||
| Ann | 116 | also | Anne | ||||||
| James | 133 | also | Jas. | ||||||
| Michael | 159 | also | Mic (sic) | also | Michl. | ||||
| Margaret | 172 | also | Mar | also | Margret | and | Margt | also | Peggy |
| Patrick | 234 | also | Pat | also | Patt | ||||
| Bridget | 291 | also | Biddy | also | Bridgt | and | Brigt | ||
| John | 338 | also | Jon | ||||||
| Mary | 427 | also | Maria |