Independence Day and Summer Names Are a Blast:
Family History Sources for Funny Names and Much More
Craig L. Foster
This week Americans will celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July. For many, it is not only a time to have picnics and barbeques and watch parades and fireworks. It is a time to reflect upon the freedoms enjoyed and sacrifices made. It is a time for pride and patriotism. It is also a time to enjoy fun, funny and patriotic names found by scanning census, voting, birth and death records, as well as social media and online directories.
Hazel Independence Day was born 4 July 1889 in New Haven, Connecticut. There was also an Independence Day residing in San Jose, California and a Jeremy Firecracker Faith who was born in Los Angeles on 4 July 1991. Other names celebrating freedom and liberty were:
Liberty Bell 1940 Council Bluffs, IA
Yankee Doodle 1900 Smith Valley, NV
There were three Yankee Doodles found residing in the U.S. in 2013.
America Flagg 1898 Yakima, WA
America Freeman 1940 Noblesville, IN
Freedom Freeman 1930 Whitewright, TX
Freeman Liberty 2013 Santa Barbara, CA
America Love 1870 Liberty, MO
Love Liberty Miller 1936 Chattanooga, TN
American Patriot ? Westminster, CO
American H. Patriot ? St. Louis, MO
Uncle Sam 1880 Thibodeaux, LA
Star Spangled 2013 Chicago, IL
United States 1930 Ridgeway, PA
Stars Stripes 2013 Las Vegas, NV
How many have a George Washington in their family History? Since the American Revolution, George Washington has been a popular name in many American families. To a lesser degree, other presidents and American heroes populate old census and other records. Abraham Lincoln was a particularly popular name. Among names (and some included numerous people with the same name) associated with American Independence were:
Benjamin Franklin 1940 Roswell, CO
Nathan Hale 1940 Denver, CO
Patrick Henry 1940 Brevard, NC
Thomas Jefferson 1940 Philadelphia, PA
Marquis Lafayette 1940 Glens Falls, NY
Molly Pitcher 1940 Carroll, MS
Paul Revere 1940 West Bridgewater, MA
Betsy Ross 1940 Philadelphia, PA
Sadly, Americans paid with blood and human life for their independence. The United States has had to defend their freedom through war. There are names reflecting and honoring this history of sacrifice, as well as the military life (and some names that are just downright nutty):
Cannon Ball 1891 Lambeth, London, England
American Cannon 1900 Weston Sparta, GA
Johnny Firecracker 2013 Hollywood, FL
Trixie Firecracker 2013 Wesley Chapel, FL
Margaret D. Fireworks 1826 Gorbals, Lanark, SCOT
Rifle Ham 1900 Cunningham, MO
Bunker Hill 1940 Vershire Town, VT
Army Mann 1880 Haywood, TN
Musket McGrath 1920 Philadelphia, PA
Bunker Hill Moorehill 1964 Pecos, TX
Battle Ware 1880 Livingston, VA
Surprisingly, there was a flipside to American Revolution-themed names. Along with the names of American heroes like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, there were also distinctly British-related names:
Lord Cornwallis 1880 Wilkinson, MS
Lord Cornwallis 1930 Petersburg, VA
King George 1940 Bucyrus, KS
Charles Redcoat 1870 Hollie, NH
There were even several men named Benedict Arnold like Benedict Arnold of Whittier, California (1940) and Benedict Arnold of Saint Charles, Illinois (1930). It kind of makes a person wonder if any of these Benedict Arnolds or Lord Cornwallises ever met a George Washington or Patrick Henry. Now that would have been fun to watch.
Of course there are more than parades and fireworks on Independence Day. Barbeques and picnics are one of the most enjoyable parts of any holiday. Of course, barbeques and picnics are great any of the summer days – or would that be Summer N. Days of Santa Clara, California (1977)? There were a number of people named Summer Day. Lucy Picnic of Lawrence, Massachusetts (1930) or Elizabeth Picnic of Hamtramck, Michigan (1940) would have liked that idea. Barbeque Talley of Milam, Texas (1940) would certainly have been the hit of any barbeque. Following are people named for summer food and fun:
Base Ball 2013 Miami, FL; Merrick, NY; New York, NY
Lemon Barr 1920 Hamburg, FL
Frank N. Beans 1940 Graham, AZ
Mary Root Beers 1857 Charlotte, VT
Vera Cheeseburger 2013 Thomasville, AL
Potato Chip 2013 Tucson, AZ and Freeport, IL
Potatoe Chip 2013 Anderson, SC [Dan Quayle wrote the name]
Robert Corn Cobb 1918 Burke, NC
Peaches Crisp 1940 Springfield, IL
Hot Dog 2013 Wylie, TX
Arthur Ketchup 1940 Pueblo, CO
John Lemonade 2013 Las Vegas, NV
Ice Cream Maker 1911 Los Angeles, CA
Summer Mellon 2013 Yuma, AZ
Dill Pickle 1940 Leake, MS
Sweet Pickle 2013 Lincoln, NE
Apple Pie 1870 Memphis, TN
Cherry Pye 1935 Ojus, FL
Green Salad 1880 Navarro, TX
Ham Sandwich 1910 New Orleans, LA
Ice Cream Slater 1940 Pine Flat, AL
Lemonade Stand 2013 Charlotte, NC and Indianapolis, IN
Peachy Tart 1870 Canton, KY
August Watermelon 1925 Rochester, NY
Remember that doing family history is not only worthwhile and rewarding, it can also be very funny when coming upon funny and interesting names. In between watching the parades and picnics, take a little time to search for your own ancestors and find out if they were Revolutionary War patriots or if they came to America just a few years ago. Visit the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or go online to FamilySearch.org and a host of other websites to find your own ancestors and get to know them.
very interesting…