This is not a post about when/who should use first names, but rather some interesting references to popular ones. So, next time you're developing a persona, inventing a pseudonym, or devising names for your imaginary relatives and correspondents, here are some suggestions:
Most Popular Given Names. Lists of the most common names for men and women, arranged by decade (calculated from U.S. Census returns).
The Ladies' Repository (1852) describes the histories of several common female names, including ones still used today (Mary, Sarah, Caroline), and some which have fallen out of favor (Mabel, Blanch).
Godey's lists some "Pretty Names for Girls" in 1855, as an antidote to having 'four Marys, three Anns, three Elizabeths, 1 Sarah, and 1 something else' for every dozen women.
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