Martha and Samuel T. Sappington were endowed with fertile minds as well as fertile loins. Between 1838 and 1860, they had at least 8 children. While many modern parents save the flights of fancy for their daughters, the Sappingtons gave their sons matched names:
daughters:
Imogene, b. 1838
Caroline, b. 1844
Hermina, b. 1848
sons:
Devilla, b. 1839
Voltaire, b. 1846
Rousseau, b. 1851
Hume, b. 1853
Lucifer, b. 1859
We've seen this before with the Shattuck family (sons Africa, America, Asia, and Europe) and I'll be on the lookout for more examples. I am acquainted with a family with matched-name daughters (Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, and Aurora) and now I can tell them that matched sets are nothing new in American naming history.
Here's the page from the 1860 Census (little Lucifer is on the next page):
Does anyone with a better grasp of the history of philosophy know who "Devilla" might be? Or is the inclusion of "Devilla" and "Lucifer" a comment on what the Sappingtons thought of European philosophers?
Voltaire and Devilla Sappington both served in Co. K (the Columbus Rifles) of the 14th Mississippi Infantry (C.S.A) during the Civil War.
3 comments:
Absolutely. It's easy to notice a new name like "Madison" from Splash or "Nevaeh" from that Christian rock guy (name escapes me), but easy to forget celebrity/trendy names of the past.
In addition to the presidential name spikes, there are lots of popularity spikes in names from novels. Clara Barton's full name was "Clarissa Harlowe Barton" after the heroine of Clarissa. "Evangeline" as a name was invented by Longfellow in 1847 - there are fewer than 10 Evangelines in the 1850 census, but hundreds in the 1860 census (probably helped along by cousin Harriet's use of the name in Uncle Tom's Cabin.)
I just came across a 1790 work by John Adams called Discourses on Davila. Is this where that name comes from?
Thanks for the history!
Will Sappington
Post a Comment