I came across a wonderful post about real names versus muppet names. Here’s the link to the webiste called Vast Public Indifference. And here are some examples of real names that could be muppet names:

Bathsheba Bugbee (b. 26 Jan 1795)
Hannah Hobby (b. 19 Nov 1720)
Appleton Osgood (b. 15 May 1788)
Orange Wedge (b. 3 Oct. 1775)

I was so entertained by the idea, I decided to see what happened if I pulled up a list of Delaware Township residents from my database. Turns out our early ancestors were not nearly as colorful with their naming policies as I had assumed. There are an awful lot of ordinary English names on the list, like Charles and Mary Wolverton, and John and Elizabeth Reading, and John and Elizabeth Holcombe.

The best names are first and last names that come together in a nearly poetic way. There are just a few muppet-worthy names, such as:

Charity Barber (c.1784- )
Benjamin Bodine (1794-1875)
Godfrey Boss (c.1725-before 1816)
Catherine Corle (c.1740-c.1782)
Laughlin Curry (c.1737-1803)
Enoch Ent (c.1814- )
Valentine Ent (c.1720-1770) or better yet, Valentine Ent Butterfoss (1797-1848)
Evans Godown (c.1723-c.1778)
Wheeler Kitchen (c.1725-1785)
Johanna Lequear (1737-1825) married George Trout
Amos Marseles (1803-1870)
Simon Myers (1790-1884)
Peter Prall (1722-1772), Sarah Sutton (1789-1863),  and
Gideon Rouser (1715-1783)
Tobias Shadinger (c.1814-1871)
Rosina Sine (c.1790- )
and Lucretia Trout (1781-1866) who married Peter Prall (above)

Sometimes you just get great first names with ordinary surnames, like these:

Agesilaus Gordon (c.1745-1815) and Othniel Gordon (1774-1826)
Isachar Hoagland (1803-1870)
Albertus King (1781-1845)
Uriah Larew (1794-1859)
Albertus Myers (1751-1839)
Ozias Parkes (1792-1877)
Izer Rake (c.1812-aft. 1860)

anyone named Jerusha or Elnathan, Keturah or Permelia (there were several)

I have some favorite surnames that only come with ordinary given names. Many of them are French or German names that have been somewhat anglicized:

Arnwine, Bearder, Besson, Bosenbury, Bray, Butterfoss, Kyple, Crum,

Coats, Covenhoven, Cowdrick, Dalrymple, Eicke, Gano, Heed, Hudnut,

Lair, Large, Oats, Pegg, Quinby, Rambo, Risler, Rittenhouse, Rooks, Runkle,

Slack, Stout, Swallow, Trout, Waterhouse, Werts, Yawger

No doubt I’ve missed a few good ones. All in all, I’d have to say that it is the New England names that take the cake.

I should say to all those whose family names I have mentioned, this is only meant in good spirits, and in an appreciation of diversity and creativity. Over the years, I’ve come to have a fondness for all of them. And, after all, with a name like Goodspeed, I am in no position to poke fun. A couple of my own favorite ancestors were named Mercy Jolly and Canada Wait.