Victorian names are having a revival, from Ada and Florence to Arthur and Albert. This Victorian name generator uses first names that were genuinely popular in 19th-century Britain, with English surnames, and can add a title or one of the period's more surprising jobs, like knocker-upper or mudlark.
Popular Victorian names
The most common names stayed remarkably stable through the century: William, John, George, Thomas and James for boys; Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah and Ann for girls. Around them came fashions:
- Royal names such as Albert, Alfred and Victoria spread after the royal family made them popular.
- Flower and jewel names, like Violet, Rose and Lily, became fashionable for girls later in the century.
- Latin number names, like Septimus (seventh), were given in large families.
- Florence took off after Florence Nightingale's fame in the Crimean War.
Victorian jobs
The With a Victorian job format adds a real occupation from the period:
- Knocker-upper: woke workers by tapping on windows with a long pole before alarm clocks were common.
- Mudlark: searched the Thames mud at low tide for anything worth selling.
- Costermonger: sold fruit and vegetables from a barrow in the street.
- Crossing sweeper: swept a path across muddy streets for a tip.
A job turns a name into a character straight away.
Using the names
- Titles mattered. Mr, Mrs and Miss were used constantly; first names were for family and close friends.
- For steampunk, pair a Victorian name with an inventor's job.
- For earlier centuries, see the Medieval and Anglo-Saxon name generators.