What a name

My DF had an Aunt Eppie, Sook, who was a Hephzibah. And strangely there’s another one in DH’s family. It’s quite grand, isn’t it?

How wonderful to have such interesting and unusual names. We called our DS something that was unusual at the time and people used to comment on it. About 5 years ago a variation of it became extremely popular so he now sounds like an older person with a ridiculously young persons name. Our DD was given an old family name that absolutely no-one had used in years, again which everyone commented on as so unusual. Yep, several years later a series of books were written with the heroine bearing the same name. Now all she gets is "oh, that's from the blah blah books".
I had a friend called Nelson when I was in my late teens/early 20's.

My great uncle was called Valetorte and his sister was called Hepzibah.

We have a Sampson in our family tree too Mamisso- and a Solomon.

I know 2 young boys named Nelson. The 13 year old is known as Nels . The 11 year old is most definitely Nelson. Not sure why either of them landed up with the name but, hey, it's different!

My DD1 has just had a baby ? and asked me for suggestions of old family names.....she was a bit taken aback when I gave her....Science, Sampson, Pentecost, Hercules, Onesiphorus, Narcissus and Mehetabel. She settled on Jemima but briefly considered Winifred ?

An interesting chap Elegran.

One of my Nans brothers was called Nelson.

With the trend for older and unusual names it would never surprise me to see it pop up somewhere grannyactivist lol.
Today I saw a friend of a friend has a new born son called Oslo. That'll be an unusual name in Dorset!

One of my sons is a great fan of Nelson and also of the Hornblower books. Fortunately he named his dog Nelson, otherwise I might fear for his future children.........

The name Colin can also be derived from the Irish form of Latin columba, meaning ‘dove’, or can be a diminutive of Nicholas, meaning ‘people’s victory’.

Wow! Put the name "Horatio N Hornblower" and "Wookey" into Google and read more about him. (the N was for Nelson, by the way)

There are fashions in names. The Horatio in the OP was born in 1806. Lord Nelson was almost certainly the inspiration - he was shot and killed during his final victory at the Battle of Trafalgar near the port city of Cádiz in 1805. I bet lots of little boys were named Horatio in the following few years.

C. S. Forester's Hornblower books were written starting in the thirties, but they were set at the time of Nelson's career. I wonder whether he saw the name Horatio Hornblower somewhere?

Anyone who has been a lead smelter has probably not had a very long life.
Lead residues damage the brain.
Maybe the parents could not think of any other name,

bigcoll

Scottish Meaning: The name Colin is a Scottish baby name. In Scottish the meaning of the name Colin is: Young dog. A translation of the Gaelic 'Cailean' Also, 'victory of the people'.

Well he may have been immortalised in fiction for eternity as I believe the Hornblower books were written in the 1950’s.
TBH I don’t see what is strange about his name. Many children were named after Nelson both then and more recently. Remember Horatio Bottomley, MP?

Does anyone know what my name means? I know it is originally an Irish name and quite famous in Ireland, but I always wondered what it meant. if it helps, my ancestors came from Cork. I think even my Christian name is unusual over here. I think it is something like "Colm" or "Column" originally, but I am not sure. Anyone help? - Colin Daly

The Census is for 1871, Horatio born in Cornwall is aged 67. He has his wife Mary and 7 year old granddaughter with him.
Cornish connection to the sea possibly.

Named after Midshipman Horatio Hornblower.
Presumably his parents were fans?
Or perhaps the book character was named after him.
What were the lead smelter’s dates?

The name Horatio features large in my family history so maybe Nelson was a busy boy. Not a single Hornblower though.