Don't get the wrong idea. We're neither for nor against pulling the stake from the chest of the Catholic church in Quebec. It's just that we've come up with yet another Coolopolis idea of massive proportions.
We are seeking to raise a dime (of your money) per baby born in Quebec, to build an incentive fund, the dollars from which will help convince those all-too-scarce Quebecoise mothers that they should name their babies something interesting.
We don't mean Julie, Stephane, Melanie, Sylvie and Sylvain, Patrick, Jacqueline, Marc, Valerie ... or Zzzz!
Yo chill! Nothing against those names, but they are being stamped out more often than Jason was at its anglo peak. Thing is, a lot of Quebecers claim to be fighting for their culture, but they have turned their backs on one of their most amazing assets from the past: cool baby names.
Here's just a wee overview from a couple of random pages of a 1910 directory. Coolopolis says: bring 'em back!
Male:Achille, Aime, Alderic, Benonnie, Elisee, Euclide, Evariste, Gustave, Horace, Hormisdas, Isaie, Moise, Narcisse, Onesime, Oza, Philorum, Theophile, Seraphin, Ulysse, Zephirin.
Female:Adeline, Delisca, Domithilde, Fulmina, Lactance, Lauria, Malvina, Octavie, Philomene, Rosalie.
Yeah, we know there are more chaps than chicks. But only widows and spinsters used to be counted. If you have an addition, post it in comments.
We are seeking to raise a dime (of your money) per baby born in Quebec, to build an incentive fund, the dollars from which will help convince those all-too-scarce Quebecoise mothers that they should name their babies something interesting.
We don't mean Julie, Stephane, Melanie, Sylvie and Sylvain, Patrick, Jacqueline, Marc, Valerie ... or Zzzz!
Yo chill! Nothing against those names, but they are being stamped out more often than Jason was at its anglo peak. Thing is, a lot of Quebecers claim to be fighting for their culture, but they have turned their backs on one of their most amazing assets from the past: cool baby names.
Here's just a wee overview from a couple of random pages of a 1910 directory. Coolopolis says: bring 'em back!
Male:Achille, Aime, Alderic, Benonnie, Elisee, Euclide, Evariste, Gustave, Horace, Hormisdas, Isaie, Moise, Narcisse, Onesime, Oza, Philorum, Theophile, Seraphin, Ulysse, Zephirin.
Female:Adeline, Delisca, Domithilde, Fulmina, Lactance, Lauria, Malvina, Octavie, Philomene, Rosalie.
Yeah, we know there are more chaps than chicks. But only widows and spinsters used to be counted. If you have an addition, post it in comments.
Telesphore, Janvier, Tancrede, Odilien...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cafe.rapidus.net/jhuriaux/femmesa.html
Polydor (m)
ReplyDeleteIgnace (m)
Isidore (m)
Elegance (f)
Muguette (sp?) (f)
...nice work, great concept!
I don't think my link shows up properly...it takes you to a site with over 20 000 'old Quebec' names.
ReplyDeleteOne of my faves was Aberdine (sic, and pronounced Abairdzin) for those with Scottish roots in rural Quebec...e.g. tous les "Blackburn" etc., etc.
ReplyDeleteA. Nonymous
Sorry, I think Blackburn is English. Anonymous regrets the error.
ReplyDeleteMy girlfriend's ancestors include Odile, Zoël and Steneslaus.
ReplyDeleteHow about Clothilde..
ReplyDeleteA good place to collect those names is in the older part of any Quebec cemetery (except Mount Royal, which runs more to the Scots): I took a few photos recently in the Ile Bizard graveyard and can contribute Théodule, Honorine, Osias, Alzire, Cléophas, Alphonsine and Ovila (a man's name) to the pile. Also, nobody calls their kids Omer any more - it's a shame.
ReplyDeleteJust scanning this list of the mayors of Montreal gives us Wolfred, Séraphin, Aldis, Sévère, Honoré, Octave, Hormidas, Médéric, Camillien, Adhémar and Sarto.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, and what about Ludger?