Findings are based on information from the 1851 census: selecting only men who were born 1740-1820, and who were living in Caernarvonshire in 1851. Total number of individuals included is 16 106.
The five most common names were:
John 18.8%
William 17.3%
Robert 10.7%
Thomas 7.1%
Richard 6.1%
Over half of the men were called John, William, Robert or Thomas.
Over two-thirds of the men were called John, William, Robert, Thomas, Richard, Owen or Hugh.
1.8% (293) of the men had unusual names--those which were shared by 5 or fewer individuals. A handful of these appeared to be foreign immigrant names (Jovge, Reinhard), or women who had accidently been marked as male on the census return (Elizabeth, Mary).
 | Names | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| John | 18.8% | |
| William | 17.3% | |
| Robert | 10.7% | |
| Thomas | 7.1% | |
| Richard, Owen or Hugh | 17.3% | |
| David, Griffith or Evan | 12.7% | |
| Henry, Edward, Ellis, Morris, Humphrey or James | 7.5% | |
| Daniel, Rowland, Lewis, Joseph, Samuel, Elias, George, Pierce, Peter, Charles, Morgan, Benjamin, Isaac, Rice, Ebenezer, Cadwalader, Michael, Moses, Abraham, Enoch, Francis, Mathew, Maurice, Harry, Jeremiah, Rees, Solomon, Mark, Patrick, Roger, Edmund, Emanuel, Nathaniel, Arthur, Philip, Abel, Howel, Jacob, Jonathan, Marris, Price, Erasmus, Foulk, Jane, Watkin | 6.7% | |
| Names shared by 5 people or fewer | 1.8% |
All names, ranked with the most popular first.
| Names \ year born | 1740-1759 | 1760-1779 | 1780-1799 | 1800-1820 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John | 3 | 200 | 971 | 1861 | 3035 |
| William | 1 | 234 | 851 | 1702 | 2788 |
| Robert | 4 | 116 | 556 | 1041 | 1717 |
| Thomas | - | 67 | 364 | 708 | 1139 |
| Richard | 1 | 66 | 280 | 628 | 975 |
| Owen | - | 53 | 291 | 584 | 928 |
| Hugh | 1 | 48 | 262 | 578 | 889 |
| David | - | 50 | 219 | 456 | 725 |
| Griffith | - | 55 | 222 | 438 | 715 |
| Evan | - | 46 | 190 | 374 | 610 |
| Henry | - | 25 | 106 | 210 | 341 |
| Edward | - | 22 | 84 | 183 | 289 |
| Ellis | - | 5 | 59 | 114 | 178 |
| Morris | - | 14 | 40 | 115 | 169 |
| Humphrey | - | 14 | 37 | 78 | 129 |
| James | - | 10 | 22 | 75 | 107 |
| Daniel | - | 3 | 25 | 60 | 88 |
| Rowland | - | 8 | 33 | 47 | 88 |
| Lewis | - | 1 | 24 | 56 | 81 |
| Joseph | - | 4 | 18 | 54 | 76 |
| Samuel | - | 4 | 17 | 46 | 67 |
| Elias | - | 3 | 14 | 42 | 59 |
| George | - | 1 | 15 | 33 | 49 |
| Pierce | - | 4 | 11 | 19 | 34 |
| Peter | - | - | 6 | 27 | 33 |
| Charles | - | - | 10 | 22 | 32 |
| Morgan | - | 1 | 9 | 20 | 30 |
| Benjamin | - | - | 7 | 22 | 29 |
| Isaac | - | - | 9 | 20 | 29 |
| Rice | - | 4 | 6 | 17 | 27 |
| Ebenezer | - | - | 7 | 15 | 22 |
| Cadwalader | - | 2 | 9 | 10 | 21 |
| Michael | - | 1 | 5 | 15 | 21 |
| Moses | - | 1 | 7 | 13 | 21 |
| Abraham | - | - | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| Enoch | - | 2 | 5 | 11 | 18 |
| Francis | - | 2 | 5 | 9 | 16 |
| Mathew | - | 1 | 5 | 8 | 14 |
| Maurice | - | - | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| Harry | - | 3 | 2 | 8 | 13 |
| Jeremiah | - | - | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| Rees | - | - | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Solomon | - | 3 | 2 | 7 | 12 |
| Mark | - | - | 2 | 9 | 11 |
| Patrick | - | - | 3 | 8 | 11 |
| Roger | - | - | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Edmund | - | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 |
| Emanuel | - | - | 2 | 8 | 10 |
| Nathaniel | - | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| Arthur | - | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| Philip | - | - | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Abel; Price | - | - | 2 | 5 | 2 x 7 |
| Howel | - | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Jacob | - | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Jonathan; Marris | - | - | 1 | 6 | 2 x 7 |
| Erasmus | - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Foulk; Jane | - | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 x 6 |
| Watkin | - | - | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Cornelius; Job | - | - | 1 | 4 | 2 x 5 |
| Edwin | - | - | - | 5 | 5 |
| Eliazer | - | 1 | - | 4 | 5 |
| Joshua; Salmon | - | - | 2 | 3 | 2 x 5 |
| Andrew; Simon | - | - | 2 | 2 | 2 x 4 |
| Bennett; Ismael | - | - | 1 | 3 | 2 x 4 |
| Frederic; Josiah; Trevor; Zachariah | - | - | - | 4 | 4 x 4 |
| Anthony; Elizabeth; Herbert; Reod; Roderick | - | - | 1 | 2 | 5 x 3 |
| Davis | - | 2 | - | 1 | 3 |
| Llewelyn | - | - | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Margaret | - | - | - | 3 | 3 |
| Rickard | - | - | 3 | - | 3 |
| Aaron; Grace; Jason; Martin; Nehemiah; Nicholas; Zacchens | - | - | 1 | 1 | 7 x 2 |
| Alexander; Gabriel; Hezekiah; Joan; Lloyd; Martha; Stephen; Zacheus | - | - | - | 2 | 8 x 2 |
| Anne | - | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Christopher; Mayrick | - | 1 | - | 1 | 2 x 2 |
| Mathias; Myrick; Sampson; Seth | - | - | 2 | - | 4 x 2 |
| Adam; Coben; Dugh; Elizcus; Hy; Richolas | - | 1 | - | - | 6 x 1 |
| Absalom; Alice; Amelius; Anwyl; Archibald; Bartholomew; Bede; Caleb; Catherine; Cavid; Charlotte; Conway; Ed; Edger; Elan; Elaonsh; Eliyaus; Enna; Evva; Ezekial; Forelk; Goronwy; Green; Herdy; Hoodras; Israel; Louis; Love; Margan; Marvis; Mary; Methusalem; Phelwell; Reinhard; Rhys; Shew; Tinotheus | - | - | 1 | - | 37 x 1 |
| Achacego; Adeniah; Albert; Alfred; Anna; Ardson; Arthyn; Asaph; Augustus; Avel; Awen; Azariah; Belias; Bermward; Bleddyn; Brent; Caderaladie; Cara; Chenezer; Christinas; Con; Cran; Cyril; Dafydd; Daver; Davie; Deicus; Dennis; Donson; Edan; Eleanor; Elingen; Elins; Elizeus; Ellen; Emma; Eston; Ewan; Eward; Felix; Floyekiah; Fowlh; Frank; Gawan; Gilbert; Glynn; Groulchmar; Gwen; Gydwaladar; Hamilton; Handry; Hannah; Hedwertt; Homas; Horace; Hosea; Houlb; Howald; Ino; Ira; Jabes; Jeffery; Jonah; Josie; Jovge; Jubey; Leary; Lechariah; Mare; Maria; Marie; Marls; Merad; Meris; Mescok; Meshak; Methusela; Nichard; Noah; Obadiah; Oliver; Olwen; Orris; Palur; Phineas; Prichard; Pual; Purex; Rachael; Ralph; Reuben; Ricard; Robant; Robe; Rotchard; Rumsey; Sadrech; Sebastian; Sebeanus; Spencer; St George; Susanna; Swan; Theophilus; Timothy; Titus; Tudor; Vincent; Walter; Zyard | - | - | - | 1 | 110 x 1 |
| Total | 10 | 1095 | 4946 | 10055 | 16106 |
My analysis is presented with thanks to ancestry.co.uk whose free online access to basic 1851 census data allowed me to complete this study.