I made a survey of various census records which I found freely available online. Unfortunately, these records are extremely limited due to the fact most censuses of the era did not record names, and those records which still exist are only occasionally made available to a local history enthusiast who finds the time to transcribe them and host them online.
All this has likely biased the results towards names popular in certain locations, or excluded those popular in others. Perhaps one day I'll get my hands on a whole slew of church and census records, and improve or confirm my results.
The data I used was in most cases from a 1841 or 1851 census. I sorted through and picked out all the individuals who were 40 or 50 or over (repectively) to get a list of people who were alive in 1801.
In short: take the following as an informal survey, and just a guide.
Women's names in 1801
20% of women were called Mary. Two thirds of all women were called Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Ann or Hannah. 3% of women had particularly unusual names (only 1 or 2 examples found in survey).
Ranked by the number of individuals with the following names out of 1,973 women who were alive in 1801, found in census records:
403: Mary (20%)
299: Elizabeth (15%)
238: Sarah (12%)
226: Ann (11%)
160: Hannah (8%)
70: Jane
52: Martha
31: Margaret
30: Rebecca
26: Ellen; Susannah
25: Betty; Catherine
23: Lydia
21: Frances
19: Dorothy; Isabella
18: Grace
16: Charlotte; Susan
15: Esther
13: Alice
12: Nancy
11: Harriet
10: Maria; Rachael
9: Ruth
8: Fanny; Lucy
6: Eliza
5: Eleanor; Hester
4: Amelia; Amy; Deborah; Dinah; Edith; Letitia; Matilda; Phoebe; Sophia
3: Betsy; Emma; Jemima; Mercy; Nanny; Priscilla; Rhoda/Rhoday/Rhodee
2: Bridget; Caroline; Diana; Janet; Joanna; Judith; Kitty; Louisa; Margery;
Marianne; Millicent; Patience; Sally
1: Abigail; Agnes; Anna; Arabella; Aspasia; Carol; Carolina; Christiana; Faith;
Haidae; Henrietta; Ibarrith; Jennetta; Juliana; June; Lettice; Love; Mabel;
Marion; Olivia; Peggy; Sabra; Sidonia; Silvinnia; Suzy; Sylance; Tabitha; Tasey;
Tayphina; Theodosia; Theophelea; Theresa; Vinor; Virtue; Zillah| All women's names found, in alphabetical order: Abigail, Agnes, Alice, Amelia, Amy, Ann, Anna, Arabella, Aspasia, Betsy, Betty, Bridget, Carol, Caroline, Carolina, Catherine, Charlotte, Christiana, Deborah, Diana, Dinah, Dorothy, Edith, Eleanor, Eliza, Elizabeth, Ellen, Emma, Esther, Faith, Fanny, Frances, Grace, Haidae, Hannah, Harriet, Henrietta, Hester, Ibarrith, Isabella, Jamima, Jane, Janet, Jemima, Jennetta, Joanna, Judith, Juliana, June, Kitty, Letitia, Lettice, Louisa, Love, Lucy, Lydia, Mabel, Margaret, Margery, Maria, Marianne, Martha, Mary, Marion, Matilda, Mercy, Millicent, Nancy, Nanny, Olivia, Patience, Peggy, Phoebe, Priscilla, Rachael, Rebecca, Rhoda, Ruth, Sabra, Sally, Sarah, Sidonia, Silvinnia, Sophia, Susan, Susannah, Suzy, Sylance, Tabitha, Tasey, Tayphina, Theodosia, Theophelea, Theresa, Vinor, Virtue, Zillah. |  |
Men's names in 1801
19% of men were named John. Over 50% of all men were named John, William, Thomas or James. 4% of men had particularly unusual names (only 1 or 2 examples found in survey).
Ranked by the number of individuals with the following names out of 1,835 men who were alive in 1801, found in census records:
344: John (19%)
284: William (15%)
207: Thomas (11%)
147: James (8%)
121: Joseph (7%)
103: George (6%)
68: Samuel
60: Robert
54: Richard
39: Benjamin
37: Charles; Edward
35: Henry
24: Peter
19: Anthony
16: David
15: Isaac
13: Francis
12: Jonathan
11: Andrew; Joshua
10: Daniel; Matthew; Stephen
8: Job
7: Abraham; Jonas; Ralph
6: Christopher; Luke
5: Adam; Jeremiah; Philip; Timothy
4: Bernard
3: Alexander; Mark; Michael; Nathan; Nathaniel
2: Cornelius; Eli; Elijah; Jason; Obadiah; Reuben; Roger; Simon
1: Abram; Albion; Allen; Ambrose; Ashton; Augustus; Austin; Barnes; Barnett;
Bartholomew; Cuthbert; Dennis; Douglas; Ebenezer; Edmund; Elias; Emmanuel;
Ephraim; Frederic; Gamaliel; Garvis; Geeson; German; Gervase; Gilbert; Giles;
Herbert; Hezekiah; Hugh; Humphrey; Jacob; Jessiah; Josana; Lawrance; Leonard;
Levi; Lyall; Mac; Maddock; Malcolm; Moses; Owen; Patrick; Percival; Peregrine;
Phineas; Randle; Roland; Solomom; Swan; Taylor; Thirza| All men's names found, in alphabetical order: Abraham, Abram, Adam, Albion, Alexander, Allen, Ambrose, Andrew, Anthony, Ashton, Augustus, Austin, Barnes, Barnett, Bartholomew, Benjamin, Bernard, Charles, Christopher, Cornelius, Cuthbert, Daniel, David, Dennis, Douglas, Ebenezer, Edmund, Edward, Eli Elias, Elijah, Emmanuel, Ephraim, Francis, Frederic, Gamaliel, Garvis, Geeson, George, German, Gervase, Gilbert, Giles, Henry, Herbert, Hezekiah, Hugh, Humphrey, Isaac, Jacob, James, Jason, Jeremiah, Jessiah, Job, John, Jonas, Jonathan, Josana, Joseph, Joshua, Lawrance, Leonard, Levi, Luke, Lyall, Mac, Maddock, Malcolm, Mark, Matthew, Michael, Moses, Nathan, Nathaniel, Obadiah, Owen, Patrick, Percival, Peregrine, Peter, Philip, Phineas, Ralph, Randle, Reuben, Richard, Robert, Roger, Roland, Samuel, Simon, Solomom, Stephen, Swan, Taylor, Thirza, Thomas, Timothy, William. |  |
Sources
I found most of my sources through http://www.census-online.com/England
My full sources are:
- Oborne, Dorset 1801 census [1]
- Allostock, Cheshire 1851 Census, 50 years and over [2]
- Kelsall, Cheshire 1841 Census, 40 years and over [3] (PDF)
- Great Barford, Bedfordshire Census 1841, 40 years and over [4]
- Carlton, Cambridgeshire Census 1841, 40 years or over [5]
- Newhall, Derbyshire 1841 Census Transcript, 40 years or over [6]
- Matlock and Matlock Bath, Derbyshire, 1841, 40 years or over [7]
- Greater Seaham, Durham 1841 Census; 40 years and over [8]
- Weymouth, Dorset Census 1851; 50 years and over [9] etc
- Kelvedon Hatch, Essex 1841 Census; 40 and over [10]
- Redmile, Leicestershire 1841 census; 40 and over [11]
- Bunny Village, Nottinghamshire 1841 census; 40 and over [12]
- Cavenham, Suffolk 1841 census; 40 and over [13]
- Calverley, Yorkshire 1841 census; 40 and over [14]
- Farsley, Yorkshire 1841 census; 40 and over [15]