Genealogy Chat

In the back of my mind I have a feeling that William Penn had connections with Sussex, maybe lived there for a time, or an early Quaker meeting house. I have vague memories from years ago of my mother pointing out a building connected with him.

Jane

Philadelphia - name meaning and origin

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The girl's name Philadelphia \ph(i)-ladel-phia, phil(a)-de-lphia\ is of Greek origin, and its meaning is "loving people". Known as the City of Brotherly Love, it was founded by Quakers with high ideals, where it was a tradition among them, the Friends, to name their eldest daughter in each family after the city.

Philadelphia is a very rare female first name and a very rare surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census). Displayed below is the baby name popularity trend for the girl's name Philadelphia. Compare Philadelphia with related baby names.


Teresa

Definition: From the Italian "gatto," meaning cat, this Italian surname refers to someone who was agile and astute like a cat, or a cat lover.

Surname Origin: Italian

Alternate Surname Spellings: GATTI, GATTO, LO GATTO, GATTINI, GATTULLO, GATTESCHI

Hi everyone
Been reading through this thread. I have a Phiadelphia in my tree, b. 1837 in Crowhurst Sussex. She was the 11th child and the only one with an unusual name, all the others had names like Thomas ,Henry , Elizabeth or Mary

x

I have a Philadelphia Salter (b. 1811 in Rotherfield, SSX) who married a William Packham (b. 1803).

They didn't marry until 1857 so Salter may not have been her maiden name ...

Jill

Nudged as of interest to a current thread.

On the IGI there are 3861 entries in Sussex with the first name Philadelphia

Hi Gwyn
I have a Philadelphia b. c1807 in Trichurst, Sussex.
wondering where your 1808 one was from in Sussex.
Carol

i have a Martha Philadelphia Wood in my family born c1829 in Essex

I have a Philadelphia Comber married Cripplegate 1794. Her children all had the usual names Henry Ann, James etc but she did not name a child after herself.

Hi my 5 x Great Grans sister was called Philadephia born in 1760's Chiddingly Sussex.

It seems to have be a popular name in the Sussex area back then.

Colette

I've also seen a thread on naming patterns - interesting to know which place in the family as to

whether named for a parent/grandparent,

or, say at child 7 when they were running out of ideas!!

This does look very interesting. Lets see if a pattern emerges if people add their Philadelphias' details to this thread.

I have a Philadelphia in my family tree born 1781 East Sussex. The other family members have normal names e.g. Mary, Thomas, Ann, Henry and Hannah

Elizabeth Anne

Following on from the posts indicating the 1700s period and Kent/Sussex, I wondered if there was any link to the US city. Wikipedia's history section includes:

In 1681, as part of a repayment of a debt, Charles II of England granted William Penn a charter for what would become the Pennsylvania colony. Part of Penn's plan for the colony was to create a city on the Delaware River to serve as a port and place for government. Despite already having been given the land by Charles II, Penn bought the land from the local Lenape to be on good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for his colony.[5] According to legend Penn made a treaty of friendship with Lenape chief Tammany under an elm tree at Shackamaxon, in what is now the city's Kensington section.[6] Having been a Quaker, Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely despite their religion. Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is Greek for brotherly love (philos, "love" or "friendship", and adelphos, "brother").[7] (Picture not included - "Penn's Treaty with the Indians" by Benjamin West).

Penn's plan was that Philadelphia would be like an English rural town instead of a city. The city's roads were designed with a grid plan with the idea that houses and businesses would be spread far apart and surrounded by gardens and orchards. The city's inhabitants didn't follow Penn's plans and crowded by the Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots.[8] Before Penn left Philadelphia for the last time, he issued the Charter of 1701 establishing Philadelphia as a city.

I wonder if there is a Quaker link?

Tracey, I also have a Philadelphia born in Sussex, in 1762. All of her brothers and sisters had more common names like Mary, Sarah, Thomas, William, etc.

I am helping with a one name study.
We have found 7 Philadelphias of our surname interest were baptised in Sussex between 1733 and 1808.
None found elsewhere.

Gwyn

I have two Philiadelphia's around that date, both born in Cranbrook in Kent

Linda

Thanks very much Keith, I've bookmarked that site for future reference.

So it seems likely that I may well find previous Philadelphias in my tree the further back I go.

Oh! That's why Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is called the "city of brotherly love"!
Learn something new every day.
Margaret