Name of the Week

 

Neat and trim, the primrose is a pretty flower that
can be found in early spring. 

  

Origin:

From the Latin primus "first" and rosa "rosa." The primrose has many medicinal uses and was used for centuries as a remedy for rheumatic pain, and as a salve to heal founds. In Victorian floriography, the primrose symbolised "early youth."

Usage:

As a name, Primrose was first used as a surname, particularly in Scotland. And, in the way that surnames often do, it was then occasionally used as a first name for boys or girls.  The name began to pick up usage in the 1880s, no doubt, partly by the public profile of Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, who would later be Prime Minister. But it was at the turn of the 20th century, with the Edwardian love of floral names, that the name really came into popular use -- now almost exclusively for girls. This popularity continued through to the 1950s, when its popularity began to decline.  In 2010 27 girls (rank #1180) were registered with the name in England and Wales, giving it the highest count it has had in the last ten years. The name does not rank at all in Scotland for 2009-2011.

Famous Bearers:

Peerage The Primrose family have had a long and prominent history in Scottish nobility. Their surname was derived from a habitational name in Fife, which some believe is an altered spelling of Prenrhos. The family first held the title of Laird of Burnbrae from the 16th to 18th century. Another branch of the family became the Earls of Rosebery from 1703 onwards.  * Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (1847 – 1929) was British Prime Minister 1984-1985.  Literature and the Arts * Primrose Cumming (1915 – 2004) was a British author of children's books.  * Primrose Larkin is a character in the novel and TV series The Darling Buds of May. * Primrose "Prim" Everdeen is a character in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  Other * Primrose Day on the 19th of April commemorates the death of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. It is so called because the primrose was his favourite flower. * Primrose Hill is a fashionable district in London.

Variants:

Primula (Latin) Primevère (French) Primel (German) Briallen (Welsh) Bryallen (Cornish)

Pronunciation:

PRIM-rōse (UK) [key]

Diminutives:

Imme, Mimi, Missy, Moe, Poe, Posy, Prim, Rima, Remy, Romy, Rose, Rosie

Sibling Names:

Josephine     Florence     Lavender     Mirabelle     Sylvia     Coraline  Arthur     Winston     Gregory      Rupert      Barnaby      Leonard

Name Lists:

Funky-Clunky

 

If you like Primrose you may also like:   Pearl, Rosemary, Perdita, Ivy, Fleur, Patience, Lillith, Priscilla, Zinnia, Winifred