British Baby Names

Name of the Week

 

Many see him as a genial cardigan wearer, yet Stanley's rise
in popularity over the last ten years is nothing short of astonishing. 
This is certainly one to watch. 

 

Origin:

From the Old English elements stān "stone" and lēah "clearing, glade, meadow". It was given as a placename to various towns and villages in Derby, Durham, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, Wiltshire and West Yorkshire.

Usage:

The various places named Stanley invariably led to the toponymic surnames Stanley, Stanly and Stanleigh. One Stanley family in particular were very prominent as the Earls of Derby. A few examples of Stanley used as a first name survive from the 17th century, and were most likely thanks to an association with the aristocratic Stanley family. The name began to spread in the 18th century and by the 1841 UK census 256 males were named Stanley, as well as 3 females. The name grew rapidly in popularity during Queen Victoria's reign. Indeed, in the 1901 UK census, the number of Stanleys registered had risen to a whopping 44,276.  In the 20th century, Stanley stood in the Top 100 boys' names in England and Wales for five decades: #23 in 1904, #22 in 1914, #17 in 1924 (notably when Stanley Baldwin was British Prime Minister), #39 in 1934, #60 in 1944 and #86 in 1954.  By 1996, having seen a decline in the previous four decades, Stanley was #265 with 108 births in England and Wales. Ten years later, in 2006, it had risen to #129 with 413 births. It broke the Top 100 again in 2009 at #98 (627 births) and ranked #88 (737 births) in 2010.  The name is much less popular in Scotland where it ranked #341 (8 births) in 2011.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) was a Welsh-born journalist and explorer.  * Stanley Baldwin (1867–1947) was British Prime Minister three times from 1923-1924, 1924-1929, and 1935-1937. * Stan Laurel / Arthur Stanley Jefferson (1890–1965) was an English-born comic actor and film director who was part of the famous double act Laurel and Hardy.   * Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999) was a notable American film director and screen writer.

Variants:

Stanlee

Pronunciation:

STAN-lee [key]

Possible Diminutives:

Lee, Lenny, Stan, Stee, Steen

Sibling Names:

Martha     Elsie     Nancy     Julia     Matilda     Connie  Arthur     Harvey     Louis     Charles     Hugo     Archie

Name Lists:

Victorian Darlings

 

If you like Stanley you may also like:   Sidney, Henley, Barney, Reginald, Humphrey, Geoffrey, Anthony, Wilfred, Clifford, Percy

 

Slickly Continental

Sleek, stylish and striking, "Slickly Continentals" quite shamlessly take the cream of the crop from around the world. They have the distinct advantage of sounding exotic, but not too outlandish or eccentric. They are, in fact, quite recognisable — either from their historic use or from a shared cultural style — without feeling commonplace. 

This list contains much loved gems from around the world that can claim a rich pedigree, an exotic style, easy (or at least familiar) spellings and pronunciations, but are quite underused in Britain. 

Alban Alonso Anders Andreas Anton August Augustin Axel Bastian Casimir Casper Conrad Constantin Cosmo Damian Dante Diego  Dorian  Elias Enrico Enzo Ezio Fabian Florian Franco Gerard

Henrik Ivan Ivo Joachim Johan Jonas Koen Lars Leander Leandro Leif Leonardo Lorenzo  Lucian Magnus Maxim Marco Marius Mathis Matthias Matteo Mikkel Milan Nico Niels Nikodem

Nikolai Otto Quinten Raphael Rasmus Raul Riccardo Rocco Rodrigo Roman Romeo Roque Sander Santiago Soren Silas Stefan Stellan Teo Tygo Valentin Vidar Viggo Vito Willem Xavier

Adriana Alessa Alethea Alina Allegra Amalia Anaïs Anneliese Annika Anouk Ariadne Astrid Aurelia Aurora  Bianca Calista Carmen Caterina Charis  Chiara Coralie Danae Delphine  Ekaterina Eleni Elettra

Eliana  Elodia Estella Eulalie Evadne Evelina Giada Ginevra  Ilaria Ines  Ione Julienne Katya Leilani Lenka Leonor  Leora Lena Linnea Livia Loredana Luciana  Luna Madalena Maelys Malena

Margot  Mariana Marina Melina Mila Mireia / Mireya Naiara / Nayara Noa Noelle Noemi Nova Océane Paloma Petra Pia Romola Salome Seraphina Sidonie Thalia Tyra Valentina Viola Xenia Zelie Zoya

Sibling Spotlight for Elowen, Elestren and Ebrel

Elowen, Elestren and Ebrel are newly created Cornish vocabulary names (meaning "elm", "iris" and "April" respectively) that have seen some usage in the last fourty years.

The year relates to the decade of birth for that set. 

1970s: Ebrel Emma Tremayne James   1980s: Tegan Eleanor Elestren Beatrice Ust Joseph    1990s: Carne Cleary Elowen Ann Tean Sophie     Kelsey Marie Elowen Mae    Ysella Kensa Lowena Tegan Delen Kerensa Ebrel Rosen   Romany Ebrel Rhapsody Loveday  Kathryn Elowen Holly Eloise    Tolan Max Molly Elesten Elsa Martha

2000s: Jago Toby Elowen Kerenza Jenna Tamsyn    Elowen Bennath Morley William    Elowen Lily Evan James M Cadan Louis R    Tegan Zena Elowen Xara    Myles Frank Reuben Alfred D Elowen Beatrice    Elowen Sophia William Andrew   Elowen Rosevear Derry Bruce & Rowan John   Elowen Winifred Adeon Peter    Morwenna Elisabeth Jago Louis Elowen Marie    Elowen Iris Imogen Rose    Mia Eleanor Elestren Bronnen

Name of the Week

 

Acacia ticks many boxes: a floral name, with -ia ending, and rich vowel sounds.
And yet, she's still to be discovered by most. 

  

Origin:

Acacia is the genus name for wattle shrubs and trees. The tree was originally named Akakia by the Ancient Greek botanist Dioscorides, a name that derives from the Greek ακις (akis) "thorn, sharp point," as many acacias are thorny.  In Ancient Egyptian mythology it was associated with the Tree of Life, and some believe that the burning bush that Moses saw was an acacia. In the Old Testament acacia is mentioned as the wood that made the Ark of the Covenant (Exod 25:10-22). In many different cultures the plant has traditionally been used in medicines and incense, and is still widely used in perfume.  The Victorians used the acacia in floriography as a symbol for "friendship" or "platonic love". White or pink acacia flowers specifically symbolised "elegance", while yellow ones meant "secret love."

Usage:

Acacia is first found as a personal name in the late 19th century — a time when many floral names came into fashion — however, it was very rare in usage. In the 1911 census the name is listed six times (in three instances it is as a middle name). It was not used at all from from the 30s through to the 70s (there is one sole example of an Acaciar), but did start to see usage again in the 80s and 90s. The name's popularity in the last few decades has certainly been rare, but it has seen consistent usage every year since 1996. Since 2002, the name has had a count that fluctuates between 17 and 27 births. In 2010 the name #1294 with 24 births.  The Acacia, or Golden Wattle, is the national flower of Australia and consequently, it has seen more usage as a name there.

Pronunciation:

ə-KAY-see-ə, ə-KAY-shə [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Acee, Asa, Aysha, Case, Casey, Cay, Cici

Sibling Names:

Livia      Alessa     Cassia     Bryony     Sidonie     Betony  Ari     Nikos     Atticus     River     Leander     Cullen

Name Lists:

Plant Names: A   The Language of Flowers

 

If you like Acacia you may also like:   Dahlia, Chiara, Aleta, Zinnia, Aurea, Calla, Linnea, Amalia, Carina, Azalea

 

The Firths of Brighouse

Joseph and Sarah Firth of Brighouse, West Yorkshire had seven children over two decades. Joseph is listed over the years as a Silk Spinner, Silk Boiler or Silk Dresser, and most of his children followed him in the weaving trade. 
. 

Firth Family on the 1871 census

.
The couple were married in 1859, and though some of their children's names are unheard of now, in their day, they were certainly not unique. 

1. Jane Schofield  
The couple's first child was born in 1855 -- four years before they were married. It is possible that Jane was Sarah's daughter from a previous marriage, however, a quick search on earlier census pages indicates that Schofield was Sarah's maiden name and that she was never married previously. 

2. Ellen Firth
Their second daughter was born in 1860.  

3. Friend Firth
The couple's first son was born in 1861. He was one of seven Friend Firths to be born in West Yorkshire from 1847 to 1882.

4. Fairless Firth
The next son, Fairless, was born in 1864. Although not common, Fairless does crop up in a few registrations concentrated in the North of England. There were five other males names Fairless on the 1871 census -- all living in the North East. 

5. Faith Firth
Daughter Faith was born in 1866, one of three Faith Firths living in West Yorkshire in 1871. 

6. Feargus Firth
Born in 1869, youngest son Feargus was one of three Feargus Firths living in West Yorkshire at the time. The name Feargus had been extremely popular from the 1840s thanks to Chartist Feargus O'Connor. 

7. Fairy Firth
The couple's last child was a little girl named Fairy, born in 1871. She can lay claim to being the only Fairy Firth, but certainly not the only Fairy. 

 

Most Popular Scottish Girls' Names

Unlike the many masculine Scottish names that are enjoying popular use in Scotland, Scottish girls' names are harder to come by. They are still there, but you have to dig a little deeper to find them. 

That, of course, is not to say that there is an absence of feminine Celtic choices in Scotland. The Top 100 in 2011 contained fellow Gaelic Irish favourites Erin, Niamh, Caitlin, Orla, Keira, and the Welsh staple Megan.

 

Isla - Ranked #7 in 2011, Isla is a 19th century name taken from the Hebridean island Islay (IE-lə). Previously, Islay was used as a name for both men and women, until the slimmed down form, Isla, skyrocketed to popularity for girls. 

Eilidh - The traditional diminutive of Eilionoir, the Scots Gaelic form of Eleanor, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Eilidh (AY-lee) has, therefore, often been treated as the Scottish form of Helen. In 2011 it ranked #26 having been revived in the late 19th century. 

Maisie - Ranking #38 in 2011, Maisie is the standard diminutive of Mairead, and cognate form Margaret. It has been used in Scotland since the 16th century, and found popularity world wide since the 19th. 

Skye - The name of one of the largest, and extremely picturesque, Hebridean islands. It was #54 in 2011. 

Iona - Yet another beautiful Hebridean island that has made it into the first name stakes. The name has been in use since the 19th century and ranked #67 in 2011. 

Mirren - An Anglicised form of the Old Irish Muirenn, either from muir "sea" and fionn "white, fair," or cognate with the Welsh morwyn "maiden." It ranked #95 in 2011 with Mirrin, Miren, Mirran, Mirryn, Mirin and Mirrun used occasionally as alternate spellings. 

Ailsa - A Scottish island, pronounced traditionally as IE-lə, but now more commonly found as AYL-sə. It has occasionally been used as a form of Ealisaid  the Scots Gaelic cognate of Elizabeth (the island's Gaelic name is Creag Ealasaid). It ranked #145 in 2011. 

Caoimhe - A Gaelic name meaning "gentleness, loveliness, delicateness, grace." It ranks #174 in Scotland with Anglicised forms Keeva and Keavy at #283 and #539 respectively.

Kirsty - The popular diminutive of Kirstin, the Scottish form of Christina. It was hugely popular in the 70s, and currently ranks at #187.

Bonnie - An old Scottish pet-name meaning "pretty" and used as a first name since the late 19th century. In 2011 it ranked #206. 

Alba - The Gaelic, and historic, name for Scotland. Much like Erin for Ireland, it is now used as a first name. It ranked #224 in 2011, having risen from #764 in 2010, no doubt partly thanks to the high media coverage of Scotland's independence referendum. 

Catriona - The Gaelic form of Catherine which ranks at #224 in Scotland. 

Morven - The name of a mythical kingdom in Macpherson's Ossianic Poems, and used as a name from the late 19th century. In 2011 it ranked #249.

Mhairi - The Scottish form of Mary which ranked #261 in 2011.

 

Most Popular Scottish Boys' Names

Last year I looked at the most popular Welsh names used in Wales for boys in 2009. As the 2010 data was much the same, it's high time I gave the same attention to Scotland. 

In 2011, the most popular names used in Scotland for boys were Jack, Lewis, James, Logan and Ethan. This list, however, does not concentrate on the most popular names used in Scotland but, rather, the most popular Scottish names used in Scotland.  

 

Logan - Ranking highly at #4 in 2011, Logan was originally a placename and surname in Scotland meaning "little hollow" in Gaelic. 

Cameron - A Scottish surname, recorded since the 15th century as the name of a notable West Highland clan. It derives from the Scots Gaelic cam "crooked" and sròn "nose". Its use as a first name dates back to the 18th century . In 2011 the name ranked #12 in Scotland for boys, and #487 (6 births) for girls. 

Callum - Calum is Scottish form of Columba, a name derived from the Latin columba "dove." St Columba is one of Scotland's most notable saints and is credited with founding the monastery on Iona. The name was common in Scotland in the Middle Ages, and saw a peak in usage again in the 19th century. Callum is the most popular spelling at #15, with Calum at #64. 

Aiden - A Gaelic name, originally from Ireland, derived from áed "fire." Irish born St Aidan, another popular saint in Scotland, was a monk at the monastery on Iona, who became the first bishop of Lindisfarne. In 2011, Aiden ranked #20 and Aidan was #57. 

Finlay - The Anglicised form of the Gaelic name Fionnlagh, from fionn "white, fair" and laogh "warrior, champion." It was rather popular in Scotland in the 19th century, and can also be found as a surname. Finlay ranked at #21 in 2011 with spellings Findlay and Finley at #169 and #335 respectively.  

Kyle - A surname derived from the place Kyle in Ayrshire. There are a few theories for its origin. Traditionally, it has been said to have been named after British king, Coel Hen; other theories derives it from the Scots Gaelic caol "a straight" or coille "a wood." As a surname-firstname it has found usage since the 18th century. In 2011 it ranked #21 (joint with Finlay) in Scotland. 

Rory - The Anglicised form of the old gaelic name Ruaidhri, from ruad "red" and ri "king"; a name that has held strong in Scotland for centuries. Rory is currently the most popular spelling at #32 but many other variations were registered: Ruaridh (#85), Ruairidh (#164), Ruairi (#241), Ruaraidh, Ruari (#349), Ruaidri, Ruariadh, Ruary, Ruiridh, Ruraidh, Ruraigh, Rury, Rori (#1150).

Fraser - A Scottish surname, and a name of a prominent clan, derived from an obscure French place name. In 2011 the name ranked #53 with Frazer at #289. 

Euan - The Scottish form of the Irish Eoghan, or Welsh Owain. The second element is generally thought to represent "born" while the first could be either "good, well" (well-born) or "yew" (born of the yew). In 2011, Euan ranked #62 and Ewan #79. 

Arran - The name of one of the Scottish islands, which ranks at #67 as a boys name. Aaron, which is pronounced with the same short 'a' in Scotland, ranks at #13, and is a key reason for Arran's adoption as a firstname. 

Brodie - A Scottish surname, and place in Morayshire. Brodie ranks at #69, and Brody at #133 for boys. Ten girls (#336) were also given the name. 

Scott - A surname used to refer to someone from Scotland. Previously it referred to a person from Ireland, or a Gaelic speaker. Scott was #70 in 2011. 

Murray - A Scottish surname taken from the Scottish county of Moray "the settlement by the sea." Murray was #72 in 2011. 

Angus - The popular Scottish form of the Gaelic Aonghus, or Óengus (oen "one" and gus "strength, force, vigour") which featured prominently in Celtic mythology, and was used by Pictish kings in the 8th century. In 2011 it ranked #73. 

Ross - A place in Scotland which went on to become a surname, and later, a firstname. It currently ranks at #76. 

Blair - A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic blar "field." The name ranked at #87 in 2011 for boys and #539 for girls. 

Hamish - The Anglicised form of Seumas, the Scottish form of James. It ranked #98 in 2011. 

 

N.B. I have stuck to indigenous Scottish names, with the exception of Aiden and Rory which have had long historic use in Scotland. Ryan, Riley, Connor, Liam, Finn, Kieran, Sean, Kian, Lennon and Declan are all found in Scotland's Top 100, but are more strictly Irish, and were only used popularly in Scotland since the 19th century or later. 

 

Name of the Week

 

Like Leo, Theo and Milo, he's sleek, has the fashionable 'o' ending, 
and has bags of history. But, unlike the rest, Ludo is still very underused.  

 

Origin:

Ludo is the traditional diminutive of Ludovic, derived from Ludovicus the Latinised from of the Old Germanic name Chlodovech. The name originates in the Old High German elements hlūt "loud, renowned, famous," and wig "war, warrior."  Chlodovech is the ancestor of many different variants, including Aloysius, Lewis, Louis, Loïc, Ludwig, Luigi and Luis.

Usage:

Chlodovech was used by several Merovingian and Carolingian kings, and later was used by several French kings in the form of Louis.  Ludovic appears in Britain from the late 16th century, with usage particularly concentrated in Scotland.  In the 1841 UK census there were a total of 47 males listed named Ludovick, Ludovic, Lodovick, Lodowick or Lodovic, 37 of whom lived in Scotland (79%). By the 1901 UK census the number had risen to 104 with 75% living in Scotland. Over the last century Ludovic's usage has been sparse. From 1996 to 2010 in England and Wales the name has registered a birth count of between 3-11 births each year. It ranked #2629 in 2010 when registered on 7 boys. Ludo has had patchier usage with 5 births in 2001, 3 in 2003, 5 in 2006, 4 in 2008, and 6 in 2010.  Ludovic was registered for 2 babies in Scotland in 2010, but did not rank at all in 2011.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox (1574–1624) was a politician and Lord High Admiral of Scotland.  * Ludovic Kennedy (1919–2009), British broadcaster and humanitarian. * Ludovic Halévy (1834–1908) was a French author and playwright. Contemporary: * Ludovic Assemoassa, Ludovic Butelle, Ludovic Giuly and Ludovic Magnin are all professional football players.  * Ludovic "Ludo" Bagman is a character in J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series.  Celebrity Babies: * Ludo Fogle (b.2010) son of Ben and Marina Fogle.

Variants:

Ludovic, Ludovick, Ludovico, Lodowick

Pronunciation:

LOO-dō [key]

Sibling Names:

Allegra     Inez     Beatrix     Clementine     Iona     Cosima  Kit     Rollo     Magnus     Digby     Cedric     Willem

Name Lists:

Short and Sweet   Names from Harry Potter

 

If you like Ludo you may also like:   Ivo, Otto, Jago, Finlo, Cosmo, Milo, Nico, Arlo, Hugo, Bardo

 

Medieval Favourites

image by Jeff Cottenden

Castles, Knights, Jousting, Longbows, Wimples...lovely evocative images that the Middle Ages conjure. And the best thing? Medieval names are just as enticing as the era they hail from. 

"Medieval" technically encompasses an entire century of European history: the fifth to fifteenth. So many different names were used across this era, and Britain alone had a huge variety of lingual influences.

But by the twelfth century England was united; the Normans ruled and had also conquered parts of Wales. Although evidence is sparse, and there were wide regional differences, it isn't surprising that at this time we begin to see a bit more uniformity in naming emerge.

With a pool so small it is difficult to define any of the names used at this time as "popular," but we can see certain names being used again and again for many different people. John was most certainly the most common masculine name, followed by William. Alice, Agnes and Matilda appear most prevalently for women.

Here are the favourite choices for medieval parents from the twelfth to fourteenth century:

Adam Alan Alexander Andrew Arnold Bartholomew Benedict Clement David Denis Edmund Edward Ellis Eustace Everard Fulco Geoffrey George

Gerard Gervase Gilbert Giles Gregory Godfrey Guy Henry Hugh  Humphrey James  John Jordan Laurence Luke Martin Matthew Maurice

Michael Nicholas Peter Philip Ralph Randolph Reginald Reynold Richard Robert  Roger Simon Solomon Stephen Thomas Warin Walter William

Agatha Agnes Alice Aline Amabel Amice Annabel Anne Avice Beatrice Cecily Christian(a) Christina Clarice Constance Denise Douce Edith

Eleanor Elizabeth Ellen Emma Eve Evita Felice Gillian Godeleva Gunnilda Gunnora Hawise Helen Helewise Idony Isabel(la) Isolde Joan

Julian(a) Katherine Lettice Lucy Mabel Margaret Margery Marion Mary Matilda  Millicent Osanna Petronilla Rose Sarah Susan Sybil Wymarc

'Twas Ever Thus...

Traditionally-masculine names on girls are a hotly debated topic in the name-community at the moment. These 18th century triplets, announced in the Gentleman's Magazine of January 1742, don't appear to have raised much comment on their names at the time — although a quick record seach indicates that, in later life, they seem to have dropped their unconventional first names and used the middles instead. 

 

A List of Births for the Year 1742,  Dec 20.         AT Madrid, Madame the Infanta. Wife of Don Philip, delivered of a Son.         The Lady of the deceased Alexander Nairn of Drumkilbo, Esq: delivered of a posthumous Son, christened Alexander William — On June 30, 1740, she was delivered of three daughters, christened James-Agnes, Charles-Emelia, Henry-Margaret, who are all now in good Healths.           The Countess of Winchelsea last Month — of a Daughter, not of a Son.                               The Gentleman's Magazine                                    Vol. 12 Jan 1742

(The last entry isn't as callous as it may sound — it is a correction from the previous issue.)