The innocent and sunny daisy flower makes a lovely symbolic namesake.
As a name, Daisy also doubles up handily as a namesake for Margaret.
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Origin: |
Daisy is the name of a sweet little flowering plant, used by children to make daisy chains or to discover if a love is true by picking the petals. In Old English it was called dægesege "day's eye," so named because its petals open at dawn and close at dusk. Chaucer famously described them thus: "Men by reason well it calle may; The Daisie, or else the Eye of Day; The Empresse and the flowre of flowres all." Daisies have long been associated with innocence. The Celts believed they represented the spirits of infants, while Christians used daisies to represent the Christ child. Shakespeare had Ophelia hand out daisies as a representation of innocence (Hamlet Act 4), and the plant was still used as such in Victorian Floriography. The daisy was also known as consolida minor or bruise-wort because it was considered to have keen healing properties, especially for treating open wounds. But before Daisy was used as a floral name it its own right, it began life as a nickname for Margaret (derived from the Greek margarites meaning "pearl"). Marguerite, the French form of Margaret, is still used in France as a name for the daisy flower. It is thought the name was chosen because the daisy was regarded as the "pearl of the field." Marguerite could therefore be seen as both a translation for Margaret and Daisy in English. Margaret was a highly popular name from the Middle Ages and, because of this, there were often several within the same family. A variety of nicknames were needed to distinguish between them, and Daisy made a cleverly punning pet-name. There are tantalising references that suggest that Margaret and Daisy have a long association in history. In John Lydgate's The Temple of Glass (c.1430s) he says: "The daysye, the wheche is callyd margaret, so fayr, so goodly, and so meke." and "Fortune, turn my lovely lady Margaret, the day's eye, to me." We also find the daisy used as a heraldic symbol for women named Margaret. St. Louis of France (1226—1270) is said to have had a ring engraved with a daisy in honour of his wife Margaret. It was also used in the coat of arms of Margaret of Valois, Queen of France and Navarre (1553—1615); Margaret, Countess of Richmond (1443—1509); and Margaret of Anjou (1429—1482). Of the latter it is said that, following her marriage to Henry VI in 1455, the courtiers wore daisies on their clothing to honour her. |
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Usage: |
As early as the 14th century we can find Dayseye used as an uncommon surname (it is often found today spelt Daisey), which is almost certainly connected with the flower. The name was first used (as a Christian name) as a diminutive of Margaret, so it isn't surprising that there are few recorded birth registrations for the name, as most Daisys were formally registered as Margaret. In the 1841 UK census, 9 women were listed as Daisy, which had risen to 70 (in various spellings) on the 1861 census and 195 in 1871. We know that there were many more Daisys than this by the number of women known to have used it as a nickname. Famous Margarets-known-as-Daisy of the Victorian-era included Princess Margaret of Connaught, Margaret Stuyvesant Rutherfurd, and Daisy (Margaret) Ashford. At the end of the 19th century, flowers became highly fashionable as first names. Girls were now not only being called Daisy as a nickname for Margaret; many were being specifically named after the flower. This we can clearly tell from the marked increase of the name appearing in birth registrations, and the large number of families that boasted not only a Daisy but other floral coinages such as Lily, Rose, Iris, Violet or Ivy. Or, as in the case of singer Daisy Wood (b.1877), whose full name was Daisy Violet Rose, a combination of floral monikers. The 1881 census clearly demonstrates the increase with 4,270 Daisys listed, almost 4,000 of whom were under the age of 10. There were a remarkable 27,885 in 1891, and 59,152 by 1901. The name held most of its popularity in England. Only 1.4% of Daisys registered in 1901 lived in Scotland, and 1.9% in Wales. At the height of its popularity in 1890, the name ranked #34 in England and Wales. It was #45 in 1900, #54 in 1914, #88 in 1924 and then dropped out of the Top 100 by 1934. It came back in fashion again by the 1990s. In 1994 it was #85 and took a steep curve upwards in the preceding years: #49 in 2000, #28 in 2005 and #15 in 2010. In 2011, the name ranked #20 with 2,458 births. Daisy did not make the Top 100 in Scotland for the year 1900, though Margaret was #2. Daisy broke into Scotland's Top 100 in 2003 at #81. It ranked #46 in 2009 and #47 in 2011. In Northern Ireland, the name broke into the Top 100 in 2007 at #81. It was #59 in 2010 and #76 in 2011. |
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Famous Bearers: |
History: * Princess Margaret of Connaught "Daisy" (1882—1920), daugter of Prince Arthur, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and Crown Princess of Sweden. Contemporary: * Daisy Waugh (b.1967), English travel writer and novelist Literature, Song and Other Media: * To The Daisy (1806), a poem by William Wordsworth. Expressions: * Fresh as a daisy, "to be healthy and full of energy" |
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Variants: |
Daisie, Daisey Translations: Marguerite (French), Margarita (Spanish), Madelief (Dutch), Caja (Cornish), Ivančica (Croatian), |
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Pronunciation: |
DAY-zee [key] |
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Possible |
Margaret, Marguerite, Damaris, Delores, Desideria, Desiree, Despina, Dolores, Dusana, Nadezhda |
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Sibling Names: |
Millie Ava Sophie Isla Florence Emily |
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Name Lists: |
Victorian Darlings Dulcet Dainties Diminutive Names Names from Enid Blyton |
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