A bright and vibrant flower that is worn with pride
by millions of Brits every November.
Origin: |
The name of a flower: originally papaver in Latin, which later became popæg in Old England. For thousands of years, the white and red poppy has been known for its medicinal properties; particularly as a pain relief, sedative, or for reducing anxiety. For this reason, and the association with opium, the flower was also portrayed as having magical qualities. Poppy seeds are now also used nutritionally in cooking. In Victorian floriography, the poppy symbolises bashfulness or consolation. More prominently, in the minds of most Britons, the poppy symbolises remembrance for fallen soldiers in war. The connection between poppies and war dead has existed at least since Waterloo (1815) — poppies were seen to grow on the site of the fallen — but it is only in the last few decades that the British Legion's Poppy Appeal has become a huge nationwide campaign to fundraise and commemorate on Remembrance Day by wearing poppies. |
Usage: |
Since at least the 13th century, Poppy has been used as an uncommon surname. Most likely, it started as a nickname taken from the flower. A handful of early examples of Poppy as a first name date from the 18th century. They are almost exclusively middle names (used for both sexes), which indicates an adoption of the surname. It wasn't until the latter half of the 19th century, when the floral craze began to rise in Britain, that Poppy began to gain usage as a first name. At this time, however, it was not particularly popular. It certainly did not rival other floral favourites like Daisy, Lily, Rose and Violet. Poppy is recorded 6 times on the 1871 census (all female); 11 times in 1881; 46 times in 1891 and 94 times in 1900. Interestingly, 99% of the usage of Poppy at this time was confined to England, with only a handful in Scotland and Wales. The aftermath of WWI put the poppy more firmly to the foreground. In Flander's Fields (1915) by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae famously referred to the poppy, and this was the inspiration for American teacher Moira Michael, who suggested the wearing of a poppy as a symbol of memorial. It was adopted by American Legion in 1920 and the British Legion in 1921. The impact of this on the name Poppy in England and Wales is marked: 1904: 8 births registered. Jan-Feb-Mar: 4 registrations. Despite the higher usage of the name in November in England and Wales, Poppy never broke into the Top 100 until the late 1990s. In 1996 Poppy ranked #92 (537 births), and was #84 (617 births) in 2001. From that point it began to swiftly climb up the rankings: #45 in 2004; #28 in 2007; #16 in 2010. In 2011 Poppy ranked #14, with 2,932 births, in England and Wales (#14 in England, #21 in Wales). The highest concentration of those births were in November (351 births) when it ranked the third most popular girl's name in November. In Scotland, Poppy ranked #46 with 116 births. |
Famous Bearers: |
Contemporary: * Poppy Montgomery (b.1975), Australian actress. Literature and Other Media: * Poppy Pomfrey, Hogwarts' nurse in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter franchise. Other: * HMS Poppy, two ships of the British Royal Navy have been given this name. |
Variants: |
Poppie |
Pronunciation: |
POP-ee [key] |
Possible |
Calliope, Cassiopeia, Hippolyta, Leopoldine, Parthenope, Penelope, Perpetua, Persephone, Philippa, Proserpina, Proserpine, Prospera, Zipporah |
Sibling Names: |
Ella Lucy Mia Grace Bella Freya |
Name Lists: |
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