British Baby Names: August 2013

13/08/2013

2012: The highest rising names in England and Wales

Let's take a look at the movers and shakers below the Top 100 that are storming the charts and making themselves heard. 2012 saw yet another rise in hyphenated names, some Muslim favourites and a whole host of American-style surnames.

Top billing for girls is Emeli, a spelling no doubt inspired by Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sande. This spelling has not charted at all in the data since 1996 but went in at #916 (40 births) in 2012.

For boys, Braxton was moved up the most places within the top 1000. Other surnames such as Baxter, Presley, Hunter, Archer, Parker and Lawson also went up more than 200 places each.

Below is a chart I've put together of the top 20 boys' and girls' names within the 2012 England and Wales Top 1000 whose rank increased the most since 2011. The first number denotes the name's rank in 2012.

569	BRAXTON	+829
927	COLTON	+761
947	CRISTIAN	+741
901	HENDRIX	+699
837	PERRY	+685
927	KELLAN	+673
962	AUSTEN	+638
866	BERAT	+636
977	HARLOW	+623
927	AYYUB	+595
837	MALAKI	+561
927	DENNY	+520
977	TAIO	+470
947	EMILIS	+451
719	JOHAN	+439
927	KYMANI	+415
719	HUZAIFA	+405
805	ALEXANDROS	+404
947	TYSON	+394
837	ROAN	+375

916	EMELI	+4869*
934	ARFA	+2615
916	AAYAT	+2269
536	AMELIA-LILY	+1739
712	HAREEM	+1313
955	ABIHA	+1195
281	JORGIE	+786
768	AMELIA-GRACE	+670
975	OLIVIA-GRACE	+633
955	TERESA	+590
738	LOLA-MAE	+589
284	HARPER	+574
825	ELERI	+549
624	AYAT	+544
975	RUMAISA	+514
812	SKYLER	+483
902	ELSIE-MAY	+472
647	HARLOW	+470
825	ETTA	+470
857	ALARA	+470

* The lowest rank, given for a birth count of 3, in 2011 was #5785 which would give Emeli gains of more than 4869.

This chart is a bit misleading as you'll notice the top of the chart is full of lower ranking names. This is because low ranking names only need to increase in birth count by a small number to rise significantly in rank. The higher ranks are far more competitive and a much larger increase in birth count is needed to make any gains. In 2012, Raymond increased by 85 places (#767 to #682), but in reality only 9 more babies were given the name than in 2011 (40 births to 49 births). Luca went up 3 places (#61 to #64) in 2012, but, as a Top 100 name, it had to work a lot harder for its gains, increasing by 135 births (982 to 1,117). So, +3 places = +135 extra births at #61 but +85 places = +9 extra births at #682.

Some names have actually gone up in rank, but down in birth count. Holly, for example, has moved up from #26 to #25 but declined in birth count from 1,971 to 1,937.

To put it into a clearer context, the following is a rank of the top 50 boys' and girls' names within the Top 1000 whose birth count increased the most since 2011.

14	NOAH	+625
21	TYLER	+605
8	RILEY	+599
31	MASON	+498
20	LEO	+470
52	ARTHUR	+349
30	ISAAC	+330
54	JENSON	+318
57	BOBBY	+317
19	MUHAMMAD	+307
24	HENRY	+303
55	TOMMY	+301
66	FRANKIE	+290
88	HUGO	+276
23	ARCHIE	+257
5	JACOB	+239
46	HARLEY	+235
44	THEO	+222
66	BLAKE	+215
41	SEBASTIAN	+212
135	CARTER	+187
18	MAX	+177
105	RONNIE	+173
176	JOEY	+171
71	JUDE	+156
36	EDWARD	+153
29	LOGAN	+151
97	THEODORE	+150
25	LUCAS	+142
133	ROMAN	+139
61	LUCA	+135
238	HUNTER	+134
70	DEXTER	+122
75	ELLIOT	+121
38	FREDDIE	+117
35	HARRISON	+102
211	COOPER	+101
12	GEORGE	+97
90	SONNY	+96
82	ELIJAH	+91
106	OLLY	+89
60	MOHAMMAD	+88
150	SPENCER	+87
109	ALBERT	+86
148	REGGIE	+85
193	RALPH	+75
68	REUBEN	+73
188	ALBIE	+71
95	ELLIOTT	+71
277	HUDSON	+70

1	AMELIA	+2,007
8	ISLA	+652
88	IVY	+323
26	MILLIE	+271
13	POPPY	+271
21	SCARLETT	+261
23	LOLA	+233
24	EVA	+232
54	HOLLIE	+210
58	BELLA	+204
89	DARCEY	+199
15	SOPHIA	+194
70	ELSIE	+189
3	JESSICA	+181
7	MIA	+178
57	EVELYN	+163
84	MOLLIE	+158
6	AVA	+158
215	AMELIA-ROSE	+146
281	JORGIE	+143
160	MILA	+140
48	ROSIE	+139
65	ESME	+137
284	HARPER	+131
72	ANNABELLE	+126
34	FLORENCE	+125
169	BEAU	+123
39	MOLLY	+122
69	WILLOW	+120
138	HOPE	+103
122	IRIS	+100
294	ARIA	+97
71	ZARA	+96
67	HARRIET	+95
104	SEREN	+91
164	EMELIA	+90
179	ANAYA	+89
43	SOFIA	+87
75	MADISON	+86
81	MARYAM	+84
205	AOIFE	+80
198	SKYLA	+79
132	LYLA	+78
270	INDIE	+76
194	AYLA	+76
168	JESSIE	+70
536	AMELIA-LILY	+68
267	MYLA	+68
100	VIOLET	+67
302	CORA	+66

The names that went up the most outside of the top 100 are Carter, Ronnie, Joey, Roman, Hunter, Cooper, Olly, Spencer, Albert and Reggie for boys and Amelia-Rose, Jorgie, Mila, Harper, Beau, Hope, Iris, Aria, Seren and Emelia.

Amelia-Lily, Jorgie and Harper appear in both the polls, making the most gains in both rank and birth count.

Posted at 11:24 PM in Data Analysis and Statistics, Popularity Ranking, Research, Top names in England, Top names in Wales | Permalink | Comments (10)

12/08/2013

Top 10 names by region and month, 2012

Many parents judge a name's popularity by how many children they know with that name. While that doesn't give an especially thorough picture of the name's use, it is still useful to see how popular the name is in that specific area.

Each region has their own favourites. Harry was number one in all regions of England except the North East, which favours Jack, and London, where Muhammad came out on top. Noah features in the East Midlands and West Midlands while Ethan is favourited in the North East.

Proving she really is top dog, Amelia was #1 in every region, but lower down are some interesting variations. Ava is #2 in the North East, Sophia is #4 in London and Evie is joint #3 in Yorkshire.

Here is a breakdown of the Top 10 names for both boys and girls in each region of England in 2012.

North East

North West

Yorkshire

1	JACK
2	HARRY
3	OLIVER
4	CHARLIE
4	JAMES
6	ALFIE
7	RILEY
8	THOMAS
9	JACOB
10	ETHAN

1	AMELIA
2	AVA
3	OLIVIA
4	EMILY
5	SOPHIE
6	JESSICA
7	LILY
8	EVIE
9	GRACE
10	ISLA

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	JACK
4	JACOB
5	THOMAS
6	ALFIE
7	CHARLIE
8	RILEY
9	JAMES
10	MUHAMMAD

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	JESSICA
4	AVA
5	EMILY
6	MIA
7	LILY
8	ISLA
9	ISABELLA
10	GRACE

1	HARRY
2	JACK
2	OLIVER
4	JACOB
5	CHARLIE
6	MOHAMMED
7	RILEY
8	ALFIE
9	MUHAMMAD
10	WILLIAM

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	EMILY
3	EVIE
5	LILY
6	AVA
7	JESSICA
8	ISLA
9	RUBY
10	POPPY

East Midlands

West Midlands

East

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	CHARLIE
4	JACK
5	JACOB
6	ALFIE
7	RILEY
8	GEORGE
9	WILLIAM
10	NOAH

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	AVA
4	JESSICA
5	EMILY
6	ISLA
7	EVIE
8	RUBY
9	MIA
10	SOPHIE

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	MOHAMMED
4	CHARLIE
5	JACK
6	RILEY
7	JACOB
8	MUHAMMAD
9	ALFIE
10	NOAH

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	JESSICA
4	EVIE
5	EMILY
6	AVA
7	MIA
8	SOPHIE
9	LILY
10	RUBY

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	JOSHUA
6	GEORGE
6	THOMAS
8	WILLIAM
9	ALFIE
10	RILEY

1	AMELIA
2	JESSICA
3	OLIVIA
4	EMILY
5	LILY
6	SOPHIE
7	ISABELLA
8	ISLA
9	MIA
10	POPPY

London

South East

South West

1	MUHAMMAD
2	DANIEL
3	ALEXANDER
4	MOHAMMED
5	JOSHUA
6	OLIVER
6	HARRY
8	SAMUEL
9	THOMAS
10	JAMES

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	SOPHIA
4	ISABELLA
5	MIA
6	EMILY
7	JESSICA
8	SOPHIE
9	AVA
10	CHLOE

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	WILLIAM
6	GEORGE
7	THOMAS
8	JAMES
9	JOSHUA
10	JACOB

1	AMELIA
2	JESSICA
3	OLIVIA
4	EMILY
5	LILY
6	ISLA
7	SOPHIE
8	POPPY
9	ISABELLA
10	CHLOE

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	JACOB
6	ALFIE
7	RILEY
8	THOMAS
9	WILLIAM
10	GEORGE

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	EMILY
4	LILY
5	POPPY
6	JESSICA
7	ISLA
8	ISABELLA
9	AVA
10	RUBY

Seasonal variations also have an effect on names. Poppy gets a boost in November for Remembrance Day while Holly is a December favourite. Here is a breakdown of the Top 10 names for each month in England and Wales:

January

February

March

1	HARRY
2	JACK
3	OLIVER
4	CHARLIE
5	JACOB
6	ALFIE
7	JAMES
8	THOMAS
9	RILEY
10	WILLIAM

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	MIA
4	JESSICA
5	EMILY
6	EVIE
7	LILY
8	ISABELLA
9	AVA
10	GRACE

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	ALFIE
6	THOMAS
7	RILEY
8	JACOB
8	JAMES
10	JOSHUA

1	AMELIA
2	LILY
3	OLIVIA
4	EMILY
5	JESSICA
6	MIA
7	AVA
8	SOPHIE
9	EVIE
10	GRACE

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	JACOB
6	RILEY
7	ALFIE
8	THOMAS
9	JAMES
10	WILLIAM

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	JESSICA
4	EMILY
5	MIA
6	SOPHIE
7	AVA
8	LILY
9	POPPY
10	GRACE

April

May

June

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	JACOB
6	THOMAS
7	RILEY
8	ALFIE
9	GEORGE
10	ETHAN

1	AMELIA
2	JESSICA
3	OLIVIA
4	EMILY
5	LILY
6	SOPHIE
7	ISLA
8	AVA
8	GRACE
10	RUBY

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	CHARLIE
4	JACK
5	JACOB
6	WILLIAM
7	JAMES
8	JOSHUA
9	RILEY
10	THOMAS

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	EMILY
4	LILY
5	SOPHIE
6	JESSICA
7	ISLA
8	ISABELLA
9	MIA
10	RUBY

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	CHARLIE
4	JACK
5	JACOB
6	RILEY
7	ETHAN
8	THOMAS
9	JAMES
10	ALFIE

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	EMILY
4	LILY
5	MIA
6	SOPHIE
7	JESSICA
8	ISLA
9	AVA
10	ISABELLA

July

August

September

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	JACOB
6	THOMAS
7	RILEY
8	ALFIE
9	ETHAN
10	WILLIAM

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	AVA
3	JESSICA
5	EMILY
6	LILY
7	ISLA
8	EVIE
9	MIA
10	RUBY

1	OLIVER
2	HARRY
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	RILEY
6	JACOB
7	THOMAS
8	JAMES
9	ALFIE
10	JOSHUA

1	AMELIA
2	JESSICA
3	OLIVIA
4	AVA
5	EMILY
6	LILY
7	ISLA
8	SOPHIE
9	ISABELLA
10	POPPY

1	OLIVER
2	HARRY
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	JACOB
6	THOMAS
7	ALFIE
8	WILLIAM
9	RILEY
10	GEORGE

1	AMELIA
2	JESSICA
3	OLIVIA
4	ISLA
5	AVA
6	EMILY
7	LILY
8	MIA
9	SOPHIE
10	EVIE

October

November

December

1	OLIVER
2	HARRY
3	JACK
4	JACOB
5	CHARLIE
6	THOMAS
7	ALFIE
8	RILEY
9	WILLIAM
10	GEORGE

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	JESSICA
4	EMILY
5	AVA
6	ISLA
7	LILY
8	SOPHIE
9	POPPY
10	ISABELLA

1	OLIVER
2	HARRY
3	JACK
4	JACOB
5	CHARLIE
6	THOMAS
7	ALFIE
8	WILLIAM
9	GEORGE
9	RILEY

1	AMELIA
2	OLIVIA
3	POPPY
4	JESSICA
5	AVA
6	ISABELLA
7	ISLA
8	EMILY
9	LILY
10	MIA

1	HARRY
2	OLIVER
3	JACK
4	CHARLIE
5	JACOB
6	ALFIE
7	THOMAS
8	GEORGE
9	NOAH
9	WILLIAM

1	AMELIA
2	JESSICA
3	HOLLY
4	OLIVIA
5	EMILY
6	AVA
7	ISABELLA
8	SOPHIE
9	LILY
10	EVIE

Statistics supplied by the Office for National Statistics.

Posted at 04:34 PM in Data Analysis and Statistics, Popularity Ranking, Top names in England | Permalink | Comments (2)

Top 100 Most Popular Names in England and Wales 2012

Proving their staying-power, both Amelia and Harry have retained their grip of the #1 spot. Amelia was so popular, she even managed to knock Lily off the top spot in Wales. Jacob, on the other hand, proved the most popular Welsh choice.

Having been rising for years, Riley has made it to the Top 10 (not surprisingly), as well as Mia and Isla for girls.

New to the Top 100 are Hugo, Sonny, Seth and Theodore for boys, and Ivy, Darcey and Violet for girls. Tilly, Sara, Mollie, Elliott, Rory and Ellis are back in the Top 100 after a brief spell out of it.

These replaced Joel (101), Hayden (102), John (104), Ashton (111), Jackson (113), Ben (118) and Reece (122) for boys and Lexie (102), Lauren (103), Rebecca (108), Tia (116), Nicole (119) and Kayla (135) for girls, which have fallen out of the Top 100 since 2011.

Bobby, Frankie, Arthur, Jenson and Blake made the most gains the within the Top 100 for boys, while Elsie, Hollie, Maryam and Bella were the highest climbers for girls.

Here is a run down of the Top 100 names combined for England and Wales in 2012.

Top 100 Boys' Names 2012

Top 100 Girls' Names 2012

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50

51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
66
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100

HARRY

OLIVER

JACK

CHARLIE

JACOB

THOMAS

ALFIE

RILEY

WILLIAM

JAMES

JOSHUA

GEORGE

ETHAN

NOAH

SAMUEL

DANIEL

OSCAR

MAX

MUHAMMAD

LEO

TYLER

JOSEPH

ARCHIE

HENRY

LUCAS

MOHAMMED

ALEXANDER

DYLAN

LOGAN

ISAAC

MASON

BENJAMIN

JAKE

FINLEY

HARRISON

EDWARD

JAYDEN

FREDDIE

ADAM

ZACHARY

SEBASTIAN

RYAN

LEWIS

THEO

LUKE

HARLEY

MATTHEW

HARVEY

TOBY

LIAM

CALLUM

ARTHUR

MICHAEL

JENSON

TOMMY

NATHAN

BOBBY

CONNOR

DAVID

MOHAMMAD

LUCA

CHARLES

KAI

JAMIE

ALEX

BLAKE

FRANKIE

REUBEN

AARON

DEXTER

JUDE

LEON

OLLIE

STANLEY

ELLIOT

GABRIEL

CAMERON

OWEN

LOUIE

AIDEN

LOUIS

ELIJAH

FINLAY

RHYS

CALEB

EVAN

FREDERICK

HUGO

KIAN

SONNY

SETH

KAYDEN

TAYLOR

KYLE

ELLIOTT

ROBERT

THEODORE

BAILEY

RORY

ELLIS

—
—
—
+1
+2
—
-3
+5
+1
-2
-2
—
-2
+2
—
-2
—
+2
+3
+7
+10
-4
+1
+4
+1
-7
-4
-7
+1
+3
+4
-7
-4
—
+2
+4
-5
+4
-1
+5
+6
-6
-4
+6
-4
+9
-4
+4
+2
-6

-5
+16
—
+13
+10
-2
+19
-10
-2
+3
+3
-2
-7
-15
-6
+13
+18
+4
-11
+8
+12
-10
—
+6
+10
-1
—
-7
-5
-19
-13
+9
-17
-14
+4
-4
+9
+51*
-8
+18*
+10*
+2
-1
+1
+12*
-3
+27*
-8
+11*
+3*

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50

51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
73
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
84
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
92
94
95
96
97
98
99
100

AMELIA

OLIVIA

JESSICA

EMILY

LILY

AVA

MIA

ISLA

SOPHIE

ISABELLA

EVIE

RUBY

POPPY

GRACE

SOPHIA

CHLOE

ISABELLE

ELLA

FREYA

CHARLOTTE

SCARLETT

DAISY

LOLA

EVA

HOLLY

MILLIE

LUCY

PHOEBE

LAYLA

MAISIE

SIENNA

ALICE

LILLY

FLORENCE

ELLIE

ERIN

IMOGEN

ELIZABETH

MOLLY

SUMMER

MEGAN

HANNAH

SOFIA

ABIGAIL

JASMINE

LEXI

MATILDA

ROSIE

LACEY

EMMA

AMELIE

GRACIE

MAYA

HOLLIE

GEORGIA

EMILIA

EVELYN

BELLA

BROOKE

AMBER

ELIZA

AMY

ELEANOR

LEAH

ESME

KATIE

HARRIET

ANNA

WILLOW

ELSIE

ZARA

ANNABELLE

BETHANY

FAITH

MADISON

ISABEL

MARTHA

ROSE

JULIA

PAIGE

MARYAM

MADDISON

HEIDI

MOLLIE

NIAMH

SKYE

AISHA

IVY

DARCEY

FRANCESCA

ZOE

KEIRA

TILLY

MARIA

SARAH

LYDIA

CAITLIN

ISOBEL

SARA

VIOLET

—
—
+1
+1
-2
+3
+6
+7
-3
—
—
-5
+1
-6
+3
-4
—
-2
—
+1
+4
-2
+8
+9
+1
+9
-4
-4
+1
-8
+5
+5
-6
+9
-7
+3
-5
+6
+7
-6
-12
-1
+4
-6
-3
-1
+1
+7
-9
-1

+3
+1
+5
+14
+5
+5
+8
+11
-9
-8
+1
-11
-4
-8
+7
-9
+4
-1
+6
+17
+2
+7
-9
-10
+2
-10
+6
-2
-1
-10
+13
—
+8
+29*
-3
-2
+8
+80*
+42*
+9
+1
-4
+11*
-1
-5
+4
-11
-18
+10*
+14*

* A new entry to the Top 100.

Below, also, are the individual Top 100 for Wales and for England seperately in 2012:

Top 100 Names in Wales

Top 100 Names in England

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
12
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
20
22
23
24
25
26
27
27
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
35
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
45
47
48
49
49

51
51
53
54
54
56
56
58
59
60
61
62
62
64
65
66
67
68
69
69
71
71
71
74
75
75
75
78
79
79
79
79
83
84
84
84
87
87
89
89
91
92
93
93
93
93
97
97
97
97
97
97

JACOB

OLIVER

RILEY

JACK

ALFIE

HARRY

CHARLIE

DYLAN

WILLIAM

MASON

LOGAN

ETHAN

THOMAS

TYLER

JAMES

NOAH

JOSHUA

LEO

GEORGE

ISAAC

RHYS

MAX

FINLEY

JOSEPH

SAMUEL

JAYDEN

EVAN

LUCAS

DANIEL

OSCAR

JAKE

MORGAN

OSIAN

HARRISON

HARLEY

THEO

HARRI

JAC

TOMOS

ARCHIE

RYAN

BENJAMIN

OLLIE

ALEXANDER

HARVEY

JENSON

GETHIN

LEWIS

CALLUM

ZACHARY

CONNOR

LIAM

HENRY

ELLIS

KAI

CAI

IOAN

OWEN

BLAKE

KIAN

ADAM

ALEX

CAMERON

CALEB

SEBASTIAN

LEON

MOHAMMED

MATTHEW

ASHTON

LUKE

EDWARD

ELIJAH

TOBY

IESTYN

AARON

KAYDEN

LUCA

DEXTER

CIAN

IEUAN

REUBEN

TOMMY

ZAC

CODY

FREDDIE

MICHAEL

ELIS

LEVI

CARTER

OLLY

IWAN

SONNY

COREY

DAVID

ELLIOT

SETH

COLE

ELI

HARI

JACKSON

JAMIE

STEFFAN

1
2
3
4
5
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7
8
9
9
11
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15
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23
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27
28
29
30
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32
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34
35
36
37
38
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40
41
42
43
43
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46
46
48
49
50

51
52
53
54
55
55
57
57
59
59
59
62
62
62
65
65
67
68
69
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71
71
73
73
75
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75
78
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80
80
80
80
84
84
84
87
87
87
87
91
91
93
93
93
93
97
97
97
97
97

AMELIA

AVA

MIA

LILY

OLIVIA

RUBY

SEREN

EVIE

ELLA

GRACE

EMILY

ISABELLE

SOPHIE

SOPHIA

MEGAN

ISABELLA

POPPY

JESSICA

FFION

LAYLA

FREYA

ISLA

CHLOE

LOLA

LEXI

ELLIE

MILLIE

SCARLETT

MAISIE

LILLY

EVA

DAISY

ERIN

PHOEBE

HOLLY

MOLLY

SIENNA

BROOKE

GRACIE

LACEY

LUCY

CHARLOTTE

BELLA

SOFIA

CARYS

HOLLIE

ROSIE

MADISON

LOWRI

SUMMER

NIA

IMOGEN

MALI

JASMINE

ABIGAIL

FLORENCE

AMBER

FAITH

ALICE

KATIE

MOLLIE

CAITLIN

ELIN

HANNAH

ALEXIS

GEORGIA

ESME

EVELYN

LEAH

MARTHA

MADDISON

PAIGE

AMELIE

LEXIE

CERYS

EMILIA

WILLOW

AMY

MYA

CADI

ELERI

ELIZABETH

MILEY

BETHAN

EFA

ELSIE

ALYS

ANNABELLE

LOIS

TEGAN

CELYN

LIBBY

LEILA

LILI

LYDIA

TILLY

GWEN

INDIE

MATILDA

TIA

ZOE

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
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9
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12
13
14
15
16
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20
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38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50

51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
93
95
96
97
98
99
100

HARRY

OLIVER

JACK

CHARLIE

JACOB

THOMAS

ALFIE

RILEY

WILLIAM

JAMES

JOSHUA

GEORGE

ETHAN

NOAH

SAMUEL

DANIEL

OSCAR

MUHAMMAD

MAX

ARCHIE

LEO

JOSEPH

TYLER

HENRY

MOHAMMED

ALEXANDER

LUCAS

DYLAN

ISAAC

LOGAN

BENJAMIN

MASON

JAKE

HARRISON

FINLEY

EDWARD

FREDDIE

ADAM

JAYDEN

ZACHARY

SEBASTIAN

LEWIS

RYAN

THEO

LUKE

MATTHEW

HARLEY

HARVEY

TOBY

LIAM

ARTHUR

MICHAEL

CALLUM

TOMMY

JENSON

NATHAN

BOBBY

MOHAMMAD

DAVID

CONNOR

LUCA

CHARLES

JAMIE

FRANKIE

KAI

ALEX

BLAKE

REUBEN

AARON

DEXTER

JUDE

STANLEY

LEON

ELLIOT

GABRIEL

OLLIE

LOUIE

AIDEN

CAMERON

LOUIS

OWEN

FINLAY

ELIJAH

FREDERICK

HUGO

CALEB

TAYLOR

SONNY

SETH

KYLE

ELLIOTT

ROBERT

KIAN

THEODORE

KAYDEN

RHYS

RORY

BAILEY

EVAN

HAYDEN

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
17
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
35
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50

51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
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66
67
68
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71
72
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79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
96
98
99
100

AMELIA

OLIVIA

JESSICA

EMILY

LILY

AVA

ISLA

SOPHIE

MIA

ISABELLA

EVIE

POPPY

RUBY

GRACE

SOPHIA

CHLOE

FREYA

ISABELLE

ELLA

CHARLOTTE

SCARLETT

DAISY

LOLA

HOLLY

EVA

LUCY

MILLIE

PHOEBE

LAYLA

MAISIE

SIENNA

ALICE

FLORENCE

LILLY

ELLIE

ERIN

ELIZABETH

IMOGEN

SUMMER

MOLLY

HANNAH

SOFIA

ABIGAIL

JASMINE

MATILDA

MEGAN

ROSIE

LEXI

LACEY

EMMA

AMELIE

MAYA

GRACIE

EMILIA

GEORGIA

HOLLIE

EVELYN

ELIZA

AMBER

ELEANOR

BELLA

AMY

BROOKE

LEAH

ESME

HARRIET

ANNA

KATIE

ZARA

WILLOW

ELSIE

ANNABELLE

BETHANY

FAITH

MADISON

ISABEL

ROSE

JULIA

MARTHA

MARYAM

PAIGE

HEIDI

MADDISON

NIAMH

SKYE

AISHA

MOLLIE

IVY

FRANCESCA

DARCEY

MARIA

ZOE

KEIRA

SARAH

TILLY

ISOBEL

VIOLET

LYDIA

SARA

CAITLIN

Statistics supplied by the Office for National Statistics.

Posted at 09:48 AM in Data Analysis and Statistics, Popularity Ranking, Seasonal Names, Top names in England, Top names in Wales | Permalink | Comments (1)

11/08/2013

UK Birth Announcements 5/8/13 - 11/8/13

A compilation of names from BAs announced in this week's newspapers, including two national papers (Times, Telegraph) and a broad range of local newspapers from across England, Wales and Scotland.

Sibling names are in brackets.

Boys:

Alfie James

Alfie Lee

Archer Charles (Izaac Charles)

Archer Joseph (Lily Eve)

Archie Kelvin

Arthur Frederick Tait (James Tristan Oliver)

Arthur John

Austin Louis (Alfie & Woody Frank)

Ben Edward (Sam & Adam)

Bobby (Toby & John)

Callan Lee (Logan Alexander)

Calum Logan

Charles John (Isabella)

Charlie John

Charlie Lee (Henry Tyler)

Charlie Thomas

Charlie Stephen

Colby Michael

Cosmo Edward Vereker (Dashiell Thomas Delevingne)

Daniel Alexander (Roxanna Rose)

Devon Michael

Dexter Oscar Marlow

Dexter William (Ellie-Marie Winifred)

Dylan Dean

Edward Adrian Joseph

Elliot Max

Ethan Paul

Felix Ian (Hugo James)

Finlay William

Gabriel Howell

George Daniel (Jack David)

Harrison "Harry" MacKay

Harry Charles (Mia Anne)

Harry James

Harry Stephen Phillip

Henry Daniel (Thomas Christopher)

Henry "Teddy" Edward (Orla Grace & Tom William)

Jac Daniel James

Jack Alexander (Aiden Thomas)

Jack David

Jacob Sebastian (William "Will" Patrick)

James Thomas

Jasper Jock

Joe James (Holly Jane)

Joseph Christopher

Joshua Craig

Joshua Leon (Lucas Andrew)

Joshua Robert Byrne

Kiarash Izad

Lennie James (Ollie Peter)

Lenny Alexander Charles

Louis Alexander

Marcus David (Emily & Andrew)

Mason Craig

Michael Thomas

Mungo Charles Timothy (Edmund Robin Bulwer)

Noah Charlie (Evan George)

Noah Hugh Henry (William Andrew Michael)

Oakley (Amelie & Mia)

Oscar James

Ravi Alan

Reece Oliver

Rhys William

Rory Alexander (Bobby Terence)

Samuel Bramwell

Samuel Micah (Lois Isla)

Scott Alexander

Taylor Louie (Ollie-James)

Theo Harrison

Thomas Geoffrey (Sebastian James)

Tobias Paul Martin (Summer)

Tommy James (Abbie & Emily)

Tyson Liam

Walter Albert Fritz

William Christopher

William Daniel

William Stephen (Katie & Lily)

Zachary David Roy (Lyla Rose & Keira Belle)

Girls:

Abbey Elizabeth (Alfie)

Abigail Lucie

Alexandra May Frances

Alexis Louise Marie (Scarlet & Taylan)

Amelia Jean (Matthew & Logan)

Amelie Rose (Mason)

Anna Louise

Annabel Harriet

Anya Sophia (Max Campbell)

Arianna Lily (Aaron Michael)

Ava Lily

Ava Rose

Bebe Elizabeth Constable (Atticus "Atti" Constable Sherwood)

Brooke Ivy

Cadi Elsi

Corah Evelyn

Daisy Elizabeth

Darcy May

Eden Anaya

Ella Daisy (Poppy & Lily Rose)

Ella Louise

Eloise Maeve

Elouise Sarah (Rylan)

Elsie Faye (Frankie Austin)

Emily Janet Marion (Oliver & Henry)

Emily Jean Eileen

Emily Laura

Emily Rose (Owen Elliot)

Emma Elizabeth (Cara Suzanne)

Emmy Suz (Koby Noa)

Eva Rose

Evanna Marie (Jake & Lexie Ann)

Evelyn Alicia

Evelyn Catherine

Evie Jasmine (Bella Daisy)

Evie Rose

Florence Mair (Gertrude Myfanwy)

Francesca Eleanor (Isabella)

Georgia Rae (Leonie)

Georgia Rose (Phoebe)

Gracie June

Harlow (Mylo)

Harriett Lily

Hattie Jane (Billy)

Ida Ophelia Rose Henny

Isabella Anne

Isadora "Izzy" Alice (Esmerelda "Esme" Grace)

Isla Hannah (Eli Harry)

Isla Rose (Taylor James)

Isobel Rose (Rebecca)

Izabelle Susan Louise

Juliet Helena Flora (Joseph)

Katharine Isabella

Kirsten Rachel

Lacey Dawn

Lily Isabel (Jessica & Isla)

Lily-Rose

Lilly-Anne Ivy

Liwsi Ann (Elin)

Marnie Elisabeth Jean (James Alexander Martin)

Martha Lilly

Matilda Grace Cranfield

Matilda Joy

Mia Caroline

Millie Grace (Meghan)

Olivia Rachel Rose (Joshua Thomas)

Olivia Rose

Olivia Rose (Ellie & Grace)

Penny Darwin

Phoebe Neave (Evie Mai)

Polly Rose

Rosie Mary (Joseph)

Roxy Rose (Lexi)

Ruby Jane

Ruby Mae (Nathan & Oliver)

Ruby-Mae Diane

Ruby Florence (Frederick "Freddie" William)

Sadie Marie Jan (Lewis)

Scarlett Beatrice

Scarlett Louise

Seraphina Grace

Skye Lilly (Luke)

Sofia Ivy

Sophia Emily

Sophia Lily May

Sophie Alice

Stella Josephine

Tallulah Grace

Vanilla

Violet Susanna Mary (Benjamin Thomas Johnnie)

Zoe Grace (Zack)

Twins:

Archie James & Mia Alice

Freya Louise & Georgia Ellie (Ollie Thomas)

Leonardo Giovanni & Vincenzo Salvatore (Raffaele)

Oliver Stephen Kelway & Stella Emily Harris

Posted at 02:54 PM in Birth Announcements | Permalink | Comments (0)

10/08/2013

Name of the Week

The Hollywood icon's name
that took the name charts by storm.

Origin:

Lauren is 20th century coinage, belonging to a family of names all related to the Latin laurus "laurel tree."

Though Lauren isn't explicitely derived from Laurence or Laura, it is often thought to be a short form of one or the other. Laurentius was a Roman cognomen meaning "from Laurentium"; the town itself derived its name from lauretum "laurel grove." The feminine form was Laurentia, and from either of them — it isn't clear which — came Laura.

Usage:

In the Middle Ages, Lawrence (the Anglicised form of the Latin Laurentius) was well established in Britain thanks to the great popularity of the 3rd century martyr Saint Lawrence. Both Laurencia and Laura were used as feminine names at that time alongside the diminutive Lauretta, Loretta and Laurette. Added to that were a whole host of variant names such as Lorenzo, Lorenza, Laurent, Laurence, Laurenz and Lorens in use in Europe.

A small handful of birth records for the name Lauren exist in Britain from the 17th and 18th century. These are exclusively male and in some cases they apprear to be short forms of Laurence. In fact, there is very little evidence of Lauren in use as a given name before it was popularisied by Lauren Bacall. There are no Laurens on 1911 UK census records. Several Laurens have been transcribed onto online databases for this census, but closer inspection of the original images show that the entries are actually for a "Laura", "Laurie" or "Laurent".

In the 19th century, Lorena, Loreena, Loreen and Laureen were developed as elaborations of Laura, paving the way for the introduction of Lauren for girls. Though the odd birth records for Lauren can be found, dated to the early 20th century, established use of the name came post-1944, just after the release of the movie To Have and Have Not (1944) starring Lauren Bacall — the film that made her name and catapulted her to stardom.

Bacall's real name is Betty (a name she is still called by family and friends). Lauren was given to her as a stage name by director Howard Hawks. It was a suitably 'Hollywood' name for that era, though it isn't clear what inspired it. It was perhaps a variant of Laureen, or an adoption of Loren, a name that had been in the Top 300 boys' names in the US since 1913, and influenced by the spelling of Laura.

In 1945 there was a flurry of girls registered in England and Wales named Lauren, inspired by the glamourous actress. The name grew steadily in popularity from that point, becoming especially popular in the 1980s. From not ranking at all in the Top 100 in 1974, Lauren was #33 in 1984 and #2 by 1994. It has been in the Top 100 ever since, though it is now smoothly declining:

1996: #5 (6299 births)
1997: #8
1998: #8
1999: #7
2000: #6
2001: #7
2002: #11
2003: #17
2004: #23
2005: #27
2006: #38
2007: #51
2008: #51
2009: #61
2010: #70
2011: #85 (710 births)

In Scotland there has been a similar picture. Lauren was #8 in 1998, #3 in 1999 (573 births), #3 in 2000, #2 in 2001, #8 in 2002, #12 in 2003, #14 in 2004, #20 in 2005, #23 in 2006, #30 in 2007, #33 in 2008, #34 in 2009, #40 in 2010, #50 in 2011 and #57 in 2012 (92 births).

Famous Bearers:

* Lauren Bacall (b.1924), Hollywood actress.
* Lauren Graham (b. 1967), American actress.
* Lauryn Hill (b. 1975), American singer-songwriter.
* Lauren Laverne (b.1978), British radio and television presenter.
See a longer list here

Variants:

Loren, Lauryn

Pronunciation:

LO-rən [key]

Possible
diminutives:

Laurie, Laddy, Larry, Lolly, Ren

Sibling Names:

Bethany Ella Jessica Aimee Holly Chloe
Cameron Jack Daniel Matthew Benjamin Adam

Name Lists:

Golden Age Hollywood

If you like Lauren you may also like:
Megan, Rachel, Laila, Natasha, Eden, Paige, Caitlin, Alexa, Lacey, Bethan

Thanks to Jane for requesting Lauren.

Posted at 10:09 PM in Etymology and Meanings, Name of the Week, Namesakes, Nicknames and Diminutives | Permalink | Comments (2)

09/08/2013

Name of the Week

A genial Scottish favourite
with a longstanding royal heritage.

Origin:

Malcolm is a name of Scottish origin meaning "disciple of Columba". The original Scots Gaelic form was Máel Coluim.

Máel in Old Gaelic (Old Irish) — derived from the Proto-Celtic *mailo-s "bald" — originally had the meaning of "bald, shaved, tonsured person". In the pre-Christian era this would most likely have referred to a slave, but after Christianity would commonly have referred to a tonsured monk. The ritual shaving of the crown of the head was the first ceremony used for devoting a person to the service of God and the church. It therefore came to be used to refer to a person who was devoted to, or a disciple or follower of, God or a specific saint.

Saint Columba was one of the most influential saints of both medieval Ireland and Scotland so a name with a meaning of "follower of Columba" would have been an auspicious one.

Usage:

Malcolm has a rich history of use in Scotland, dating back to at least the 10th century. One of the earliest recorded bearers is Malcolm I, king of the Scots (King of Alba) from 943 to 54. Three more Scottish kings bearing the name would follow in subsequent generations. He was known at the time by the name Máel Coluim mac Domnaill. The name also features in the earliest known Scottish charter from the reign of King Duncan 1094 as "Norman filius Malcolumbe"

The early Scots Gaelic form was Máel Coluim, which by the 13th century became Maol Chaluim and latinised as Malcolmus.

The Paradox of Medieval Scotland (1093-1286) Database has record of over a hundred Scottish men, including kings, several notable earls, archdeacons, knights and clerks, all bearing the name Malcolm from the 11th to 13th century. This shows it to be one of the most popular 'Scottish' names in Scotland at that time — in an age where standard Norman names such as William, Richard, Robert and John were prevalent — and, intriguingly, even more popular than the name Columba (later Callum) itself.

There are a few examples in England during this period also; Reaney and Wilson found a Malculum in Shropshire in 1192, and Maukolum in Hampshire in 1207 though they are understandably nowhere near as prevalent as in Scottish records.

From the 15th century onwards the spellings Malcolm, Malcolme, Malcome, Malcum and Malcom became standard. It is from the 16th century that the surname Malcolm came into use.

Though the name was still in regular use in the 16th century, it was not so prolific as it had been prior to that time. This was the case, on the whole, with most Scots Gaelic names, the preference being for Norman and biblical names such as John, William, Robert, James, Thomas, Andrew, David and Alexander. Several more examples of the name, however, can be found in the 17th and, particularly, 18th and 19th century.

The UK census lists 3,284 males named Malcolm in 1841 (96% in Scotland, 4% in England) and 4,383 in 1861 (92% Scotland, 8% England). As Victorian Englishmen became fascinated with Scottish culture, so they began to adopt the names. In 1881 there were 6,649 (83% Scotland, 17% England) and 8,686 (73% Scotland, 26% England, 1% Wales) in 1901, showing that Malcolm was becoming more popular both sides of the border.

In Scotland, Malcolm remained popular throughout the 20th century. It ranked #37 in 1900, #43 in 1950 and #55 in 1975 — showing remarkably little change in 75 years.

In England and Wales, Malcolm ranked #180 in both 1880 and 1890 and #195 in 1900. During the first half of the 20th century, however, Scotland became the most significant source for popular boys' names in England and Wales, and other English-speaking countries. By 1924 there were the likes of Kenneth, Leslie, Donald, Roy, Gordon, Graham, Colin, Ian, Keith and Douglas in the Top 100, later joined by Malcolm, Stuart and Neil.

Malcolm broke into the Top 100 in England and Wales sometime between 1924 and 1934. From not ranking in the Top 100 at all in 1924, it was all the way up to #46 in 1934; rising to #24 in 1944 and #31 in 1954. It fell to #65 in 1964 and #89 in 1974, leaving the Top 100 thereafter. In 1996 Malcolm ranked #472 with 39 births. It fell in popularity from that point on, fluctuating between its highest rank of #891 (25 births) in 2005 and its lowest of #1889 (6 births) in 2000.

Though the name has also seen an overall decline in popularity in Scotland, it is still comparitively more popular there (considering population size) than elsewhere in the UK. From a rank of #302 (8 births) in 2005 the name has had a birth count of between 5 (2007, rank #431) and 12 (2009, rank #295) every year since.

Famous Bearers:

History:

* Malcolm I (c.900—954), King of Scotland c.943–954.
* Máel Coluim (Malcolm) I of Strathclyde, ruler of the Kingdom of Strathclyde from 973-997.
* Malcolm II (d. 1034), King of Scotland from 1004–1034.
* Malcolm III (1031—1093), King of Scotland from 1058–1093.
* Malxolm IV (1141—1165), King of Scotland from 1153–1165.
* Sir Malcolm Sargent (1895—1967), British conductor, organist and composer.
* Malcolm Cowley (1898–1989), American novelist, poet, literary critic, and journalist.
* Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957), English poet and novelist.

Contemporary:

* Malcolm Arnold (1921–2003), British composer.
* Malcolm Fraser (b. 1930), an Australian Prime Minister.
* Malcolm McLaren (1946–2010), British musician and producer of the Sex Pistols.

Literature and Other Media:

* Malcolm, Prince of Cumberland, a character in Shakespeare's Macbeth.
* Malcolm (1959), a comic novel by James Purdy.
* Malcolm Wilkerson, the main character of Malcolm in the Middle, a television sitcom.

Variants:

Máel Coluim (Scot Gaelic)

Pronunciation:

MAL-cəm [key]

Possible diminutives:

Cal, Cam, Colm, Mac, Mal, Mally, Malcy

Sibling Names:

Bridget Elspeth Kathryn Nancy Fiona Susanna
Fraser Alistair Patrick Gregor Finlay Duncan

Name Lists:

Funky-Clunky Cosy Celtic Victorian Darlings Shakespearean Names Operatic Appellations
.Harry Potter Names

If you like Malcolm you may also like:
Callan, Maxwell, Douglas, Lachlan, Murray, Graham, Declan, Scott, Kenneth, Stuart

Thanks to Diana for requesting Malcolm.

Posted at 10:24 PM in Celtic Names, Etymology and Meanings, Name of the Week, Namesakes, Royal Names | Permalink | Comments (4)

06/08/2013

Victorian and Edwardian Floral Siblings

It's no secret that late-Victorian and Edwardian parents went batty over floral names for girls. Snowdrop, Gladiolus, Mignionette, Azalea, Daffodil, Eucharis, Orchid, Lotus, Mimosa — practically every flower around was used for name inspiration. Some parents loved them so much, they created a whole garden full of floral names.

Here are some florally inspired sibling sets from the late 19th and early 20th century. You'll notice that while often all the girls get a plant name, the boys have a varied assortment; in a few cases they also got plant names.

N.B. Though we associated it more as a month name now, the Victorians classed May as a floral name because of the May Blossom. Marguerite, Veronica and Magnolia were also grouped in this category.

The Willats:
Henry (1877)
George (1880)
Arthur (1883)
Leslie (1885)
Daisy (1888)
Poppy (1890)
Lily (1893)

Bunnels:
Ivy May (1882)
Daisy Violet (1884)
Snowdrop Olive (1885)
Myrtle Pansy (1889)

The Letts:
Acacia Harriet S (1872)
Linden Fritz Barnabas (1874)
Edgar James (1876)
Olive Aurelia (1878)
Rose Zilpah (1879)
May Elizabeth (1881)

The Oakhills:
Daisy Eleanor (1885)
Christie Rosanna (1888)
Jasmine Beatrice (1890)
Ivy Josephine (1893)
Olive Winifred (1895)
Poppy Irene (1897)

The Youngs:
William Henry Kirk (1878)
Daisy (1881)
Tom (1882)
Fred Archer (1884)
Herbert Gladstone (1886)
Sullivan (1888)
Violet (1890)
Pansy Blossom (1892)
Corbett Mitchell (1894)
Snowdrop (1896)
Heather (1899)

The Osbornes:
Emily Hannah (1883)
Mary Ann (1884)
May (1886)
Violet (1888)
Lily (1890)
Lavender (1892)
William (1895)
Ivy (1897)
Marguerite (1899)
Iris Dorothy Primrose (1891)
Myrtle (1903)
Robert Henry (1905)

The Castles:
Daisy May (1886)
Violet Myrtle (1888)
Lily Zinnia (1890)
Ivy Camelia (1892)
Cecil Rodney (1893)
Lavender Mignonette (1896)

The Paskes:
Violet Elizabeth (1891)
Lily (1894)
Ivy Rosina (1896)
Dahlia Louise (1897)
Charles Henry (1899)

The Woodmans:
Henry Edgar (1882)
Lilian (1886)
Violet Lobelia (1893)
Daisy (1895)
Ivy (1898)
Mignonette Verbena (1899)

The Palmers:
Rosebud Helena Esther (1902)
Henry William Rondel (1904)
Iris May Rondel (1906)
William Henry Rondel (1908)
Charles Henry Rondel (1910)
Harold Henry Rondel (1913)
George Henry Rondel (1916)
Cyril Henry Rondel (1917)

The Dodmans:
John Edward (1884)
Frank Victor (1886)
(Marie) Violet (1888)
Daisy Clare (1890)
Mignonette Ethel (1892)
Vernon Edgar (1894)
Snowdrop Gladys (1896)
Henry Ernest (1900)
Lily Elsie (1903)

The Hartes:
Violet Mary C (1888)
Lily Josephine M (1889)
Camellia Theresa M (1895)
Marguerite Gertrude M (1897)
John Herbert (1900)
Gladiolus Bernard & Hyacinth Joseph (1904)
* I suspect Camellia is Camellia Theresa Megri after the flower as "Lily Josephine" is also a plant variety.

The Stanleys:
Una Lilian (1884)
Daisy Constance (1885)
Violet Louise (1889)
Magnolia Kate (1892)
Iris Ivy (1894)
Veronica Dorothy (1896)
Olive Naomi (1899)
Myrtle Irene (1902)
Clematis Mary Claire (1905)

The Birds:
Lily Violet (1890)
Daisy May (1892)
Ivy Narcissus (1894)
Charles Cecil C (1896)
Azalea Ivy Narcissus (1899)

The Watsons:
Iris Ellen (1892)
Ivy Emma (1893)
Poppy Doretta (1900)

The Gilberts:
Daisy Charlotte (1888)
Victor George Henry (1890)
Violet Maria F (1895)
Primrose Henrietta M (1899)
Lilac Lily R (1902)
Laud Thomas J (1903)

The Borrowsons:
Ivy Elizabeth (1895)
Poppy Marjorie (1898)
Olive Mavis (1901)

The Churchills:
William John (1894)
Daisy Ellen (1897)
Lily Beatrice & Rosie May (1899)
Bluebell, May & Violet (1902)

The Blunts:
Eddie Walter (1902)
Ivy Violet (1904)
Snowdrop Lily (1907)
Reginald Stanley (1911)

The Monroes:
Bluebell (1903)
Buttercup (1906)

The Taylors:
George (1883)
(Bertie) Lovell (1886)
Happy Mary J (1888)
Violetta Matilda M (1890)
Lemon Playford (1892)
Mignionette Rhona (1895)
Prudence Vie (1899)
Claude Oak (1901)
Felix Ruby (1902)
(Elm) Oliver (1905)
Alice Rhoda (1909)

For an interesting contemporary discussion from 1892 concerning floral names, and the prejudices and other opinions towards them, see this Twas Ever Thus post.

Posted at 11:49 PM in Historic Names, Nature and Plant Names | Permalink | Comments (13)

04/08/2013

UK Birth Announcements 29/7/13 - 4/8/13

A compilation of names from BAs announced in this week's newspapers, including national papers (Times, Telegraph) and a broad range of local newspapers from across England, Wales and Scotland.

Sibling names are in brackets.

Boys:

Aaron Dylan (Adam & Lily)

Adam James (Seth Arthur)

Ailbe Alexander Thomas (Radley-Ray)

Albert "Bertie" Henri

Alexander David William

Alexander Ethan

Alexander James

Alfred David Nelson

Andrew William (James Alexander)

Archie Morgan (Maisie Jessica)

Archie Noel

Barrington Iain

Casey Richard

Charles "Charlie" William David

Efan Parry

Elis Cynan

Ethan William (Logan Brian)

Farley

Felix Beau (Isabella Rose & Leo Thomas)

Finlay Andrew

Fletcher John (George)

Franky Shane

Frederick George

Frederick "Freddie" Lysander Ferro Ribeiro

Gavin Gary (Beth Hazel)

George Elliott Brooke

George Frederick (Holly Elena)

George Frederick (William Bertie)

George John (Poppy Alice)

Gruff Rhys

Hamish Campbell (Fraser Ian & Emily Grace)

Harley Owen

Harris Owen

Harris Simon Ian

Hugo Basil (Ottilie & Marita Jane)

Ivan Oliver

Jack Joseph (Kayla Rose)

Jack William

Jake David (Mia Olive)

Jaydon Luke

Jude Ronnie

Leo Oscar

Leonardo Ross Wolfram

Lewis Calum (Kyle)

Liam David

Louis Felix (Poppy Cecilia & Jemima Elizabeth)

Luke Ralph (Owen)

Marcus Robert Peter (Bridget Eliza Rose)

Matthew James

Max Oliver (Holly & Harry)

Maxwell Robert Richard (Elissa May)

Miller Jack

Milo Craig

Nico Kevin Anthony

Reuben Austin

Riley Geoffrey

Rowan Adam

Sam Murray (Grace & Thomas)

Sebastian Cormac Alexander

Sebastian George (Ryan)

Seonaidh Alasdair

Stanley James Montgomery

Thomas Harry (Robert George)

Wilfred "Freddie" George Guy (Beatrice "Bea" Grace)

William Alexander

William James (George)

Zackery Keith

Girls:

Abigail Anne

Alexandra Elizabeth (Edward Harvey)

Alexina Julia (William)

Anna Lois Frances (Oliver Ian Inglis)

Aurora Mae

Ava Flora Kynaston

Ava Jane

Ava Rose (Travis)

Ayda Tilly

Cecelia Rose (Tilly Ella)

Charlotte Rose

Charlotte "Charlie" Ruby Di

Chloe Patricia

Daisy Molly Ann

Eilidh Rebecca Alexandra (Fraser)

Elizabeth Lily Sophia (Mya)

Ella Mai

Ella May (Ben & Joseph)

Elena Sophia Margaret

Elsie Eva

Erin Lillian (Jude William, Finn Joseph & Kian Gabriel)

Esme Rose (Rupert Peter John)

Evelyn Grace (Marcus)

Evelynn Grace

Evie Grace

Evie Rose

Felicity Clare (Maisie Grace & Charlotte Hermione)

Florence Coco Clementine

Georgia Constance Morgan (Archie David William)

Isla Esmee (Aimee Erin)

Isabella Lynne

Isabelle Louise

Ishbel Beatrix Emma Rose

Isla Joanna (Alexander "Alex" Fraser & Eilidh Janice)

Ivy Ellan

Ivy-Lovelle

Kacey Marie

Kate Elizabeth

Kathryn Freya Berry

Katie Louise

Lacey Scarlett (Braeden)

Lacey Violet-May

Lauren Olivia

Lily Charlotte (Emma Louise, Rebekah Louise & Elizabeth Rose)

Lily Muriel

Lily-May Alice

Lucy Amber (Hannah, Daniel & Holly)

Maddison Leanne

Madison Eve

Matilda Amy Elizabeth

Matilda Grace Cranfield

Mia Grace

Myla Grace

Naevia June

Nell Delaney

Nell Victoria (William)

Neve Alice

Nova Star (Nyla Grace, Dulcie May & Oakley-Rose)

Orla Harriett

Piper

Penny Louise

Rosa Belle (Sol Martin)

Ruby Lily

Seren Suzannah

Sienna Grace

Sienna Terra

Sophie Elizabeth (Maria & Alex)

Thea Rose (Olivia Louise)

Zahara Hannan

Twins:

Amie Helen & Lucy Rose (Leila Charlie & Finlay Ben)

Archie & Harry

Flynn MacDonald & Rowan Campbell (Noah & Harris MacRitchie)

Gabriella Margaret & Isabella Michelle

Hannah Lily & Jack Alexander (Rory Ian Donald)

Jack Charles & Jessica Rose

Paul & Zak

Posted at 11:41 AM in Birth Announcements | Permalink | Comments (0)

03/08/2013

Name of the Week

Amelia's exotically-chic older sister and
a golden girl of the Roman Empire that's on an upward curve.

Origin:

Aurelia is feminine form of Aurelius, a Roman name denoting a member of the distinguished Aurelii family.

Aurelia/us is commonly accepted as deriving from the Latin aurum "gold" via aureolus "golden." There is an alternate theory that suggests Aurelia/us could derive from diminutive form of auris "ear," starting out as a nickname meaning 'little ears'.

This idea has validity; several Roman nomen originally started out as descriptive nicknames, such as Fulvius "tawny," Claudius "limping" and Caecilius "blind", though sometimes they were used ironically. It could easily be true that the original Aurelius was nicknamed 'little ears', 'little ear-wigger' or some such. On the other hand, if the name derives from aurum, it could also have started out as a descriptive nickname for a person with golden hair.

Usage:

The gens Aurelia was one of the most influential families of both the Roman Republic and Empire. Several notable Roman women of this gens bore the name including all the daughters of Marcus Aurelius, the mother of Julius Caesar and three empresses. Saint Petronilla was also held the name Aurelia Petronilla.

In 212 Emperor Caracalla (Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Augustus) gave Roman citizenship to all free-born inhabitants of the empire. As it was the custom for newly naturalized citizens to take the name of the patron who granted his citizenship, all those men were given the name Aurelius. It became so common that in the late period of the Empire it is difficult to distinguish members of the gens from others bearing the name.

Notable figures with the name Aurelius are littered in history. Particularly, there were two saints of the name, one living in the 4th century and one in the 9th century.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Aurelia was in use in Continental Europe from at least the 10th century, especially in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco and Spain, though it was little used in Britain.

A handful of baptisms for Aurelia can be found from the 16th century in England, though they are very rare. Usage really began to kick off in the 17th century and through to the 18th century; a time when classical names were much in vogue.

The 1841 UK census lists 45 women named Aurelia (93% in England, 7% in Wales) which had risen to 66 in 1861, 111 in 1881, 117 in 1901 and 145 in 1911. Usage of the name was low but very consistent, averaging around 4 births every year from 1838 to 1900 in England and Wales. The name then continued to be used a handful of times every year till the 1990s. This is unlike Europe where the name has has more popularity.

It has only been since the turn of the 21st century that Aurelia has began to gain a lot more usage in the UK. The birth count for England and Wales shows a definite upward curve:

1996: 7 births (#2096)
1998: 10 births (#1697)
2000: 10 births (#1688)
2002: 6 births (#2540)
2004: 13 births (#1617)
2005: 20 births (#1200)
2006: 25 births (#1087)
2007: 51 births (#675)
2008: 49 births (#722)
2009: 69 births (#556)
2010: 70 births (#567)
2011: 106 births (#414)

The name has also been rising fractionally in Scotland. It was not registered at all in 2005 and 2006, received 2 births in 2007 and 2008, 5 in 2009, 4 in 2010 (#634), 2 in 2011 (#976) and 7 (#467) in 2012.

Famous Bearers:

History:

* Aurelia Cotta (120 BC—54 BC), mother of Julius Caesar.
* Saint Aurelia of Strasbourg (d. 1027), 10th century Austrian saint.
* Aurelia del Carretto (b.c.1240), mother of Rainier I of Monaco.
* Maria Aurelia Spinola (b. c. 1620), wife of Ercole Grimaldi, Marquis of Baux.
* Aurelia Spencer Rogers (1834—1922), American women's rights activist and suffragette.
* Aurélia de Souza (1867–1922), a Portuguese painter.

Contemporary:

* Aurelia Browder (1919—1971), African-American civil rights activist.

Literature and Other Media:

* Aurelia, character in the film Love Acually (2003).
* Countess Aurelia, a character in the Broadway play Dear World.

Other:

* Aurelia is a synonym for a chrysalis.
* Melitaea aurelia is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.
* 419 Aurelia, an asteroid.
* Aurelia, a small city in Iowa, U.S.A.

Variants:

Aurélie (French), Aranka (Hungarian), Orelia (Italian), Aureliana

Pronunciation:

aw-REE-lee-ə, aw-RAY-lee-ə (UK) ow-RE-lya (Italy, Poland and elsewhere on the continent) [key]

Possible
diminutives:

Aura, Aurry, Elia, Laurie, Lia, Rae, Relie, Ria

Sibling Names:

Sabina Livia Candida Seraphina Evelina Valentina
Leander Rufus Xavier Phineas Thaddeus Evander

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance Modern Antiquity Slickly Continental Resonant Roman Saintly & Stylish
Names from the Brontes

If you like Aurelia you may also like:
Aurora, Emiliana, Anastasia, Ophelia, Alethea, Eulalia, Annabella, Lelia, Allegra, Loredana

Thanks to Bright for requesting Aurelia.

Posted at 08:55 PM in Etymology and Meanings, Name of the Week, Namesakes, Nicknames and Diminutives | Permalink | Comments (4)

02/08/2013

Name of the Week

A staple of British nomenclature for milennia
that swings between comfy grandad-chic
to swashbuckling pirate.

Origin:

Walter is the modern English form of both the Old English Wealdhere and its Germanic cognate Waldhar which was brought over by the Normans, reinforcing the former.

The first element, weald in Old English or wald in Old High German, translates as "might, power, control" and is related closely to wealdan (waldan) "to rule, command, govern" and wealdend "leader, ruler, commander". It is from this route that we get the modern word 'wield'. The second element, here in Old English and har in Old High German, means "troop, army, host."

The same two elements make up the name Harold, but in the reverse order. Essentially, both names mean "army commander."

Usage:

Though not prolific, there is evidence of the Anglo-Saxon Wealdhere in good use pre-Conquest. PASE lists seven men of the name between the 7th and 9th century: three priests, two ministers, a praefectus and a Bishop of London (fl. 695). There are also existing fragments of an Old English poem, Waldhere, detailing the life of the legendary Visigoth king Walter of Aquitaine in an epic chivalric romance.

The Germanic cognate Waldhar was also in long use on the Continent. Waltari son of Wacho was a king of the Lombards from 539 to 546 and Saint Walter (Gautier) (c.1030—c.1099) was an abbott of Pontoise.

The Old French form of Waldhar was Gautier; the Norman was Waltier. When the Normans invaded, they brought Waltier with them. This reinforced the use of Wealdhere and the two merged, both becoming Latinised as Walterus.

Though almost certainly mythic, the exploits of Walter of Aquitaine can be found in folklore across the continent. As with other names of legendary figures (see Arthur), Walter's legend may have contributed to the wider use of the name in the Middle Ages.

Approximately 28 Walters are listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, attesting to its popularity. One of the most prominent was Walter Giffard of Longueville, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings and was granted vast estates in Buckinghamshire and Norfolk. His son, also Walter, was the 1st Earl of Buckingham. Another was Norman knight Walter of Douai who had extensive land in Somerset and Devon.

From the 11th to 14th century, Walter was among the Top 10 most popular masculine names in England. It was also not uncommon in Scotland during this period.** The standard diminutive for Walter in the Middle Ages was Wat — giving rise to the surnames Watson, Watkins, Watkinson, Watts and Watten.
Walter, Walters and Waters are also common surnames thanks to the given name's wide use.

There are five saints named Walter, all venerated between the 11th and 13th century, which would have given a further boost to the name.

Smith-Bannister's frequency tables from 1538 to 1700* show Walter as ranking #12 1538-49, #15 1550-9, #19 1560-9, #16 1570-9, #30 1580-9, #19 1590-9, #22 1600-9, #28 1610-9, #27 1620-9, #30 1630-9, #36 1640-9, #35 1650-9, #48 1670-9, #44 1680-9, #34 1690-1700.

Given that the name was such a stalwart favourite in Britain since the Anglo-Saxons, it is in some ways surprising that it has never been used by royalty in this country; though, frankly, there are more aristocrats throughtout history bearing the name than you could ever wish to count.

The name flourished yet again in the 19th century. The 1841 census lists 27,858 males names Walter (68% in England, 28% in Scotland, 4% in Wales). By 1861 the figure had almost tripled to 72,642 (86% England, 11% Scotland, 3% Wales) and again to 191,544 in 1881 and 294,021 in 1901.

In England and Wales, Walter ranked #15 in 1880, #16 in 1890, #18 in 1900, #19 in 1904, #23 in 1914, #34 in 1924, #54 in 1934 and #86 in 1944, after which it fell out of the Top 100. In Scotland Walter ranked #22 in 1900, #51 in 1950 but was out of the Top 100 by 1975.

Having slipped below the Top 1000 by the 1990s, the name is gradually rising again. In 1996, Walter ranked #1337 (9 births) in England and Wales. It rose to #1199 (11 births) in 1999, #1519 (9 births) in 2002, #1299 (15 births) in 2005, #836 (33 births) in 2008 and #718 (44 births) in 2011 — its highest count in twenty years.
In Scotland Walter recieved a birth count of 0 in 2005, 2 in 2006, 3 in 2007, 4 in 2008, 3 in 2009, 0 in 2010, 3 in 2011 and 6 in 2012.

Famous Bearers:

History:

* Saint Walter (c.1030–c.1099), abbott of Pontoise.
* Saint Walter (d. 1070), Augustinian abbot of L'Esterp, famed as a confessor.
* Saint Walter (d.1150), English Benedictine abbot of Fontenelle.
* Saint Walter (d. 1250), founder and first abbot of the monastery of Serviliano.
* Walter FitzAllan (1106–1177), the 1st Hereditary High Steward of Scotland.
* Sir Walter Raleigh (c.1554–1618), famous English explorer.
* Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet.
* Walter "Walt" Whitman (1819–1892), American poet, essayist and humanist.
* Walter Huston (1883–1950), Oscar winning Canadian actor.
* Walter Brennan (1894–1974), Oscar winning American actor.
* Walter "Walt" Disney (1901–1966), American film director, animator and producer.

Contemporary:

* Seven Noble Prize winners have borne the name Walter: Walter Norman Haworth, 1937; Sir Howard Walter Florey, 1945; Walter Rudolf Hess, 1949; Walter H. Brattain, 1956; Walter Gilbert, 1980; Walter Kohn, 1998.
* (Walter) Bruce Willis (b. 1955), American actor.

Literature and Other Media:

* Walter of Aquitaine, legendary hero of medieval epics.
* Walter Mitty, the title character in James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"

Variants:

Valter (Danish, Swedish, Norwegian), Gautier (French), Bhaltair (Scottish), Gwallter (Welsh), Gualterio (Spanish, Portuguese), Gualtiero (Italian), Valtteri (Finnish)

Pronunciation:

WAL-tə [key]

Possible diminutives:

Toll, Wat, Walt, Wally
(Scott or Raleigh could also be fitting nicknames after the two famous Walters)

Sibling Names:

Matilda Elsa Iris Louisa Caroline Georgina
Linus Albert Leonard Gilbert Sidney Ralph

Name Lists:

Funky-Clunky Resurrected Retro Medieval Favourites Terrifically Tudor Gorgeously Georgian Victorian Darlings Dickensian Names Names from Austen Names from the Brontes Names from Tennyson

If you like Walter you may also like:
Wallace, Calvin, Wilfred, Stanley, Magnus, Clifford, Winston, Hamish, Digby, Edmund

Thanks to Nicki for requesting Walter.

Posted at 02:28 PM in Etymology and Meanings, Name of the Week, Namesakes, Nicknames and Diminutives | Permalink | Comments (6)

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