Quite literally the stuff of legends, Rosamund is one
of the most regal of all the 'rose' names that
still retains a bit of medieval mystery.
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Origin: |
Rosamund is a form of the Old Germanic name Rosmunda, derived from hros "horse" and mund "protection". Horses were extremely important in early Indo-European cultures and this can be seen in the names, such as Philip, Rosalind, Epona and Eachann, that revered them across Europe. They were also status symbols, often reserved only for the nobility or for warfare. To the ancient Germanic tribes, the horse was so revered, it was not unheard of for them to bury their horses, or even have their horses placed in state with them. From early on, however, medieval society connected the name Rosamund with the Latin rosa munda "pure rose" and rosa mundi "rose of the world" — both epithets of the Virgin Mary — and this influenced the name's spelling. |
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Usage: |
Rosamund is a name that is seeped in legend. One early bearer, whose story reads more like an epic tragedy, was Rosamund of the Gepids (fl.578), daughter of King Cunimund. When yet another war broke out between the Gepids and the Lombards, Rosamund's father was decapitated and she was forced to marry the Lombard king, Alboin. He, by all accounts, was a brutal character who treated her cruelly. According to legend, he once had her father's skull made into a cup and forced Rosamund to drink from it at a banquet. Rosamund's story gets more fantastical from that point on. She supposedly conspired with other courtiers, including her lover, to have Alboin killed; disguised herself as a servant to seduce a would-be assassin; fled to Ravenna with her new husband after they failed to usurp the throne, and set her sights of marrying the exarch of Ravenna. So she could marry again, legend has it that she gave her second husband a poisoned drink. Upon discovering her plan, however, he swallowed half and forced her to drink the remainder, killing them both with all the hallmarks of a literary tragedy. Historical research has neither been able to confirm or disprove this story. Much of the medieval allure Rosamund still has today is thanks to Rosamund Clifford (d.1176), mistress of Henry II and the "Fair Rosamund" of legend. Henry II was a typical medieval king and his mistresses were numerous. Rosamund was different. She was renowned for her beauty, gentility and grace, and Henry was completely besotted with her, setting her up in great luxury and giving her a prominent position at court. For his wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was pregnant with her last child, Prince John, this was the final nail in the coffin for their already strained relationship. It most likely incited her to side with her sons in a war against her husband; Henry then had Eleanor imprisoned for sixteen years for her trouble. Beautiful mistress, besotted king and a jealous queen certainly makes for a juicy story, which is precisely why so many legends and tales were spun concerning these three. By the Elizabethan Age, numerous poems, ballads and plays dramatised the story. In some, Eleanor poisons Rosamund or has her starved; one legend has it that Henry built a maze around her house which only he could enter. These are all, however, purely fictional. Rosamund Clifford attests to the name's use in Britain from the 12th century and a handful of other examples of the name can be found from the 13th century onwards. It doesn't appear to have been common, but it was at least used sufficiently enough to coin the surnames Rosamund, Roseman, Roseaman and Rosoman from the 14th century. Use of the name continued into the 16th century, and even began to pick up in use. In his study of forty English parishes from 1538-1700, Smith-Bannister ranks Rosamund within the Top 50 in three decades of this period: #50 in 1610-19; #41 in 1670-79; #44 in 1680-89; #41 in 1690-1700. Rose and Rosa were also in good use during this period also, and Rosamund continued to flourish in the 18th century, after which the French-inspired spelling Rosamond became preferred. The 1841 census lists 1,143 women with the name, most recorded with an' o' instead of a 'u'. 1,102 were listed in 1861, 1,739 in 1881 and 2,430 in 1901. Over 90% of these women lived in England; fewer than 2% lived in Scotland and the rest lived in Wales. Rosamond was in good use throughout the 19th century, though it didn't manage to crack the Top 200 most popular names in England and Wales. It ranked #214 (54 births) in 1880; #235 (52 births) in 1890 and #250 (61 births) in 1900. The name continued to average around 50 births per year from 1910 to 1950 but then slowly declined in use. Since 1996, Rosamund has had no more than 11 births in any given year in England and Wales. It peaked at #1571 in 1998, and had fewer than 3 registrations in 2000, 2006, 2008 and 2011. In 2012, Rosamund ranked #2717 with 9 births in England and Wales. It did not rank at all in Scotland. |
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Famous Bearers: |
History: Contemporary: * Rosamund Pike (b.1979), British actress. Literature and Other Media: * Rosamund (1733), an opera by Thomas Augustine Arne. Other: * 540 Rosamunde, an asteroid |
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Variants: |
Rosamond, Rosamunde, Rosamunda |
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Pronunciation: |
ROZ-ə-mənd [key] |
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Possible |
Rosa, Rose, Rosie, Roz, Roma, Romy, Dosie, Mona, Munnie/Money, Ozzy, Sam, Sammy, Nora |
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Sibling Names: |
Clemency Venetia Isabeau Genevieve Leonor Catarina |
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Name Lists: |
Upright Elegance Royal Names of Europe Names from the Brontes Names from Tennyson |
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Thanks to Claire for requesting Rosamund.
