Name of the Week

A name rich in arcane echoes^*
borne by an ancient warrior-queen
and a saintly medieval princess.

 

Origin:

Camilla is a Latin name with convoluted origins. Both the Latin terms camilla, for girls, and camillus, for boys, were used in Rome as a titular-name, given to noble children who attended the Flamen Dialis, the High Priest of Jupiter, and assisted at religious functions such as wedding ceremonies.  Camillus became used as a Roman cognomen — most likely to those who had once held the title — flourishing particularly within the gens Furia. One of the most famous members of the Furii Camilli was Marcus Furius Camillus (c.446-365 BC), a Roman statesman and soldier (appointed dictator five times) who was honoured with the title "Second Founder of Rome." Camilla, however, was, more significantly, the name of the legendary warrior Queen of the Volsci. The origin of her name is uncertain. According to Virgil's Aeneid, Camilla was the daughter of King Metabus who was exiled into the wilderness with his infant daughter. He named her after her mother Casmilla, but altered it to Camilla, and brought her up to be a great huntress and proficient Amazonian warrior. She is said to have been able to run so swiftly that she could cross a field of corn without bending a single blade, and could cross sea without wetting her feet. Whether Virgil intended the Latin camilla isn't certain, but it was likely a contributing reference. Another source could have been the Etruscan Camillus which, according to the Greek poet Callimachus (d.c.240 BC), was an alternate name for Hermes/Mercury, the personal agent of Zeus and herald of the gods. In Etruscan, the word camillus is though to have meant praeminister deourm, an attendant of the gods.  Another very similar name, Kasmillos (or Kadmillos), was borne by one of the Cabeiri, and is very reminiscent of Camilla's mother's name, Casmilla. The Cabeiri were an important group of deities worshiped over much of Asia Minor and Northern Greece: the god Axiocersus and his son and attendant Kadmillos/Kasmillos and a less-important female pair, Axierus and Axiocersa. The Greek's associated them with Hades, Hermes, Demeter and Persephone respectively.  It has been suggested that the name Kasmillos/Kadmillos was used in the Samothracian Mysteries to describe a diety who attended greater gods — not too dissimilar from the role of Hermes/Mercury (i.e. Camillus) or the titular Latin camilla.  From infancy Queen Camilla was dedicated by her father to Diana and, like the goddess herself, she was raised as to be a keen huntress and warrior virgin. This devotion continued and, when Camilla was killed in battle, Diana ensured her death was avenged. This close connection between Diana and Camilla (one which today has a certain modern irony) could also suggest that Virgil chose both Casmilla and Camilla because Camilla herself was a votaress and attendant of the goddess.

Usage:

Camilla has been in use in Britain since the Middle Ages, though it was rare. One Camilla appears in the Curia Regis Roll of Essex in 1208, but there is scant evidence of its use elsewhere. The name was, however, in regular use in Italy. A notable bearer was the Italian princess Camilla Battista da Varano (1458–1524), daughter of a Duke of Camerino who became a Poor Clare nun, abbess and prolific writer. She was beatified in 1843 and canonised in 2010.  Camilla eventually came into regular use in Britain from the late 16th century. It was uncommon at first, but became progressively more popular over the preceding centuries.  The name was given a boost by the publication of the novel Camilla by Frances Burney (Madame d'Arblay) in 1796, which was an instant hit, selling out in its first edition. The protagonist of the novel, seventeen-year-old Camilla Tyrold, was originally called Ariella but was changed to Camilla by Burney shortly before publication.  The 1841 UK census lists 121 Camillas with 102 living in England. The number had risen to 207 in 1861, 325 in 1881 and 462 in 1900. Usage of the name was regular in England and Wales in the 19th century, though it never broke into the Top 200, and continuted steadily in the 20th century. Leslie Dunkling's statistics on the number of births for every 10,000 registered in England and Wales gives specific picture of Camilla's use: 1955 - 2 (in every 10,000) 1960 - 1  1965 - 0   1970 - 1 1975 - 1 1980 - 2 1985 - 2 1990 - 10 In 1996, Camilla ranked #462 (62 births) in England and Wales. It saw a decline in the preceeding years: #527 (50 births) in 1997, #557 (50 births) in 1999, #816 (29 births) in 2001, #712 (39 births) in 2003, #931 (29 births) in 2005, #716 (47 births) 2007, #689 (53 births) in 2009 and #652 (61 births) in 2011.  In 2012, Camilla ranked #639 with a birth count of 65, the highest number in the last sixteen years.   Camilla is more common elsewhere in Europe. It ranked in Denmark's top 50 up until 2009 (it was #1 there in 1996) and Norway's top 100 before 2008 (#17 in 1997). Camilla was also #22 in Italy in 2004; Camila was #2 in Buenos Aires in 2005, Camille was #3 in France in 2000; Kamilla was #34 in Hungary in 2010 and Kamila was #41 in Poland in 2009.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Saint Camilla (d.437), a hermitess and disciple of St Germanus.  * Saint Camilla Battista da Varano (1458–1524), an Italian princess and a Poor Clare nun and abbess. * Camilla Collett (1813–1895), Norwegian feminist novelist, essayist, and literary critic. Contemporary: * Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (b.1947), wife of Charles, Prince of Wales.  * Camilla Dallerup (b.1974), Danish ballroom dancer and model.   * Camilla Henemark "La Camilla" (b.1964), is a Swedish singer, actress, political spokesperson and former fashion model. * Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duchess of Castro (b.1971), wife of Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro.  * Camilla Belle (b.1986), American actress.  Literature and Other Media: * Camilla (1796), a novel by Frances Burney.  * Camilla (1799), an opera by Ferdinando Paer. * Camilla (1801), an opera by Valentino Fioravanti. * Camilla Dickinson (1951), a novel by Madeleine L'Engle.   Other: * HMS Camilla, a Royal Navy 20-gun Sphinx-class post ship, launced in 1776.  * 107 Camilla, an asteroid.

Variants:

Camila (Spanish, Portuguese), Camille (French), Kamila (Czech, Polish, Slavic)

Pronunciation:

kam-IL-ə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Cam, Cammy, Kimmy, Milla, Millie

Sibling Names:

Lucinda     Beatrice     Marguerite     Cecily     Xanthe    Sabina      Hector      Robert      Xavier      Hugh     Philip      Maxim

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance   Resonant Roman   Demi-gods and Mortals of Mythology   Names from Jane Austen   Names from Tennyson   Dickensian Names   Butterfly Names

 

If you like Camilla you may also like:   Candida, Alethea, Cosima, Calixta, Willa, Philippa, Claudia, Flavia, Cressida, Sybilla

 

Thanks to Lucie for requesting Camilla. 

*Quoted from Nicholas Horsfall's Virgil, Aeneid 7: A Commentary.