Between Travis and Hamish sits Tavish,
an underused Scottish variant that sounds dashingly modern.
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Origin: |
Tavish is the Anglicised form of Thàmhais, a vocative form of Tàmhas or Tammas, both Scottish forms of Thomas. Thomas itself is the Greek form of the Aramaic word tām "twin" (taom in Hebrew). It was created as a byname for the apostle Didymus Judas Thomas (St Thomas) as Didymos itself is a Greek name meaning "twin." |
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Usage: |
Thomas was a common name among the Normans and they brought with them to Britain. It spread up to Scotland after the 11th century, particularly under King David I who spent his childhood in England and Normandy and established a new ruling Anglo-French elite in Scotland. We can find Thomas in use in Scotland from at least the 12th century and was among the top five most popular male names from the 13th to 17th century. The surname MacTavish, or Mac Tamhais in Gaelic, is a longstanding one in Scotland. The form M'Thamais can be found in a land charter from 1355 and is one of the earliest examples of the name in Argyllshire, the ancestral home of the Clan MacTavish. Prior to the 18th century, Tavish, Tammas, Thomas and all its variants were interchangable in the records. By the end of the 18th century, Tavish begins to appear occasionally as a name in its own right — particularly in the combination Tavish M(a)ctavish. The 1841 UK census lists five men named Tavish, all in Scotland (particularly Inverness), and three were named Tavish McTavish. There were 13 in 1861 (seven with the surname McTavish), 17 in 1881 and 16 in 1901. Though Tavish was rare, Thomas was still extremely popular in Scotland during this period (#7 in 1900), so it is quite possible that Tavish was used as a vernacular form. Between 1900 and 2005, only 20 babies were registered in Scotland with the name Tavish, most of them born before 1940. Since 2005, Tavish has been registered 5 times in Scotland, peaking in 2006 with 3 births (#552). Tavish is just beginning to rank in England and Wales, as well. From 1996 to 2009 the name did not rank at all. In 2010, 3 babies (#4678) were registered with the name; 6 were registered in 2011 (#2892) and 3 in 2012 (#4805). |
| Famous Bearers: |
History: * Major General Sir John Humphrey "Tavish" Davidson (1774–1842), British army officer and MP. Contemporary: * Tavish Scott (b. 1966), Scottish politician. |
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Variants: |
Thàmhais, Tàmhas |
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Pronunciation: |
TAV-ish [key] |
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Possible diminutives: |
Tam, Tav |
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Sibling Names: |
Davina Eilidh Iona Mirren Ailsa Hazel |
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Name Lists: |
N/A |
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Thanks to Magdalena for requesting Tavish.
'Twas Ever Thus
This one is less whimsical, bemoaning the use of "fancy" names for the working classes. Certainly, this was a trend that grew, as thirty years on the gap between 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' names had very much decreased.
This entry is taken from the Essex Newsman, published on Saturday 16 June, 1877. The poem itself was not credied to any author.
CALLING NAMES
Where are the old familiar names?
John and James and Mary and John?
We never hear of a Susan now,
And it's not Bill, but Frederick, who follows the plough.
You'll not travel far by second-class rail
But you are sure to encounter some Florence pale,
With much appreciation towards fashion in dress,
But with never a trace of loveliness!
Our laundress's infants have no great charms,
Yet they have a Eugenie in arms;
While Victor Albert swings on a gate,
And muches on his bacon in village state.
'Twould be hard to say there is any blame,
There is no monopoly on a name;
But it strikes one sometimes as rather absurd
That contrast between the child and the word.
And what will it be when years have flown?
And these finely-named damsels are women grown?
When Evelyn Ada must polish the grates,
While Edith Amelia is washing the plates!
Think of it, ye sinsible mothers,
Before you arrange fine names for others;
For though not to-day, nor perhaps next Sunday,
It will happen as sure as my name's Mrs Grundy.
Essex Newsman, Saturday 16 June, 1877
Posted at 10:33 PM in Historical Name Commentary | Permalink | Comments (1)
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