Click on each name in the image above for more information
The Name of the Week posts are one of my favourite, and most challenging, features of this blog. I take the names from requests, and do my best to cover as many as possible in good detail.
Occasionally a request comes in that is difficult to complete, either because the name is obscure, or there is too little usage in Britain for the name to fit the usual format on NotW posts. I hate to leave people disappointed, however, and don't like the idea of leaving names behind simply because they don't fit a set 'type'.
Below are eight requested names which didn't fit the usual NotW format. Read below or click on each name in the image above for more information.
(Requested by Chamali)
Ciosa is without doubt the most mysterious and challenging name I have ever come across. Its usage is rare and sporadic in location.
Firstly, Ciosa is not a name that has ever ranked in England and Wales. Only two births have been registered: one in 1989 and one in 1991.
The only place where it does rank in the UK is in Northern Ireland. From 1997 to 2012, Ciosa has ranked three times there, in 1999, 2004 and 2005, and in each instance they were given to fewer than 3 girls. It is impossible to tell whether the name ranks in the Republic of Ireland, as their statistics only publish a top 100.
So, is Ciosa Irish? If so, it would most likely be Cíosa (with a fada) and pronounced KEE-uh-sa (or KEE-sa) much like the Irish Líosa, the phonetic spelling of Lisa. If you look for a translation of Ciosa in an Irish dictionary you get the words "rent" or "rent roll." If you dig a little deeper however you can find it translated as "tribute" which seems a little more plausible as name fodder.
There is some evidence that Ciosa was once used in Florence from the 13th century. The name appears once in the Catasto of Florence of 1427 and also in a list from 14th century Florence. As an Italian name Ciosa would be pronounced chee-OH-sa.
An etymology isn't clear. At this time, however, just like in Britain, it was common to find a multitude of variant forms of names. Examining the other Florentine names does shed some light on Ciosa's possible origins. Several other names end in -osa and almost all appear to be diminutives. Niccolosa, a form of Niccola; Graziosa, from Grazia and Vezzosa, seemingly from Vezzina.
Also listed is Ciolina which looks very much like a diminutive. Perhaps Ciosa and Ciolina were diminutives of names containing 'cia' such as Ciancia, Petruccia or the highly popular Francesca (of which Cecco and Cecco were certainly diminutives).
According to locatemyname.com, Ciosa is also used as a surname in Romania:
This is most likely a topographical surname, as there is a village named Cioşa in Bistrita-Nasaud, Romania, though I can find no other information about its etymology.
(Requested by pinkmonkey)
Kairi is a Japanese name which most westerners will be familiar with through the Kingdom Hearts video games. In the game, Kairi is one of the main characters; in fact, the principle female character and one of the seven Princesses of Heart. It is generally pronounced KY-ree.
Kairi is not a traditional Japanese name but rather a westernised name which are becoming popular in Japan. Many of the modern popular Japanese names are based solely on their sound. They are written in hiragana (the Japanese phonetic alphabet, used in much the same way as our alphabet) and only later attribute appropriate Kanjis (picture characters) to the name. Tellingly, Kairi is often written in hiragana.
In terms of meanings, Kairi has several because the kanjis attributed to it are based on recreating the sound. For many Japanese names this produces multiple meanings -- some are known to have over 50 kanji combinations -- and it is down to the individual parents to choose which kanji characters they wish to use to create the sound of the name.
The first character of Kairi - kai - is often attributed to 海 (kai) "sea, ocean." The second - ri - has many, including "bell," "jasmine," "pear," "profit, advantage" and "mile." The combined effect of Kairi's kanjis gives us the meanings "ocean village," "nautical mile," "little bell in the sea," "beauty in art" and "finding logic" among others.
There is evidence that Kairi's use in Japan, though rare, pre-dates the release of Kingdom Hearts in 2002. As several modern Japanese names are created as 'Japanised' renderings of Western names, it is quite possible that Kairi (KY-ree) was used by some parents as the Japanese form of Kylie. It has increased in use since, most likely thanks to the computer game.
Kairi's usage has been growing gradually in both the UK and the US since Kingdom Hearts was released, and many parents are citing the game as influence for using the name.
In England and Wales, Kairi first ranked in 2003 with 3 births (#3594) and came into more regular use in 2007. In 2012, 14 babies were given the name, ranking it at #1991.
(Requested by Angelica)
Merchant is a surname derived from the Old French marcheant meaning "trader, shopkeeper," originally from the Latin mercari "to trade, deal in." The Normans brought the term with them to Britain in the Anglo-French marchaunt and later became marchand in Middle English.
The name was given as as occupational title, recorded as a surname from the early 13th century in the forms Merchant, Marchant, Marchent, Marchand, Marquand, Le Marchand and Le Marchant. The earliest record of the name was a Roger Marchand, listed in the 1202 Pipe Rolls of Berkshire.
As trade and commerce has such a vital role in nearly all societies, it is little wonder that the "merchant" became the subject of two influential pieces of literature: The Merchant's Tale by Chaucer (14th century) and The Merchant of Venice (1598) by Shakespeare.
As a first name, Merchant has been rare in usage but it has had use in Britain, dating from at least the 17th century.
Of the 21 people listed on the 1881 census with the given name Merchant (first or middle), 17 were male and 10 of those had the name as a first name. Four women were listed with the name as a middle name.
The map of the 1881 census shows a logical parallel between places where both the given name and surname Merchant were in use. Particular places of note are the South of England, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and Aberdeen and Kincardineshire in Scotland.
In the 20th century, Merchant was used as a first name three times in England and Wales: 1923, 1964 and 1986. The name has not ranked in Britain since 1996.
Famous bearers of the surname include:
* Vivien Merchant (1929–1983), British actress.
* Stephen Merchant (b. 1974), British writer, director, and comic actor.
* Tamzin Merchant (b. 1987), British actress and poet.
(Requested by Michellina)
Michellina, or Michelina, is a diminutive form of Michela, the Italian feminine form of Michael.
Similar feminine diminutives around the world include the French Micheline, the Danish Mikkeline and the Polish Michalina.
Michael itself derives from the Hebrew Mikael meaning "Who is like God?" - a rhetorical question intended to demonstrate that nobody is higher than God.
We know that Michelina was in use in Italy from the Middle Ages. It appears once in the Catasto of Florence of 1427, though interestingly Michela does not.
We also know it was in use at this time thanks to the accounts of Blessed Michelina of Pesaro (1300-1356). Michelina Metelli was born to a wealthy Italian family. At a young age, she was married to Lord Malatesta, duke of Rimin of the very wealthy and powerful Malatesta family, and seemingly had a successful marriage which produced a beloved son.
At the age of twenty Michelina was widowed. She took to living lavishly and throwing many parties -- some say to attract another husband to secure her son's future, others say it was to distract herself from her grief.
There is then tale of her at some point befriended a Franciscan tertiary named Siriana who spoke glowingly of the benefit of offering everything up to God. Michelina was intrigued, but the love she had for her son prevented her from taking a similar course. Whether this is true or simply apocryphal, what is clear is that some years after her husband died, Michelina's only son fell gravely ill. At his bedside Michelina had a vision of her son being taken up to heaven by two angels and from that point on became a Franciscan Tertiary.
Michelina founded the Confraternity of the Most Holy Annunciation to serve the poor, nurse the sick, and bury the dead. She began to give away all her worldly goods to the poor. This alarmed her family so much, they had her declared insane and locked her away. Upon her release she made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and doubled her efforts to care for the poor and sick. She was beatified on 13 April 1737 by Pope Clement XII.
From the 18th century, we can find Michelina/Michellina in use not only in Italy, but across Europe. It seems to have been particularly notable in Prussia where other Latinate names such as Catharina, Theresia, Margaretha, Elisabetha and Crescentia were highly popular.
Its use in Britain was mostly confined within Italian migrant families. Michelina was more common in the 19th century, but in the 20th century the French form Micheline was more common. The name has not ranked in Britain since 1996.
(Requested by Amilea)
Rennon is a rare surname of uncertain derivation. We can find records of its use in Britain from at least the 16th century, but they are very uncommon. Spelling variants include Raynon, Renon and Ranen.
There are several possible origins for the name. The Oxford Dictionary of Surnames does not list Rennon or the like at all, but there are a few similar names which suggest possibilities.
Most similar is the surname Renner which derives from the Old English renner "to run, runner." Reaney and Wilson that the name may have been given to a messenger or courier. In support of this, we can find the term became rennen and rennon in Middle English.
Alternatively, there is Rayner/Ranner which derives from the Germanic name Raginhari meaning "counsel-might" and became Reiner in Old French. As some of the records for the surname Renon/Rennon indicate French parentage, this is another possible source.
According to ancestry.com, the surname Rennon in the US was mostly represented by Italian immigrants. In this instance, the name most likely comes from the Italian surname Di Renon meaning "of Renon." Renon is a municipality in northern Italy. Its German name is Ritten; its Italian name is Renon. Both appear to be derived from the area's original Vulgar latin name: Retinone.
Renon is also the name of a character in the Castlevania video games. The name has not ranked in Britain since 1996.
(Requested by Madelyn)
Sterling is a surname which derives from two sources:
* As a variant of Starling, Sterling is a surname derived from the Old English stærlinc "starling." It was given as a nickname from the bird and, according to Reaney and Wilson, was also used as a personal name occasionally.
* As a variant of the surname Stirling, which is taken from Stirling in Scotland. The etymology is uncertain but is thought that the name comes from the river or ford on which Stirling is now situated. Most likely is the Scots Gaelic stri "strife" and linne "pool."
As spellings of surnames were extremely flexible in previous centuries, it is almost impossible to distinguish the different origins of the surname Sterling. Both Starling and Stirling were in use from at least the 12th century, and so too was Sterling.
From the 13th century, 'sterling' was also the name given to a silver penny. By the 1560s, the term had broadened to mean "having the quality of the sterling," Sterling silver today refers to silver of a high standard, containing at least 92.5% pure silver.
Though not common, Sterling has been in use as a given name since the 17th century. Across the 19th century, its was used occasionally as a given name in England and Wales, averaging around 3 births per year.
Data from the 1881 census shows a strong correlation between the areas where Sterling the surname was common, and areas where it was most used as a given name. Areas of particular note are Durham, Northumberland, Lancashire and Surrey.
Of the 45 people listed with Sterling as a given name, 33 were male and 12 female. Of those 21 males had the name as a first name (feminine use was only as a middle name).
One notable namesake of our generation is Sir Stirling Moss (b.1929), legendary Formula One racing driver. His fame was such that, at one time, it was common for British policemen to ask "Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?" to speeding drivers.
Since 1996, both Sterling and Stirling have had some moderate usage in England and Wales.
Both spellings have seen a slight rise over the last decade, with Stirling pulling out in the lead as the more common spelling.
In 2012, Sterling was registered 8 times, ranking #2458 and Stirling was registered 9 times, ranking 2270.
(Requested by Jennie)
Vitaline is a French form of Vitalina, a feminine form of Vitalinus which itself is a variant of the Latin Vitalis. In Latin vitalis means "pertaining to life, vital," ultimately from the Latin vita "life."
The names Vitus and Vitalis themselves were not uncommon Latin names. There are at least six saints named Vitalis, three of them early Christian martyrs, and the veneration of the martyr St Vitus was widespread across Europe.
Vitalinus, and its feminine form Vitalina, were much rarer, though nevertheless genuine Roman names. One of the earliest examples of Vitalina (or Vitalinis) in use comes from a 1st century columbarium (dovecote tomb) in Rome which reads CN · POMPONI HYLAE — POMPONIAE · CN · L VITALINIS.
It is most likely that the texts translates as "Cn[aieus] Pomponius Hylas and his wife Pomponia Cn[aieus], freed slaves of Vitalinis. (L[ibertae] Vitalinis). There is however almost universal disagreement over this translations, with many seeing it as listing Pomponius Hylus and his wife Pomponia Vitalinis** perhaps because its original name when discovered by Pietro Campana in 1831 was "Hylus and Vitaline."
Another example is a 2nd century limestone stela erected by Suriacus Secuindinus for his "incomparable wife" Aelia Vitalina.
Vitalinus also appears in early British legend as Guithelinus (Vitalinus), a 4th century archbishop of London who assumed leadership over Britain in the absense of the king. Geoffrey of Monmouth brought him into Arthurian legend as the man who raised Aurelius Ambrosius (Merlin) and Uther Pendragon.
Vitalinus is also said to have been the name of the grandfather of Vortigern, the 5th century British war-lord and the last Roman governor of Britannia Prima. Vortigern's own name was actually a title meaning "Over-King." Many historians now believe that Vortigern's real name, like his grandfather, was Vitalinus and some even argue that Vortigern was the same man as the Guithelinus of legend.
The Catholic church venerate a St Vitalina (d.390) who lived in Artonne in France. Little is known of her life other than she was a hermitess. Her renown came after her death when she appeared in visions and Saint Martin of Tours (316-397) visited her tomb and blessed it. The French form of her name was Vitaline (VEE-ta-leen).
As a French name, and one of French a saint no less, Vitaline is most notable by the 19th century for having been used in France -- Catholic records in the 19th century are especially prevalent for the name in the area of Savigny-le-Vieux (Notre-Dame) -- and among French Canadians, especially Quebec.
Names recorded from Québécois tombstones feature several Vitali- names used alongside Vitaline, including Vitalane, Vitalia, Vitalie, Vitalienne, Vitalina, Vitaline, Vitalinette, Vitalise, Vitalmie, Vitélia, Vitélianne, Vitélienne, Vitélina, Vitéline, Vitelline, Vituline, Vital, Vitalice, Vitalien, Vitalin, Vitalique, Vitalis, Vitalisse, Vitélias, Vitélien, Vitélius, Vitellius and Vitélus.
On the UK 1881 census three Vitalines are recorded, one in Suffolk and two on the island of Jersey. Given that Jersey is closer to France than mainland UK, that is perhaps understandable.
Vitaline has not been registered in Quebec since 2008. The form Vitalie, however, has occasionally been used for both girls and boys and Vital is used a little for boys.
Since 1900, Vitaline has only been registered once in England and Wales: in 1924 in Kensington.
(Requested by Winter)
Vyvyan is a variant spelling of Vivian, specifically noted for being used in Cornwall. Vivian is the French and English form of Vivianus, a Roman cognomen derived from vivus "alive."
St Vivianus (also known as St Vivian) was a 5th century French martyr and the first known bishop of Saintes. The Normans brought the name Vivian with them to Britain, but it was not widely used until the 12th century, thanks to the saint's veneration. St Viviana (Bibiana) was also known as St Vivian, which may explain why Vivian, Latinised in records as Viviana, was used occasionally for girls in the Middle Ages.
Vivian had many forms as a surname including Vivians, Videan, Vidgen, Fiddian, Fidgen, Phethean and Phythian. The spelling Vyvyan is first recorded in 1296 in Sussex.
Thanks both to Breton influence and immigration and its prevalent use as a surname, Vivian or Vyvyan was not uncommon in Cornwall and the surrounding areas in the 16th century. It became more widely used as a first name across Britain in the 19th and 20th century, most likely thanks to the surname's use.
Both the Vyvyan and Vivian families were notable Cornish aristocratic families and baronets and, like Percy and Stanley, their illustrious surnames were emulated as first names.
Data from the 1881 UK census (right) shows both the distribution of Vivian and Vyvyan as a given name, and as surnames. What is most notable is how localised the use of Vivian/Vyvyan as surnames was to Cornwall and the surrounding area. Vivian as a first name was more widespread, but noticably popular in Southern England. As a given name, Vyvyan was localised, like the surname, to Cornwall and the south.
Of the 35 people on the 1881 census with the name Vyvyan (including as a middle name), 33 were male. Similarly 436 men were named Vivian, compared to 90 women.
If we look more specifically within Cornwall itself we find that Vyvyan was particularly used right at the tip in Penzance and Helston.
Over the course of the 20th century, Vivian moved from being predominantly male to predominantly female in use. Since 1996, Vivian has had between 4 and 34 births in England and Wales for girls each year. Vivian for boys has ranked only once in 2009 with 3 births.
As it is rarer, Vyvyan has remained quite gender neutral. From 1986 to 2005, Vyvyan has been registered as a first name (not middle) 9 times. Four instances are clearly male, three are clearly female and two are hard to distinguish.
