British Baby Names

Sibling Spotlight for Gloria

Below is a selection of British siblings with Gloria, from the last century to modern times.

The year relates to the decade of birth for that set. Brackets around the first name indicates that the person was called by their middle name. All names reflect the full name on their official birth entry. 

1840s: Clayton Gloria   1850s: Thomas William Gloria Maria Elizabeth Alice Frederick Henry John Alfred   1860s: Arthur George Henry Alfred Gloria John Walter   Henry Gloria Amelia Arthur   1870s: Ada Amelia Roland James Ethel Bertha Beatrice Henrietta Clinton Percy Emelian Cedric Florence Blanche Gloria Edna   Evelyn Gloria Lily William "Willie"   Edgar Ernest Gloria Sidney   Herbert John Hedley Ernest Marion Emmeline Clement Charles Gloria Louise Reginald Claud Olive Gladys   1880s: Gloria Emma May Maude Lilian Mabel William Wallace   Frederick Gloria Thomas Emma Matilda Frank   John Frederick Alice Edith Gloria   1890s: Minnie Rose Annie Florence Dorothy Robin Eugenie Gloria   Carmen Alfonso Fernando Gloria   Rosa "Rose" Angelantonia Concetta Meniga "Minnie" Gloria Maria   Vesta Henrietta  Florence Aldyth Gloria Ione Wanda Crystal   William Edward Elizabeth Mary (Emily) Catherine Gloria Maud Alfred George   Elizabeth Victoria B W Isabella Sarah A Alda Catherine Evelyn Mary Gloria Jane Howard Steggold D   John Frederick Charles Hector Gloria Helen Henry Cecil   Arthur Ebor Daisy Dorothea Lilian Mary Leonard Alexander Ivy May Violet Victoria Marguerite Alexandra Iris Evelina Gloria Frances Ena   1900s: Elizabeth Mary Susan Minturn Constance Doreen Nina Muriel Iris Elaine John Gloria Gwendolen   Percy Arthur Benjamin James Victor Ralph Gloria Ruth Roma Kitty   Cora May Gloria Gladys Alice Mabel Elsie Rosa Marjorie Florence

1900s (cont): Gloria Ruby Melinda Josephine Francis Archibald Russell Harold Hastings   Gloria  Ruby Claude Ethel   Bertram Clive Iris May Gresham Errol Gloria Evelyn   Alice Viva Victor Harry Gloria Doris Rose Arthur Eugene   Constance Violet Eunice Ivy Lillian Ruby Pearl Isla Haidee Berenice Sheila & Gloria Saidee Iris Doreen (twins)   Herbert John Joseph Seymour Lillian Emily Harriett Doris May Reginald Walter Francis Allan Frederick Gloria Olive Mary Ruby Irene Clara   Victor George Queenie Madge Gloria Mignonette Randolph Harold Alice Patricia Leslie Ronald Henry Augustus   Gwendolen Irene & Gloria Josephine (twins)   Alfred Bradford William Gloria Nellie Roma Dorothy Vivien Frances   1910: Gloria Regina John David Honor Morvyth Auriel Rosemary   Heather Vivian Mary Gloria Aileen Peter Walter James   Desirée Barbara Eileen Agnes Rosemary Maud Gloria Helen Roy Henry Alistair Montague   1920s: Anne Mildred Gloria Mary Juliana Eveline Diana Geraldine   Gloria Anne Rosemary John Charles Stanley Frederick James Young   Gloria Poppy Marie Bentley Cecil Plantagenet   1980s: Gloria Ruby Lola   Bonnie Louise Gloria Victoria   Lily Rosamund Elizabeth Gloria Frances Mary Sylvia Agnes Helen Arthur Richard   Gloria Muriel Gregory Joseph   1990s: Gloria Marcela Ryan Ferley    Maxwell James  Gloria Louise   Cherelle Stephanie Gloria Adrianna Tanya Lemara   Julio Alexandre Joshua Genesis  Gloria Faith   2000s: India Lily Gloria Elizabeth Olympia Rose Georgia Veronika Stefania   Gloria Francesca Svea Tia   Ivan Gloria Jean   Gloria Sophie Harry William   Gloria Hermione  Ella Marie   Natalia Olivia Gloria Magdalena

This post was requested by Danae.

UK Birth Announcements 1/12/14 - 7/12/14

A compilation of names from BAs announced in newspapers in the last week, including a national paper (Telegraph) and a broad range of local newspapers from across England, Wales and Scotland.

Sibling names are in brackets. 

 

Boys:

Archie Francis (Edward & Alexander William "Sandy")

Benjamin Edward 

Bobby Rex

Bryce Andrew (Lexi Elena)

Duncan James Ian

Edward David

Ethan Peter

Euan Edward William

Evander John

Finley Adam

Freddie Thomas

Harry Michael Hilton 

Jack Peter

Jack Robert Frank (Lewis Thomas John)

Jacob William

Jake Benjamin

Matthew George

Nate Joseph (Noah Thomson)

Noah Joshua (Eva Freya)

Oliver Paul

Oscar Louis (Leo)

Peter Robert (Oscar Richard Stephan & Matthias)

Ronnie George

Ruairi Samuel

Sam Henry Percy

Theo Blu (Lyle John)

Theo George

Thomas Benedict

Thomas Edward (William David)

Thomas William

Toby Oliver Jack (Sophie & Henry)

William Christopher Roger

William James (Frederick James "Freddie")

 

Girls:

Aila Rose

Alice Elizabeth Grace

Amber Lily

Annalise Elva (Charlotte, Sarah Alice & Philippa Jean)

Ava Gillian

Beatrice Poppy (Thomas George Carleton)

Betsy Vivienne

Darcey Isabella

Eleni Grace (Eloise)

Eliza Norma Rose (Rory George)

Elsa Autumn

Elsie May

Emilia Rose

Emily Victoria (Sophie Elizabeth)

Emmeline Loveday

Faith Violet

Flora Millicent (William Tinto & Clementine)

Freya Ellen

Grace Ann (Nathan)

Grace Iris

Isla Grace (Lauren Juliana)

Isobel Nicola

Layla Grace

Lily Jayne (William George)

Lois Anne (Matthew James)

Lottie Mae

Margaret Clarice Grace (George)

Margot Clementine Russell

Marsaili Rose

Martha Rea Hunter

Melissa Samantha

Millie Beatrice Rose (Annabelle Aoife Mary)

Myla Elena

Nan Fflur

Orla Faith (Alanna, Niamh, Niall Piers,Declan Joel & Ronan Jared)

Poppy Octavia India (Lucas Auverny Wyndham)

Queenie-Kelly

Rebekah Louise (Aimee Isabel)

Robyn Jean

Sophie Anne (Euan & Emma)

 

Name of the Week

From dashing literary heartthrob to principle ballerinas,
 the dapper surname has taken off as a 
stylish 21st-century first name.

 

Origin:

Before it was adopted as a given name, Darcey was a toponymic surname -- written in many forms -- derived from Arcy in La Monche, Normandy. The earlier form of the place name was Adreci, the origin of which is unclear. There have been some attempts to link it with the Gallic ars "bear," but these claims are unsubstantiated. It was first brought to Britain by Norman knight by the name of Norman de Adreci (de Areci), who was a follower of William the Conqueror. As such, he was granted thirty three lordships in Lincolnshire as well as the wealthy Abbey of St Mary in York. From him a baronial line was established, the name morphing from de Adreci to Daresci, Arsi, D'Arcy and eventually Darcy, Darcey and Darsey. In the 14th century, some of the Darcy family were appointed to senior postions in Ireland and there name went with them. There it was used to render the already establish clan name Ó Dorchaidhe, meaning "descendant of Dorchaidh." Dorchaidh itself was a byname derived from the Old Irish dorchae "dark," most likely originally used to describe someone with dark hair or features.

Usage:

Darcy, Darcey, Darcye, Darsie and numerous other spellings have been in use as a given name since the 17th century in Britain when it was adopted from the surname. Most of the examples are masculine, though a few are feminine.  It was consistently used across the 19th and 20th century with a mean average of 10 births per year. The 1881 census, for example, listed 122 people with the name Darcy. Of those, 108 were male and 14 were female.  click to enlarge Change to the name's fortune occurred during the 1990s, partly thanks to the BBC's fabulous adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in which Colin Firth charmed audiences as Mr Darcy, and the fame of ballerina Darcey Bussell, Darcey, in all spellings began to rise. In England and Wales, Darcy was, at first, the more common spelling, though it has since been preceded by Darcey.  Interestingly, despite rising rapidly for girls, Darcy also rose for boys up until 2008, after which it has plateud.  A breakdown of the variant spellings can be seen below:   Darcey Darcy  Darcie  Darci  Darcy  Darcey 1996 #753 (30) #327 (107) #549 (45) #1755 (9) #853 (17) - 1998 #418 (73) #286 (145) #425 (72) #1571 (11) #1055 (13) - 2000 #313 (110) #288 (130) #427 (73) #1389 (13) #1048 (14) - 2002 #316 (114) #249 (159) #308 (117) #1066 (20) #546 (38) - 2004 #295 (139) #226 (201) #354 (108) #912 (29) #906 (23) - 2006 #176 (301) #168 (316) #248 (189) #855 (35) #793 (32) #2538 (6) 2008 #119 (438) #128 (412) #195 (269) #663 (56) #684 (43) - 2010 #126 (454) #115 (503) #150 (349) #601 (65) #832 (35) - 2012 #89 (632) #107 (528) #122 (476) #614 (68) #1021 (27) - 2013 #84 (651) #93 (588) #103 (540) #712 (56) #1001 (28) - Not only were both Darcey (#84) and Darcy (#93) in the top 100 in 2013 (see above), also ranking were Darcie-Mae, Darcy-Mae, Darcie-Rae, Darcie-Mai, Darcee, Darcy-Leigh, Darcy-May, Darcie-Leigh, Darcie-May, Darcey-Rose, Darcie-Rose, Darcey-Mai, Darcey-Leigh, darcey-Mae, Darcey-May, Darcey-Rae, Darci-Mae, Darcie-Louise, Darcy-Rae and Darcy-Rose which, when all are added together, give a combined rank of #32. Similarly, Darcey et al have also been rising in Northern Ireland and Scotland. In 2013, Darcy ranked #102 , Darcey #140 and Darcie #188 in Scotland, and in Northern Ireland, Darcy ranked #83, Darcey #103 and Darcie #116. This makes an interesting contrast to our Commonwealth breathren in Australia, who much prefer Darcy for boys. According to recent research, combined data for Australia puts Darcy at #88 for boys in Australia in 2014.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Henry Darcy (1803–1858), French scientist who made several important contributions to hydraulics and hydrogeology and for whom the unit of permeability is named. Contemporary: * Darcey Bussell (b.1969), retired British prima-ballerina. * Darci Kistler (b. 1964), principal dancer, New York City Ballet. * Darcy Blake (b. 1988), Welsh footballer. * Darcy Rose Byrnes (b. 1998), an American actress and singer-songwriter. Literature and Other Media: * Fitzwilliam Darcy, the hero of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  * Darcy Tyler, a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Mark Raffety (2000-2005).

Variants:

Darcy, Darcie, Darci

Pronunciation:

DAR-see [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Didi, Dars

Sibling Names:

Layla     Maya     Sienna     Freya     Mila     Ruby  Blake    Sonny    Jackson    Zachary    Theo    Austin

Name Lists:

Names from Jane Austen

 

If you like Darcey you may also like:  Macey, Lexi, Esme, Lacey, Ayla, Zara, Skye, Lyla, Neve, Isla

 

Thanks to Nicola for requesting this post. 

 

Name Help: A sister for Ralph

A few days ago, Katie contacted me asking for name advice. She already has a son named Ralph Noah Daniel and is looking for the perfect name for his sister.

Katie and her partner are struggling to agree on girls' names. They have definitely settled on May as a middle name but are open to having two middle names.

Katie's list:

Martha - This is Katie's favourite and one that she has loved for a daughter for many years.She would want another middle name in this case, as she doesn't want MM intials. 
Beatrice 
Audrey
Evangeline 
Emmeline 
Mabel

Her partner's list:

Fleur
Flora
Isla
Nora
Lucia
Marlow
Layla 
Betsy
Olivia
Clemence 

※    ※    ※    ※

 

The good news, Katie, is that, looking at both your lists, you have a lot to work with.

On first glance, your tastes in names in quite similar -- you both seem drawn to up-and-coming vintage choices -- but the rub is always in the subjective nature of our feelings for individual names, regardless of whether they fit our style.

I get the feeling that your differences boil down to the individual names themselves, rather than a disparity in taste. You seem more drawn to names with gentle refinery; your partner likes sprightly bell-tones. 

 

A name for both:

Some of your choices, while distinct, are so similar in sound, that they lend themselves nicely to using nicknames. If choosing one name that you both agree on is difficult, having the option of using both a formal and informal name has a lot of advantages. 

Martha -- I get the impression that this is the name that you have set your heart on but your partner isn't as enamoured as you are. Sitting on his list however is Marlow, which, with a bit of clever middle name use, could be daddy's nickname for Martha:

Martha Lois May "Marlo"
Martha Louisa May "Marlo"
Martha Louise May "Marlo"
Martha Lottie May "Marlo"
Martha Loretta May "Marlo"
Martha Lola May "Marlo"
Martha Lorelei May "Marlo"
Martha Loredana May "Marlo"

The combo Martha Clemence May could also lend itself to the sprightly nickname Marcie.
Alternatively, Martha Nora May could give you perky Marnie. 

Beatrice -- You like Beatrice, he likes Betsy. Why not combine the two and use Beatrice "Betsy"? I've long felt that Betsy makes a perfect nickname for Beatrice (there are some examples of it being used as such in the 19th century) and this seems like a perfect opportunity. 

 

Other ideas:

Primrose -- Sweet, vintage and homely. Primrose strikes me as a name that would fit perfectly alongside Martha, Beatrice, Mabel and Flora. Rosie and Prim make great nicknames, as does my favourite, Posy. 
If Posy tickles your fancy, it can also be used as a nickname for Josephine. 

Clementine -- You love Emmeline, he loves Clemence. Pronounced klem-en-teen (like Clementine Churchill), sweet Clementine bridges the gap nicely between the two. 

Genevieve -- A delicate antique with a bit of backbone, Genevieve is an uncommon medieval gem with a modern sound. 

Violet -- Violet holds the middle ground between popular Olivia, spunky Betsy and genteel Audrey. Iris is an equally lovely floral option.

Iona -- If Scottish island-ispired Isla doesn't strike your fancy, perhaps the beautiful island of Iona might. It fits in with his list for syllable sounds but also strike a gentle vintage chord. 

Nancy -- Spunky and sprightly, Nancy is a vintage choice that is really going places. 

Willa -- Flora, Isla, Nora, Martha...Willa. Willa makes for a chic, hip but (bonus!) underused flapper choice. 

Elodie -- Melodic bell-tones, with as much history and medieval-glamour as Beatrice, Mabel and Audrey

Theodora -- This name is on the rise, but it is still very uncommon. However, what stately Theodora also offers is hip nickname Thea or equally rising vintage petnames Dottie and Dolly.

Penelope -- Penelope has been gaining attention recently as more people are drawn to its lyrical syllables, multitude of nickname opportunities (Penny, Poppy, Polly, Nell) and delicate sophistication. 

Clara -- If it were possible for a name to have a twin, then for me, Clara would be Martha's. Vintage, homely and dignified in one. 

Edith -- Edith is perhaps the clunkiest of these suggestions but -- now in the top 200 -- it has serious hipster appeal. It also has much the same quirky-chirpy-cosy-knitted-jumper style as Ralph. 

Verity -- A sweet, uncommon virtue (much like Clemence) with a vintage vibe.

Sylvie -- As gentle as Fleur, elegant as Audrey and similar in sound to Betsy. Sylvia is another great one to consider.

Anneliese -- Strictly this exotic choice is pronounced Ann-uh-lees-uh, but I doubt many Brits would quibble. Annalise is the more common spelling (currently #363) but both make for a striking and uncommon, pretty antique. Equally exotic-antique Anais is also worth considering. 

Audra -- If you can't convince your partner on Audrey, perhaps Audra is more his style. Same route and origins, but a sleeker, less conventional choice.

Vivienne -- Between Evangeline and Clemence lies sleek and sophisticated continental choice Vivienne. 

Tabitha -- A gentle biblical choice that became a sweet Victorian valentine. Tabitha has serious vintage appeal. 

 

Hopefully some of these ideas will help, Katie. I'm sure the fabulous readers here will have more ideas for you.