The Name of the Week posts, requested by BBN readers, are one of my favourite parts of this blog.
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 seven requested names which didn't fit the usual NotW format.
(Requested by Susan)
Arietta is a name adopted from the Italian word arietta "soft breeze," a diminutive form of aria "air" (literally little aria).
The word aria is also synonymous with "melody" thanks to its adoption as a musical term. An aria is a musical piece, usually written for a solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, in an opera. An arietta "little aria" has been used to describe a short musical composition since the 18th century in Britain.
As a given name, Arietta dates from the 18th century also. Curiously, several examples are Dutch with quite a few centered in New York. There is even a town in New York state called Arietta, founded in 1836, which is said to have been named after one of the first Dutch settler's mother.
In Britain, examples (dating from the 19th century) are rare. Of the examples we have, it is difficult to determine whether the Italian arietta was the inspiration as there were several similar names around at the same time which may have contributed to it. Harriet is quite commonly found spelled with the 'h' dropped (most likely thanks to several British dialects not pronouncing it). As Harrietta was a Latinised form, Arrietta, in a variety of spellings, is often simply a vernacular spelling.
Another contemporary name which may also have had Arieta as a coincidental spelling variant is the ancient Greek name Arete meaning "excellence, virtue." It was used in Britain since the 16th century and certainly was found in the forms Areta, Aretta, Aretha and Oretta. Auretta, perhaps inspired by Arete or the Latin Aurea "golden," was also used from the 18th century which adds another source.
The spelling Arrieta occurs internationally as a Spanish habitational surname taken from several places of the name. It derives from the Basque arri "stone" and the suffix -eta meaning "place of."
Though it has been used a handful of times in the last two decades, since 1996, both Arietta and Arieta have only ranked in the England and Wales data once apiece. Arieta ranked #5876 with 3 births in 2012 and Arietta was #5742 with 3 births in 2013. Arrietty, the name coined by Mary Norton for The Borrowers series and possibly inspired by Arietta, ranked #1864 with 15 births in 2013.
As far as namesakes go, Arrietta Morales y de Grecia (b.2002) is the eldest daughter of Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark.
Popular culture features Arietta the Wild as the main antagonist in the Japanese computer game Tales of the Abyss and the Arietta Bird is the mystical singing bird in Thundercats.
(Requested by Emily)
Bram is a diminutive of Abraham, a biblical name borne by one of the most significant figures in the Old Testament. The biblical derivation of the name is "father of multitudes," an altered form of Abram "exalted father."
Bram is also a surname which derives from several sources:
* In some cases, it may represent the Old Norse name Bramr meaning "extravagance."
* A variant of Broom which derives from the Old English brom "broom, gorse" and denotes a place where the plant grew.
* A variant of Braham (Brame, Breem) which is taken from a place name in Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk most likely meaning "homestead of Brantha."
Abraham is a name used prolifically among Jews for millennia. In Britain, it has been used beyond the Jewish community since the Middle Ages and became particularly notable after the Reformation.
Bram is most famously borne by Abraham "Bram" Stoker (1847-1912), the Irish author, most famous for penning Dracula (1897) giving Bram a steam-punk gothic vibe.
There are several examples of men named Bram in 19th century census records though these are almost certainly nicknames for Abraham, Bramwell and Bramley or a middle name derived from the surname Bram.
From 1834, Bram itself wasn't registered as a name in its own right in England and Wales until the mid-20th century, perhaps thanks to Bram Stoker's Dracula moving onto the big screen.
Since 1996, Bram has ranked fourteen times in eighteen years with a birth count of between 3 and 10. It's peak was #2117 in 2012 with 10 births, followed by #2216 (9 births) in 2013.
Abraham itself has consistently ranked between #400-#600 during the same period.
(Requested by Laurie)
Desdemona is most famous for being the name of Shakespeare's tragic heroine in Othello (c.1601).
The Bard based his play closely on the tale "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi by Giovanni Battista Giraldi (Cinthio).
The only character named in Cinthio's story is Disdemona which was almost certainly coined from the Greek word δυσδαιμονια (dysdaimonia) "misery, unhappiness," itself made up of the word daimon "fortune" and the common prefix dys- "ill, not" (equivalent to un- in English). It is the direct opposite of eudaimonia "happiness" (literally "good fortune").
The character Desdemona was a popular subject of art in the 18th and 19th century and also featured in several opera and ballet adaptations. It is unsurprising then that Desdemona's use as a given name outside of literature dates from the 18th century. Curiously, many of the early baptism records are situated in Lincolnshire and Lancashire particularly.
Desdemona was uncommon but used consistently in the 19th century. First name registrations per decade in England and Wales were as follows:
1840s: 4 births
1850s: 3 births
1860s: 12 births
1870s: 15 births
1880s: 9 births
1890s: 23 births
1900s: 20 births
1910s: 25 births
1920s: 11 births
1930s: 3 births
1940s: 0 births
1950s: 1 birth
1960s: 2 births
The 1881 census list 44 women with the first or middle name Desdemona. Intriguingly, the highest concentration was still in Lincolnshire and Lancashire (see image right).
Since 1996, Desdemona has never ranked in England and Wales, but was registered as a first name for two girls: one born in 2002 and one in 2003.
Other uses for the name Desdemona include a moon of Uranus, an asteroid and a town in Texas. It is also the title of songs by Billy Merson, The Searchers, The Allman Brothers and John's Children.
(Requested by B)
Ermintrude is an Old Germanic name derived from the elements ermin "whole" and drudi "strength" andwas used among early Frankish nobility. Of particular note is Ermentrude of Orléans (823-869), Queen of the Franks via her marriage to Charles the Bald, Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia.
There are a handful of examples of the name Ermetruda or Ermentrudis in the Middle Ages in Britain, though citations are rare. Ermentrude de Clermont (m.c.1093) was the countess of Chester and there was also a countess of Shrewsbury who bore the name in the late 12th century. More common, both in Britain and on the Continent, however, was the similar Ermengarde.
Ermintrude really came into its own in the 18th and 19th century thanks to the romaticism and gothic revival movements which saw medieval Ermintrude featuring several times in romantic serials and novels.
By the 19th century, Ermyntrude was the most common spelling, though Ermintrude and Ermentrude were also used. It still retained an aristocratic polish, as attested by Lady Ermyntrude Sackville Russell (1856–1927) youngest daughter of the 9th Duke of Bedford. Her marriage in March 1885 seems to have sparked a flurry of namesakes.
First name registrations per decade in England and Wales for Erm(e/i/y)ntrude were as follows:
1840s: 0 births
1850s: 2 births
1860s: 0 births
1870s: 1 birth
1880s: 56 births
1890s: 34 births
1900s: 18 births
1910s: 18 births
1920s: 4 births
1930s: 1 births
1940s: 1 births
1950s: 0 births
1960s: 1 birth
In popular culture, Ermintrude is well loved in Britain as the name of Ermintrude the Cow in the popular children's animated television show The Magic Roundabout (1965-1977).
Ermintrude, in any spelling, has not been given as a first name at all from 1970 to 2005, though it was used once as a middle name.
(Requested by Mai)
Hedwig is an Old Germanic name, composed of the elements hadu "battle" and wig "war."
The name dates from at least the 9th century. It was the name of a daughter of King Louis the German (c.810-876), a grandson of Charlemagne and also a daughter of King Henry of Franconia (d. 886).
One of the most influential early bearers of the name was Saint Hedwig of Silesia (1174–1243), High Duchess consort of Poland who was known for her great piety and care of the poor.
From her came many more noble Hedwigs (or Jadwiga in Polish), including many more queens of Poland. Jadwiga of Poland (1374-1399), King of Poland in her own right was also canonised in 1997.
Despite its frequent use in Poland, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Scandinavia, Hedwig was little used in Britain. It was used a handful of times in the 18th and 19th century, but was mostly confined to immigrant families.
It was at a peak in the Edwardian era, when it had an average birth count of three births each year. By the 1920s, however, it was back to being rare.
It has not ranked in England and Wales at all since 1900, however, it has been given to a small number of children as a first name in the last few decades.
In popular culture, Hedwig is best known as Harry Potter's owl and the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Hedy Lamarr (born Hedwig Keisler), however, provides both a glamourous and intelligent namesake.
Famous bearers of the name include:
* Hedwige of Saxony (910-965), mother of Hugh Capet, King of France.
* Hedwig of Nordgau (c.922-c.993), wife of Siegfried of Luxembourg, first Count of Luxembourg.
* Hedwig of France (970-1013), Countess of Mons.
* Hedwig of Kalisz (1266–1339), Queen consort of Poland.
* Hedwig of Sagan (c.1350 –1390), Queen consort of Poland
* Princess Hedwig of Denmark (1581–1641), Electress of Saxony from 1602 to 1611.
* Queen Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp (1759–1818), Queen consort of Sweden and Norway.
* Hedwig Dohm (1831–1919), German feminist.
* Hedwig Bleibtreu (1868–1958), Austrian actress.
* Hedy Lamarr/Hedwig Keisler (1914–2000), Austrian-American Hollywood actress and inventor.
(Requested by Savannah)
Hollis is a surname meaning "dweller by the holly oak", derived from the Middle English holie. Variants of the surname include Hollies, Holles, Hollen, Hollens, Holling, Hollins, Hollay and Holly, and date from the 12th century at least.
Sir William Holles was Lord Mayor of London in 1539 and from him the aristocratic Holles family were descended. John Holles (1564–1637), was established as the 1st Earl of Clare. The title was held for three further generations up until John Holles, 4th Earl of Clare (1662–1711), was created Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1694.
Other worthy namesakes with the surname Hollis include Stanley Hollis VC (1912-1972) who received the only Victoria Cross awarded on D-Day, and Patricia Lesley Hollis, Baroness Hollis of Heigham PC, DL (b.1941). Hollis Conway (b.1967) is an American high jumper and Olympic medalist.
As with almost all surnames. Hollis was used as a given name from the 18th century, usually because it was a family surname. It is no coincidence that Hollis was used as a given name most in areas where the
surname was most frequent. This can be seen in data from the 1881 UK census (see image right) which shows that Hollis was mostly used in central England.
First name registrations per decade in England and Wales were as follows:
1840s: 8 births
1850s: 10 births
1860s: 15 births
1870s: 13 births
1880s: 34 births
1890s: 32 births
1900s: 24 births
1910s: 18 births
1920s: 9 births
1930s: 5 births
1940s: 4 births
1950s: 2 births
1960s: 5 births
Most were male, although some (particularly at the turn of the century) were female.
Hollis did not rank at all in England and Wales from 1996 until 2013 when it ranked #4685 (3 births) for boys and #5742 (3 births) for girls.