Blimy! What a September! The new school term has started with a full and hectic schedule and summer seems a far distant memory. But as Autumn gets underway so does more exciting name discoveries and reminders.
Pomona
A day trip to Cirencester's Corinium museum, with its fabulous collection of Roman artifacts, reminded me of Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruitful abundance. Her name actually derives from the Latin pomum "fruit, fruit tree," and survives in the French pomme "apple." Here she is in a surviving mosaic floor from Cirencester depicting the four seasons. Pomona represents Autumn and is shown carrying a pruning knife.
With Paloma rising into the top 1000 thanks to Paloma Faith, Pomona looks more and more like a usable choice, especially with Poppy, Mona or Apple as a nickname.
Clowance
The second series of Poldark is back again! (Can you tell I'm excited?). The latest episode of the BBC's remake of this popular 70s historical drama based on Winston Graham's novels saw Demelza give birth to her second child -- a boy named Jeremy.
It reminded me of the names of all the Poldark children in Graham's novels -- Julia, Jeremy, Clowance, Isabella-Rose and Henry. All historically sound and pretty common-place by modern standards. All except for Clowance.
Clowance -- like Demelza's own name -- is a place name in Cornwall, which inspired the named of many of Graham's characters. Clowance is the family seat of the St Aubyn baronets in Crowan.
Sound-wise it sits between fashionable Clemence and and Constance, with a Celtic-Cornish twist.
Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli, famous Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, most famous for his The Birth of Venus, has been inspiration for a first name -- and for a girl at that.
A few weeks ago I came across this name in birth records: Botticelli Verily Boadicea, born in 1990. Even better? Her younger sister is Piranesi Vita Lolita after another Italian artist.
Lexon
The biggest event for me in September was, of course, the release of the 2015 England and Wales statistics. Delving down below the top 1000, I came across Lexon this year -- a name that has never before ranked officially in the E&W data (3 or more births are needed in any given year to rank). Lexon is the name of a few small companies in Britain, but I doubt that is the inspiration behind it. The most likely source is the new addition of Jaxon to the top 100: the fashionable 'x' and -on ending. Saxon and Maxon have also risen.
Beowulf
Has anyone else done a double take when this television advert for the new HP Spectre x360 comes on?
Wait? What did he say? What is his name? Beowulf?
This was what went through my mind several times before I took the time to investigate. Yes, his name is Beowulf, son of American-Hungarian historian Gabor Boritt. His brothers are the prosaically named Jake and Daniel so I would love to know how he came about this fabulous legendary Anglo-Saxon name.
Veyron
The final September episode of The One Show tonight featured the Moxham family. Dad Matthew is a classic car fanatic and, though he couldn't afford to buy one, he decided to name is first child after a classic car. The trend stuck and now he and wife Trudy have five children all named after classic cars: Mercedes (22), Bentley (18), Sapphire (16), Aston (4) and the youngest Veyron (3).
I managed to guess the first four. All of them are or have been recently in the top 500 in England and Wales. However, the youngest Veyron took me by surprise. It has only ranked once in E&W, in 2013 when it was given to three boys -- one of whom was little Veyron Moxham.
Judge
Another TV show which is back on our screens this September is the new series of Strictly Come Dancing. Among the celebrities this year is Robert Rinder, better known as Judge Rinder -- Britain's answer to Judge Judy. One thing that has slightly bugged me about the show so far is how all the other celebrities are listed by their first names, yet Rob keeps getting "Judge Rinder." That's not his name. it's his title, my poor name-obsessed mind screeches.
But, actually, Judge could be a name. Afterall, Prince, Duke, Lord and Earl are all used as given names. Judge has only ranked once in 2005 in the E&W data when there were three boys given the name.
