British Baby Names

Name Musings: April 2017

  

 

I started April off under a bit of a cloud health-wise. A nasty virus took its hold to the point where just a five minute walk exhausted me. Consequently, I didn't get out in the world much to discover new names this month, so television and film became my only source for name-musings. 

 

Auli'i

I know I'm extremely late to the party, but I finally got to see Moana this month. Moana itself is a great Hawaiian name (meaning "ocean") that is very accessible. I can easily see this getting more use in the next few years. 

But, I'm most intrigued by the name of the young actress who voiced Moana: Auli'i Cravalho. You can hear her pronounce her name here, but it's basically ow-LEE-ee. 

This Hawaiian name (meaning "dainty") isn't especially easy for English-speakers, but I'm just happy that this name has had a chance to have it's moment in the spotlight and get more recognition. 

 

Gordian

This one comes from my favourite TV viewing: history documentaries. I was reminded this month of Gordian. Emperor Gordian I and Gordian II (father and son) were joint rulers who ruled for a mere month. The former's grandson -- the son of his daughter Antonia Gordiana -- became Gordian III, the youngest ever emperor at the age of 13. 

Gordian is the anglicised form of the Roman family name Gordianus, meaning "from Gordium," the capital of Phrygia in Asia Minor. 

 

Esra

A Netflix account + virus = lots of obscure film watching, and a chance to see subtitled international films -- something I rarely have time to concentrate on in my multi-tasking lifestyle. So, cue lots of Turkish films (Netflix UK seems to have a whole stash of them at the moment). 

One of the films, Romantik Komedi (how fun is that title!) features the heroine's name as Esra. It's pronounced the same as Biblical Ezra, but is a feminine name in Turkey as the Turkish form of the Arabic Isra meaning "night journey." 

Several notable Turkish women have borne the name, including a Turkish princess. 

  

Ece

Another Turkish name which caught my eye was Ece, pronounced EH-jay, meaning "queen."

I was struck by the fact that this is a Turkish vocabulary word, as well as a top 100 given name in Turkey (ranking #62). 
As English-speakers, we’ve come to expect that the names we choose “mean” something, but those meanings most often feel removed in abstract – either a translation of a foreign word or, occasionally, an abstract noun (grace, hope, faith etc). Girls called Queen are rare here -- it smacks of being too fanciful, a bit hippyish, or, for some, a bit trashy. But girls called "queen" in Turkey are common.

It's an interesting reminder that in Western European languages we are actually quite unusual in our lack of vocabulary words which we use as names compared with most other languages and cultures around the globe. 

 

Micah

The 2016 stats for Northern Ireland are out! While looking through the top 500 (see the full list here) I was surprised to see Micah at #127.

It is a great Biblical choice, with its finger right on the style-pulse thanks to its similarity to popular Noah, Joshua, Elijah, Eli and Ezra. It is little wonder then that it is catching on in Northern Ireland, but the reason I was surprised is that it is streets ahead of the rest of the UK. Micah ranked #322 in England and Wales in 2015, and #331 in Scotland in 2016. 

 

Gisela

April has been "the month of Gisela" for me. Not only is it featuring currently as a new main character in the second series of the BBC's Anglo-Saxon/Viking epic Last Kingdom, but also MP Gisela Stuart has been talked of much on my local news as she has announced that she is stepping down from her Birmingham constituency. 

Both the character and the MP use the German pronunciation for the name (GEEZ-ə-lə), which caught me off guard when I first heard them both. I'm so used to the anglicised 'jee-ZEL-a', that I didn't recognise it as "Gisela" in my mind when the name hit my ears. Now, I'm hearing 'GEEZ-ə-lə' so much, I wonder whether that has become my new default. 

 

Lio

Footballer Steven Gerrard and his wife Alex have welcomed a son and continued their L-name theme: Lio George, a brother for Lilly-Ella, 13, Lexie, 10 and Lourdes, five. 

With this spelling, it's appealing to think that fellow footballer Lionel Messi is the inspiration (apparently Gerrard is a fan), but I'm more convinced that the Gerrards were simply looking for a spelling that was a little "different."

I'm used to seeing almost every imaginable spelling for popular names when I compile my combined spellings rankings for England and Wales every year, and I often hear parents talk of using a different spelling of their favourite name as a way of being "more unique" (the inverted commas are very deliberate here). It is remarkable then that the spelling Lio is incredibly rare, especially given it's similarity to Lionel, and has only ranked twice in the last 20 years. 

But, now the young Master Gerrard sporting this spelling, I expect we will be seeing it a LOT more now. 

 

 

UK Birth Announcements 24/4/17 - 30/4/17

A round-up of names from birth announcements announced in British newspapers in the last week.

Sources include a national paper (The Telegraph) and a broad range of local newspapers from across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Sibling names are in brackets. 

 

Boys:

Albie George (Max)

Alistair Ronald (Liam & Callum)

Charlie William Garrett (Sophie Margaret Mary)

George Henry

George William

Joseph John (Charlotte Rose)

Kit George Levi (Honor)

Lachlan James William

Lewis Ian (Murray David)

Maximilian John

Nicholas Ralph

Rory John (Henry James & Thomas Joseph "Tom")

Sebastian Ronald Owen

Thomas James John

 

Girls:

Alice Catherine

Amelia Seaber  

Anna Ray (Peter Alexander & Christopher Stuart)

Ava Fawn

Ava Grace (Harry)

Ava Primrose 

Beatrix Grace

Belle Amelia Savannah

Bijoux Bebek --- bebek is Turkish for "baby"

Darcie Johnelle

Eilidh Mae

Emilia Benita Marianne (Henry Walter Gerard "Harry")

Freya Marie

Iris Claridge

Jasmine Mary

Joni Rocky (Marnie)

Josephine Niamh (Margaret Orla)

Juliette Marie (Sophie Loraine)

Lilly Rae (Polly Elizabeth)

Lucy Rose (Ella Anne & Camilla Alice)

Matilda Elizabeth

Molly Joyce

Skye Alexandra

Stella Isabel Dinah (Ralph Timothy Jack & Theo Oliver James)

Willow Elizabeth

 

Twins:

Charlotte Elizabeth Ruth & Thomas Robin Patrick

Edward William & Oliver George

 

 

Name of the Week: Edith

 

Origin:

Since the 12th century, Edith has been the standard English form of the Old English name Ēadgӯð, composed of the elements ēad "riches, prosperity, happiness, bliss" and gyð "war, battle, fight." Edith has also sometimes been conflated with, and used to render, two similar Anglo-Saxon names: Ēaldgӯð (eald "old, ancient" + gyð) and Ēadgifu (ēad + gifu "gift"), as we can see with Ealdgyð (b.c.992), wife of King Edmund Ironside, who is known in Modern English as "Edith" and Edith Swan-Neck (1025-1086), famous beauty and hand-fasted wife of Harold Godwinson who is sometimes recorded with the name Ēadgifu Swanneshals.*  Though these three names were distinct Anglo-Saxon names, the later spellings in the 12th century could often be confused.*

Usage:

Ēadgӯð was a fairly common Anglo-Saxon name and well attested among royalty. One of the most famous is St Edith of Wilton (d.984), daughter of King Edgar the Peaceable and St Wulfthrith. She became a nun like her mother and was known her "her learning, her beauty, and her sanctity."* She was regarded as a saint shortly after her death.  At the time of the Norman Conquest, two notable Ediths were making their mark: Edith Swan-Neck (or Edith the Fair) (1025–1086) was the hand-fasted wife of King Harold II (the fateful short-reigning English king who was defeated by William the Conqueror) who was widely regarded as a great beauty. Legend has it that it was she who identified Harold's body on the field of Hastings.  Edith of Wessex (1025–1075), was the previous queen-consort as the wife of Edward the Confessor (she was also the sister of Harold II), and — unusually for the time — she was crowned.* She is one of the few women to be depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry and managed to survive the conquest without the protection of her husband and brother by cleverly promoting the cult of Edward the Confessor. As Rowena Willard-Wright points out, "this was a shrewd move, as the Doomsday book reveals that she was one of very few English landowners to keep all of their lands, most English nobility having been killed or sent into exile."* Like Queen Edith herself, the name Edith survived the Norman conquest, unlike the majority of Anglo-Saxon names. In George Redmonds' survey of 1000 names from ten English counties 1377-81, Edith — ranked at #15 — is the only Anglo-Saxon feminine name in the top 50. Similarly, for boys, only Edward and Edmund rank. It is significant that these were all prominent royal figures who were regarded as saints and widely venerated in the Anglo-Norman period, accounting for the names' survival. Overall, 21 English churches were dedicated to St Edith in England.* Matilda of Scotland (1080-1118), the daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and the English princess Saint Margaret, was originally Christened "Edith," but was later known as Matilda during her marriage to King Henry I of England.  From the 12th century, Eda can be found as a hypocoristic and Edekin as a diminutive. These forms, combined with the popularity of Edith itself, led the the creation of many surnames, including Edith, Eday, Edy, Edye, Edkins, Eakin, Ekins, Ead, Eade, Eades and Edes. However, Reaney and Wilson attribute the similar Eadie, Eady and Eadey to Ēadgifu, demonstrating just how similar the later forms of the names were.* Edith continued through to the 17th century though it gradually began to dwindle in use, as we can see from Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1700 in England: 1538-49: #10; 1550-9: #24; 1560-9: #16; 1570-9: #21; 1580-9: #28; 1590-9: #26; 1600-9: #41; 1610-9: #39; 1620-9: --; 1630-9: #37; 1640-9: #47; 1650-9: --; 1660-9: --; 1670-9: --; 1680-9: --; 1690-1700: #46. During the 18th century, Edith was still in use, but by this time it was very uncommon and does not appear in Dunkling's top 50 rankings for either 1700 or 1800.  Data from The Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Edith's revival came in the mid-19th century, when Victorian Medievalism was in full swing, and was a top ten name from 1880 to the 1910s, as we can see from its ranks in England and Wales: 1850: #56 1860: #36 1870: #15 1880: #7 1890: #6 1900: #4 1904: #4 1914: #8 1924: #22 1934: #46 1944: *out of top 100* Data from the 1881 census (image, right) shows that the name was especially used in England, particularly in the South East, but was rare in Scotland. It is during this century, also, that Edie came into use as the standard diminutive for Edith.  Lots of intelligent and pioneering women, involved in education and political activism, named Edith hail from the Victorian era: Edith Cavell (1865–1915), was a famous British nurse who, during WWI, treated soldiers on both sides alike indiscriminately and set up escape routes for hundreds of Belgian and allied fugitives, for which she was arrested and and shot by the Germans. She is now venerated as a martyr in the Church of England. Edith Pechey (1845–1908), was one of the first female doctors in Britain as well as a campaigner for women's rights. Edith Abbott (1876–1957), was an American economist and a pioneer in the profession of social work and a leading activist in social reform.  Edith Durham (1863–1944) was British writer and anthropologist who travelled extensively in Balkans, advocating the rights of the Albanian people and working in various relief organisations.  This newspaper poem from 1877 uses Edith as an example of a "fine name" (i.e. one used by the upper classes) being adopted by the working class at this time, and gives an indication of the name's widespread appeal.  click to enlarge What goes up, must come down, however, and by the mid-20th century, Edith began to decline in use, falling out of the top 100 by 1944 and dropping rapidly out of use in the 1950s.  In 1996, Edith ranked #1112 (17 births) in England and Wales and diminutive Edie ranked #1168 (16 births). Both Edith and Edie have gradually risen at the same time and consistently at a similar rank each year.  Both Edith and Edie rose to #578 (51 births) and #595 (49 births) respectively in 2003, which may be in part attributed to the rising fame of radio and television presenter Edith Bowman.  By 2007 (when Bowman was the sole presenter of the highly popular BBC Radio 1 afternoon show), Edith had risen to #291 (162 births) and Edie #300 (156 births).  Rising still further, Edith was given a further boost by the characters of Lady Edith Crawley in ITV historical drama Downton Abbey (2010-2015) and Edith Gru in the films Despicable Me in 2010 and sequel Despicable Me 2 in 2013.  In 2015, Edith ranked #122 with 480 births (an increase from the 456 births in 2014 when it held the same rank) and Edie ranked #150 with 358 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Edith of Wilton (961–984), English saint and daughter of King Edgar.  * Edith of Wessex (1025–1075), Queen of England and wife of King Edward the Confessor.  * Edith the Fair/Swan-Neck (1025 – 1086), the hand-fasted wife or mistress of King Harold II of England. * Edith Pechey (1845–1908), British doctor and suffragette. * Edith Nesbit (1858–1924), British children's author and political activist. * Edith Roosevelt (1861–1948), American first lady and wife of Theodore Roosevelt. * Edith Wharton (1862–1937), Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer. * Edith Durham (1863–1944), British writer and anthropologist. * Edith Cavell (1865–1915), British nurse and humanitarian, venerated in the Church of England.  * Edith Hamilton (1867–1963) American classicist and educator. * Edith Wilson (1872–1961), American first lady and wife of Woodrow Wilson. * Edith Abbott (1876–1957), American economist, social worker, educator, and author. * Edith Dimock (1876–1955), American painter. * Dame Edith Evans (1888–1976), British actress.  * Edith Head (1897–1981), American costume designer. * Dame Edith Pitt (1906–1966), British politician. * Édith Piaf (1915–1963), French singer. Contemporary: * Edith "Edie" Sedgwick (1943–1971), American model and actress. * Edith Bowman (born 1974), British television and radio presenter Literature and Other Media: * Lady Edith Crawley, fictional character in the British television series Downton Abbey.  * Edith Gru, fictional character in the film Despicable Me.

Variants:

Edythe (English), Édith (French), Edit (Swedish), Edita (Slavic)

Pronunciation:

EE-dith [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Edie, Didi, Dee, Ditte

Sibling Names:

Clara     Beatrice     Iris     Bonnie     Harriet     Lilian  Felix     Albert     Frederick     Isaac     Reggie     Arthur

Name Lists:

Vintage Names   Royal British Names   Medieval Favourites   Terrifically Tudor   Victorian Darlings  Dickensian Names   Gilbert and Sullivan Names  Tennyson Names

  

If you like Edith you may also like:   Eliza, Audrey, Elsie, Ada, Vera, Olive, Alice, Violet, Betsy, Connie

Thanks to Lisa for requesting this name.

 

Top 100 Most Popular Names in Northern Ireland 2016

Here are the official statistics for the top 100 names in Northern Ireland in 2016.

According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, James was the #1 name for the second year in a row and Emily for the third year running. 

Within the 100 most popular boys’ names in 2016 there were 11 new entries — Brody, Corey, Daire, Elijah, Ezra, Harvey, Jay, Leon, Robert, Ruairi and Sam — with Ezra the biggest climber moving up 38 places to #88. The top 100 names for girls also had 11 new entries in 2016 — Bethany, Darcie, Elsie, Ivy, Laura, Lottie, Martha, Maya, Penny, Sadie and Thea — with Elsie increasing in rank the most, up 96 places to #59.

Of the names already in the top 100, Arthur increased most in popularity for boys, rising 32 places to #57 followed by Tom which jumped up 30 places. For girls, Saoirse and Zoe both rose 32 places to #56 and #49 respectively, followed by Faith, up 30 places to #51.

Top 100 Boys' Names 2016			.	Top 100 Girls' Names 2016
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 18 20 20 22 23 23 25 26 26 28 29 30 31 32 32 34 34 36 36 38 39 40 40 42 42 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 51 53 53 55 55 57 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 64 64 67 68 68 68 68 68 73 74 74 76 76 78 78 80 81 81 83 83 83 86 86 88 89 90 90 92 93 93 93 93 93 98 98 100 100	James Jack Oliver Charlie Noah Harry Jacob Daniel Matthew Alfie Ethan Leo Luke Thomas Oisin Jake Joshua Adam Ollie Conor Mason Caleb Joseph Ronan Isaac Logan Patrick Jude Finn Oscar Cillian Dylan Sean Lucas Michael Callum Jamie Max Ryan Darragh William Odhran Tom Alexander Theo Ben John Jaxon Reuben Aaron Cian Fionn Freddie Samuel Archie Benjamin Arthur Shea Daithi Carter Henry Eoin Alex Caolan David Riley Conan Aodhan George Jackson Nathan Rory Aidan Daire Lewis Harvey Jonah Bobby Sam Liam Lorcan Tommy Elijah Jayden Kai Cormac Ruairi Ezra Zach Robert Seth Harrison Corey Danny Joel Leon Niall Brody Jay Blake Dara	254 243 207 204 201 188 173 159 142 139 137 123 121 117 113 110 109 108 108 100 100 92 91 91 89 86 86 85 84 81 79 76 76 75 75 74 74 73 72 70 70 69 69 68 67 65 64 63 62 61 60 60 58 58 57 57 56 56 55 54 53 51 50 49 49 49 48 47 47 47 47 47 46 45 45 44 44 43 43 41 40 40 39 39 39 38 38 37 36 35 35 34 33 33 33 33 33 32 32 31 31		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 19 21 22 23 24 25 25 27 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 39 39 42 43 44 44 44 47 48 49 49 51 51 51 51 55 56 56 58 59 59 61 61 61 61 61 61 67 68 68 68 71 71 71 74 75 75 77 77 79 79 79 82 82 82 82 86 86 88 88 88 88 92 92 92 92 92 97 97 99 100 100	Emily Grace Olivia Anna Sophie Lily Amelia Ella Ava Sophia Aoife Isla Charlotte Jessica Eva Lucy Ellie Evie Erin Katie Mia Chloe Cara Hannah Emma Niamh Molly Ruby Georgia Scarlett Maisie Sarah Annie Fiadh Freya Leah Rose Isabella Aria Caoimhe Zara Thea Bella Abigail Alice Holly Poppy Hollie Phoebe Zoe Clara Clodagh Faith Sofia Abbie Cora Saoirse Harper Aoibheann Elsie Amy Daisy Darcy Eabha Heidi Rebecca Sienna Layla Mollie Rosie Amber Faye Lola Willow Eve Lottie Eimear Mya Caitlin Cassie Sadie Beth Brooke Maria Meabh Farrah Ivy Gracie Maya Penny Robyn Aimee Bethany Darcie Kate Laura Kayla Martha Ellen Megan Rosa	237 198 191 164 155 151 150 142 136 135 128 124 123 120 117 107 102 101 97 97 93 92 91 84 83 83 80 80 79 77 73 69 68 67 65 61 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 51 51 51 50 49 48 48 45 45 45 45 43 42 42 41 40 40 39 39 39 39 39 39 38 37 37 37 36 36 36 35 34 34 33 33 32 32 32 31 31 31 31 30 30 29 29 29 29 28 28 28 28 28 27 27 26 25 25

 

The 10 most popular middle names ("additional first name) for 2016 according to NISRA were as follows: 

Boys			.	Girls
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	James John Patrick William Joseph Thomas Michael David Robert Paul	958 539 507 373 351 340 306 280 218 181		1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10	Rose Grace Mary Elizabeth Marie Louise Margaret Jane Anne Ann	777 461 348 339 287 197 192 178 167 165

 

The statistics on this page are supplied by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
These tables were coded and formatted by me.

UK Birth Announcements 17/4/17 - 23/4/17

A round-up of names from birth announcements announced in British newspapers in the last week.

Sources include a national paper (The Telegraph) and a broad range of local newspapers from across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Sibling names are in brackets. 

 

Boys:

Andrew Joel (Aimee Isabel & Rebekah Louise)

Felix Hugo Anwar

Finlay William 

Fraser Collieson Stephen (Alex & Carissa Mae) -- dad's first name is Collieson

James Alexander (Emily Florence & William Toby)

Jamie Matthew (Jack Robert & Olivia Grace)

Josh James (Jake David)

Lachlan Harris (Callaidh Skye)

Luigi Ottavio

Luke Adam (Faye Eloise & Jacob George)

Oliver John Vincent (Harry Jack Vincent)

Olly Kevin (Kai)

Perceval Charles Gustav

Reggie John Michael

Wilfred Louis Gilbert "Freddie"

William Ivo Bernard (Alexander Wolf)

 

Girls:

Alice Isabel (Grace Arabella)

Amy Louise

Aria Lily

Cara Vivienne (Alexandra Victoria)

Clara Seela

Ella May

Eva Lilliana

Iris Julia (Molly Elizabeth Jane & Robin Peter)

Kate Laurie (Alistair Raymond & Robbie Gemmell - twins)

Madeline Grace (Poppy Isabella Joan)

Orla Constance (Matilda Florence)

Ottilie Rose Victoria

Sylvia Eden (Octavia Lily, Arlo James & August Albert)

Tatiana Lucia (Lavinia Esme Mary)

Willa Primrose Victoria (Ludo Charles Spixworth)

Willa Storm

Zara Lilian (Reece Donald)

 

Twins:

Amber Erin & Emily Ava

Hector & Magnus

 

 

Name of the Week: Hugo

 

Origin:

Hugo is the Latin form of Hugh, as well as the typical form in Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, German and Scandinavian countries.  The name derives from the Old German hugu meaning "heart" as well as "mind," "spirit," "soul," and "thought." To the modern mind, these concepts are often regarded separately, but in ancient times, the heart was regarded as the seat of all mental facilities. This notion persisted through the Middle Ages and still exists figuratively today in the phrases "(to learn) by heart," "heart in the right place," and "heart set on." These ideals are embedded linguistically in our language, as the Oxford English Dictionary explains: "Semantic developments [of the word heart] that are widespread among other early Germanic languages include: courage; the heart as seat of life, of feeling, of thought, or of the will; centre; inner part; most important part. (Use denoting the heart as perceived seat of thought, intelligence, will, emotion, or character is also frequent in classical Latin and post-classical Latin, and this may have influenced use in various Germanic languages.)"* The element hugu is not only found as a proper name itself, but also as the prototheme in compound names such as Hugibert (Hubert), Hugibald (Hubald) and Hugihard (Howard) which helps us understand how prolific it was.

Usage:

The name Hugo (also found as Chugo, Ugo, Ogo, Hucco, Hucho etc) is recorded at the beginning of the 8th century in Frankish documents. The name is found in the court of Charlemagne* and was used by Frankish nobility, most notably Hugh the Great (898–956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris. His name would have been recorded as Hugo, but, as the convention is for historical figures of the continental Middle Ages to given the name in its modern English spelling, we often find such men referred to as Hugh, as in Hugh Capet (941–996), first King of the Franks of the House of Capet; Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025) and St Hugh of Cluny (1024–1109).  The Normans brought the name over in the Old French forms Hue, Huon, Hugues and Hugon, and the diminutive form Huchon, though the German form Hugo was adopted as the third declension nominative form into Middle Latin (Hugonis in the genitive etc) so it is this form that appears in records. Hugo/Hugh was also used to render the Gaelic name Aed/Aodh and Eoghan into Latin and English in medieval Scottish records.  The name is frequent in the Domesday Book* of 1086 thanks to this Norman influence. From this point, Hugh was the vernacular form of the name — sometimes Hew in the North and How in the South — and the form Huchon appears in Scotland in the 14th-16th century.  The pet-form Hud(de) was very common in use* and gained the diminutives Huddel and Huddlin. (This is also the source of the surname Hudson). Other pet-forms included Hul and diminutives Huchon (Hutchin), Huwlin, Huwett and Huwott. According to the Reaney and Wilson*, 14 variations of Hugh survive as modern surnames which attest to its popularity. Added to this are the numerous diminutives endings, including el, et, ot, in, on, kin (often in combination) of which there are at least 90 different modern forms.  In his survey of 1000 names from ten English counties 1377-81, George Redmonds ranks Hugh at #11, which he categorises as "Quite Popular". Furthermore, E.G.Withycombe* claims that, while the name was already common in the 12th century, it became more popular still in the following century thanks to the veneration of St Hugh (1135-1200), Bishop of Lincoln, especially in the north of England.  The 16th century saw continued regular use of the name Hugh which declined somewhat into the 17th century, as we can see from Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1700 in England: 1538-49: --; 1550-9: #19; 1560-9: #17; 1570-9: #18; 1580-9: #21; 1590-9: #31; 1600-9: #26; 1610-9: #31; 1620-9: #31; 1630-9: #50; 1640-9: #31; 1650-9: #46; 1660-9: #44; 1670-9: #33; 1680-9: #39; 1690-1700: --. Hugo came into use as a given name in its own right in the 18th century, though it was rather uncommon. Throughout the 19th century, Hugo never cracked the top 200 in England and Wales. Hugh's usage, on the other hand, was well maintained through the 19th century and into first half of the 20th century, ranking in England and Wales as follows: 1860: #43 1870: #39 1880: #41 1890: #51 1900: #61 1904: #55 1914: #61 1924: #71 1934: #81 1944: #84 1954: #89 1964: *out of top 100* Until recently, Hugh has always been the dominant form of the name over Hugo. Among the upper class however, this isn't the case, and Hugo has long been in good use and has even been more popular than Hugh. It was #34 in The Times birth announcements in 1984 (Hugh=#52) and #19 in 1994 (Hugh=#33). This has remained consistent, as it was also #17 in The Telegraph birth announcements in 2004 (Hugh=#58) and #23 in 2014 (Hugh=#33).  Leslie Dunkling's sample for boys named Hugh and Hugo in every 10,000 births show that, while Hugh was declining in use, Hugo was extremely rare nationally until it began gaining in use in the 1980s, equaling with Hugh by 1990:   1900 1925 1935 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 Hugh   12   16   22    6    2    4    -   2   10    4   10    6 Hugo    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    2    2    6 click to enlarge This same picture can be seen from the official rankings for England and Wales as they both held a similar rank in 1996: Hugh was #220 (139 births) and Hugo #216 (144 births). From this point, Hugh stayed at much the same point in popularity, consistently ranking between #250-#400.  <Hugo, on the other hand, began to slowly and steadily rise to #177 (205 births) in 2002 and #149 (394 births) in 2010.  2011 was very much "The Year of Hugo" in Britain, The film Hugo staring Asa Butterfield in the title role of Hugo Cabret was released, and Made in Chelsea, starring Hugo Taylor, hit British television screens and became an overnight sensation, catapulting the figures to overnight stardom. It is no wonder, then, that in 2012, Hugo rocketed up from #139 (448 births) to #88 (724 births).  Hugo has continued to rise up the top 100 ever since. In Scotland, Hugo hasn't been as popular as in England and Wales, but it has seen a rise. From 1975 to 2004, Hugo was registered no more than 7 times in any given year. It rose to #253 (16 births) in 2009, and #198 (28 births) in 2012, rising since.  In 2015, Hugo ranked #55 (1153 births) in England and Wales, and #154 (37 births) in Scotland. Hugh, on the other hand, ranked #346 (133 births) in E&W and #359 (9 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Hugh (Hugo) the Great (898–956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris. * Hugh (Hugo) Capet (941–996), first King of the Franks of the House of Capet. * St Hugh of Cluny (1024–1109), Abbot of Cluny and one of the most influential leaders of the monastic orders from the Middle Ages. * Hugo of Ostia (died 1158), French religious leader. * Hugo de Lantins (fl. 1420–1430), French-Flemish composer. * Hugo van der Goes (1430-1482) Flemish painter. * Hugo Grotius (1583–1645), Dutch forefather of international law theory. * Hugo Alfvén (1872–1960), Swedish composer, conductor, violinist, and painter. * Admiral Sir Hugo Moresby White (1939–2014), senior officer of the Royal Navy and Governor of Gibraltar. Contemporary: * Hugo Weaving (born 1960), Australian actor * Hugo Rodallega (born 1985), Colombian footballer. * Hugo Taylor (born 1986), British TV personality. Literature and Other Media: * Hugo Granger-Weasley, the son of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling * Hugo Cabret, protagonist of The Invention of Hugo Cabret and film adaptation Hugo (2011).  * Hugo Danner, the protagonist of Philip Wylie's 1930 novel Gladiator. Other: * 2106 Hugo, an asteroid named after French writer Victor Hugo. * Hugo, a crater on the planet Mercury. * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback

Variants:

Hugh (English), Ugo (Italian), Huw (Welsh) Hugues (French)

Pronunciation:

HYOO-gō [key]

Possible diminutives:

Hugh, Hughie, Hud, Hutch

Sibling Names:

Ivy     Eloise     Cora     Margot     Clara     Bonnie  Rex     Miles     Felix     Jasper     Rufus     Angus

Name Lists:

Ripe Renovations

 

If you like Hugo you may also like:   Ralph, Otto, Milo, Theodore, Otis, Ivo, Wilfred, Oscar, Harvey, Rupert

Thanks to Laura for requesting Hugo.  

 

Video: Top 10 Cornish Boys' Names

Following on from my first video about my Top 10 Cornish Girls' names, here is the follow-up video for the boys. 

 

 

Hope you enjoy it!

 

What's In A Name? BBC Radio 4 Interview

Last week, I had the privilege to be included in the recording of the "What's In A Name?" feature on Woman's Hour on BBC Radio Four (which aired today at 10:00) alongside several lovely and intelligent women for a great chat about names.

Here is the full programme if you want to have a listen. I talk in the first 10 minutes, but there are lots of really interesting contributions from other interviewees. 

 

Recording from iPlayer Radio. Click the link for all the details. 

 

UK Birth Announcements 10/4/17 - 16/4/17

A round-up of names from birth announcements announced in British newspapers in the last week.

Sources include a national paper (The Telegraph) and a broad range of local newspapers from across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Sibling names are in brackets. 

 

Boys:

Arthur Charles Toby

Charlie David

Cody Simon (Skye Nicole)

Deacon Dalziel (Xander Clark)

Enzo

Finley Paul (Isla Louise)

Humphrey Evelyn (Harry Maddox)

Jack Gary

James Thomas (Caitlin Rose)

Laurence Reginald (Beatrice Elizabeth Rose)

Mayson Jonas (Kaitlyn Marie & Jayden)

Mitchell John

Montgomery Gordon Farley "Monty" (Rafferty Thomas Charles)

Oliver Edward Harry

Oliver Norman

Oscar Felix Bartholomew

Rohan David (Ravi Alan)

 

Girls:

Flora Verena Jane

Frances Charlotte Rose

Henrietta Emily

Isabella Alethea Jane

Letty Rae (Brooke Layla)

Lucy Lyn (Emma Ann)

Poppy Charlotte

Rosalie Katherine

Willow Skye (Taylor)

 

 

Name of the Week: Elodie

 

Origin:

Élodie (often written as Elodie in English) is the French form of the Spanish name Elodia.  The name is used in honour of a 9th century Spanish saint who is usually called Alodia. She and her sister were the daughters of a Muslim father and Christian mother in the Province of Huesca in Northern Spain. Both girls followed their mother's religion and were martyred for their faith during the persecutions of the ruler of Cordoba, Abdal-Rabman II.  The etymology of the name Alodia is somewhat shaky. Most commonly, it is thought to derive from the Old Germanic ala "all" and od "wealth, riches, prosperity," perhaps an inheritor of Huesca's Visigothic heritage. The main problem with this theory, however, is that this name is completely unknown and unattested elsewhere in Germanic lands. Most Germanic names can be found in multiple forms, spread across Europe, so it is very strange that no other Germanic name deriving from ala and od can be found.  If Alodia is Germanic in origin, it is more likely a form of another Germanic name. Prime contender is the prolific Helewidis from haila "whole, hale, sound" and wid "wide" which can be found in use throughout Europe in multiple forms.  Elodie is also the name of a semi-double pink lily.

Usage:

While Elodia was used in Spain in honour of the saint since at least the 15th century, the French Élodie appears to have been more regularly used from the 17th century.  Both the Spanish and French form of the name was very rare in Britain up until the 20th century when it became slightly more regular in use, but still very uncommon. A breakdown of the number of registrations in England and Wales for Elodie and Elodia per decade are as follows:   Elodie Elodia 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 1 birth 0 births 1 births 2 births 6 births 4 births 1 birth 4 births 9 births 2 births 4 births 3 births 8 births 7 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 2 births 1 birth 0 births 0 births 1 birth 0 births 0 births 1 birth 1 birth 0 births 0 births dataaddict.fr (click to enlarge) In France, Élodie was moderately popular at the turn of the 20th century, after which it began to decline. In 1901, 101 girls were given the name giving it a rank of #181. This number gradually declined, and from 1937-1961, Elodie was given to no more than 10 girls in any given year in France (according to INSEE). Its fortune turned at this point, and Élodie began to rise rapidly, peaking in 1988 with 12,087 births. It declined again from this point, but it was still in the top 100 at the turn of the 21st century, ranking #35 in 2000, #53 in 2002 and #78 in 2005, after which it fell out of the top 100 in France.  click to enlarge In England and Wales, the opposite is the case, as Elodie has been steadily rising since 1996 when it ranked #1364 (13 births).  By 2005, it ranked #509 (68 births) and was #260 (187 births) by 2011.  In 2015, Elodie ranked #162 (336 births) in England and Wales and #252 (16 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Saint Alodia, a 9th-century Spanish martyr. * Elodie Lawton Mijatović (1825-1908), British author. Contemporary: * Elodie Lauten (1950-2014), French-born American composer. * Élodie Frégé, French singer. * Élodie Bouchez, French actress. * Élodie Navarre (b. 1979), French actress.  * Élodie Yung (b. 1981), French film actress. Literature and Other Media: * Élodie Bradford, title character in French police series of the same name. * "To Elodie" (1904), poem by the Irish poet John Todhunter Other: * Lilium Elodie, a semi-double, pink lily. * 10726 Elodie, a main-belt minor planet.

Variants:

Elodia, Alodia (Spanish, Italian)

Pronunciation:

EL-ə-dee [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Ellie, Ella, Edie, Dee

Sibling Names:

Ottilie     Sylvie     Lilia     Rosa     Felicity    Bonnie  Jasper     Felix    Maximilian     Rafe     Oscar     Miles

Name Lists:

Dulcet Dainties

  

If you like Elodie you may also like:   Cecily, Eloise, Audrey, Eliza, Amelie, Emilia, Dulcie, Esme, Verity, Delphine

Thanks to Gina for requesting this name.