Name of the Week: Dashiell

 

Origin:

Dashiell is an adoption of the surname Dashiell which itself is an anglicised form of the French family name de Chiel. The de Chiels were a wealthy family who held land near Lyon from the Middle Ages.**  At least one branch of the family moved to Scotland in the 16th century and then on to Maryland by the 17th century.*  The meaning of the name Chiel is unknown. Some have suggested that it is derived from the Old French ciel "heaven, sky," though this is an unusual source for a surname. I'm purely hypothesising here, but I wonder if there is a connection to the word chely in English (which according to this source could be chel in Old French) which, in modern terms is a scientific word, and derives from the Greek khele (χηλή) "hoof, claw, something hooked or forked." As surnames often derived from nicknames denoting notable physical features (like the surnames Moreau "the Moor", Moreau, Charbonneau "charcoal (skinned/haired)", Roux "red haired") I can see a nickname deriving from a physical feature which was hooked, such as a prominent nose etc.  Coincidentally, chiel is an archaic Scottish word meaning "a child, young person."* Though many Scots words derive from French thanks to the Auld Alliance, it is highly unlikely that this Scottish chiel has any roots in French at all, and is instead a corruption of the Middle English word child.

Usage:

Dashiell has always been an incredibly rare surname in Britain, and examples are very hard to come by. In America, however, especially in Maryland where some of the French da Chiel family emigrated from Scotland, there are plenty families bearing the surname. As a first name, however, on both sides of the Pond, Dashiell was almost unheard of. There are a few American examples of Dashiell in use as a middle name — such as American general, George Dashiell Bayard (1835–1862) and American politician Isaac Dashiell Jones (1806–1893) — but there were due conferred use of family surnames.  One of the most notable and primary namesakes for Dashiell as given name is Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961), American author, screenwriter and political activitist, most famous for pioneering hardboiled detective novels (creating characters such as Sam Spade and Nick and Nora Charles). Hammett was born Samuel Dashiell Hammett in Maryland (the American heartland of the Dashiells) to Richard Hammett and Anne Dashiell. As an adult he dropped his given name Samuel professionally in favour of his middle name.  Despite the popularity of his novels in the 1920 and 30s, the name Dashiell made little impact. Abby Sandel points out that "fewer than five boys received the name most years during the twentieth century" in the U.S. up until 1979 when the name made a modest rise into the 1990s.  Interestingly, the first birth record for Dashiell as a first name in England and Wales (from 1838-2005) was in 1979 in York, and from 1980 to 1989, there were 20 registrations for Dashiell as either a first or second name (including Benedict Dashiell Thomas Paget, Earl of Uxbridge whose father is the current Marquess of Anglesey). So what was it about 1979 that sparked this use? Abby points out that the 1977 film Julia featured actor Jason Robards playing the role of Dashiell Hammett and a biography of Hammett was released in 1979.  By the 1990s, Dashiell was used consistantly each year as a first name, usually registered once or twice a year. Click to enlarge 1991: 2 births 1992: 2 births 1993: 2 births 1994: 2 births 1995: 1 birth 1996: 1 birth 1997: 2 births 1998: 2 births 1999: 0 births 2000: 1 birth As only names with three births or more are recorded in the official statistics, this usage for Dashiell does not show in the rankings until it began to rise after 2001. Several references to Dashiell appeared in popular culture over the following years. In 2001, Cate Blanchett named her eldest son Dashiell John which brought more attention to the name, and 2004 saw the Disney Pixar hit film The Incredibles use Dashiell "Dash" as the name of the eldest super-powered Parr son.  Dashiell peaked in 2010 at #1724 with 13 births. In 2016, the name ranked #2556 with 8 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961), American author. Contemporary: * Dashiell Eaves (born 1974), American actor. * Dashiell "Dash" Mihok (born 1974), American actor. * Dashiell "Dash" Furnier (b. 1985), son of singer Alice Cooper * Dashiell John Upton (b. 2002), son of actress Cate Blanchett. * Dashiell Gaston Hawkins (b. 2008), son of singer Sophie B. Hawkins Literature and Other Media: * Dashiell "Dash" Parr, character from The Incredibles. * Dashiell R. Faireborn "Flint", from G.I. Joe. * Dashiell "Dash" Gardiner, character from the Witches of East End TV series.

Variants:

Dashiel, Dashel

Pronunciation:

DASH-əl [key]

Possible diminutives:

Dash

Sibling Names:

Willa     Hermione     Bellamy     Wren     Briar     Everly       Arlo     Beckett     Finnegan     Stellan     Evander     Roscoe

Name Lists:

N/A

 

If you like Dashiell you may also like:   Cashel, Faolan, Asher, Cassian, Joven, Callen, Thackeray, Cosmo, Everett, Emmett

Thanks to Heather for requesting this name.