Name of the Week: Ivy

 

  

Origin:

Ivy is the name of an evergreen vine which has long been associated with rebirth. It was particularly associated with winter and, alongside holly and mistletoe, is a traditional symbol of midwinter festivals and was used to decorate homes in winter in ancient societies - from Roman to Celtic.  In the time of the ancient Egyptians, ivy was considered sacred to the god Osiris, who was associated with the winter solstice through the birth of his son Horus.  For the ancient Greeks, the ivy was sacred to Dionysos, the god of grape harvest, winemaking and wine, who was also connected with the winter solstice. Not only was he often depicted wearing ivy vines, his followers would also wear garlands made of ivy. One myth concerning his birth recounts that baby Dionysos was hidden from the jealous Hera by his nurses, the Nymphai Nysiades, by covering his cradle with ivy. One of the nymphs was called Kisseis "(lady) of the ivy" while Kissios "of the ivy" and Kittophoros "ivy-bearer" were epithets attributed to Dionysos himself. Furthermore, one of the companions of Dionysos was Korumbos, the god of the ivy berries.  This association with the wine-god Dionysus (Bacchus to the Romans) is the reason why the ivy bush has been used since the 15th century in Britain, as a sign of a tavern where wine is served. The ancient Celts also revered evergreen plans. Holly was considered to be the King of Winter and some traditions held Ivy as his Queen. The idea of Holly and Ivy representing a contest between men and women goes back to the Middle Ages when several carols were composed wherein a debate ensued between the two.  O the Ivy O, she do grow, she do grow,  And the Holly he is white,  While the little birds sing because it is Spring,  And the plough boys follow the plough.  O it’s Ivy O, Green Ivy O, O the Ivy she do grow! O the Ivy O, she do twine all about,  And the Holly he is green.  They tosses the hay in the fields all day,  While the Sun he do shine out.  O it’s Ivy O, Green Ivy O, O the Ivy she do twine about. O the Ivy O, at the Allerntide, [= Hallowtide]  And the Holly he turn yellow,  There be apples fell adown, and they picks ’en from the ground,  And they lay ’en in the tallet side to side.  O it’s Ivy O, Green Ivy O, O the Ivy at Allerntide. O the Ivy O, she’s the Queen of old  And the Holly he is red.  Hang ’en high in the farm and us won’t come to no harm,  Till the Chrissimas days be told.  O it’s Ivy O, Green Ivy O, O the Ivy she is Queen of old. ("Green Ivy O")   Then spake Holly, "I am fierce and jolly, I will have the mastery In lands where we go." Then spake Ivy, "I am loud and proud, And I will have the mastery In lands where we go." Then spake Holly, and set him down on his knee, "I pray thee, gentle Ivy, Say me no villany In lands where we go." ("Holly and Ivy")  In 18th century Kent there is a story of a ritual, echoing this old debate, where girls had to steal a "holly boy" from the boys, and boys had to steal an "ivy girl" from the girls. The name Ivy derives from the Old English ifig. The meaning is unknown but there are numerous, disputed, theories.  In Victorian floriography - the language of flowers - Ivy was used to symbolise friendship and fidelity.  Ivy, Ivie and Ivey are also British surnames which is a habitational surname derived from Ivoy in Cher, France. The surname may also be a patronymic name derives from the Germanic personal name Ivo (Ive in Old French) which is derived from the Proto-Germanic *iwo- "yew". The place name Ivoy likely also shares the same root.

Usage:

Unlike other plant names which had early adoption as a given name thanks to their association with already established names (Lily from Elizabeth, Daisy from Margaret, Rose from Roheis), Ivy was purely associated with the plant and so did not come into use as a given name until the late 19th century when floral names came into fashion.  This boom began in the 1880s and by 1890 Lily, Rose, Daisy, May (considered a floral name for the May Blossom), Violet, Olive and Ivy were all in the top 100 of England and Wales.  Contemporary opinions on this fashion was varied, with some even believing that naming children after flowers was inauspicious as flowers are short-lived, others felt that they were reflective of "the exquisite care bestowed on our floral decorations at Easter and Whitsuntide". You can read contemporary insight into these opinions in these letters to The Standard newspaper in 1892.  Ivy's massive rise can be seen in the birth rankings in England and Wales:   Rank Birth count 1850:  1860:  1870:  1880:  1890: 1900:  1904:  1914:  1924: 1934:  N/A N/A <#250 #180 #72 #26 #16 #17 #32 #73 1 birth 0 births 7 births 101 births 977 births 5059 births 8366 births 7356 births 3722 births 1012 births Ivy fell out of the top 100 of England and Wales after 1934 and didn't return until 2012. In Scotland, Ivy was less successful, and didn't rank on the the Scottish top 100 at all in 1900.  click to enlarge By 1996, Ivy was below the top 1000 in England and Wales and remained so until 2001 when it reached #962 (22 births). Two years later it jumped to #799 (33 births) and further to #390 (106 births) by 2007.   By this time (in 2007), fellow Edwardian-darling Ruby was at #1, similar sounding Evie was at #15, Isla had recently entered the top 100 and other floral names Lily, Daisy and Poppy were in the top 30.  Ivy continued to rise swiftly from 2010 onwards, breaking into the top 100 at #88 (633 births) in 2012 and reaching the top 50 in 2015.  In 2016, Ivy ranked #33 with 1509 births and looks set to rise further.  In Scotland, Ivy was used sparing from 1974 to 2005, never having more than 2 births in only 12 years of being given at all. By 2011, however, it rose it #244 (18 births) and broke the top 100 in 2014 at #79 (65 births). In 2017, Ivy ranked #58 with 82 births in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Ivy Williams (1877–1966), first woman to be called to the English bar in 1922. * Ivy May Bolton (1879–1961), Anglican nun and writer. * Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett, DBE (1884–1969), British novelist. * Ivy Troutman (1884-1979), American Broadway actress. * Ivy St. Helier (1886–1971), British stage actress, composer and lyricist. * Ivy Copeland (1888–1961), New Zealand artist and art teacher. * Ivy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland (1887-1982), Duchess of Portland from 1943 to 1977 and afterwards Dowager Duchess. * Ivy Duke (1896–1937), British actress. * Ivy Wallace (1915–2006), British artist, actress and author. Contemporary: * Ivy Bottini (born 1926), American women's rights and LGBT rights activist. * Ivy Ruckman (born 1931), American author of books for children and young adults. Literature and Other Media: * Ivy, a book series by Julie Hearn. * Ivy Tilsley, a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street. * Ivy Wilson, male character in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. * Ivy Sullivan, character in TV series 90210. * Ivy Dickens, character in TV series Gossip Girl. * Ivy Stuart, character in TV series Downton Abbey.

Variants:

Ivie, Ivey, Ivi, Ivee

Pronunciation:

Ī-vee  [key]

Possible  longer forms:

Ivelisse, Ivanna, Ivanka, Any two names with initials I.V.

Sibling Names:

Ruby    Florence    Evelyn     Bella     Eliza     Elsie  Leo     Arthur     Max     Teddy     Hugo     Jude

Name Lists:

Victorian Darlings   Vintage Names    Dulcet Dainties

 

If you like Ivy you may also like:   Iris, Ava, Isla, Evie, Edie, Bonnie, Violet, Polly, Lyla, Esme

Thanks to Cathy for requesting this name.