The ultimate Christmas name used in Britain in the last few decades. Holly is an evergreen, and one of the few plants to bear fruit in wintertime.
In the Roman festival of Saturnalia, holly was sacred to Saturn. It was used to decorate halls and homes, even images of Saturn himself, and holly wreaths were given as gifts.
The Ancient Celts revered the Holly King, who ruled the winter months from the summer solstice up until the winter solstice. The Winter Solstice marked the changeover from the Holly King's rule (the waning year) to the Oak King's (the waxing year). In some versions, this battle was represented by a wren (holly) and a robin (oak), while the Druid festival Alban Arthan sometimes enacts the combat between the Holly and the Oak.
Holly has been used as a Christmas decoration in Britain for centuries. Today it is found most commonly in holly boughs or wreaths. In some parts of England, the old custom dictated that holly be left up in the house until Candlemas in February. To take it down earlier was considered unlucky. This tradition relates back to the ancient practice of bringing evergreen plants indoors to give shelter to the spirits of nature who would bless the home. In many parts of Europe the holly's evergreen properties were thought to ward off evil spirits, and so was used to decorate doorways and window-frames. In Ireland, holly was placed behind pictures on the wall and the mantle above the fireplace.
In some traditions in Britain, certain types of holly were referred to as "he" or "she". Prickly leaves were considered to be male, while smooth leaves were female. The type of leaf that was brought into the home first at Christmastime was considered to determine whether the man or the woman would rule the home in the new year.
The Latin, and scientific, name for Holly is Ilex. Some pretty species names include Amara, Cassine, Collina, Corallina and Perlata.
The Celtic languages also provide some interesting Holly names. Celyn (KEL-in) is the Welsh word for holly and is used, not uncommonly, as a name for unisex in Wales. The similar-sounding Kelynen (keh-LIN-nen) is the Cornish form, while Cuileann (QUIL-an) is Gaelic. The Scottish surname-turned-firstname Leslie is thought to derive from the term leas celyn "garden of holly," while the surname Hollis referred to a person who lived near a grouping of holly trees.
