Mandy is expecting a little girl and is looking for a British name to complement her Chinese name.
Mandy writes: "My husband and I are both Chinese, and we met while studying at Oxford. Those years were the best time in our lives that we really wanted to give our baby a British name. The Chinese name will be Jinxuan, where Jin(瑾) means jade, a beautiful gem. It also has a meaning of purity and nobility. While Xuan(萱) means a flower in the fairytale that makes you forget all the worries and sadness.
It would be appreciated if you could help us find a lovely name for our baby girl. The British name does not necessarily have to be associated with the Chinese name."
※ ※ ※ ※
I love the meaning of Jinxuan. It has such depth to it which is clearly what has captured you about it. With that in mind, I have looked for names with similarly aspirational meanings that still feel classically English. I have also looked for some links to Oxford as that is the reason you are looking for a British name in the first place.
Ada – A Victorian English favourite, used since the Middle Ages, meaning “noble”. It was made famous by Ada Lovelace, writer and mathematician and a daughter of Lord Byron.
Adele / Adela – Like Ada, both Adele and Adela come from the Germanic word adal “noble” and have their roots in the early Medieval period. Adelaide and Adeline also share the same source.
Agatha – Derived from Greek ἀγαθός (agathos) meaning "good, happy; excellent; upright, honourable", Agatha has been used in Britain since the Middle Ages. It was famously borne by author Agatha Christie who lived in Oxfordshire.
Alice – Alice is a quintessential English choice. It is the Medieval English form on Adalheit, an early German name meaning “noble sort”. It was, in fact, the most popular name in England in the 14th century. For a link to Oxford University, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was the famous creation of Oxford alumnus Lewis Carol.
Carol named his heroine after Alice Liddell whose father was the Dean of Christ Church, and she spent part of her childhood living in the college.
Audrey – The late medieval form of the Anglo-Saxon Æðelþryð meaning “noble strength”. It became famous thanks to a Saxon princess and saint of East Anglia. Audrey is also borne by a Shakespearean character and, of course, the graceful and elegant, Audrey Hepburn.
Eleanor – A medieval queenly name which has long use in Britain. Several famous Oxford women have borne the name Eleanor including Eleanor Rathbone. who became the first Oxford woman to be elected to parliament, and Eleanor Jourdain, Principal of St Hugh's College, Oxford from 1915 to 1924.
Elizabeth – Considered a quintessentially English name and borne by our current monarch of 70 years. For an Oxford link, philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe studied at St Hugh’s College.
Gemma – From the Latin gemma meaning "gem," "jewel," or "bud." It is one of the names for the brightest star in the constellation Corona Borealis, the "Northern Crown," literally representing the jewel in the crown. There are examples of its use in Medieval England but it became especially popular in Britain in the late 20th century. It is not so well used for babies in Britain now, though many of the mothers answer to Gemma.
Iris – Meaning "rainbow.", Iris was the name given to the Greek goddess of the rainbow. The iris flower was so named in the late 14th century thanks to the number of rainbow-like colours of its different species. Dame Iris Murdoch was a prize-winning author and philosopher who studied at Somerville College and later became a Fellow of St Anne's, Oxford.
Ivy – Ivy is the name of an evergreen vine which was used to symbolise friendship and fidelity. Ivy became popular in Britain in the late 19th century and one of these recipients was Ivy Williams, first a student, then tutor and lecturer in law at the Society of Oxford Home-Students (now St Anne's College) who was the first woman to be called to the English bar in 1922. She also became the first woman to be awarded the degree of Doctor of Civil Law at Oxford in 1923.
Jessamine / Jessamy – The Middle English form of Jasmine, the name of a beautiful fragrant flower. Both Jessamy and Jessamine have been in use since the 18th century. Jessamine was used in poetry including works by Spenser and Oscar Wilde. According to Victorian floriography, Jasmine represents "amiability, good-naturedness."
Juniper – A sweet botanical name that in Victorian times represented chastity/purity and protection.
Katherine / Catherine – An English classic -- borne by our beloved future queen -- which is elegant, classic yet not too common. The true etymology of the name is disputed but since the early Christian era, it became associated with Greek καθαρός (katharos) meaning "pure" and the spelling was adjusted to fit that meaning.
Lucy – Lovely Lucy derives from the Latin lux meaning "of light" and the name has been a staple in Britain since the Middle Ages. The beloved character, Lucy Pevensie, was created by Oxford alumnus and Fellow of Magdalen College, C S Lewis, for his Narnia series.
Lyra – The name of the constellation of the harp, Lyra makes me immediately think of Oxford University. Lyra Belacqua is Philip Pullman's plucky young heroine in his award-winning trilogy, His Dark Material) who grows up in Oxford University (albeit in an alternate reality). The series was followed up with Lyra's Oxford and The Book of Dust. Pullman is himself an Oxford alumnus.
Margaret – Another English classic which is underused today (though variants such as Daisy, Maisie and Margot are popular) but has been a queenly staple in Britain since the Middle Ages. Margaret has the beautiful meaning of "pearl" and the daisy flower has been associated with it for centuries. Lady Margaret Hall is also an Oxford College. The first-ever female Prime Minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher, also studied at Oxford.
Phoebe – From the Greek meaning "bright, pure, radiant," in Greek Mythology, Phoebe was the name of a Titan goddess of bright intellect. The name was established in Britain in the 16th century and was quite common by the 18th. It is also borne by a character in Shakespeare's As You Like It (1603) and a moon of Saturn.
Poppy – For thousands of years, the white and red poppy flower has been known for its medicinal properties; particularly as pain relief, or for reducing anxiety, linking with the meaning of Xuan(萱). Added to that, Poppy is a bright and happy name which is popularly used by British parents for its upbeat sound.
Rose / Rosa – The rose is a beautiful flower featured in many fairytales as it has long been a symbol of romance and love. Added to this, long before Rose was adopted as a given name in honour of the flower in Britain. it was already in use as an Anglicised form of the Norman name Roheis meaning "famous sort". Rose was #30 in England in the 14th century and it has been regularly used ever since.
Rosamund – A beautiful medieval name which derives from hros "horse" and mund "protection" but was early on associated with Rosa Munda "pure rose," and Rosa Mundi "rose of the world" -- titles used for the Virgin Mary.
Vera – A Latin name meaning "true, real, genuine", a Russian name meaning "faith" and an Albanian name meaning "summer". Vera grew popular in Britain in the late 19th century and was in the top 100 from 1900 to 1944. Vera Brittain --writer, feminist, socialist and pacifist -- was a student at Somerville College, Oxford.
Virginia – This is more a suggestion based on homophony. Jinxuan makes me think of Ginny in English, which is a nickname for Virginia. Virginia means "virginal, pure" and was associated with Elizabeth I. The state of Virginia in the USA is named for her.
I hope there is something here that you find beautiful for your daughter.
Recent Comments