British Baby Names

Christmas Name Advent - Day 6

 

 

 

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Christmas Name Advent - Day 5

 

 

 

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Christmas Name Advent - Day 4

 

 

 

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Christmas Name Advent - Day 3

 

 

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Christmas Name Advent - Day 2

 

 

 

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Christmas Name Advent - Day 1

 

 

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Name of the Week: Cariad

Origin:

Cariad is a Welsh vocabulary name. The Welsh noun cariad translates as "love, charity, affection" but is also used as an affectionate term of endearment meaning "beloved, sweetheart, darling".

Usage:

The first transcribed record for in the England and Wales Birth Index was registered for a Cariad Johnson in 1890. Interestingly, the birth was registered in Dorset, not Wales, but little Cariad Johnson was the third born of English-born Music Hall Showman, Samuel Johnson, and Welsh-born Agnes. She and her siblings were part of a family brass band known as the Bramusas:  "Active from 1904 to 1921, performing at various venues around the country. An "all-British family of juvenile musicians". The original Bramusa Family Band consisted of the father, mother, four eldest daughters and two sons - four cornets, horn, euphonium, tuba and percussion. They were billed as the "Seven Bramusas" from 1906 with the children (including the youngest, fifth, daughter) as performers. Performed their extravaganza "Music Afloat" in Sheffield in 1908. The youngest daughter, the drummer, was ten years old in 1909. The family consisted of Samuel Frank Johnson (b. 1861), his wife Agnes Ann (b. 1863), and children Gertrude Esther (b. 1887), Theodore Ystwith (b. 1889), Cariad (b. 1890), Elsie Deborah (b. 1892), Marnesuel “Nessie” (b. 1894), Thomas Charles (b. 1897), Clara Agnes (b. 1898), and Douglas Berkeley (b. 1900) and Annie Miriam "Mimi" (b. 1906)."* But Miss Johnson was a rarity (much like her sister Marnesuel!). The next Cariad—Cariad Isabella Greenway—was not born until 1906 in Yorkshire.  Between this period, however, there are a handful of registrations in Wales for the name Cariadwen. which appears to have been occasionally used in literature as a variant spelling for the mythological Welsh goddess Ceridwen.*   Birth records for Cariad in the England and Wales Birth Index: 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 1980s: 0 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 1 birth 1 birth 1 birth 1 birth 1 birth 0 births 3 births 1 birth 13 births 32 births Cariad wasn't consistently used until the 1970s, and it still remained uncommon.  In 1996, Cariad ranked #2683 with 5 births in England and Wales. It grew in use after this but has never broken into the top 1000. To date, it peaked at #1416 with 23 births in 2016.  In 2018, Cariad ranked #1977 with 14 births.  This, of course, is partly because the stats for England and Wales have been combined together. A different picture emerges when we look at Wales alone: 2010: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2014: 2015: 2016: 2017: #477 (4 births) #338 (7 births) #242 (11 births) -- No data-- #326 (7 births) #514 (4 births) #169 (17 births) #277 (9 births)

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary: * Cariad Lloyd (born 1982), a British comedian, actress, writer, and podcaster. Other: * Cariad Cywir, a Welsh folk song that focuses on somebody experiencing unrequited love. * Cariad Lake, a small lake in northeastern Ontario, Canada.

Variants:

Cariadad, Cariadwen

Pronunciation:

KA-ree-ad [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Cari, Cadi, Caro, Adi

Sibling Names:

Mabli     Gwenno     Celyn     Anwen     Betsan     Eleri  Griff     Sonny     Emrys     Idris     Bodhi      Chester

Name Lists:

No Frills Feminine: Dauntless -'d/t' Endings

 

If you like Cariad you may also like:   Kerensa, Mared, Awen, Carys, Eseld, Cadi, Alaw, Elliw, Amoret, Astrid

Thanks to Elisha for requesting this name.

Name of the Week: Asa

Origin:

Asa is the name of a Biblical king of Judah in the Old Testament, the father of Jehoshaphat. The meaning isn't entirely clear, but it is thought to most likely derive from the Hebrew אָסָא meaning "healer, doctor." The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon suggests that it was perhaps an "apocopatic [endings cut short] theophoric name"* in the same vein as Raphael meaning "healer of God." Asa also appears as a separate name in other languages: Asa is a Welsh variant of Saint Asaph's name. The name Asaph is a Biblical Hebrew name meaning "collector".  Åsa is a Scandinavian name which serves as a short form of feminine names beginning As-, ultimately derived from the Old Norse element áss "god". Asa is an Igbo Nigerian name (usually feminine) with the meaning "beautiful”. In Sanskrit, Asa means "hope, purpose, intention, wish". It also means "hope" in Punjabi, Indonesian and Filipino.

Usage:

Like many Old Testament names, Asa began to be used in Britain in the 16th century, though it never saw the same success as the likes of Abraham, Joshua or Josiah. Also like several other obscure Biblical names, Asa had much more usage in America (compare Ezra) than it ever had in Britain. Births for Asa in the England and Wales Birth Index: 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 87 births 121 births 202 births 225 births 156 births 115 births 71 births 40 births 29 births 11 births 8 births 10 births 13 births 458 births Asa was just within top 250 in 1860 and 1880 and around the #300 mark in the rest of the second half of the 19th century. It became extremely rare by the mid-20th century, seeing a small revival in the 1970s.  Since 1996, Asa has had pretty consistent use around the #600 mark with an average of 40 births per year.  It peaked at #608 in 2016 with 59 births. In this year, it was most common in the North West (#394) and West Midlands (#400). In 2018, Asa ranked #665 with 52 births.  In Scotland, Asa has only ranked in 25 years out of 44 from 1974 to 2018 with no more than 4 births in any given year.  In 2017, it ranked #915 with 2 births but was unranked in 2018.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Asa Wentworth Jr. (1797-1882), American businessman and politician. * Asa Lovejoy (1808–1882), American businessman and politician. * Asa Gray (1810–1888), American botanist. * Asa Biggs (1811–1878), American politician. * Asa C. Matthews (1833–1908), American lawyer, judge and politician. * Asa S. Bushnell (1834–1904), American politician, 40th Governor of Ohio. * Asa Griggs Candler (1851–1929), founder of the Coca-Cola company. * Asa Yoelson (1886–1950), the real name of singer Al Jolson. * Asa Briggs (1921–2016), British historian. Contemporary: * Asa Kasher (born 1940), Israeli philosopher and linguist. * Asa Hartford (born 1950), Scottish football player and coach. * Asa Andrew (born 1971), American doctor and radio host. * Aṣa (born 1982), Nigerian-French female singer-songwriter. * Asa Hall (born 1986), English footballer. * Asa Butterfield (born 1997), British actor. Literature and Other Media: * Asa Hawks, a character in the novel Wise Blood (1952) by Flannery O'Connor and the film of the same name.

Variants:

Asah

Pronunciation:

AY-sə [key]

Possible longer forms:

Asaph, Azariah, Augustus

Sibling Names:

Dinah     Rhea     Noa     Roma     Tessa     Dua      Micah     Silas     Rudy     Odin     Judah     Amos

Name Lists:

Quirky Biblical Names

 

If you like Asa you may also like:   Ezra, Arno, Linus, Ivo, Boaz, Job, Levi, Eben, Joah, Sol

Thanks to Sosie for requesting this name.  

 

Name of the Week: Jasmine

Origin:

Jasmine is the name of a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family known for their delicate and fragrant flowers. The English name derives from the Middle French jessemin which ultimately originates from the Middle Persian yāsaman.  According to Victorian floriography, Jasmine represents "amiability, good-naturedness."

Usage:

Jasmine was first used as a given name in Britain in the 16th century. By this point, the plant was being grown in England*, and so was likely associated with the flower, but the name's use likely arose as a late variant of the medieval name Ismenia. Despite there being various early records of the name, the name's origin remains obscure. That it is not found in continental Europe indicates that it is more likely to be Celtic in origin (see this post on Ismay for theories).  The Middle English form of Jasmine, Jessamine, was favoured as the poetic form of the name/plant, alongside Jessamy/Jessamie. The Jessamy Bride is the name given by Oliver Goldsmith to the younger Miss Horneck in the 1770s, with whom he is supposed to have been in love. Jessamy came into use as a given name at the end of the 18th century, while Jessamine was used at the end of the 19th.   The Arabic form, Yasmin, was first recorded in England and Wales in 1926 and 1927, most likely influenced by James Elroy Flecker's 1922 play Hassan in which the love-interest was named Yasmin.  Birth records for Jasmine and Yasmin in the England and Wales Birth Index:   Jasmine Yasmin 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 0 births 0 births 2 births 4 births 14 births 10 births 21 births 27 births 64 births 232 births 248 births 330 births 327 births 642 births _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4 births 2 births 3 births 495 births 1324 births 1148 births Jasmine saw a significant rise in use in the 1930s in Britain. Some of this may have been influenced by Jasmine Bligh (1913–1991) one of the first three BBC Television Service presenters who provided continuity announcements. However, a look at names which were in the top 100 in England and Wales in 1934 show plenty of -een/-ine names in use (Doreen, Maureen, Kathleen, Eileen, Irene, Pauline, Catherine, Josephine, Christine, Gwendoline, Marlene, Jacqueline) as well as plenty of botanical names (Rosemary, Hazel, Olive, Violet, Rose, Ivy, Heather). Added to this, J was the second most popular letter for girls' names in the top 100 after M, so the stage was set for wider use of Jasmine at this time.  Yasmin saw a huge leap in use in the early 1950s. Some of this, especially later on into the 1960s, was due to rising immigration in Britain. However, the wide number of "English" surnames and maiden names attached to the early 1950s records in England and Wales suggests that one strong influence was the birth of Princess Yasmin Aga Khan in 1949.  She was the daughter of Hollywood actress Rita Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan. Her parents' very public separation and divorce saw Yasmin's name in British newspapers frequently in the early 50s, and even later, young Yasmin was regularly mentioned and pictured in the tabloid press.   Jasmine first entered the top 100 in America in 1986 at #95 and rose quickly to #28 by 1990. Some of this may have been influenced by actress Jasmine Guy (born 1962) who starred in the popular American sitcom A Different World from 1987 to 1993. Jasmine remained in the top 30 in America until 2007, finally falling out of the top 100 in 2013.  Both Jasmine and Yasmin first appear in the top 100 in England and Wales in 1994. Jasmine ranked at #51 and Yasmin at #89.  Disney used Jasmine for the heroine of Aladdin in 1992. Frustratingly, we only have data for one year in every decade before 1996 so it unclear how much of an impact this had on the name's use.  Jasmine has ranked in the top 100 in England and Wales ever since 1994. It peaked at #30 in 2001 with 1782 births.  In 2018, Jasmine ranked #75 with 703 births. According to the ONS, it was most common among mothers aged 35 and over (#63) and least common for mothers under 25 (#112).  Yasmin ranked in the top 100 of England and Wales from 1994 until 2004, peaking at #82 with 661 births in 1996. In 2018, it ranked #321 with 148 births.  In Scotland, Jasmine first entered the top 100 at #97 in 1999 but fell out again by 2002. It returned again in 2006 but was out again by 2010. Its highest rank was #65 with 79 births in 2009.  In 2018, Jasmine ranked at #162 with 28 births in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Jasmine Bligh (1913–1991), BBC Television Service presenter. Contemporary: * Jasmine Guy (b. 1962), American actress and singer. * Jasmine Harman (b. 1975), British television presenter. * Jasmine Guinness (b. 1976), Irish fashion model. * Jasmine Sandlas (b. 1985), Indian singer. * Jasmine Cephas Jones (b. 1989), American actress. * Jasmine Sagginario (b. 1994), American singer-songwriter. * Jasmine van den Bogaerde (b. 1996), British singer, better known as Birdy. * Jasmine Armfield (b. 1998), British actress. Literature and Other Media: * Princess Jasmine, a character Disney's Aladdin (1992). * Jasmine Thomas, a character from the soap opera Emmerdale (2005-2009). * Jasmine Delaney, a character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away (2017-). * Agent Jasmine Fuji, a character in Pretty Little Liars. * Jasmine, a character in the 1999 film Life in a Day.

Variants:

Yasmin, Yasmine, Yasmina (Arabic), Yasamin (Persian), Jasmin (German, Finnish), Jasmina (Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Slovene, Macedonian), Yasemin (Turkish), Gelsomina (Italian)

Pronunciation:

JAZ-min [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Jas, Jess, Jammy, Mina, Minnie

Sibling Names:

Amber     Scarlett     Abigail     Violet     Francesca     Georgia  Nathan     Matthew     Dylan     Adam      Aaron     Austin

Name Lists:

N/A

 

If you like Jasmine you may also like:   Thalia, Alexis, Jade, Jemima, Robyn, Caitlin, Giselle, Chloe, Autumn, Miranda

Thanks to Lydia Rose for requesting this name.

Name of the Week: Sonny

Origin:

Sonny started life as a familial nickname derived from the word "son". Much like Buddy, Sonny was often used by adult men to address younger men or boys.  The homophone Sunny (used more as a unisex name) derives directly from the adjective meaning "like the sun", but is commonly found as a nickname in India for names such as Sunil, Sundeep and Sunita.

Usage:

Sonny became used as a nickname in the 19th century, but its use as a formal given name in Britain dates first to 1894 when two boys were given the name in the England and Wales Birth Index, followed by six more in the next five years.  The impetus for this sudden use of Sonny as a formal name was likely The Story of Sonny Sahib (1894) by Sara Jeannette Duncan. First published in The Youth’s Companion (Boston) between 12 July and 16 August 1894, the serialised story told the tale of a young British boy, son of an officer, who is saved by his ayah during the Sepoy Rebellion and raised in her village.  As we can see from the "New Books" review section in The Dundee Advertiser on 29 November 1894 (see image, right), Sonny Sahib was available to buy as a short book in Britain from at least the end of 1894 and was favourably reviewed.  In Scotland, Sonny was first registered in 1926.  Births in the England and Wales Birth Index: 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 0 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 8 births 15 births 16 births 36 births 42 births 30 births 35 births 92 births 180 births There was a brief spike in the name in 1929 and 1930, most likely inspired by the 1929 film Sonny Boy. The notable rise in the 1960s and 1970s can be attributed to several things in popular culture, including singer Salvatore "Sonny" Bono (1935-98), one half of duo Sonny and Cher; character Santino "Sonny" Corleone in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation, and the 1976 folk song Sonny's Dream.  By 1996, Sonny ranked in the top 250 in England and Wales and saw a gradual rise. In 2004, singer Sophie Ellis-Bexter named her eldest son Sonny which coincided (perhaps not uncoincidentally) with the name's highest rise over the last two decades.  Sonny first entered the top 100 in England and Wales in 2012 (at #90) where it remained until 2016, returning again in 2018 at #99 with 640 births.  In Scotland, Sonny entered the top 250 in 2001 but has only ranked in the top 100 twice: 2015 at #91 (72 births) and 2017 at #85 (70 births).  In 2018, Sonny ranked #104 with 58 births in Scotland. In Northern Ireland, it ranked #151 with 16 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Albert "Sonny" Cunha (1879–1933), Hawaiian composer. * Joseph "Sonny" Burke (1914–1980), American big band leader. Contemporary: * Albert "Sonny" Burgess (1929–2017), rockabilly singer and guitarist. * Christian "Sonny" Jurgensen (born 1934), American Hall-of-Fame National Football League quarterback. * Salvatore "Sonny" Bono (1935-1998), American singer. * Charles "Sonny" Ates (1935–2010), retired American racecar driver. * Sonny Curtis (born 1937), country and pop singer-songwriter. * Sonny Sanders (1939–2016), American soul music singer-songwriter, arranger, and producer * Paul "Sonny" Sandoval (born 1974), lead singer of rock band P.O.D.. * Sonny Bill Williams (born 1985), New Zealand former professional rugby league and rugby union player. * Sonny Flood (born 1989), British actor. * Sonny Gray (born 1989), Major League Baseball pitcher. Literature and Other Media: * Santino "Sonny" Corleone, a character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation. * James "Sonny" Crockett, an undercover police detective in the action drama television series Miami Vice (1984-1990). * Sonny Weaver, Jr., main character of the 2014 film Draft Day, played by Kevin Costner. * Sonny, a robot in the 2004 film I, Robot. * Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr., a detective on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Variants:

Sunny, Sonnie

Pronunciation:

SƏN-ee [key]

Possible longer forms:

Santiago, Santino, Sandor, Santos, Soren, Sullivan

Sibling Names:

Zara     Thea     Robyn     Zoe     Cora     Delilah Flynn     Jesse     Dexter     Austin     Ellis     Blake

Name Lists:

Lively Lads     Guys and Dolls

 

If you like Sonny you may also like:   Brody, Rocco, Wyatt, Vinny, Ray, Rowan, Teddy, Caleb, Bobby, Leon

Thanks to Chamali for requesting this name.