British Baby Names

Name of the Week: Guy

 

Origin:

Guy is the Old French form of the Old German name Wido, a hypocoristic form of Germanic names beginning with the element Wid/t- such as Widald, Widard, Witbold and Widelard.  The element itself either represents witu "wood" or wit "wide."   Wido was Latinised as Guido or sometimes Widonis/Guidonis. In France this became Guy (subjective case) and Guyon (objective case) and Wy/Why and Wyon in Norman French.

Usage:

From an early date, the name Wido became conflated and confused with the Roman name Vitus (from Latin vita "life."). St Vitus was an early 4th century saint who was martyred under Diocletian and Maximian in 303 AD. His veneration spread in the 7th and 8th century around Europe and became especially popular in Germanic and Slavic lands where it became popular to dance in front of his statue on his feast day. Veit, the medieval German form of Wido, was used as the German name for Vitus as well, and the Slavic Vid also served as the translation for both Wido and Vitus -- hence the confusion between the two names. To this day, especially in France, St Vitus is also known as St Guy.  Other saints also answered to the name "Saint Guy" or "Saint Guido" including Saint Guy of Baume (d.940), abbot of Baume; Saint Guy of Anderlecht (950-1012), a famous Belgian pilgrim of Jerusalem; and Saint Guy of Pomposa (d. 1046), Italian abbot and hermit. By the 9th century, Guy and its cognate forms were in good use on the continent, especially among the nobility. Four Dukes of Spoleto bore the name in the 9th century, numerous French dukes and counts, and Guy of Lusignan (c. 1150–1194), a French crusader, became King of Jerusalem and later King of Cyprus. It was brought to Britain by the Normans in the forms Wy and Wyon, but was superseded by the more common French Guy and Guyon by the 12th century. Both Wy and Guy gained the typical diminutive -ot suffix, creating the names Wyot and Guyot. The feminine form Guyotte/Guyette was also used on occasion. The name Guy was never especially popular in Britain in the Middle Ages but it was used consistently. The name appears once (out of 814 persons listed) in the London Subsidy Rolls of 1292, and once again out of the 1852 persons in the 1319 Rolls. Brian M. Scott's Given Names from Early 13th Century England, which ranks names from the custumals of 21 manors held by the Abbey of Bec (c.1230-1247), has three citations for the name Guy. This puts the name in the same contemporary popularity group as Jocelyn, Philip, Giles, Andrew, Matthew , Luke and the like.  It was certainly used well enough to become numerous surnames including Guy, Guye, Gye, Guis, Guyon, Gyatt, Guyot, Why, Whye, Wyatt and Wiot.  Guy of Warwick, from an illumination in Le Romant de Guy de Warwik et d'Heraud d'Ardenne, in the Talbot Shrewsbury Book (1444) The legendary Sir Guy of Warwick was a popular chivalric and romantic figure from between the 13th and 17th centuries. In order to win the hand of the woman he loves, Guy of Warwick embarks on several chivalric adventures during the reign of King Aethelstan, in order to become a knight, slaying mythical beasts and giants. He wins the heart of his lady love but later repents his violent past. His story was popular throughout France and England during the Middle Ages, retold in numerous ballads and chapbooks. He was even sometimes counted as one of the Nine Worthies, replacing Godfrey of Bouillon. Given his popularity as a figure it is easy to believe that Guy of Warwick was used as a namesake. The Earls of Warwick considered the legendary hero to be their ancestor, and when William de Beauchamp (1238-1298) inherited the title from his uncle, he named his first son Guy after the famous hero.  This Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick was a mighty and influential landowner who was noted by his contempories as a man of great wisdom and learning. Today he is most famous for his part in opposing Edward II and removing his unpopular favourite, Piers Gaveston.  Spenser used the form Guyon for the name of the hero of Book II in his epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590). Sir Guyon, the Knight of Temperance, is the leader of the Knights of Maidenhead Faerie Queene who teams up with King Arthur to defeat an evil witch.  Guy also survives in folklore not only as a virtuous hero, but also a bad boy in the form of Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the Robin Hood legends. And, most notably, the name in Britain is synonymous with unfortunate Gunpowder Plotter Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), who was left to guard the gunpowder stockpiled under the House of Lords. When the establishment received a tip-off, Fawkes was caught in flagrante and promptly taken away to be interrogated under torture. His story is a famous one, commemorated every year on November 5th, known as either Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night. We actually get the word 'guy' -- a generic term for a man  -- from the use of Guy Fawkes effigies on bonfires (known as "Guys") on this night. It has long been supposed that after the events of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, the name Guy was driven out of use because of its associations with unfortunate Guy Fawkes. However, as George Redmonds points out, it remained in traditional use among the gentry families of Yorkshire. The influences of the Fairfax*, Palmes* and Wilstrop* families, in particular, had influence on numerous lower status families in the surrounding areas. In these parts, at least, the name Guy survived in use.  Widespread, Guy received a boost in the 19th century, perhaps thanks to its use in popular literature including two hugely successful best sellers Guy Mannering (1815) by Sir Walter Scott and The Heir of Redclyffe (1853) by Charlotte M. Yonge, both of which feaured principle characters named Guy.  Rankings in England and Wales during the 19th century demonstrate how the name gradually increased in use, reaching a peak in the 1890s: 1860: #235 1870: #201 1880: #169 1890: #147 1900: #170 After this, the name fell out of popular use up until the 1950s, when it suddenly picked up again in, as we can see from Dunkling's data for the number of children registered with the name Guy in every 10,000 births in England and Wales demonstrates:  1900 1925  1935  1950  1955  1960  1965  1970  1975  1980  1985  1990     3    2     2     -    12     9    12     9     12     10     2    24 What could be responsible for this leap between 1950 and 1955? The answer may be that it was thanks to American singer Guy Mitchell (1927-1999) who had six top 5 hits in the UK music charts in 1952-53, two of which went to number 1. He continued to produce top 10 hits (in the UK) up until 1959.  Officially, Guy has only ranked once in the top 100 in England and Wales: #85 in 1964, but as Dunkling's data suggests, that didn't mean it declined in use afterwards.  Since 1996, Guy has been in steady, if slightly sporadic, decline. From #168 (203 births) in 1996, the name reached its lowest point in 2011 at #580 (60 births).  In 2014, Guy ranked #544 in England and Wales with 67 births. In the same year it also ranked #587 (4 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Saint Guy of Baume (d.940), abbot of Baume. * Guy of Ivrea (940–965), Margrave of Ivrea * Saint Guy of Anderlecht (950-1012), famous Belgian pilgrim of Jerusalem. * Saint Guy of Pomposa (d. 1046), Italian abbot and hermit. * Guy of Hauteville (c. 1061–1108), Duke of Amalfi. * Guy of Lusignan (c. 1150–1194), King of Jerusalem and later King of Cyprus. * Guy Fawkes (1570-1606), English Catholic famed for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot. * Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893), French writer and journalist. * Guy Wetmore Carryl (1873–1904), American author and poet. * Guy Mitchell (1927-1999), American singer.  Contemporary: * Guy Pearce (b. 1967), Australian actor. * Guy Ritchie (born 1968), British film director. * Guy Martin (b. 1981), British motorcycle racer, truck mechanic and TV personality. Literature and Other Media: * Guy of Warwick, a legendary English hero. * Sir Guy of Gisbourne, a character in the Robin Hood legend. * Guy Morville, character in C. M. Yonge's novel The Heir of Redclyffe (1853). * Guy Mannering, titular character in Sir Walter Scott's novel Guy Mannering (1815)

Variants:

Guido (Latin, Italian, German), Wit (Polish), Vid (Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian), Vít (Czech, Slovak)

Pronunciation:

GĪ (UK), GEE (French) [key]

Possible diminutives:

N/A

Sibling Names:

Melissa     Cara     Clare     Rhea     Hermione     Mae  Rupert     Hugh     Ralph     Marc     Laurence     Alec

Name Lists:

Medieval Favourites   Royal European Names   Slim Softies  Short and Sweet

 

If you like Guy you may also like:    Giles, Martin, Robin, Kristian, Grant, Francis, Robert, Alistair, Jarvis, Julian

 

Thanks to Victoria for requesting this post.

Name of the Week: Jocasta

 

Origin:

Jocasta is the latinised form of the ancient Greek name Iokaste (Ιοκαστη), famously borne in Greek mythology by the mother and unwitting wife of Oedipus, also known as Epikaste according to Homer.  Her story is a tragic one. She first married King Laius of Thebes, who (due to previous crimes) was cursed by the gods. The oracle of Delphi foretold that Laius' son would kill his father and marry his mother, and so when Jocasta gave birth to their son, Oedipus, the baby was quickly taken away to be exposed on the mountain.  The slave tasked with this job felt pity for the infant and gave him to a shepherd of Corinth, who in turn gave him to the childless king and queen of Corinth.  Oedipus grew up as a prince of Corinth, oblivious to his true parentage. When he too visited the Delphic Oracle, he was warned not to return home otherwise he would kill his father and marry his mother. Fearing for the safety of his adoptive parents, Oedipus sets off for Thebes instead whereupon he encounters his real father, Laius. The two get into a heated argument, ending in Oedipus killing his (unknown) father. On arriving in Thebes, Oedipus solved the riddle of a sphinx terrorising the city, thereby freeing the people. The grateful citizens elect Oedipus as their new king and, as was tradition, he married Laius' widow, Jocasta. Neither of them realised they were mother and son until the truth was revealed decades later. Poor Jocasta, unable to bear the shame, took her own life, while Oedipus blinded himself.  The etymology of Jocasta is very uncertain. As with many figures of Greek mythology, its true origin may in fact be pre-Greek. It has often been confused with the Latin iocosus "merry," but this is certainly not the source.  The most plausible source is the Greek iôkê (ἰωκή) "pursuit, rout, onslaught." There was even a Greek goddess named Ioke -- the personification of attack in battle. Another theory is that it derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *yek "to speak."  Since the Middle Ages, Jocasta has been conflated with, and used as a latinised form for, the unrelated name Joyce. The name derives originally from the Breton Jodoc, composed of the elements iud "lord" and the diminutive suffix -oc. It became Josse in Old French and latinised as Joceus and its feminine counterpart Jocea. Both became Joyce in vernacular English and was perhaps associated with the archaic English verb joice "to rejoice." This would explain the popular latinised variant Jocosa, which is clearly adapted from the Latin iocosus "merry," and how Jocasta became used as a suitable cognate form.

Usage:

Examples of Jocasta in use as a given name in Britain date from at least the 15th century. In many of these early examples, however, it is clear that Jocasta was used as a latinised form and that Joyce was the everyday vernacular form used. One famous example is Joyce Culpeper (1480–1528), the mother of Catherine Howard -- the fifth of Henry VIII's six wives -- who is recorded in latin records as Jocasta.  Another famous Joyce who is also referred to as Jocasta is Joyce Lewis (d. 1557), a protestant who was martyred under the reign of Mary I. Jocasta itself seems to have come into use independently from the 17th century onwards, though some of this may still be attributed to Joyce.  On the whole, the name has always been rare. In fact, it was not officially registered in the England and Wales Birth Index at all from its start in 1837 up until the late 1950s. The first official registration came in 1959 in Hertfordshire. British author Jocasta Innes was born previously in 1934, but her birthplace was China so she doesn't appear in this data.  Birth registrations in England and Wales: 1940s: 0 births 1950s: 1 birth 1960s: 7 births 1970s: 28 births 1980s: 18 births 1990s: 19 births Since 1996, Jocasta has only ranked in the official data (3 or more births) for England and Wales five times: #3247 (4 births) in 2000; #2540 (6 births) in 2002; #2191 (8 births) in 2003; #4598 (3 births) in 2004 and #5201 (3 births) in 2007.  In Scotland, Jocasta has only been registered for a total of four girls between 1974 and 2015: once in 1974, 1990, 1995 and 2002.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Joyce/Jocasta Culpeper (1480–1528) , the mother of Catherine Howard, fifth queen consort of Henry VIII. * Joyce/Jocasta Lewis (d. 1557), an English Protestant martyr. Contemporary: * Jocasta Innes (1934–2013), British writer, journalist and businesswoman Literature and Other Media: * Jocasta, a Marvel Comics superhero and member of the Avengers. * Jocasta Ayrs, a character from the novel Cloud Atlas. * Jocasta Nu, a jedi knight in the Star Wars universe. * Jocasta, a character in HBO's series Rome. Other: * 899 Jokaste, a minor planet orbiting the Sun. * Iocaste, a moon of Jupiter.

Variants:

Jocaste, Iokaste, Iocaste, Jokasta

Pronunciation:

jō-KAS-tə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Asta, Cassie, Jo, Joey, Josie, Joss, Joy

Sibling Names:

Perdita     Lucretia     Sybilla     Cosima     Atalanta     Bellatrix  Aenaes     Linus     Hector     Orion     Lucius      Orlando

Name Lists:

Demi-Gods and Mortals from Mythology

  

If you like Jocasta you may also like:   Jocosa, Callisto, Antigone, Electra, Cassiopeia, Pandora, Juniper, Megara, Ariadne, Dido

 

 Thanks to Lydia for requesting this name. 

Name of the Week: Emma

 

Origin:

Emma is an Old Germanic name, originating as a hypocoristic form of names containing the first element ermin "whole, universal," such as Ermintrude, Ermingard and Erminhilt. Emma, and variants Imma and Ymma, quickly established themselves as given names in their own right by the tenth century.

Usage:

An early bearer of the name from the 7th century is Emma of Austrasia (d. 642), daughter of Theudebert II and wife of the Anglo-Saxon king Eadbald of Kent. The most notable early Emma -- for Britain at least -- was Emma of Normandy (c.985–1052), twice English queen consort to both King Aethelred, and his Danish successor, King Cnut. Emma was born in Normandy in around 985, the daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy. Her mother, Gunnora, was Richard's mistress and, later, his second wife; his first had also been named Emma -- Emma of Paris (943–968) who died childless many years before Emma's birth. It is hard for us in modern times to reconcile the idea of having the same name as your father's deceased first wife, but it clearly didn't bother the medieval mind, and is perhaps testament to how common the name was for the Normans. When she arrived in England to be married to Aethelred, however, Emma was promptly given the "English" name Aelfgifu. Confusingly, it just so happened that Aelfgifu had been the name of Aethelred's first wife, and one of his daughters (yet again Emma received the name of a former wife). Although there were no etymological links between the names, "Aelfgifu" was as common to the English as "Emma" was to the Normans.  Emma and Cnut present a cross to Hyde Abbey. The lettering says ÆLFGYFV REGINA and CNVT REX Emma bore Aethelred three children and, though Aethelred already had at least nine children by his first marriage, Emma fought like a lioness to get her children good positions. This was a period of heavy raiding from Scandinavia and Aethelred struggled to keep hold of his kingdom under the Viking onslaught. In 1015, Cnut the Great, a Danish prince, invaded England and the English just couldn't hold out against his armies. Aethelred died in April 1016, and his eldest surviving son Edmund became king (despite the efforts of Emma to have her eldest son, Edward, made heir). However, Edmund died that November after being defeated comprehensively by the Danes, leaving Cnut as king.  As Cnut was keen to have all rival claimants to the throne removed, Emma stepped in to protect her children by marrying Cnut herself, ensuring her children's safety in Normandy. Through her marriage, Emma was once again Queen of England, and later Queen of Denmark and Norway. When, Cnut died, Emma once again stepped in to promote her children. She ensured that her son with Cnut, Harthacnut, became king of Denmark, and acted as regent of Wessex on his behalf in England. She also invited her eldest son, Edward, over from Normandy in an attempt to oust power away from her step-son Harold Harefoot. Needless to say, after much political wrangling, Emma succeeded in instating both her son Harthacnut as king of England, followed by her son Edward, whom we now know as Saint Edward the Confessor.  It is difficult to assess the impact that Emma herself had on the name Emma in England, as all the citations for the name in common use date from after the Norman Conquest when Emma''s great nephew, William the Conqueror, established the widespread dominance of Norman culture and language in England.  Also, for much of her time as Queen Consort, both to Aethelred and Cnut, Emma was known as Aelfgifu (see image right). The Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE) have 52 citations for Emma's recorded name. Of those, only 18 are spellings are of Emma/Imma/Ymma and most of these come from Emma's own biography Encomium Emmae Reginae which she commissioned herself after Cnut's death. The rest are all spellings of Aelfgifu or "Aelfgifu Emma." It may be that being known as Aelfgifu Emma helped pave the way for the name before the Norman Conquest. Equally her impact may have been very little, and the name subsequently became common thanks to the influx of Norman noblemen who flocked to England after the conquest. The Domesday Survey shows that by 1086, 48.5% of English land was in the hands of Norman barons, with only 5.5% owned by English lords.  What we can at least argue is that, without Emma, the Norman invasion may never have happened. It was actually thanks to Emma that William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy had a claim to the English throne -- something which is often overlooked in the history books. Emma was William's great aunt and therefore he was Edward's first cousin once removed. So, if only in a roundabout way, we can credit Queen Aelfgifu Emma with bringing the name Emma to Britain.  A cousin and close friend of William I, William FitzOsbern, became one of these great Norman magnates. His daughter Emma de Guader, Countess of Norfolk (1059 -1096) is also known for her strong character, having defended Norwich Castle when it was under siege for three months while her husband was away, negotiating safe passage for herself and her troops when the castle was eventually seized. Later she accompanied her husband of the First Crusade.  Redmond puts Emma at #7 in his rankings from ten English counties in 1377-1381, which he classifies as "Very Popular." During this period, the vernacular English form appears to have been Em/Emm/Emme* (with Emma/Imma as the Latinised form). This gained the diminutive ending -ot creating Emmot, which was not an uncommon name during the Middle Ages (often interchanged with Emma itself), and led the the creation of the surname Emmett.  Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1670 in England shows Emma/Emme ranking in 9 out of 16 decades:  1538-49: #30; 1550-9: #24; 1560-9: #29; 1570-9: #23; 1580-9: #42; 1590-9: #32; 1600-9: #47; 1610-9: #44; 1640-9: #43.  Emmat, separately, also ranks twice in this data: 1550-9: #33; 1590-9: #36.  Emma was also the 31st most common name in Elizabethan Norfolk and the 27th most common during the Restoration Period.  Moving into the 18th century, latinised forms became more popular. Maud gave way to Matilda, Joan to Joanna and Emm to Emma. Many sources credit Matthew Prior's poem Henry and Emma (1709) with reviving the name. This was perhaps a factor in increasing its use, however, Dunkling's rankings for England and Wales shows that Emma ranked at #40 in 1700 and again a century later in 1800, showing a consistency of the name's use both before and after the poem's publication.  The name maintained its popularity right through the 19th century, gradually declining by the end of the century. This article from 1892 mentions the decline in "good old family appellatives" such as Amelia, Charlotte, Caroline, Emma, Harriet, Julia and Matilda which had previously been Georgian and Regency favourites.  Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Data from the 1881 census shows that Emma was most common in England, particularly in the South, but had limited use in Scotland.  Rankings for the name Emma in England and Wales were as follows: 1850: #7 (according to Lesie Dunkling's ranks) 1860: #6 1870: #9 1880: #14 1890: #21 1900: #36 1904: #51 1914: #79 **Out of the top 100 for six decades** 1974: #4 1984: #4  1994: #10 After falling out of the top 100 after 1914, Emma made a dramatic comeback in the 1970s, when it ranked #4  in both 1974 and a decade later in 1984. It is very difficult to believe that Emma wasn't #1 at least once between '74 and '84, but unfortunately there is no official data for us to be completely sure. Leslie Dunkling's data for the number of girls registered with the name Emma in every 10,000 births in England and Wales, however, has the name peaking around 1980, and actually lists it with the highest number for all girls that year (suggesting it was, in fact, #1):  1900 1925  1935 1950 1955 1960  1965  1970  1975  1980  1985  1990   67     8     2    2    -    -     20   114   283   362   246   266 This data also shows that the name began to rise in the mid 1960s. Some of this may be thanks to the popularity of the television show The Avengers which featured Diana Rigg in the role of feisty pin-up Emma Peel from 1965-68.  click to enlarge Having been in the top 10 in England and Wales from 1974 to 1994, Emma has been on a steady decline since, falling out of the top 50 in 2013.  In Scotland, Emma was a little later to take off. It was only #76 there in 1900 and had fallen out of the top 100 by 1950. By 1974 (when it was #4 in England), it had risen to #41. It grew from strength-to-strength after that, however, reaching #5 in 1981 and was #1 in 1990-93, 1996-97 and 2003-04. After 2010 it fell back out of the top 10 once more.  In 2014, Emma ranked #57 (1071 births) in England and Wales. In 2015, Emma ranked #16 (224 births) in Scotland and #20 (104 births) in Northern Ireland.  Emma is also popular around the world ranking #1 currently in America, Belgium, Denmark, France and Norway; #2 in Canada, the Netherlands and Switzerland; #3 in Ireland; #4 in Austria and Italy; #5 in Finland; #6 in Hungary and Iceland.

Famous Bearers:

Royalty: * Emma of Austrasia (d. 642), daughter of Theudebert II and wife of Eadbald of Kent. * Emma of Normandy (c.985–1052), twice Queen consort of the Kingdom of England by marriage. * Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1858–1934), Queen consort of William III of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg. * Emma of Hawaii (1836–1885), queen consort of King Kamehameha IV. History: * Saint Emma of Gurk (c. 980–1045) a noblewoman and founder of religious houses in Austria. * Emma de Guader (1059 -1096), Countess of Norfolk.  * Emma Willard (1787–1870), an American women's rights activist who dedicated her life to education. * Emma Sandys (1843–1877), a 19th-century British painter. * Emma Lazarus (1849–1887), American poet. * Emma Churchill (1862–1957), founder of the Salvation Army in Newfoundland. Contemporary: * Emma Bonino (b. 1948), Italian politician and human rights activist. * Emma Thompson (b. 1959), award-winning British actress and screenwriter * Emma Bunton (b. 1976), British singer and a member of the Spice Girls. * Emma Willis (b. 1976), British television and radio presenter. * Emily "Emma" Stone (b. 1988), American actress. * Emma Watson (b. 1990), British actress. * Emma Roberts (b. 1991), American actress and singer. Literature and Other Media: * Emma Woodhouse, principle character in Jane Austen's novel Emma (1815). * Henry and Emma, a 1709 poem by Matthew Prior. * Emma Peel, fictional spy played by Diana Rigg in the British 1960s television series The Avengers. * Emma Swan, protagonist in the Once Upon a Time television series. * Emma Frost, Marvel comic book character. * Emma Pillsbury, a character in American television series Glee. Other: * HMS Queen Emma, a troopship of the Royal Navy during the Second World War

Variants:

Ema (Spanish, Portuguese, Slavic)

Pronunciation:

EM-ə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Em, Emmy

Sibling Names:

Charlotte     Lucy     Alice     Isabel     Amelia     Grace  Matthew     Jack     Luke     Harry     Samuel     Daniel

Name Lists:

Medieval Favourites  Terrifically Tudor   Gorgeously Georgian  British Royalty   European Royalty  Jane Austen Names  Dickensian Names  Bronte Names  Names of Roses

  

If you like Emma you may also like:   Matilda, Harriet, Lydia, Emily, Sarah, Eden, Amy, Sophie, Louise, Emilia

 

 

Name of the Week: Harper

 

 

Origin:

Harper is an English surname, derived from the Old English hearpere and Old French harpeor "one who plays the harp." For the Anglo-Saxons, music and storytelling was an important social pastime which passed down and preserved epic sagas and poetry. After feasts it was usual for a harp to be passed around the men of the hall so that each could take their turn to sing and entertain the crowd. The professional Anglo-Saxon storytellers or poets, called scops, who travelled from village to village, were also sometimes known as hearperes, indicating that the harp was an important tool in storytelling. In the Middle Ages, minstrels were a key part of celebrations, feasts and festivals. The harper was the most important of the minstrels, often the reciter and the composer of heroic epics and romantic love songs.

Usage:

As an occupational surname, Harper dates from the 12th century. One of the earliest examples comes from the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire which mentions a Robert le Harpur in 1186. Because the occupation was so common, the surname itself became widespread across Britain. As with most surnames, Harper came into use as a given name in the 16th century; often it was a family or godparent surname adopted as a baptismal name.  For the most part, examples of Harper before the 21st century are predominantly masculine. Census records for men and women with the first name Harper are as follows: 1841 census: 46 males, 7 females 1861 census: 81 males, 4 females 1881 census: 118 males, 4 females 1901 census: 139 males, 9 females One famous bearer of the 20th century is American author (Nelle) Harper Lee (1926-2016), the author of To Kill a Mockingbird (1960) which won the Pulitzer Prize the following year and was made into a popular film in 1962.  In America, Harper was in the top 1000 for boys in 1905 (#683) and 1906 (#779) but fell out after, not returning until 2006. For girls, Harper first entered the US top 1000 in 2004 at #887. It jumped to #296 in 2008 and #118 in 2010, no doubt helped by the popularity of the Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place (2007-2012), featuring the character Harper Finkle.  In England and Wales, Harper was given to no more than 10 babies for either gender up until 2007. In 2010, Harper ranked #897 (32 births) for boys and #930 (37 babies) for girls.  In both the US and the UK, Harper took a significant leap upwards for girls after David and Victoria Beckham named their daughter Harper Beckham in July 2011. It now ranks #11 in America.  In England and Wales, Harper jumped to #160 (322 births) in 2013 and #89 (623 births) in 2014. For boys, Harper also saw a modest rise, going from #821 (37 births) in 2013 to #670 (50 births) in 2014.  In Scotland, Harper joined the top 100 for girls in 2013 at #96 (50 births), rising to #71 (75 births) in 2014 and #36 (128 births) in 2015. For boys, Harper ranked #332 (12 births) in 2014 and #1234 (1 birth) in 2015.

Famous Bearers:

History: * (Ralph) Harper Goff (1911–1993), American artist, musician, and actor Contemporary: *(Nelle) Harper Lee (1926-2016), American author.  Literature and Other Media: * Harper Finkle, a character in the Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place. * Harper Connelly, title character of The Harper Connelly Mysteries novels by Charlaine Harris. Other: * Harper's Bazaar, an American women's fashion magazine, first published in 1867.

Variants:

N/A

Pronunciation:

HAR-pə  [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Harrie, Happy

Sibling Names:

Darcey     Ruby    Mila     Ariana     Freya     Autumn  Mason     Carter     Blake     Grayson     Brody     Sawyer

Name Lists:

Occupational Surnames

  

If you like Harper you may also like:   Hallie, Lacey, Skyla, Harlow, Avery, Aubrey, Piper, Bellamy, Macey, Belle

 

Thanks to Julia for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week: Pamela

 

 

Origin:

Pamela is a name which was coined in pastoral poetry in the late 16th century -- a literary movement which coined many names (Anthea, Clorinda, Miranda, Celia, Samela) in an attempt to emulate classical Greek and Roman poetry. Pamela appears first in Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia (1590) which centres around Basilius, the Duke of Arcadia, his wife Gynecia and their beautiful daughters Pamela and Philoclea.  The names used in this works are all reworkings of, or inspired by, legitimate names from ancient Greece. Though Pamela itself was not in use by the Greeks, similar names such as Pamillos*, and Pamphilos, Pamphila (pan "all" + philos "love"), Pamphoros (pan "all" + phoros "bearing") were in use.  It is generally thought that Sidney intended the name to mean 'all-sweetness,' from pan "all" + meli "honey" but that is purely conjecture. In Sidney's Arcadia, the name Pamela was accented as Pamēla, giving the pronunciation pə-MEE-lə.

Usage:

Arcadia had some impact in introducing Pamela as a genuine given name. A handful of baptisms for Pamela can be found across the country in the 17th century, but overall it was rare.  That changed dramatically with the publication of Samuel Richardson's novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740), which told the story of Pamela Andrews, a young innocent maid in a wealthy household whose employer attempts to seduce her. Pamela's virtue holds out, and in the end her employer proposes an equitable marriage. It was a sell-out novel -- the first example in English fiction -- so popular it created a "Pamela phenomenon," spurning artwork, imitation novels and merchandise such as tea cups, wax dolls and playing cards. It was widely read in groups and congregations, and was even recommended from the pulpit by Dr. Benjamin Slocock of St. Saviour’s in Southwark.  In January 1741, The Gentleman's Magazine declared that it was "judged in Town as great a Sign of Want of Curiosity not to have read Pamela, as not to have seen the French and Italian Dancers." It was even common for ladies to walk around with copies of Pamela to show everyone that they had read it.* The impact of the novel on nomenclature is also marked, as many baptisms for Pamelas suddenly appear in parish records after 1740 as part of the "Pamela frenzy" which swept the nation.  It appears that during the 18th century, there was some debate over the pronunciation, as some were still using Sidney's pronunciation of Pamēla (pə-MEE-lə), while Richardson adopted and inspired the pronunciation Paměla (pə-MEL-ə).  In Henry Fielding's novel Joseph Andrews (1842) -- written during the Pamela-phenomenon as a direct response and parody of Richardson's work -- it says: "For that they had a Daughter of a very strange Name Paměla or Pamēla; some pronounced it one way, and some the other." In one of the footnotes of The Life of Samuel Johnson (1787) by Sir John Hawkins he writes: "Pamela is the name of a lady, one of the principal characters in Sir Philip Sidney's “Arcadia,” and is thus accented Pamēla. [...] But Richardson, whether through ignorance or design, and also all his female pupils, constantly pronounced it Paměla." It is unclear how far into the 19th century these pronunciations continued, but by the 20th century the name became predominantly pronounced PAM-ə-lə with the stress on the first syllable. Data from the Surname Atlas. Click to enlarge. During the 19th century, the Pamela craze had died down a bit.  Data from the 1881 UK census puts Pamela as the 560th most popular name (male and female names included together). It also shows that the name was most common in England with very little use in Scotland.  The turning point for the name came at the beginning of the 20th century, as births per decade in England and Wales show: 1840s: 526 births 1850s: 760 births 1860s: 700 births -- #153 in 1860 1870s: 672 births -- #175 in 1870 1880s: 513 births 1890s: 424 births 1900s: 552 births 1910s: 2075 births 1920s: 18516 births 1930s: 46267 births 1940s: 59003 births Click to enlarge. By 1924, Pamela had entered the top 100 at #60. It rose to #20 in 1934, and #17 in 1944. It dipped a little to #21 in 1954 and then further, to #67, in 1964, after which it fell out of the top 100.  In 1996 and 1997, Pamela was just within the top 1000 in England and Wales with 24 babies registered in each year. After that point it fell below the top 1000, and after 2008 fell below the top 2000.  In 2014, Pamela ranked #2862 (8 births) in England and Wales. In Scotland, Pamela ranked #1584 (1 birth) in 2015. The name did not rank in Northern Ireland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Lady Edward FitzGerald (c.1773–1831), wife radical revolutionary Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Known as "Pamela." * Pamela Brown (1917–1975), English actress. Contemporary: * Lady Pamela Hicks (b. 1929), British aristocrat and member of the royal family. * Pamela Duncan (b. 1961), American novelist. * Pamela Anderson (b. 1967), Canadian-American actress. Literature and Other Media: * Pamela Andrews, heroine of Samuel Richardson's novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740–41) * Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley aka Poison Ivy, DC Comics supervillain.

Variants:

Pamelia, Pamila

Pronunciation:

PAM-ə-lə [key] pə-MEE-lə (17th century); pə-MEL-ə (18th century)

Possible  diminutives:

Pam, Pammy, Melly, Melia, Polly

Sibling Names:

Cynthia     Gillian    Kathleen     Rosemary     Joanna     Roberta  Raymond     Grant     Clinton     Gregory     Martin     Duncan

Name Lists:

Resurrected Retro  Names from Enid Blyton  Butterfly Names

  

If you like Pamela you may also like:   Anthea, Pomona, Monica, Deborah, Poppaea, Patricia, Mabel, Paloma, Daphne, Vanessa

 

Thanks to Arabella for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week: Ernest

 

Origin:

Ernest is the English form of the German given name Ernst, derived from the Old Germanic Ernust ""seriousness, firmness, vigour" cognate with the English word earnest.  As a surname, however, Ernest is a derivative of Ernis (Latin Ernisiu/Arnisius) which was brought over by the Normans in the Old French form Ernais, Erneis, Arneis, Hernais, Hernays. It was used up to the end of the Middle Ages, but died out after, remaining only as a surname. Ernais itself came from the Germanic Arn(e)gis. The first element represents the Old High German arn "eagle." The second -- gis -- is either derived from the Proto-Germanic *gīsila "pledge, hostage," or *gaisa "spear."

Usage:

Ernust (later Ernst) has been used in Germany since at least the 10th century. Ernest the Brave (1027–1075), was the Margrave of Austria and Saint Ernest (d. 1148) was the abbot of the Benedictine Zwiefalten Abbey,Germany who participated in the Second Crusade.  The name was little used in Britain, though there are a few examples. Arnost of Bec (d. 1076) was a Bishop of Rochester. He had been a monk at Bec Abbey in Normandy, but was probably Germanic by birth.  Ernest can be found in small numbers in the 16th and 17th century in Britain. This most likely represents adoption of the surname Ernest, or -- in the case of Earnest -- use of the name as a virtue name alongside Truth, Thankful and others.  The German Ernst was well used in (what is now) Germany, Austria and Prussia through the Middle Ages into the early modern period, and thanks to its prolific use by German royalty, it made its way over to Britain with the Hanovarians. Ernest Augustus (Ernst August), Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1629-1698) was father of George I. His younger son, also Ernst August, took on role of leader of Brunswick-Lüneburg when George moved to London a king and was later instated as Duke of York, Albany and Earl of Ulster when he moved to England.  The name really kicked off when George III gave the name to his fifth son in 1771. Prince Ernest Augustus later became king of Hanover when Salic law prevented his niece, Queen Victoria, from ascending the Hanoverian throne.   In England and Wales, Ernest grew rapidly in popularity over the course of the 19th century, reaching #30 by 1860, #19 in 1870, #13 in 1880, #12 in 1890 and #14 in 1900.  click to enlarge It remained popular at the beginning of the 20th century, but was out of the top 100 after the 1940s: 1904: #10 1914: #13 1924: #23 1934: #47 1944: #72 It was less popular in Scotland initially, reaching #42 by 1900. However, it lasted longer in the top 100, still ranking #79 in 1950.  Since 1996 when it ranked #1337 (9 births), Ernest has been gradually rising in England and Wales. It peaked in 2012 at #382 (109 births). In 2014, Ernest ranked #397 (102 births) in England and Wales; #855 (2 births) in Scotland but did not rank at all in Northern Ireland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Ernest the Brave (1027–1075), Margrave of Austria. * Saint Ernest (d. 1148), abbot of the Benedictine Zwiefalten Abbey,Germany who participated in the Second Crusade.  * Ernest of Bavaria-Munich (1373-1438), Duke of Bavaria. * Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553-1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. * Ernest Augustus (1629-1698), Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg. * Ernest Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (1674–1728), younger brother of George I. * Ernest Augustus I of Hanover (1771–1851), King of Hanover, son of King George III of England. * Prince Ernest Augustus, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale (1845–1923). * Ernest Troubridge (1862–1926), British naval officer. * Ernest Hornung (1866-1921), English author and poet. * Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922), Anglo-Irish explorer. * Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961), American writer. * Ernest Borgnine (1917–2012), American actor. * Ernest Walton (1903-1995), Irish physicist and Nobel laureate. * Ernest Wiseman aka Ernie Wise (1925–1999), British comedian. Literature and Other Media: * Ernest Worthing, main character in The Importance of Being Earnest, a play by Oscar Wilde. * Ernest Perriclof, one of the main characters in Alexandra Adornetto's The Strangest Adventures series.

Variants:

Earnest (UK), Ernst (German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish), Ernesto (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese), Erno (Finnish)

Pronunciation:

ER-nəst [key]

Possible Diminutives:

Ernie, Ern, Enzo, Ned

Sibling Names:

Agnes     Sylvia     Elspeth     Nora     Hester     Marnie       Edwin     Chester     Wilbur     Ralph     Emmett     Reginald

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance  Funky-Clunky   Gorgeously Georgian  Victorian Darlings  Dickensian Names  Gilbert and Sullivan Names

 

If you like Ernest you may also like:    Everett, Oscar, Eugene, Clifford, Winston, Emrys, Byron, Ewart, Edgar, Eustace

 

Thanks to Winter for requesting this post.

Name of the Week: Henrietta

 

Origin:

Henrietta is the Latinised form of Henriette, a French feminine form of Henri (or Henry in English).  Henri itself derived from Henricus, the Latinised form of the Old Germanic name Heimerich, composed of the elements heim "home" and rīhhi "ruler."

Usage:

Henriette was first used in France in the 16th century as a feminine form of Henri. It was famously borne by Princess Henriette Marie of France, daughter of King Henry IV of France and Marie de Medici. Her marriage to Charles I in 1625, and accession to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland, brought the name to Britain, where it was latinised as Henrietta Maria.   After 1625, several members of the public (especially those in the peerage) were keen to name their daughters in honour of the new queen, and as such we find several Henrietta Marias during the queen's lifetime. Examples include Lady Henrietta Maria Howard (b.1628), Lady Henrietta Mary Stanley (b. 1630), and Lady Henrietta Maria Blount (b. 1632). George Redmonds notes that this double name became more popular after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, particularly among the gentry, but generally across all classes. He also argues that this may have set a precedent for the general adoption of two names by members of the gentry and aristocracy.* It is interesting to note that, while Henrietta was the Latinised form of Henriette, the familial vernacular form in Britain was Harriet. Evidence suggests that at first Henrietta and Harriet were interchangeable. Baptism and marriage registers recorded Henrietta, but familiarly they were 'Harriet' to their friends and family. This was certainly the case of Lady Henrietta Cavendish (later Countess Granville), daughter of 5th Duke of Devonshire and the famous society beauty Lady Georgiana Spencer, who was known as Harriet (or "Harryo" to her family). She was named after her maternal aunt Henrietta Ponsonby, Countess of Bessborough who was also known as Harriet. Other examples from the peerage abound, making it difficult to distinguish between the two forms.  With Harriet firmly established, Henrietta came back into use in its own right in the 19th century.  Some of this may have been due to Henrietta's adoption by the Jacobites in honour of Henry Benedict Stuart, the last male heir of the Stuart line.  The three names James, Charles and Henry were common names for Jacobites to give their sons, as were the feminine forms Jamesina, Jacobina, Carolina, Charlesina and Henrietta. After Henry Stuart's death in 1807, the Jacobite claim to the throne then passed to the senior heir of King Charles I, descended from his youngest daughter Henrietta Anne -- yet another Jacobite link to the name Henrietta.  The Surname Atlas - click to enlarge In the 19th century, Henrietta became a top 100 staple in England and Wales: 1860: #53 1870: #60 1880: #69 1890: #81 1900: #95 Data from the 1881 UK census shows -- when population is evened out per 100,000 people -- that Henrietta was especially popular in the Highlands of Scotland (where Jacobite names still held sway) and also in the south of England.  Though Henrietta reached a low of #95 in England and Wales by 1900 (and fell out of the top 100 soon after), it was still strong at #55 in Scotland in that year, though it had fallen out of the Scottish top 100 by 1950. Henrietta's popularity in England and Wales declined across the 20th century as shown by the number of birth registrations per decade: 1910s: 3418 births 1920s: 1709 births 1930s: 569 births 1940s: 310 births 1950s: 280 births 1960s: 529 births 1970s: 291 births Though it generally declined over the century, there was a noticeble spike in the 1960s. This may have been inspired by Henrietta Tiarks, "the best-known debutantes of the Fifties" who became a society 'It-girl' and model, appearing in the prestigious Country Life in 1960. She married the then Marquess of Tavistock, in 1961 and later became Duchess of Bedford. Since 1996, Henrietta has, on average, been registered between 40-60 times per year (ranking between #500 and #700).  In the last four years however, Henrietta has seen a rise in usage, reaching #427 in 2014 with 102 babies.  In Scotland, however, Henrietta has been registered no more than three times in any given year since 1975. In 2014, Henrietta ranked #1534 with 1 birth in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Queen Henrietta Maria of France (1609–1669), queen consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland as the wife of King Charles I. * Princess Henrietta Anne of England (1644–1670), daughter of King Charles I of England. * Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough (1681–1733), a princess of the Holy Roman Empire and a Princess of Mindelheim * Henrietta "Harriet" Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville (1785–1862), British peeress and society hostess. * Henrietta "Jetty" Treffz (1818-1878), well-known Austrian mezzo-soprano. * Henrietta Hooker (1851–1929), an American botanist. * Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868–1921), an American astronomer. Contemporary: * Henrietta Russell nee Tiarks (b.1940), Dowager Duchess of Bedford and former fashion model and society belle.  * Dame Henrietta Louise Moore  (b. 1957), British social anthropologist. * Henrietta Ónodi (b. 1974), an Olympic gold medal-winning Hungarian gymnast. Literature and Other Media: * Henrietta (1758), a novel by Charlotte Lennox. * Henrietta Musgrove, a character in Jane Austin's novel Persuasion (1818). * Henrietta Petowker, a character in Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickleby (1839).

Variants:

Henrike (German, Scandinavian), Enrica (Italian), Henriikka (Finnish), Hendrika (Dutch)

Pronunciation:

hen-ree-ET-a [key]

Possible  diminutive:

Hen, Henny, Hetty, Ettie, Etta, Hattie, Ren, Retta, Rena, Henry, Harriet, Harryo, Jetty, Hero

Sibling Names:

Florence     Arabella     Verity     Caroline     Alexandra     Cecilia      Sebastian     Fergus     Rupert     Barnabas     Roderick     Louis

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance   Latinate Lovelies   Gorgeously Georgian   Victorian Darlings   Royal British Names   Jane Austen Names   Dickensian Names   Enid Blyton Names   Inspirational Women of Science

 

If you like Henrietta you may also like:   Georgiana, Cordelia, Rosalind, Theodora, Cassandra, Ophelia, Clementine, Juliana, Philippa, Letitia

 

Thanks to Minnie for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week: Augustus

 

Origin:

Augustus is a Latin word meaning "venerable, majestic, magnificent, noble." It was a religious term originally, though either to derive from augur -- a religious official in ancient Rome who foretold events by interpreting omens -- or the Old Latin *augos "increase" i.e the 'augmentation of that which is religious'. Augustus first became a name when it was bestowed upon Caius Octavius as an honorary cognomen (an epithet or nickname) by the Roman Senate on January 16, 27 BC after his victory at the battle of Actium. He therefore became Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus [Imperator = Commander; Caesar Divi Filius = Divine Son of Caesar; Augustus = The Venerable] and by 12 BC the sixth month of the Roman calendar (Sextilis) was renamed Augustus (August) in his honor. Afterwards, the cognomen Augustus was adopted by other emperors, and came to mean something akin to "His Majesty" in today's terms. Augusta was similarly bestowed upon women of the Julian line and came to become a title for an empress.

Usage:

As a titular name, Augustus was used by emperors and rulers through the Roman Empire, through the succeeding Byzantine Empire and even into the Middle Ages -- Philip II of France (1165–1223) was known as Philip Augustus, while Sigismund II of Poland (1520–1572) was similarly Sigismund Augustus.  As such, it is difficult to pin down when Augustus was actually used as a given name and not as a title. There is a St Augustus of the sixth century, a friend of St Germanus of Paris, who was abbot of Bourges. It isn't clear whether Augustus was his given name, however, as he is also called Aout -- the French name for the month August -- so Augustus may simply have been a latinisation.  One of the earliest examples we have of Augustus being used as a given name as opposed to a titular name is for Augustus, Elector of Saxony (1526–1588), the son of Henry IV, Duke of Saxony. There are a few other examples of Augustus used in the early 16th century in Britain -- usually in the East of England in Norfolk, Essex and Lincoln -- but overall it was rare at first, gradually gaining more use in the 17th century.  Augustine on the other hand was not uncommon at the time thanks to two warly saints. The name itself was the English form of the Roman name Augustinus meaning "belonging to Augustus" and as such was early on used in Antiquity. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430), a Doctor of the Church, was a theologian and philosopher whose writings influenced the development of Western Christianity. His fame and veneration helped spread the usage of the name across Europe. In Britain, Augustine was furthered by the popular veneration of Saint Augustine of Canterbury (d. 604), the first Archbishop of Canterbury who is regarded as "Apostle to the English." Augustine became quite a popular name in the Middle Ages, the vernacular for of which was Austin.  The name Augustus was given a significant boost in the 18th century by the new Hanovarian dynasty. When George I succeeded to the British throne in 1714 his son George Augustus became Prince of Wales and later George II.  George II (1683-1760) himself was likely given this second name in honour of his paternal grandfather Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover (1629-1698). The Hanovarians were fond of reusing names, so Augustus (along with George, William, Frederick and Henry) were well used along the royal line.  George II named one son William Augustus [Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (1721–1765)] and also had a grandson with the name: Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of York and Albany (1739-1767).  George III was particularly fond of the name. Five of his nine sons had the name: 1. George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales (1762-1830), later King George IV; 2. Frederick Augustus, Duke of York (1763-1827); 3. Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent (1767-1820); 4. Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (1771-1851), later King Ernest of Hanover; 5. Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843). With this royal seal of approval it is little wonder that by 1860 Augustus ranked #83 in England and Wales. It remained steady in the middle of the 19th century, ranking #78 in 1870. By the latter half of the century, the name began to wane. It was tied to the Hanoverian age, was no longer being used by royalty and, as with all names, fashion moved on.  Augustus ranked #94 in 1880, #116 in 1890 and #139 in 1900. The name contined in similar use in the first half of the 20th century, but fell into sharp decline by 1940. Only 44 boys were given the name across the whole of the 1940s in England and Wales, a figure which fell to 27 in the 1950s.  Since 1996, Augustus -- having picked up a little use -- has sat steadily between 10 and 30 births per year in England and Wales. Its lowest rank during that period has been #1828 (11 births) in 2008. Its peak was #850 (27 births) in 2005, which coincided with the release of Tim Burton's film adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, featuring the character Augustus Gloop.  In Scotland, Augustus has only been registered three times since 1974: once in 2000, 2001 and 2005. Similarly, in Northern Ireland, the name was only registered once in 1998 and 2005.  In 2014, Augustus ranked #1486 (16 births) in England and Wales.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Augustus (63 BC–14 AD), the first Roman emperor. * Augustus (1526–1588), Elector of Saxony. * Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1579–1666), Duke within the Holy Roman Empire. * Augustus II the Strong (1670–1733), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. * Augustus III of Poland (1696–1763), King of Poland and Elector of Saxony. * Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773–1843), son of George III. * Sir Augustus Wall Callcott (1779–1844), British landscape painter. * Augustus De Morgan (1806–1871), British mathematician. * Augustus Pugin (1812–1852), British architect. * Augustus Volney Waller (1816–1870), British neurophysiologist. * Augustus Thomas (1857–1934), American playwright. * Augustus John (1878–1961), Welsh painter.  Literature and Other Media: * Augustus Waters, a character from John Green's novel The Fault in Our Stars (2012). * Augustus Gloop, a character from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964).

Variants:

August (German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Catalan), Auguste (French), Augusto (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese), Avgust (Russian, Ukrainian)

Pronunciation:

or-GUS-təs / ə-GUS-təs [key]

Possible Diminutives:

Augie, Gus, Austin

Sibling Names:

Clementina     Honoria     Thomasina     Seraphina     Henrietta     Rosetta        Maximillian     Tarquin     Constantine     Roderick     Montague     Bertram

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance   Funky-Clunky   Saintly and Stylish   Resonant Roman  Gorgeously Georgian   Victorian Darlings  British Royalty   Dickensian Names  Jane Austen Names  Bronte Names

 

If you like Augustus you may also like:    Augustine, Ferdinand, Algernon, Eustace, Ambrose, Archibald, Cornelius, Octavius, Cassius, Julius

 

Thanks to Kitty for requesting this post.

Name of the Week: Ethel

 

 

Origin:

Ethel derives from the Old English æðel "noble" which was a common element in Anglo-Saxon names such as Æðelþryð (Etheldred), Æðelflæd (Ethelfleda), Æðelfrið (Elfrida), Æðelind (Ethelinda), Æðelberht (Ethelbert), Æðelmær (Ethelmer), Æðelræd (Ethelred), Æðelric (Ethelric), Æðelstan (Ethelstan), Æthelweard (Ethelward) and Æðelwine (Ethelwin).  Ethel itself was not used as an independent name initially, but arose as a short form for those names beginning with Ethel, especially Etheldred (æðel + þryð "strength") which became popular thanks to the veneration of 7th century princess St Etheldred.

Usage:

Due to the popularity of the saint, Etheldred (often found in the vernacular form Audrey) was used through the Middle Ages into the early modern period. The name was used moderately and quite consistently over that time in England, though was rare in Wales and Scotland. Other Ethel- names such as Ethelbert and Ethelburg also survived in use, though were not as common.  Burial record of Ethel Devenish, Langton Herring, Dorset, 1699 Ethel alone can be found in parish records in the 17th century, though it is difficult to tell whether these were listed simply as short forms for Etheldred et al (see image right).  The late 18th century obsession with Gothic fiction and architecture particularly brought the Ethel- names back into the spotlight, and, with it, Ethel itself also grew more common.  At first, Ethel on its own was quite rare -- you were more likely to meet a baby Ethelinda, Etheldreda or Ethelbert in 1840 than a baby Ethel -- but it got a wider exposure in 1855 with the publication of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel The Newcomes in which the main female character was called Ethel Newcome.  We certainly know that this influenced some parents in the naming of Ethel: actress Ethel Barrymore (1879–1959) was named after Ethel Newcombe, her father's favourite literary character.  Thackeray's novel was followed in 1856 by Charlotte Mary Yonge's The Daisy Chain, whose heroine was Etheldred "Ethel" May.  The impact of these literary characters can be seen in birth records for Ethel in England and Wales: Data from the Surname Atlas 1838: 5 births 1839: 1 birth 1840: 0 births 1841: 1 birth 1842: 1 birth 1843: 1 birth 1844: 2 births 1845: 5 births 1846: 6 births 1847: 3 births 1848: 7 births 1849: 12 births 1850: 4 births 1851: 10 births 1852: 7 births 1853: 10 births 1854: 18 births 1855: 51 births 1856: 49 births 1857: 69 births 1858: 86 births By 1860, Ethel ranked #117 with 132 births. By 1870 it had risen to #56 (1069 births) and then further to #13 (8140 births) in 1880 and #7 (14486 births) in 1890.  It was most common in southern England, and quite popular in northern England and South Wales, but was much less common in Scotland where it only reached #45 in 1900 compared to its #9 rank in England and Wales.  Indeed, from 1974 to 2014, Ethel has only ranked seven times: once in 1975, 1979, 1987, 2006 and 2011; and twice in 1977 and 1978.  click to enlarge By 1914, Ethel was still #19 in England and Wales but began to decline afterwards -- #38 by 1924 and #91 in 1934, after which it fell out of the top 100.  As with all "it" names of a generation, Ethel became typified as a turn-of-the-century name, meaning that by the 1950s it was in "middle-aged aunt" territory, and by the 1980s was firmly a "grandma" name.  In the last 20 years, Ethel has been consistently below the top 1000 in England and Wales. It did see a slight rise after 2010, peaking in 2013 at 2460 (10 births).  This followed the revelation in January 2012 that Lily Allen had named her second daughter Ethel Mary which gave the name a bit of fashionable exposure.  In 2014, Ethel ranked #3514 with 6 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Dame Ethel Smyth (1858–1944), English composer and women's suffrage leader. * Ethel Bentham (1861–1931), British doctor, politician and suffragette. * Ethel Lilian Voynich (1864–1960), English novelist and musician. * Ethel Turner (1872–1958), Australian novelist and children's writer. * Ethel Benjamin (1875–1943), New Zealand's first female lawyer. * Ethel Barrymore (1879–1959), American stage and screen actress. * Ethel Clayton (1882–1966), American silent film actress. * Ethel Anderson (1883–1958), Australian poet, essayist, novelist and painter. * Ethel Roosevelt Derby (1891–1977), younger daughter of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. * Ethel Merman (1908–1984), American actress and singer. Literature and Other Media: * Ethel Newcome, character in William Makepeace Thackeray's novel The Newcomes (1855). * Etheldred "Ethel" May, a character in Charlotte Mary Yonge's novel The Daisy Chain (1856). * Ethel Hallow, character in The Worst Witch book series by Jill Murphy.

Variants:

Ethelle

Pronunciation:

ETH-əl [key]

Possible  diminutive:

Ettie, Ethie, Elle

Sibling Names:

Vera     Sybil     Agnes     Myrtle     Edith     Mabel  Giles    Wilbur    Percy     Walter     Lloyd     Clifford

Name Lists:

Funky-Clunky Names   Victorian Darlings   Names of Roses

 

If you like Ethel you may also like:   Blythe, Enid, Thora, Betty, Dora, Tilda, Rita, Thelma, Dorothy, Delyth

 

Thanks to Jess for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week: Albertine

 

Origin:

Albertine is a French, Swiss and Dutch feminine form of Albert.  Albert itself derives from two cognate names: the old Germanic Adalberaht (Adalbert) and the Anglo-Saxon Æðelbeorht (Ethelbert). The former was introduced to Britain by the Normans where it largely replaced its Old English counterpart. Both names were descended from the Proto-Germanic elements *athala- "noble" and *berhta- "bright."

Usage:

Prince Frederick Henry and his wife Amalia of Solms-Braunfels and his three youngest daughters From the 17th century as a name among Dutch, German and later French and Swiss nobility. Albertine Agnes of Nassau (1634-1696), was a daughter of the Dutch ruler Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange who became regent of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe in her own right. She is pictured (right) with her parents, holding the hand of her sister Henriette Catherine (1637-1708) who married into German nobility, and whose own eldest daughter was Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau (1683-1742). Though it wasn't particularly prolific, there are several other examples of the name being used in German and Dutch nobilty. Some of them like Albertine Agnes of Nassau -- such as Countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach (1683-1742) and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1713–1761) -- acted as regents for their provinces.  It was also influentially borne by Albertine Necker de Saussure (1766-1841), the daughter and wife of noted Swiss botanists, who campaigned and wrote extensively about women's rights to education. Her principal work, L'Education Progressive (1828), was a long and influential study on educational theory and the education of women and was influential in nineteenth century England in reforming educational policy. It is now acknowledged as an educational classic.  Beyond the elite, Albertine can be found in baptism records across Germany, Prussia, Belgium and the Netherlands from the mid-17th century. A few early examples in Britain, such as this baptism for a Susanne Albertine Carle in 1697 in London, shows that it was used primarily among French Hugenot families and largely was confined within London. Despite its Anglo-Saxon heritage and reinforcement by the Normans, Albert itself had been little used in Britain until the marriage in 1840 of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819-1861). The impact on the name Albert was marked. Albert went from not appearing in Dunkling's top 50 names fro either 1700 or 1800, yet by 1860 it was #19 and was #9 by 1890. As the Victorians loved to used feminised forms of names for their daughters, Albertine and Albertina became much more established names in Britain during the 19th century thanks to the success of the masculine Albert. Albertina was the more popular form (as the births below show) as the Latinised -a ending was a more common convention in Britain. Births in England and Wales: Albertine Albertina 1840s: 12 births 1850s: 15 births 1860s: 15 birth 1870s: 18 births 1880s: 20 births 1890s: 20 births 1900s: 21 births 1910s: 25  births 1920s: 3 births 1930s: 5 births 1940s: 6 births 1950s: 3 births  1960s: 3 births 1840s: 60 births 1850s: 76 births 1860s: 106 birth 1870s: 87 births 1880s: 84 births 1890s: 74 births 1900s: 45 births 1910s: 50 births 1920s: 16 births 1930s: 2 births 1940s: 11 births 1950s: 2 births  1960s: 15 births The name was quite consistent in use up until the 1920s when it saw a sharp decline. By the 1940s, many examples of the name Albertina are for children born to Italian immigrant  parents.  Albertine is also a very literary name.  In 1886, Norwegian author and artist Christian Krohg wrote a novel Albertine about the life of the unmarried seamstress Albertine, who is eventually forced into prostitution after being assaulted due to the social system of the time. The book caused great controversy, and was immediately confiscated by order of the Supreme Court of Norway leading to a demonstration, held outside Prime Minister Johan Sverdrup's office in January 1887, which gathered 5,000 protesters. Thanks to the novel and the debate that followed it, public prostitution in Norway was soon after abolished.  Another influential literary charcter is Albertine Simonet, the most important character in Marcel Proust’s seven-volume novel In Search of Lost Time (1913-1927). The same character is also the basis for Jacqueline Rose's novel Albertine (2001) and the 2003 musical My Life With Albertine by Ricky Ian Gordon.  The character was also the inspiration for the name of the Albertine rose, a wichuraiana rambler bred in France in 1921 by one of the Barbier brothers.  The Albertine is one of the most popular roses of all thanks to its strong sweet perfume, coppery pink colour, and full and hardy bloom. Since 1996, Albertine has only ranked three times in the official England and Wales name data: #3409 (4 births) in 2002; #5876 in 2012 (3 births); and #4684 (4 births) in 2014.  This is not the name's only use however, as the data only lists names given to three or more babies in any given year. Birth records show that there was one birth in each year in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005 and also several examples as a middle name.  Albertina is less common, and hasn't ranked in the data at all. Neither form of the name has been registered in Scotland from 1974-2014.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Countess Albertine Agnes of Nassau (1634-1696), a regent of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe, daughter of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange. * Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Anhalt-Dessau (1665-1706), daughter of John George II, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau and Henriette Catherine of Orange-Nassau. * Countess Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach (1683-1742),  Countess of Erbach-Erbach by birth and  Duchess of Saxe-Hildburghausen by marriage. She acted as regent for her son after her husband's death. * Princess Albertine of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1712-1750), wife of Victor Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg. * Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1713–1761), a Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She served as regent for her son after the deaths in 1752 of her husband. * Albertine Necker de Saussure (1766-1841), Swiss writer and women's education pioneer. * Albertine Thackwell (1863–1944), a British archer who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. * Albertine, baroness Staël von Holstein (1797–1838), daughter of Madame de Staël. * Albertine Morin-Labrecque (1886-1957), a Canadian pianist, soprano, composer. * Albertine Sarrazin (1937–1967), French author. Contemporary: * Viv Albertine (born 1955), British singer and songwriter. Literature and Other Media: * Albertine (1886), a novel by Norwegian author and artist Christian Krohg. * Albertine Simonet, a character in Marcel Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time (1913-1927). * Albertine (2006), an album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Brooke Fraser. * My Life with Albertine (2003), a musical with music and lyrics by Ricky Ian Gordon based on Proust's novel. Other: * Albertine, a popular sweet-smelling rambling rose. * Albertine owlet, a species of owl found in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.

Variants:

Albertina

Pronunciation:

al-bə-TEEN [key]

Possible  diminutive:

Allie, Albie, Aline, Bertie, Tina, Beattie, Bettie, Rose, Rosie

Sibling Names:

Edwina      Corisande      Lavinia     Eglantine     Clotilde     Dolores  Gilbert     Emmanuel    Ambrose    Silvester    Ferdinand   Algernon

Name Lists:

Names of Roses

 

If you like Albertine you may also like:   Augusta, Thomasina, Ghislaine, Wilhelmina, Ernestine, Alexandrine, Eugenie, Clarinda, Roberta, Angelica

 

Thanks to Prue for requesting this post.