British Baby Names

Name of the Week: Philip

Origin:

The Anglicised form of the Ancient Greek name Philippos, composed of the elements φιλος (philos) "friend, dear, friendly" and ‘ιππος (hippos) "horse." The second element of "horse" denotes high status in Ancient Greek nomenclature and is found in many aristocratic names. Horses were an extremely important part of Greek society and were represented frequently art and mythology. They were highly prized and cherished animals: representing wealth, as only the rich could afford to keep them, and were essential for many "upper-class" activities such as hunting, chariot riding or horse racing.

Usage:

The name Philippos was well used in Antiquity, especially among the elite. The Lexicon of Greek Personal Names has well over a thousand instances of the name from written sources, showing its good use. The most famous bearer of these men is undoubtedly Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. Known as a great commander, he built a formidable army, with which his son was later able to consolidate an empire, and conquered most of Greece under Macedonian rule during his reign.  The name Philip was then passed among the rulers of the Hellenic world, passing on to a Roman emperor -- Philip the Arab (c. 204–249) -- and other Roman aristocrats, as well as a Byzantine emperor. Even more influentially, the name Philip was borne by two biblical figures of the New Testament -- St Philip the Apostle and St Philip the Evangelist -- regarded as major Christian saints. Thanks to them, the name was common in the Middle Ages, borne by several Frankish kings from the 11th to 14th century, and spreading to noble houses throughout Europe.  In his rankings of records from 10 English counties in 1377-81, Redmonds puts Philip at #17, next to Gilbert and Reginald, categorising it between "quite popular" and "infrequent." This frequency of the name's usage can be attested by the many surnames it produced, such as Phelps, Phillips, Phillipson, Philkin, Philcox, Phipps and Philson. Though Philip was quite common for men, it was also used for several women as well. Though Philippa was the official Latin form recorded for these women, they were actually called Philip in everyday life. Queen Philippa of Hainault is recorded as Phelip, Philippe, and Phillip; while a Nottinghamshire will in 1532 refers to "Fillipe my doughter" [sic]. By the 16th century, Philip was firmly established as a royal name on the Continent, being borne by kings of France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Burgundy. It became an English regnal name in 1554 when Philip II of Spain (1527-1598) married Mary I and became co-ruler. During his reign, Spain reached the height of its influence and power and its colonies were numerous, including the Philippines which were named in his honour.  However, on the death of Mary in 1558, Philip lost his right to the throne of England and Ireland. Elizabeth I was now on the throne, and the former regime was very much out of favour. Philip tried to oust Elizabeth when he sent the Armada in 1588 but proved unsuccessful. The impact of this change can be seen in Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1670 in England, which shows a dip in the name after the 1560s:  1538-49: #18; 1550-9: #13; 1560-9: #14; 1570-9: #25; 1580-9: #23; 1590-9: #26; 1600-9: #32; 1610-9: #25; 1620-9: #22; 1630-9: #27; 1640-9: #28; 1650-9: #29; 1660-9: #21; 1670-9: #25; 1680-9: #26; 1690-1700: #32. Its rank remained quite consistent over the following centuries; in Dunkling's rankings for England and Wales, Philip ranks #25 in 1700 and #24 in 1800.  It was clearly common enough for Philip, or the short for Phip, was given as a vernacular name for the dunnock bird.  Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Throughout the 19th century, Philip ranked within the top 50 of England and Wales:  1860: #38 (Phillip #106) 1870: #42 (Phillip #134) 1880: #43 (Phillip #174) 1890: #48  1900: #48 click to enlarge It remained fairly steady around the #50 mark until 1944 when it moved up to #32. Ten years later in 1954 it peaked at #16 -- a move which may have been promoted by the marriage of Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark to Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) in 1947. It remained in the top 30 until the 1980s, after which it gradually declined. By 1994, Philip ranked #79; two years later, in 1996, it had dropped sharply out of the top 100 to #103.  The name saw a further decline after that until it plateaued around the #300 mark after 2004. In Scotland, Philip was more moderately popular, ranking #57 in 1900, #45 in 1950, #60 in 1975 and #86 in 1990. It fell out of the top 100 in 1992 and has been on a steady decline as in England and Wales.  In 2014, Philip ranked #288 (160 births) in England and Wales and #336 (11 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

Royalty: 5 kings of Macedon. 6 kings of France. 6 kings of Spain. 3 kings of Portugal. 7 Dukes of Burgundy. 1 king of Sweden. * Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (b. 1921), consort of Elizabeth II.  * Felipe VI of Spain (b.1968), King of Spain. * Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland (b. 1979), King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and third in line to the Swedish throne. History: * Philippus of Croton (c. 6th century BC) Olympic victor and legendary hero. * Philip (4th century BC), general of Alexander the Great. * Saint Philip the Apostle (d. c. 80 AD), one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. * Saint Philip the Evangelist (1st century AD), christian evangelist of the New Testament. * Philippus of Thessalonica (1st century AD), epigrammatic Greek poet and compiler of an Anthology. * Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman emperor. * Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586), English poet. * Philip Larkin (1922–1985), British poet. Contemporary: * Philip Pullman (b. 1946), British novelist. * Phil Collins (b.1951), British singer and drummer, formerly of Genesis. Literature and Other Media: * Philip "Pip", a character from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations (1861). * Prince Phillip, a character from Disney's film Sleeping Beauty (1957). * Philip Banks aka 'Uncle Phil', a character from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Variants:

Phillip; Philippe (French), Philipp (German), Felipe (Spanish), Filippo (Italian), Filipe (Portuguese), Filippos (Greek), Filip (Hungarian, Macedonian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene), Pilib (Irish), Filib (Scottish)

Pronunciation:

FIL-əp [key]

Possible Diminutives:

Phil, Pip, Phip

Sibling Names:

Julia     Susannah     Ruth     Bridget     Caroline     Louise  Peter     Laurence     Niall     Robert     Francis     Ralph

Name Lists:

British Royalty   European Royalty  Popular Biblical Names   Medieval Favourites   Gorgeously Georgian  Victorian Darlings   Shakespearean Names  Austen Names   Dickensian Names   Bronte Names   Enid Blyton Names  Disney Names

 

If you like Philip you may also like:    Winston, Nicholas, John, Martin, Hugh, Michael, Richard, Anthony, Paul, Jonathan

 

Thanks to Kinyonga for requesting this post.

Name of the Week: Bronwen

Origin:

Bronwen is a Welsh name, composed of the elements bron "breast" -- sometimes used in placenames to mean 'hill' -- and gwen "white, blessed." Despite not coming into use in its own right as a given name until the 19th century, Bronwen was used prior to that as an alternate name for Branwen (bran "raven" + gwen), one of the most alluded to and popular figures of Welsh legend. Sister of the giant Bran, king of Britain, Branwen was married to Matholwch, King of Ireland. According to the Mabinogion, she was one of the “Three Chief Maidens” of Wales, and “the most beautiful girl in the world.”* When her half brother Efnisien insulted the Irish king, Branwen was treated cruelly by her husband and made to work as a servant. Resourceful Branwen tamed a sparrow, eventually sending it to Britain with a message to Bran to come and rescue her, and war ensued.   The story of Branwen first appears in the famous Welsh prose, the White Book of Rhydderch (c. 1300-1325). While Branwen is mentioned sixteen times, the spelling Bronwen also appears once in the text. Other examples of Bronwen's use instead of Branwen can be found in Twr Bronwen, an alternate name for Harlech castle, mentioned by Welsh poet Tudor Penllyn (fl. c. 1420–1490) and later 19th century historians; and also Ynys Bronwen (Bronwen's island), another name for Bedd Branwen (Branwen's grave), a burial cairn by the river Alaw in Anglesey were legend says Branwen was buried.  Though Branwen is clearly the dominant form for the romantic heroine, it could be argued that Bronwen was the original form. If Bronwen was first used, it may have been changed to Branwen to match the name of her brother Bran. Equally, if Branwen was the original, Bronwen may have arisen from the assumption that white breast is a more feminine etymology than white raven.

Usage:

Other than the literary character, neither Branwen or Bronwen were used as given names until the 19th century, most likely thanks to the Victorian love of all things medieval -- a style inspired by Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (1820) -- and the revival of traditional Welsh names.  Chester Chronicle - 13 Nov 1818 In 1813, a grave containing a funeral urn was discovered on the banks of the river Alaw (the traditional site where Branwen was said to have been buried) in Anglesey. The site was labelled 'Ynys Bronwen' and the event made the papers. We also find references in newspapers from the early 19th century extolling the attractions of Harlech Castle, which was also known as Twr Bronwen. Here we see the literary Branwen clearly called Bronwen (see image right).  Another boost to the name, and to old Welsh names in general, came with the translation of the Mabinogion by Lady Charlotte Guest, which was completed in seven parts by 1845. A revised addition was published in 1877. The name Bronwen itself was used infrequently at the beginning of the 19th century. The first record in the birth index is in 1852 in Llandovery. It was used slowly until the 1880s, when it surged in use, peaking at the turn of the century. The Weekly Mail - 18th Oct 1879 It isn't clear what caused the name to increase tenfold, but in 1881 newspapers make several references to the marriage of Elizabeth Bronwen Hughes, daughter of the Lord Lieutenant of Flintshire, and I have also found a reference a serialised historical romance entitled Bronwen (see image right) which was published by the Welsh newspaper The Weekly Mail from 1879-1880, and translated into Welsh in 1881.  Quite understandably, much of Bronwen's use was confined to Wales; the majority in South Wales, especially Glamorgan. Births in England and Wales: 1840s: 0 births 1850s: 1 births 1860s: 7 birth 1870s: 18 births 1880s: 182 births 1890s: 531 births 1900s: 978 births 1910s: 839 births 1920s: 607 births 1930s: 450 births 1940s: 679 births 1950s: 449 births 1960s: 406 births Strangely, Branwen, was only registered three times in the 19th century: twice in 1888, and once in 1897 -- all in Glamorgan. Bronwyn was also used on rare occasions from 1870 in Wales and later in England in the 20th century.  The slight boost in the 1940s could be attributed to its use in Richard Llewellyn novel How Green Was My Valley (1939) which brought the name to a wider audience outside of Wales. The novel was made into a Hollywood movie in 1941, where the spelling was changed to Bronwyn, thereby making that the more common spelling in the English-speaking world.  click to enlarge At the end of the 1990s, both Bronwen and Bronwyn were in the top 600. Bronwen ranked #549 (45 births) and Bronwyn #423 (73 births) in 1996.  Bronwyn was the more common spelling, probably explained by the higher population in England compared with Wales. Both names have gradually declined in use; Bronwen fell out of the top 1000 in 2004, Bronwyn fell out in 2012.  In 2014, both Bronwen and Bronwen ranked at #1411 with 22 births each.  In Scotland, Bronwyn is the more common spelling. In the last forty years, from 1974 to 2014, Bronwen has ranked in 24 years with no more than five births (1994 = #484) in any given year.  Bronwyn has been registered in 28 of those forty years, starting in 1982, with between 1 and 21 births in any given year. It peaked at #200 (21 births) in 1996.  In 2014, Bronwyn ranked #603 (5 births) in Scotland; Bronwen did not rank.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Bronwen Wallace (1945–1989), Canadian poet and short story writer. Contemporary: * Bronwen Astor (b. 1930), English model. Literature and Other Media: * Bronwen Morgan, Richard Llewellyn novel How Green Was My Valley (1939).

Variants:

Bronwyn, Bronwynn

Pronunciation:

BRON-wen [key]

Possible  diminutive:

Bron, Bren, Wen

Sibling Names:

Margot     Fenella      Rhiannon     Fiona    Demelza     Tamsin       Alastair     Morgan     Oscar     Fergus     Dylan     Gareth

Name Lists:

Cosy Celtic

 

If you like Bronwen you may also like:   Bryony, Olwen, Florence, Bronte, Gwendolen, Rowena, Lamorna, Morwenna, Betsan, Bronya

 

Thanks to Minbin for requesting this post. 

Names from the works of Tennyson

Happy National Poetry Day!

Last Tuesday (6th October) marked the death Alfred, Lord Tennyson, one of Britain's greatest and highly renowned poets.

The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Lady of Shalott and Idylls of the Kingare just three of his most famous works, and several phrases which are now common in the English language can be attributed to him. He is, in fact, the ninth most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.

He was made a baron in 1884 by Queen Victoria -- the first person to be elevated to the Peerage for great contribution to literature. His time as Poet Laureate (1850 - 1892) still stands as the longest tenure recorded. #

Several given names were used simply on their own as the titles of his poems:

Adeline
Alexander
Amphion
Boadicea
Claribel
Columbus
Demeter and Persephone
Dora
Eleänore
Fatima
Godiva
Harold
Isabel
Kate
Lilian
Lucretius
Madeline
Margaret
Mariana
Maud
Minnie and Winnie
Œnone
Rosalind 
Tiresias
Tithonus
Ulysses

The following names appear in the works of Alfred, Lord Tennyson: 

Abdiel Abel Absalom Achilles Acrisius Adam Æsop Akbar Albert Aldred Alfgar Alfred Alfwig Allan Ally (Alfred) Alphege Ambrosius Amphion Amurath Anakim Andrew Anselm Anton Antonius Antony Apicus Apollo Arabi Arac Ares Arthur Arviragus Asaph Asmodeus Athelstan Augustine Aurelian Aurelius Austin Averill Aylmer Azrael Bacchus Balan Balin Bedivere Bel Benedict Blaise Bleys Bors Brandagoras Brastias Brendan Cadmus Caesar Cain Calixtus

Carados Carlos Cássivëlaún Cato Charles Charlie Clariance Claudias Constantinus Cyril Cyrus Dagonet Damon Danny David Denis Dick Dickon Dives Dubric Dunstan Edgar Edmund Edward Edwin Edyrn Egbert Emrys Enoch Esaïas  Esau Ethelred Eustace Everard Ferdinand Finn Florio Francis Gabriel Galahad Gamel Ganymede Gareth Garlon Gawain Geoffrey George Geraint Gideon Gilbert Godwin Gorlois Gregory Griffyth Guy Gwydion Harold Harry

Hector Heman Hengist Henry Herbert Hercules Hereward Hesperus Honorius Horace Howard Hubert Hugh Idris Immanuel Jack James Jephtha Jocelyn Jocky John Jonah Joseph Joshua Julian Julius Jupiter Kay Knut Lancelot Latimer Laurence Lavaine Lazarus Leofric Leofwin Leolin Leonard Lot Louis Lucretius Maeldune Mark Mars Maurice Memnon Menœceus Merlin Michael Moab Morcar Morganore Nicholas Oberon Odin Odo Olaf Omar

Orion Pancratius Paris Paul Pellam Pelleas Percivale Peter Philibert Philip Piero Publius Ralph Randulf Raphael Raymond Reginald Richard Robert Robin Roger Rolf Ronald Sagramore Saleem Shamus Simeon Simon Sinnatus Solomon Stephen Stigand Sylvester Taliessin Tarquin Telemachus Tetrarch Theobald Thomas Thor Thurkill Thurnaby Tityrus Tommy Tostig Tristram Ulfius Ulric Ulysses Urien Uther Virgil Vitus Walter William Yniol Zerubbabel Zeus

Adeline Agatha Aglaïa Agrippina Alcestis Aldwyth Alexandra Alice Amy Anne Annie Aphrodite Artemis Aspasia Athene Bellicent Bess Bessy Blanche Boadicea Calliope Camilla Camma Caroline Cassandra Cassiopeia Catharine Catherine Cecily Clara Clare Clarence Claribel Clelia Clio Corinna Cornelia Daisy Danaë Diana Dido Diotima Dirce Dora Edith Effie Elaine Eleanor Eleänore Elisabetta Elizabeth Ellen Emelia Emma Emmie Enid Esther Ettarre

Europa Eva Eve Evelyn Flora Flur Fulvia Giovanna Godiva Guinevere Hannie Hebe Helen Here Hesper Hetty Hortensia Ida Iris Isabel Isis Isolt Jael Jane Jenny Jinny Joan Judith Juliet Juno Kapiolani Kate Katie Lais Letty Lilia Lilian Lucilia Lucy Lynette Lyonors Madeline Magdalen Magee Margaret Margery Maria Marian Marie Mary Matilda Maud Meg Melissa Melpomene Milly Minnie Miriam

Mizpeh Mnemosynê Moll Molly Muriel Nelly Niobe Nox Œnone Olive Olivia Oriana Palmyrene Peelè Persephone Phoebe Phryne Proserpine Psyche Rachel Rhodope Rosalind Rosamund Rose Ruth Sally Thalia Theodolind Tib Titania Tomyris Urania Vashti Venus Victoria Violet Vivien Winnie Ygerne

Name of the Week

 

Origin:

Charlotte is a feminine form of Charles, itself an old French form of the Germanic name Karl. The Latin form Carola (the feminine form of Carolus) developed the diminutive suffix -ot which became Charlotte in French and Carlotta in Italian.   Karl itself was a Germanic word meaning "man, husband" which stemmed from the Proto-Germanic *karilaz "little man, young man", a word that can be found in use in many languages throughout Europe. In Old English, for example, ceorl (later a carl or churl) referred to a freeman: a status between a noble and a serf. They held the right to bear arms, attend local courts, and payed dues directly to the king. In Slavic languages, the word came to mean "king" thanks to the Carolingian dynasty (e.g. Polish krol, Lithuanian karalius, Czech and Slovakkrál, Russian король).

Usage:

Many onomasticians -- including the indomitable Charlotte M. Yonge and Elizabeth G. Withycombe -- track the first Charlotte back to Charlotte of Savoy (1411-1483). She married Louis XI of France, thereby 'introducing' the Italian Carlotta to French court, which was Frenchified as Charlotte.  However, a deeper delve shows a more complex picture, and not one that necessarily started with Carlotta and ended with Charlotte. The Duchy of Savoy, where Charlotte was born, ruled territory between France, Switzerland and Italy which made for a language melting pot. Early records in Italian* do call her Carlotta, but, as her family were of French nobility, she may have been called Charlotte also. Her immediate family tree was also littered with other Charlottes, and she certainly wasn't the first. Another Charlotte was her first cousin and later sister-in-law Charlotte of Lusignan (1444– 1487) who was born only three years after Charlotte of Savoy. She was heir to the throne of Cyprus and later reigned as queen in her own right. Charlotte de Bourbon (1449–1478), was another distant member of the de Bourbon line who was born soon after. Both Charlotte of Savoy and Charlotte of Lusignan were, in all likelihood, named after their mutual grandmother Charlotte de Bourbon-La Marche (1388–1422), Queen consort of Cyprus. This Charlotte was born in France in 1388, daughter of John I, Count of La Marche, and is known for bringing about a revival of French culture to the Cyprian court. Though she may have been 'Regina Carlotta' to her people, it is more likely that her French family called her Charlotte. It is possible that she was named in honour of King Charles VI of France, whom her father fought with on campaign in Flanders in 1382. From the 14th century onward, then, Charlotte/Carlotta was well established among French royalty and the houses they married into. It took a little longer to travel to British shores. In 1626, the 7th Earl of Derby married French aristocrat Charlotte de La Trémoille (1599-1664) (yet another branch of the de Bourbon tree). Charlotte is famous for having withstood an eleven-week Parliamentarian siege of Lathom Castle in 1644, with only 300 men. Her bravery was immortalised in romantic novels of the 19th century, including one by Sir Walter Scott. Following that, in 1682, the Duke of York, later James II named his daughter Princess Charlotte Maria of York. Sadly, however, she died aged only two months old.  In the aftermath of the Civil War (1642-49), culminating in the beheading of Charles I, royalist families began to increase their honorific use of Charles as a given name, moving it up to the top 15 most popular names in the latter half of the 17th century. Charlotte may also have been used as an honourific royalist name, as Dunkling ranks it #41 for girls in England and Wales in 1700. This made it by no means popular, but it does show it was in regular use by that time. A century later, in 1800, Charlotte had shot up to #10 and was still a respectable #19 by 1850. The most likely influence was thanks to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of George III, who was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1716-1818, and also its use as the name of the heroine in Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774) which was a huge international success.  Queen Charlotte is remembered for being a passionate supporter of arts and science and for founding many orphanages. She was mother to fifteen children and took an active part in their upbringing, ensuring that her daughters were highly educated. She also founded a maternity hospital, which is now known as Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, one of the oldest of its kind in the world.  Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766–1828), her eldest daughter, followed, as did Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (1796–1817) her granddaughter, and the only daughter and heir of George IV.  This latter Charlotte was the People's Princess; deemed as a breath of fresh air for the British public, compared to her perfidious father and ailing grandfather (who was widely thought to be insane). When she died, aged only 21, in 1817, the country went into an intense period mourning. Linen-drapers ran out of black cloth and shops, law courts and docks were closed for two weeks. She was certainly the Diana of her day. Her death caused a crisis of succession. King George III's (by then middle-aged) bachelor sons scrabbled to provide the next heir, and, as a result, Princess Charlotte of Clarence was born in March 1819 to William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV). Tragically, she died within hours of her birth, denying the country another ruling Queen Charlotte.  Two months later, Princess Alexandrina Victoria was born, the future Queen Victoria. Charlotte was one of the names which she was supposed to be given, but was rejected by the Prince Regent. Perhaps this pettish act is why Victoria did not use the name Charlotte for any of her own children. When her eldest daughter Vicky, used the name for her first born in 1860 (Princess Charlotte of Prussia "Charly"), the queen was vocal in her dislike of the name.  Charlotte was not used as a given name by the immediate British royal family until the birth this year of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. The one royal exception is Charlotte the parrot, the beloved pet of George V who he took everywhere with him.  This lack of royal namesakes, combined with it eventually being considered a "grandmother" name, saw the name gradually decline in use over the course of the 19th century: #20 in 1860, #25 in 1870, #35 in 1880, #50 in 1890 and #64 in 1900.  Charley and Lottie were well established as nicknames, and C.M. Yonge also lists Chatty as a variant. E. G. Withycombe makes the intriguing observation that, although the 17th spelling "Charlet" shows that the name was pronounced the same then as it is today, in the 19th century it occasionally became three syllables: Charlotty. Though they may, in some cases, be transcription errors it is interesting to note that the 1881 census has 47 instances of Charlottee, 35 of Charlottie and 18 of Charlotty.  Charlotte was still in the top 100 in England and Wales at the beginning of the 20th century, ranking #75 in 1904 and #96 in 1914, after which it fell out of the top 100 until it returned again in the 1970s. Dunkling's data (births per 10,000) shows that Charlotte was at its lowest usage of '2' in 1955, but increased swiftly from '39' in 1970 to '74' in 1975.  In 1974, Charlotte was back in the top 100 at #41 and was #22 by 1984.  It peaked at #4 in 1994 and remained in the top 10 until 2006. Though the rank has fluctuated, the birth count has been steadily decreasing each year. Time will tell if the recent birth of Princess Charlotte will boost the name up again.  In 2013, Charlotte ranked #21 with 2242 births in England and Wales. It ranked #21 (213 births) in Scotland and #35 (73 births) in Northern Ireland in 2014.

Famous Bearers:

Royalty: * Charlotte de Bourbon-La Marche (1388–1422), Queen consort of Cyprus and titular Queen consort of Armenia and Jerusalem. * Charlotte of Savoy (1441–1483), Queen consort of France, wife of Louis XI. * Charlotte of Lusignan (1444– 1487), Queen of Cyprus, Princess of Antioch and titular Queen of Jerusalem and Armenia. * Charlotte de Bourbon (1449–1478), Countess of Buchan. * Charlotte d'Albret (1480–1514) Duchess of Valentinois and regent for her daughter after her husband's (Cesare Borgia) death. * Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel (1650–1714) Queen consort of Denmark and Norway, * Princess Charlotte Maria of York (1682-1682), daughter of James, Duke of York, later James II.  * Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (1700–1761), wife of Francesco III, Duke of Modena. * Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744–1818), Queen consort of Britain and Ireland, wife of George III. * Charlotte, Princess Royal (1766–1828), Queen consort of Württemberg and eldest daughter of George III. * Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (1796–1817), daughter of George, Prince of Wales, later George IV. * Charlotte (Carlota) of Mexico (1840–1927), daughter of Leopold I of Belgium and Empress of Mexico. * Princess Charlotte of Prussia (1860–1919), Duchess of Saxe-Meiningen.  * Charlotte of Nassau-Weilburg (1896–1985), Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. * Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois (1898–1977), daughter of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, and Hereditary Princess of Monaco. * Archduchess Charlotte of Austria (1921–1989), daughter of Emperor Charles I of Austria. * Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (b.2015), Fourth in line to the throne of the United Kingdom.  History: * Charlotte de La Trémoille (1599-1664), Countess of Derby and royalist heroine. * Charlotte Lennox (c. 1730–1804), Scottish author and poet. * Charlotte Smith (1749–1806), English Romantic poet and novelist. * Lady Charlotte Guest (1812-1901), translator of The Mabinogian.  * Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855), English novelist and poet. * Charlotte Mary Yonge (1823–1901), English novelist. * Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935), American feminist and reformer. Contemporary: * Charlotte Gainsburg (b. 1971), Anglo-French actress and singer. * Charlotte Dujardin OBE (b. 1985), British dressage rider and Olympic gold medallist. * Charlotte Church (b. 1986) is a Welsh singer-songwriter Literature and Other Media: * Charlotte "Lotte", the heroine of Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774). * Charlotte Lucas, a character in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813). * Charlotte "Charley" Neckett, a character in Charles Dicken's Bleak House (1852/3).

Variants:

Charlene, Charlize; Carlotta (Italian), Carlota (Spanish, Portuguese)

Pronunciation:

SHAR-lət   [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Char, Charlie, Charley, Charles, Charla, Chattie, Lotte, Lottie, Lotta, Lola

Sibling Names:

Amelia     Emily     Lucy     Harriet     Eleanor     Victoria  Thomas     Louis     Edward     Oliver     George     Frederick

Name Lists:

Gorgeously Georgian   British Royalty   European Royalty   Austen Names   Bronte Names   Dickensian Names   Disney Names   Names of Roses

 

If you like Charlotte you may also like:   Clara, Matilda, Emma, Julia, Caroline, Florence, Isabelle, Catherine, Eloise, Imogen

 

Thanks to Charlotte for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week

A Spartan princess, an ancient city and
an intelligent muggle-born witch.

 

Origin:

Hermione is the transliterated form of the Ancient Greek name Ἑρμιόνη. In Greek mythology, Hermione was the daughter of King Menelaus and Queen Helen of Sparta who was caught between two suitors: Orestes son of Agamemnon and Neoptolemus son of Achilles.   Hermione was also, and arguably more notably in ancient times, the name of a port town in the Peloponnese which, by the 8th century, was a city state in control of neighbouring towns. It was the site of many dedicated temples and was an important site of trade, shipbuilding and production of the sought-after red dye porphyra. Pausanius described it as "a city which I found afforded much to write about." Hermione is undoubtedly derived from Hermes, the name of the god of transition, boundaries and the divine messenger. Scholars are divided as to where the name comes from. Certainly, it is an extremely ancient name, possibly pre-Greek. Even ancient scholars were at a loss to account for the name's origin. Plato suggested "that the name Hermes has to do with speech, and signifies that he is the interpreter," thanks to its similarity to ερμενηυς (hermenus) "interpretor." However, it is now believed that hermenus was derived from Hermes, not the other way around.  Most scholars feel it likely that it derives from ἕρμα (herma) meaning "heap of stones, boundary marker," which ties in very nicely to his duty as the God of Boundaries.

Usage:

There are several examples of Hermione in use in the Classical and Hellenistic Greek eras. The Lexicon of Greek Personal Names has recorded 107 examples of the name in use, many of them in Asia Minor where it was around the 11th most popular name for women.  Hermione was also not uncommon in the Roman Empire, often found in the Latinised form Hermiona. St Hermione (d.117) was a Christian martyr of Ephesus, while Pompeii sports the tomb of a Lollia Hermiona.  On British shores, Hermione didn't have much use until the 17th century, when it was used in literary circles. Most notably, Shakespeare used the name for his beautiful and virtuous queen of Sicily in A Winter's Tale, which was first published in 1623. In 1673, Jean-Baptiste Lully's opera Cadmus et Hermione was first performed, which was based on the ancient Greek myth of Cadmus. However, according to the myth, Cadmus's wife was the goddess Harmonia, not Hermione. Lully was not the only one to make the mistake; Milton wrote "...those that in Illyria changed Hermione and Cadmus." Most likely the confusion started with the Latin form Hermiona, and later medieval texts adopted the forms Harmonie, Harmiona and Hermonia. In terms of usage, Hermione appears on baptism records in the late 17th century. It was rare initially, but by the 19th century, Hermione (while still uncommon) had established regular use. It gradually, gained in use by the end of the century, averaging 5-6 births per year. Birth in England and Wales: 1840s: 5 births 1850s: 5 births 1860s: 16 births 1870s: 21 births 1880s: 53 births 1890s: 61 births 1900s: 69 births 1910s: 89 births 1920s: 79 births 1930s: 78 births 1940s: 102 births 1950s: 36 births 1960s: 54 births In the the 1990s, Hermione was just sitting within the top 1000. It's fortunes changed however, when J.K.Rowling used the name for the principle female character in her Harry Potter series, the first of which was published in 1997. The first film was released in 2001.  Click to enlarge In 1996, Hermione ranked #974 in England and Wales with 21 births. After the publication of the first Harry Potter book, the name slowly began to rise in usage up to #637 (40 births) in 2000. It was the year after the first film hit the cinemas however that Hermione really began to move ranking #394 (84 births) in 2002, #265 (158 births) in 2003 and #265 (162 births) in 2004. Since its peak in 2004, Hermione has seen a sporadic and gradual decline in use, but it still remains in more use than its pre-Potter status.  In 2013, Hermione ranked #542 with 77 births in England and Wales.  It is less common in Scotland where it ranked #1021 (2 births) in 2014. It did not rank in Northern Ireland at all.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Saint Hermione of Ephesus (d. 117 A.D.), early Christian martyr. * Hermione Gingold (1897–1987), British actress. * Hermione Baddeley (1906–1986), British actress. * Hermione Hammond (1910–2005), British painter. Contemporary: * Hermione Norris (b. 1968), British actress. Literature and other Media: * Queen Hermione of Sicily, a character in The Winter's Tale (1623) by William Shakespeare. * Hermione, a character in the opera Cadmus et Hermione (1673) by Jean-Baptiste Lully. * Hermione Granger, a main character in the Harry Potter novels and films by J.K. Rowling.  * Hermione Bostock, a character in the fiction of P. G. Wodehouse. * Letter to Hermione, a song from the album Space Oddity by David Bowie. Other: * HMS Hermione, four ships of the Royal Navy.

Variants:

Ermioni, Ἑρμιόνη (Greek) Hermiona (Latinised)

Pronunciation:

hər-MĪ-ə-nee (UK) er-mee-Ō-neh (Greek) [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Hermie, Mimi, Minnie, Hera, Hero, Mione, Marni

Sibling Names:

Cassandra     Penelope     Emmeline     Beatrix      Ophelia     Rosalind  Dominic     Alexander     Sebastian     Maxim     Theodore     Benedict

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance   Vintage   Saintly and Stylish   Shakespearean   Harry Potter Names   Mythological Names    Ancient Place Names   Butterflies

 

If you like Hermione you may also like:   Ottilie, Persephone, Thessaly, Arabella, Phaedra, Jemima, Sabina, Venetia, Perdita, Theodora

 

Thanks to Arabella for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week

Angelic yet fiery Michael is a solid classic
in the sweet spot between well known and not too popular.

 

Origin:

Michael is the Anglicised form of the Hebrew name Mikael (מִיכָאֵל), derived from mi "who" ki a conjunction, and el "God." The name translates as "Who is like God?" -- a rhetorical question intended to mean that no one is like God. It takes a similar form to ancient Assyrian names such as Mannu-kî-Rammân "Who is like Rammân?" and Mannu-kî-ilu-rabu "Who is like the great God?" In the Abrahamic religions, Michael is one of the three archangels. He is referred to in the Old Testament as a "prince of the first rank" who "stands up for the children of your people." He has therefore been regarded by Jews as "the Prince of Israel." In the New Testament Michael is the leader of the heavenly host who defeated Satan. He is mentioned once in the Qu'ran, but also the Hadith describes how Michael (Mikal) assisted Muhammad in fulfilling his spiritual mission. Christians regard the archangel as Saint Michael, the patron saint of soldiers, grocers, mariners, firefighters, paramedics, police and sickness. Given his prominence, it is no surprise that St Michael's is one of the most common church dedications in Europe.

Usage:

As well as the archangel, Micheal was borne by ten biblical characters, demonstrating the name's early use. Thanks to the popularity of the saint, it was also borne by no fewer than nine Byzantine Emperors. Michael came into use in Britain in the 12th century, via the French Michel.  Michael was the learned form, even from an early date, but the most common pronunciation was more phonetic -- MICH-əl -- closer to the French pronunciation of Michel. This led to the surnames Mitchel, Mitchell, Michell, Mitchelson, Mitchison and Mitchelman. In Orkney, St Michael is still pronounced as St Mitchell today. In his survey of 1000 names from ten counties 1377-81, Redmonds ranks Michael at #26, categorising it as "infrequent." Though it was not extremely popular, the name did maintain a steady regular usage across the centuries.  The long i pronunciation was a later introduction, taking over by the 16th century. The Cursor Mundi, written in the early 14th century uses the spelling "Seynt Myghell." Evidence suggest that this form was still using a short i at first, as attested by the surnames Mighell, Miggel and Miggle. However, it looks like the pronunciation of this spelling changed by the 16th century. Mighell became Myhill, then Mihel, Miall, Myall and Miel. There are examples of Michaelmas being written as Mighelmass and Mielmasse.  In his poem Hudibras (1674-1678), Samuel Butler writes, "At Michael's term had many trial, Worse than the dragon and St. Michael, clearly showing that Michael was rhymed with 'trial'.  The 16th century saw continued regular use of the name, as we can see from Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1670 in England: 1538-49: #24; 1550-9: #29; 1560-9: #25; 1570-9: #30; 1580-9: #23; 1590-9: #16; 1600-9: #16; 1610-9: #20; 1620-9: #20; 1630-9: #19; 1640-9: #20; 1650-9: #26; 1660-9: #23; 1670-9: #27; 1680-9: #25; 1690-1700: #27. Similarly, Leslie Dunkling ranks Michael as #26 in England and Wales in 1700 and still a very consistent #27 in 1800.  From The Surname Atlas. Click to enlarge. Data from the 1881 census put Michael as the 82nd most frequent name (male and female) in the UK and also shows that Michael was most popular in Northern England and Scotland during the 19th century.  It ranked #31 in 1860, #35 in 1870, #44 in 1880, #56 in 1890 and #71 in 1900 in England and Wales.  Over the course of the 20th century, Michael ranked consistently within the top 50 every decade. It was #46, #39 and #40 from 1904 to 1924 and saw a significant jump to #7 in 1934. From there it stayed in the top 10 for the following five decades.  In Scotland Michael was very consistent: #29 in 1900, #12 in 1950, and #14 in 1975.  This longstanding popularity has put Michael as a firm classic. It has also been fortunate enough to survive contemporary trends and "stay cool." Leslie Dunklings quotes two British surveys of "sexy" names: one in 1975 which listed Michael as one of ten names girls would most like to go on a blind date with, and one ten years later from the Daily Mirror which saw Michael voted as the sexiest male name.  Click to enlarge In 1996, Michael ranked #22 in England and Wales and #11 in Scotland. It has since declined gradually in use in all three countries, now ranking just below the top 50.  In 2013, Michael ranked #53 in England and Wales. It was #53 also in Scotland in 2014. In Northern Ireland, Michael has maintained more popularity, having moved steadily from #7 in 1997 to #20 in 2014.

Famous Bearers:

History: * 9 saints and 17 blessed.  * 9 Byzantine Emperors. * Michael Scot (c.1175–c.1234), medieval scholar. * Michael the Brave (d. 1601), Prince of Walachia, Transylvania and of Moldavia. * Michael Faraday (1791-1867), inventor and electrical pioneer.  * Michael Arlen (1895–1956), Britosh novelist. * Michael Crichton (1942–2008), American novelist, screenwriter and director. Contemporary: * Sir Michael Caine, CBE (b.1933), British actor.  * Sir Michael Gambon, CBE (b.1940), British actor. * Michael "Mick" Jagger (b.1943), lead singer of English band The Rolling Stones. * Michael Douglas (b.1944), American actor. * Michael Jackson (1958-2009), American pop star.  * Michael J. Fox (b.1961), Canadian-American actor. * Michael Schumacher (b.1969), German racing driver. * Michael Bublé (b.1975), Canadian singer. * Michael Fassbender (b.1977), Irish actor.  Literature and Other Media: * Michael Cassio, a character in Shakespeare's Othello. * Michael (1800), a poem by William Wordsworth. * Michael Corleone, main character in The Godfather trilogy. Click this link for a more expansive list

Variants:

Mitchell (Medieval English), Meical (Welsh), Mícheál (Irish), Mìcheal, Micheil (Scottish), Miguel (Spanish, Portuguese), Michel (French), Michail, Mikhail, Misha (Russian), Mihael, Mihail (Serbian), Mikael (Finnish)

Pronunciation:

MĪ-kəl [key]

Possible diminutives:

Mike, Mikey, Micky, Cael

Sibling Names:

Hannah     Elizabeth     Rebecca      Abigail     Rachael     Sarah       Andrew     Christopher     David     James     Charles     Matthew

Name Lists:

Medieval Favourites   Terrifically Tudor   Gorgeously Georgian   Shakespearean Names   Dickensian Names   Bronte Names   Enid Blyton Names   Tennyson Names

 

If you like Michael you may also like:    Daniel, Robert, Gabriel, Samuel, Richard, Benjamin, Jonathan, Stephen, Nicholas, Simon

 

Thanks to Chamali for requesting this post.

Name of the Week

Solid, stately, royal and refined
Eleanor is perfectly proper name with a raft of cute nicknames.

 

Origin:

Look in any baby name book and you'll most likely see Eleanor listed as "The French form of Helen" or simply meaning "Light."  True, the Greek Helen has long been associated with the Greek helene "torch," but Eleanor's origins are far more convoluted, and all seemingly pinpointed to one person: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France and Queen of England.  Eleanor, or more properly Alienor, was born in 1122 in Southern France as the eldest daughter of William, Duke of Aquitaine and his wife Aenor de Châtellerault. Back in the 1970s, author Marion Meade wrote a biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine in which she made the connection between Alienor and Aenor, speculating that Alienor most likely came from the Latin phrase alia Aenor meaning "the other Aenor." Basically Aenor Junior or Little Aenor. Thus an alternate theory for Eleanor's etymology took route.  To add to this, the name has also picked up extra etymological ties along the way. The spelling Elinor corresponds to the Hebrew for El "God" and or "light" (God's Light). Though this is a coincidental association, it is quite likely that some parents are choosing the name because of this connection.  J.R.R. Tolkien has also coined the variant Elanor from his created Elvish language Sindarin, made from the words el "star" and anor "sun." He gave it to a star-shaped flower which Samwise Gamgee liked so much he named his daughter after it.  So which theory is the correct theory? There may be an element of truth to the "other Aenor" idea -- if only as a deliberate association made by William and Aenor. A charter dated from 1130, when Eleanor was only eight, lists her and her mother separately as Aenordis and Alienordis showing that their names were regarded as differing slightly by their contemporaries. But "the other Aenor" link can have only been a coincidental quirk on the part of her parents.  The fact is, we cannot credit William and Aenor with "creating" Alienor, as the name was already in use beforehand. Aenor's own paternal grandmother was Alienor de Thouars (c.1054-c.1093) and she herself also had a paternal grandmother of the same name: Aenor de Blois (b.c.990). Alienor de Thours is contemporarily recorded as Adenordis, Adenors, Aenoris, Ainors, Ainora and Adenorde.* Her grandmother was listed by the names Adenordis, Adamardis, Aynor and Ainor(a).  Adenorde almost certainly looks to be a Germanic name, composed of either adal "noble" or alda "ancient" and nord "north." The curious form of Adamardis may simply be a spelling mistake, but it is very suggestive of a feminine form of Ademar (Audamar), from aud "wealth, fortune" and meri "famous." However, let's not dismiss Helen just yet. St Helena (or St Helen) was a very popular saint in medieval times, especially in Britain, and we do know that Elena was used as an Occitan form of Helen in Aquitaine. It was brought over to Britain by the Normans and for centuries Helen, Ellen and Eleanor were interchangeable.  Eleanor itself was perhaps used by the Normans themselves pre-Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor of Normandy (c.1011) was an aunt of William the Conqueror [though there is some doubt about her name as there is no record of it in contemporary accounts] and Eleanor of Champagne (1104-1147) was a granddaughter of William the Conqueror. Eleanor of Aquitaine was also recorded by the name Helienordis during her lifetime and other Eleanor's are later listed as Helienor, showing how easily Hel- could also be El- and Al- in medieval France.  It is interesting to note that most of the early Aenors/Adenordes -- who were never recorded as Alienor/Eleonore/Eleanor etc in their lifetimes -- have been known almost exclusively by these later forms since the 13th century, indicating a definite conflation between the two names. It is quite possible that Eleanor of Aquitaine's nearly extinct family name Adenordis/Aenor became merged with the more usual Provencial forms of Helen during her lifetime and thanks to her fame, the two have been intertwined ever since.

Usage:

Eleanor of Aquitaine had it all: beauty, brains, position, power – and wit enough to learn quickly how to use them to her advantage in a world totally dominated by men.  When her father died, Eleanor was an extremely wealthy heiress and Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right. Her guardian, the King of France, quickly had her married off to his son and heir and within months she was Queen consort of France. The marriage was not a happy one and after fifteen years produced only two daughters. Frustrated and unhappy, Eleanor campaigned to have her marriage annulled and within eight weeks was married to the dashing Henry Plantagenet, then Duke of Normandy, later Henry II, King of England who was nine years her junior. Together they had eight children in quick succession and their descendants married into all the royal houses of Europe. You can find out more about this fascinating woman in this video [BBC documentary - She Wolves: England's Early Queens]. As the grandmother of Europe, Eleanor’s name passed down through several royal lines. Her daughter Eleanor of England (1162-1214), described by her great-grandson as "noble and much loved," became Queen consort of Castile, and thus the Spanish form Leonor passed down Spanish and Portuguese royalty. Castile’s Queen Eleanor had three daughters who passed the name through other royal houses: * Eleanor (1202-1244) became Queen consort of Aragon. * Urraca, Queen Consort of Portugal, had a daughter named Eleanor (Leonor of Portugal) who became Queen of Denmark. * Berengaria, Queen of Castile and Queen consort of Leon, had a granddaughter Eleanor of Castile (1241-1290) who became Queen consort of England herself when she married Edward I. Back in England, the country soon had a second Queen Eleanor when Henry III married Eleanor of Provence (1223-1291). Their son, Edward I, also married an Eleanor: Eleanor of Castile (see above). By all accounts they had a very happy marriage, and, upon her death, Edward had twelve magnificent stone monuments erected, known as the Eleanor Crosses, marking the nightly resting-places along the route of her funeral procession. In terms of popularity, Eleanor became established regularly by the 12th century but it wasn't especially common outside of the nobility. By the 15th century however, it became more established among all strata of society. We can see this in Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1670 in England: 1538-49: #11; 1550-9: #11; 1560-9: #12; 1570-9: #10; 1580-9: #12; 1590-9: #13; 1600-9: #13; 1610-9: #14; 1620-9: #16; 1630-9: #15; 1640-9: #15; 1650-9: #12; 1660-9: #10; 1670-9: #14; 1680-9: #17; 1690-1700: #18. According to Leslie Dunkling, Eleanor ranked #13 in 1700 and #24 in 1800 in England and Wales, demonstrating its consistency.  It was often used interchangeably with Ellen, which also ranked within the top 20. Nell or Nellie were the most common diminutive forms from the 16th century, epitomised by Eleanor "Nell" Gwyn (1650-1687), the famous mistress of Charles II.  Data from the Surname Atlas. Click to enlarge. By the Victorian era, Eleanor wasn't quite as common as it had been from the 16th-18th centuries, but stayed solidly in the top 50. It ranked #34 in 1860, #37 in 1870, #39 in 1880, #48 in 1890 and #53 in 1900 in England and Wales. In comparison, it was #82 in Scotland in 1900.  Data from the 1881 census shows that, of the 54,845 Eleanors listed, most were situated in the north and south east of England. Comparatively, it was much less common in Scotland.  Elinor, the less common but well established spelling variant, numbering 2126, was more common in Wales.  By the end of the century, longer, more stately names like Catherine, Harriet, Amelia and Charlotte declined in favour of new shorter abbreviations like Ada, Maud, Eva, Ida and Minnie. Eleanor was one such who declined in favour of these shorter forms, while Nellie, Nora and Ella became more common as stand alone names.  At the beginning of the 20th century, Eleanor was still going strong in the top 100 in England and Wales: #52 in 1904, #67 in 1914 and #89 in 1924. But after that it fell out of the top 100 until it came triumphantly back in 1984, ranking #76, rising to #32 in 1994. Scotland, on the other hand, saw Eleanor at #44 in 1950, but it was out of the top 100 by 1974, and has been out ever since.  Dunkling's data for the number of girls registered with the names Eleanor and Elinor in every 10,000 births in England and Wales, however, suggests an earlier revival in the 1960s:   1900 1925 1935 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985  1990 Eleanor   34   14   14    4    8    4   22    4   10    18    24    60 Elinor    1    -    -    1    -    1    2    -    -    -    2    8 click to enlarge In the 1990s, Eleanor was well and truly back in favour in England and Wales. It peaked at #18 in 1999 and gradually declined in popularity up until 2008 when it hit a steady plateau between #55 and #65.  In 2013, Eleanor ranked #57 (1039 births) -- #55 in England; #88 in Wales. Elinor was #1098 with 32 births.  In 2014, Eleanor ranked #182 (25 births) in Scotland and #327 (5 births) in Northern Ireland.

Famous Bearers:

Royalty: * Eleanor of Champagne (1104-1147), granddaughter of William the Conqueror by his daughter Princess Adela.  * Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204), Duchess of Aquitaine, Queen of France (wife of Louis VII) and Queen of England (wife of Henry II).  * Eleanor of England, Queen of Castile (1161–1214), daughter of Henry II of England, wife of Alfonso VIII of Castile. * Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany (1184–1241), daughter of Geoffrey, son of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II. * Eleanor of Castile, Queen of Aragon (1202-1244) (1202–1244), wife of James I of Aragon and daughter of Eleanor of England. * Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Denmark (1211–1231), daughter of Afonso II of Portugal and wife of Valdemar, co-King of Denmark. * Eleanor of Leicester (1215–1275), daughter of King John of England. * Eleanor of Provence, Queen of England (1222–1291), wife of Henry III. * Eleanor of Castile, Queen of England (1241–1290), wife of Edward I. * Eleanor of England, Countess of Bar (1269–1298), daughter of Edward I. * Eleanor of Anjou, Queen of Sicily (1289-1341), daughter of Charles II of Naples and wife of Frederick III of Sicily. * Eleanor of Castile, Queen of Aragon (1307–1359), daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and wife of Alfonso IV of Aragon. * Eleanor of Woodstock (1318–1355), daughter of Edward II. * Eleanor of Portugal, Queen of Aragon (1328–1348), daughter of Afonso IV of Portugal and wife of Peter IV of Aragon. * Eleanor of Sicily, Queen of Aragon (1349-1375), wife of Peter IV of Aragon. * Eleanor of Castile, Queen of Navarre (c.1365–1416), wife of Charles III of Navarre. * Eleanor of Alburquerque, Queen of Aragon (1374–1435), wife of Ferdinand I of Aragon. * Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal (1402–1445), wife of Edward I of Portugal  * Eleanor of Portugal, Holy Roman Empress (1434-1467), wife of Emperor Frederick III. * Eleanor of Austria (1498–1558), Queen consort of Portugal (1516–1521) and of France (1530–1547). * Eleanor of Viseu, Queen of Portugal (1458–1525), wife of John II of Portugal. * Countess Palatine Eleonora Catherine of Zweibrücken (1626-1692), sister of King Charles X of Sweden. * Leonor, Princess of Asturias (b.2005), daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain an d first in line to the Spanish throne. * Princess Leonore, Duchess of Gotland (b. 2014), Swedish princess. History: * Eleanor of Arborea (1347–1404), Sardinian judge. * Eleanor "Nell" Gwynn (1650-1687), mistress of Charles II.  * Eleanor Marx (1855–1898), British writer and daughter of Karl Marx. * Elinor Glyn (1864–1943), British novelist. * Eleanor Porter (1868–1920), American novelist. * Eleanor Rathbone (1872–1946), British politician. * Eleanor Farjeon (1881–1965), British writer. * Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), First Lady of U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt * Eleanor Lansing Dulles (1895–1996), American economist and diplomat. * Elinor Wylie (1885–1928), American writer. * Eleanor Boardman (1898–1991), American actress. * Elinor Fair (1903–1957), American actress. * Eleanor Audley (1905–1991), American actress. * Eleanor Hibbert (1906–1993), British novelist. * Elinor Smith (1911–2010), American aviator. * Eleanor Powell (1912–1982), American tap dancer and actress. Contemporary: * Eleanor Parker (1922-2013), American actress. * Eleanor Helin (1932–2009), American astronomer. * Elinor Ostrom (1933–2012), American political scientist and Nobel prize winner. * Eleanor Duckworth (b. 1935), Canadian psychologist and educator. * Elinor Donahue (b. 1937), American actress. * Eleanor Bron (b. 1938), British actress and author. * Eleanor McEvoy (b. 1967), Irish musician, singer/songwriter. * Eleanor Tomlinson (b. 1992), British actress. Literature and other Media: * Elinor Dashwood, heroine of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (1811). * Eleanor Tilney, a character in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey (1817). * Elanor Gardner, daughter of Samwise Gamgee in J.R.R.Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga. * Eleanor Rigby, a song by The Beatles (1966). * Elenore, a song by The Turtles (1968). * Lady Eleanor, a song by Lindisfarne (1971). * Eleanor Put Your Boots On, a song by Franz Ferdinand (2005).  Other: * Eleanor Crosses, twelve stone monuments erected by Edward I for his wife, Eleanor of Castile.

Variants:

Elinor, Eleanora (UK), Alianor, Alienor, Alianora, Alienora, Elienor, Helienor (Medieval French), Eléonore (French), Leonor (Spanish, Portuguese), Eleonora (Danish, Bulgarian, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Polish, Swedish), Eilionoir, Eilidh (Scottish), Leonora (Italian), Eleonore, Leonore (German)

Pronunciation:

EL-en-ə (UK) [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Ellie, Ella, Elea, Nell, Nel, Nellie, Nelw, Nora, Lena, Lora, Lenny, Nen

Sibling Names:

Beatrice     Charlotte     Florence     Alice      Imogen      Julia  William     Alexander     Charles     James     Theodore     Edward

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance   Medieval Favourites   Terrifically Tudor   Gorgeously Georgian   Jane Austen names   Tennyson Names

 

If you like Eleanor you may also like:   Marianne, Constance, Georgina, Matilda, Amelia, Cecily, Philippa, Rosalind, Harriet, Caroline

 

Thanks to Harmonie for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week

A feisty Cornish name which spiked in the 70s
thanks to flame-haired actress Angharad Rees.
With a new lavish adaptation, will Demelza have her day again?

 

Origin:

Demelza is the name of a hamlet in St Wenn, Cornwall. It was adopted as a given name by Winston Graham for the name of his heroine Demelza Carne in his Poldark novels (1945-2002). Perhaps in an attempt to find a more poetic meaning, the most popular etymology for Demelza is "Maeldaf's fort." Dinas is the Cornish word for 'fort' or 'castle'; the idea being that Demelza is a contraction of Dinas Maeldaf. Maeldaf itself is an obscure Welsh name derived from mael "prince." The problem with this theory is that Maeldaf is an extremely rare name, not found outside of Wales.  In the novels, Demelza's name is given to mean "thy sweetness." Apparently, Graham took this definition from an 18th century book on the Cornish language called Archaeologia Cornu-Britannica : or, an essay to preserve the ancient Cornish language by Dr William Pryce.*  The internet will tell you that (according to Graham and Pryce) de means "thy" and melza means "honey, sweetness" in Cornish.  This neat cod-etymology, however, is simply not accurate. The Cornish word for "sweetness" — which Pryce himself correctly cites* — is melder. If Graham did use this source for the etymology of Demelza, he must have taken melder as its source.  Most likely, Reverend John Bannister, author of A glossary of Cornish names, ancient and modern, local, family, personal, &c (1871), was correct in his assertion that Demelza derives from ty "house" and malsai "eel," especially when we consider the importance of the fishing trade in Cornwall (of which, conger eel was one of the biggest exports*). A place named the "eel house" in Cornish is perfectly logical for this location.

Usage:

Demelza only came into use as a given name after the publication of Winston Graham's first three novels in his Poldark series: Ross Poldark (1945), Demelza (1946) and Jeremy Poldark (1950) The first real Demelza that appears on the Birth Index of England and Wales is a Demelza Cotterell in the Oct-Dec quarter in 1951 in Penzance, Cornwall. However, in his autobiography Poldark's Cornwall, Winston Graham claimed that the first child named Demelza (after his character) was the daughter of British writer Denys Val Baker, born in 1951.  The name came into uncommon but fairly consistent use after that, with most of the births situated in Cornwall. With the emphasis on Cornish revival in the 1960s and 1970s, Demelza was naturally picked up as a "Cornish" given name to reflect this revival.  The name received further exposure from 1975 to 1977 when the BBC adapted the novels into a wildly popular television drama which ran for two series (1975 and 1977). The Downton Abbey of its day, Poldark, starring Angharad Rees in the starring role of Demelza, was watched by millions of viewers in Britain, and shown in over 40 countries world wide. It is widely regarded as Britain's most successful television adaptation of all time next to the BBC's 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.   click to enlarge Births in England and Wales (selected years): 1950s - 12 births overall 1960s - 13 births overall 1970s:     1971 - 1 birth     1972 - 6 births     1973 - 8 births     1974 - 4 births     1975 - 17 births     1976 - 72 births     1977 - 68 births     1978 - 81 births     1979 - 44 births 1980s:     1981 - 26 births     1985 - 15 births     1989 - 7 births Even in other countries, the popularity of the television show saw a Demelza spike. In Spain, both Demelza and variant Demelsa can be found in Spanish birth records in the late 1970s and 1980s. Since 1996, Demelza has had consistent usage each year of between 2 and 11 births, putting it well below the top 1000. In 2013, Demelza ranked #5742 with 3 births.  The new 2015 BBC adaptation of Poldark starring Eleanor Tomlinson and Aidan Turner returned to British screens on March 8th and has already gained a popular following. Could more little Demelzas be on the horizon?

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary: * Demelza Fellowes (b. 1980), Australian netball player. * Demelza Reveley (b. 1991), Australian model.  Literature and other Media: * Demelza Carne, the heroine of Winton Graham's Poldark novels (1945-2002). * Demelza Robins, a Griffindor Chaser in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. Other: * Demelza, a hamlet in Cornwall.

Variants:

Demelsa (Spanish)

Pronunciation:

də-MEL-zə [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Demi, Mel, Dezzi, Missy, Melzi

Sibling Names:

Morwenna      Finola     Lamorna     Tamsin     Rhiannon     Bronwyn  Trevelyan      Jago      Orlando     Fergus     Perran     Alistair

Name Lists:

Cornish Names   Clunky Celtic

 

If you like Demelza you may also like:   Angharad, Fenella, Zennor, Rowena, Bryony, Minerva, Kerenza, Gwyneth, Constanza, Esperanza

 

Thanks to meerkat for requesting this post. 

Gilbert and Sullivan Names

One of the greatest partnerships of the Victorian era was that of composer Arthur Sullivan and dramatist W.S.Gilbert. Together the two collaborated on fourteen comic operas, wildly popular in their day and still enduring and beloved today. 

As for the names, they are a delightful example of Victorian fancy -- mixing inspiration from classical mythology, medieval legends and far off exotic locations, alongside contemporary staples and adding a hint of Gothic romance. 

Now that Victorian favourites are back in fashion, many of these euphonious theatrical names work seamlessly among contemporary names. Other rarer choices make for striking antique fancies. Some, however, will forever stay enjoyable comic creations. 

All the names below are taken from the fourteen operas by Gilbert and Sullivan: 

Adam Alexis Alhambra Antonio Annibale Arac Archibald Bailey Ben Bill Bob Calynx Conrad Cyril Desmond Despard Dick Edward Ernest Florian Francesco

Frederic Gama George Gilbert Giorgio Giuseppe Go-To Guron Hercules Hilarion Hildebrand Jack Jasper John Joseph Ko-Ko Leonard Lionel Ludwig Luiz Marco

Marmaduke Mervyn Nanki-Poo Paramount Phantis Pish-Tush Pooh-Bah Ralph Reginald Richard Roderic Rudolph Rupert Ruthven Samuel Scaphio Scynthius Strephon Tarara Thomas Wilfred

Ada Aline Angela Bertha Blanche Casilda Celia Chloe Constance Daphne Diana Edith Ella Elsa Elsie Fiametta Fleta Gianetta Giulia Gretchen Hannah

Hebe Ida Inez Iolanthe Isabel Jane Josephine Kalyba Kate Katisha Leila Lisa Mabel Margaret Martha Melene Melissa Nekaya Nicemis Olga Patience

Peep-Bo Phoebe Phylla Phyllis Pitti-Sing Pretteia Psyche Rose Ruth Sacharissa Salata Sangazure Saphir Sophy Tessa Venus Vittoria Yum-Yum Zara Zorah

 

Name of the Week

A rare and sprightly Welsh name
used by Disney for a plucky princess.

 

Origin:

Eilonwy is a Welsh name, coined in the 19th century -- a time of cultural revival when many Welsh names were being readopted from Welsh history and mythology and many new names were created from vocabulary words and common name elements.  On first glance, it looks as if Eilonwy is made up of eilon + wy. The word eilon is a homonym, meaning both "melody, song" and "deer, hart, stag," while -wy is a suffix found in several Welsh names such as Goronwy, Myfanwy, Cadwy and Daronwy.  It may have been inspired by the Old Welsh name Eluned/Eiluned which had been revived several years before and was derived from eilun "image, likeness, icon," referring to cult statues.

Usage:

There is a rather obscure mention of a 7th century Welsh (male) saint named Eilunwy.* This would most certainly be derived from eilun "image, icon," and is very reminiscent of Creirwy -- the name of the beautiful daughter of Ceridwen -- whose name derives from creir "sacred object, relic" + -wy.  Early Welsh history also has mention of Eilon the Crythwr (Harpist) a bard of Lord Rhys who won the music chair in the first eisteddfod in 1177. In his case, his name was probably meant to represent eilon "stag." However, neither name can be found in any other instance and was not revived in these forms in the 19th century.  Eilonwy was first used as a proper name in the late 1800s. It was, from the beginning, only used for girls -- Eilunwy and Eilon were not revived -- which suggests that eilon "melody, song." was the intended meaning.  The earliest reference I can find is a girl named Eilonwy Hughes on the 1881 UK census, born in Manchester in 1874 to Welsh-born parents. The second was a girl (also born to Welsh parents) in Liverpool in 1892.  From that point Eilonwy was confined almost exclusively to Wales and by 1911, there were 10 girls bearing the name. Sibling names included Caswallon, Iorworth, Morfudd, Gwerfyl and Ceinfron, all names from early Welsh history and legend. It is curious these parents didn't use other "new" Welsh names, which suggests that Eilonwy was at least considered at the time to have been an old Welsh name.  Welsh newspapers from the 1880s-1890s make mention of a hymn tune named 'Eilonwy' being performed in North Wales, though I cannot find a copy of the lyrics to ascertain what it was about. There is also a brief mention in John Rhys' Celtic Folklore: Welsh And Manx (1901) in The Fairies' Revenge of a girl named Eilonwy whose mother was a mermaid. Perhaps, then, Eilonwy was a name that had passed down orally through local Welsh folklore. Births for Eilonwy per decade in England and Wales: 1890s: 2 births 1900s: 5 births 1910s: 5 births 1920s: 4 births 1930s: 7 births 1940s: 1 birth 1950s: 1 birth 1960s: 1 birth (middle name)  1970s: 1 birth (middle name)  1980s: 3 births (middle name)  1990s: 3 births (middle name)  2000s: 4 births (middle name)  From 1964 to 1968, Lloyd Alexander used the name in his five children's fantasy novels The Chronicles of Prydain, for his principle character named Princess Eilonwy. The second book The Black Cauldron was made into an animated film in 1985 by Disney.  Despite this exposure by Disney and the high praise the books received, it did not boost the name Eilonwy. In fact, after the 1950s, Eilonwy was only used as a middle name, making it a rare literary and Celtic choice.

Famous Bearers:

Literature and Other Media: * Princess Eilonwy, a character in Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydainseries (1964-8). * Princess Eilonwy, a character in Disney's The Black Cauldron (1985).

Variants:

Eilona

Pronunciation:

ay-LON-wee, ī-LON-wee [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Eili, Eila, Lonny, Lola

Sibling Names:

Ceridwen     Tegwen     Morfydd     Morwenna     Arianrhod     Melangell  Iorwerth     Rhydderch     Teilo      Rhisiart      Emrys       Taliesin

Name Lists:

Disney Names

 

If you like Eilonwy you may also like:   Eluned, Gwenonwy, Ealasaid, Eilithyia, Iolanthe, Esyllt, Myfanwy, Eirwen, Aeronwy, Elowen

 

Thanks to Olwen for requesting this post.