British Baby Names

Name of the Week: Hilda

Origin:

Hilda is the Latinised form of Hild, an Anglo-Saxon name derived from the Old English hild meaning "battle". In some cases, Hild may have been a hypocoristic form of longer names (both masculine and feminine) containing the element hild such as Hildgýð, Hildegard or Hildebehrt and Hildulf. Hilda also served as a Latinised form for the Norse cognate Hildr and Germanic cognate Hilde.

Usage:

The Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE) database has four examples of Hild in use in Anglo-Saxon Britain; one female, three male.  Unlike many Anglo-Saxon names, Hilda managed to survive the Norman Conquest as a feminine name, mostly thanks to the veneration of Saint Hild (or Hilda) of Whitby (c. 614-680).  Hild's story is quite a remarkable one. Born to a noble family, she was baptised at 13 and made the decision to become a nun in her 30s. She soon became the Abbess of Hartlepool and spent seven years building a new monastery (for both men and women) at Whitby which she was in charge of for thirty years. Under Hild's guidance, many members of her monastery went on to become important clerical figures. Five of her monks became bishops, and she was so respected, that kings and princes are said to have sought her counsel. "She [...] taught there the strict observance of justice, piety, chastity, and other virtues, and particularly of peace and charity; so that, after the example of the primitive church, no person was there rich, and none poor, all being in common to all, and none having any property. Her prudence was so great, that not only indifferent persons, but even kings and princes, as occasion offered, asked and received her advice" (Ecclesiastical History, Book 4, Chapter XXIII).* In 664, Hild hosted the Synod of Whitby which sought to resolve issues between the Celtic and Roman religious calendars. This Synod, which Hild presided over like an Archbishop, shaped the way Christianity developed in England.  The main source for Hild's life is recorded by Bede who describes her life as "an example of the works of light."* His final words about her were: "Thus this servant of Christ, Abbess Hilda, whom all that knew her called Mother, for her singular piety and grace, was not only an example of good life, to those that lived in her monastery, but afforded occasion of amendment and salvation to many who lived at a distance, to whom the fame was brought of her industry and virtue."* The veneration of Hild as a saint dates to the 8th century when Bede wrote of her. Accordingly, several legends grew up around her such as a miraculous dream that her mother had when she was a baby, or how she turned a plague of snakes at Whitby into stone [these later turned out to be fossils on the coast].  She is considered one of the patron saints of learning and culture, and her feast day (depending on which denomination) is the 17th, 18th or 19th November.  Though Hilda was not especially common in the Middle Ages, it was in enough use to leave us with the surname Hild.  The Lincolnshire Danelaw Documents of 1154-89 list a Hilda de Tidintun and the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire has a Hilda de Gay in 1192.  It became uncommon after the 13th century but remained in use in the Whitby area thanks to Saint Hilda.  Elsewhere in the world, Hilda also saw use in Scandinavia. Nordic Names tracks the earliest recorded use for Hilda in Norway in the 14th century. It was well used in Sweden in the 19th century and many of the earliest famous Hildas are Swedish.  In the 19th century, Hilda has a revival in Britain in the late 19th century, rocketing in popularity by the 1890s. Much of this was thanks to the Tractarian Movement which popularised saints names, and the Victorian love of Medievalism.  Data from the 1881 census (see image, right) shows Hilda was well established across England and the South of Wales, but less common in Scotland. In 1900, Hilda was #94 in Scotland and #16 in England and Wales.  Records for Hilda from the England and Wales Birth Index: 1840: 1850:  1860:  1870:  1880:  1890: 1900: 1904: 1914: 1924: 1934: 1944: 1954: 1964: 1974: 1984: 1994: >#300 >#300 #261 #128 #71 #27 #16 #14 #15 #26 #61 __ __ __ __ __ __ Since 1996 in England and Wales, Hilda has been rare, ranking below the top 1000.  It has seen a moderate rise in use since 2009, peaking at #2341 with 11 births in 2017.  In 2018, Hilda ranked #3985 (5 births) in England and Wales. It had no births in Scotland or Northern Ireland.  Elsewhere, Hilda ranked #99 in Sweden and #37 in Finland in 2018.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Saint Hilda of Whitby (c. 614-680), a significant figure in the history of English Christianity. * Hilda Sandels (1830-1921), Swedish opera singer. * Hilda Sjölin (1835–1915), Swedish photographer. * Hilda Caselli (1836-1901), Swedish educational reformer. * Hilda Petrini (1838–1895), Swedish clockmaker and first female master of mechanics in Sweden. * Hilda Lund (1840–1911), Swedish ballerina. * Hilda Sachs (1857-1935), Swedish journalist and women's rights activist. * Princess Hilda of Nassau (1864–1952), the last Grand Duchess of Baden. * Hilda Hewlett (1864–1943), first British woman aviator to earn a pilot's licence, and aviation entrepreneur. * Hilda Käkikoski (1864-1912), Finnish politician, writer and schoolteacher, one of the first nineteen women elected to parliament. * Hilda Runciman, Viscountess Runciman of Doxford (1869–1956), British politician. * Hilda Borgström (1871–1954), Swedish actress. * Hilda Phoebe Hudson (1881-1965), English mathematician. * Hilda Ross (1883-1959), New Zealand politician. * Hilda Rix Nicholas (1884-1961), Australian painter. * Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961), American poet, novelist and memoirist. * Hilda Geiringer (1893–1973), Austrian mathematician and professor. * Hilda "H. F. M." Prescott (1896-1972), English author, academic and historian. * Hilda Conkling (1910–1986), American poet. * Hilda Ellis Davidson (1914–2006), English antiquarian and academic. * Hilda Fenemore (1914–2004), English actress. * Hilda Bernstein (1915–2006), South African author, artist, and anti-apartheid and women's rights activist. Contemporary: * Hilda Braid (1929–2007), English actress. * Hilda Hilst (1930–2004), Brazilian poet, playwright and novelist. * Hilda de Duhalde (born 1946), Argentine politician. * Hilda Ramos (born 1964), Cuban discus thrower. * Hilda Gaxiola (born 1972), Mexican beach volleyball player. * Hilda Kibet (born 1981), Dutch long-distance runner. Literature and Other Media: * Hilda Spellman, a principle character in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. * Hilda Suarez, a character from the American television series Ugly Betty. * Hilda, the title character in Luke Pearson's Hilda series. * Hilda Ogden, a character from the British soap opera Coronation Street (1964-1987). * Hilda, the female protagonist of Pokémon Black and White. * Princess Hilda of Lorule, a character from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

Variants:

Hilde (German, Dutch, Norwegian), Hildr (Norse)

Pronunciation:

HILD-ə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Hildy, Hillie

Sibling Names:

Agnes     Freda     Maud     Avril     Kathleen     Ingrid  Lloyd     Gilbert     Francis     Edwin     Wilbur     Percival

Name Lists:

Funky-Clunky    Victorian Darlings    Roaring Twenties    Scandi-Familiars    Enid Blyton Names

 

If you like Hilda you may also like:   Phyllis, Doris, Muriel, Tilda, Rita, Ethel, Priscilla, Rhoda, Mildred, Zelda

Thanks to Stephanie for requesting this name.

Name of the Week: Emmett

Origin:

Emmett is taken directly from the English surname Emmett, which derive from two sources: 1. During this Middle Ages, the vernacular English form of Emma was Em/Emm/Emme*. This gained the diminutive ending -ot creating Emmot(a), (which was not an uncommon name in its own right during the Middle Ages) and led to the creation of the surname Emmett.  Emma itself is an Old Germanic name, originating as a hypocoristic form of names containing the first element ermin "whole, universal". 2. In some cases, especially the spellings Emmot and Emmott, the surname may have derived from Emmot in Lancashire near Colne. This is thought to be the source of most of the Lancashire and West Yorkshire surnames (the two counties where the surname was most common). This place-name derives from the Old English eagemot meaning "junction of streams".

Usage:

Emma was a common name in the Middle Ages. George Redmond puts Emma at #7 in his rankings from ten English counties in 1377-1381, which he classifies as "Very Popular."  There are several medieval examples of Emma and Emmot being used interchangeably. For example, in the Ancient Deeds of Middlesex, 'Emma wife of Adam faber' is also called Emmota in 1353. Similarly, the Ancient Deeds of Kent has 'Emma alias Emmote Bochere' in 1413.  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.  Emmot continued to be used as a girls' name until the 17th century. Adoption of surnames as given names at this time (especially to honour god-parents of family members), led to the Emmett becoming used for boys as well.  Data from the 1881 census demonstrates that the surnames Emmet(t), Emmot(t), Emmit(t) etc were most common in Lancashire and West Yorkshire, indicating that the origin was not from the feminine name Emmot, but from the locational name Emmot near Colne.  It is interesting to see that Lancashire and West Yorkshire were also the areas where Emmett (and variants) were most common as a given name, demonstrating that the surname was being directly adopted as a given name.  Robert Emmet (1779-1803) was an Irish Republican who led a rebellion against British rule in Ireland in 1803, for which he was tried for high treason.  It is notable that the name Emmet(t) was combined with that of Chartist leaders Feargus O'Connor (1796-1855) and John Frost (1784-1877) during the Chartism movement of 1836-1848, indicating that Robert Emmet was used as a revolutionary namesake.  Boys named Emmet Frost O'Connor [surname] or Emmett Fergus O'Connor [surname] in the 1840s attest to this. Most of the use of Emmet(t) as a given name in the 19th century was masculine in use, though it was used occasionally for girls.  Records for Emmet(t) as a first name in the England and Wales Birth Index: 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 43 births 29 births 32 births 36 births 28 births 16 births 12 births 7 births 7 births 4 births 3 births 7 births 50 births 82 births Though Emmett became more common in the 1960s and 70s, it was always rather rare. It had far more success in America ranking #176 in 1880, #136 in 1890 and #175 in 1900.  In fact, all the famous bearers with Emmett as a first name who were born before the 1970s (below) are American. The US is also responsible for the most recognisable characters in film, such as the key character Dr. Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future series from 1985 to 1990 and Emmett Forrest, the love interest from the Legally Blonde films (2001 and 2003). The biggest impact on the name Emmett from popular culture was undoubtedly the Twilight series of books and films, featuring the young character Emmett Cullen. The books were released from 2005 to 2008 but this had very little impact on the name. However, the release of the films from 2008 to 2012 had a noticeable effect.  In 2008, Emmett ranked #3,687 with 4 births in England and Wales. This more than doubled in 2009 to #1981 (10 births). By the release of the final film, Emmett moved into the top 1000 for the first time at #821 (37 births).  The name has continued to rise ever since in England and Wales, reaching #572 with 65 births in 2018.  In Scotland, Emmett has been much rarer. From 1974 to 2007, Emmett only ranked once in 1977, 1987, 1992 and 2000. It became more common after 2008 but its highest peak to date was at #442 in 2017 with 7 births.  In 2018, Emmett rank #897 with 2 births in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Emmett Dalton (1871–1937), an American outlaw. * Emmett J. Hull (1882–1957), American architect. * Emmett Kelly (1898-1979), was an American circus performer, who created the memorable clown figure "Weary Willie". * Emmett McLoughlin (1907-1970), American ex-priest and housing activist. * Emmett Morrison (1915–1993), American basketball player. * Emmett Barrett (1916-2005), American football player. * Emmett Till (1941-1955), African-American youth whose lynching was one of the key events leading up to the American Civil Rights Movement. Contemporary: * Emmett Leith (1927-2005), American scientist and electrical engineer. * Emmett J. Scanlan (born 1979), Irish actor who plays Brendan Brady in Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. * Emmett Skilton (born 1987), New Zealand actor. Literature and Other Media: * Dr. Emmett Brown, a character in "Back to the Future" films.  * Emmett Cullen, a character from the "Twilight" series. * Emmett Forrest, a character from the "Legally Blonde" series. * Emmet Brickowski, the main character in the "Lego Movie" series.

Variants:

Emmet, Emmott, Emmitt, Emmatt

Pronunciation:

EM-ət [key]

Possible diminutives:

Em, Mets, Mitt

Sibling Names:

Romilly     Juliet     Sylvie     Adele     Vivienne     Gwen Vincent     Atlas     Gideon     Silas     Rafferty     Sullivan

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance  Funky-Clunky

 

If you like Emmett you may also like:   Everett, Bennett, Fergus, Phineas, Emrys, Beckett, Digby, Ewart, Evander, Roderick

Thanks to Laura for requesting this name.  

 

Name of the Week: Evelyn

Origin:

Evelyn is a later form of the early medieval name Avelina, a diminutive form of the Old Germanic name Avila. The spelling Evelyn was particularly established as a surname. Avila itself derives from the Old Germanic name Ava, the origins of which are very mysterious.  It is generally thought that Ava is the feminine form of Germanic Avi or Avo, which could either be connected to the Germanic tribe of the Aviones or from the Old Germanic alfi "elf." This developed into the diminutive forms Avila and the double suffixed Aveline (Ava + el + in). This unknown element of av, aw was also used as the first element in dithematic feminine names such as Avagisa, Avuldis and Avigerna.* Another possibility is that Ava developed as a variant of Eve, a Hebrew name meaning "life". The two names have been conflated constantly over the centuries and, certainly, the surname Eveling is considered to be derived either from diminutives of Eve (Eve + el + in) or as a form of Aveline, depending on which source you choose. For example, The Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames lists an example of the given name Evelune (1218) as a variant of Eve and Avelyn (1379) as a variant of Aveline. Both look like they could easily be sources for the surname Evelyn.  Avelina and Evelyn are often further confused with avellana, the Latin name for the hazel tree. In modern French, aveline means "hazelnut."

Usage:

Aveline, the Old French form of Avelina, was brought over to Britain by the Normans who had already been using it for centuries. One notable early bearer was Avelina Duceline de Crépon, the sister of Gunnor, wife of Richard I of Normandy (932-996). The name was not very popular in Britain overall, but it was used regularly across the Middle Ages. Records include instances of Avelina, Avelin, Avelyna and Avelyn in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1189, 1200, 1273 and 1430, and the Norfolk Poll Tax of 1379. It was certainly used enough times to create the surname Aveline, Aveling and, in some cases, Evelyn. Variants of Eve were also in use in the Middle Ages and diminutive forms such as Evelune (from the 1218 Pipe Rolls in Leicestershire) and Evelot (in the 1305 Assize Rolls of Wiltshire) suggest a further source for the surname Evelyn. George Redmonds puts Eve at #37 in his top 50 national totals for women living in 1377-81 in England. He classifies this as "infrequent" in use.  By the 16th century, Avelina was very uncommon, only used sporadically in areas such as Berkshire, Kent and Norfolk; Ava was all-but-extinct and Eve was also in rare usage. Evelina was rekindled a little with the publication of Frances Burney's novel Evelina in 1778. Burney no doubt based her choice for the name Evelina on her first manuscript, The History of Caroline Evelyn, which she had earlier destroyed, by having her fictional Evelina as the daughter of said Caroline Evelyn. The novel was a huge success, and with that came a rise in popularity for the name Evelina.  By the 17th century, Evelyn, however, had become established as a masculine name (particularly amongst the aristocracy) thanks to the adoption of the surname Evelyn. Evelyn Pierrepont, 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull (1655-1726) was a key member of the House of Lords and a "prominent figure in the fashionable society of his day"*. He was given his name because Evelyn was his mother's surname. Interestingly, the Duke named one of his daughters Lady Evelyn Pierrepont (died 1727), but it was his grandson, General Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull (1711-1773), who inherited the title.  Sir Evelyn Alston, 5th Baronet (1692–1750) also received his name because it was his mother's maiden name. His son, the 6th Baronet, was also named Evelyn.  It is important to note that, during this period, Evelyn as both a surname and a given name was pronounced EEV-lin.  This pronunciation of "EEV-lin" continued to be used among the upper classes (especially for boys) into the 20th century, even as EV-ə-lin had become established again for girls amongst the working classes. Famous examples of men to use the EEV-lin pronunciation include athlete Evelyn Aubrey Montague (1900–1948) and author Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966) who both came from well-heeled families.  Waugh's first wife was also named Evelyn [The Hon. Evelyn Gardner (1903-1994), an aristocrat and socialite]. They were known as "He-Evelyn" and "She-Evelyn" to their friends, so we can presume that she was also EEV-lin. Purely anecdotally, I can relate a family story told to me by my grandmother. Her female cousin (born between 1910-1920) was named Evelyn which the family pronounced EV-ə-lin. When she was older, this cousin announced that she wanted her name to be pronounced EEV-lin as it sounded "more upper-class." Though all were in modest use, in 1840 Evelina was the most common form of the name for girls, followed by Eveline and then Evelyn. Eveline moved into the top 100 first by 1880, and it is this use of Eveline which seems to be one of the reasons why Evelyn became re-adopted for girls in the 19th century, rising swiftly over the course of the century.  Records from the England and Wales Birth Index:   Evelyn Eveline Evelina 1840: 1850:  1860:  1870:  1880:  1890: 1900: 1904: 1914: 1924: 1934: 1944: 1954: 1964: 1974: 1984: 1994: >#300 #204 #148 #107 #97 #82 #46 #31 #28 #34 #45 #71 __ __ __ __ __ >#300 #259 #171 #113 #80 #63 #79 __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ #270 #226 #204 #205 #193 >#250 >#250 __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ When I compiled the rankings for birth index records pre-1904, Evelyn proved a bit complicated, as the birth index does not list gender. The image below from FreeBMD shows all the entries for Evelyn in Jan-Mar 1850. The use of middle names shows that four are clearly female and two are obviously male. The remaining four entries could be either gender, so in most cases, I had to check against census records.  What we do know for certain is that Evelyn ranked at #31 for girls in 1904 in the Office for National Statistics data. Evelyn was still used for boys at this time, but examples were much less common.  Official data from Scotland puts Evelyn at #84 in 1900.  By 1954, Evelyn had dropped out of top 100 in England and Wales. However, it was #36 in Scotland in 1950 and had only dropped below by the 1970s indicating that it was later to catch on in Scotland, and later to fall out of favour.  Like many Edwardian favourites (Florence, Elsie, Ivy etc), Evelyn has enjoyed a 100-year rule revival in recent years.  From 1996 to 2000, Evelyn was very consistent in use, ranking #371 with 87 births in 2000.  In 1999, Hollywood revamped the classic The Mummy franchise followed by a sequel in 2001. Rachel Weisz played the principal character Evelyn "Evie" Carnahan, giving a young face to the name. The character was actually based on real-life Lady Evelyn Beauchamp (1901-1980), the daughter of Lord Carnarvon who was present at the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb.  Interestingly, Evelyn doubled in birth count from 87 births in 2000 to 161 births in 2001 (#246). This was the beginning of Evelyn's inevitable rise and return to favour, but perhaps shows that The Mummy films help to kick-start the process.  In England and Wales, Evelyn returned to the top 100 in 2008 at #89 (660 births) and continued to rise ever since. In 2018, Evelyn ranked #19 with 1902 births.  In Scotland, Evelyn doesn't fit the criteria for a 100-year-rule rival (as it was still common in the 1950s), however, since 2012 it has seen a marked rise. It re-entered the Scottish top 200 in 2014 and by 2018 was #109 with 44 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Evelyn Pierrepont, 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull (1655-1726), British politician. * General Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull (1711-1773), British peer.  * Evelyn Stuart (1773–1842), British soldier and Tory politician. * Evelyn Pierrepont (1775–1801), British (male) Member of Parliament. * Evelyn John Shirley (1788–1856), British politician. * Evelyn Denison, 1st Viscount Ossington (1800–1873), British statesman. * Evelyn Philip Shirley (1812–1882), British politician, antiquary and genealogist. * Evelyn Boscawen, 6th Viscount Falmouth (1819–1889), British horse breeder. * Evelyn Ashley (1836–1907), British (male) barrister and Liberal politician. * Evelyn Wood (1838–1919), British Field marshal and Victoria Cross recipient. * Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer (1841–1917), Consul-General of Egypt from 1883 to 1907. * Evelyn Shirley Shuckburgh (1843–1906), English (male) classical scholar. * Evelyn Whitaker (1844–1929), English (female) children's writer. * Evelyn De Morgan (1855–1919), English Pre-Raphaelite (female) painter. * Evelyn Greenleaf Sutherland (1855–1908), American (female) journalist, author and playwright. * Evelyn Everett-Green (1856–1932), English (female) novelist. * Evelyn Beatrice Hall (1868–1956), English writer and biographer of Voltaire. * Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (1870–1960), Mistress of the Robes to Queen Mary from 1910-1916. * Evelyn Beatrice Longman (1874–1954), American sculptor elected as a full member of the National Academy of Design. * Evelyn Vida Baxter (1879-1959), Scottish ornithologist. * Evelyn Seymour, 17th Duke of Somerset (1882–1954), British peer and army officer. * (Lucy) Evelyn Cheesman (1882–1969), British entomologist and traveller. * Evelyn Barker (1894–1983), British Army officer in World War I and II * Evelyn Preer (1896–1932), African-American actress and blues singer. * Evelyn Booth (1897–1988), Irish (female) botanist. * Evelyn Wells (1899–1984), American (female) biographer. * Evelyn M. Anderson (1899–1985), American (female) physiologist and biochemist. * Evelyn Laye (1900–1996), British theatre actress. * Evelyn Brent (1901–1975), American film and stage actress. * Evelyn Dove (1902–1987), British singer and actress. * Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966), English satirical novelist. * Evelyn Baring, 1st Baron Howick of Glendale (1903–1973), Governor of Kenya from 1952 to 1959. * G. Evelyn Hutchinson (1903–1991), British (male) ecologist. * Evelyn King (1907–1994), British (male) member of Parliament. * Evelyn Holt (1908–2001), German film actress. * Evelyn Bryan Johnson (1909–2012), American (female) pilot with a world record number of flying hours. * Evelyn Ankers (1918–1985), American actress. * Evelyn Berezin (1925–2018), American (female) computer designer best known for designing the first computer-driven word processor. Contemporary: * Evelyn Lear (1926–2012), American soprano and opera singer. * Evelyn de Rothschild (born 1931), British (male) financier. * Evelyn Hart (born 1956), Canadian ballerina. * Evelyn Ashford (born 1957), American female sprinter, gold medalist of the women's 100 meters running during the 1984 Summer Olympics. * Evelyn Lau (born 1971), Chinese-Canadian poet and novelist. * Evelyn García (born 1982), Salvadorian cyclist. * Evelyn Sharma (born 1986), German-Indian actress and model. Literature and Other Media: * Evelyn Carnahan/O'Connell, a character The Mummy franchise, portrayed by Rachel Weisz. * Evelyn Robin, the wife of Christopher Robin in Disney's "Christopher Robin". * Th Hon. Evelyn Napier, a character from Downton Abbey, portrayed by Brendan Patricks. * Evelyn Cross Mulwray, a character played by Faye Dunaway in the noir film, Chinatown. * Evelyn Tremble, a character played by Peter Sellers in the James Bond satire Casino Royale.

Variants:

Evelina, Eveline

Pronunciation:

EV-ə-lin; EEV-lin [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Eve, Evie, Evvy, Ellie

Sibling Names:

Charlotte     Alice     Florence     Amelia     Phoebe     Clara       Oscar     Arthur     Oliver     George     Sebastian     Edward

Name Lists:

N/A

 

If you like Evelyn you may also like:   Esme, Isabella, Matilda, Emilia, Imogen, Eleanor, Penelope, Violet, Annabelle, Harriet

Thanks to Magda for requesting this name.

Name of the Week: Dimitri

Origin:

Dimitri is the French and Russian of the Ancient Greek name Demetrios meaning "devoted to Demeter", later Latinised as Demetrius.  Demeter was the Greek goddess agriculture, grain and all growing things, and one of the principle Olympian deities.  The most famous myth regarding Demeter concerns the abduction of her daughter, Persephone, by Hades. Demeter searched the whole world for her missing daughter and despaired when she couldn't find her. Helios, the sun god, told Demeter of her daughter's abduction and that Zeus, in conspiracy with Hades, had allowed it to happen. Demeter was furious with this deceit and, in retribution, refused to let the earth fruit until her daughter returned.  In Demeter's grief, the world endured perpetual famine. Eventually, Zeus had no choice but to capitulate and brokered a deal between Demeter and Hades: Persephone would spend half the year with her mother and the other half with Hades. For the half of the year that her daughter was in the Underworld, Demeter grieved and the crops did not grow (Autumn/Winter). When her daughter returned, the world became fruitful again (Spring/Summer).  Alongside her daughter, Demeter was worshipped in the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries, one of the most important, sacred religious rites of ancient Greece—reenacted for thousands of years — which promised initiates happiness in the afterlife.  The second element in the name Demeter is almost certainly the Greek μητηρ (mêtêr) "mother". The first element—the Doric dialect word da—is a little murkier. The traditional theory is that da is the Doric form of γη (gê) meaning "earth." Thus Demeter literally meant "earth-mother."  Another theory suggests that the first element derives from the Cretan word dêai meaning "barley" which still reflects Demeter's function as a fertility goddess.  Alternatively, it has been suggested that Da is the vocative form of Dan, a Doric form of Zen/Zeus. While it is unlikely that Demeter's name meant "mother of Zeus" (according to mythology, she was his sister), this second element could derive from the same source as Zeus name: the Proto-Indo-European deyw-o- "a God". Demeter, therefore, could mean "mother goddess" and she may have originally been a female counterpart to Zeus in pre-history. Intriguingly, another name for Demeter was Deo.

Usage:

Demetrios was in good use in Ancient Greece. Data from the Lexicon of Greek Personal Names ranks Demetrios at #2 in Attica; #2 in Macedonia Thrace, Northern Shores of the Black Sea; #3 in Coastal Asia Minor; #4 in the Aegean Islands, Cyprus, Cyrenaica; #8 in Inland Asia Minor; #8 in The Peloponnese, Western Greece, Sicily, Magna Graecia; #9 in Central Greece. These names were taken from "all available sources (literature, inscriptions, graffiti, papyri, coins, vases and other artefacts), within the period from the earliest Greek written records down to, approximately, the sixth century A.D." Demetrios was also a royal name, born by Macedonian, Bactrian and Seleucid kings which may be one of the reasons it was so well documented in Antiquity. One reason that Demetrius continued in use in the Christian Western Empire and into the Middle Ages was the many early saints to bear the name, most of whom were either early bishops or martyrs. The most famous saint to bear the name was St Demetrius of Thessaloniki, a 4th-century Greek-born deacon martyred at Sirmium, in the former Yugoslavia.  During the Middle Ages, Saint Demetrius became regarded as one of the principal military saints. He was often paired with Saint George and the two were both regarded as the patron of the Crusades. In Greece, Saint Demetrius also became the patron of agriculture and shepherds which were transferred to his cult from Demeter with the decline of the Eleusinian Mysteries.  Saint Demetrius was especially venerated in the Eastern Orthodox and is even patron of Thessaloniki in Greece, Siberia, Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia and Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo. This explains why variants of the name (such as Demetrios and Dimitri) became so common in Greece, Russia and Hungary.  An 11th-century king of Croatia and Dalmatia, a 12th-century king of Georgia, a 14th-century grand prince of Moscow, and a 15th-century tsar of Russia bearing the name also promoted the use of the name in Eastern Europe.  In Britain, however, variants of Demetrius were always rare. Much of its use in the 19th century was thanks to Eastern European immigration, and by the 1950s and 1960s, Greek immigration was the main source.  Records for Demetrius and Dimitri as a first name in the England and Wales Birth Index:   Demetrius Demetri/Dimitri/y 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s 14 births 18 births 25 births 30 births 26 births 21 births 13 births 13 births 19 births 0 births 6 births 48 births 155 births 0 births 0 births 0 births 1 birth 1 births 5 births 7 births 9 births 4 births 3 births 4 births 6 births 12 births Dimitri has been used in small but consistent numbers in England and Wales since 1996, only once breaking just into the top 1000.  Variants Dimitrios and Demetrius are in rarer use.  In 2018, Dimitri ranked #1455 with 17 births; Dimitrios ranked #1875 with 12 birth and Demetrius ranked #2445 with 8 births.  In France, Dimitri ranked in the top 100 from 1980 to 2000, peaking at #47 in 1989.  Other variants also currently rank internationally. In 2017, Dimitar ranked #4 in Bulgaria. Demetre ranked at #7 in Georgia in 2016 and Dmitry ranked #7 in 2014 in Russia.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Demetrius of Alopece (4th century BCE), Greek sculptor noted for his realism. * Demetrius of Phalerum (c. 350–280 BCE), Athenian orator.  * Demetrius I of Macedon (337–283 BCE), King of Macedonia. * Demetrius II Aetolicus, King of Macedonia. * Demetrius of Pharos (c. 222 – 219 BC), King of Pharos.  * Demetrius the Chronographer (late 3rd century BCE), Jewish chronicler. * Demetrius I Soter (185–150 BCE), king of Syria. * Demetrius I of Bactria (d. 180 BCE), Greek king of Bactria. * Demetrius III Eucaerus (d. 88 BCE), Seleucid King. * Demetrius the Cynic (1st century), Cynic philosopher. * Pope Demetrius I of Alexandria, ruled in 189–232. * Demetrius of Thessaloniki (d. 306), Christian martyr and saint. * Demetrius Zvonimir (died 1089), King of Croatia. * Dmitry Donskoy (1350–1389), Russian prince and saint.  * Demetrius the Neomartyr (1779–1803), Orthodox Christian martyr and saint. * Dimitrije Avramović (1815-1855), Serbian painter. * Pope Demetrius II of Alexandria, ruled in 1861–1870. * Dmitri Mendeleev (1834-1907), Russian chemist, creator of the first periodic table. * Dimitrije T. Leko (1863-1914), renowned Serbian architect and urbanist. * Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), Russian composer. Contemporary: * Dimitar Berbatov (born 1981), Bulgarian footballer.. Literature and Other Media: * Demetrius, a main character in William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. * Demetri, a fictional character in the Twilight fantasy series. * Dmitri Kissoff, a character in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Variants:

Dmitri, Dmitry (Russian), Dimitar (Bulgarian, Macedonian), Demetrio (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese), Dmitar (Croatian, Serbian), Demetre (Georgian), Dymitr (Polish)

Pronunciation:

də-MEE-tree [key]

Possible diminutives:

Demi, Dit, Dima, Mita

Sibling Names:

Viveka     Anastasia     Varvara     Ekaterina     Veronika     Laetitia Constantin     Quentin     Raphael     Xavier     Emmanuel     Maxim

Name Lists:

October Names

 

If you like Dimitri you may also like:   Florian, Johannes, Moritz, Andreas, Viktor, Aleksandar, Artem, Mikhail, Vladimir, Stefan, Nikodem

Thanks to Marina for requesting this name.  

 

Name of the Week: Eloise

Origin:

Eloise is the modern form of the Middle English Helewise. The spelling was heavily influenced by the French Éloïse, a later spelling of Helewise's Old French cognate, Heluïs, Héloïs(e).  Helewise/Heluïs derives from the Old German Helewidis made up of hele "hale, sound, whole" and wīt "wide", or possibly witu "wood".

Usage:

The Old French Héloïs was introduced to Britain by the Normans and was used in the vernacular forms Helewise, Helewis, Heilewis, Helewys and Elewys and was Latinised as Helevisa and Elewisia.  It was widely used across the Middle Ages. In his top 50 rankings from the Poll Tax returns of 1377-81, George Redmonds puts Helwise at #46 which he classifies as "infrequent". It even became the source of the English surname Elwes, Elwess.  The most legendary namesake comes from the famous romance of Héloïse and  Abelard. Héloïse was a brilliant scholar and was renowned for her gift in reading and writing. She became a pupil of philosopher and teacher Peter Abelard and the two began a love affair. They married in secret, but when her uncle discovered their relationship, he has Abelard castrated. Abelard became a monk (later an abbot) and Eloise became a nun (later an abbess). Their correspondence later became famous, and Héloïse's letters took up an important place in French literary history and feminist representation.  The form Eloisa was revived in the 18th century in Britain, most likely promoted by Alexander Pope's 1717 poem Eloisa to Abelard which was based on the famous medieval couple. Several authors in the 18th century later penned works entitled Abelard to Eloisa as a response to Pope's poem* which would have kept the story fresh in 18th-century parent's minds. This all came at a time when "romantic" Italianate names such as Cecilia, Olivia, Sophia, Louisa and Amelia became fashionable, of which Eloisa fit in nicely.  By the 19th century, the medieval Heloise was marginally more common than other variants, but all were uncommon in use. Eloise became much more regularly used in the 1960s, and even more common in the 1970s.  Records in the England and Wales Birth Index:   Eloise Eloisa Heloise 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 10 births 13 births 11 births 11 births 12 births 13 births 11 births 9 births 9 births 5 births 16 births 17 births 78 births 466 births 6 births 9 births 7 births 7 births 3 births 2 births 5 births 1 birth 1 birth 0 births 2 births 1 birth 3 births 11 births 5 births 14 births 11 births 22 births 22 births 15 births 10 births 6 births 11 births 4 births 8 births 10 births 21 births 86 births Since 1996 in England and Wales, Eloise has maintained an almost steady rank just below the top 100.  It managed to break into the top 100 five times — 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.  According to 2017 regional data, Eloise was most common in the East, South East and South West, ranking #88, #88 and #89 respectively, while it was #119 overall.  In 2018, Eloise ranked #107 with 482 births in England and Wales.  In Scotland, Eloise has mostly ranked below the top 200 since 2000, though it has seen an intermittent rise in the last few years, peaking at #169 with 27 births in 2013.  In 2018, Eloise ranked #182 with 24 births in Scotland.  In France, Eloise ranked in the top 100 from 1999 to 2010 and was replaced by Eloïse from 2011 to 2016.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Eloise Hughes Smith (1893–1940), a survivor of the Titanic Disaster. Contemporary: * Eloise McGraw (1915–2000), American children's writer. * Eloise Jones (1917–2004), Canadian politician. * Eloise Klein Healy (born 1943), an American poet. * Eloise Broady (born 1957), American model, actress and philanthropist. * Lady Eloise Gordon-Lennox (born 2000), younger daughter of Charles Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond. * Countess Eloise of Oranje-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg (born 2002), the first child of Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. Literature and Other Media: * Eloise, a series of children's books written in the 1950s by Kay Thompson. * Eloise Hawking, a character on the TV series Lost. * Eloise Midgen, character in the Harry Potter universe. * Eloise Drew, character in the Nancy Drew mystery series. * "Dear Eloise", 1967 song by The Hollies.

Variants:

Elouise; Éloïse (French), Eloisa (Italian), Eloísa (Spanish)

Pronunciation:

ehl-o-EEZ [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Elle, Ella, Ellie, Lou, Lola, Lise

Sibling Names:

Felicity     Arabella     Beatrice     Victoria     Francesca     Alexandra            Jasper     Nathaniel     Gabriel     Theodore     Sebastian     Frederick

Name Lists:

N/A

 

If you like Eloise you may also like:   Elodie, Lara, Julia, Annabelle, Harriet, Eleanor, Amelie, Esme, Margot, Verity

Thanks to Imogen for requesting this name.

Name of the Week: Jeremy

Origin:

Jeremy is the English form of the Hebrew name Jeremiah meaning "Yahweh will rise, Yahweh exalts" which was borne by a Biblical Prophet.   In Ireland, Jeremy came to be used as an Anglicised rendering of Diarmuid, a name from Irish mythology meaning "free from envy".

Usage:

Jeremy was used in Britain from at least the 12th century and was used as a Middle English translation of Jeremiah in Wycliffe's Bible in 1395. It was often written in medieval records in the Latin form Jeremias, though Jeremy was the vernacular form that these men would have been known by.  It was not a wildly common name in the Middle Ages, but it was used enough to create the surname Jeremy and Jermyn. Reaney and Wilson also note the given name Jermy, responsible for the surnames Jerm(e)y, Jarm(a)y and Jarmey, which was a medieval variant of both Jeremy and Germain. Scott Smith-Bannister's top 50 rankings from forty English parishes per decade from 1538-1700 lists both Jeremy and Jeremiah separately. Neither were common initially, but picked up in use by the mid-17th century:   1538-49 1550-9 1560-9 1570-9 1580-9 1590-9 1600-9 1610-9 Jeremy - - - - #42 - - - Jeremiah - - - - - - - -   1620-9 1630-9 1640-9 1650-9 1660-9 1670-9 1680-9 1690-1700 Jeremy - #46 - #38 #49 #40 - - Jeremiah - - - #46 #37 #48 #35 - Jeremy also ranked at #42 in Leslie Dunklings top 50 for 1700.   As George Redmonds points out, however, evidence for the use of Jeremy or Jeremiah during this period is complicated by its confusion with Jerome, the name of a prominent saint and Roman theologian.  By the 19th century, both Jeremy and Jeremiah were used as distinct names, and—especially in the first half of the century when Old Testament names were favoured—Jeremiah became the dominant form while Jeremy was rare.  This all changed by the mid-29th century as records from the England and Wales Birth Index shows:   Jeremy Jeremiah 1840: 1850:  1860:  1870:  1880:  1890: 1900: 1904: 1914: 1924: 1934: 1944: 1954: 1964: 1974: 1984: 1994: >#300 >#300 >#300 >#300 (no births) >#300 >#250 __ __ __ __ __ #70 #47 #62 __ __ #53 #70 #71 #92 #126 #156 #184 __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Jeremy entered the top 100 in England and Wales in 1954, peaked in 1964 and fell out again by 1984. What caused its rise in the 1950s isn't clear, but we can look to other similar-sounding names that were also in the top 100 at the time such as Geoffrey, Jeffrey, Terence, Terry and Gregory. It was less common in Scotland, not ranking in the Scottish top 100 in either 1950 or 1975 (when it was only at #142).  In 1996, Jeremy ranked #265 (108 births) and Jeremiah ranked #605 (27 births) in England and Wales. By 2009, Jeremy was in decline while Jeremiah was rising; in 2010, Jeremiah took over as the dominant form.  In 2018, Jeremy ranked #690  with 50 births and Jeremiah ranked #331 with 139 births in England and Wales. In Scotland, Jeremy has ranked below the top 300 since 1990. Jeremiah has had even less use.  In 2018, Jeremy ranked #516 with 5 births and Jeremiah ranked #704 and 3 births in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667), British author and clergyman. * Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), British legal reformer and philosopher. Contemporary: * Jeremy Brett (1933–1995), British actor. * Jeremy Beadle (1948–2008), British television presenter, writer and producer. * Jeremy Irons (born 1948), British actor.  * Jeremy Paxman (born 1950), British television presenter. * Jeremy Brock MBE (born 1959) is a British writer and director. * Jeremy Clarkson (born 1960), British broadcaster. * Jeremy Northam (born 1961), British actor. * Jeremy Kyle (born 1965), British television presenter. * Jeremy Piven (born 1965), American actor. * Jeremy Vine (born 1965), British radio and television journalist and presenter. * Jeremy Renner (born 1971), American actor. * Jeremy Sisto (born 1974), American actor. * Jeremy Jordan ( born 1984), American actor. * Jeremy Davis (born 1985), bassist for American rock band Paramore. * Jeremy Sumpter (born 1989), American actor. Literature and Other Media: * Jeremy Fisher, the title character of The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter. * Jeremy Poldark, son of Ross and Demelza in Winston Graham's Poldark series.  * Jeremy "Jem" Finch, a character in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. * Jeremy, a jet airliner in Thomas & Friends. * Jeremy Hilary Boob, the "nowhere man" from The Beatles' film, Yellow Submarine. * Jeremy Reed, the lead character in Powder.  Other:  * Jeremy, a song by Pearl Jam.

Variants:

Jérémie, Jérémy (French), Jeremias (German, Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish), Jeremi, Jeremiasz (Polish)

Pronunciation:

JEH-rə-mee [key]

Possible diminutives:

Jerry, Jem, Jez, Jamie

Sibling Names:

Gloria     Kathleen     Marian     Rosemary     Wendy     Cynthia Ronald     Clifford     Leonard     Kenneth     Raymond     Colin

Name Lists:

Resurrected Retro   Beatrix Potter Names

 

If you like Jeremy you may also like:   Geoffrey, Gerald, Trevor, Derek, Graham, Terence, Malcolm, Gareth, Gerard, Howard

Thanks to Virag for requesting this name.  

 

Name of the Week: Nora

Origin:

Nora started out as a diminutive form of Honora/Honoria, especially in Ireland where the latter was common. Honora derives from the Latin honor "honour, dignity, reputation" which in Middle English came to mean "splendour, beauty, excellence." Later, Nora was also used for other names ending in -nor(a) such as Eleanor, Eleanora and Leonora.  From an unrelated root, Nora is also an alternate transcription of the Arabic name Nura, a strictly feminine form of Nur meaning “light.”

Usage:

Honoria was used on the Continent in the early Middle Ages* and spread to Britain with the Normans after the Conquest. Annora became the standard Middle English* form which was later replaced by Honour in Early Modern English.*  Scott Smith-Bannister calculates Honour was in the top 20 names among the working female poor in Salisbury in 1635 and Exeter in 1699, and made his top 50 rankings compiled from forty parishes in 1610-19 and 1660-69.  The Irish form was Onóra which was also brought to Ireland via the Normans. Unlike the English Annora, which dropped out of use at the end of the Middle Ages in favour of Honour, Honora/Onóra survived in Ireland**, and from this formed the variant Nóra and diminutive forms Nóirín (anglicised as Noreen), Nóinín and Nonie. Nora became established elsewhere in Britain in the 19th century, but remained common in Ireland, also. Nora ranked in the top 100 of Ireland from at least 1964 (it was already established #30 at this time) until 1977. After that, it remained in the top 200 until 1998, returning to the top 200 again in 2015. It never dropped below the top 400.  In the early 19th century in England and Wales, Honora was the most common form, followed by Norah and Nora. However, by the end of the century, both Nora and Norah were in the top 100, and Nora pulled ahead as the dominant spelling.  Records in the England and Wales Birth Index:   Nora Norah Honora 1840: 1850:  1860:  1870:  1880:  1890: 1900: 1904: 1914: 1924: 1934: >#300 #224 #237 #158 #108 #75 #61 #55 #47 #57 -- #240 #218 #182 #156 #125 #91 #73 #62 #56 #82 -- #181 #170 #121 #144 #176 #200 #246 #81 -- -- -- Both Nora and Norah fell out of the top 100 in England and Wales by 1934 and was uncommon by the 1990s. In 1996, Nora ranked #1031 with 19 births in E&W. It remained outside the top 1000 until 2004 but saw a more marked incline after 2011.  The spelling Norah also saw a rise during this same period, entering the top 1000 in 2011.  In 2018, Nora ranked #197 with 267 births and Norah ranked #283 with 168 births in England and Wales.  In Scotland, Nora ranked at #389 (5 births) and Norah ranked #444 (4 births) in 1974, but both dropped below the top 1000 by 1991.  Both spellings began to rise again from 2013.  In 2018, Norah ranked #172 with 26 births and Nora ranked #225 with 18 births in Scotland.  A similar case can be seen in Northern Ireland, where Nora has seen a revival since 2013. In 2018, Nora ranked #151 (14 births) and Norah ranked #273 (6 births).

Famous Bearers:

History: * Nora Dunblane (born 1879), American actress and writer. * Norah Carter (1881 - 1966), New Zealand photographer. * Nora Waln (1895–1964), American writer. * Nora Nicholson (1892–1973), British actress. * Leonora "Nora" Swinburne (1902–2000), British actress. * Nora Cullen (1905–1990), Argentine actress. * Nora Heysen (1911–2003), Australian artist. Contemporary: * Nora Ephron (1941–2012), American writer. * Princess Norberta "Nora", Dowager Marquesa de Mariño (born 1950), daughter of Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein. * Nora Roberts (born 1950), American author. * Nora Dunn (born 1952), American actress and comedian. * Nora Miao (born 1952), Hong Kong actress. * Nora Perry, MBE (born 1954), British badminton player. * Nora W. Tyson (born 1956), American admiral. * Norah O'Donnell (born 1974), American journalist. * Norah Jones (born 1979), American singer. * Nora Tschirner (born 1981), German actress. * Nora Zehetner (born 1981), American actress. * Nora Kirkpatrick (born 1984), American actress. * Nora Arnezeder (born 1989), French actress and singer. Literature and Other Media: * Nora, a character from the film Pete's Dragon (1977). * Nora Allen, a character from The Flash comic books. * Nora Batty, a character on the British television series Last of the Summer Wine. * Nora Walker, a character on the American television series Brothers & Sisters. * Nora Baker, eldest daughter of 'The Bakers' in the film Cheaper by the Dozen (2003).

Variants:

Norah

Pronunciation:

NOR-ə [key]

Possible  longer forms:

Annora, Eleanor, Eleanora, Enora, Gwenora, Honora, Honoria, Leonora, Norabel, Norena, Onora

Sibling Names:

Connie     Olive     Mabel     Polly      Alba     Hazel  Wilfred     Remy     Eric     Ralph     Vinnie     Angus

Name Lists:

Roaring Twenties Names   Enid Blyton Names   Short & Sweet

 

If you like Nora you may also like:   Mavis, Nellie, Vera, Cora, Bonnie, Effie, Nola, Flora, Nina, Cleo

Thanks to Ivy for requesting this name.

Name of the Week: Caspian

 

Origin:

Caspian was created as a given name by C.S. Lewis for his 1951 children's novel Prince Caspian; the second in his The Chronicles of Narnia series. Lewis may have created it as a blend of Casper or Cassius with Crispian or Cassian, or he may have taken the name directly from the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea itself takes its name from the tribe who lived in the region in antiquity, who were known as the Kaspioi to the Greeks. Caspian is the anglicised version of this.

Usage:

The first Caspian to be registered in the England and Wales Birth Index (dating from 1834) was in 1967. The second, in early 1968, was film screenwriter Caspian Tredwell Owen. That this was sixteen years after the publication of Prince Caspian it can perhaps be assumed that the parents who chose the name in the late 60s were drawing on a beloved book character from their childhood.  Caspians were registered in the following years in England and Wales: 1967 1 birth 1968 3 births  1971 4 births 1972 4 births 1973 3 births 1975 1 birth 1977 2 births 1978 2 birth 1980 1 birth 1981 1 birth 1982 1 birth 1984 2 births 1985 1 birth 1986 2 births 1987 2 births 1988 2 births 1989 3 births From 1996 onward, Caspian saw a slow increase in usage, though remained below the top 1000. It began a more marked and steady rise from 2008 thanks to the film adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian starring Ben Barnes in the title role.  Caspian first entered the top 1000 in 2013 at #954 (30 births) and has been rising ever since.  In 2018, Caspian reached #535 with 72 births in England and Wales: its highest number ever recorded.  Since 1974, Caspian has only been registered in the following years in Scotland, most of them following the release of the film adaptation of Prince Caspian: 1998 1 birth 2012 1 birth 2013 2 births 2014 2 births 2015 1 birth 2016 1 birth 2017 1 birth 2018 4 births In 2018, Caspian ranked #595 with 4 births in Scotland—also its highest rank to date.

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary: * Caspian Tredwell-Owen (born 1969), British screenwriter.  * Caspian Feild (b. 2012), son of actors Neve Campbell and JJ Field. Literature and Other Media: * Prince Caspian, a character in C.S.Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. * Caspian Vander, character in the Sleepy Hollow Trilogy by Jessica Verday. * Caspian, a character on TV's Highlander: The Series.

Variants:

Kaspian (Scandinavian)

Pronunciation:

KASP-ee-ən [key]

Possible diminutives:

Cass, Kip

Sibling Names:

Athena     Verity     Emmeline     Henrietta     Sylvia     Vivienne Orion     Atlas     Dorian     Atticus     Orlando     Xavier

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance

 

If you like Caspian you may also like:   Cassian, Tarquin, Cassius, Tristram, Cedric, Montague, Edison, Percy, Maximilian, Crispin

Thanks to Anne for requesting this name.  

 

Name of the Week: Delilah

Origin:

Delilah is the name of one of the principal characters in the Book of Judges, Chapter 16, in the Hebrew Bible. As the story goes, Delilah is loved by Samson, the final Judge of Israel, and she is bribed by the Philistines to find out the source of Samson's strength. Eventually, she goads into telling her⁠—it's his hair⁠—and when he is asleep, she orders a servant to cut Samson's hair and turns him over to the Philistines.  From Biblical times to Tom Jones' classic 1968 hit song Delilah, the name Delilah has been a byword for treachery, deceit and cunning.  However, several modern critics have been keen to liberate Delilah from this stigma, pointing out that she is unique among female Biblical figures because she acts independently without relying on, or being defined by, male relatives.  Many have also pointed out that Delilah's actions are far from unusual in the Biblical narrative. Jael killed a Canaanite army commander by driving a tent peg into his head after offering him hospitality; Judith seduced and then beheaded the general of the Assyrian army in his sleep.  There is very little difference between these women's actions and Delilah's: all three exploited the weaknesses of their enemies' most prominent military foe and were the cause of their deaths. However, Jael and Judith are praised in Biblical tradition as heroines while Delilah is denigrated simply because of which side she supported.  The etymology of Delilah is under debate by scholars. Like many ancient names, its true origins, it seems, are obscured through the mists of time. Traditionally, Delilah has been derived from the Hebrew verb dalal (דָּלַל) which, in Delilah's case, is often said to mean "delicate, languishing", but it has many meanings including "to hang", "look with languishing eyes", "hang down", "be low", "to be laid low" and "weak". However, as it is still disputed whether Delilah was an Israelite or not, more recent theories have focussed on non-Hebrew sources. One theory connects Delilah to the related Arabic words dalla "to behave amorously" and dalila "a guide".** In Judges (1975), R.G. Boling put forward the argument of a meaning of "flirtatious" from the Arabic dollatum "flirt"** while K.L. Younger in Judges and Ruth (2002) attributes it to the Akkadian dalalum meaning "to praise, glorify", a name element which is widely attested in names in the ancient Near East.** Some have taken this latter theory further suggesting Delilah may be a shortened form of the theophoric Akkadian name Dalil Ishtar meaning "glory of Ishtar, devotee of Ishtar" (the Akkadian goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war, combat and political power).** Theophoric names were incredibly common, so, as Akkadian names go, this one isn't outlandish.  Many scholars agree that Delilah's name (whether Hebrew or not) was deliberately adapted by Biblical writers as a pun on laylah (לילה) the Hebrew word for "night", which was used as a clear contrast to Samson's name, derived from shemesh (שֶׁמֶשׁ) meaning "sun".***** As Caroline Blyth (2017) poetically puts it: "Ultimately, despite our best efforts to pin down a meaning for [Delilah], uncertainty will always prevail; Delilah may play a central role in the Judges 16 story, she may be the only woman in Samson's saga to be granted a moniker, but this moniker remains unfathomable. [...] Rather than being 'an everlasting curse on the lips of men', the name Delilah may instead be an everlasting enigma that captures the multifaceted complexity of this biblical persona."*

Usage:

Despite her "bad girl" Biblical reputation, Delilah can be found in baptisms from the 17th century in Britain. At this time, other 'rule-breaking' Biblical women (such as Bathsheba and Vashti) were used as names, and we should not find this unusual given that the Bible was one of the main sources for names during this period. By the 19th century, Delilah's use was low but regular and steadily declined by the mid-20th century. Data from the 1881 UK census (see image, right) demonstrates that Delilah was most common in West Yorkshire and Lancashire, as well as East Anglia. It was rare in Scotland and Wales.  Records in the England and Wales Birth Index: 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 123 births 122 births 142 births 103 births 87 births 59 births 48 births 37 births 22 births 6 births 2 births 15 births 26 births 26 births In the 1949 film Samson and Delilah, Hedy Lamarr played a more sympathetic version of Delilah. According to this re-telling, Delilah has been in love with Samson for a long time but betrays him to avenge the deaths of her father and sister, which she believes are the fault of Samson. She later comes to regret her actions and stays with him as the temple collapses around them. Samson and Delilah became the highest-grossing film of 1950*, winning two of its five Academy Awards nominations.  This may have played some small part in Delilah's modest renewal in use in the 1950s.  From 1996 to 2006, Delilah ranked consistently below the top 1000 in England and Wales. It broke into the top 1000 at #816 (37 births) in 2006, and, by 2008 it had leapt to #408 (105 births). It plateaued for two years and then, from 2011 has been on a steady and steep upward climb.  Regionally, Delilah broke into the top 100 in the South West (#89) and South East (#96) in 2017.  It cracked the combined England and Wales top 100 in 2018 at #90 with 601 births.   Individually, it ranked #90 in England and #107 in Wales in 2018. It was also more common for younger mothers, ranking at #46 for mothers under 25, #71 for mothers aged 25-29, #124 for mothers aged 30-34 and #170 for aged 35 and over. In Scotland, Delilah saw very little use at all from 1975 to 2010—only given to seven girls overall in that time. In 2012, it rose to #426 (8 births) but its ranks has fluctuated since. To date, Delilah peaked at #289 (13 births) in Scotland in 2017.  In 2018, Delilah ranked #348 with 10 births in Scotland.  In Northern Ireland, Delilah is even rarer. It reached a peak of #355 (4 births) in 2017 but was given to fewer than 3 babies in 2018, putting it well below the top 500.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Delilah Leontium Beasley (1867–1934), American historian and newspaper columnist. * Delilah Pierce (1904–1992), African-American artist, curator and educator. Contemporary: * Delilah Rene (b. 1960), American radio personality. * Delilah Cotto (b. 1970) Puerto Rican-American actress, dancer and model. * Delila Hatuel (b. 1980), Israeli fencer. * Delilah DiCrescenzo (b. 1983), American distance runner. * Delilah Fishburne (b. 2007), daughter of actors Laurence Fishburne and Gina Torres. * Delilah Genoveva del Toro (b. 2011), daughter of actors Benicio del Toro and Kimberly Stewart. * Delilah Grace Cavendish (b. 2012), daughter of cyclist Mark Cavendish and model Peta Todd. * Delilah Grace Wilshere (b. 2013), daughter of footballer Jack Wilshere. * Delilah Ruby Sinclair (b.2018), daughter of British soap actress Helen Flanagan and footballer Scott Sinclair.  * Delilah-Rae Monk (b. 2018), daughter of British singer Cher Lloyd.  Literature and Other Media: * Delilah, a 1973-1974 Canadian sitcom * Delilah "Del" Dingle, in the British soap opera Emmerdale (2005-2007). * Delilah, main in the animated series Delilah & Julius. * "Delilah", Tom Jones song (1968). * "Delilah", Queen song (1991) * "Delilah", a song by The Cranberries (1999). * "Delilah", Florence and the Machine song (2015).

Variants:

Delila, Dalilah (Biblical variants), Dalila (French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese), Dalida (Greek, Russian, Slovak, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Croatian, Czech)

Pronunciation:

də-LĪ-lə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Dell, Della, Dellie, Dolly, Lila, Lyla

Sibling Names:

Arabella     Savannah     Ariana     Sienna     Aurora     Eliana  Dominic     Reuben     Elijah     Leon     Rowan     Finley

Name Lists:

Vintage Names   Ripe Renovations

 

If you like Delilah you may also like:   Tallulah, Amaya, Dahlia, Atarah, Lyra, Violet, Kezia, Maya, Ariella, Talitha

Thanks to Alice for requesting this name.

Name of the Week: Max

Origin:

Max started life as a short-form of Maximilian, a younger form of the Roman name Maximilianus which meant "belonging to Maximillus". Maximillus itself was a diminutive for Maximus, derived from the Latin maximus "greatest."  Maximilian(us) was borne by a few lesser-known saints in the 3rd and 4th centuries but the name did not become widespread across Europe until Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor (1415-1493) chose it for his son in 1459 (who would later become Maximilian I).  According to British historian William Camden (1551-1623), Frederick coined Maximilian independently as a combination of two Roman names—Maximus and Aemilianus—borne by Romans whom he revered. Camden wrote, "Frederic, the third Emperor who, doubting what name to give his son and heire, composed this name of two worthy Romans, whom he most admired, Q. Fabius Maximus, and Scipio Aemilianus, with the hope that his son would imitate their vertues."  It is not unlikely that Frederick III was also aware of St. Maxmillian's church in Bischofshofen, Salzburg in his native Austria which was dedicated to Saint Maximilian of Lorch (d.288).

Usage:

We can be sure that Maximilian's use as a given name in Europe, starting in Germany, dates from the Maximilian I's reign. The name passed through the Hapsburg dynasty, being borne by another Holy Roman Emperor (his great-grandson) and several Electors of Bavaria to name a few.  Maximilian became well-used in Germany. It was less common in Britain, but it was in use from the 16th century. At some point, Max became the standard short form for Maximilian. Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria (1662-1726) is known in German as Max Emanuel, for example. Certainly, Max became established as a given name in its own right in German-speaking countries by the 19th century such as with Prussian lieutenant colonel Max Saalmüller (1832–1890) and German theoretical physicist Max Planck (1858-1947). In Britain, Max was rare at the beginning of the 19th century, but this grew notably over the course of the century, eclipsing the use of Maximilian itself. Birth records show that most of the boys registered with the name Max had German surnames and were born in large cities, demonstrating the rising industrial migration at that time.  Records in the England and Wales Birth Index:   Max Maximilian 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 2 births 10 births 40 births 116 births 135 births 310 births 611 births 569 births 379 births 410 births 379 births 374 births 519 births 879 births 30 births 37 births 46 births 68 births 61 births 74 births 69 births 49 births 21 births 27 births 32 births 47 births 97 births 189 births By the time Max was on its sharp rise in the early 1990s, we'd already had three film instalments of the Max Mad franchise (1979-1985) and the cartoon series Fantastic Max from 1988 to 1990. The Mighty Max toys (the boys answer to Polly Pocket) were launched in 1992 and an animated TV series followed in 1993-1994. In 1994, the film Hocus Pocus featured a young hero named Max in the title role.  In short, when Max entered the top 100 at #72 in 1994 in England and Wales, the name would have been heard a lot by parents.  Since 1999, Max has happily ranked in the top 50 in England and Wales, reaching a peak of #18 (3220 births) in 2012.  Since then it has seen a slight decline, but only to #27 with 2165 births in 2017. In Scotland, Max entered the top 100 at #99 in 1998. It reached a peak at #11 in 2012 (the same year as in England and Wales) with 306 births.  In 2018, Max ranked #18 in Scotland with 219 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Max Saalmüller (1832–1890), Prussian lieutenant colonel and German entomologist. * Max Meyer-Olbersleben (1850–1927), German composer and pianist. * Baron Max Wladimir von Beck (1854–1943), Austrian politician. * Baron Max Hussarek von Heinlein (1865–1935), Austrian politician, Prime Minister of Austria in 1918. * Max Born (1882–1970), German physicist, mathematician and Nobel laureate. * Max Fleischer (1883-1972), Polish-American animator and film producer. * Max Ernst (1891-1976) German painter, sculptor, graphic artist and poet. * Max Rudolf (1902-1995), German conductor. * Max Delbrück (1906–1981), German–American biophysicist. Contemporary: * Max Allan Collins (born 1948), American mystery writer. * Max Brown (born 1981), English actor. * Maximilian "Max" Irons (born 1985), English-Irish actor, son of Jeremy Irons and Sinéad Cusack. * Maximilian "Max" Meyer (born 1995), German footballer. * Max Scharping (born 1996), American football player. Literature and Other Media: * Max Rockatansky, the main character in the Mad Max films. * Max Detweiler "Uncle Max", a character from the film The Sound of Music (1965). * Max Dennison, the hero in the film Hocus Pocus. * Max, the main character in the book Where the Wild Things Are. * Max Young, the main character in the animated series Fantastic Max. * Max Smart, a character in the TV series Get Smart. * Max Klinger, a character in the TV series M*A*S*H. * Maximilian "Max" Goof, the son of the Disney character Goofy. * Max, a character in the film The Secret Life of Pets. * Max Branning, a character in the TV soap EastEnders (2006-). * Max, a dump truck in the TV series Thomas & Friends.

Variants:

Maks (Russian, Ukrainian), Macs (Welsh)

Pronunciation:

MAKS [key]

Possible longer forms:

Macsen, Magnus, Maxim, Maximus, Maximilian, Maxwell, Maxen, Maxence, Maxfield, Maxton

Sibling Names:

Ava     Isla      Daisy     Freya     Ruby     Lucy Leo     Noah     Oscar     Lucas     Theo     Toby

Name Lists:

Lively Lads    Ripe Renovations   Short and Sweet

 

If you like Max you may also like:   Freddie, Zack, Rhys, Milo, Owen, Evan, Archie, Rex, Elliott, Hugo

Thanks to Joan for requesting this name.