British Baby Names

Name of the Week: Thomas

 

 

Origin:

Thomas is the Greek form of the Aramaic name Ta'oma (תאומא) derived from the word תאמא tāma "twin". According to Biblical tradition, it was created as a byname for the one of the apostles named Judah. This Judah was given the epithet Didymus ("twin" in Greek) and therefore also Thomas in Aramaic, presumably to distinguish him from the other two apostles named Judah.

Usage:

Thomas established itself in Britain after the Norman Conquest. Prior to this, it was only found as the name of an Anglo-Saxon priest, but, thanks to its Biblical pedigree, came into general use by the 11th century. Two of the first Norman Archbishops of York — Thomas of Bayeux (d. 1100) and his nephew Thomas of York (d.1114) — bore the name, as well as Archbishop of Canterbury and later saint Thomas Becket (1118−1170). Becket's opposition to his good friend King Henry II's plans to curb the power of the church and clerical privilege led to his murder, when four overzealous knights acted on, what they assumed, to be the King's will. Very soon after Becket's death, he was hailed as a martyr and miracles were said to occur at his tomb. Soon, Canterbury became one of the principal pilgrimages in Europe — Henry II built the great Dover Castle chiefly to court European nobility who made their way to England for this pilgrimage — and, two years after his death, Becket was canonised.  It was the martyrdom (and hugely popular cult) of Thomas Becket, E. G. Withcombe argued, that led to Thomas becoming one of the commonest men's names of the Middle Ages, pointing out that: "Most of the church dedications in this name were originally to St. Thomas of Canterbury, but Henry VIII, who had a special dislike to the memory of the recalcitrant archbishop, had them altered to St. Thomas the Apostle."* Whether Becket was the main reason for the name's popularity or not, what is indisputable is that, but the 14th century, Thomas was one of the most popular names in Britain. Redmonds' survey of 1000 names from ten English counties 1377-81 puts Thomas at #3 behind John and William and before Robert and Richard, though the latter three, he notes, could change order depending on the region.  Three further saints bearing the name were canonised in the 13th century (two English, one Italian); two in the 14th century, and three in the 15th century. Thomas also had some use among English royalty (though it wasn't commonly used). The fifth son of Edward I was Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk (1300–1338). The story goes that, when he was born, his mother had prayed to Thomas Becket during her difficult labour and so he was named for the saint. Thomas of Brotherton was Keeper of England when his brother Edward II was away fighting in Scotland, and was later a principle advisor of his nephew Edward III. Perhaps it was for his uncle that King Edward III named his youngest son Thomas of Woodstock (1355–1397). Thom, Thome, Tome, Tom, and Thomlyn are all recorded as diminutives in 1379* and the French diminutive Mace/Masse (which was both a nickname for Matthew and occasionally Thomas) and Tam were also in use.  The numerous surnames derived from Thomas include Thomas, Thoms, Tomes, Thomason, Thomazin, Thompsett, Thompson, Tomkin, Tompkins, Tomkinson, Tomlin, Tomblin, Tomlinson and MacThomas to name just a few. Furthermore, Thomas was so common that it formed many common phrases in the English language. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable has over twenty entries under "Tom" in which is described as indicating an "ordinary sort."* Examples include Tom-cat, Tom Tiller, Tom-boy, Tom-tit, Tom Foolery and "Every Tom, Dick and Harry."   Like Philip and Nicholas, Thomas was also used occasionally for girls in the Middle Ages, such as the woman named Thomase found in the Wills in the Court of Probate, London in 1395. Withycombe points out that both Thomasinus and Thomasina can be found in the Feudal Aids of 1346, but that the diminutive Thomasin eventually became the usual feminine form of the name. In France, the diminutives Massine and Massiotte can also be found.* Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1700 in England puts Thomas consistently in either 2nd or 3rd place, interchanging with William behind John:  1538-49: #2; 1550-9: #3; 1560-9: #2; 1570-9: #2; 1580-9: #3; 1590-9: #3; 1600-9: #2; 1610-9: #3; 1620-9: #2; 1630-9: #3; 1640-9: #2; 1650-9: #3; 1660-9: #3; 1670-9: #3; 1680-9: #3; 1690-1700: #3.  This top three status continued through to the 19th century. Dunkling puts Thomas at #3 in England and Wales in both 1700 and 1800, and this top 5 status continued up until the 1930s though it was never out of the top 50: 1850: #3 1860: #3 1870: #4 1880: #4 1890: #4 1900: #4 1904: #4 1914: #4 1924: #5 1934: #12 1944: #19 1954: #24 1964: #24  1974: #40  1984: #11 1994: #1 Click to enlarge From reaching #1 in 1994, Thomas remained in the top 3 (as it had done from the 14th-20th century) up until 2009 when it fell to #6. Throughout this period, the birth count gradually declined year on year even as the rank remained steady. For example, Thomas was #2 in 1999 with 9454 births and #2 in 2007 with 6530 births.  In Scotland — having ranked at #7 in 1900 and #6 in 1950 — Thomas has been within the top 30 since 1974, but only twice (2005 and 2006) has ranked in the top 20.  In 2016, Thomas ranked #9 (3898 births) in England and Wales, #23 (225 births) in Scotland and #14 (117 births) in Northern Ireland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Saint Thomas Becket (1118–70), English martyr, archbishop of Canterbury. * Thomas of Erceldoune (fl. 1220?–1297), Scottish seer and poet. * Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225–74), Italian philosopher and theologian, Doctor of the Church. * Prince Thomas of Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk (1300–1338), fifth son of King Edward I and principle advisor of his nephew Edward III. * Prince Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Buckingham, 1st Earl of Essex (1355–1397), son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. * Thomas à Kempis (ca. 1380-1471), German priest, monk and writer. * Sir Thomas Malory (d. 1471), English author of Morte d'Arthur. * Sir Thomas More (1478–1535), an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. Venerated by Roman Catholics as Saint Thomas More. * Thomas Erastus (1524–83), Swiss Protestant theologian and physician. * Thomas James (1593–1635), English navigator and explorer. * Thomas Gray (1716–71), English poet. * Thomas Gainsborough (1727–88), English portrait and landscape painter. * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. * Thomas Moore (1779-1852), Irish poet. * Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), English novelist and poet. * Thomas Edison (1847–1931), an American inventor. * Thomas Mann (1875–1955), German novelist and essayist. Contemporary: * Thomas "Tom" Brady, American football player for the New England Patriots. * Thomas "Tom" Chaplin, British singer of band Keane. * Thomas "Tom" Clancy, American author. * Thomas "Tom Cruise" Mapother, American actor. * Thomas "Tom" Felton, British actor and singer. * Thomas "Tom" Fletcher, British singer of McFly.  * Thomas "Tom" Hanks, American actor. * Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy, British actor. * Thomas "Tom" Hiddleston, British actor. * Sir Thomas Woodward "Tom Jones", Welsh singer.  * Thomas "Tom" Petty, American musician and singer-songwriter. Literature and Other Media: * Thomas the Tank Engine, a locomotive character from The Railway Series of children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry. * Thomas Barrow, the underbutler on the series Downton Abbey. * Thomas, the main character from the novel and film The Maze Runner.

Variants:

Tomos, Twm (Welsh), Tomás (Spanish, Portuguese, Irish), Tàmhas/Tavish, Tòmas (Scottish), Tommaso (Italian), Tuomas (Finnish), Tomáš (Czech, Slovak)

Pronunciation:

TOM-əs [key]

Possible diminutives:

Tom, Thom, Tommy, Tam, Mace

Sibling Names:

Sophie     Emily     Charlotte     Emma     Lucy     Olivia  William     George     Harry     Oliver     James     Joseph

Name Lists:

Medieval Favourites   Terrifically Tudor  Gorgeously Georgian   Victorian Darlings   British Royalty   Shakespearean Names   Austen Names   Dickensian Names   Tennyson Names   Bronte Names   Beatrix Potter Names   Disney Names   Gilbert & Sullivan Names

 

If you like Thomas you may also like:   Charles, Jacob, Lewis, Samuel, Daniel, Benjamin, Matthew, Luke, Joshua, Nicholas

Thanks to Chris for requesting this name.  

 

Name of the Week: Margot

 

 

Origin:

Margot is a diminutive form of Marguerite, the French form of Margaret, which was composed of the shortened form Marg and the Old French diminutive suffix -ot.  Both Margaret and Marguerite derive from the Latin name Margarita which ultimately derives from the Greek margarites "pearl."  The homophone Margaux, used as an alternative spelling of Margot, is taken from the village of Margaux in France which lies in the Haut Médoc winemaking region in South West France, and is particularly famous for the Château Margaux wine. From the 15th century, the wine produced here was known under the names Margou, Margau, Margous and Margose.*

Usage:

Margaret was one of the most successful names in medieval Europe, borne by several queen consorts, in England, Scotland, France, Denmark and Navarre, and several saints.  The most famous of these was the, seemingly apocryphal, 5th-century saint, St Margaret of Antioch (or Margaret the Virgin-Martyr), whose veneration was extremely popular particularly in England (where more than 250 churches are dedicated to her) and in France.  St Margaret was also the patroness of childbirth and pregnant women. Given the perilous nature of medieval childbirth, St Margaret was commonly evoked during this time, and it isn't difficult to imagine that many grateful mothers named their children in honour of her after a safe delivery. The importance of St Margaret during childbirth is distinctly demonstrated by historian Helen Castor in her BBC series Medieval Lives: Birth, Marriage, Death: As Marguerite was prolifically used in France, the -ot diminutive-ending Margot was undoubtedly used as a familiar form, but how common it was is difficult to tell. One of the most famous medieval Margots in popular culture is "La Reine Margot": Marguerite de Valois (1553–1615), queen of France and of Navarre.  However, this nickname was invented by Alexandre Dumas who titled his first novel on the Trilogy of Valois, La Reine Margot in 1845. A Margot la Gantière and Margue la Crespinière can be found in the 1292 Census of Paris.* It can also be found twice in the first half of the 15th century in Paris* and four times in the latter half of the 15th century in Choisy.* These are only a handful of examples, but that is often the case with diminutives when a formal (often Latinised) form was most commonly used on paper records. As a report from The Academy of Saint Gabriel points out, "Although we only have a few examples of Margot in period, it was probably available for most of [Middle Ages]. It may not have been at all common, but our sources are spotty enough that we really can't tell."*  Margot isn't visible in records in Britain during this period, however. The Normans brought Old French as the official language to England and so the diminutive ending -ot was also common in British names. Instead of Margot, though, Magot and Megot were used instead.  There is one example of Margot in Britain that I can find in Conway, Wales in 1560* but this is in a minority.*  By the 19th century, we see Margot in increasing use as a standalone name in France. It was rather uncommon, however, and was seemingly much more used as an actual nickname than records suggest. For example, in 1910 — when Marguerite ranked #3 in France — Margot alone was #490.  The same situation can be seen in Britain. Margot came into more established as a standalone name in the 19th century as birth records in England and Wales show:   Margot Margo 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 0 births 0 births 1 birth 0 births 2 births 32 births 74 births 179 births 142 births 362 births 365 births 391 births 227 births 1 birth 1 birth 1 birth 1 birth 1 birth 2 births 2 births 7 births 7 births 54 births 120 births 100 births 102 births Margot saw a boost in 1894 when it began to be registered more regularly. It does not seem coincidental that 1894 was the year that socialite Margot Tennant — later Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith (1864–1945) — married Home Secretary Herbert Henry Asquith.  It slackened off in use in the first half of the 1900s, seeing a boost again in 1908 when Asquith became Prime Minister — an office in which he served until 1916. Margaret was in the top ten in each decade from 1500 to 1954 (and #1 in 1924, 1934 and 1944), finally slipping to #39 by 1964 and out of the top 100 by 1974, so several of these many many Margarets may have been known as Margot.  Several famous Margots were formally Margaret. Margot Asquith was born Emma Alice Margaret; British actress Margot Bryant (1897–1988) was registered Kathleen Mary Margaret and ballerina Margot Fonteyn was formally Margaret Evelyn. This, more than anything, shows us that actual data for the popularity of Margot is misleading, as it was actively used as a nickname, while Margaret was written on birth records. The spelling Margaux wasn't registered until 1976 which we can attribute to American fashion model and actress, Margaux Hemingway (1954–1996). Hemingway was given the name Margot Louise, but changed it to Margaux when she found out that she was named after the wine, Château Margaux, which her parents were drinking the night she was conceived.  Margaux first ranked in France's top 500 in 1984 at #421 but was in the top 50 by 1991.  click to enlarge From 1996 to 2009 in England and Wales, Margot, Margaux and Margo were all below the top 1000 each year.  In 2009, Margot rose to #879 (38 births) and saw a gradual rise thereafter.  It jumped up to #415 (104 births) in 2014 and #273 (178 births) in 2015.   Margaux and Margo both picked up more momentum in 2014 and are both, too, on a steep upward curve currently.  In 2016, Margot ranked #186 with 293 births in England and Wales. Margaux was #955 (38 births) and Margo was #994 (36 births).  In France, both Margot and Margaux have ranked in the top 60 since 1994. In 2015, Margaux ranked #32 and Margot ranked #47.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Margot Asquith, countess of Oxford and Asquith (1864–1945), socialite, author and wife of Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith. * Margo Scharten-Antink (1868–1957), Dutch poet. * Margot Bryant (1897–1988), British actress. * Margo Lion (1899–1989), French chanteuse, parodist, cabaret singer and actress. * Margot Pardoe (1902–1996), British children's writer. * Margot Lander (1910–1961), prima ballerina with the Royal Danish Ballet. * Margot Bennett (1912–1980), Scottish screenwriter and crime author. * Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias, DBE (1919–1991), British ballerina. * Margaux Hemingway (1954–1996), American fashion model and actress. Contemporary: * Margot Marsman (born 1932), Dutch swimmer. * Margo Guryan (born 1937), American singer/songwriter. * Margo MacDonald (1943-2014), Scottish politician. * Margot Kidder (born 1948), is a Canadian American actress and activist. * Margo Martindale (born 1951), American actress. * Margot Franssen (born 1952), Dutch-born Canadian entrepreneur and activist. * Margo Stilley (born 1982), American actress and writer. * Margot Boer (born 1985), Dutch speed skater. * Margo Harshman (born 1986), American actress. * Margot van Geffen (born 1989), Dutch field hockey player. * Margot Robbie (born 1990), Australian actress.  Literature and Other Media: * La Reine Margot, 1845 novel by Alexandre Dumas. * Margot Beste-Chetwynde, a fictional character in Evelyn Waugh's novel Decline and Fall (1928). * Margot Mary Wendice, a fictional character in the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film Dial M For Murder. * Margo Leadbetter, a character in the British sitcom The Good Life. * Margo Gru, a character in the Despicable Me franchise. * Margo Channing, a character played by Bette Davis in All About Eve (1950).

Variants:

Margo, Margaux

Pronunciation:

MAR-gō [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Maggie

Sibling Names:

Ottilie     Elodie     Alba     Sylvie     Honor     Beatrix  Jasper     Felix     Jonah     Rex     Oscar     Sebastian

Name Lists:

Ripe Renovations

 

If you like Margot you may also like:   Cecily, Clementine, Juno, Lois, Olive, Primrose, Lyra, Orla, Ines, Alix

Thanks to Freya for requesting this name.

 

Name of the Week: Ava

 

Origin:

In the English-speaking world, Ava is a name of ancient Germanic origin.  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.* Ava's later use may also have developed as a variant of Eve, a Hebrew name meaning (most agree) "life", with which it has been much confused over time. This is likely the case in the 19th and 20th century when the European pronunciation of Eva as EH-va, became rendered as Ava.  Ava (pronounced AH-va) is also a Persian name which means "voice" or "call."

Usage:

Ava can be found in notable Germanic (Frankish) houses in the early Middle Ages. Pepin the Younger of Aquitaine (823–864) had a daughter Ava (sometimes Eva) who is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. Ava of Göttweig (c. 1060–1127) was the first named female writer in the German language. Despite this, however, Ava itself is hard to find in medieval documents. The DMNES has one record of Ava from Ghent in 1050, but non from English or French records. Instead, Ava is, almost exclusively, found in its diminutive forms of Aveline (Avelina) and Avelote. Aveline was brought over to Britain by the Normans, among which it had a long history of use. Avelina of Longeville was the sister of Gunnor, wife of Richard I of Normandy and great-grandmother of William the Conqueror. 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. The Normans also took Aveline over to Ireland where it was borne by several aristocratic Norman-Irish ladies. It was rendered into Irish Gaelic as Aibhilín or, more commonly known today, Eibhlín which were later anglicised as Aileen and Eileen.  By the 16th century, Avelina was very uncommon, only used sporadically in areas such as Berkshire, Kent and Norfolk, and Ava was all-but-extinct.  By the 19th century, the unrelated medieval name Avis/Avice was in good use. The elaborated form Avarina – particular to Mid-Wales – and Averild/Averilda – used in Yorkshire as a form of the Old English Everild, a 7th century Yorkshire saint – can also be found.  Ava, however, was rarer than all of these. Some of its use is perhaps accounted for by the popularisation of the name Eva by the hugely successful novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.    Ava Avelina/e Avarina Averilda 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 0 births 10 births 19 births 15 birth 6 births 10 births 11 births 9 births 8 births 8 births 18 births 157 births 113 births 12 births 14 births 17 births 18 births 30 births 17 births 16 births 4 births 9 births 3 births 3 births 5 births 9 births 31 births 32 births 36 births 40 births 50 births 31 births 45 births 38 births 21 births 13 births 7 births 10 births 6 births 12 birth 21 births 18 birth 20 births 20 births 19 births 29 births 15 births 9 births 1 birth 0 births 0 births 0 births The sudden spike in the 1950s was undoubtedly thanks to the fame of Hollywood actress Ava Gardner (1922–1990) who shot to stardom with her performance in The Killers (1946) and went on to star as a leading lady in several blockbuster films in the 1950s.  The name had previously been popularized in America by socialite Ava Lowle Willing (1868–1958), wife of magnate John Jacob Astor IV, and their daughter, socialite and heiress Ava Alice Muriel Astor (1902–1956). Through all this, however, Ava was never more than moderately well used. Even during the 1950s in the US, its rank never exceeded #376. But, Ava's fortunes all changed in the 1990s when a spate of celebrities used the name for their daughters, including: Ava Quinn (1989), daughter of Aidan Quinn and Elizabeth Bracco. Ava Elizabeth Sambora (1997), daughter of Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear. Ava Elizabeth Phillippe (1999), daughter of Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon. The effect of this saw Ava go from #259 in 1999 in the US to #9 in 2005 and a top 5 American staple ever since.  Britain was a little slower with the trend, but there was some initial impact from these celebrity births. In England and Wales, Ava went from #753 (30 births) in 1996 to #153 in 2004.  It first broke into the top 100 at #82 in 2005 and swiftly jumped up the rankings to #9 in 2011 – helped along by other celebrities such as Hugh Jackman (2005) and Myleene Klass (2007) also using the name. It has been in the top 10 ever since. It's highest rank was #4 (3575 births) in 2014, but the highest birth count was the previous year in 2012 when 3779 girls were given the name (ranking #6). In 2016, Ava ranked #5 (3285 births) in England and Wales.  In Scotland, Ava first entered the top 100 in 2003 at #94 (51 births). By 2008, it was #7 (416 births) and #2 in 2009 (486 births).  In 2016, Ava was #5 (360 births) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Ava of Göttweig (c. 1060–1127), the first named female writer in any genre in the German language. * Saint Ava, ninth century Roman Catholic saint and Frankish princess.  * Ava Lowle Willing (1868–1958), American socialite. * Ava Alice Muriel Astor (1902–1956), American socialite, daughter of above. * Ava Gardner (1922–1990), American actress. Contemporary: * Ava Barber (born 1954), U.S. country singer. * Ava DuVernay (born 1972), American film director. * Ava Leigh (born 1985), British reggae singer.

Variants:

Avah

Pronunciation:

AY-və [key]

Possible  Longer Forms:

Avelina, Aveline, Avalon, Avenel, Averil, Avery, Aviva, Avonia, Avreya, Avanti, Avigail, Aviya

Sibling Names:

Olivia     Ella     Isla     Elsie     Poppy     Mia  Ethan     Max     Leo     Noah     Oliver    Lucas

Name Lists:

Short and Sweet   Ripe Renovations   Dulcet Dainties   Golden Age Hollywood

 

If you like Ava you may also like:   Layla, Zara, Maya, Ayla, Aria, Edie, Lila, Iris, Maeve, Luna

Thanks to Imogen for requesting this name.

 

Name of the Week: Patrick

 

Origin:

Patrick is the English form of the Roman name Patricius meaning "a patrician." The patricians were the ancient Roman elite class from which senators were usually drawn. The word itself derives from patres "fathers" because they were the families which descended from the founding fathers of Rome. In later centuries, the word patrician came to mean "nobleman." Much of the name's use is associated with, and attributed to, Saint Patrick. Patrick was a Romano-British Christian who was captured by Irish slave-traders as a teenagers, taken to Ireland, and enslaved for six years. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary and is credited with converting Ireland to Christianity.

Usage:

Patrick was in use in Britain from at least the 12th century, especially in Scotland where it was common. It wasn't very much used in the southern England, but it was well used in the north, most likely because of the cultural and geographical closeness to Scotland.  Patrick was used in a continual line for the Earls of Dunbar (from 1152 to 1369): important Anglo-Scottish magnates who held dominion over the Scottish border ("Scottish March"), were descended from the ancient Earls of Northumbria and who had married into Scottish royalty. Patrick IV de Dunbar, Earl of March (1242-1308) was even a contender for the crown of Scotland in 1291. Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) According to George Black, Patrick was "one of the most popular names in the west of Scotland in pre-Reformation times"* and Patrick was still prevalent in this area by the end of the 19th century, as data from the 1881 census shows (see image, right). Patrick's early medieval use led to the development of several diminutive forms [taken from the Anglo-Norman (Old French) tradition of adding the suffixes -in, -on, ot etc.] such as Pate, Patin, Paton and Pateman, and the surname-forms Patrick, Patrickson, Pate, Pates, Patey, Patton/Pattin, Pattinson and Patterson.  Despite the reverence given to Saint Patrick, his name was not used in Ireland until the 17th century — and even then it was probably due to Scottish settlers in Ulster. The reason for this is that the Irish Gaels considered the name to be too holy, and avoided using the names of their most revered saints. Instead, the names Giolla Phádraig "servant of Patrick" and Maol Phádraig "devotee of Patrick" were used. This taboo was also shared by the Scottish Gaels (though they had dropped the practice by the 15th century and began to use Pádraig alone) and their Celtic cousins, the Welsh, who used the similar Gwas Patrik "servant of Patrick."* Though late in use, once Patrick had been introduced to Ireland, it quickly established itself as one of Ireland's most popular names. Indeed, Patrick and the diminutive form Paddy were so common by the 18th century, that "Paddy" became a generic name for an Irishman in English.  Several Gaelic forms of the name developed in Scotland and Ireland, including Pádruig, Páruig, Páthruig, Para, Pádair and Pátair. The last two were confused with Peter, and, in Scotland, the two became interchangeable.  G. F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland p651 According to George Black (1946): "In Scotland, not only is Patrick frequently called by the endearing diminutive Peter, but Peter is often called Patrick. In fact, as it has been said, Patrick is the 'Sunday name,' Peter the everyday one."* Black also cites several examples of this in practice (see image, right).  In the 19th century, the name got a royal boost when Queen Victoria gave the name as a middle name to her son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn who was christened Arthur William Patrick Albert in 1850. It is said that on her trip to Ireland in 1849, one woman in the crowd cried out, "Queen, dear, make one of them Prince Patrick and all Ireland will die for you." True or not, the Queen used Patrick for the first child born after her trip to Ireland.  Prince Arthur's son also bore the name — Arthur Frederick Patrick Albert (1883-1938) and one of his daughter's was named Patricia because she was born on St. Patrick's Day. The future Edward VIII (1894-1972) was also christened Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David: his four final names in honour of the patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.  Throughout the 19th and 20th century, Patrick was a top-100 staple in England and Wales, often in the top 50: 1850: #51 1860: #33 1870: #36  1880: #51  1890: #63 1900: #73 1904: #44 1914: #38 1924: #44 1934: #32 1944: #31 1954: #39 1964: #35 1974: #67 1984: #65 1994: #71 2004: #89  In 1996, Patrick ranked #66 (1039 births) in England and Wales, and from that point, it began to decline in usage, leaving the top 100 in 2006, until it reached its nadir of #127 (487 births) in 2012. It has since picked up again, ranking #117 (543 births) in 2015.  In Scotland, Patrick was #18 in 1900, #28 in 1950 and #69 in 1975 after which it slowly declined in use. It had a brief blip — going from #85 in 1997 to #103 in 1998, but back up to #81 in 1999. It then stayed in the top 100 until it fell out permanently in 2007. In 2016, Patrick ranked #129 (49 births) in Scotland.  Naturally, it's Northern Ireland where Patrick really shines. In 1997 it ranked #19 (164 births) and it has only been out of the top 30 twice since then.  In 2016, Patrick ranked #26 in Northern Ireland with 86 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Patrick Cary (c. 1624–1658), British poet. * Patrick Henry (1736–1799), American Founding Father.  * Patrick Pearse (1879-1916), Irish poet. * Patrick Troughton (1920–1987), British actor. Contemporary: * Sir Patrick Moore (1923-2012), British astronomer. * Patrick Swift (1927–1983), Irish painter. * Patrick McCauley (1927-2015), American journalist and author. * Patrick Lane (born 1939), Canadian poet. * Patrick Stewart (born 1940), British actor. * Patrick Swayze (1952–2009), American actor. * Patrick Jones (born 1965), Welsh poet and playwright. * Patrick Dempsey (born 1966), American actor. * Patrick Kielty (born 1971), Irish comedian and television presenter. * Paddy McGuinness (born 1973), British comedian and TV presenter. Literature and Other Media: * Patrick Jane, main character in The Mentalist. * Patrick Harper, Sharpe's right-hand man from the Sharpe book and television series * Patrick Star, character on the television series SpongeBob SquarePants.

Variants:

Pádraic, Pádraig (Irish), Pàdraig (Scottish), Padrig (Welsh), Pherick (Manx), Patrik (Scandinavian, Slavic), Patrice (French), Patryk (Polish)

Pronunciation:

PAT-rik (UK) [key]

Possible diminutives:

Paddy, Pat, Rick

Sibling Names:

Victoria     Niamh     Annie     Molly     Georgina     Abigail  Matthew     Michael     Joseph     Christopher    Connor     David

Name Lists:

Cosy Celtic   Bronte Names   Enid Blyton Names

 

If you like Patrick you may also like:   Cormac, Oscar, Malachy, Finnian, Alistair, Malcolm, Samuel, Nicholas, Dominic, Zachary

Thanks to Jess for requesting this name.  

 

Name of the Week: George

 

Origin:

George is the Anglicised form of the Greek name Γεωργιος (Georgios) which derives from the Greek word γεωργός (georgos) "a farmer, husbandman" or, more literally, "earth-worker," derived from γῆ (ge) "earth" and έργο (ergo) "to work." Zeus Georgos "Zeus the Farmer" was a form of Zeus worshipped in Athens as god of crops and ploughing. His festival was on the 10th day of Maimakterion (November/December) which was the time of plowing and planting of grain.  It is possible that Georgios was used as a theophoric name (which were common in Ancient Greece) in honour of Zeus Georgos, but there is little evidence of it in use in Antiquity. The Lexicon of Greek Personal Names (LGPN) has no citations of Georgios or any variant in use from the 8th century B.C. down to the late Roman Empire.  Some historians have conjectured* that Saint George is in fact a later Christianised form of Zeus Georgos, especially given that the saint was often connected to crops and agriculture.* And, while Zeus Georgos may not have garnered any namesakes in the ancient world, Saint George certainly did later.

Usage:

George feels like a quintessentially British name, yet, compared to other staples which have been popular since before or just after the Norman invasion, George's popularity was much later by comparison. George's eventual introduction to Britain was all thanks to the veneration of Saint George which was established during the Crusades. According to legend, Saint George (280-303) was a Greek-born Roman soldier (from Lydda in the Roman province of Syria Palaestina), who served as an officer in the Guard of Roman emperor Diocletian. When an edict was issued to kill all Christians in the Emperor Diocletian’s army, George proclaimed his faith and refused to be converted. He gave away his money to the poor and was martyred for his faith. His reputation as the epitome of bravery and champion of Christ and the defenceless* saw his veneration spread quickly from Syria Palaestina to the rest of the Byzantine Empire (the Eastern Orthodox Church) in the fourth century. By the fifth century, his cult had spread to the Western Roman Empire. In Britain, George was first referenced in writing in the 7th century* and the Venerable Bede (673-735) included him in his martyrology in the 8th. Regarded as ancient patron of soldiers, George was considered one of the most important military saints, so it is little wonder that he was adopted by the Crusaders. Legend had it that the crusaders had a vision of St. George at the siege of Antioch during the First Crusade (1096-1099) which was attributed to the defeat of the Saracens. Richard I later placed his army under the protection of St. George during the Third Crusade (1189–1192), and it was these crusaders that brought the name George back to Britain with them. Despite the saint's growing veneration, the name George was still rare during this period. Redmonds calculates it to have been the 34th most popular name from 1377-1381. Given the small size in population, that actually only equates to a small percentage, making it still quite an uncommon name. St George's feast day, April 23, was made a holiday in 1222 and the saint was given a further boost in prestige when Edward III established the Order of the Garter with St George as its patron in 1348. The English army carried banners displaying St George’s arms into battle at Halidon Hill (1333) and Agincourt (1415) and the saint’s name was used as a battle cry before defeating the French at Poitiers in 1356.* ― a cry that was immortalised by Shakespeare in Henry V as "Cry God for Harry, England and Saint George!" Further, in 1415, Archbishop Chichele made St George's feast day one of the major events of the liturgical year. St George was firmly established as England's principle patron saint.  Medieval legends had George slaying a dragon, which some say is actually symbolic of him defeating Satan and remaining true to his faith. This legend had mass circulation when it was printed in 1483 by Caxton in a book called The Golden Legend which detailed the lives of saints.  There is a commonly held view that George was little used in Britain until George I ascended the throne in the 1714. This, however, is simply not the case. In fact, George ranked within the top 10 most popular boys' names in England from the early 1500s at least, as we can see from Smith-Bannister's rankings below: 1538-49: #9; 1550-9: #9; 1560-9: #10; 1570-9: #7; 1580-9: #8; 1590-9: #8; 1600-9: #7; 1610-9: #9; 1620-9: #8; 1630-9: #7; 1640-9: #6; 1650-9: #7; 1660-9: #7; 1670-9: #6; 1680-9: #7; 1690-1700: #6.  This popular usage continued throughout the following centuries. According to Leslie Dunkling's ranks, George was #10 in 1700 and #5 in 1800. during which time Britain had three successive reigning kings bearing the name.  Throughout the the 19th century, George was a top 5 staple in England and Wales. From 1870 to 1934, it was the third most popular name after William and John: 1850: #4 1860: #4 1870: #3 1880: #3 1890: #3 1900: #3 1904: #3 1914: #3 1924: #3 1934: #10 1944: #21 1954: #35  1964: #54  1974: #83  1984: #71 1994: #21 As we can see, George remained in the top 100 in England and Wales throughout the 20th century, despite its gradual decline by the 1970s.  In Scotland, George (a staple in the 19th century) remained popular for longer than in E&W but its fall from favour came later. From ranking #6 in 1900 it was still #8 in 1950 and #36 in 1975 (when it was #83 in E&W). However, from that point on it gradually declined to #73 in 1989 and #97 in 1999. From 2004 to 2011, George hovered around the #100 mark, gradually picking up from 2012 onwards.   click to enlarge On the other hand, from 1996, George was a top 20 staple in England and Wales. Strangely, the number of boys given the name was often inverse to the name's rank. For example, from ranking #18 in 1997 (4586 births), the rank increased in rank to #12 by 2007 but decreased in birth count to 3939 births.  It first reentered the top 10 in 2010 at#9 (4542 births ― a number almost equivalent to 1997 when it was #18) and dropped to #12 again in both 2011 and 2012.  2013 saw the high profile birth of Prince George of Cambridge, first child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Much was made about the name George 'becoming popular' because of the little prince, but the numbers don't quite bare this out. It should be noted though that though the rank increased in 2013 to #10 and again in 2014 to #7, the number of boys named George in those years were less than in 2011 and 2012 when it ranked at #12.  That, of course, is not to say that Prince George has had no impact at all on the name's usage. We've had four years to date of seeing the prince grow up in the spotlight and the British public are ever eager for a glimpse of the Cambridge children. At the same time, George featured as a character in the hugely popular children's TV program Peppa Pig. In 2015, George rose to #4 in 2015 with 4869 births ― a notable increase in both rank and birth count. In Scotland, George ranked #53 (127 births) in 2015 and #62 (107 births) in 2016.

Famous Bearers:

Royalty: * George I of Great Britain (1660–1727), King of Great Britain and Ireland 1714–1727. * George II of Great Britain (1683–1760), King of Great Britain and Ireland 1727–1760. * George III of the United Kingdom (1738–1820), King of the United Kingdom 1760–1820. * George IV of the United Kingdom (1762–1830), King of the United Kingdom 1820–1830. * George I of Greece (1845–1913), King of the Hellenes 1863–1913. * George V of the United Kingdom (1865–1936), King of Great Britain and Ireland 1910–1936. * George II of Greece (1890–1947), King of the Hellenes 1922–1924, 1935–1947. * George VI of the United Kingdom (1895–1952), King of the United Kingdom 1936–1952. * Prince George of Cambridge (b. 2013), third in line to the throne of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  * 12 kings of Georgia starting from George I of Georgia (999-1027), King of Georgia 1014-1027. History: * Patriarch George of Antioch (758-790), Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church. * George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), German-British Baroque composer. * George Washington (1732-99), first president of the United States 1789-97. * George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (1788–1824), "Lord Byron," an English poet, peer, politician, and a leading figure in the Romantic movement. * George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Irish playwright. * George Washington Carver (1864-1943), American scientist and inventor. Contemporary: * George Harrison (1943-2001), British musician of The Beatles. * George Lucas (b.1944), American film director. * George Clooney (b.1961), American actor.  * George Ezra (Barnett) (b.1993), British singer/songwriter. Literature and Other Media: * George Plantagenet, character in Shakespeare's "Henry VI". * George Knightley, character in Jane Austen's "Emma". * George Wickham, character in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". * George Bailey, main character in film "It's A Wonderful Life". * George Weasley, character in J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series, twin of Fred Weasley. * George, Peppa's little brother on "Peppa Pig".

Variants:

Georges (French), Georg (German, Scandinavian), Giorgio (Italian), Jorge (Spanish, Portuguese), Yury, Yuri (Slavic), Siôr, Siôrs (Welsh), Seòras, Seòrsa, Deòrsa (Scottish Gaelic), Seóirse (Irish Gaelic), Shorys (Manx), Jordi (Catalan), Joris, Sjors (Dutch), Gorka (Basque)

Pronunciation:

JORJ [key]

Possible diminutives:

Georgie, Geordie, Jory

Sibling Names:

Alice     Emily     Amelia     Sophia     Lucy     Rose  Henry     William     Edward     Thomas     James     Arthur

Name Lists:

Royal British Names   Medieval Favourites   Terrifically Tudor   Gorgeously Georgian   Victorian Darlings   Slim Softies   Shakespearean Names   Jane Austen Names   Bronte Names   Dickensian Names   Enid Blyton Names   Tennyson Names

 

If you like George you may also like:   Samuel, Harry, Louis, Oliver, Max, Owen, Joseph, Charles, Miles, Hugo

Thanks to Harry for requesting this name.  

 

Name of the Week: Jacob

 

 

Origin:

Jacob is an anglicised form of the Hebrew Ya'aqov, a name which appears frequently in the bible and was most notably attributed to one of the great Jewish patriarchs.  In the book of Genesis, Jacob was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. He was given the name Israel, and thus he is the patriarch of the Israelites, as his twelve sons were the progenitors of the Tribes of Israel.  There is some debate about the etymology of Ya'aqov (Jacob). The meaning put forward by Genesis is "hand on the heal," referring to the fact that he was born holding his brother's heel. If so, it would relate to the Hebrew yad "hand" and aqeb "heel." By extension, aqeb also figuratively means "circumvent, overreach, deal craftily, supplant" (i.e. to trip someone up by the heals) in reference to Jacob supplanting his brother in their father's affections and his inheritance.  However, like his father's name, Isaac, Ya'aqov is likely an abbreviation of a Canaanite theophorus name such as Ya'aqob'el "may God protect."* In Greek, Ya'aqov became Iakobos (Ιακωβος) which was then transliterated into Latin as Iacobus (Jacobus) and, in Late Latin, Iacomus (Jacomus).  Jacobus became Iago in Spanish, Jacques in French and Jacob in English, while Jacomus became Jaime in Spanish and James in Old French and English. When the King James Bible (1611) translated the Latin bible into English, Jacob (Jacobus) was used in the Old Testament and James (Jacomus) in the New Testament.

Usage:

Partly thanks to its being attached to one of the most notable Jewish patriarchs, by the 1st century BC, Jacob was one of the the most popular Jewish names, and in Britain, the name has always been common among the Jewish community. Intriguingly, Reaney and Wilson point out that the medieval surnames Jacob, Jacobs and Jacubs are not Jewish in origin, citing an early pre-Conquest example of an ecclesiastic.* The Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE) also has record of a subregulus (vassal ruler) named Jacob who is cited on a charter dated 963-971.  After the Conquest of 1066, the popularity of Jacob is incredibly hard to determine. Official records were Latinised, and Jacobus was used as the Latin form for both Jacob and James (this was long before the Jacobus-Jacob/Jacomus-James distinction made in the King James Bible of 1611).  James is regarded as being the most common vernacular form of the two, partly thanks to the the cult of St James the Great, one of the twelve apostles who became the patron saint of Spain and whose cult was focused at Compostela in Galicia-- one of the most important pilgramage centres in medieval Christendom. The Spanish Jaime (the Spanish form of Jacomus), therefore, may have been more influential in Britain than Jacob as the vernacular of Jacobus thanks to the saint's popular cult.The earliest recorded pilgramage from England to Compostela is in 1148 and by the end of that century instances of the name James appear in British records -- a Jam' de Sancto Hylario is mentioned in a Northamptonshire charter of 1173-6, and James, son of Lambin is mentioned in the Loudoun Charters in Scotland (1162-1190). Of the 440 churches named "St James" in England, 414 are dedicated to St James the Great. In the second half of the 16th century, many Old Testament names come into fashion, including Abraham, Isaac, Nathaniel and Benjamin, and it is here that we start to see Jacob being used more independently from James as a distinct name.  In Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1670 in England, Jacob didn't reach the top 50 until 1590: 1538-49: --; 1550-9: --; 1560-9: --; 1570-9: --; 1580-9: --; 1590-9: #50; 1600-9: --; 1610-9: --; 1620-9: --; 1630-9: #38; 1640-9: --; 1650-9: --; 1660-9: #37; 1670-9: #44; 1680-9: #37; 1690-1700: #39.  Jacob was further bolstered in the 17th century by the Huguenots. It was a popular name among French Protestants at this time and brought over by the many thousands of French refugees who settled in England.  The name was well used across the 19th century in Britain, but gradually began to decline over the course of the century as Old Testament names fell out of fashion in favour of medieval Norman and Celtic names.   Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Data from the 1881 census shows that it was -- when looking at the population per 100,000 people -- evenly spread across England and Wales, but little used in Scotland, except for Orkney and Shetland.  Jacob was in the top 100 England and Wales throughout the 19th century, but had dropped out in the turn of the 20th century: 1850: #48 1860: #55 1870: #70 1880: #85 1890: #92 1900: #109 1904: *out of top 100* Jacob remained outside of the top 100 through most of the 20th century, until the 1990s, but was still in some moderate use up until the 1970s as Leslie Dunkling's sample for boys named Jacob in every 10,000 births show: 1900 1925 1935 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990   3   2   1    2    -    2    2   -   -    -   12   48 By 1994, Jacob was back in the top 100 having at the rank of #35. This is a significant rise, as it wasn't in the top 100 at all ten years previously. The short form, Jake, was even more successful, having risen to #18 in the same year.  Up until the late 2000s, Jake was the more popular form, but from 2008 it began to decline in use, while Jacob took a steep upward curve.  Up until this point, Jacob had been slowly and steadily rising each year but saw a marked increase in 2010 when it went from #18 (3214 births) to #12 (4308 births) -- an increase of over one thousand births. The following year, in 2011, it was in the top 10 at #7 and rose again to #5 in 2012 and #4 in 2013 and 2014.  This rise not only coincides with the rise of the next wave of alternative Old Testament such as Noah and Isaac, replacing 90s hot favourites Daniel, Joshua, Samuel and the like, but it may also be in some consequence to the Twilight series.  Late 2009 saw the release of Twilight: New Moon, the second film in the series and one where Taylor Lautner's character Jacob Black really come to the fore in the heartthrob role. The film was a huge success, as was the following film in 2010. During this period, the name Bella also saw a marked increase in use, which further points to Twilight-influence.  In 2015, Jacob ranked #5 (4850 births) and Jake ranked #34 (2013 births) in England and Wales. In 2016, Jacob ranked #11 in Scotland (287 births) and #7 (173 births) in Northern Ireland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Anund Jacob (b.c. 1008), King of Sweden. * Jacob van Maerlant (c. 1230/40 – c. 1288/1300), notable Flemish poet. * Jacob Cats (1577–1660), Dutch poet, humorist, jurist and politician. * Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-1682), Dutch painter.  * Jacob Hübner (1761–1826), German entomologist. * Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) , a German philologist, jurist, and mythologist. * Jacob Brønnum Scavenius Estrup (1825-1913), Danish Prime Minister. Contemporary: * Jacob "Jake" Gyllenhaal (b. 1980), American actor. * Jacob "Jake" Hoffman (b. 1981), American actor. Literature and Other Media: * Jacob Marley, character from Dickens' A Christmas Carol. * Jacob Black, werewolf character in the Twilight series. * Jacob Gallagher, character on TV soap Emmerdale. * Jacob "Jake" Moon, character on TV soap Eastenders.

Variants:

Jacques (French), Iago (Spanish, Welsh), Yago (Spanish), Giacobbe, Jacopo (Italian), Jakob (German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Dutch, Slovene), Jago (Cornish), Jaakob, Jaakoppi, Jaakko (Finnish), Jakov (Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian), Yakov (Russian), Jakub (Polish), Jacó (Portuguese)

Pronunciation:

JAY-kəb [key]

Possible diminutives:

Jake, Jakey, Coby, Jace

Sibling Names:

Eva     Sophie     Grace     Emily     Lily     Isabelle  Luke     Noah     Ethan     Oscar     Joseph     Samuel

Name Lists:

Terrifically Tudor   Gorgeously Georgian   Royal Names of Europe   Names from the Brontes   Dickensian Names

 

If you like Jacob you may also like:   Caleb, Joshua, Daniel, Lucas, Nathan, Joel, Matthew, Isaac, Benjamin, Reuben

Thanks to Freya for requesting this name.  

 

Name of the Week: Isaac

 

Origin:

Isaac is the Biblical Latin form of the Hebrew name Yitzhaq meaning "he laughs," derived from the Hebrew verb צָחַק (tsachaq) "to laugh." As it so often does, the Old Testament has an explanation for the meaning behind the name. According to the Book of Genesis, God instructed Abraham to name his son Isaac because both he and his wife Sarah had laughed when they heard that they were to have a son -- something that was thought impossible due to Sarah's age.  However, some scholars point out that Yitzhaq is most likely an abbreviation of the Canaanite theophorus name Yitzhakel meaning "may El (God) smile, may El laugh."* This is supported by Ugaritic texts from the 13th century BCE which refer to the benevolent smile of the Canaanite god El.* Isaac was the father of Esau and Jacob and one of the three patriarchs of Israel who was the longest living. Isaac is unique among the patriarchs for having stayed in Canaan and remaining faithful to his wife, never taking any other wives or concubines.

Usage:

Isaac appears twice in the Doomsday Book of 1086, and is found in occasional use in the following centuries, not solely confined to Jewish communities. As Reaney and Wilson point out, the surnames Isaac, Isaacs, Isacke and Isaacson were formed in the medieval period and are not Jewish in origin.* The name however, was rather rare in the Middle Ages and does not feature in George Redmonds' survey of 1000 names from ten English counties 1377-81. The second half of the 16th century saw a whole raft of Old Testament names come into fashion, including Abraham, Nathaniel and Benjamin. It is at this time that Isaac became much more regularly used, as we can see from Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1700 in England: 1538-49: --; 1550-9: --; 1560-9: --; 1570-9: #49; 1580-9: --; 1590-9: #35; 1600-9: #37; 1610-9: #46; 1620-9: --; 1630-9: #35; 1640-9: #35; 1650-9: #29; 1660-9: #26; 1670-9: #29; 1680-9: #31; 1690-1700: #31. Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) was in the vanguard of this rise in usage, and his fame may possibly have been a contributor to the name's continued rise. According to Leslie Dunklings rankings for England and Wales, Isaac had risen to #20 in 1700 and #14 in 1800.  The name was well used across the 19th century, but gradually began to decline over the course of the century, as Old Testament names fell out of fashion, replaced by medieval Norman, Celtic and nature names.   Isaac was in the top 100 England and Wales throughout the 19th century, but had dropped out in the turn of the 20th century: 1850: #26 1860: #27 1870: #30 1880: #38 1890: #50 1900: #66 1904: *out of top 100* Isaac remained outside of the top 100 through the whole of the 20th century, and even became rather rare and outdated by the mid-century, as Leslie Dunkling's sample for boys named Isaac in every 10,000 births show: 1900 1925 1935 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990   10   12   -    -    -    -    -   -   2    2   2    2 click to enlarge The name did begin to rise again gradually by the end of the century, and was on an upward curve when it ranked #104 (480 births) in 1996 in England and Wales. This curve has continued ever since and only two years later, in 1998. Isaac re-entered the top 100 at #84 (666 births). In 2007, Isaac ranked #42 (1762 births) and was #30 (2682 births) in 2012.  In 2015, Isaac ranked #20 in England and Wales with 2829 births.  Isaac ranked #54 (122 births) in Scotland and #25 (89 births) in Northern Ireland in 2016.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Isaac of Antioch, 5th century Christian writer. * Saint Isaac of Nineveh (c.613–c.700), Syriac Christian bishop and theologian. * Isaac Israeli ben Solomon (c.832– c. 932), Arab Jewish physician and philosopher. * Isaac I Komnenos (c. 1007–1061), Byzantine Emperor. * Isaac II Angelos (1156–1204), Byzantine Emperor. * Isaac Casaubon (1559–1614), French-born English classical scholar and philologist. * Isaac Beeckman (1588–1637), Dutch philosopher and scientist. * Saint Isaac Jogues (1607-1646), Jesuit priest, missionary and martyr. * Isaac de Benserade (1613–1691), French poet. * Isaac Barrow (1630–1677), British theologian and mathematician. * Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727), renowned British mathematician, astronomer, and physicist. * Isaac D'Israeli (1766–1848), British writer, scholar and man of letters. * Isaac da Costa (1798–1860), Dutch Jewish poet. * Isaac Singer (1811–1875), American inventor and businessman. * Isaac Israel Hayes (1832–1881), American Arctic explorer, physician and politician. * Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909) , Spanish pianist and composer. * Isaac Israëls (1865–1934), Dutch impressionist painter. * Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902–1991), Polish-born American author and Nobel prize literature winner 1978. * Isaac Asimov (1920–1992), Russian-born American writer and biochemist. Contemporary: * Isaac Hayes (1942–2008), American singer-songwriter, voice actor, and producer. * Isaac Brock (born 1975), American lead singer in Modest Mouse. * Isaac Hanson (born 1980), American musician, guitarist in Hanson. * Isaac Slade (born 1989), American lead singer in The Fray. * Isaac Cuenca (born 1991), Spanish footballer. Literature and Other Media: * Sir Isaac Newton, a character (newt) in Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (1906).  * Isaac Davis, Woody Allen's character in Manhattan.

Variants:

Issac (English), Isaak (German), Isak (Scandinavian) Itzhak, Yitzhak (Hebrew) Izaak (Polish)

Pronunciation:

Ī-zək [key]

Possible diminutives:

Ike, Zak, Zye

Sibling Names:

Eden     Lucy     Phoebe     Grace     Lydia     Eliza  Noah     Oscar     Jacob     Joshua     Edward     Lucas

Name Lists:

Terrifically Tudor   Gorgeously Georgian   Beatrix Potter Names

 

If you like Isaac you may also like:   Felix, Silas, Elias, Judah, Caleb, Rufus, Otto, Josiah, Levi, Ezra

Thanks to Imogen for requesting Isaac.  

 

Name of the Week: Edith

 

Origin:

Since the 12th century, Edith has been the standard English form of the Old English name Ēadgӯð, composed of the elements ēad "riches, prosperity, happiness, bliss" and gyð "war, battle, fight." Edith has also sometimes been conflated with, and used to render, two similar Anglo-Saxon names: Ēaldgӯð (eald "old, ancient" + gyð) and Ēadgifu (ēad + gifu "gift"), as we can see with Ealdgyð (b.c.992), wife of King Edmund Ironside, who is known in Modern English as "Edith" and Edith Swan-Neck (1025-1086), famous beauty and hand-fasted wife of Harold Godwinson who is sometimes recorded with the name Ēadgifu Swanneshals.*  Though these three names were distinct Anglo-Saxon names, the later spellings in the 12th century could often be confused.*

Usage:

Ēadgӯð was a fairly common Anglo-Saxon name and well attested among royalty. One of the most famous is St Edith of Wilton (d.984), daughter of King Edgar the Peaceable and St Wulfthrith. She became a nun like her mother and was known her "her learning, her beauty, and her sanctity."* She was regarded as a saint shortly after her death.  At the time of the Norman Conquest, two notable Ediths were making their mark: Edith Swan-Neck (or Edith the Fair) (1025–1086) was the hand-fasted wife of King Harold II (the fateful short-reigning English king who was defeated by William the Conqueror) who was widely regarded as a great beauty. Legend has it that it was she who identified Harold's body on the field of Hastings.  Edith of Wessex (1025–1075), was the previous queen-consort as the wife of Edward the Confessor (she was also the sister of Harold II), and — unusually for the time — she was crowned.* She is one of the few women to be depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry and managed to survive the conquest without the protection of her husband and brother by cleverly promoting the cult of Edward the Confessor. As Rowena Willard-Wright points out, "this was a shrewd move, as the Doomsday book reveals that she was one of very few English landowners to keep all of their lands, most English nobility having been killed or sent into exile."* Like Queen Edith herself, the name Edith survived the Norman conquest, unlike the majority of Anglo-Saxon names. In George Redmonds' survey of 1000 names from ten English counties 1377-81, Edith — ranked at #15 — is the only Anglo-Saxon feminine name in the top 50. Similarly, for boys, only Edward and Edmund rank. It is significant that these were all prominent royal figures who were regarded as saints and widely venerated in the Anglo-Norman period, accounting for the names' survival. Overall, 21 English churches were dedicated to St Edith in England.* Matilda of Scotland (1080-1118), the daughter of King Malcolm III of Scotland and the English princess Saint Margaret, was originally Christened "Edith," but was later known as Matilda during her marriage to King Henry I of England.  From the 12th century, Eda can be found as a hypocoristic and Edekin as a diminutive. These forms, combined with the popularity of Edith itself, led the the creation of many surnames, including Edith, Eday, Edy, Edye, Edkins, Eakin, Ekins, Ead, Eade, Eades and Edes. However, Reaney and Wilson attribute the similar Eadie, Eady and Eadey to Ēadgifu, demonstrating just how similar the later forms of the names were.* Edith continued through to the 17th century though it gradually began to dwindle in use, as we can see from Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1700 in England: 1538-49: #10; 1550-9: #24; 1560-9: #16; 1570-9: #21; 1580-9: #28; 1590-9: #26; 1600-9: #41; 1610-9: #39; 1620-9: --; 1630-9: #37; 1640-9: #47; 1650-9: --; 1660-9: --; 1670-9: --; 1680-9: --; 1690-1700: #46. During the 18th century, Edith was still in use, but by this time it was very uncommon and does not appear in Dunkling's top 50 rankings for either 1700 or 1800.  Data from The Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Edith's revival came in the mid-19th century, when Victorian Medievalism was in full swing, and was a top ten name from 1880 to the 1910s, as we can see from its ranks in England and Wales: 1850: #56 1860: #36 1870: #15 1880: #7 1890: #6 1900: #4 1904: #4 1914: #8 1924: #22 1934: #46 1944: *out of top 100* Data from the 1881 census (image, right) shows that the name was especially used in England, particularly in the South East, but was rare in Scotland. It is during this century, also, that Edie came into use as the standard diminutive for Edith.  Lots of intelligent and pioneering women, involved in education and political activism, named Edith hail from the Victorian era: Edith Cavell (1865–1915), was a famous British nurse who, during WWI, treated soldiers on both sides alike indiscriminately and set up escape routes for hundreds of Belgian and allied fugitives, for which she was arrested and and shot by the Germans. She is now venerated as a martyr in the Church of England. Edith Pechey (1845–1908), was one of the first female doctors in Britain as well as a campaigner for women's rights. Edith Abbott (1876–1957), was an American economist and a pioneer in the profession of social work and a leading activist in social reform.  Edith Durham (1863–1944) was British writer and anthropologist who travelled extensively in Balkans, advocating the rights of the Albanian people and working in various relief organisations.  This newspaper poem from 1877 uses Edith as an example of a "fine name" (i.e. one used by the upper classes) being adopted by the working class at this time, and gives an indication of the name's widespread appeal.  click to enlarge What goes up, must come down, however, and by the mid-20th century, Edith began to decline in use, falling out of the top 100 by 1944 and dropping rapidly out of use in the 1950s.  In 1996, Edith ranked #1112 (17 births) in England and Wales and diminutive Edie ranked #1168 (16 births). Both Edith and Edie have gradually risen at the same time and consistently at a similar rank each year.  Both Edith and Edie rose to #578 (51 births) and #595 (49 births) respectively in 2003, which may be in part attributed to the rising fame of radio and television presenter Edith Bowman.  By 2007 (when Bowman was the sole presenter of the highly popular BBC Radio 1 afternoon show), Edith had risen to #291 (162 births) and Edie #300 (156 births).  Rising still further, Edith was given a further boost by the characters of Lady Edith Crawley in ITV historical drama Downton Abbey (2010-2015) and Edith Gru in the films Despicable Me in 2010 and sequel Despicable Me 2 in 2013.  In 2015, Edith ranked #122 with 480 births (an increase from the 456 births in 2014 when it held the same rank) and Edie ranked #150 with 358 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Edith of Wilton (961–984), English saint and daughter of King Edgar.  * Edith of Wessex (1025–1075), Queen of England and wife of King Edward the Confessor.  * Edith the Fair/Swan-Neck (1025 – 1086), the hand-fasted wife or mistress of King Harold II of England. * Edith Pechey (1845–1908), British doctor and suffragette. * Edith Nesbit (1858–1924), British children's author and political activist. * Edith Roosevelt (1861–1948), American first lady and wife of Theodore Roosevelt. * Edith Wharton (1862–1937), Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer. * Edith Durham (1863–1944), British writer and anthropologist. * Edith Cavell (1865–1915), British nurse and humanitarian, venerated in the Church of England.  * Edith Hamilton (1867–1963) American classicist and educator. * Edith Wilson (1872–1961), American first lady and wife of Woodrow Wilson. * Edith Abbott (1876–1957), American economist, social worker, educator, and author. * Edith Dimock (1876–1955), American painter. * Dame Edith Evans (1888–1976), British actress.  * Edith Head (1897–1981), American costume designer. * Dame Edith Pitt (1906–1966), British politician. * Édith Piaf (1915–1963), French singer. Contemporary: * Edith "Edie" Sedgwick (1943–1971), American model and actress. * Edith Bowman (born 1974), British television and radio presenter Literature and Other Media: * Lady Edith Crawley, fictional character in the British television series Downton Abbey.  * Edith Gru, fictional character in the film Despicable Me.

Variants:

Edythe (English), Édith (French), Edit (Swedish), Edita (Slavic)

Pronunciation:

EE-dith [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Edie, Didi, Dee, Ditte

Sibling Names:

Clara     Beatrice     Iris     Bonnie     Harriet     Lilian  Felix     Albert     Frederick     Isaac     Reggie     Arthur

Name Lists:

Vintage Names   Royal British Names   Medieval Favourites   Terrifically Tudor   Victorian Darlings  Dickensian Names   Gilbert and Sullivan Names  Tennyson Names

  

If you like Edith you may also like:   Eliza, Audrey, Elsie, Ada, Vera, Olive, Alice, Violet, Betsy, Connie

Thanks to Lisa for requesting this name.

 

Name of the Week: Lincoln

 

Origin:

As a given name Lincoln is directly adopted from the English surname Lincoln. This surname derives from the city of Lincoln, the county capital city of Lincolnshire in the East Midlands region, and would have originally denoted a person who came from the city.  The city was founded as a Roman legionary fortress on a hill overlooking Brayford Pool (the natural lake formed by the widening of the River Witham) around the time of the reign of the Emperor Nero (58-68). This lake forms the centre of the city and was key to its industrial success over the centuries.  The Romans called it Lindum — a Latinised form of the native Brythonic Celtic name (reconstructed as *Lindon) which was derived from the Celtic *lindo "pool, lake."  After 86 A.D, the fortress became a Colonia (a settlement for retired soldiers) and thus became known as Lindum Colonia and eventually contracted as Lincoln.

Usage:

Like most surnames, Lincoln has been used as a given name for centuries, originally having been given because it was the mother's surname, or in honour of a godparent or relative. In Lincoln's case, we cannot discount that some of its use may also have been thanks to the place itself. Lincoln was never an especially common surname — it ranks as the 1982nd most common surname in the 1881 UK census — so Lincoln can only be found in small numbers as a given name before the mid-19th century.  The following is a list of births for the name Lincoln in England and Wales per decade from 1840: 1840s: 7 births 1850s: 5 births 1860s: 112 births 1870s: 52 births 1880s: 64 births 1890s: 90 births 1900s: 101 births 1910s: 63 births 1920s: 75 births 1930s: 34 births 1940s: 55 births 1950s: 69 births 1960s: 261 births 1970s: 52 births The great jump in usage from the 1850s to 1860s can be attributed to the assassination of American President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865.  Lincoln was only registered as a first name twice in 1862, seven times in 1863, five times in 1864, and once in January-March 1865. However, in the next quarter of April-June 1865 (the period when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated), 22 babies were given the name, followed by a further 22 in the following last two quarters.  Some of these children had the middle name Garibaldi, given in honour of Giuseppe Garibaldi who was seen as a heroic figure of liberalism. This is another indication that some British parents were directly looking to heroic and martyred figures such as Abraham Lincoln for inspiration.  Furthermore, some children at this time were name "Abraham Lincoln" as a first and middle name, and this too saw a rise in 1865:   1861: 1 birth 1862: - 1863: 3 births 1864: 1 birth 1865: 17 births The name also saw an upsurge again a century later in the 1960s. It may not be a coincidence that this was at the time of the centenary of Abraham Lincoln's death. From 1996 to 2005, Lincoln was consistently given to 8-17 boys each year in England and Wales, placing it below the the top 1000. It rose significantly in 2006 to #357 (96 births) after the airing of TV show Prison Break in late 2005, featuring the character Lincoln Burrows.  The name too a further leap in 2013 when it went from #263 (182 births) to #204 (271 births), perhaps in part due to the release of the film Lincoln in January 2013, and has continued to rise since.   In 2015, Lincoln ranked #129 (479 births) in England and Wales. Regionally, the name featured in the top 100 in three regional districts: #84 in the North East, #89 in the North West #98 in Yorkshire and the Humber, showing that the name is gained particular popularity in the North of England.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th United States president. * Lincoln Ellsworth (1880–1951), American explorer. * Lincoln Kirstein (1907–1996), American artist. * Lincoln Walsh (1903–1971), American inventor. Contemporary: * Lincoln Withers (b. 1981), Australian rugby player. Literature and Other Media: * Lincoln Burrows, a main character in TV show Prison Break.

Variants:

Lincon

Pronunciation:

LIN-cən [key]

Possible diminutives:

Link, Lake

Sibling Names:

Skye     Savannah     Esmae     Sadie     Lyla     Eden  Carter     Greyson     Hunter     Layton      Sawyer     Mason

Name Lists:

N/A

 

If you like Lincoln you may also like:   Logan, Hudson, Lennox, Chester, Fletcher, Franklyn, Oakley, Spencer, Harley, Archer

Thanks to Danielle for requesting Lincoln.  

Name of the Week: Amelia

 

 

Origin:

Amelia is a form of the Old German name Amalia, derived from amal "work", or a diminutive of Germanic names containing amal, such as Amalburg.  Over the centuries it has been much conflated and confused with (and perhaps even influenced by) the Latin Aemilia (Emilia), the source Emily. Though the two have the same sound, the Latin Aemilia is the feminine form of Aemilius, the name of a notable Roman gens. It has often been connected with the Latin aemulus "rival." However, the Roman gens traced it to their 'ancestor' Aemylos — from the Greek aimulos "wily, persuasive, flattering." Though the two have separate origins, Emily was often used as an anglicised or familiar form of Amelia in the 18th century.

Usage:

An early example of Amelia in use is Saint Amelia of Maubeuge (or Amalburga), a 7th century Merovingian saint. From then on it was in some use in Germany, and German-speaking countries**, and was brought to Britain in the Middle Ages. Its use was uncommon but it no doubt became confused with Emilia. Both forms can be found in some use in the 16th and 17th century, particularly in the South West of England. The name was sparked into popular use in Britain thanks to the Hanovarians in the 18th century when two British princesses were given the name. The first of these was Princess Amelia Sophia Eleanor (1711-1786), daughter of George II, who was the main reason for the initial revival. She was born in Hanover as a German princess, but moved to Britain when she was three years old when her grandfather George I was crowned King of Great Britain and she became HRH Princess Amelia.  Amelia (known as Emily by her family) was, by all accounts, not a typical princess of her age, though she was regarded as the prettiest of her sisters. She loved music, was a bit of a tomboy, liking to ride and hunt (scandalously attending chapel in riding clothes); was highly intelligent and outspoken*; she never married (though she is said to have been the mother of composer Samuel Arnold from an affair with a commoner), and Lady Pomeroy described thus: "The Princess Amelia is the oddest, or at least one of the oddest princesses, that ever was known ; she has her ears shut to flattery, and her heart open to honesty. She has honour, justice, good-nature, sense, wit, resolution, and more good qualities than I have time to tell you, so mixed, that (if one is not a devil) it is impossible to say she has too much or too little of any ; yet all these do not in anything (without exception) make her forget the King of England's daughter, which dignity she keeps up with such an obliging behaviour, that she charms everybody."* This Amelia was followed by her great-niece Princess Amelia (1783-1810), daughter of George III, also called Emily, who added to the name's popularity, alongside the publication of Henry Fielding's novel Amelia in 1751.  By the beginning of the 19th century, Amelia had rocketed up into the top 100 in England and Wales, and, as with almost all popular names, gradually declined in use by the end of the century: 1850: #25 1860: #30 1870: #35 1880: #47 1890: #57 1900: #74 1904: #85 1914: #98 The name fell out of the top 100 in the 1920s, until it returned again in the 1990s. This corresponds to Leslie Dunkling's sample for girls named Amelia in every 10,000 births: 1900 1925 1935 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990  18   2    -    -    4    -    -    2    2    4   4   24 Amelia's popularity grew again in the 1980s, returning back to the top 100 in England and Wales in 1994 at #75. From that point on, it steadily marched up the top 100, reaching #10 in 2007, #5 in 2010, and #1 the following year in 2011, where it has ranked ever since.  It peaked in 2012, when it went 5054 in 2011 births to 7061 births in 2012 and back down to 5570 births the following year. This corresponds to both the popularity of the character Amelia "Amy" Pond on Doctor Who and contestant Amelia Lily on The X Factor in 2011.  In Scotland, Amelia was much later to catch on, ranking below the top 200 through the 1970s to the end of the 1990s. It first reached the top 100 in 2005 at #88. It quickly rose in the ranks and saw a significant leap from #29 in 2011 to #9 in 2012. It has been in the top 10 ever since.  In 2015, Amelia ranked #1 in England (4,877 births), #1 in Wales (281 births) and #7 in Scotland (352 births).

Famous Bearers:

History: * Saint Amelia of Maubeuge (d. 690), Belgian saint.  * Princess Amelia of Great Britain (1711-1786), daughter of George II. * Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom (1783-1810), daughter of George III. * Amelia Earhart (1897–1937), American aviator. Contemporary: * Amelia Lily (born 1994), British singer. * Lady Amelia Windsor (born 1995), granddaughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, currently 36th in line to the British throne. Literature and Other Media: * Amelia, title character in Henry Fielding's novel Amelia (1751). * Amelia "Amy" Pond, companion of the Eleventh Doctor in the television series Doctor Who. * Amelia Thermopolis Renaldo (Mia Thermopolis), the protagonist of The Princess Diaries novels by Meg Cabot.

Variants:

Amélie (French), Amalia (Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Dutch, German), Amálie (Czech), Amalija (Lithuanian, Slovene, Croatian)

Pronunciation:

ə-MEE-lee-ə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Amy, Ammy, Emmy, Millie, Meelie, Mia

Sibling Names:

Charlotte     Alice     Isabella     Eleanor     Grace     Sophia  Frederick     George     Oliver     Alexander     William     Edward

Name Lists:

British Royalty   Gorgeously Georgian   Victorian Darlings  Jane Austen Names   Bronte Names

  

If you like Amelia you may also like:   Olivia, Arabella, Caroline, Eliza, Clara, Catherine, Matilda, Harriet, Victoria, Louisa