British Baby Names

Name Help: A Floral Sister for Hattie

 

Kate is expecting her second daughter —a sister for Louisa Hortensia "Hattie"

Kate writes: "I’m searching for the perfect name for my second daughter. My first daughter is named Louisa Hortensia, and we call her Hattie. Her middle name is after my grandmother, Hortense (who was also nicknamed Hattie). 

My grandmother, Hortense, was one of 6 sisters, all named after flowers. The other sisters were Lillian, Rosalie, Marguerite, Flora, and Maile. Their father owned a popular florist shop, and each sister worked there at one point or another. The flower shop and the building itself went on to be somewhat of a historic landmark where I live with my family.

 

So, my dilemma is that I absolutely love the Victorian/Edwardian style floral names that the “sisters” all had, but I’d prefer to not reuse any more of their names, after using Hortense/Hortensia. My other grandmother (from my mother’s side) was named Marta, and I was very close with her. I wouldn’t feel right naming a child after a great aunt before naming one after her. I don’t think I can get on board with the name Marta, though, because of the hard “d” sound that Americans add to it (marDa).

 

So, long story short, I’m searching for a perfect flower name that is similar in style to the “sisters.” We are also Catholic, and it’s likely we would use a Christian name as the first name, and a flower name as the middle name, and possibly nickname her based on the middle (like we did with Hattie)."

 

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Oh, I do so love Victorian floral names. I just love how they embraced pretty much all flower names, not shying away from Bluebell, Snowdrop, Tulip, Orchid or Daffodil. One my early posts was about Victorian and Edwardian floral themed sibling sets and you can see just how wonderfully bold their floral tastes were.

 

Honouring Marta

I completely understand the feeling of wanting to honour a beloved relative, but not feeling like their name is usable for your tastes. My son has both of my grandfather's names, but my grandmothers' (Edna and Phyllis) never made the cut on our girls' list. I did, however, have plenty of E and P options as a nod to them. 

The obvious way to honour your grandmother Marta would be to use a variant of her name (as you did with Hortense > Hortensia). Martha has a much softer sound and would make a great first name coupled with a floral middle: Martha Lavender or Martha Delphine for example. Martha is also a rose variation.

Alternatively, you could use a floral M name, especially one that echoes the same letters as Marta:

Magnolia – Beautiful flowering shrubs and trees named for Pierre Magnol, Magnolia has a great Victorian feel and could easily become Maggie or Nola.

Manettia – Named for Saverio Manetti but commonly known as the Candy Corn Plant or Firecracker Vine. Minnie or Etta could be nicknames. 

Maranta – All the same letters and order as Marta but with an additional 'an'. Maranta is named after Bartolomeo Maranta but commonly known as the Prayer Plant. 

Marigold – Sweetly old-fashioned, Marigold is a combination of (the Virgin) Mary and "gold" referring to its colour. It can be shortened to Mari, Maggie, or Goldie. 

Martynia – As close a floral name as you can get to Marta, Martynia is named in honour of botanist John Martyn; its common name is "cat's claw" or "tiger's claw". Mari, Minnie or Tina could be nicknames. 

Mignonette – A favourite for the Victorians (there are several in my Victorian Floral Siblings post) Mignonette means "little darling". Minnie, Midge, Nonie or Etta could be nicknames.

 

Other Florals:

Amaryllis – Sporting the -is ending that the Edwardians loved so much, the amaryllis is named for Virgil's heroine in his epic poem Eclogues, the name means "to sparkle". It can be shortened to Amy, Mari, Mallie, Millie and Lily. 

Angelica – Called "angel-like" for their healing properties, Angelica are waterside perennial plants.

Azalea –  Beautiful plants known as the “Royalty of the Garden” because of the vibrant flowers. Zelie makes for a lovely nickname and also doubles as a saint's name.

Camellia – Another Victorian floral favourite (there were nearly 200 women and girls named Camelia/Camellia on the 1901 UK census) the fowering shrub is named for Georg Josef Kamel. Cammy, Callie or Millie could be nicknames. 

Cassandra – A romantic vintage name -- Jane Austen's sister was named Cassandra, for example -- which is associated with several plants including the leatherleaf, chrysanthemum and Clematis. 

Clematis – A gardener favourite due to its masses of different coloured and shaped flowers, Clematis a sweet yet unexpected floral name which the Victorians used. 

Dahlia – Named after Andreas Dahl, dahlias are relatives of sunflowers and daisies. Dolly can be used as a vintage short form. 

Jessamine / Jessamy – Poetic versions of the fragrant Jasmine, Jessamine/Jessamy was used throughout the 19th and early 20th century.

Juniper– The name of a tree which produces sweet berries which can be shortened to Juno or Junie.

Nolana – Meaning "little bell" due to the same of the flowers, Nolana easily lends itself to vintage Nola or Nonie.

Primrose – A sweet Spring flower which can be shortened to Posy, Rose, Rosie or Prim.

Rhodora – Also known as Canada rosebay, rhodora is a flowering plant that was named after the Greek rhodon "rose" because of the colour of the flowers. 

Thespesia – A flowering plant related to the hibiscus which could be shortened to Thea or Tess.

Valentina – The valentina (or acis valentina) is a pretty white flower native to Spain. The name itself derives from the Latin valens meaning "strong, vigorous, healthy".

Veronica  – This saintly name is also the scientific name of the speedwell flowering plant -- though they are more commonly called "veronica plants" these days.

 

I hope this has been of use. Good luck with settling on the perfect name for your new family addition. 

 

UPDATE: Welcome, Josephine Magnolia! 

 

 

Name of the Week: Rose

 

Origin:

Rose is the common English name for the rose flower, a flower which has been of symbolic importance for millennia. The name for the rose derives directly from the Latin name for the flower, rosa, which most likely ultimately derives from the Persian root *vrda- "rose flower." The rose has been the sacred symbol of many important goddesses associated with love, such as Ishtar, Aphrodite, Isis and Venus. It was later used as such for the Virgin Mary under the titles Rosa Munda  "pure rose," Rosa Mundi "rose of the world," Rosa Mystica "the mystical rose" and Rosa d'Abril "April rose." Victorian floriography continued this association, and the rose was used to symbolise "love." Long before Rose was adopted as a given name in honour of the flower in Britain it was already in use as an Anglicised form of the Norman name Roheis (also found as Rohais, Rohese and Roese). These names, in turn, were Latinised as Rohesia, Roesia and Roesa and later became Royce and Rose. By the 13th century, Rose was the most common form of Roheis — by which time it was associated and conflated with the flower — while Rosa was the Latin form most commonly found in records.  Like Rosalind and Rosamund, Roheis may derive from hros "horse." However, a more likely possibility is that it derives from the Old Germanic name Hrodohaidis, derived from hrod "fame" and heit "sort, kind, type." The are a few examples of the name in early Frankish nobility including Ruodhaid (775–810), abbess of Faremoutiers, and a daughter of the great king Charlemagne.  The move from Hrodohaidis to Rohesia and eventually to Rose, with the gradually dropping of the harder consonants, is mirrored in the similar Germanic name Adalheidis (adal "noble" and heit "sort"): Hrodoheidis > Rohesia > Rose Adalheidis > Adelisa > Alice Other Germanic names starting with hrod are plentiful: Hrodebert (Robert), Hroderich (Roderick), Hrodgar (Roger), Hrodland (Roland), Hrodulf (Rolf) and Hrotsuitha (Roswitha) to name a few.

Usage:

As a variant of Roheis, examples of Rose in British records date back to at least the 13th century and even led to the surname Rose.  According to George Redmond's survey of 1000 names from ten English counties 1377-81, Rose ranked at #30 meaning it was moderately used.  It continued in this usage right up until the 18th century. Rose appears in thirteen out of sixteen decades in Smith Bannister's rank of top 50 names from 1538 to 1700 in England: 1538-49: #39; 1550-9: #28; 1560-9: #40; 1570-9: #35; 1580-9: #42; 1590-9: #45; 1600-9: #37; 1610-9: #50; 1640-9: #32; 1650-9: #33; 1660-9: #47; 1680-9: #36; 1690-1700: #27.  Data from the 1881 census lists 78,139 women with the name Rose, giving it an overall rank (male and female names combined) of #65. The distribution of the name was largely situated in the South of England, particularly in Bedfordshire and the Isle of White.  During the 19th century, a multitude of Ros- names were in use. The most popular were Rose, Rosa, Rosina, Rosanna and Rosetta, but Rosamund, Rosalie, Rosabella, Rosaline and Rosalind were also in use.  Rose peaked in 1900 and only left the top 100 after 1934, around the time that Rosemary was taking its place. Records for Rose (and variant Ros- names) as a first name in the England and Wales Birth Index:   Rose Rosa Rosina Rosanna Rosetta Rosemary 1840: 1850:  1860:  1870:  1880:  1890: 1900:  1904: 1914: 1924: 1934: 1944: 1954: 1964: #65 #52 #49 #32 #26 #23 #27 #29 #30 #44 #64 — — — #75 #60 #54 #43 #52 #73 #91 — — — — — — — #68 #68 #60 #62 #61 #70 #83 #84 #89 — — — — — #71 #78 #65 #84 #104 #137 #195 — — — — — — — #77 #85 #83 #86 #105 #115 #142 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — #97 #42 #36 #43 #95 In the 20th century, Rose had declined drastically by the 1960s, only to rise again in the 1990s.   1900 1925 1935 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985  1990   152    88   38   14   12    14    4    4    2   4     -    24 Data by Leslie Dunkling; per 10,000 births in England and Wales.  From 1996, Rose has been steadily rising in England and Wales. Some of this may have been influenced by the huge film hit Titanic (1997) in which Kate Winslet starred as the character Rose DeWitt Bukater.  In 1996, Rose ranked #181 with 244 births.  It first reached the top 100 in 2007 at #95 (576 births) after which it steadily progressed.  In 2017, Rose ranked #60 in England and Wales with 932 births.  In Scotland, Rose ranked #65 with 69 births in 2017.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Rose of Viterbo (c1233-1251), Italian saint.  * Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769-1852), French-American saint. * Rose-Alexandrine "Liberte" Barreau (1773–1843), female soldier of the Army of the French First Republic. * Rose Henderson (1871-1937), Canadian political and social activist. * Rose Wilder Lane (1886-1968), American journalist and political theorist, and the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder. * Rose Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville (1890-1967), maternal aunt of Queen Elizabeth II.  * Rose Gaffney (1895–1979) Polish-American environmental activist. * Rose Hobart (1906-2000), American actress. * Rose Hill (1914-2003), British actress. * Rose Marie (1923–2017), American actress. Contemporary: * Rose Byrne, Australian actress. * Lady Rose Gilman, younger daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and 33rd in the line of succession to the British Throne. * Rose Leslie, Scottish actress. * Rose McGowan, American actress. * Rose McIver, New Zealand actress. * Rose Rollins, American actress. Literature and Other Media: * Rose DeWitt Bukater, main character in the film Titanic (1997). * Rose Tyler, a companion of the Doctor in the BBC series Doctor Who. * Rose Henderson, a character from ABC TV show Lost. * Rose Nylund, a character in the TV series The Golden Girls. * Rose Granger-Weasley, daughter of Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter books. * Rose Hathaway, the main character of the Vampire Academy series. * Rose Sargent, from the musical Rose of Washington Square.

Variants:

Rosa; Roza (Bulgarian, Russian, Slavic), Róża (Polish), Ruža (Croatian, Slavic), Roos (Dutch), Rózsa (Hungarian), Raisa (Yiddish)

Pronunciation:

RŌZ [key]

Possible  longer forms:

Rosa, Rosabel, Rosabella, Rosalie, Rosalia, Rosalina, Rosalind, Rosalinda, Rosaline, Rosalita, Rosamund, Rosetta, Rosina, Rosanna, Roseanne, Rosario, Rosella, Rosemarie, Rosemary, Rosenwyn, Primrose

Sibling Names:

Alice     Bella     Eve     Lucy     Ella     Anna  Luke     Adam     Ellis     Matthew     James     Henry

Name Lists:

Dulcet Dainties  Medieval Favourites   Terrifically Tudor  Victorian Darlings  Roaring Twenties Names   Dickensian Names  Bronte Names  Tennyson Names  Gilbert and Sullivan Names   Doctor Who Names

 

If you like Rose you may also like:   Tess, April, Belle, Fleur, May, Ruby, Sarah, Mia, Emma, Leah

Thanks to Lydia Rose for requesting this name.

Name of the Week: Willow

 

 

Origin:

Willow is the name of a type of deciduous tree found in Britain which are usually found by river banks.  The name Willow derives from the Old English name for the willow - welig. This, in turn, most likely derives from the Proto-Indo-European *wei- "to bend, to twist."

Usage:

The surname Willows, which was originally used to denote someone who dwelt by willows, dates from the 13th century.  As with most surnames, Willows has been used as a given name since at least the 17th century, mostly for boys. Willow as a give name, however, is very modern in usage. By the late 19th century, floral names were extremely popular. Tree names, such as Olive, Hazel and Myrtle, also came into use around this time and Willow was among them in very small numbers.  There are some earlier anomalies in the birth index, such as girls named Willow Mena or Willow Mina (clearly intended to mean Wilhelmina). One of the earliest to be given the name was a girl named Willow Harrison Myhill born in 1872. Overall, however, Willow was rare, and only established itself properly as a given name in the 1970s -- this time, exclusively for girls.  Records for Willow in the England and Wales Birth Index: 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 1980s: 0 births 0 births 0 births 2 births 4 births 1 birth 3 births 4 births 6 births 9 births 4 births 3 births 3 births 27 births 12 births The establishment of the name in the 1970s can be traced to the 1973 British horror film The Wicker Man, in which Britt Ekland plays the beautiful landlord's daughter, Willow MacGregor. The film features several other arboreal names for the inhabitants of Summerisle, including Rowan, Alder, Myrtle and May -- a link to the wicker theme.  In 1997, Willow ranked #983 with 21 births.  In this same year period, the hit TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered, featured Alyson Hannigan in the role of Buffy's plucky, loyal and clever friend, Willow Rosenburg (1997-2003). It's impossible not to see the impact that the show had on the name. Willow leapt up to #597 (43 births) in 1998, and then took another significant leap in 2001 when it went from #427 (58 births) to #251 (158 births).  Willow reached the top 200 in 2007 and the top 100 in 2011 when it ranked #75 (772 births). It has continued to rise swiftly ever since.  In Scotland, from 1974 to 2000, Willow was registered once in 1979, 1989, 1992 and 1999, and three times in 1995. It moved up to #284 (11 births) in 2002 but then fell below the top 300 until 2007. From that point it began to rise, reaching #89 (55 births) in 2012. In 2017, Willow ranked #26 with 1,764 births in England and Wales (#27 in England and #16 in Wales separately), and #45 with 111 births in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary: * Willow Shields (b. 2000), American actress. * Willow Smith (b. 2000), American actress and singer, daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Literature and Other Media: * Willow MacGregor, a character in the film The Wicker Man (1973). * Willow Woodward, a character in the film The Wicker Man (2006). * Willow Rosenberg, a character in the television program Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). * Willow Ufgood, the title (male) character from the 1988 film Willow. * Willow, a character from Tangled: The Series. * Willow Stark, a character in the American soap opera Days of our Lives.

Variants:

N/A

Pronunciation:

WIL-ō [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Billie, Will, Willa

Sibling Names:

Summer     Layla     Pippa     Niamh     Ivy     Autumn  Rowan     Fraser     Jude     Lucas     Noah     Oscar

Name Lists:

Arboreal Names

 

If you like Willow you may also like:   Orla, Robyn, Poppy, Esme, Maya, Scarlett, Ebony, Phoebe, Zara, Freya

Thanks to Kate for requesting this name.

Name of the Week: Ivy

 

  

Origin:

Ivy is the name of an evergreen vine which has long been associated with rebirth. It was particularly associated with winter and, alongside holly and mistletoe, is a traditional symbol of midwinter festivals and was used to decorate homes in winter in ancient societies - from Roman to Celtic.  In the time of the ancient Egyptians, ivy was considered sacred to the god Osiris, who was associated with the winter solstice through the birth of his son Horus.  For the ancient Greeks, the ivy was sacred to Dionysos, the god of grape harvest, winemaking and wine, who was also connected with the winter solstice. Not only was he often depicted wearing ivy vines, his followers would also wear garlands made of ivy. One myth concerning his birth recounts that baby Dionysos was hidden from the jealous Hera by his nurses, the Nymphai Nysiades, by covering his cradle with ivy. One of the nymphs was called Kisseis "(lady) of the ivy" while Kissios "of the ivy" and Kittophoros "ivy-bearer" were epithets attributed to Dionysos himself. Furthermore, one of the companions of Dionysos was Korumbos, the god of the ivy berries.  This association with the wine-god Dionysus (Bacchus to the Romans) is the reason why the ivy bush has been used since the 15th century in Britain, as a sign of a tavern where wine is served. The ancient Celts also revered evergreen plans. Holly was considered to be the King of Winter and some traditions held Ivy as his Queen. The idea of Holly and Ivy representing a contest between men and women goes back to the Middle Ages when several carols were composed wherein a debate ensued between the two.  O the Ivy O, she do grow, she do grow,  And the Holly he is white,  While the little birds sing because it is Spring,  And the plough boys follow the plough.  O it’s Ivy O, Green Ivy O, O the Ivy she do grow! O the Ivy O, she do twine all about,  And the Holly he is green.  They tosses the hay in the fields all day,  While the Sun he do shine out.  O it’s Ivy O, Green Ivy O, O the Ivy she do twine about. O the Ivy O, at the Allerntide, [= Hallowtide]  And the Holly he turn yellow,  There be apples fell adown, and they picks ’en from the ground,  And they lay ’en in the tallet side to side.  O it’s Ivy O, Green Ivy O, O the Ivy at Allerntide. O the Ivy O, she’s the Queen of old  And the Holly he is red.  Hang ’en high in the farm and us won’t come to no harm,  Till the Chrissimas days be told.  O it’s Ivy O, Green Ivy O, O the Ivy she is Queen of old. ("Green Ivy O")   Then spake Holly, "I am fierce and jolly, I will have the mastery In lands where we go." Then spake Ivy, "I am loud and proud, And I will have the mastery In lands where we go." Then spake Holly, and set him down on his knee, "I pray thee, gentle Ivy, Say me no villany In lands where we go." ("Holly and Ivy")  In 18th century Kent there is a story of a ritual, echoing this old debate, where girls had to steal a "holly boy" from the boys, and boys had to steal an "ivy girl" from the girls. The name Ivy derives from the Old English ifig. The meaning is unknown but there are numerous, disputed, theories.  In Victorian floriography - the language of flowers - Ivy was used to symbolise friendship and fidelity.  Ivy, Ivie and Ivey are also British surnames which is a habitational surname derived from Ivoy in Cher, France. The surname may also be a patronymic name derives from the Germanic personal name Ivo (Ive in Old French) which is derived from the Proto-Germanic *iwo- "yew". The place name Ivoy likely also shares the same root.

Usage:

Unlike other plant names which had early adoption as a given name thanks to their association with already established names (Lily from Elizabeth, Daisy from Margaret, Rose from Roheis), Ivy was purely associated with the plant and so did not come into use as a given name until the late 19th century when floral names came into fashion.  This boom began in the 1880s and by 1890 Lily, Rose, Daisy, May (considered a floral name for the May Blossom), Violet, Olive and Ivy were all in the top 100 of England and Wales.  Contemporary opinions on this fashion was varied, with some even believing that naming children after flowers was inauspicious as flowers are short-lived, others felt that they were reflective of "the exquisite care bestowed on our floral decorations at Easter and Whitsuntide". You can read contemporary insight into these opinions in these letters to The Standard newspaper in 1892.  Ivy's massive rise can be seen in the birth rankings in England and Wales:   Rank Birth count 1850:  1860:  1870:  1880:  1890: 1900:  1904:  1914:  1924: 1934:  N/A N/A <#250 #180 #72 #26 #16 #17 #32 #73 1 birth 0 births 7 births 101 births 977 births 5059 births 8366 births 7356 births 3722 births 1012 births Ivy fell out of the top 100 of England and Wales after 1934 and didn't return until 2012. In Scotland, Ivy was less successful, and didn't rank on the the Scottish top 100 at all in 1900.  click to enlarge By 1996, Ivy was below the top 1000 in England and Wales and remained so until 2001 when it reached #962 (22 births). Two years later it jumped to #799 (33 births) and further to #390 (106 births) by 2007.   By this time (in 2007), fellow Edwardian-darling Ruby was at #1, similar sounding Evie was at #15, Isla had recently entered the top 100 and other floral names Lily, Daisy and Poppy were in the top 30.  Ivy continued to rise swiftly from 2010 onwards, breaking into the top 100 at #88 (633 births) in 2012 and reaching the top 50 in 2015.  In 2016, Ivy ranked #33 with 1509 births and looks set to rise further.  In Scotland, Ivy was used sparing from 1974 to 2005, never having more than 2 births in only 12 years of being given at all. By 2011, however, it rose it #244 (18 births) and broke the top 100 in 2014 at #79 (65 births). In 2017, Ivy ranked #58 with 82 births in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Ivy Williams (1877–1966), first woman to be called to the English bar in 1922. * Ivy May Bolton (1879–1961), Anglican nun and writer. * Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett, DBE (1884–1969), British novelist. * Ivy Troutman (1884-1979), American Broadway actress. * Ivy St. Helier (1886–1971), British stage actress, composer and lyricist. * Ivy Copeland (1888–1961), New Zealand artist and art teacher. * Ivy Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland (1887-1982), Duchess of Portland from 1943 to 1977 and afterwards Dowager Duchess. * Ivy Duke (1896–1937), British actress. * Ivy Wallace (1915–2006), British artist, actress and author. Contemporary: * Ivy Bottini (born 1926), American women's rights and LGBT rights activist. * Ivy Ruckman (born 1931), American author of books for children and young adults. Literature and Other Media: * Ivy, a book series by Julie Hearn. * Ivy Tilsley, a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street. * Ivy Wilson, male character in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. * Ivy Sullivan, character in TV series 90210. * Ivy Dickens, character in TV series Gossip Girl. * Ivy Stuart, character in TV series Downton Abbey.

Variants:

Ivie, Ivey, Ivi, Ivee

Pronunciation:

Ī-vee  [key]

Possible  longer forms:

Ivelisse, Ivanna, Ivanka, Any two names with initials I.V.

Sibling Names:

Ruby    Florence    Evelyn     Bella     Eliza     Elsie  Leo     Arthur     Max     Teddy     Hugo     Jude

Name Lists:

Victorian Darlings   Vintage Names    Dulcet Dainties

 

If you like Ivy you may also like:   Iris, Ava, Isla, Evie, Edie, Bonnie, Violet, Polly, Lyla, Esme

Thanks to Cathy for requesting this name.

 

Name of the Week: Lily

 

  

Origin:

As a given name, Lily began life in the Middle Ages as Lylie/Lilie, most likely a pet-form of Elizabeth.* When the Old French suffix -an/-on was added to Lylie it became Lilian, which — in a round-about-twist — Lily later became used as a nickname for.  Elizabeth itself is the English form of the Latin Elizabetha, derived from the Greek Elisabet which, in turn, was derived from the Hebrew Elisheba — el "God" and shaba "to swear, to promise an oath." The surnames Liley, Lilley, Lillie, Lilly and Lely mostly derive from the medieval Lylie but occasionally they also derive from the village of Lilley in Hertfordshire or Lilly in Berkshire.* Lilley was originally Linleia in the Domesday Book showing it derives from the Old English līn "flax" and lēah "clearing." Lily is also commonly associated as the name of several flowers known as lilies such as the Madonna lily, water lily, fire lily, lily of the Nile, calla lily, trout lily, kaffir lily, cobra lily, lily of the valley, daylily, ginger lily, Amazon lily, leek lily, Peruvian lily, and others. The word lily derives from the Old English lilie, itself from Latin lilia "a lily," cognate with Greek leirion. Both are thought to be borrowed from a corrupted pronunciation of an eastern Mediterranean word such as the Coptic hreri, hleli "lily."* By the 1530s it is recorded as being used as an adjective meaning "white, pure, lovely." For centuries, lilies have been the symbol of purity. For the Romans, the lily was sacred to the Queen of the Gods, Juno and, because she was the patroness of marriage and the family, lilies were used in Roman marriage ceremonies.

Usage:

Evidence for Lylie/Lilie's medieval use, though sparse, comes from the 13th century when we find it as a matronymic surname (one taken from the mother's name). One Alan Lilie is listed as a witness in the Bedfordshire Assize Rolls in 1247; a Hugh Lily is in the Hundred Rolls of Lincoln for 1275 and a "Thomas son of Lylie" is mentioned in 1296 in the Court Rolls of Wakefield.  The diminutive Lilian is found in the instance of Geoffrey Lilion in the Bedfordshire Hundred Rolls in 1279. The surnames Lelliott and Lilliard point to other derivatives of Lylie/Lilie.*  It is almost impossible to tell how common Lylie was in the Middle Ages. Not only are records scarce, it was clearly used as a pet-name and any woman called Lylie in the Middle Ages would have been officially named Elizabeth.  In George Redmonds' top 50 names from the poll tax returns of ten English counties 1377-81, Elizabeth ranks at #17, which he categorises as "quite popular." By the late 16th century, it was the #1 name in England and it is during this century that we find Lily itself (most commonly spelled Lilly or Lillie) recorded as a given name in its own right — perhaps bolstered by the surnames — alongside Lilian and and the variant Lilias in Scotland.  Despite this, Lily didn't come into popular use until the 19th century, and by the end of that century it had risen dramatically in usage.  There is an assumption that Lily developed as a nickname for Lilian originally, however, the spelling Lilly was the first to rise, followed by Lilian, then Lily, Lillian and Lillie. Lilla was also in use.  Lilly's use may be thanks to its being used as a pet-name for another name containing -ill or li- and many early famous Lilys certainly used it as cuch. For example, actress Lillie Langtry (1853-1929) was born Emilie Charlotte Langtry; American painter Lilly Martin Spencer (1822-1902) was Angelique, French composer, Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) was Marie-Juliette, German feminist writer Lily Braun (1865–1916) was Amalie and English actress Lily Brayton (1876–1953) was Elizabeth. By the late 19th century, Lily had emerged as the dominant spelling as Lilly declined. This coincided with the late-Victorian floral-name craze which saw the rise of Rose, Daisy, May, Violet and the like.  Birth rankings in England and Wales:   Lily Lilly Lillie Lilley Lilian Lillian Lilla 1850:  1860:  1870:  1880:  1890: 1900:  1904:  1914:  1924:  1934:  #262 #136  #80 #29 #13 #17 #20 #25 #47 #95 #251 #115  #46  #86 #128 #171 - - - - - #220  #136  #78 #99 #119 - - - - #285 #234  #185  - - - - - - - #274 #120  #65  #33 #18 #14 #15 #16 #25 #40 - #193  #129  #114  #155 #128 #66 #71 #90 - #262 #226  #187  #225 #238 #278 - - - - click to enlarge By 1944, Lily had left the top 100 in England and Wales and didn't return to the top 100 until 1994 when it ranked #90. From then on its ascent was rapid, reaching the top 50 at #45 (1,124 births) in 2000 and the top 10 at #9 (3,407 births) in 2006. Since then it has fluctuated within the top 13, peaking at #3 with 4,761 births in 2011.  The spelling Lilly also saw a steep rise over the same period. From ranking #375 (89 births) in 1996, it jumped rapidly from #169 (291 births) in 2003 to #100 (521 births) in 2004. It carried on rising in the top 100 til it reached a peak of #27 (1,950 births) in 2011 (the same year that Lily peaked - the spelling Lillie also reached a peak of #112 in the same year).  With so many different spellings seeing success, and all the hyphenated forms such as Lily-Rose and Lily-Mae, Lily has been even more successful that the statistics suggest. With combined spellings  added together, Lily was the #1 name in England and Wales in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and the second most popular name in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 after Amelia. It was the third most popular in 2016 after Amelia and Olivia.  In 2016, Lily ranked #7 with 2,722 births, Lilly was #60 with 1,014 births and Lillie ranked #148 (368 births).

Famous Bearers:

History: * Lilly Martin Spencer (1822–1902), American painter. * Lillie Langtry (1853-1929), British-American socialite, actress and producer. * Lily Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1854-1909), American heiress and socialite. * Lily Blatherwick (1854-1934), British painter. * Lily Dougall (1858-1923), Canadian author and feminist. * Lily Braun (1865–1916), German feminist writer. * Lily Atkinson (1866-1921), New Zealand temperance campaigner, suffragist, and feminist. * Lily Brayton (1876–1953), British actress. * Lily Addison (1885-1982), Australian tennis player. * Lily Elsie (1886–1962), British actress and singer. * Lily Hanbury (1873-1908), English stage performer. * Lillie Hayward (1891–1977), American actress. * Lilly Becher (1901–1978), German writer, journalist and activist. * Lily Chitty (1893-1979), British archaeologist and scholar. * Lily Inglis (1926-2010), Canadian architect. * Lily Berglund (1928-2010), Swedish singer. Contemporary: * Lily Tuck (born 1938), American novelist. * Lily Tomlin (born 1939), American actress. * Lily Brett (born 1946), Australian novelist. * Lillie McCloud (born 1958), American singer. * Lily Brown (born 1981), American poet. * Lily Aldridge (born 1985), American fashion model. * Lily Allen (born 1985), British singer. * Lily Donaldson (born 1987), British fashion model. * Lily Cole (born 1988), British fashion model. * Lily Collins (born 1989), British-American actress and model. * Lily James (born 1989), Britishactress. * Lily Agg (born 1993), British footballer. Literature and Other Media: * The Lily, a poem by British poet William Blake. * Lily Potter (née Evans), Harry's mother in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. * Lily Luna Potter, Harry's daughter in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. * Lily Munster, character in the American television series The Munsters (1964–1966) * Lily Aldrin, character in the American television series How I Met Your Mother. * Lily Butterfield, character in the British soap opera Emmerdale (2006–2008). * Lilly Kane, a character in the television series Veronica Mars. * Lilly Truscott, a character in the television series Hannah Montana.

Variants:

Lilly, Lillie, Lilley, Lili, Lilee

Pronunciation:

LIL-ee  [key]

Possible  longer forms:

Alila, Elizabeth, Emily, Kalila, Leilani, Lilian, Liliana, Lilianne, Lilias, Lilia, Liliosa, Lilith, Liliwen, Lilwen, Lilou, Millicent, Ophelia, Ottilie, Philippa

Sibling Names:

Ava     Isla     Evie     Mia     Ruby     Elsie       Jack     Harry     George     Alfie     Charlie     Henry

Name Lists:

Victorian Darlings   Dulcet Dainties   Short and Sweet

 

If you like Lily you may also like:   Ivy, Lucy, Daisy, Rosie, Maisie, Millie, Willow, Tilly, April, Chloe

Thanks to Lydia for requesting this name.

 

Name of the Week: Aster

 

Origin:

Aster is the name of a genus of flowers, derived from the Greek word aster (ἀστήρ) "star" due to their star-shaped flower head. It was originally used as the name for the Michaelmas-daisy, but was later applied to other plants in the family Asteraceae. The aster is commonly associated as the birth flower for September.  Aster has also been long connected as a variant of the Biblical name Esther and was particularly used as a Judeo-Latin and Ladino form of the name. It was not uncommon for Jews living in Roman and Greek-assimilated countries to adopt Latin or Greek names similar to Semitic names, even if they had very different etymologies.* Bauckham identifies Aster as one of the Greek names used by Jews because of their assonance with Hebrew names.* In some cases, Jewish slaves would have been automatically given Latin names.* Although the meaning is still obscure, and was probably actually related to the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar, Esther has, for centuries, been regarded as deriving from the Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hstar- "star" which would further link Aster to Esther.  Aster is also an English surname (also found as Astor) which was a variant of the surname Easter. The surname has various origins. It was either connected to the festival of Easter or the place High Easter in Essex which got its name from the Old English eowestre "sheepfold." Easter itself was also used as given name for both boys and girls since the Middle Ages, usually for children born during the festival of Easter. The name of Easter was taken from the Old English name for the Vernal Equinox eastre which was named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre. Her name derived from the Old Germanic *austron "dawn."

Usage:

According to Noy and Sorek, Aster "was a fairly common name among the Jews of Rome"* most likely thanks to its being used as a Latin form of Esther. The epitaph of a Jewish woman named Claudia Aster in Rome dating from the 2nd century attests to this use.  In Britain, Aster can be found as a given name from the early 17th century. It was used for both boys and girls so could represent the given names Easter or Esther, or the surname Aster. Since the beginning of its use, forms of the name Easter have been continually confused with Esther, and so it can sometimes be impossible to unpick which source was meant for Aster. Where Aster was used for boys, it most likely was thanks to the surname or a form of Easter. Aster was, on the whole, more common for girls, however, which would indicate Esther was meant, given that it was a common name from the 17th century. Smith Bannister's data has Esther ranking in the top 50 in England from 1610, reaching #25 by 1690-1700.  By the 19th century, Aster was used rarely. Interestingly, data from the 1881 census shows that Aster's uses as a given name does not match the geographical use of the surname Aster, but it does match the use of the given name Easter especially and Esther. The birth record for Aster Ann in 1843 and Aster John next in 1857 shows how unisex the name was, even in its rarity. The record for Aster Chrysanthemum David Randall also shows that, during the flower-craze of the late 19th century, Aster was also adopted consciously as a floral name.  Birth records in England and Wales for Aster: 1840s:  1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 1 birth 3 births 2 births 0 births 3 births 1 birth 0 births 4 births 8 births 1 birth 5 births 1 birth 1 births 3 births By 2008, Aster remained rare. As it was given to no more than two children in any given year, it did not rank in the official statistics for England and Wales.  click to enlarge Since then, however, Aster has seen a rise, and has pulled away as a predominantly female name. Aster first ranked in 2009 at #5556 with 3 births but began to rise more earnestly after 2012 (when it reached #3681 with 6 births).  In 2016, Aster ranked #2547 with 10 births in England and Wales. In Scotland, Aster was first registered (since 1966) for one girl in 2001, followed by one boy in 2012 and one girl in both 2013 and 2015. It was not registered at all in 2014 or 2016, but in 2017 had moved up to #808 with 3 births.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Aster Ganno (c.1872–1964), Ethiopian Bible translator. Contemporary: * Aster Berkhof (born 1920), pen name of Belgian writer Lode Van Den Bergh. * Aster Aweke (born 1959), Ethiopian singer. Literature and Other Media: * Astor Bennett, character on TV show "Dexter"

Variants:

Astor

Pronunciation:

AST-ə  [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Attie, Essie

Sibling Names:

Bronwen     Ingrid     Bluebelle     Frida     Mavis     Clemency  Gregor     Evander     Atlas     Cyrus     Digby     Quinlan

Name Lists:

No Frills Feminine: Rateable -'r' Endings   September Names

 

If you like Aster you may also like:   Clover, Briar, Astrid, Winter, Hadassah, Juniper, Posy, Vesper, Olwen, Aspen

Thanks to Prue for requesting this name.

 

Name of the Week: Flora

 

 

Origin:

Roman fresco of goddess Flora from Stabiae 1st century A.D. Flora was the name of the Roman goddess of flowers, vegetation, fertility and the spring. Her worship was established early in Rome and her temple, said to have been founded by the legendary king Titus Tatius who co-ruled with Romulus, stood near the Circus Maximus. Her festival, called the Floralia — which was instituted in 238 BCE and celebrated from the 28th of April till the 1st of May — was one of merriment and frivolity where people wore brightly coloured clothing and included the Ludi Florae, the "Games of Flora" and comic theatre.  The name Flora derives from the Latin flos (accusative florem, genitive floris) "flower." Due to the similarity of the names, Flora later became identified with the Greek goddess Chloris (whose own name derived from khlōrós "green (buds), fresh, verdant") who was also goddess of flowers.

Usage:

There are a few examples of Floria in use in the Middle Ages: it appears in the Pipe Rolls of London in 1192; the Subsidy Rolls of Kent in 1381 and the borders of Scotland in the 13th century* for example. In some cases, this may have been influenced by the 9th century Spanish martyr, Saint Floria (sometimes called Flora) but mostly seems to have been a Latinised form of the name Flory/Fluri, from the Latin flos "flower" via the Old French flur, which can also be found in small numbers.  This name partly contributed to the use of the surnames Fleury, Florey, Flury and Flower(s). The surname Florkin represents that the name Flury even developed a diminutive form: Flur+kin.* Flower was used as a Middle English form in the 16th century.*  Flora itself came into use in the 16th century, and took hold particularly in Scotland. E. G. Withycombe* attributes the early use to Scotland's alliance with France, while K.M. Sheard* points out that Flora was used particularly to render the Gaelic name Fionnuala/Fionnghal into English. Flora MacDonald (1722-1790) —whose name in Gaelic was Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill— was a Scottish heroine who became famous for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie "The Young Pretender" escape from Scotland after the defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Data from The Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Even by the late 19th century, when Flora had moved up into the top 100 in England and Wales, it was still disproportionately used in Scotland in comparison, as we can see from data from the 1881 UK census (see image right).  Even by 1900, Flora ranked #32 in Scotland.  Flora increased in use over the course of the 19th century in England and Wales, ranking #111 in 1850, #86 in 1860, #67 in 1870, #70 in 1880, #98 in 1890 and #120 in 1900.  Birth records in England and Wales for Flora: 1840s:  1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 692 births 1508 births 4364 births 10,516 birth 8139 births 5102 birth 4054 births 2688 births 1355 births 597 births 282 births 137 births 157 births 207  births From it's peak in the 1870s, Flora steadily declined in use in England and Wales, levelling out from the 1950s. It is interesting to note that in the 1950s and 60s, many Floras in the Birth Index were born to parents with Greek surnames, particularly in London.  At the turn of the 21st century, Flora was remarkably consistent in use year on year in England and Wales. From 1998 to 2008 it had a birth count of between 77 to 91, and from 2009 to 2014 had a birth count between 100 to 116.  In 2015, Flora rose to #305 with 158 births and rose again in 2016 to #291 with 171 births.  It was most popular in England in the South West, where it ranked #185 in 2016, followed by the East (#216) and London (#223). In Scotland, Flora fluctuated in use from 1974 to 2011 with anything from 2 to 18 births in any given year and never breaking into the the top 100.  From 2012, however, Flora began to rise in use, as births in Scotland show below: 2000 #371 7 2001 #324 9 2002 #344 8 2003 #286 11 2004 #245 14 2005 #414 7 2006 #293 12 2007 #401 8 2008 #273 15 2009 #278 15 2010 #318 12 2011 #287 14 2012 #241 19 2013 #238 17 2014 #191 24 2015 #151 31 2016 #142 34

Famous Bearers:

History: * Flora MacDonald (1722–1790), Scottish Jacobite heroine.  * Flora Tristan (1803–1844), French writer and feminist. * Flora Stevenson (1839–1905), British educational reformer. * Flora Annie Steel (1847–1929), British writer. * Flora Murray (1869–1923), British doctor and suffragette. * Flora Thompson (1876–1947), British writer. * Flora Twort (1893–1985), British painter. * Flora Eldershaw (1897–1956), Australian writer. * Flora Robson (1902–1984), British actress. * Flora Carabella (1926–1999), Italian actress. * Flora Nwapa (1931–1993), Nigerian author. Contemporary: * Flora Montgomery (born 1974), British actress. * Flora Redoumi (born 1976), Greek hurdler. * Flora Coquerel (born 1994), French model. Literature and Other Media: * Flora, one of the Good Fairies in the Disney film Sleeping Beauty. * Flora Baumbach, fictional character in the novel The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. * Flora Northrop, fictional character in the Main Street book series by Ann M. Martin.

Variants:

Fflur (Welsh), Fleur (French) Floor (Dutch)

Pronunciation:

FLOR-ə  [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Florrie, Flossie

Sibling Names:

Jemima     Polly     Constance     Aurelia     Tabitha     Primrose  Fraser     Rafe     Magnus      Hugo     Hector      Monty

Name Lists:

Dulcet Dainties   Vintage Names     God and Goddesses   Dickensian Names   Tennyson Names  Operatic Appellations   Butterfly Names

 

If you like Flora you may also like:   Aurora, Nova, Luna, Cora, Pippa, Ophelia, Viola, Rosa, Calla, Peony

Thanks to Jess for requesting this name.

 

Name of the Week: Laurel

 

 

Origin:

Laurel is a the common botanical name given to various flowering plants. Traditionally, the name laurel referred to the bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), an evergreen tree. Now is also commonly used to refer to the cherry laurel as it was popularly used by the nobility in the 18th century to fill out their woods* and this trend filtered down to the middle classes for their garden shrubberies in the 19th century.*  Laurel is also used as part of the common name of several other plants, including Alexandrian laurel, Canary laurel, Hedge laurel, Portugal laurel and Spotted laurel to name a few.  The word laurel derives from the Middle English lorrer via the Old French laurier, lorier, which itself derived from the Latin laurus "bay tree, laurel tree." In ancient Greece and Rome, the leaves of the bay laurel were made into crowns and placed upon the head of a victor in either a competition (athletic or artistic/poetic) or a martial commander. Thus, the laurel became associated as an emblem of victory. The phrase to rest one's laurels comes from the idea that once victory had been achieved, a competitor could relax.  In Victorian floriography, the laurel represents "glory."

Usage:

Laurel predominantly came into use as a given name in the 19th century when plant and gemstone names became fashionable.  There are a handful of examples of the name in use before this. For example, a girl named Laurel Flamont was baptised in Essex in 1624* (perhaps it isn't coincidence that her mother was named Olive) and a Laurel Bennet was born in  Devon in 1682*. Overall, however, these examples are rare. 1901 census - Charlesworth family, London Hampshire Telegraph - Friday 08 November 1935 When we look at 19th century census records, several Laurels were part of botanically-named sibling sets (as with the McKay family) and this was a theme which continued for some families into the 20th century (see images, right). This gives us clues that some of Laurel's appeal was thanks to the fashion for plant names, though the popularity of the likes of Mabel, Ethel, Muriel, Beryl may have helped.  UK census records demonstrate that, initially, Laurel was unisex, but grew in popularity for girls by the end of the century.  1841 census 1851 census 1861 census 1871 census 1881 census 1891 census 1901 census 1911 census 5 females 11 females 8 females 19 females 49 females 68 females 99 females 188 females 4 males 12 males 5 males 16 males 5 males 30 males 29 males 35 males Birth rankings for Laurel (both genders) in England and Wales: 1840s:  1850s 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 9 births 5 births 20 births 19 births 34 births 85 births 90 births 89 births 101 births 105 births 115 births 197 births 169 births British author and explorer Alexander MacDonald had success as the writer and director of silent movies filmed in Papua New Guinea and Australia. He married his leading lady, Australian actress Wendy Osorne, and together they had a daughter named Laurel who even starred in the 1929 film The Kingdom of Twilight* and was mentioned in several articles in the British press at the time. The choice of Laurel was likely due to the couple living in Australia. Anna Otto's data shows that Laurel enjoyed good popularity in early 20th Australia, ranking #85 in the 1920s, #92 in the 1930s and #100 in the 1940s in New South Wales.  Olive Higgins Prouty's 1922 novel Stella Dallas centres on the relationship between Stella Dallas and her daughter Laurel Dallas. The book was turned into a silent film in 1925 and a further film followed in 1937, featuring Anne Shirley in the roll of Laurel, alongside an American radio soap in the same year. It is interesting to note that, in the US, Laurel went from #597 in 1937 to #397 in 1938.  Since 1996, Laurel has remained uncommon in England and Wales, though it has been in consistent usage.  It had been just above the the top 1000 up until 2001 after which it fell below.  In Scotland, since 1990, Laurel has been registered as a given name in 23 out of 26 years. For eleven of those years it was registered for one girl. It peaked in 2014 at #537 with 6 births.  In 2016, Laurel ranked #1472 with 22 births in England and Wales and #1028 with 2 births in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary: * Laurel Aitken (1927–2005), born Oliver Stephens, Jamaican singer-songwriter.  * Laurel Burch (1945–2007), American folk artist. * Laurel Clark (1961–2003), American astronaut and doctor. * Laurel Snyder, American poet. * Laurel Arnell-Cullen, British singer-songwriter. Literature and Other Media: * Laurel Dallas, character in the novel and subsequent films Stella Dallas.  * Laurel Darkhaven, character from the comic book series Rising Stars.  * Laurel Gand, also known as Andromeda, a superheroine from DC Comics. * Laurel Kent, a superheroine from DC Comics. * Laurel Lance, a character from Arrow TV series. * Laurel Thomas, character on soap Emmerdale (2002-). * Laurel Gray, a major character in the novel and film adaptation In a Lonely Place.

Variants:

Laurell, Laurelle

Pronunciation:

LOR-əl [key]

Possible  Diminutives:

Laurie, Lolly, Lally, Roly

Sibling Names:

Willa     Robyn     Cassia     Eden     Bryony     Wren  Archer     Keir     Malachy     Kellan     Rowan     Seth

Name Lists:

Arboreal Names

 

If you like Laurel you may also like:   Calla, Briar, Tamsin, Hazel, Juniper, Fern, Lark, Willow, Tara, April

Thanks to Lucinda for requesting this name.

 

Name of the Week: Isla

Origin:

Isla is a modern Scottish name taken directly from Scottish geography.  Though there are a few small rivers named Isla in Scotland (one in Moray and in Perthshire), the name most likely arose as a variant spelling of Islay – the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. It is worth noting that both the rivers Isla and the island Islay were named Ìle in Gaelic (EE-leh) and both are pronounced the same in modern Scotland: Ī-lə (rhyming with tyler). The Isle of Islay is known as "The Queen of the Hebrides" thanks to its beautiful landscape and is famous for a single malt whisky produced there.  The meaning of the island's name is unknown and much debated. Older forms of the name include Ili, Yle, Ila, Yla and Ilay. The 's' became more common in the 19th century as an anglicised form, perhaps to make it similar to the English word island which is similarly pronounced.  A.D. Mills in The Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names attributes a possible meaning of 'swelling island' though admits that the actual meaning is likely pre-Celtic. This was probably influenced by W.J. Watson's The Celtic Placenames of Scotland (1926) in which he wrote: "The name [Ile], anglicised as Islay, occurs often in Irish records and literature, usually as Ile, sometimes Ila; the modern Gaelic form is Ìle, which would represent an old Iliä. If the name is Celtic it might be compared to the Gaulish Ilio-marus, a man's name, in which Ilio- may be some part of the body, like Latin ilium, ilia, the flanks of a man or animal: Ilio-maros would thus mean 'big-flanked' or 'big-buttocked.' The Welsh verb ilio, 'ferment,' may be compared: the route notion is 'swell'. The perculiar shape of the island lends itself to such an origin for its name; compare the Irish Aru, the Isla of Aran, from aru, gen. árann, 'a kidney'." The "swelling" idea certainly would explain the rivers named Isla, but, for the Isle of Islay, a Celtic route ignores a glaring point: the -ay (-a) ending of Islay is one that is shared by the vast majority of Scottish islands. In the Inner Hebrides alone, the islands Canna, Colonsay, Eriska, Gigha, Gometra, Jura, Kerrera, Lunga, Oronsay, Raasay, Rona, Sanday, Scalpay, Shuna, Soay and Ulva all share this same suffix which comes from the Norse -ey/-øy "island". Islay then probably represents _(Il)_+ey. The most convincing theory is that the first element represents the Norse name Yula – therefore "Yula's island." Though it isn't certain what Yula's origins are, it most likely comes from the Old Norse jól "Yule", the Norse mid-winter festival.  Folk-lore on Islay itself actually specifies this Yula. In some versions, she is a Danish princess, in others, she is a Norse goddess, but either way, the story goes that Yula left Denmark in search of her lost love with an apron full of stones. As she travelled, the stones fell out one by one, forming the Hebridean islands. When she died, she was buried on the Isle of Islay which was named for her.  This, of course, is wonderfully fanciful, but often folklore derives from a kernel of truth. Perhaps there was a Danish woman who inspired the story who was named after the island, or the story arose as a way to explain the island's name.  As a given name, Isla may also have been influenced by the name Ailsa (also the name of a Scottish island) which was also pronounced Ī-lə in Scotland. See more information here.

Usage:

Like other Scottish island-names such as Ailsa and Iona, Isla's use as a given name dates from the 19th century. Both Isla and Islay were used as spellings, and it was originally a unisex name, though always more common for girls. On the 1891 UK census, for example, 7 males were named Isla and 14 Islay; for women, 37 were named Isla and 7 Islay.  Queen Victoria named one of her dogs – a Skye terrier – Islay. In her diary, on 13th March 1839, she wrote: "I am charmed with my new little dog, whom I have called Islay. He is so gentle, so good-natured and friendly and so funny, for he begs delightfully."* He was, apparently, the Queen's favourite pet, and even has his own talking statue outside the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, Australia. [Interestingly, in the recent ITV series Victoria, Islay is erroneously referred to as "her"] Birth records from both Scotland and England & Wales show how the name was uncommon in the 19th century but gradually grew in usage by the turn-of-the 20th century.        Scotland   England & Wales   Isla  Islay Isla Islay 1840s: 1850s: 1860s: 1870s: 1880s: 1890s: 1900s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 0 births 1 birth 0 births 1 birth 0 births 2 births 6 births 17 births 39 births 43 births 80 births 101 births 153 births 0 births 2 births 4 births 3 births 2 births 7 births 9 births 3 births 8 births 16 births 9 births 15 births 10 births 0 births 0 births 2 births 2 births 9 births 18 births 30 births 58 births 62 births 50 births 61 births 37 births 84 births 1 birth 0 births 2 birth 1 births 3 births 8 births 9 births 6 births 15 births 9 births 7 births 12 births 11 births Leslie Dunkling's sample for girls named Isla in every 10,000 births  in England and Wales shows that the name spiked in the 1960s, the late 70s, and then increased in popularity in the early 1990s  1900 1925 1935 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990   -   -   -    -    -    1    -   -   1    2   -   4 Some of the name's increased use in the 1970s could possibly be attributed to actresses Isla Blair and Isla Cameron and singer and TV presenter Isla St Clair. St Clair became a household name in 1978 when she became co-host of the BBC's The Generation Game. She was co-host until 1982, and during this time, appeared on prime-time TV shows such as Morecambe and Wise, The Royal Variety Show, Parkinson and Blue Peter, so this would certainly explain the spike in 1980.  In Scotland, Isla ranked consistently between #120-#230 (18 to 45 births) every year from 1974 to 1995.  It broke into the top 100 in 1996, when it shot up from #138 (34 births) in 1995, to #95 (59 births). Some of this may have been thanks to actress Isla Fisher starring in Australian soap Home and Away from 1994-1997, which was popular viewing in Britain at the time.  Isla rapidly moved up the Scottish top 100 from that point, reaching #25 in 2005 and #5 in 2010. It has been in the Scottish top 10 ever since.  In England and Wales, Isla was later to pick up popularity, but once it did it also rose rapidly. From 1996 to 2002, the rank was quite consistent, having no more than 150 birth registrations per year. In 2003, its steep rise started when it jumped to #200 (233 births) and was #125 (432 births) two years later in 2005.  It broke into the top 100 at #93 in 2006, was #30 in 2009 and #5 in 2013. It has been in the top 5 ever since.  Isla ranked #4 (391 births) in Scotland in 2016, and #4 in England and Wales (3474 births) in 2015.

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary: * Isla Cameron (c. 1930–1980), Scottish actress and singer. * Isla Blair (born 1944), British actress. * Isla St Clair (born 1952), Scottish actress and singer * Isla Fisher (born 1976), Australian actress. * Isla Traquair (born 1980), Scottish broadcast journalist. * Isla Phillips (born 2012), great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II. Literature and Other Media: * Isla Forsythe, character on soap Emmerdale from 2005-2006.  * Isla and the Happily Ever After (2014), novel by Stephanie Perkins. * Princess Isla, character from Across a Star Swept Sea (2013) by Diana Peterfreund. * Isla the Ice Star Fairy, character in Rainbow Magic book of the same name (2011) by Daisy Meadows.

Variants:

Islay, Iyla

Pronunciation:

Ī-lə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Ily

Sibling Names:

Sofia     Ava     Ruby     Freya    Esme     Olivia   Noah     Max     Oliver     Leo     Teddy     Finlay

Name Lists:

Short and Sweet   Cosy Celtic   River Names

 

If you like Isla you may also like:   Orla, Maya, Layla, Ivy, Skye, Iona, Aria, Eilidh, Violet, Ella

Thanks to Danielle for requesting this name.

 

Name of the Week: Hazel

Origin:

Hazel is the common name (scientific: Corylus avellana) for a deciduous broadleaf tree native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are commonly known for their edible nuts (hazelnuts) and historical use for building fences/housing in wattle and daub thanks to its flexible nature. It is so bendy in spring that it can be tied in a knot without breaking. The name for the hazel comes from the Old English word hæsl, hæsel, itself from Proto-Germanic *hasalaz (also the source of the Norse hasl and Germanic hasel) all of which derive from the ancient Proto-European root *koselo-.  Since ancient times, the hazel has been regarded as having magical qualities in Britain. To the Celts, the hazel was considered the 'Tree of Knowledge' with hazelnuts being described as 'nuts of wisdom'* and are mentioned in the Irish legend of Finn MacCool as the source of his wisdom.  Later, particularly in floriography (the language of flowers), the hazel came to represent reconciliation.  Hazel is also regarded as a golden-brown colour – taken from the colour of hazelnuts – and is often used to refer to eyes. "Hazel eyes" are regarded as being a mix of greens, golds and brown shades and are quite rare. The first instance of "hazel" being used as a colour in print comes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (1592) when when Mercutio says to Benvolio: "Thou wilt quarrell with a man for cracking Nuts, hauing no reason, but because thou hast hasell eyes." Hazel has been used as a surname since the middle ages, also spelled Hazell, Hasel(l), Haisell, Heazel(l) and Hessel(s). This surname originally signified a person who lived by hazel trees and dates from at least the 12th century.

Usage:

Though Hazel looks like a typical Victorian nature name, it is very difficult to establish exactly when Hazel was first used as such. In the late 18th century and early 19th century, Hazel was used for both boys and girls and most likely represents use of the surname as a given name – especially given that the spelling Hazell is often found. Other similar surnames such as Hazelwood, Hazelrigg, Hazelhurst, Hazelton and Hazeldene were also adopted as given names.  Further muddying the waters is the occasional use in the 18th and 19th centuries of the Biblical name Hazelelponi which appears in the Old Testament for the sister of Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash of the tribe of Judah and is of intriguing etymology. There is anecdotal evidence of some of these girls names Hazelelponi going by the nickname Hazel.  If I were to try to pinpoint the specific switch from Hazel used as a general surname-name to conscious adoption of a nature name, I would place it in the 1880s. It was particularly in the late 1880s that floral names began to take off as a fashion (as we can see from newspaper articles and the rise of deliberately named floral sibling sets). It is also during the 1880s that Hazel became more regularly used and became more commonly used for girls (though boys did still receive the name at this point). Either way, for whatever reason Hazel was used as a given name, it was rare in the first half of the 19th century and still uncommon by the turn of the 20th century as births in England and Wales show: 1840s: 4 births 1850s: 8 births 1860s: 7 births 1870s: 24 births 1880s: 106 births 1890s: 424 births 1900s: 895 births Though these numbers look significant towards the end of the century, it is worth noting that in the 1890s this represent an average of 40 births per year, which puts it well below the top 200. It still ranked only #222 in 1900 when 80 girls were given the name that year. This means that, though Hazel became an 'established' name by the end of the 19th century, it was never a popular one in Britain.  In other English-speaking countries, however, Hazel did enjoy popular success in the late 19th century and early 20th century.  Hazel broke into the US top 100 first in 1886 at #81 and rose quickly to #22 by 1895. It enjoyed top 50 status continually until 1926 and didn’t leave the Top 100 until 1936. After such a long period of popularity, next came the inevitable decline as Hazel gradually fell in use over the course of the mid-20th century, finally leaving the top 1000 after 1975.  Though we don't have data as early as in the US, the picture for Australia and Canada is very similar. Hazel ranked in the top 50 of New South Wales in the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s, and was still in the top 100 in the 1930s, falling out by the 1940s.  In British Columbia, Hazel was in the top 100 from at least 1915 up until 1942.  Hazel finally reached the top 100 in England and Wales in 1924 at #69, rising to #44 in 1934, #47 in 1944 and finally #73 in 1954, after which it fell out of the top 100. It is interesting to note that just as Hazel was falling out of the top 100 in America, Australia and Canada, it was reaching a peak over here.  Hazel took off even later in Scotland. From ranking #65 in 1950 it remained in the Scottish top 100 up until the 1990s, though it never managed to break into the top 50 and steadily declined from 1994-2014.  It is tempting to look to Ethel, Mabel, Myrtle and Olive (also in the US top 100 in 1886) as style indicators for why Hazel took off in late 19th century America, but, with the exception of Myrtle, all these names were also in the England and Wales top 100 during the same period. The fact is, I'm at a loss to explain why Hazel wasn't as popular in Britain as elsewhere in the English-speaking world until much later. Popularity of names can be unpredictable and sometimes it they defy current name trends. This, however, does explain why Hazel has been a rising Edwardian-style revival recently in America, Australia and Canada, while over here it still has a retro feel. The last time Hazel was in the top 100 in E&W it sat between Jill, Joyce, Annette and Beverley. From 1996, Hazel has consistently ranked below the top 200 in England and Wales, reaching its lowest point of #469 (66 births) in 2002.  In the last few years, however, it has seen a not-insignificant rise, from #318 (147 births) in 2013 to #252 in 2014 and #219 (238 births) in 2015 showing signs of possible revival.  Similarly, in Scotland, Hazel reached its lowest point of #294 (14 births) in 2014 but has since started curving back up, ranking #252 in 2015 and #142 (34 births) in 2016.  Thanks to its late Victorian-Edwardian status, Hazel currently ranks in the top 100 in rest of English speaking world: #28 in New Zealand, #36 in Canada, #52 in America and #64 in Australia.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, CBE (1886-1974), American tennis player. * Hazel Miner (1904-1920), American heroine who died saving her siblings during a spring blizzard in North Dakota. * Hazel Scott (1920-1981), jazz and classical pianist and singer. Contemporary: * Hazel R. O'Leary (b. 1937), former United States Secretary of Energy. * Hazel Byford, Baroness Byford (b. 1941), Conservative member of House of Lords. * Hazel O'Connor (b. 1955) is a British singer-songwriter and actress. * Hazel Blears (b. 1956), British politician and Labour MP for Salford. * Hazel Irvine (b. 1965), British television presenter. * Hazel Crowney (b. 1982), British-born Bollywood film actress. Literature and Other Media: * Hazel Bellamy, character in Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-75). * Hazel Lancaster, main character in book/movie The Fault in Our Stars. * Hazel Levesque, demigod daughter of Pluto in Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series. * Hazel Williams, character on Gossip Girl (2007-12). * Hazel, a song by Bob Dylan.

Variants:

Hazell, Hazelle

Pronunciation:

HAY-zəl [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Hay, Haze, Hayzie, Zel, Zelie

Sibling Names:

Violet     April     Beatrix     Iris     Olive     Sadie  Jasper     Eli     Hugo     Douglas     Chester     Miles

Name Lists:

Vintage Names   Guys and Dolls   Arboreal Names

  

If you like Hazel you may also like:   Ruby, Maeve, Sylvia, Mabel, Vivian, Mavis, Stella, Audrey, Nancy, Rosa

Thanks to Charlotte for requesting this name.