British Baby Names

Name of the Week

An elaborate and saintly medieval Spanish gem 
with ties to Greek mythology.

 

Origin:

Leocadia is most likely a later variant form of Leucadia, the Latinised form of the Greek Leukadia, derived from leukas "light, bright, clear."  The masculine equivalent, Leukadios/Leucadius is found in Greek mythology as the name of the son of Icarius and Polycarpe, and brother to Penelope, who was the co-ruler of Acarnania. It is thought that the Greek island of Leucas (Leukas, Leucadia, Lefkada) derived its name from him.  The island was known for its temple dedicated to Apollo, where he was given the epithet Apollo Leucadius or Apollo Leucates ("Apollo of Leucas"). The Latin Leucadius, therefore, was likely more commonly used as a topographical name meaning "of Leucas," rather than a form of Leukadios.

Usage:

Leokadia and Leokadios can be found in classical and hellenistic records, though examples are rare. The LGPN only has record of one woman named Leukadia and two men named Leukadios. Leocadia itself was made famous by Saint Leocadia of Toledo (d. c. 303), a Spanish virgin martyr who was said to have herself been inspired by the legendary martyrdom of Saint Eulalia. A church was dedicated to her from an early time; records from the 7th century say that it was already established by that date. In the 9th century, her remains were moved to Oviedo, and in the 11th century were taken to Belgium. In 1586 they were sent to Rome, and finally returned to Toledo the following year, in a grand ceremony presided over by King Philip II of Spain.  Leocadia was in use in Spain from at least the 16th century in Spain and also in the Spain colonies, particularly Mexico and Peru. Occasionally, Leocadio was used, but not as commonly. By the 18th century Leocadia was in use across Europe, particularly in Germany and Belgium, and in Canada.  A small group of Leocadias were baptised in Durham in the 18th century to migrant Spanish families but other examples in Britain are hard to find before the 19th century. From 1838 to 1920, 8 girls were registered with the name Leocadia in England and Wales, and 6 with the French form Léocadie.  Since then, Leocadia has only been given to 6 girls in England and Wales, and only two of those were given it as a first name.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Saint Leocadia, (d. c. 303) a Spanish martyr, persecuted under the reign of Diocletian. Her feast day is 9th December.  * Léocadie Gascoin (1818–1900), co-founder and superior of the Sisters Marianites of Holy Cross. Literature and Media: * Leocadia, a character in Cerventes' (1547–1616) novel La Fuerza de la sangre; The Power of Blood. * La Leocadia, a mural by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya. * Léocadia (1940), a theatrical play by Jean Anouilh.  Other: * 969 Leocadia, a minor planet orbiting the Sun.

Variants:

Liocadia (Spanish variant), Léocadie, Locaie (French), Leokadia (German, Polish), Leocádia (Portuguese) Leocardia

Pronunciation:

lee-ō-KAY-dee-ə, lee-ō-KAD-ee-ə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Cade, Cadi, Cayla, Cleo, Kay, Lea, Leo, Lia, Lady, Lola

Sibling Names:

Apollonia     Constantia     Valentina     Artemisia     Carissima     Iphigenia  Barnabas     Nicodemus      Silvester     Regulus     Nicander     Maximian

Name Lists:

Saintly and Stylish   Resonant Roman   Multi-syllabic

 

If you like Leocadia you may also like:  Theodosia, Athanasia, Eulalia, Asteria, Euphrasia, Amadea, Iphigenia, Adrasteia, Cassiopeia, Araminta

 

Thanks to Thora for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week

Genteel, fusty Mabel is a triumph of endurance,
for centuries reaching peaks of popularity, cycling in and out of favour.
Luckily, she's back on an upward curve again.

 

Origin:

Mabel is a contracted form of Amabel which is derived from the Latin amabilis "lovable."

Usage:

Amabel, and its more common form, Mabel, were recorded in a plethora of Medieval records from the 12th century, and in various forms. Mabilia and Amabilia were the common Latinisations used in Latin records, though Mabella, Mabilla and Mabillæ can also be found. Other forms recorded include Mabill, Mable, Mabley and Mabyle.  Mabel was certainly more common than Amabel, but did not replace it completely.  Mabb, Mobb, Mapp and Mopp appear to have been used as vernacular pet-forms, and explains the use of the diminutive Mabot (Mabb + French suffix ot), Mabota and Mabbet.  A study of 21 manors dated between c.1230-47 by Brian M. Scott places Mabel at #6 for most popular women's name. In a study of 1000 names from 10 counties from 1377-81, Redmonds calculates that Mabel held a rank of #32, which he characterises as 'infrequent'. This may show that the name had declined a little in popularity by the 14th century, from its height in the 13th century, though with such small samples it is impossible to truly know. It is interesting to note, however, that majority of Reaney and Wilson's examples for Mabel are cited from the 13th century. Mabel's established use in the Middle Ages created a whole host of derived surnames, including Mable, Mabley, Mabb, Mabbs, Mabbett, Mabbot, Mopp, Moppes and Mabson. Mabel's use declined in the following centuries, but certainly never disappeared (and was not as rare as is commonly proported). Smith Bannister's popularity rankings show that, though Mabel fluctuated in use, it did have a small peak in the late 16th century: 1538-49: —; 1550-9: —; 1560-9: #45; 1570-9: #35; 1580-9: #21; 1590-9: #29; 1600-9: #28; 1610-9: #39; 1620-9: #45; 1630-9: #27; 1640-9: #28; 1650-9: #30; 1660-9: #37; 1670-9: —; 1680-9: —; 1690-1700: —.  Once again, Mabel declined, but never disappeared. Baptism records in the 18th and early 19th century for little Mabels not especially common, but they can be easily found — especially in Yorkshire and Northumberland. Mabel seems to have been common to this region; Charlotte Mary Yonge, writing in 1863, said it was "still used among the Northern peasantry."  At the time Yonge wrote this, however, Mabel was once again on the upswing as one of the many medieval names which became highly fashionable in Victorian society. Mabel's spark may have been lighted when Wordsworth used the name in his sonnet St Catherine of Ledbury (1835) and compounded when C.M.Yonge used it herself in her bestselling novel The Heir of Redclyffe (1854). UK census records for women named Mabel demonstrate the meteoric nature of the name's rise in fashion: 1841: 319; 1851: 386; 1861: 813; 1871: 4,362; 1881: 23,448; 1891: 71,785; 1901: 125,035; 1911: 148,327 Mabel's zenith was reached in the late 19th century. It stayed steady for the first two decades of the 20th century, then saw a swift decline from that point on, leaving the Top 100 by the 1930s: 1880: #30 1890: #15 1900: #25 1904: #24  1914: #34 1924: #64 This corresponds to Leslie Dunkling's data for the number of girls registered with the name Mabel in every 10,000 births in England and Wales: 106 in 1900, 58 in 1925 and 12 in 1935. After this point, Mabel's use fell below 1/10000. In Scotland, Mabel ranked #53 in 1900 but had fallen out of the Top 100 by 1950.  With the turn of a new century, Mabel is at the beginning of another revival in England and Wales. It's usage has fluctuated year on year, but overall is on an upward curve. In 1996, only 17 babies were named Mabel in England and Wales (rank #1112). It peaked briefly in 2006 with 91 births (#440) and again in 2008 with 118 births (#378).  In 2012, Mabel ranked #312 with 155 births.  In Scotland, Mabel has had a birth count of between 1 and 7 since 2005, and ranked #1540 (1 birth) in 2012.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Mabel of Bury St. Edmunds, a highly talented 13th-century embroiderer, noted and esteemed by King Henry III. * Mabel Browne, Countess of Kildare (1536–1610), a favourite of Queen Mary I.  * Mabel Loomis Todd (1858–1932), American author. * Mabel Beardsley (1871–1916), British actress. * Mabel Vernon (1883–1975), American suffragist. * Mabel Philipson (1887-1951) was a British actress and politician. * Mabel Normand (1892–1930), an American silent film comedienne and actress. * Mabel Strickland, OBE (1899–1988), Maltese journalist and politician. * Mabel Poulton (1901–1994), British actress. * Dame Mabel Flora Miller, DBE (1906–1978), Australian lawyer and politician. * Mabel King (1932–1999), American singer and actress. Contemporary:  * Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau (born 1968), Dutch princess.  Literature and Media: * Mack & Mabel (1974), musical by Jerry Herman.  * Mabel Buchman, Paul and Jamie's daughter in sitcom Mad About You. Named for the acronym "Mothers Always Bring Extra Love." Celebrity Babies:  * Mabel Ray Mulroney (b.2008), daughter of Dermot Mulroney. * Mabel Painter Lower (b.2009), daughter of Chad Lowe. * Mabel Ray Willis (b.2012), daughter of Bruce Willis.

Variants:

Amabel, Mabella,  Maybel, Maybelle, Mabelle, Mabli (Welsh)

Pronunciation:

MAY-bəl [key]

Possible  diminutives:

May, Mae, Belle, Mel, Maisie, Mabbie, Mabs, Moppet

Sibling Names:

Agnes     Edith     Olive     Elsie     Winifred     Iris  Ralph     Walter    Arthur    Silas     Barnaby     Edmund

Name Lists:

Vintage   Medieval Favourites   Terrifically Tudor   Victorian Darlings   Gilbert & Sullivan Names

 

If you like Mabel you may also like:   Hazel, Martha, Blythe, Maud, Frances, Sybil, Maggie, Myrtle, Hester, Clara

 

Thanks to Patricia for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week

 

There's steady biblical Luke, stately Roman Lucas
and their artistic little brother Luca.

 

Origin:

Luca is the Italian equivalent to Luke, both being forms of the Latin name Lucas and its cognate Greek Loukas.  Lucas and Loukas themselves are both contractions of Lucanus/Loukanos meaning "of Lucania," a region in Southern Italy. Undoubtedly, Lucania took its name from the Proto­Indo­ European *lewko­ "bright, shining" (Greek leukos, Latin lucere). Luca is also the Hungarian form of Lucia.

Usage:

The propensity of all forms of Luke/Lucas across Europe is largely thanks to the fame of one man: St Luke, one of the Four Evangelists and author of the third Gospel and the Act of the Apostles. He was venerated as a saint from an early date in Christianity and, by the 12th century, forms of his name were widespread across the Christian world. Luca took hold in Italy (as the Italian form of Lucas) in the Middle Ages. Curiously, it was used at this time for both men and women. For women it was perhaps a contraction of Lucia, or fitting it to the general pattern of feminine names ending in -a, and masculine names in -o. Either way, it was far more common for men, as the frequency lists of names given to men and women in the Florence Catasto of 1427 show with its 229 males and 3 women bearing the name. Most frequency lists pertaining to Italian names during the Middle Ages place Luca within the Top 30 most popular names for men (usually around 21st-25th place). Among the most famous bearers were sculptor Luca della Robbia (1399–1482), painter and sculptor Luca Cambiaso "Luchetto da Genova" (1527–1585) and composer Luca Marenzio (1553–1599). Luca has been in used in Britain since at least the 18th century, but use of the name was largely confined to Italian or Hungarian migrant families. It wasn't until the late 20th century, that Luca has seen more widespread use in the UK.  The popularity of Luca and Luka since 1996 in England and Wales has been steadily rising for boys, but remained fairly constant for girls:      Luca     Luca    Luka    Luka 1996 #300 (83) #3795 (3) #938 (15) #2683 (5)  1997 #283 (107)  #3174 (4)  #1010 (14)  #3174 (4)  1998 #208 (152)  #2407 (6)  #761 (21)  #1979 (8)  1999 #179 (191)  #1970 (8)  #655 (26)  - 2000 #139 (272)  #1831 (9)  #596 (31)  #1594 (11)  2001 #117 (374) #2023 (8)  #433 (49)  #3262 (4)  2002 #104 (473)  #1658 (11) #493 (44)  #2105 (8)  2003 #98 (536) #1628 (12)  #401 (65)  #2436 (7)  2004 #95 (586) #2278 (8)  #325 (92)  #3725 (4)  2005 #83 (784)  #2247 (9)  #301 (106)  #2682 (7)  2006 #81 (826) #2320 (9)  #301 (117)  #2320 (9)  2007 #72 (999) #2233 (10)  #330 (111)  #2627 (8)  2008 #74 (974)  #2721 (8)  #331 (118)  #2487 (9)  2009 #72 (936)  #2019 (12)  #362 (107)  #1752 (15)  2010 #70 (953) #3156 (7)  #375 (108)  #1815 (15)  2011 #64 (982)  #2893 (8)  #333 (130)  #1489 (20)  2012 #61 (1117)  #3286 (7)  #339 (130)  #1991 (14)  * Numbers in brackets indicate the number of births in that year. Usage of the name Luca in Scotland has remained remarkably consistent in the last few years: 2005: #156 (31 births), 2006: #92 (64), 2007: #95 (69), 2008: #97 (69), 2009: #121 (49), 2010: #95 (64), 2011: #96 (65), 2012: #95 (72). In Italy, Luca ranked #14 for boys in 2012 (plus #21 in Austria, #24 in Belgium, #24 in The Netherlands, #59 in New South Wales and #85 in British Columbia), while Luka ranks #1 in both Croatia and Slovenia. In Hungary, Luca ranks #10 for girls.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Luca della Robbia (1399–1482), a Italian Renaissance sculptor. * Luca Signorelli (1441–1523), Italian painter. * Luca Cambiaso "Luchetto da Genova" (1527–1585), leading Italian painter and sculptor of the Genoese school. * Luca Marenzio (1553–1599), Italian composer. * Luca Ion Caragiale (1893–1921), Romanian poet, novelist and translator. Contemporary: * Luca Cadalora (b. 1963), Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racing world champion. * Luca Badoer (b. 1971), Italian former Formula One racing driver. * Luca Turilli (b.1972), Italian musician and composer. * Luca Napolitano (1986), Italian singer-songwriter. * Lucca Borges de Brito (b.1990), Brazilian footballer.  Literature and Media: * Luca Brasi, a character from the film and novel The Godfather. * Luka Kovač, a character in the television series ER. * Luka, a song by Suzanne Vega (1987), reaching #23 in the UK. Other: * Lucca, a city in Tuscany. * Luca is a Japanese rock band.

Variants:

Luka (Russian, Slavic), Lucas (Latin), Loukas (Greek), Lucca (Portuguese)

Pronunciation:

LOO-kə [key]

Possible diminutives:

Luc, Lou, Lucky

Sibling Names:

Mia     Zara     Rosa     Sofia     Esme     Ines  Jude     Theo     Max     Rory     Milo     Oscar

Name Lists:

Slim Softies

 

If you like Luca you may also like:   Leon, Nico, Louis, Noah, Rio, Hugo, Rocco, Jake, Zack, Isaac

 

Thanks to Monia for requesting this post.

Name of the Week

Sassy Loretta encorporates both the glamour
of Golden-age Hollywood
and the earthiness of the Old West.

 

Origin:

Loretta developed in the Middle Ages as a diminutive of Laura. One of the earliest known bearers of the name Laura was St Laura of Cordoba (d.864) and veneration of her cult encouraged use the name. Lawrence, associated and ultimately derived from the Latin laurus "laurel," was already well established at this time, as was the feminine Laurentia. It is impossible to know whether Laura derived as a hypocoristic form of Laurentia, or an independent coinage from the Latin laurus. Possibly it was a combination of both.

Usage:

By the 13th century, Laura and Lora were well established in Britain, in what George Redmonds ranks as "infrequent use." To put that into context, it was about as popular as Agatha, Clemence, Helewise and Mary. At the same time, Loretta was in use as a diminutive. Reaney and Wilson find mention of three in medieval manuscripts: Lauretta Pico in 1185; a Loretta in Yorkshire in 1219; and Loreta de Motecombe in Sussex in 1332. Loretta de Braose (b. c. 1185) was also the fourth Countess of Leicester and connected with the court of King John.  Of course, we can never really be sure how many Lauras were called Loretta familiarly at this time, but it was used sufficiently enough to create the surnames Laurette, Lauret, Lorett, Lorette and Lawrett. Loretta and Lauretta maintained a steady, low usage through the following centuries until it picked up usage in the 19th century. Census records for women named Loretta or Lauretta clearly show this rise: 1841: 90; 1851: 126; 1861: 156; 1871: 250; 1881: 339; 1891: 500; 1901: 620; 1911: 593 In practice, this equated to no more than 25 births in any given year. Lauretta was the more common spelling during this period; Loretta took precedence in the 20th century with much the same usage, as seen with Leslie Dunkling's data for the number of girls registered with the names Loretta in every 10,000 births in England and Wales:    1925  1935 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990              2          2     2     2         2    2    2 The popularity of Loretta, Loreta and Lauretta since 1996 in England and Wales has been as follows:    Loretta   Lauretta   Loreta  1996  #1222 (15 births)     1997 #946 (22 births)      1998  #995 (21 births)      1999  #1160 (17 births)  #3900 (3 births)    2000  #2416 (6 births)  #3912 (3 births)    2001  #1305 (15 births)      2002  #1928 (9 births)  #2868 (5 births)  #2868 (5 births)  2003  #1843 (10 births)      2004  #1836 (11 births)      2005  #3382 (5 births)  #3970 (4 births)  2006  #2781 (7 births)  #4151 (4 births)  #5061 (3 births)  2007  #3218 (6 births)    #5201 (3 births)  2008  #1447 (19 births)  #5545 (3 births)   2009  #2019 (12 births)      2010  #1472 (20 births)  #5707 (3 births) #5707 (3 births)  2011 #3185 (7 births)    #5785 (3 births)  2012  #2581 (10 births)      The slight peak in 2010 could be explained by Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker's use of the name for their daughter in the previous year.

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary:  * Loretta Young (1913–2000), Oscar winning American actress. * Loretta Lynn (b. 1932), Country music singer-songwriter. * Loretta Long (b. 1940), American actress. * Loretta Ables Sayre (b. 1958), American actress and singer. Celebrity Babies:  * Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick "Loretta" (b.2009), daughter of Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, twin sister to Tabitha.

Variants:

Lauretta, Lorette, Laurette

Pronunciation:

lə-RET-ə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Etta, Ettie, Letty, Lea, Lora, Lori, Lolly, Lotta, Lotty

Sibling Names:

Betsy     Mae     Vivian      Rita      Olive     Scarlett  Marvin     Guy     Winston     Calvin     Gerard     Willis

Name Lists:

Golden Age Hollywood   Funky-Clunky

 

If you like Loretta you may also like:   Betty, Rosetta, Lucille, Hetty, Greta, Ruby, Aletta, Gretchen, Elspeth, Garnet

 

Thanks to Lucy for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week

 

From the ancient Gothic to modern vampire slayer.
Part Alistair, part Eric.

 

Origin:

Alaric is the anglicised form of Alaricus, itself a Latinised form of the Gothic Alareiks.  Alareiks is composed of two elements: ala "all, entire, everyone" and reiks "ruler, chief, mightly." Many take this to mean "ruler of all."

Usage:

Alaric I (c.370–410) was the great Visigoth king, famous for leading and instigating the sack of Rome in 410, which was a considerable factor in the fall of the Roman Empire. His namesake, Alaric II (484–507) is most famous for issuing the Brevity of Alaric, a Visigothic code of Roman law for his Roman subjects in Spain and Gaul.  Though the name was never especially common, it did permeate through European culture. The Norse cognate Alrekr or Alríkr, for example, appears in Norse folk lore as the name of a legendary king of Sweden.  By the 14th century, however, any use of Alaric as a given name had all but died out throughout most of Europe. In some cases, perhaps, this was due to confusion with more common Germanic names such as Aldric or Adalric, which are known to have later became rendered as Alric(h). Alaric survived somewhat in Finland and Sweden in the form Alarik or Alarik, and even has it's own Name Day on May 24th. In Britain, Alaric's revival came — as with other early medieval or classical names — in the 19th century, as birth records in England anad Wales for each decade demonstrate:   1840s: 6  1850s: 4 1860s: 5 1870s: 14 1880s: 21 1890s: 28 1900s: 27 1910s: 13 1920s: 17 1930s: 18 1940s: 21 1950s: 35 1960s: 42 1970s: 46 1980s: 27 1990s: 20 Since 1996, Alaric has ranked ten times in England and Wales (1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012) with a birth count of between 3 and 5. In 2012, Alaric ranked #3987 with 4 births.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Alaric I (c.370–410), king of the Visigoths who led the sack of Rome in 410. * Alaric II (484–507), king of the Visigoths. * Alaric Alexander Watts (1797–1864), a British poet and journalist. * Alaric B. Chapin (1848–1924), Union Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in the American Civil War. Literature and Media: * Alaric Saltzman, Vampire hunter and history teacher at Mystic Falls High School in The Vampire Diaries. * Alaric Tudor, principle character in Anthony Trollope's novel The Three Clerks. * Alaric, Duke of Dunstable, a character in P. G. Wodehouse's Blandings Castle novels. * Alaric Darconville, the title character of Alexander Theroux's novel Darconville's Cat. * Alaric Morgan, the seventh Duke of Corwyn in Katherine Kurtz' Deryni novels.  * Aleric, title character in Fred Wiehe's novel Aleric: Monster Hunter. Other: * HMS Alaric, a submarine of the British Royal Navy.

Variants:

Alarik, Alrik (Scandinavian), Alarico (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese), Alaricus (Latin), Alarich (German), Alar, Alari (Estonian)

Pronunciation:

AL-ə-rik [key]

Possible diminutives:

Al, Ali, Alec, Ari, Larry, Ric

Sibling Names:

Aveza     Saskia      Morven     Auda      Odette     Liesel  Bastian     Magnus     Franco     Macsen     Jago     Rocco

Name Lists:

N/A

 

If you like Alaric you may also like:   Theodric, Falco, Ulrik, Aldo, Faramund, Otto, Atticus, Merrick, Tancred, Wolfram

 

Thanks to Nancy for requesting this post.

Name of the Week

Part Cordelia, part Melisande, Corisande marries
French elegance and medieval romance.

 

Origin:

Corisande originates from medieval chivalric romance, though little is known of its origin.  The name appears in the exploits of Amadís of Gaul in which Corisande is the ruler of Gravesande and beloved of Florestan, half-brother of the hero Amadis. The first printed version of the work dates back to 1508: a Spanish version written by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, who claimed to have emended and corrected corrupted forms of the Portuguese originals. Mentions of the character Amadis, however, date back to the mid-14th century, though it is unclear whether Corisande (a relatively minor character in the prose) was in existence at that time.  The first element looks most likely to be inspired by the Latin cor "heart." The second element is unknown, though K.M.Sheard puts forward the tantalising theory that it could be a contracted form of the Latin sanandus "healing." In a similar vein, some connect the name to the Spanish corazon "heart." A more basic origin could be that the Corisande was an adaptation, based on the Latin cor, of Melisande, which was already in use by that time.

Usage:

The tale of Amadis was a hit throughout Europe and did have an influence on the names used by noble families. Corisande never caught on much, but it did gain some fame when it was adopted by Diana de Gramont (nee d'Andouins), Countess of Guiche (1554-1621), the mistress and faithful partner of Henry IV of France. Renowned for her beauty and culture, she was often called by the name "La Belle Corisande." The chivalric tale of Amadís of Gaul was turned into a tragédie en musique in 1684 by Jean-Baptiste Lully, and here we find that Corisande's character was given greater prominence in the tale.  The de Gramont family continued to use the name through the centuries, most likely because they claimed descent from "La Belle Corisande" through her son from marriage, Antonin. Notable bearers include author Élisabeth de Gramont (1875–1954), full name Antoinette Corisande Élisabeth, and Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie de Gramont (1782–1865) who became the ward of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.  It is most likely thanks to the latter Corisande, that Benjamin Disrali came to use the name in his novel Lothair (1870). Corisande's son, Charles Bennet, 6th Earl of Tankerville served under Disraeli as Lord Steward of the Household. His sister and daughter were both named Corisande also, and it is quite likely that Disraeli became more familiar with the name through this connection.  Lothair was a huge hit for Disraeli. The first addition of two thousand copies sold out in two days, followed quickly by seven more copies. The mania that insued led to a plethora of Lothair-inspired namesakes, from ships to perfumes, with the names Lothair and Corisande the most popular.  Consequently, most of the Corisandes born in England and Wales in the 19th century date from the publication of the novel, as we can see from the number of girls registered with the name each decade. 1850s: 1 1860s: 1 1870s: 14 1880s: 6 1890s: 9 1900s: 6 1910s: 8 1920s: 4 1930s: 9 1940s: 1 1950s: 5 1960s: 3 1970s: 1 1980s: 4 1990s: 7 Though the name's usage has been consistant, its rarity means that it has not ranked in the annual England and Wales statistics.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Diana d'Andouins "La Belle Corisande" (1554–1621), mistress of Henry IV of France.  * Corisande Armandine Sophie Léonie de Gramont (1782–1865), Anglo-French aristocrat.  Literature: * Corisande, a character in the medieval prose Amadís of Gaul. * Lady Corisande, a character in Benjamin Disraeli's novel Lothair (1870).

Variants:

Corisanda

Pronunciation:

kor-ee-SOND [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Cori, Cora, Cassie, Cossie, Cindy, Candy, Sandy

Sibling Names:

Amandine     Henriette     Eglantine     Guinevere     Melusine     Seraphine  Peregrine     Augustin     Ignatius     Bertrand     Montgomery     Ferdinand

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance

 

If you like Corisande you may also like:   Melisande, Cosima, Alessandra, Constanza, Rosamond, Ambrosine, Celestine, Persephone, Crescentia, Clarimonde

 

Thanks to Isabelle and Winter for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week

Brief, bonny and blissful Blythe has all
the Puritan charm of Faith, but with far less usage.

 

Origin:

Blythe is a virtue name, taken from the word blithe, originally the Old English bliðe "joyous, kind, cheerful, gentle, gracious, pleasant." It is of distinctly Germanic origin, cognate with the Old Norse bliðr "mild, gentle," Old High German blidi "happy, friendly," and Gothic bleiþs "kind, friendly, merciful." All are thought to come from the Proto-Germanic *blithiz "gentle, kind" — the same route that gives us the word bliss.

Usage:

Names containing the element bliðe were in use by the Anglo-Saxons, such as Blithhere, Blithhelm, Blithweard and Blithmund. Reaney and Wilson find Blitha de Costeseye (Cossey) in the 1230 Norfolk Curia Rolls and a Blithe de Ryseford in the Rotuli Hundredorum of Yorkshire in 1276. It was perhaps a shortening of the any of the above names, or the compound name Bliththryth (Blíððryð), the Anglo-Saxon form of Plectrudis (d.717), the wife of Pippin II.  As a first name, neither Blitha nor any of the longer compound names were especially common. The surnames Blythe, Blyth, Bly, Bligh and Blight however, were not uncommon, and are either derived from the personal name Blitha, a nickname based on bliðe "merry, kind," or from the place, and local river, names Blythe (Warwickshire) and Blyth (Northumberland and Nottingham). Blythe was adopted as a given names by the Puritans in the 16th century. It was used particularly in Norfolk [as can be seen from the top 100 most popular names in Norfolk during the reign of Elizabeth I where Blythe ranked #35 for girls], but also Suffolk, Lincoln and London. It is interesting to note that the earlier record of Blitha de Costeseye also hails from Norfolk, so perhaps there was already local precedence for the name that continued through the centuries. In some cases, the name was actually recorded in 16th century Norfolk records as Blitha, though was more commonly Blyth(e). It was mostly feminine in use from the 16th century, but in a few cases was also masculine. Later use of the name for boys is most likely thanks to adoption of the surname Blyth — most commonly it is in this spelling for boys — as a first name.  By the 19th century, Blyth was used as both a masculine and feminine name, though saw marginally more usage for boys. It is interesting to note that boys named Blyth often lived in Nottingham or Northumberland (from which the surname Blyth derives), while girls born in Norfolk were often named Blitha/Blytha (see above).  Records for the name Blyth(e/a)/Blith(e/a) on UK census records are as follows: 1841: 34 males, 21 females 1851: 39 males, 17 females 1861: 50 males, 29 females 1871: 47 males, 31 females 1881: 58 males, 33 females 1891: 49 males, 35 famales 1901: 62 males, 36 females 1911: 48 males, 20 females From 1840 to 1970, Blythe consistently averaged 10 births per decade in England and Wales, becoming more commonly feminine in usage again by the 1920s.  Since 1996, Blythe has had a mean average birth count of 16 births per year in England and Wales for girls. It peaked in 2005 at #990 (26 births); it's lowest rank was #1728 (10 births) in 2001. For boys, Blythe has ranked once: #4805 (3 births) in 2012, while Blyth ranked in 1998, 2006 and 2007 (each time with a birth count of 3). In Scotland from 2005 to 2011, Blythe has had a mean average birth count of 4 births per year, with the spelling Blyth also in use for both boys and girls (in each case for no more than one birth registration per gender in any given year). In 2012, Blythe ranked #1720 (17 births) in England and Wales and #467 (7 births) in Scotland. The spelling Blyth also had two birth registrations that year in Scotland; one boy and one girl, and Blythe was registered for 3 boys in England and Wales.

Famous Bearers:

Contemporary: * Blythe Danner (b. 1943), American actress. * Blythe Duff (b. 1962), Scottish actress. * Blythe Auffarth (b. 1985), American actress. Other: * River Blythe, a river in Warwickshire. * River Blyth, a river in Northumberland and also Suffolk.

Variants:

Blyth, Blithe

Pronunciation:

BLĪDTH [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Blytie, Bebe

Sibling Names:

Margot     Honor     Constance     Olive     Agnes     Mabel  Giles     Walter     Peter      Lionel      Martin      Jude

Name Lists:

Funky-Clunky Names   Terrifically Tudor   River Names

 

If you like Blythe you may also like:   Briar, Martha, Blanche, Ellen, Bess, Maud, Avis, Bryony, Sybil, Edith

 

Thanks to Lana for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week

 

From Ivanhoe to Harry Potter, Cedric 
is a gallant literary choice with medieval flair.

 

Origin:

Cedric is a literary adaption, created by Sir Walter Scott for his novel Ivanhoe (1819).   Most commonly, it is assumed that Scott based Cedric on (or misspelled) Cerdic, the name of the legendary founder of the Kingdom of Wessex (d.534). Most likely, Cerdic is Celtic in origin, a form of Ceretic, a name borne by, Ceretic Guletic (Coroticus), a king of Strathclyde  c.450 and Ceretic of Elmet/Ceredig ap Gwallog, the last king of Elmet (d. c. 617). Ceretic itself is a relative of the Welsh Caradog, Anglian Caradoc and Latin Caractacus. Caratacus (d.c.50 AD) was the famous British chieftain who resisted Roman occupation. The name is certainly ancient Celtic in origin, often reconstructed as *Caratācos in Brythonic Celtic. It most likely derives from the ProtoCeltic *karo, a verb meaning "to love" and adjective "dear, beloved" (related to *karant "friend") and the common Celtic suffix *-ako, now found in the Welsh -og and Irish -ach.  Another theory is that Scott based Cedric on the Welsh name Cedrych, from ced "bounty, boon" and drych "appearance, aspect, spectacle." The name is not common, however, Welsh legend has preserved the name Cedrych ap Gwaethfoed, Lord of Cardigan (fl. 1000).

Usage:

Cedric saw modest use with the publication of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe in 1819. It gradually picked up usage over the course of the 19th century, becoming more mainstream in the 1880s. This was no doubt, in part, due to the popularity of Frances Hodgson Burnett's Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886) and its subsequent stage debut, in which the principle character was named Cedric Errol, though it had already been picking up usage by that time.  Birth registrations in England and Wales for Cedric are as follows: 1840: 1 birth; 1845: 3 births 1850: 3 births; 1855: 2 births 1860: 3 births; 1865: 1 birth 1870: 4 births; 1875: 4 births 1880: 6 births; 1882: 10 births; 1884: 9 births; 1886: 8 births; 1888: 29 births  1890: 60 births; 1895: 49 births 1900: 41 births; 1905: 89 births; 1910: 70 births In terms of popularity, that put Cedric at #203 in 1890 and #244 in 1900.  According the Leslie Dunkling, in the 20th century Cedric reached its peak in both 1925 and 1935 when 8 in every 10,000 boys received the name, a rise from 2 in every 10,000 in 1900. The figure then dropped back down to 2 by 1950, after which it dropped out of his rankings.  Since 1996, Cedric has had a birth count of between 3 and 11 each year in England and Wales, peaking at #1859 in 2009.  In 2012, Cedric ranked #2721 (7 births) in England and Wales and #1191 (1 birth) in Scotland.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Cedric Morris (1889–1982), Welsh painter. * Cedric Hardwicke (1893–1964), British actor. * Cedric Belfrage (1904–1990), British writer Contemporary: * Cedric Kyles "Cedric the Entertainer" (b. 1964), American actor and comedian. Literature and Media: * Cedric the Saxon, character in Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe (1819). * Cedric Errol, character in Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886). * Cedric Diggory, character in J.K. Rowlings' Harry Potter series.

Variants:

Cerdic, Cedrick

Pronunciation:

SED-rik [key]

Possible diminutives:

Rick, Dec, Dex

Sibling Names:

Sybil     Lena     Maud     Ida     Lilla     Millicent    Douglas     Hector     Ralph     Silas     Fergus     Duncan

Name Lists:

Upright Elegance    Funky-Clunky    Victorian Darlings    Names from Harry Potter

 

If you like Cedric you may also like:   Aidric, Idris, Felix, Rhodri, Basil, Leon, Conrad, Hendrik, Edgar, Lance

 

Thanks to Janet for requesting this post.

Name of the Week

A pretty and uncommon biblical Beth
that is not an Elizabeth but is equally appealing.

 

Origin:

Bethia is a variant of the Hebrew Bithyah, a name thought to derive from bath "daughter, worshipper, woman" and Yah "God." The Hebrew Bithyah became Βετθία in the Greek Septuagint and Bethia in Vulgate Latin, however the form Bithiah was used in the King James Bible and other later authorised versions.  Bithiah is mentioned only once in the Bible: "These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh" (1 Chronicles 4:18), which has caused much debate as to the origins of the name. What is clear is that Bithiah must have been a woman of position to have been given notable mention. In Jewish tradition, Bithiah is identified as the same Egytian princess who adopted Moses, the name of whom is never mentioned in the Old Testament. The explanation for her name Bithiah "daughter of Yah" is explained in the Midrash, whereupon God says to her: "Moses was not your son, yet you called him your son; you are not My daughter, but I call you My daughter" (Lev. Rabbah 1:3). Other scholars, less convinced that Bithiah was the same Egyptian princess who adopted Moses, have put forward the idea that Bithiah was given as a name to one of several Egyptians who converted to Judaism and settled in Israel, so has more a symbolic meaning of "worshipper of Yah."  Confusingly, the beginning of 1 Chronicles 4:18 starts: "And his wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, who Mered took." Jehudijah is often given to mean "the Jewess" or "Judean," though it is not clear whether this passage refers to Bithiah herself as a "Judean woman", or to two separate wives of Mered, one of them being Bithiah. Some maintain that, if they are the same woman, Bithiah may not have been Egyptian at all; the 'Pharoah' mentioned could, in fact, be an Isrealite name.* But let's suppose that Bithiah was actually an Egyptian pharoah's daughter. A prevalent theory is that Bithiah was actually Tia (Tiya, Tuya), a daughter of Seti I, or another Tia who was Ramesses II's daughter. Bithiah, then, could be Bath (Melech) Tia "King's daughter, Tia"* or perhaps "daughter of Tia." Another theory assumes Bithiah is an alternate fom of Bintanath, a daughter/wife of Ramesses II. Her name meant "daughter of (the goddess) Anath."*

Usage:

Bethia has been in use in Britain since the 16th century, and this was by far the more common form of the name. In earlier records it was also less commonly recorded as Bithiah, Bethiah, Bethyah, Bethea and Bathia, but by the 17th century, Bethia was the prevalent spelling. Its use was consistent, though it was never especially common, akin to other Old Testament names such as Dinah, Tabitha, Vashti and Deborah. There are several possible reason for the dominance in this spelling. Firstly, Bethia was used from the 17th century to render the Scottish name Beathag — a diminutive of Scots Gaelic beath "life" — into English. Secondly, the name was seemingly conflated with Elizabeth and all its variant forms.  C. M. Yonge thought it was Welsh or Scottish in origin, perhaps confusing Beathag and Bethan (Welsh diminutive of Elizabeth) together. Charles W. Bardesley, writing in 1880, considered it to be a latinised form of Elizabeth, stating: "Queen Anne’s reign, even William and Mary’s reign, saw the fashionable rage for Latinized forms [...] Elizabeth was turned into Bethia and Betha." However, his footnotes highlight that others regard it an "incorrect" form of Bithiah that was passed down through families.  UK census records for the name Bethia demonstrate consistent usage through the 19th century: 1841: 1,662 females 1851: 2,073 females (51% England; 48% Scotland; 1% Wales) 1861: 2,115 females  1871: 1,946 females  1881: 1,983 females (39% England; 60% Scotland; 1% Wales) 1891: 2,109 females  1901: 2,034 females  Bethia was still well used up to the 1920s, after which it declined to just a handful of registrations per decade.  Since 1996, Bethia has ranked every year in England and Wales (except 1997 and 2002) with a birth count of between 3 and 9. It's highest point was #1996 in 2003 and it's lowest was #5707 in 2010. In 2012 it ranked #4838 with 4 births.  Bethia has not ranked at all in Scotland since 2005.

Famous Bearers:

History: * Bethia Baillie (b.c.1682), heiress of Castlecary Castle. * Lucy Bethia Walford (1845-1915), Scottish author. Contemporary: * Bethia Beadman (b.1981), British musician. Other: * Bethia, original name of the HMS Bounty.

Variants:

Bithiah, Bithia (Biblical) Bityah, Batyah, Batya (Hebrew)

Pronunciation:

BETH-ee-ə, beth-Ī-ə [key]

Possible  diminutives:

Beth, Bea, Bebi, Betty

Sibling Names:

Talitha     Damaris     Shira     Persis     Keturah     Hadassah  Abram     Saul      Noam      Malachi     Nicander     Elias

Name Lists:

Quirky Biblical Names

 

If you like Bethia you may also like:   Kezia, Zilla, Betony, Amira, Sarai, Cassia, Bethel, Dinah, Xenia, Bianca

 

Thanks to Bethia for requesting this post. 

Name of the Week

 

A relative to one of Britain's most revered saints
and a place name both ancient and modern.

 

Origin:

Albany is the Anglicised name of Alba or Alban, alternate names for Scotland via the later Latinisation Albania. Alba was once the name given to the former Pictish kingdom which eventually incorporated the entire Scottish Kingdom of Alba, thus becoming the Gaelic name for Scotland. Alba derives from the same source as Albion, a more ancient name once used to mean the island of Britain. As Alba (from the Latin albus "white") was a name employed frequently for Roman towns, it is often thought that Albion derived from the same source, with reference to the White Cliffs of Dover. However, as the name Albion was an ancient one even for the Romans, a stronger theory suggests that it derives from the Proto-Celtic *albiyo "world" (referring to 'upper world' as opposed to 'under world'), which survives, via the Old Welsh elbid, in the modern Welsh elfydd "earth, land." Ancient Continental Celtic gods such as Albiorix and Albius further attest to the words early usage. Ultimately, in a full circle twist, it is most likely that both *albiyo and albus derive from the same Proto-Indo-European root, reconstructed as *albho- "white" by scholars. Albany, specifically, was used to denote the dukedom of Albany — an area of Scotland broadly parallel to the old Pictish kingdom — which was first bestowed as a title by King Robert III of Scotland on his brother, Robert Stewart, and has since passed down through British royalty.  Albany has also been used as a variant of the given name Alban. Three saints have borne the name; the most famous was the British soldier martyred in the 3rd century for whom St Albans is named. His name is often thought to derive from the Latin name Albanus meaning "of Alba Longa" (the ancient Italian city) but, as legend has it that he was a Romano-British native, it is likely to derive from the Celtic *albiyo.

Usage:

Alban has been in use as a given name in Britain since at least the 13th century, giving rise to various surnames such as Alban, Albon, Albone, Auban, Alliban and Allebone. Albany was occasionally used as a variant, though it was not especially common.  The Duke of Albany was established as a title in 1398 by King Robert III of Scotland, and was re-created several times, first through Scottish, then British royalty via the Stuarts. It has often been given to the second sons of monarchs. Charles I was given the title by his father before he became king, as did his second son, James II and VII. One of the last to bear the title was Prince Leopold, fourth son of Queen Victoria. Sheakespeare also featured a principle character named Duke Albany in King Lear.  Many towns and cities around the world are named Albany, such as Albany in Tyne and Wear. In many cases, such places were given the name thanks to the dukedom of Albany, as with the case of Albany, New York which was named after James II & VII while he was still Duke of Albany.  Though use of the name picked up from the 17th century, Albany wasn't used regularly as a given name until the 19th century. During this period the Tractarians revived Alban alongside the names of other pre-Augustianian saints, and so too was Albany. It was no doubt also blostered by association with the peerage title, which was restored again in 1881. Certainly, there was an increased birth count in the name following that year.  Records for Albany in UK census records are as follows: 1841: 45 males 1851: 67 males, 3 female 1861: 54 males, 1 female 1871: 105 males, 2 female 1881: 131 males 1891: 213 males, 1 female 1901: 278 males 1911: 249 males This usage of the name continued well into the 1930s, after which it began to wane. In the 1990s, though still rare, Albany began to be used more commonly for girls than boys, though today it is used so rarely that it isn't particularly weighted with either gender difinitively.  From 1996 to 2012, Albany has ranked eleven times in England and Wales (1996-1999, 2001-2005, 2007, 2012) with a birth count between 3 (#3998 in 2001) and 8 (#1970 in 1999). Alban is more common, having ranked consistantly each year since 1997. It's lowest point was #2254 (5 births) in 2002, while it reached its highest point last year in 2012 at #1270 (20 births). In 2012, Albany ranked #4838 (4 births) for girls in England and Wales, having not ranked for the previous four years.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Albany Hancock (1806–1873), British naturalist and biologist. * Albany Bigard "Barney Bigard" (1906–1980), American jazz musician.

Variants:

Alban, Albion

Pronunciation:

AWL-bən-ee, AL-ən-ee [key]

Possible diminutives:

Albie, Ally, Barny

Sibling Names:

Blanche     Melina     Felicia     Gwyneth     Arabella     Elsbeth  Llewelyn     Roystan     Emrys     Benedict     Hubert     Leontin

Name Lists:

Gothic Victoriana

 

If you like Albany you may also like:   Albion, Rafferty, Idris, Algernon, Thackeray, Lindon, Augustine, Montague, Eugene, Alick

 

Thanks to Em for requesting Albany.