February may have been short, but it's sure packed a punch. From glorious sunshine to snow, and plenty of name-sightings in between.
Kip
Has anyone else been watching the Netflix-BBC thriller Collateral recently? I was drawn in by the amazing cast: Carey Mulligan, Nicola Walker, John Simm, Billie Piper... but definitely stayed for the drama, and the names!
The main character, played by Carey Mulligan, is Detective Inspector Kip Glaspie. Kit, Pip and Tib have been unisex since the Middle Ages, but I've only ever seen Kip as a diminutive of Christopher (or a surname-firstname like Kipling). Anna Otto points out other non-Christopher-Kips, but they, too, are all male. There has been nothing on the show to suggest the name is a nickname for something, and I can't quite fathom what would work. Katherine? Christina? Either way, it's a great spunky fit for the character.
Other character names include Suki, Sandrine and Elfie (John Simm's on-screen daughter, played by his actual daughter, Molly).
Luella
Another new creation from the BBC is lighthearted comedy-drama detective series Shakespeare and Hathaway. It's set in picturesque Stratford-upon-Avon, and the title character's surnames are a nod to the town's most famous son, William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway.
Frank Hathaway teams up with Lu Shakespeare after she hires him for a case. Lu's full name (as she says in the first episode) is Luella May Shakespeare. Luella has always been rare in Britain [never having more than 3 births in any given year from 1838 to 2000], but has recently been rising in England and Wales, making its first debut in the top 1000 at #975 in 2016 with 37 births.
Enver
I've been binge-watching Agent Carter this month and actor Enver Gjokaj's name immediately stood out. His full name (according to the interwebs) is Enver Leif Gjokaj. He's American with an Albanian father and American mother; an older brother named Bekim and an identical twin brother named Demir Dustin.
Enver itself is form of the Arabic Anwar meaning "luminous, enlightened, radiant."
Sahti
I love watching the animals of Chester Zoo on Secret Life of the Zoo. This month they featured three sister komodo dragons named Mia, Lara and Sahti. And their keeper? Isolde! What a well named bunch!
Sahti struck me the most. Aside from being the name of a Finnish beer, it could either be related to the Buddist sati "mindfulness" or from a Sanskrit word meaning "true, good."*
Brais
I've been browsing the top names of Galicia this month, and there are so many fascinating finds to be had! The have a fondness for the letter x in names (which they pronounce as a 'sh') and vowels.
Brais (#18 in 2016)caught my eye as an attractive why-hasn't-this-travelled? name. It's the Galician form of Blaise pronounced like 'rice' in English with a B in front. Perhaps it's the spelling that hampers it, but oh, how fascinating are Breixo (BRAY-shoo), Xoán, Xián and Xurxo?
Uxía
For the girls part, Galicia has equally intriguing finds such as Maruxa (mar-OO-sha), Sabela, Xiana and Xoana.
My favourite, at #17 is Uxía (pronounced oo-SHEE-a), the Galician form of Eugenia.
Maeva
French couple David Ginola and model Maeva Denat have welcomed a daughter this month. Now word on the name yet, but it's Maeva's that struck me. It's not uncommon in France. It first entered the top 100 in 1988 in France and peaked at #19 in 2001.
To my eyes, it looked like a variant of the Irish Maeve, but its actually a Tahitian name meaning "welcome."
I can easily see its appeal in the English-speaking world.
Is it just me, or has January been a long month? It feels like an age since Christmas. But, that means plenty of time to consider names.
Sada
A friend of mine is expecting a little girl and she is considering the Punjabi name Sada after a great Sikh heroine Sada Kaur (1762–1832). Not only does the name have great religious and cultural significance for them, I was fascinated to find out about this warrior-woman from a part of history I know little about. According to Lakhpreet Kaur:
"Sada Kaur was a military mastermind. Born into a ruling family of Punjab, India, she came to assume the leadership of the Kanhaiya Misl (a region of Punjab) and the loyalty of its 8,000 cavalry members. She was known as a poised and strategic leader, and she joined forces with her son-in-law, Ranjit Singh, in an effort to unite Punjab into one nation-state. To achieve this, she led armies into battle and negotiated at diplomatic tables. Punjab ultimately came together under their leadership—Ranjit Singh came to be Maharaja (King), and she served as the Regent of Punjab."
They are pronouncing is SƏTH-a (a bit like a saying ‘southern’ quickly without the n). I can't find much definitive about the meaning, but Sikh online sources are giving the meaning "everlasting."
Falcon
This term, my class are covering the topic Castles and Knights. We had a activity day to launch the topic and invited falconry experts in to talk to the children and show off their magnificent birds of prey. That got me thinking: wouldn't Falcom make for a stylish choice of name? Wolf is uber-cool at the moment, and Fox is rising, then there is Forrest. Plus, Falcon isn't completely outlandish. The Latin Falco was not only used as a Roman cognomen, but also lasted into the Middle Ages. From this source we get the Jewish Falk and English surname Fawkes.
Leanda
This month, I have really enjoyed Helen Castor's new BBC documentary series on Lady Jane Grey. One of the contributing historians interviewed for the show was Leanda de Lise. Beside the fabulous alliteration of the name as a whole, Leanda itself holds appeal.
I'm a big fan of the romantic Greek Leander, and I appreciate the feminine form Leandra. Despite being such a big fan of the masculine Leander, however, I don't find Leanda unappealing for girls. I think the spelling change makes a big shift in my brain. I find Peta perfectly feminine, even though Peter is solidly masculine to me, and I'm very comfortable with Frances for girls and Francis for boys.
Wrenna
Have you ever had a month where a name seems to follow you around? January has been the month of Wren for me; I seem to have stumbled over it frequently. It's super-fashionable as a name currently, and actress Wrenn Schmidt, for example, is currently on two films on Netflix UK: 13 Hours and The Good Catholic. It is this spelling with the double n that got me thinking. The Old English form of wren is wrenna which I can totally see appealing to parents who love Wren but perhaps have a short surname, or want a longer form.
Rudyard
Another name that seems to have stalked me this month is Rudyard. As in Kipling, but I've heard it in a few other off-hand comments. It has got me thinking of the appeal of it as a name. It has the same elegant surname style as Rafferty and Montgomery; a literary namesake, and would make the perfect longer name for Rudy.
Adonia
Did anyone else see the segment on The One Show the other day where they examined the pioneering plastic surgery work Sir Archibald McIndoe (1900–1960) did with soldiers in WWI? They interviewed his daughter Adonia Montfort Bebb, and she mentioned her sister Vanora. Adonia and Vanora! My ears pricked up at mention of that particular sibset!
Adonia is essentially derived from the Greek name Adonis -- we could regard it in modern times as a feminine form. The Adonia was an ancient Greek festival where women would take to the rooftop of their houses; dance, sing and ritually mourne the death of Adonis.
Enora
Clare's marvellous Scoop.it page has recently shared this fantastic article listing the most popular names in Rennes, Brittany, in 2017. It's a feast for the eyes and I thoroughly recommend sifting through leisurely with a cup of tea in one hand. One name that immediate jumped out at me was the Breton name Enora which has been rising in use there since the 1980s. Saint Enora was a 7th century Breton saint who was the wife of St Eflam. Essentially, her name is thought to e a Breton form of Honora, but with it's popular E initial, easy pronunciation and similarity to vintage Nora, I can see it being highly apealing outside of Brittany, too.
Goodbye for another year, November! It's been fun (and cold) and busy -- with lots of good chances to muse about names.
Cartimandua
Has anyone else been watching Bettany Hughes's new series on Channel 5 -- Eight Days That Made Rome? I'm hooked! (But then I did study Ancient History at University so this is thoroughly up my street anyway).
Last week's episode focussed on Boudicca's revolt. It was a great episode, but this clip in particular had me taking note:
Cartimandua? How had I missed her? Gotta love an ancient warrior woman doing it for the girls. Intriguingly, her name looks like it derives from the Proto-Celtic words karti-, possibly meaning "drive out," and mandu "pony" which puts it alongside the likes of Philippa and Rosalind.
Inanna
Lovely Bettany has been on a roll with the documentaries. This November, the BBC also aired her excellent and fascinating documentary Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of Love.
As the blurb puts it:
"Charting Venus's origins in powerful ancient deities, Bettany demonstrates that Venus is far more complex than first meets the eye. Beginning in Cyprus, the goddess's mythical birthplace, Bettany decodes Venus's relationship to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, and, in turn, Aphrodite's mixed-up origins both as a Cypriot spirit of fertility and procreation - but also, as a descendant of the prehistoric war goddesses of the Near and Middle East, Ishtar, Inanna and Astarte. We start to see the Venus is about desire of all kinds - malign as well as benign."
I was one again reminded of the ancient Sumerian goddess Inanna -- not only goddess of love but also of war and political power. The meaning of Inanna is mysterious and most likely so ancient and elemental that it is lost to us. Some have related the meaning "Lady of Heaven" though the evidence is shaky.
Here's Bettany's take:
Nelson
We have a brand new pre-school at my school now, and so naturally I have been desperate to go name spotting. This month I finally got a good peak at the names and by far the one which jumped out at me was Nelson.
At #801 in England and Wales, Nelson is a rare one -- striking at the same time an unconventional yet friendly path. For me, I think of naval hero Horatio Nelson which puts it very much in the same category as cuddly yet heroic Winston.
Sapphire
Shout out to Clare and her amazing Scoop.it Name News page for this find. Stephanie and Wayne Prescott, whose son Braiden lost his fight with cancer in September 2016, have recently welcomed a daughter.
Her name -- Sapphire Starr -- is a tribute to Braiden: "Sapphire because blue was Braiden's favourite colour and Starr because he's now a star watching over them."
It's an interesting way to make an honour name, and just shows that all roads lead to Rome. Sapphire ranked #366 in England and Wales in 2016.
Eric
I'm ridiculously pleased that Dave Gorman's Modern Life is Goodish is back for Series 5. This time round, Dave openly talks about fatherhood and refers to his son as "Little Eric." At first I thought it could be a pseudonym for privacy (but I really wanted it to be true). Turns out it is!
Eric ranks #147 in England and Wales and is rising. I'm looking forward to it's top 100 breakthrough.
Topsy
And speaking of Dave Gorman, this little titbit from the second episode of the series really made me giggle for the name-y-ness:
It turns out that Topsy has ranked twice in the last twenty years in England and Wales -- 2009 and 2014 -- both times with 3 births. However, given that the statistics do not list names given to fewer than three babies, there may have been several years where just one or two Topsys were born. An intriguing thought....
And finally, my favourite name news of the month is the news that -- Boaty McBoatface stylie -- Doncaster Council asked residents via Twitter to name two of its gritter lorries in the run up to Christmas. The winning names were Gritsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Anti-Slip Machiney "Gritsy Bitsy" and David Plowie, with Basil Salty and Spready Mercury as runners up.
The thing I love most about this story is that, although naming is (rightly) often a solemn and serious decision, sometimes it can be delightfully carefree and lighthearted.
It's Halloween. The nights are drawing in, red and golden leaves pave the ground and there is a chill beginning to draw in. So, before we welcome November, here is a reflection of some of the names which have caught my attention this month.
Oviya
Perhaps it's the similarity to top English favourite Olivia, but Oviya has been crossing my mind as a usable exotic choice. The name is Indian and apparently means "(resembling a) beautiful painting."
Levina
When I look through 19th century records, Levina is a name which always jumps out at me. Also found as Lavina, Lovina and Lavena, on the surface it looks like a variant of Lavinia, but the truth is that Levina was in good use from the 16th century, before Lavinia took off, and even in the 17th and 18th centuries, Levina was more common.
More likely, Levina represents a later form of the Old English name Leofwynn (leof "dear" + wynn "joy") which survived as Lewena/Levena into the 14th century.
Neus
Much of October's news has focussed on the events in Catalonia which coincided with my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. In a roundabout link, the best man at their wedding is now a citizen of Barcelona and lecturer at the University of Barcelona who has lived there for decades. One of the interesting name stories he once told me is of how, under Franco, Catalan names were not allowed to be registered on birth certificates. Though parents used the Catalan form at home, legally the names were in Castilian Spanish. His partner is Neus -- the Catalan word for "snow" -- but spent much of her life having to write the Spanish Nieves on documents. She legally changed it to Neus as soon as the ban was lifted.
Ferran
Another Catalan name which I've been musing over is Ferran, a Catalan and Aragonese form of Ferdinand. It dates back to the Middle Ages in Spain, and can also be found as a British surname (also from Ferdinand). With it's two syllables and -an ending, Ferran has all the credentials of a stylish name.
Riacus
This term's topic for history is the Romans in my class. I'm in my element, not least because of all the great names I come across. Particularly interesting for me are the native British names (Celtic) than are left to us in a Latinised form. Riacus is one of these names which actually feels pretty usable circa 2017. It comes from an inscription from Vindolanda by Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland and is most likely composed of the elements ri:go- "king" and the suffix -ako.
Aki
Rolling on a thousand years and my last find comes from the Domesday Book of 1086. Aki is clearly a Norse name (one man is even called "Aki the Dane") and most likely a diminutive of a name containing the element *anuR "forefather, ancestor."
October also sees an end to Series 2 of ITV's historical drama Victoria. In one of my rabbit hole searches, I discovered that Lord Alfred Paget (who features as a character in the series), in real life, had an interestingly named brood of children:
Victoria Alexandrina (1848-1859) Evelyn Cecilia (1849-1894) Arthur Henry Fitzroy (1851-1928) Alfred Wyndham (1852-1918) George Thomas Cavendish (1853-1939) Gerald Cecil Stewart (1854-1913) Violet Mary (1856-1908) Sydney Augustus (1857-1916) Amy Olivia (1858-1948) Alberta Victoria (1859-1945) Almeric Hugh (1861-1949) Alice Maud Honoria (1862-1925) Alexandra Harriet (1865-1944) Guinevere Eva (1869-1894)
September has been all about the 2016 E&W name data for me. First there was my comparison of US vs UK names in 2016 for Nameberry, and since then I have been busily compiling the combined spellings chart (keep your eyes peeled for it). So September's post is all about names which have taken my fancy or caught my notice from the 2016 E&W data.
Liliwen
Already in the combined rankings, Lily and her many spelligs have bumped the name up from #7 to #3. Stretching a little further though, are all the many other Lily-esque names such as Liliana, Lillian, Lilia, Lilith, Lilla, Lilou and many more.
I was particularly pleased to see the Welsh compound name Liliwen at #3214 (7 births). Though its rare, this is actually its highest rank to date. Since 1996, it has only ranked twice previously -- in 2010 and 2014 -- both with 3 births each time.
Ysella
From Welsh to Cornish, Ysella (meaning "modest" in Cornish) ranks at #2757 (9 births) which is also its highest rank so far. It has only ranked in six previous years since 1996, and has never had more than 4 births in any given year until now.
Lowen
Like Ysella, Lowen is another Cornish name (meaning "happy") which is on the rise. Lowen hadn't ranked (i.e. more than 3 births per year) before 2004, and then was used only intermittently. In 2013 it rose to #1920 (11 births) and had shot up to #927 (32 births) by 2015. In 2016, it has risen even further to #732 with 46 births.
Novella
Making its modern debut in 2015 with 3 births, Novella has maintained its usage and was given to 4 girls in 2016, putting it at #4753. A novella is, of course, a short novel, but the Victorians were also partial to the name, for a different reason. They used the name thanks to soprano singer Clara Novello (1818-1908) . Several Victorian girls were named "Clara Novello" but also "Clara Novella." Novello and Novella were also used as first names alone for girls.
With its -ella ending, similarity to fashionable Nova, and both its literary and Victorian heritage, I can see Novella catching on.
Fox
Another word-name with history, Fox is not only a nature-name but also an established surname. With its fashionable one-syllable and -x ending, its little wonder that Fox has seen a rise in 2016, going from #740 (44 births) to #521 (75 births)
Arla
One of the highest rising names of 2015 was Arla, which went from #1966 (14 births) to #923 (39 births). Turns out that Arla was not a one-year wonder, and has continued to rise into 2016. It now ranks at #719 with 56 births.
Reeva-- a large riser in 2013 thanks to Reeva Steenkamp -- and Merida-- which debuted in 2013 thanks to Disney's Brave -- have also proved that they aren't just one-year wonders and have maintained their usage.
Esperance
In my August name musings, I talked about Temperance, and this month it is another virtue ending-in-ance name which has caught my attention. Esperance is the French word for "hope" and is very reminiscent of the Spanish Esperanza.
Esperance was a new entry in 2015 (#5730 with 3 births), and has maintained its usage with 3 births again (#5785) in 2016.
Reign
We can look directly to celebrity influence for this royalty-inspired appellation. Kourtney Kardashian named her youngest son Reign Aston in December 2014 and both Louis Tomlinson and Nick Carter gave it as a middle name to their sons in 2016.
The name is currently unisex, but slightly more common for boys at the moment:
August started out on holiday on a little cruiser on the Norfolk broads with my family and has ended in a new classroom -- half completed before thirty children descend next week -- but has offered up plenty of interesting names.
Camellia
Being on the Norfolk broads, away from civilisation, my main source of name-spotting was the names of other boats. One that particularly caught my eye was Camellia.
Camellia is the name of a pretty flowering plant with pink or white flowers. It got its name from botanist Georg Josef Kamel whose name in turn is most likely a form of Camillus.
In 2015, 4 girls were given the name Camellia in England and Wales. But with Amelia, Olivia and Emily occupying the top 3, I think there is so much potential for Camellia
Clorinda
With no internet and very little phone signal on the boat, it was the perfect opportunity to indulge in summer chic-lit, happily commandeered from my came-prepared mum. This section from Katie Fforde's Summer at Sea really tickled me:
Now, I can't work out whether Ms Fforde was being ironic here and having a little chuckle at the desperation of some parents to have a "unique" name choice, or the way parents can often pick up on a "hot" new name and be heartbroken when there are several other children with the name at their nursery or play group. Or... perhaps not.
Clorinda -- which hasn't ranked at all in England and Wales in at least two decades -- is a literary name coined in the 16th century, possibly from the Greek Chloris "pale green, youthful, fresh."
Aibne
You may remember this Name Help post where Scottish Adrian and half-French Eloise were stumped for girls' names. Well, I'm delighted to share with you that they welcomed a little boy named Aibne Keziah Ferguson.
Aibne (AYB-nee) is the Scottish form of the Old Irish name Aibhne (EV-nyə). The meaning is uncertain. Aibhne is the modern genitive for of the Irish word abhainn "of the river," but this could be coincidence. It may be connected to the Old Irish aoibh "smile."
Kezia
And while we are on the subject, Aibne's middle name, Keziah, hit headlines this month with the announcement that Scottish MP Kezia Dugdale has resigned as leader of the Scottish Labour party.
Kezia(h) is a biblical name, traditionally borne by one of the daughters of Job, meaning "cassia tree." In both France and Britain, the name is occasionally given to boys thanks to Nigerian guitarist Keziah Jones.
Traditionally, Keziah is pronounced kə-ZĪ-ə (rhyming with Mariah ala Carey), however, in Britain, we tend to favour KEZ-ee-ə -- especially with the spelling Kezia.
Temperance
I absolutely love antique virtue names: Patience, Prudence, Virtue, Verily, Verity, Mercy, Clemency, Amity... I could go on. Temperance is definitely on that list and I just delight to see it used, even on centuries-old records. Imagine my pleasure, then, to see this video by Help for Heroes featuring veteran Simon Brown and Temperance Pattinson, aged 5½.
At the beginning of the video she says: "I'm called Temperance Pattinson, but everybody calls me Tempy, and I don't mind which one you call me. I like my real name best, but you can still call me Tempy."
How adorable is she? I love how she prefers her "real" name (i.e. full name) but accepts that people like to shorten it.
Then she goes on to explain why she swam 100 metres and completed a triathlon to raise money for Help the Heroes. Quite an amazing girl! It makes me love the name Temperance even more.
Cormoran
The BBC has recently aired the first adaptation of J.K. Rowling's detective Strike series: The Cuckoo's Calling. Rowling wrote under her nom de plume Robert Galbraith, but in true Rowling style, the names are a delight for name-nerds.
In the novels (and new adaptation) Cormoran is a son of a rock star. His name -- Cormoran Blue Strike -- certainly echoes this rockstar child vibe.
Personally, Cormoran reminds me of the cormorant bird, and I wonder whether Rowling thought of this given that his right-hand woman is Robin.
In further swoon-worthy name-i-ness, Robin's full name is Robin Venetia Ellacott and other characters include Lula, Jago, Ursula, Cyprian and Leda to name a few.
Kythe
Whenever I do a Sibling Spotlight, I can go a little "screen blind" flicking through thousands of census records attached to a particular name, generally with the same names repeated over and over. "John, Sarah, William, Mary.... Sarah, Mary, John, Elizabeth....William, Mary, John..." You get the idea.
Then, every now and then, a truly unusual name will leap out at me, and the sheer glee I feel makes the hour after hour of trawling all worth it.
Kythé Caroline Mackenzie was born in 1833 in Scotland, granddaughter of Sir Hector Mackenzie, 4th Baronet of Gairloch. Funnily, she's not the only Kythé or even the only Kythé Caroline. Not only were two of her granddaughters later named Kythe Caroline, Kythé Caroline Wright, daughter of John Wright, Justice of the Peace for Nottinghamshire was born in 1834 and Kythe Caroline Watson was born in Gairloch in 1835.
The name Kythe most likely comes from the Scots word kythe meaning "to reveal, show, prove". The accent of the e, I believe, is a 19th century affectation to make the pronunciation of the 'e' apparent.
Tephi is a pseudo-Biblical name (said to derive from the Hebrew taph "little one"), much talked about by 19th century British-Israelite authors. It's all very complicated, but apparently, Princess Tea (whose nickname was Tephi) was the daughter of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. This Tea-Tephi was brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah, married an Irish king and thus founded a line of Davidic kings that the current British royal family is descended from. The story is still hotly debated.**
Nevertheless, the exposure in British-Israelite literature saw that three little girls were given the name in England and Wales in the 19th century: 1883, 1885 and 1892.
Regardless of the validity of this legend, I think Tephi has a very sweet and appealing vintage sound. Part Tilly, part Effie. Today, Tephi is associated with designer Chessie Grievson's London fashion label, Tephi, recently worn by Pippa Middleton at Wimbledon. As Chanel, Kenzo and Dior are all used as "luxury" names, why not Tephi?
And, on a complete side note, I also went down the rabbit hole of the internet recently and ended up looking up Gabriella Wilde's family (the actress who plays Caroline Penvenen in Poldark). She has two sons with balancing androgynous first name/colour middle names: Sasha Blue (b. 2014) and Shiloh Silva (b. 2016). She has a sister named Octavia, half-siblings Olivia, Arabella, Georgiana, Isabella and Jacobi, plus "unofficial stepsisters" Pandora and Cressida. Quite a name-y bunch!
1876 - the year that Queen Victoria became "Empress of India" and Scottish inventor Alexander Graham Bell filed a patent for the telephone.
Below is a selection of names from the GRO Birth Records for England and Wales in 1876. All are first names and middle names — the surnames are not included unless indicated by 'sn' — and have been checked against other records for accuracy.
Abednego Harvey Aberhard Rudolf Abid Ellateef Abijah Stephen Achille Herbert Charles Adin Asaph Admiral Noah Adolphus Orvel Aeneas Henry Agathos Daniel Agrippa William Ahmed Laban Aidyl William Papworth Alaric John Alewyn Henry Alonso Christian Valentine Alured Humphrey Amaziah Henry Amos Adalbert Aneurin Erasmus Aquilla Ernest Araunah Charles Archelaus Job Arrowsmith Arundel Castle Asceline Fitzarthur Ashantee Henry Austin Napoleon Ballantyne Beautymine (sn: Blake) Baptist Andrew Bristo Cornelius Broxholm Woodrow Caesar John Cajaction Diasantius Herbert Rivatt Camille Harmodius Captain George Cave Ludford Collingwood Valentine Colonel Nelson Corbulious Coates Count Lorenzo Curwen Randolph Denchfield Fleet Derwen Maddock Trevor Dick Christmas Doctor Albert Donnison Mattison (sn: Gibson) Duke Ernest Egbert Ethelred Energetic Alfred Engelbert Lutyens Rothwell Epaphroditus Simeon Eustace Sylvanus Fenwick Fryer Fildecevvra -- brothers were named Tralaverio Stansfield and Le'Gran Omega. Gamble Ekin Vickers Giordano Bruno Glaucus Walter Goliath Gwillym Golyddan Hedley Esau Hetherington Smedley Hyacynthe Eldred Rewse Inflexible Reuben Iphis Knapton Justinian George King Arthur Lancelot Leopold Leonidas Robert Linnaeus James Lyulph Ydwallo Odin Nestor Egbert Lyonel Toedmag Hugh Erchenwyne Saxon Esa Cromwell Orma Nevill Dysart Plantagenet ("L.Y.O.N.E.L. T.H.E. S.E.C.O.N.D") Naphtali James Narborough Montague Nehemiah Oswald Neptune Henry Nicolas Leonidas Normington Sinkinson (sn: Sellers) Offin Edmund Omer Kelita Onesimus Josiah Orpheus Vincent Parmenas Joshua Paulus Aurelian Winthorpe Pericles Pharaoh James Prince Ebenezer Tulip Percy UrbanGodfrey Lloyd Xenophon Henry Zacharias Nicodemus Zoram Eber C.
Achsah Ann Addie Florentia Adeline Urania Adelini Myrtilla Adeliza Priscilla Adolphine Julia Ethel Gertrude Adora Beatrice Adrielle Winifred Afra Ellen Agenora Constance Agostina Maria Alcestie Maud Aleida Marguerite Alexina Edith Algerina Almeida Julia Alsina Helen Marion Alverella Louise St Aubin Ambrozine Philippa Aminda Lauretta Anetta Lucy Aniceta Maria-del Pilar Ankaret Hyde Clare Anselena Sarah Anstice Matilda Appolonia Pelagia Argentine Martha Ariadne Belinda Ariel Jane Marion Armetrude Charlotte Violet Arminell Rosa Asenath Estella Averietta Maud AynhoeJulia Ellen -- born in the village of Aynhoe Azeline Elizabeth Barbarina Mary Bathia Berry Bolina Daisy Bonella Clara Britannia Louisa Britomart Theodosia Bruerton Isabel CamillaGustava Emma Bligh Cassidena Barbara Celestine Naomi Cincinata Caroline Comfort Berinthia Constance Ethelwynne Cordelia Zenobia Cristabella Priscilla Desdemona Rosina Effie Ophelia Eglah Lydia Enriqueta Celestina Erinthia Evangeline Everilda Florence Evangeline Andrewartha Galatea Leonora Gesine Martha Haidee Helen Happiness Hazelelponi Hedwig Theodora Rosamond Hildegarde Eveline Land Hughina Marion Hypatia Violetta Isolina Athanea Ivy Clelia Guilietta Jessamine Emmaline Kerenhappuch Maria Kingbro Winifred Leopoldina Caroline Lina Onyx Nathalie Alphonsina Nellie Otilia Nora Thusnelda Norina Lillian Sheridan Obedience Olliff Virginie Orlinda Bessie Pauline Alphonsine Percina Lizzie Prima Josephina Prissy Rose Urania Antoinette Urettia Jane Windsor (sn: Castle) Yetta Jochebed Zara Lillias Zingra Jane Zorella Louisa
For a look back at previous years' "Finds from" posts, click on the category links below ↓
It's the summer holiday! Yay! To celebrate, I've had a sickness bug and a broken laptop... Okay, so not so great a start to the holidays, but there are always opportunities to be struck by a name or two. Here are some that have caught my attention in July:
Medalion
Netflix UK aired teen drama Before I Fall this July. The supporting character Elody was portrayed by Iranian-American actress Medalion Rahimi, who has recently also gained notice for her role as Princess Isabella in the series Still Star-Crossed. Of course, what drew my notice to her was her unusual name. A medallion (note the two Ls) is an engraved metal disk, used as decoration, usually denoting achievement and accomplishment. In terms of sound, its not a world away from Madeleine and Marion. Time will tell whether this young actress will gain as much fame and name-clout as Sienna Miller and Scarlett Johansson.
Sveva
While I was compiling research on the name Gaia earlier in the month, I lingered a little over the name data for Italy -- where Gaia is currently #13. A glance down Italy's top 100 was a treat: Alessia, Ilaria, Azzurra, Lucrezia...And at #61 sits Sveva.
Sveva (SVAY-va) is unique to Italy's top 100 and does not feature elsewhere in European rankings. The origins aren't clear, but it has been linked to the ancient Germanic tribe of the Suevi. One notable bearer is Italian-Canadian artist Sveva Caetani (1917–1994).
Swithin
July 15th marked St Swithin's Day. Tradition has it that whatever the weather is like on that day, so it will continue for the next 40 days. This year? It was cloudy and breezy with a few showers... So it looks like the legend could be playing out.
St Swithin (or St Swithun) was an Anglo-Saxon bishop at Winchester Cathedral who died in 862 and was adopted as the Cathedral's patron saint one hundred years later. Though little is known of his life, he is noted for his charity and the building of churches. His name derives from the Old English swiþ "strong."
Dorsey
With another King Arthur movie out this year, it is little wonder that the fascinating historyonthenet.com recently featured an article on the Legend of King Arthur. The Arthurian expert interviewed for the podcast is Professor Dorsey Armstrong, Professor of English and Medieval Literature at Purdue University.
Half Dorothy, half Daisy, Dorsey is a very accessible surname which, like current rising (girls') favourite Darcey, derives from a French place name. In this case, the town of Orsay near Paris. But unlike popular Darcey, Dorsey is rare as a given name. Perfect for anyone looking for an uncommon alternative.
Tudor
Speaking of historians, this month I have (coincidentally) come across several mentions to historian and author Tudor Parfitt, dubbed the "British Indiana Jones."
As a given name, Tudor is one I hear so rarely, yet it always makes me smile. Thanks to the royal house of Tudor, it feels like a surname, but the surname itself comes from the Welsh given name Tudor (or Tudur).
Henry Tudor's (King Henry VII) surname was strictly ap Tudor -- "son of Tudor". His grandfather was Owain ap Marededd ap Tudur (Owen Tudor in English) whose own grandfather was Tudur Fychan.
Tudor itself comes from the old Celtic name Teutorigos (cognate with the Germanic Theodoric) meaning "ruler/king of the people."
Rowella
Series 3 of Poldark started this July and with it came a few new characters. Early on in the series we met the lovely and sweet-natured Morwenna Chynoweth, and more recently her mysterious sister Rowella Chynoweth.
I must confess, it took me a while to work out her name. Other characters said it so quickly and rarely that all I picked up was the "oh-EH-a" sounds. Was it Lowenna? Sowenna? Ysella? So I turned to the internet for clarity to discover Rowella's name.
For most of his characters' names, author Winston Graham took inspiration straight from Cornish topography. For the character Demelza, he famously took the name from a signpost in Cornwall. Rowella's origins are obscure, but with its three-syllables, strong vowel sounds and middle syllable stress, it does fit in perfectly in the Cornish name-landscape.
A small crop this month I'm afraid. It's the run up to the end of the academic year which always means a mountain of transition paperwork to constantly keep on top of for teachers like me. It's a hectic battle between trying to get everything finished off and completed for one year, while already making a start on the next.
But, there are always opportunities for name encounters, even if they are incidental, so here are the few I have had this month:
Leofwin
At the beginning of the month, my family and I went out for a Sunday pub lunch for my mum's birthday. At the bar was a flyer advertising the book Leofwin's Hundred by J.J. Overton. The author is a native Coventrian, and the book is set in ancient Warwickshire, which is why it was advertised in said pub.
As an unashamed name-nerd, it definitely made me happy to see a great Anglo-Saxon name like Leofwin in the title, but, if I'm honest, it was mostly the nerdy thrill that I automatically knew what Leofwin meant (leof "dear, beloved" + wine "friend"). As usual, my poor suffering family had to hear about its origins, too.
Raffey
I have recently come across a young British actress named Raffey Cassidy. I was curious to discover whether Raffey was her full name (or even her real name), and a quick search through birth records revealed the answer. Her full name (first and middle name) is Raffey Camomile. She is the youngest of five children, with a sister, Grace May, and three brothers: Finnigan Joe “Finney”, Mossie Milo and Ridley Fisk. Grace and Finney are also actors.
Raffey, itself, is a rare surname. It could be a variant of Roffey which means "habitation by rough enclosure" or a variation of the surnames derived from Ralph (and it's medieval for Raffe).
Aphra
This month, I've have also had a chance to watch Lucy Worsley's series on Restoration-era women: Harlots Housewives and Heroines. The third episode concentrates on notable women from the period. Including the novelist and playwright Aphra Behn -- also known as Astrea.
I've come across her before, but never took much time to find out much about her. But she was a remarkable woman, as Lucy points out herself in this clip:
The name Aphra itself is often connected to the phrase "in the house of Aphrah" in the Bible. However, Aphrah here means "dust" and isnt actually a given name at all. Earlier forms of the name Aphra include the medieval Effrye, Effery, Effray, Affray and Affery which suggest more strongly that Aphra developed as the 17th century spelling of these, the origins of which could be from a multitude of similar Old English names: Aelthryth, Aelfthryth, Aethelthryth, Aethelfrith and Alberada.
Zoilus
The ancient Greek name Zoilus has also atracted my notice this month. Zoilus is the Romanised form; the Greek is Zoilos, derived from the Greek ζωός (zoós) "life, alive, living."
It was not only borne by a Greek philosopher, but also an early Christian saint and two Indo-Greek kings who ruled the Punjab.
Larissa
This month, news outlets were reporting on Australian MP, Senator Larissa Waters, addressing Parliament while breastfeeding her baby. The baby in question, Alia Joy, is the first in the country to be breastfed in Australian parliament since parliamentary rules were changed last year to allow mothers to feed their children in the chamber.
It wasn't the baby's name (pretty though it is) that caught my eye, but her mother Larissa's. I'm not a stranger to the name -- I've written plenty of blog posts about it -- but everytime I hear it "in real life," I'm always struck by it and muse over why such a lovely name is still so rare when the likes of Melissa and Jessica are, or once were, common-place.
Having now watched the original BBC 1990 series of House of Cards, I've also recently started watching the modern America reboot version. The original is set in post-Thatcher Britain c.1989, while the new version is transported across the Atlantic into the modern world. But it's the change in names that I have found interesting, even while the characters themselves are, for the most part, very similar in story-arc/personality.
Francis Urquhart has become Francis Underwood; his wife Elizabeth is now Claire, intrepid reporter Mattie Storin has been transformed into Zoe Barnes; right-hand man Tim Stamper is now Doug Stamper, cheeky-Irish chappy Roger O'Neill has become Pennsylvanian Peter Russo and his put-upon girlfriend Penny is now Christina.
For the most part, these name changes work. A 30-something Roger from Pennsylvania living in Washington in 2013 just doesn't work, though I'm perplexed why Elizabeth needed to change. I was a little sad at the change from Mattie to Zoe, as part of the original character's arc was that she was a woman with a man's name (someone even says "I thought Mattie was a man") in a male-dominated world, and this works for her and is commented on. They still allude to Zoe's similar gender struggle, but with no tie to the name. An update like Casey or Andi would have worked better for me.
Foster
It was a relief to finally finish my research into the top 200 names in England and Wales in 1850, even though it was a wonderful delve into historical records. I had to cut off somewhere -- 200 might even seem a bit profligate -- but even then, there were so many interesting names that got cut off just below the #200 line: Elvira, Asenath, Euphemia, Virtue, Newton, Silvanus, Orlando, Price... and Foster at #222.
Combining the sounds of top 20 favourites Freddie, Oscar and Oliver, and adding the fusty charm of Chester, Foster is a surname that has great potential as a given name. The surname itself is fascinating and has multiple origins: a shortening of Forester -- a keeper of a forest; a woodworker; or a scissor maker. It currently ranks at #2707 in E&W.
Hedley
As I started with the top 200 in 1900 and worked backwards, it was also interesting to see which names that ranked in the later decades, weren't "on the map" in 1850. One absence that is particularly noticeable is Hedley, which ranked #150 in 1860, #175 in 1870, #188 in 1880, #172 in 1890 and #157 in 1900, but wasn't registered at all in 1850.
The reason for this is that the name Hedley came into use as an honour-name thanks to one man: Hedley Vicars, a British Army officer who was killed in action during the Crimean War in 1855. The Memorials of Captain Hedley Vicars was published in 1856. It had a large circulation and was even translated into French, German, Swedish and Italian.
Between 1840-1855, only 23 babies were registered with the name in E&W. In 1857, the year after the memorial was published, the name was registered on 30 boys. This usage continued (as we can see from the rankings above), with many boys being given the name "Hedley Vicars" as both a first and middle name. The name saw a revival in popularity during the Boer War (1899-1902) when honour-names and war-hero names became fashionable.
Not only does Hedley have a great surname-style in the vein of popular Harley, Finley and Riley, but it also makes a great throw-back heritage option.
Cherry
My little sister, Miranda, is getting married next April! So much excitement, including getting to go wedding dress shopping. We went to the the lovely Bea's Bridal Studio in Harbury on Saturday and were assisted by a wonderful and very helpful member of their staff named Cherry.
As soon as she introduced herself, I was immediately struck by how well her name suited her obviously sunny and bubbly personality, and wondering why we don't see more Cherrys around.
Cherry was at #1392 (13 births) in E&W in 1998, and gradually rose to its peak of #583 (69 births) in 2011, which was most likely thanks to the many lighthearted BBC documentaries made by presenter Cherry Healey in 2010-2011 including Cherry Has A Baby, Cherry Goes Drinking, Cherry Gets Married and Cherry's Parenting Dilemmas.
Cherry has since declined to #1362 (24 births) in 2015 but could also be used as a fruit-inspired nickname for names such as Bianca, Stella, Florence, Annabella and Victoria, which are all varieties of peach.
Osric
Actor Osric Chau caught my eye this month. Well, not so much the Canadian actor himself (not that he doesn't seem like a perfectly decent chap), but more his fabulously unusual name. According to IMDb, his father is from Hong Kong and his mother from Malaysia, and yet he sports a long-forgotten Old English name (from os "a god" and ric "power, rule, authority") which was once borne by many an Anglo-Saxon king.
Perhaps his parents were inspired by literature, as Osric is used as the name of a courtier in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
Lunève
While on one of my regular rabbit-hole-name-searches, I came across this post on a French pregnancy and baby forum and was immediately struck by Lunève -- a combination of fashionable Luna and Eve. It's extremely rare even in France, and the comments on the forum are mixed, but most label it as poetic, mysterious, magical and feminine. I agree!
Harlan
This month, American website CafeMom posted a list entitled "21 Forgotten but Handsome Baby Boy Names From the Roaring '20s" where they took a sample from this post from Laura Wattenberg at babynamewizard. There are some fabulous names on the list, which I enjoyed skimming through (even though the slideshow format drives me ABSOLUTELY UP THE WALL!!!). To save your frustrated clicking, here are all the names from the post:
Boys: Giles Lawton Warner Denver Hardy Boyd Jules Kermit Orin Regis Wallace Truman Alvin Conrad Edison Florian Harlan Mack Newell Rupert Sumner
Girls: Fern Avis Millicent Opal Zenobia Margery/Marjorie Harriet Petra Adele Delta Bette Althea Clarice Iola Maida Roma Virginia Josefina Geneva Vita Eloisa
(Credit goes to my FB friend Geri who had the patience to click through them all. I gave up clicking after four)
Some of these names are very different to contemporary British choices. Warner, Truman, Regis and Kermit feel charmingly American to British ears.
Harlan is the name that particularly stuck out to me. In the US, it was an honour name -- much like Hedley here -- after Supreme Court justice John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911). Historically, it has been rare as a given name in Britain, despite its surname origin. The variant Harland was always more common as a given name, and even that was always extremely uncommon.
And yet, Harlan fits perfectly with current British trends. It's a surname; two syllables; has the fashionable 'ar' sound and the trendy -n ending. And, as Harley and Harvey are #52 and #50 respectively, there seems to be definite room for Harlan to rise above its current position in E&W of #656.
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