Famous Name: Owen

26 Wednesday Nov 2014

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Arthurian names, classic names, famous namesakes, Frankish names, French names, Greek names, Irish names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, popular names, royal names, saints names, Shakespearean names, Welsh names

Owen Glendower Howell-Price was one of a family of brothers from the greater Sydney region who served with distinction during World War I. Owen was studying agriculture when war broke out, and he was commissioned second lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the Australian Imperial Forces.

Appointed assistant adjutant, he was immediately promoted when the adjutant was killed on the first day of the Gallipoli landing. Promoted to captain, he won the Military Cross for his fighting at Lone Pine, and due to heavy casualties, was temporarily in charge of the whole battalion. A fine trainer and organiser, he continued fighting even when wounded.

After the evacuation from Gallipoli, Owen was sent to northern France where his courage set a magnificent example during those bloody battles, always placing himself in the most dangerous positions. He was awarded a Distinguished Service Order for his leadership abilities, and promoted to lieutenant-colonel.

In 1916 Owen was shot in the head, and died the following day; his last words were: “Give my love to the battalion”. The young officer, just 26 when he died, was perhaps too serious and responsible for real popularity, but behind his stern manner lay a deep loyalty to his men, and his final thoughts were for them.

Owen’s brothers Philip and Richmond were also killed in France, so of their six boys, five of whom served overseas during World War I, the Howell-Prices lost half.

Owen is the modern form of the medieval Welsh name Owain. One of the most famous of its namesakes is Owain mab Urien, a 6th century prince from one of the kingdoms of northern Britain who fought valiantly against the Angles, and was killed in battle, thus ending any hope that the kingdom could continue.

So celebrated were the victories of he and his father, King Urien, that they were given a place in Arthurian mythology as Knights of the Round Table, despite being more than a generation too late to be contemporaries of any historical King Arthur. In Arthurian legend, Owain is often said to be King Arthur’s nephew, and the son of Morgan le Fay.

There have been several other British and Welsh kings and princes named Owain. Owain ap Gruffudd was known as Owain the Great, and the first to be known as Prince of Wales. Owen of the Red Hand was a Welsh soldier who fought with the French against the English during the Hundred Years War, and was a claimant of the title Prince of Wales until his assassination. Like King Arthur, he is supposed to be merely sleeping until he can become king of the Britons.

Owen Glyndŵr (or Glendower) was the last native Welshman to hold the title of Prince of Wales, and instigated the Welsh revolt against Henry IV. His uprising was fiercely fought, long-running, and initially quite successful, but ultimately the Welsh were defeated. Owen Glyndŵr evaded capture, ignoring offers of a royal pardon from Henry V, and was never betrayed, despite having a large reward on his head.

He features in William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, and is an important figure in Welsh nationalism, on par with King Arthur, and has the same familiar theme of simply waiting until Wales is threatened so that he can once again rise to its defence. It was this Welsh national hero that Owen Howell-Price was named for: his father was born in Wales, and his mother was of Welsh heritage.

Owen Tudor, a courtier of Henry IV whose father had been one of Owen Glendower’s rebels, fought for the English at Agincourt. He secretly married Queen Catherine Valois, the widow of Henry V, and became the founder of the Tudor dynasty, which included the powerhouse Henry VIII, and reached its final flowering in Elizabeth I.

There is a 7th century Saint Owen, a man of high rank who became a Benedictine monk in England, and a French Saint Owen, or more correctly Ouen, who was a Frankish bishop of Rouen. Ouen is based on the Frankish name Audoin, perhaps based on a Germanic name such as Odwin. Yvain is the usual way of transliterating Sir Owain’s name in medieval French chronicles.

The origin of the name Owain is not known for sure. It is often said to be a Welsh form of the Greek name Eugenius or Eugene, but another theory is that it is a Welsh form of the medieval Irish name Éoġan (modernised as Eoghan), which is said exactly the same as Owen. Unfortunately, it is not quite sure what this means either – some say it means “born from the yew tree”, although others are of the opinion that this is also a form of Eugenius, bringing us back full circle.

Although etymologists cannot agree among themselves, what is clear is that Owain shares a similar sound with several other names, like Eoghan and Eoin, and may have been understood as their Welsh equivalent, even if of a different origin.

Owen is a classic name which has never left the charts in Australia. It was #112 in the 1900s, and joined the Top 100 the following decade, remaining there until the 1950s. It reached its lowest point in the 1990s at #166, then began climbing steeply. It reached the Top 100 again in 1997 at #85, then returned in 2003 at the same level. Currently it is #73 nationally, #90 in New South Wales, #81 in Victoria, #86 in Queensland, #46 in Western Australia, #47 in Tasmania, where it was the fastest-rising boys’ name last year, and #67 in the Australian Capital Territory.

This is a handsome, solid classic which has never been out of the Top 200. It has a rich royal history which has become intertwined with romantic legend, yet it feels very modern. Rising gently in the charts, it is now at its highest level of popularity, and fits in perfectly with contemporary name trends. It’s a softer-sounding boys’ name that is still very masculine, and even heroic, which might make it easy for parents to agree upon it. It is certainly a very easy name to own, and if you choose it, you will be owin’ nobody an explanation. Oh, when it’s time to pick a baby name, it’s Owen for the win!

POLL RESULTS
Owen received an outstanding approval rating of 85%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2014. People saw the name Owen as cute on a little boy but dignified on a grown man (28%), handsome and classic (23%), and strong and masculine (14%), while 12% loved its connection to Arthurian myth and Welsh legend. However, 6% thought it was too popular. Nobody thought the name Owen was cutesy or wussy.

(Picture shows the officers of the 3rd Battalion; Owen Howell-Price is second from the right in the second row from the front. Of these 26 men, 14 of them were killed in battle. Photo from the Australian War Memorial).

Famous Name: Edward

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Anglo-Saxon names, choosing baby names, classic names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, locational names, middle names, name history, name meaning, nicknames, popular names, royal names, saints names

This year is the centenary of World War I, and just a few days ago there were commemorative celebrations for the first Australian troops to leave for the battlefields of Gallipoli. Because of this, I have chosen the name of one of our war heroes.

Edward Picton was a shearer and drover from country New South Wales when war broke out in 1914, and by the end of that year he had embarked with the 7th Light Horse Regiment. He saw active service in Gallipoli, and distinguished himself in the campaigns of Sinai and Palestine. Twice he was decorated for capturing prisoners under heavy shelling, and his commanding officer praised him as reliable, full of dash and pluck, and cool under fire.

In early 1918, he received a severe wound which left him with a permanent limp, and was taken prisoner himself; reported as missing in action, he was taken to Turkey to endure many months as a POW, and returned to Australia after the Armistice. Despite his age and disabilities, he also signed up during World War II and served in Egypt and Syria. Although one of the the most decorated soldiers of the Australian Light Horse’s famous 1917-18 campaign, he remained modest, and lived a quiet life with his family.

The name Edward is derived from the Old English ead “wealthy” (or poetically, “blessed, happy”) and weard “guardian, watchman” (the origin of our English word warden), and is usually translated as something like “rich guardian”.

The name was a traditional one amongst Anglo-Saxon royalty and nobility, as were other Ed- names, which emphasised their inherited wealth and power. An early example is the Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Elder, the son of Alfred the Great; he was a successful ruler who is said to have been extremely handsome and intelligent.

Two other pre-Conquest English kings named Edward became saints: Edward the Martyr, whose short reign ended with his murder, and Saint Edward the Confessor, who was one of the patron saints of England until he was replaced by Saint George.

It was because of Saint Edward the Confessor that the name Edward also became traditional amongst the Norman kings, because Henry III named his eldest son Edward in honour of the country’s patron saint, and he became Edward I. Thus Edward became one of those rare Anglo-Saxon names which continued to flourish after the Conquest.

There have been eight English kings named Edward since 1066, with the last one being Edward VIII, who famously abdicated in 1936, the first year of his reign, to marry the American socialite Wallis Simpson.

The name, although perhaps not auspicious for a king any more, is still in use by the British royal family, with a notable example being Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth, who is currently visiting Australia. The queen has a cousin named Edward – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. The Duke of Kent was born a year before Edward VIII’s abdication, and I wonder if he would have been given a different name if born a year after the abdication?

If you are a fan of the Anne of Green Gables books, you will know they are mostly set on Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province. They are named after Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, who was Queen Victoria’s father.

Edward is a name which has been something of a favourite in romantic fiction, including the dutiful Edward Ferrars in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, and the Byronic Edward Rochester in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Mr Rochester was one of the models for another romantic love interest, the vampire Edward Cullen from the Twilight series. There’s also Prince Edward from the movie Enchanted, and from a very different fairy tale, the strangely gifted Edward Scissorhands.

Edward is a classic which has never been off the charts, and barely been out of the Top 100 in Australia. It was at its height in the 1900s at #10, and hit its lowest point in the late 2000s at #103 (it did rise after Twilight). Currently it is #59 nationally, #53 in New South Wales, #39 in Victoria, #83 in Queensland, #30 in Tasmania, and #32 in the Australian Capital Territory, where it was one of the fastest-rising names of 2013.

I must admit to having great affection for the name Edward, because it was the first name I ever bestowed on a human, at the age of three. It is my brother’s name, and my parents allowed me to choose his name, in the hope that this would prove a great bonding experience, as I’d been very jealous and grizzly about the whole “new baby brother” deal.

I chose the name Edward after my favourite literary character, Winnie-the-Pooh – well I was only three! As Pooh fans will know, Winnie-the-Pooh, who was named after a real bear named Winnipeg and a swan named Pooh, is identified in the poetry book When We Were Very Young as having Edward Bear as his official name.

The budding name nerd in me was thrilled at learning someone’s real name, and excited that there were such things as real names. My mum explained that Edward was the “proper name” for Teddy, so the name meant “teddy bear”. That discovery about nicknames coming from names blew my mind. No wonder I couldn’t get enough of Winnie-the-Pooh.

I may have also been drawn to the name because one of the “big boys” in our community (about eleven) was called Edward, and he had apparently impressed me as being very kind and gentle. Perhaps I saw Edward as a “nice guy” name – the kind of person I would want as a brother. If so, my wish came true, as my brother Edward is gentle and kind too, and has devoted his life to helping others. He’s definitely one of the good guys.

Of course I didn’t get things all my own way. My idea was that my brother’s whole name would be Edward Bear, like Winnie-the-Pooh, and that his nickname would be Teddy. My parents said Bear wasn’t a proper name, and the middle name was James, after my dad. Teddy was vetoed, as to my parents’ generation, it was a synonym for thug, and his nickname eventually became, without any particular forethought that I noticed, Eddie. It was an early lesson in name compromise, and that once you’ve named someone, you lose creative control of the project.

My parents’ master plan did not work, and despite naming him, I was a complete brat towards my baby brother, locked in sibling rivalry hell. However, it didn’t last long, as my mother got pregnant again almost immediately, and in an astonishingly short time, there was another baby. Either the shock of having two baby brothers pulled me up, or I had turned four and was now a lot more mature. My parents chose their youngest child’s name themselves (I didn’t get a second gig), and ironically his nickname became Bear, which had nothing to do with his name at all. Talk about name theft!

(I don’t have clear memories of being three, and have drawn on the recollections of my parents and sister for this, but I do remember Winnie-the-Pooh, and the moment of actually announcing Edward’s name. I don’t remember being a massive fangirl of older-boy-Edward, but my family assures me that I was a great admirer; I don’t remember him from the age of three, but obviously I grew up around him and have many later memories. I only recall throwing one jealous tantrum over Eddie, but I’ve been told I was a right little monster).

So there you have it – a handsome classic which is a solid, reliable choice, yet still has some dashing romance to it, as well as teddy bear huggability. Even as a toddler I could tell it was a great name, and it has served my brother well for many years. Highly recommended!

POLL RESULTS
Edward received an excellent approval rating of 83%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2014. People saw the name Edward as a handsome and elegant classic (31%), noble and gentlemanly (18%), dashing and romantic (13%), and having great nickname options (13%). However, 7% of people thought it was too stuffy and old-fashioned. Nobody thought the name Edward seemed stuck-up or snobbish.

(Portrait of Corporal Edward Picton from the Australian War Memorial)

Boys Names From Native Australian Flowers

02 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 7 Comments

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Australian slang terms, birth notices, celebrity baby names, classic names, controversial names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, flower names, Gaelic names, Greek names, honouring, Irish names, Latin names, locational names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name trends, names from songs, names from television, nature names, nicknames, patriotic names, plant names, popular names, rare names, scandinavian names, scientific names, Scottish names, sibsets, surname names, tree names, underused classics, unique names, unisex names, Welsh names

This follows on from Girls Names From Native Australian Flowers. If you thought it would be hard for me to find floral boys’ names, you were right, and many hours were spent poring over gardening books and field guides. I did notice that several of the names come from plants that are traditionally used as female names, so this might be a way to find a boy’s name which honours a Daisy, Iris, or Lily, for example.

Bailey
Acacia baileyana is the scientific name for Cootamundra Wattle, a small tree with silvery-green leaves and masses of golden blossom in the spring. It is native to New South Wales around the town of Cootamundra, which holds a Wattle Time Festival every year when the wattle blooms. However, it is extremely adaptable, and will grow almost everywhere – if anything it grows a little too well, and can escape into the bush and become an invasive weed. Its scientific name honours Frederick Manson Bailey, a colonial botanist in Queensland. Bailey is an occupational surname originally designating someone who was a bailiff, the officer executing the decisions of a lower legal court (these days such duties are usually carried out by local councils). It has been used as a personal name since at least the 18th century, and Bailey has charted in Australia since the 1990s, when it was catapulted straight into the Top 50 from almost nowhere, debuting at #32 in 1997. It peaked in 2004-2005 at #27, and is currently #77. Although only popular for boys, Bailey is sometimes used for girls. Bailey provides a way for boys as well as girls to be named after the patriotic acacia tree.

Carex
Carex is the scientific name for grass-like plants commonly known as true sedges. Sedges are common all over the world, and nearly always found in wetlands; if you’ve ever walked around a swamp or lake, sedge is the dense stiff grassy stuff along the edge which might cut your hands if you try to gather it. Although sedges are not usually thought of as terrifically exciting – hardly anyone hopes for a bouquet of sedges on Valentine’s Day – they are vitally important to the ecology of our wetlands. Anyone working on a project to save a wetlands area will need native sedges to plant along lakes and riverbanks to stabilise the soil, and they are also around dams and garden ponds. They bloom in spring; the flowers are tiny, and appear on short spikes. I have seen a boy named Carex in a birth notice, and this is a daring and environmentally aware choice that is on trend for boy’s names ending in -x, like Felix and Max.

Eric
Banksia ericifolia is the scientific name for Heath Banksia, a medium to large shrub with eye-catching orange or red flowers which bloom in autumn or winter. Banksias are famous for their flower spikes; each spike can have hundreds or even thousands of individual flowers, looking overall like a large brush. Banksia ericifolia was one of the original banksia species collected by botanist Sir Joseph Banks around Botany Bay, and the subspecies ericifolia is native to the area around Sydney. It has been adopted as the city’s official plant, and can be seen in parks and public spaces. Heath Banksia is reasonably easy to grow; if your garden is too small for a regular Heath Banskia, there is a dwarf cultivar called “Little Eric”. The eric in ericifolia comes from Ericaceae, the family of heath and heather. The name Eric is an English form of the Scandinavian name Erik, usually translated as “eternal ruler”. Although known in England since the Middle Ages, it didn’t become popular until the 19th century, after the publication of a moralising children’s book called Eric, or Little by Little. Eric is a classic which has never left the charts. It was #21 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1910s at #19. It didn’t leave the Top 100 until th 1970s, when it hit its lowest point of #149. Since then, Eric has improved slightly in popularity, and remains stable in the 100s – an extremely safe choice.

Evan
The Hawkesbury Daisy (Brachyscome multifida) grows on the east coast; it has matted foliage with the daisy flowers rising above it in mauve, pink, or white, blooming in autumn and winter. They are very popular garden plants, as they are are quite hardy and look great in borders and mass plantings. One of its cultivars is “Evan”, which was named after the son of the founder of the Australian Daisy Study Group. “Evan” is mauve with small flowers and compact foliage, easy to grow, and perfect for rockeries and hanging baskets. The name Evan is the Anglicised form of Iefan, a Welsh form of John. Evan is an underused classic in Australia – it has never left the charts, but never reached the Top 100 either. The highest it has ever been is #103 in the 1980s, and it’s never been lower than it was in the 1900s at #194, making it a handsome, solid choice which hasn’t been out of the 100s for well over a century. Evan is the poster boy for “normal but not overused” names.

Heath
Common Heath (Epacris impressa) is a small shrub native to south-east Australia; it has red, pink, or white tubular flowers which bloom from late autumn to early spring. A pink-flowered form called “pink heath” is the floral emblem for the state of Victoria. Common Heath is tricky to grow in the garden, and perhaps best enjoyed in its natural setting. Heath is an English surname which can refer to someone who lived on or near a heath, or was from one of the many English towns called Heath. Heath is an underused modern classic which has charted consistently since the 1960s without ever becoming popular. It peaked in the 1970s at #101, possibly because of Heathcliff from Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, serialised on television that decade, and a hit song by Kate Bush in 1978. Actor Heath Ledger, born in 1979, was named after Heathcliff, with his sister Kate named after Catherine from the novel. Heath dropped to its lowest level in the 1990s at #279, but picked up the next decade when Heath Ledger’s film career took off, and gained momentum from Dan Ewing‘s performance as Heath Braxton in Home and Away. Heath is a strong, simple nature name which has long been associated with intense, hunky guys.

Orestes
Caladenia orestes is the scientific name for the Burrinjuck Spider-orchid, native to New South Wales. These small, delicate flowers with dark red colouring are listed as vulnerable, so count yourself lucky if you ever find one in the bush. In Greek mythology, Orestes was the son of Agamemnon Greek commander during the Trojan War. Their family had been placed under a curse, so that their line was a rich source of Greek tragedy. Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to obtain fair winds to Troy; when he got home from the Trojan War, Agamemnon’s wife Clytemestra murdered him in retribution. When Orestes grew into a young man, he murdered his mother to avenge his father’s death. According to legend, Orestes was pursued by the Furies in punishment for his crime, but he got a good lawyer in the goddess Athena, who put his case before the gods and got him acquitted (slightly rigged, as Athena was one of the judges). He was often seen by Greek writers as a dutiful son to his father, and an example of someone forced by circumstances to commit a terrible act. The name Orestes means “of the mountains”, which is the reason for the orchid’s name. An unusual and possibly controversial choice.

Paterson
Patersonia is the scientific name for the Australasian flower commonly called Native Iris. It was named in honour of William Paterson, the first Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales, and most species are from Western Australia. Patersonia has small flowers that are usually mauve, and can look very attractive in the garden. Paterson is a common Scottish surname which means “son of the follower of Saint Patrick“, and the Clan Paterson is from Lowland Scotland. Sir William Paterson founded the Bank of England, but perhaps the most famous episode in the Clan’s history is when Sir Hugh Paterson entertained Bonnie Prince Charlie, and his niece nursed the prince through a bad cold, becoming his mistress and bearing him an illegitimate daughter. The name Paterson could honour our national poet Banjo Paterson, and would naturally shorten to Paddy. A possible issue is another flower, the attractive but toxic purple weed commonly known as Paterson’s Curse.

Smith
Syzygium smithiim is the scientific name for the Lilly Pilly, an ornamental tree which is a member of the myrtle family; its name honours botanist Sir James Edward Smith. Lilly Pilly is native to the east coast of Australia, and has glossy leaves and cream or pink flowers which bloom in spring and summer. However, it is best known for the fruit which follows the flower – attractive edible berries with a deep pink colour. Smith is the most common English surname, and originated in northern England and Scotland. Although it later came to specifically refer to a blacksmith, the word means any craftsman in metal, hence goldsmith or swordsmith, and more generally, any creator, hence wordsmith. Metalworkers have historically been seen as magical in their skill to transform through fire, and there are several smith gods and heroes, such as Vulcan and Wayland; Cain is said to have been the father of metalsmiths. The name always reminds me of J.R.R. Tolkien’s bittersweet fairy tale, Smith of Wooton Major. Smith has often been thought too common a surname to be used as a personal name, but gained recent familiarity through Sex and the City’s handsome Smith Jerrod (real name Jerry Jerrod). Hawthorn’s Sam Mitchell has a son named Smith.

Sturt
Sturt’s Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa) is native to the deserts of inland Australia, and highly recognisable from its striking deep red pea flowers. According to an Aboriginal legend, the flowers sprang from the blood of two murdered lovers and their child. Sturt’s Desert Pea is the floral emblem of South Australia, and is a popular subject for arts, crafts, and decorative motifs. Although it grows in such profusion in the harsh desert, Sturt’s Desert Pea is difficult to establish in the garden. It is named after the explorer Captain Charles Sturt, who recorded seeing masses of the flower during his explorations. The surname Sturt comes from the Old English for a promontory – a raised mass of land with a sharp slope on one side – and this could be given to someone who lived near such a landmark, or from a town named after one. Similar to Stuart, this is a lesser-used surname which is given meaning by the flower.

Tucker
Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) is an Australasian flowering tree in the soapberry family. It has greenish-yellow flowers which bloom in winter, followed by orange berries in the spring and summer which are a source of food for native birds. Tuckeroo is a popular ornamental tree for gardens which gives good shade and looks attractive all year round, and is often grown along streets in coastal towns of New South Wales and Queensland. The English surname Tucker is an occupational one referring to someone who softened cloth for the wool industry by tramping on it in water; the word comes from the Old English for “to torment (the cloth)”. As an Irish derivation, Tucker comes from the Gaelic O’ Tuachair, meaning “son of the brave one”. Tucker seems problematic as a first name, breaking the rule of “no names that rhyme with rude words”, but it does have a very Australian meaning, as it is slang for “food”, derived from “to tuck in”. Some people might think that’s another problem with the name in Australia. I’m not sure … any takers for Tucker?

POLL RESULTS
The public’s favourite names were Heath, Evan and Tucker, and their least favourite were Carex, Orestes and Sturt.

(Picture shows Sturt’s Desert Pea; photo from Our Naked Australia)

Baby Names That Don’t Always Travel Well

12 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by A.O. in Naming Issues

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

African names, banned names, brand names, classic names, controversial names, dog names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, international slang terms, locational names, names of businesses, Nancy's Baby Names, nicknames, Russian names, Scottish names, slave names, unisex names, Upswing Baby Names

Last month I had an article on baby names that are widely popular all over the world, and this post is its opposite – a look at some baby names which are common or accepted in Australia, but can be problematic in other countries.

While an international name means that most people understand your name easily, these are names that not everyone are going to immediately “get”. They may need explanation, a thick skin, and in some cases, a nickname or more appropriate middle name to the rescue.

I often see Australians having a laugh at foreigners with “funny” names, so this is a reminder that one day your child could be the foreigner with the funny name!

BOYS

Banjo
It’s the name of our national poet, but let’s face it, it will sound weird to people in other countries.

Connor
Sounds very much like the French word connard, which is an extremely rude insult.

Duncan
In Australia this is an underused classic. However, in many parts of the world, the American company Dunkin’ Donuts makes people associate the name with sugary deep-fried dough. It’s enough for Nancy from Nancy’s Baby Names to consider the name unusable – she’s from New England, which is where Dunkin’ Donuts originated. Dunkin’ Donuts are rapidly expanding through the United States, and sold in many countries around the world. They used to be here too, and I can’t remember the name being an issue – maybe I didn’t eat enough doughnuts.

Hamish
Although popular here for decades, this is a very rare name in the United States, and according to Nameberry, is seen as “redolent of Olde Scotland”. Even Angela Mastrodonato from Upswing Baby Names sees Hamish as much too stereotypically Scottish for American use. In German, Hamish sounds just like the word hämisch, meaning “bitter, spiteful”.

Harry
In many parts of the United States, this name is commonly pronounced the same way as the word hairy. It is enough of a problem that the city of Fort Wayne in Indiana decided not to name a government building, or any streets, after a popular mayor named Harry Baals (Baals pronounced like the word “balls”). However, there is a Harry Ball [baseball] Field in Massachusetts which doesn’t seem to have caused any issues.

Kai
Kai is a common name for boys and girls in many countries of the world – but not New Zealand. Why? Because it’s the Maori word for “food”.

Kevin
This Australian classic that we were happy to elect to high public office seems to be the most internationally despised name, with Germans in particular discriminating against Kevins. They even have a word for it: Kevinism (like racism, but more socially acceptable). In the UK, it’s short form Kev is another word for chav.

Luke
In Russian it sounds the same as the word for man hole.

Ned
In Scotland, ned is very derogatory slang for “thug, lout”, and even in parts of England isn’t viewed favourably (rather in the fashion of Kevin).

Rex
A classic name in Australia, but considered to be a dog’s name in Central and Eastern Europe: in Germany, they cannot seem to disassociate it from German Shepherd star, Inspector Rex. We also have a tradition of dogs called Rex, and Inspector Rex is on here television here too. Go figure.

GIRLS

Allegra
An allergy medication in the United States – it’s sold as Telfast here.

Bebe
In French, this is the word for baby. Comedian Adam Hills has a daughter called Beatrice, nicknamed Bebe, and during this year’s comedy festival in (French-speaking) Montreal, he noted the puzzled and disdainful reactions he received when announcing his daughter’s name (much like here if you told people you’d called your baby, Baby). In Finland, a bebe is a type of cake.

Harriet
Harriet was one of the fastest-rising names of last year. But in Iceland it became a huge problem for one family, with the threat of Harriet’s passport being cancelled. Harriet doesn’t make sense grammatically in Icelandic, so it is on the list of banned baby names. Of course, that only applies to babies born to at least one Icelandic parent – it won’t stop someone named Harriet living in Iceland. However, English people who work in Iceland and have names that aren’t on the official list say their names have made communication very difficult, due to the problems with Icelandic grammar. I suspect that in countries which have official lists of names, anyone with a name that doesn’t make the list might be seen in a negative light, as they won’t have a “real name”.

Jemima
Fashionable Jemima is a “problem name” in the United States, where Aunt Jemima is a highly popular brand of breakfast foods. The image for Aunt Jemima is an African-American woman, originally a stereotyped figure from a minstrel show. Even though the modern icon of Aunt Jemima is quite different, many white Americans still feel uncomfortable about the brand’s racially-loaded history. They may also be discomfited that Jemima was a “slave name” – probably an Anglicisation of one of the many similar-sounding African names. African-Americans seem less conflicted about using the name Jemima, and can even feel positive towards the affirming side of the trademark.

Lola
Means “grandmother” in the Philippines – it’s the opposite problem to Bebe.

London
In Britain this is considered a “weird name”. Well fair enough – imagine if you met an Englishwoman named Canberra Smith! (I think it would be cool, but still weird).

Nikita
Although nearly always a female name here, in Russia and eastern Europe it is a male name. Rocking up and declaring yourself to be a girl named Nikita is the same as a woman in Australia explaining she’s named Nicholas.

Piper
Sounds very similar to the Dutch word pijpen, which literally means “playing the flute”, but is also vulgar slang for oral sex. Apparently sounds enough like it to be readily confused by Dutch speakers.

Pippa
This just entered the Top 100 in Australia, rising since the royal wedding in 2011. However, in Sweden it is a vulgar word for sexual intercourse, and in Italy, slang for masturbation or a hand job. In Poland, the word pipa is pronounced just like Pippa, and means “vagina”; as in English, this word can be used as an insult against a person.

Poppy
In German, Poppy sounds similar to poppen, a vulgar slang term for sexual intercourse. Names with a P-p sound seem to be a bit of an issue.

What names do you know of that might be a problem in other countries?

Urgent Name Help Needed: They’re Completely Stressed About Their Big Baby Name Mess!

20 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

birth registration, choosing baby names, classic names, family interference, middle names, name trends, nicknames, sibsets, UK name trends, vintage names

The Situation
Charlotte and Jake have been blessed with a beautiful daughter, and they couldn’t be happier – except that she was born seven weeks ago and they still haven’t decided on a name for her. Charlotte was relieved to read on the blog that no terrible fate awaits parents who don’t make the 60 day registration deadline, but they still need to choose a name as soon as possible.

During the pregnancy they considered the names Myrtle, Elsie, Rosie, Mabel, Maeve, Mae, Agnes, Florence, Iris, Ida, Fern, and Pearl. Jake’s #1 choice for the name is Rosie, which Charlotte isn’t that keen on, while he completely vetoed Pearl. During the name process, Jake went off Iris and Ida.

Just before the birth, their short list of front runners was:
* Myrtle
* Agnes
* Elsie
* Mabel
* Rosie

How the Problem Started
As Charlotte was wheeled off to recover after giving birth, she and Jake were in complete agreement: the baby’s name was Elsie. Charlotte was sure she was an Elsie, and told the doctor that was her daughter’s name. Meanwhile, Jake was telling all the nurses they had chosen the name Elsie.

Unfortunately, Charlotte couldn’t bring herself to commit to Elsie because of a family issue. Elsie is the name of a family member, no longer in the land of the living, that Charlotte didn’t know or have contact with. However, other family members who did know Elsie didn’t get along with her, and weren’t pleased at the prospect of another Elsie in the family.

The baby came home without a name, and Jake was annoyed, believing they should have just stuck with the name Elsie.

Everyone Has an Opinion!
Jake and Charlotte have an older daughter called Olive, and Olive instantly recognised the baby as Myrtle, and called her such. However, Jake and Charlotte had already decided she definitely wasn’t a Myrtle.

Mostly Jake and Charlotte have been calling their daughter Mabel since she was born, and Charlotte is getting a strong emotional attachment to it. However, Charlotte also reasons that if Mabel was such a good name, wouldn’t they have committed to it by now?

Furthermore, they have shared the name Mabel with others, and received extremely negative reactions to it. They’ve been told it’s an awful name, a cow’s name, a scullery maid’s name, and an elderly relative said they could call the baby anything they wanted – but not Mabel.

Charlotte loves the name Fern, but this has resulted in people “pulling faces” when the idea is floated past them. She also worries that Olive and Fern are too botanical together, and wonders if Fern really has vintage charm, or is it actually a hippie name? She also wonders if Maeve really has that vintage feel as well.

Everyone loves the name Rosie, but Charlotte thinks of it as a “dog name”, and a bit too common.

What Charlotte and Jake Want
* Ideally, a vintage-style name
* A soft, beautiful name to suit their gentle, placid daughter
* A name that isn’t a “burden”
* Jake likes names that have a nickname

Current Name List

* Elsie (Charlotte is still concerned about the family issue, and isn’t sure about the -ie ending)
* Mabel
* Maeve
* Fern
* Martha
* Maggie
* Alice
* Nora
* Edith or Edie (Charlotte not keen)
* Mae (too short, but maybe a nickname for Mabel or Maeve?)
* Agnes, Ida, and Rosie are still in the mix and seem usable, although Jake has gone off Agnes

Middle names they are considering are Birdie, Josephine, and Rose. Charlotte quite fancies Birdie as a short form of Brigid (and it could be her name for everyday use), Jake really loves the thought of an Elsie Josephine, and the Rose is a sop to Jake, so that he can still have the option of calling his daughter Rosie as a nickname.

Where They Are Now
Going around and around in circles and getting stressed and anxious. Charlotte can’t let go of any of the names, and has been through the complete register of all births from 1880 to 1920 to find fresh name inspiration. The 60 day deadline expires next week ….

* * * * * * * * * *

Goodness, you two have got yourself in a real pickle, haven’t you?

This is the fourth time on the blog I have heard of a couple having trouble choosing a baby name after the birth – three of you have written in, and one was a news story. What you all have in common is that other people have become involved in the baby naming process, and in each case, this wasn’t the slightest bit of help, and turned the whole thing into a huge drama that went on for weeks.

You both chose the name Elsie, which I think is a beautiful name which sounds lovely with Olive, and with your surname, and pretty much ticked all your boxes, being vintage, and soft-sounding, and nicknamey. It sounds as if you would have happily come home with a baby called Elsie if not for the opinions of family members.

I tend to agree with Jake – I think you should have just named her Elsie, and announced that as her name. Despite the family disagreement, I don’t think it would have taken them more than a few minutes (a few weeks for anyone of exceptional stubborness) to realise that the Elsie they didn’t care for is gone forever and will never bother them again, while little baby Elsie is a completely separate person and utterly sweet and delightful in every way.

That’s another problem with choosing a baby name several weeks after the birth. Your heart is bursting with love for your daughter, and every minute you fall more and more in love with her. And each day she’s getting cuter and cuter, developing winning little ways and adorable baby quirks. No name is going to seem good enough for her, and a great enough expression of your love, and if you wait until she’s giggling and cooing, you’ll be toast.

You look down at her and think, “Oh she’s such a beautiful baby, so soft and gentle and placid and cuddly and happy. We need an extra specially soft and beautiful and cuddly and happy name for her”. But what name is ever going embody that unique combination of beauty and softness and gentleness and placidity and happiness to your perfect satisfaction?

And she’s so tiny and perfect and fragile and defenceless that you can’t bear the thought of anyone poking fun of her name, and every name you consider seems to have a hidden trap in it. Of course you don’t want her to grow up in a family where people say, “The last Elsie in the family wasn’t very nice”, or amongst friends who say, “Mabel sounds like a cow”, or pull a face when they hear her name. The more time you think about it, the more every name will seem as if it has tease potential.

Also the longer you wait, the more you feel under pressure to come up with something amazing. It will seem ridiculous that it took you three months to pick the name Elsie Josephine or Mabel Rose or Fern Maeve. You have to drop the idea that there’s a perfect name out there that will match your daughter’s personality with exqusisite taste, silence all criticism, be utterly tease-immune, and make everyone think, “Oh well no wonder it took them all this time to find a name that good”.

I have two main pieces of advice for you, and even if you ignore everything else, please please please PLEASE follow these two things in the headline.

1. Nobody Else Gets to Name Your Baby Girl
It’s time the committee meetings on what to call the baby come to a complete halt. Other people haven’t helped, and have made you second guess all the names you’re considering. I feel absolutely furious that people have been so rude about the names you like, and I agree it’s absolutely none of their business. On the other hand – why did you ask?

You worry that their opinions show what your daughter will have to face in the future, yet, being extremely blunt, some of these people will have passed on by the time your daughter reaches adulthood, and your colleagues aren’t going to be part of her life (they won’t even be part of your life forever).

In any case, asking a ton of people for their opinions is a waste of time. The kind of names that won’t be criticised are ones like Amelia Mae, Chloe Elizabeth or Olivia Grace – “safe” names. And besides, if you were going to pick a name based on what other people approve of, Charlotte would have agreed to Rosie – Jake’s favourite name, which everyone else likes, including me. But none of that matters, because Charlotte doesn’t really like it.

Baby name discussions should only be held between the two of you, in private. Don’t ask other people for their opinions, and if they offer them, just say something like, “Thank you, we’ll have to think that one over”. Don’t let people see that the process is getting you stressed, because that’s an opportunity for them to “help” you. If they ask how the baby name choosing is going, smile brightly and say, “Oh we’re nearly there – we’ll be announcing the name soon”.

If they make a comment about how long it’s taking, say something like, “I know the time we’re taking must seem a little silly to an outsider”, then change the subject at once. That lets them know that it’s no big deal, and puts them firmly on the outside – and the bigger fuss they make, the more of an outsider they become. It’s a polite way of letting them know it’s none of their concern.

2. Your Name List Should Be Getting Shorter, Not Longer!
I’m bewildered as to how you had five names on your name list before going to hospital, and now you have around fifteen. I know you said that you were having trouble letting go of the names, but you’re still adding to your name list, which means you’ll never pick a name at this rate. You’ve even put names that have been vetoed back on the list!

You’ve got to stop thinking up more names, and just stick to what you’ve got. That means no getting out of the shower with a great name you thought up while shampooing your hair, no wondering if a name you vetoed is really that bad and could still be considered, and definitely no going through four decades of birth registers!

Let’s see what names could be trimmed:

Elsie – I think this name has been ruined for Charlotte by her family’s interference, and she’s gone off it because it’s too much like Rosie.
Rosie – Charlotte thinks it’s a dog name, and too common. I disagree, but to heck with me, it’s not my baby.
Maggie – I’m getting the feeling Charlotte isn’t mad about two syllable names ending with -ie. And Maggie is actually a common name for dogs, so if Rosie is out for those reasons, then Maggie should be triply out.
Edith and Edie – Charlotte doesn’t like them.
Mae – you both agreed it’s too short.
Agnes – Jake has gone off it.
Ida – Jake has gone off it.
Iris – Jake has gone off it
Florence – neither has vetoed it, but you never mentioned it again either, so you can’t be that keen

And what’s left:

Maeve, possibly nn Mae
I think it’s a beautiful name, but you did wonder if it sounded vintage, and I don’t think it really sounds vintage at all – it’s only come into common use in Australia quite recently.

Fern
I love the name Fern too, and although some people might see it as hippie, it was quite popular in the late 19th century, mostly in the middle. It does sound botanical with Olive, if that’s an issue. Blog contributor Madelyn suggested Fern as a nickname for Frances – could something like that work?

Martha
This is a very dignified name, and I think it does have that gentle image you were after – although it also seems strong. Very much in line with British name trends too.

Alice
I think this is bang on for beautiful, soft and sweet, and a nice match with Olive, but if you wanted to get technical, it’s a classic rather than a vintage choice. It seems like a great replacement for Elsie – it’s got a vaguely similar sound, without being so alike that it brings back memories of Elsie (as Elsa would, for example).

Nora
Very hip choice, excellent match with Olive, well ahead of the trends. I wonder if it might be too nicknamey for Charlotte’s taste though. If so, what about Eleanor, nn Nora?

Mabel
This just leaves Mabel, which seems like the obvious choice. It’s beautiful, soft and sweet but still spunky; it literally means “lovable”; it’s vintage-style; it makes an awesome match with Olive; it sounds adorable with your surname, and it’s the name you are already calling her, and have taught Olive to call her.

You’ve said that you’re getting emotionally attached to Mabel, which makes me think that you may have already chosen it without quite admitting it to yourselves. You say that the fact that you haven’t committed to it yet shows it can’t really be that great, but you haven’t given yourselves a chance to.

I know other people have been critical about Mabel, but there’s a good reason for that – you’re slightly ahead of the trends, because Mabel only came back on the charts in the 2000s, and it’s not zooming up in a bothersomely trendy way, but remaining fairly stable. People just aren’t used to it yet because it’s so fresh. And your friend who thinks it’s a scullery maid name? Hasn’t she been watching Downton Abbey – doesn’t she know that “scullery maid names” are hot right now?

I love both the middle names you have picked out, and I think Mabel Birdie Rose is utterly, utterly lovely. It gives you the option of calling her either Mae, Birdie, or Rosie for everyday, and luckily you don’t have to register nicknames so you can take as long as you want to decide which one (or use all three if you want – there’s no law on nicknames!)

If it was up to me, I’d say Mabel Birdie Rose. But it’s not up to me – it’s your privilege to name your daughter, and no one else’s. So what will it be?

NAME UPDATE: The baby’s name was Mabel!

POLL RESULT: The overwhelming choice of the public was Mabel, which received more than 50% of the vote.

Famous Name: Bruce

17 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

aristocratic surnames, classic names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, locational names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, names from songs, names from television, Norman-French names, popular culture, royal names, Scottish names, surname names, UK popularity, US popularity

When the name Acacia was featured for Wattle Day, I mentioned that Monty Python made gentle fun of our national flower with their Bruces Sketch, where all the philosophy faculty at the (fictional) University of Woolloomooloo are named Bruce. This seems to be the origin of the notion that Bruce is a particularly Australian name.

Barry Humphries has said that the inspiration for the Bruces Sketch was his Barry Mackenzie character, who began life as a comic strip in Private Eye. Barry Humphries’ television series, The Barry Humphries Scandals, was a precursor to Monty Python, and Eric Idle has cited Humphries as one of his comedy influences.

It’s rumoured, not implausibly, that Humphries himself suggested the name Bruce as an Australian signifier, either directly or indirectly. The name Bruce peaked in Australia in the 1930s, and in Britain slightly later, in the 1940s. Even at its height in the UK, it was only around the bottom of the Top 100, so it wasn’t nearly as common there.

Humphries was born in 1934, so had peers called Bruce. The most obvious example is Australian director Bruce Beresford (born 1940), who directed the Barry Mackenzie films. Like Barry Humphries, Bruce went to England in search of career opportunities, but was unable to break into the British film industry, and found success at home, with movies like Breaker Morant and Puberty Blues, and in North America with Driving Miss Daisy, and Black Robe.

The connection between Barry and Bruce continued when Humphries took the role of a great white shark named Bruce in the animated film, Finding Nemo. The American film-makers named Bruce, primarily not as an Australian reference, but after the shark in Jaws, whose models were all called Bruce after Steven Spielberg’s lawyer. Bruce the Shark does have an Australian accent though, and uses ockerisms like “Good on ya, mate!”.

From the United States, the name Bruce gained a different stereotype, being associated with homosexuality. The reasons are unclear, but one of the most popular theories is that it’s connected to the campy Batman television shows of the 1960s, as Batman’s real name is Bruce Wayne. Another is that it is from the 1960s parody song Big Bruce, where Bruce is a camp hairdresser.

Apart from these reasons, it does seem that the “tough guy” names of one generation are often seen as effeminate, dorky, or otherwise laughable by the next. Something to think about should you be considering one of today’s rugged baby names, such as Axel, Blade, Diesel, or Rowdy.

Bruce is a Scottish surname of Norman-French origin. The Clan Bruce are from Kincardine on the Firth of Forth in Scotland, and trace their origins from the French de Brus or de Bruis, coming from Breux in Normandy (now Brix), sometimes said to mean “the willow lands”. This history and etymology is now considered doubtful, due to lack of evidence.

The first of the family on record to come to Britain was Robert de Brus, who accompanied King Henry I there after the Battle of Tinchbray in 1106. He was granted large tracts of land in Yorkshire, and named 1st Lord of Annandale by King David I of Scotland in 1124. A family legend says that the first of their line was Robert de Brus, who came over with William the Conqueror but this is more wishful thinking than fact.

Of course the most famous member of Clan Bruce was Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots from 1306 to 1329, claiming royal blood as great-great-great-great grandson of David I. One of the most famous warriors of his generation, he led Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. He fought successfully during his reign to regain Scotland’s place as an independent nation, with a great victory at the Battle of Bannockburn. Today he is remembered in Scotland as a national hero.

According to a popular legend, while on the run from the English, Robert the Bruce took shelter in a cave. Here he whiled away the lonely hours watching a spider trying to connect one area of the cave’s roof to another using its web. Each time the spider would fail, but kept trying until at last it succeeded Inspired by the plucky little arachnid, Robert the Bruce returned to defeat the English, winning more supporters, and eventual victory. If you ever read this story as a child, it probably ended by saying the moral was :”If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again”.

This story was first told by Sir Walter Scott in in his Tales of a Grandfather: Being Stories of the History of Scotland (1828), and it is believed to have been adapted from a story about Sir James Douglas, Robert the Bruce’s ally and lieutenant. However, the story is very old, being similar to Jewish tales about King David, and Persian stories about Tamerlane and an ant. Apparently people love the idea of beleaguered rulers being inspired by small creatures with exoskeletons.

Robert the Bruce was the high point of the Clan Bruce, although Robert’s son David also became King of Scotland. Various Bruces did historically worthy things, and one of the most famous is Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, who was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. He spent most of his fortune taking sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens, which was falling into ruins: today they are known as the Elgin Marbles, and on display in the British Museum.

Bruce has been used as a first name since the 17th century, and was used in both England and Scotland. Although it has plenty of history, Bruce didn’t become a huge success as a boy’s name until the 20th century, which gives it a rather modern feel.

In Australia, Bruce is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #85 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1930s at #22. It didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1970s – perhaps Monty Python wasn’t a help to it, or perhaps after many decades its time of popularity was up. Although uncommon, Bruce has remained stable for years around the 400-500s.

So how Australian is the name Bruce really? Well, apart from the Monty Python sketch (which is, you know, fiction), it peaked earlier here than elsewhere, and peaked much higher than in Britain. However, it peaked only a little higher than in the US, where it is also a classic, and peaked at #25 during the 1950s. Its current popularity in Australia is little different to that in the UK and US, so possibly not quite as Australian as you might have thought!

POLL RESULTS
Bruce received an approval rating of 32%. People saw the name Bruce as too dated (25%), too stereotypically ocker (19%), and too boring (14%). However, 8% of people thought it was strong and handsome. Only one person thought the name Bruce was sexy.

(Photo shows Bruce from Finding Nemo)

Boys Names From Australian Children’s Literature

24 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

aristocratic names, aristocratic surnames, Australian slang terms, Biblical names, classic names, colour names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, Gaelic names, German names, germanic names, Greek names, hebrew names, Irish names, Latin names, locational names, modern classics, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, names from songs, names from television, names of businesses, nature names, nicknames, Old Gaelic names, Persian names, plant names, popular names, retro names, royal names, saints names, Scottish names, surname names, tree names, underused classics, unisex names

Darius
Odo Hirsch’s Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool (2009) tells the story of the Bells, a proud family fallen on hard times; plucky youngest son Darius must save the family’s estate. (Name nerd bonus info: Odo is the older form of the German name Otto). Darius is the Latin form of Dareios, the Greek form of the Persian name Dārayavahush, meaning “holding on to goodness”. This name was traditional amongst the Persian kings, and Darius I was known as Darius the Great, as he ruled over the Achaemenid Empire at the height of its power. Darius III was defeated by Alexander the Great, and there are a number of minor princes with the name. Darius is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, so it is a Biblical name as well (nobody is sure which historical Darius it means). Although rare, this name is known in Australia from NRL star Darius Boyd, while there is also a Darius in The Hunger Games trilogy. Darius is a cool-sounding name that might appeal to a broad range of people.

Felix
Terry Denton’s first picture book was Felix and Alexander (1985), about a little boy named Alexander who gets lost, and his toy dog Felix must find him. Felix is a Latin name meaning “fortunate”. It was first given as a nickname to the Roman general and statesman Lucius Cornelius Sulla, a free translation of the Greek nickname he acquired during his military campaigns – Epaphroditos, meaning “beloved of Aphrodite”. The Roman procurator Felix is mentioned in the New Testament, although not in a positive way – he imprisoned St Paul. Felix was a favourite name amongst early Christians, and there are heaps of saints named Felix, including the 7th century Felix of Burgundy, who introduced Christianity to East Anglia, and three popes. Two Australian connections are Felix the Cat, and Australia Felix, the name given to the lush farmland of western Victoria by explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell. Felix was #172 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1920s. It returned in the 1980s at #396 and climbed steadily; it’s been on and off the Top 100 since 2011. It’s now #86, and was one of the fastest-rising names last year. A hip retro favourite growing in recognition.

Harley
Sleepy Harley (2011), written by Karen Treanor and illustrated by Kelly Iveson, is a picture book about a cat named Harley who tries to find a place to nap in a Perth suburb. Harley is a surname which comes from a place name meaning “hare meadow” in Old English. The de Harley family were nobles whose history can be traced before the Conquest, and Sir Robert Harley, first Earl of Oxford, was from a prominent political family. One of them, William Cavendish-Bentinck, became British Prime Minister in the 18th and 19th centuries; he was the maternal great-great-great grandfather of Queen Elizabeth. The name will remind many of Harley-Davidson motorycles, giving Harley a pretty cool image. Harley was #212 in the 1900s, and went up and down before dropping off the charts in the 1950s. It returned in the 1970s at #462, and rose before peaking at #70 in 1992. It dropped again before starting to rise in the early 2000s, and is not far out of the Top 100. You could see Harley as an underused classic – in use for many years, but never very popular. I have occasionally seen Harley on girls as well.

Jude
Me and Jeshua (1984) by award-winning author Eleanor Spence is a historical novel about the childhood of Jesus of Nazareth, as seen through the eyes of his cousin Jude. Jude is a variant of the name Judas, Greek form of the Hebrew name Judah, meaning “praised”. In the New Testament, Jude is used for the Apostle whose name was Judas, to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. Jude is also listed in the New Testament as one of the brothers of Jesus (Eleanor Spence follows a tradition they were cousins), but it is not clear if Jude the Apostle was Jesus’ brother. The Apostle Jude is usually connected with the Apostle Simon the Zealot, and according to tradition they were both martyred in Beirut. Jude is well known as the patron saint of lost causes, and this has made him one of the most venerated saints. Contemporary associations are the actor Jude Law, and the Beatles song Hey Jude. Jude can also be used as a girl’s name, short for Judith, as in the YA novel by Maureen McCarthy, Queen Kat, Carmel, and St. Jude Get a Life (1995). This attractive name has quietly been gaining in popularity, and last year joined the Top 100 in Victoria.

Leonard
The Lockie Leonard series by Tim Winton (1990-97) stars a surf rat named Lachlan “Lockie” Leonard who moves to the Western Australian town of Angelus (based on Albany). Leonard is a Germanic name which can be translated as “brave lion” or “brave as a lion”. St Leonard is a legendary 6th century saint, a Frankish nobleman at the court of Clovis I who could liberate prisoners from their chains when invoked. The Normans brought the name to England, although it didn’t become particularly common until the 19th century. Famous Australians with the name include distinguished chemist Leonard Lindoy, and hard-hitting post-war cricketer Leonard “Jock” Livingston, also a talented rugby league footballer. Leonard has been a popular name amongst Jews in the past, including Jock Livingston: other examples are Canadian folk singer Leonard Cohen and actor Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was #39 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1910s at #35. It didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1960s, and remained in steady but low use until getting a little boost after The Big Bang Theory, with main character Leonard Hofstadter, began airing in the late 2000s. Clunky cool, this underused classic provides a way to get the popular nickname Lenny.

Nathaniel
In Isobelle Carmody’s YA novel The Gathering (1993), Nathaniel Delaney is a teenager who moves to a grim seaside town and finds himself locked in a battle between the forces of Light and Dark. Nathaniel is a variant of Nathanael, the Greek form of Hebrew Netan’el, meaning “God has given”, nearly always understood as “gift of God”. In the Bible, Nathaniel is usually identified with the Apostle Bartholomew; as Bartholomew means “son of Talmai”, it is taken to be Nathaniel’s surname. Nathaniel was in use as an English name by the 16th century, and became more common after the Protestant Reformation. It was used amongst the aristocracy, and also became a favourite in America, with author Nathaniel Hawthorne a notable bearer. Nathaniel was #179 in the 1900s, and left the charts the following decade. It returned in the 1970s at #296, and climbed steadily until it reached the Top 100 last year at #79, making it one of the fastest-rising names of 2013. A handsome retro name that gives the popular nickname Nate, it’s well known from Australian actor Nathaniel Buzolic, from The Vampire Diaries, and Australian singer-songwriter Nathaniel Willemse, who was on The X-Factor.

Rafferty
The Rafferty series by Joan Woodberry (1959-62) are the adventures of an English boy named Rafferty who moves to a fishing village on the Queensland coast. Rafferty is a common Irish surname, an Anglicised form of O’Raithbheartaigh, meaning “son of Rabhartach”. The Old Gaelic personal name Rabhartach means “wielder of prosperity”. The name has a particular Australian resonance, due to iconic Australian actor John “Chips” Rafferty. He was seen as the quintessential Australian, and took part in a marketing campaign convincing British people to migrate to Australia in the 1950s – this might explain the choice of Rafferty’s name in Woodberry’s books. Another Australian reference is the slang term Rafferty’s rules, meaning “no rules at all”. It gives the name Rafferty a pleasantly raffish, lawless feel. This name is around the 200s in Australia, and although it is rising in the UK, is more popular here than anywher else. I have also begun to see a few girls named Rafferty.

Rowan
The Rowan of Rin fantasy series by Emily Rodda (1993-2003) takes place in a fictional world. Rowan is the unlikely hero, considered a bit of a wimpy weakling by the sturdy villagers of Rin, but when danger strikes, his resourcefulness and courage saves the day. Rowan is a Scottish name that’s an Anglicised form of Ruadhán, a pet form of Ruadh, Gaelic for “red”, often given as a nickname to a man with red hair. You may remember that the red-headed Scottish outlaw Raibeart “Ruadh” MacGregor is known as Rob Roy by the English. Rowan can also be unisex when named after the rowan tree; its English name comes from the Germanic for “to redden”, because of the tree’s red berries, so either way the meaning has a connection with the colour. A pleasant association with the tree is that according to folklore it has the power to ward off evil. The name Rowan has charted for boys since the 1940s, debuting at #205, and climbing until it peaked in the 1980s at #164. It’s now around the 300s-400s. Rowan is an underused modern classic which alludes to a vibrant colour, and a magical tree.

Silvander
Norman Lindsay is famous for writing and illustrating The Magic Pudding (1918), a comic fantasy deservedly recognised as a classic. For some reason, his other children’s book, The Flyaway Highway (1936), is neglected, even though it’s just as funny and fantastical. I loved this story, which relates how Egbert and Muriel Jane meet a “bloke with horns and cows’ hooves” named Silvander Dan, who take them on a journey down the Flyaway Highway. As a child, I thought that the name Silvander was made up for the book (although I’m afraid I was already junior name nerd enough to know what it meant). However, I’ve since found that Silvander was a literary name in the 18th century, and in most of the sources I’ve read, characters named Silvander are untrustworthy bounders! The name is derived from Silvanus, the Roman god of woods and fields, from the Latin silva, meaning “wood, forest”. Although an extremely rare name, it is just enough like Silas and Alexander to not be completely outrageous, and has an agreeably silvery sound. For those who like Leander and Evander, here is another to consider.

Theodore
I told myself I would not choose more than one book from a single author, but was forced to make an exception for Odo Hirsch, from whose oeuvre I could happily fill two lists. Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman (1997) is his first novel, a charming story about a boy who lives in a grand old house, and is fascinated by a reclusive actor. (Name nerd bonus info: Odo Hirsch is the pen name of Dr David Kausman). Theodore is from the Greek name Theodorus, meaning “God’s gift”. Theodorus wasn’t uncommon in ancient times; ironically one of its famous bearers was the 4th century BC philosopher Theodorus the Atheist. Because of its meaning, the name was a popular choice for early Christians, and saints named Theodore are numerous, including a 7th century Archbishop of Canterbury and two popes. Theodore was also traditional mongst the Byzantine Emperors, and the Russian Tsars. Theodore was #116 in the 1900s, and reached its lowest point in the 1970s at #383. It began rising steeply in the 1990s, and last year joined the Queensland Top 100 at #79, making it one of the state’s highest-rising names. A sophisticated classic name which comes with cool short forms Theo and Ted, I’d call this underused except I’m not sure how long it will stay that way.

POLL RESULTS
The public’s favourite names were Theodore, Jude and Felix, and their least favourite were Leonard, Darius and Harley.

(Picture shows cover of Lockie Leonard – Human Torpedo by Tim Winton)

Boy’s Names are Giving Them a Headache! Can You Help This Couple Find a Pain-Free Boy’s Name?

23 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 10 Comments

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British Baby Names, choosing baby names, classic names, middle names, nicknames, popular names, vintage names

Rachel and Nathan are expecting their first baby at the end of the year, and are having some difficulties deciding on a baby name. Rachel and Nathan like old-style and vintage names that aren’t too common, but not too strange or made up.

For a girl, they have pretty much decided on Lottie Grace. At first, Rachel was concerned with how it sounded with their surname, which is a long one ending in an -ee sound, such as DuHannitay. However, she feels happy with it now, and Nathan likes it as well. They chose Grace because it sounds nice with Lottie, but would be open to hearing other middle name suggestions.

Rachel’s first choice was Frankie, but Nathan didn’t like it, and then Rachel rather went off it as well. She also likes Audrey, Millie, Poppy, Elsie – but Lottie is definitely the front runner. Names that they like but can’t use for various reasons include Clara, Edie, Lucy, Hattie, and Maisie.

The real problem is boy’s names. Nathan doesn’t seem keen on many of Rachel’s suggestions, and Rachel is starting to feel that the harder she looks for names, the more confused she feels. These are the names they have discussed so far:

Albie: Rachel likes it, Nathan isn’t sure
Alfie: Nathan prefers this to Albie, but Rachel thinks it’s getting too popular, and dislikes the short form Alf
Arthur: Rachel likes it, but thinks it might be a bit much, and Nathan dislikes it; they don’t like short forms of the name such as Art or Artie
Clem: has been vetoed by Nathan
Jimmy: Nathan likes it, Rachel doesn’t mind it
Max: has been ruled out because it’s too common
Rex: it’s okay, but neither of them love it
George: Rachel has always really liked it, but feels it might be getting a bit too common

Names they like but can’t use include Charlie, Spencer, Louie, Lenny, and Vincent.

The middle name hasn’t been settled yet. They have a family name Bernie (Bernard) in mind, which could be used, but if it doesn’t fit with the name, would drop it for something else.

* * * * * * * * * *

I’m glad you’ve picked a girl’s name, and Lottie seems just your style. I think Grace is a nice middle name, and very fuss-free. The only other short name that occurred to me is Lou – just because Lottie Lou is so adorable. I also think Lottie Amelia and Lottie Matilda make nice combinations. Middle names I’ve seen for Lottie in real life are: Lottie Violet, Lottie Estelle, Lottie Alice, Lottie Scarlett, Lottie Elizabeth, Lottie Margaret, Lottie Harriet, Lottie Olive, and Lottie Lux.

For boy’s names, I can see why you’re having problems. First, you haven’t agreed on many names, and even the agreements have been a bit half-hearted. That might be a sign you have to compromise. Sometimes you get to pick a name that you both love, and sometimes just one of of you likes the name, and the other one can live with it. Or maybe both of you are just okay with the name, and that might work too – you can learn to love a name as your son grows into it.

There’s something I notice with people who say they “can’t think of any names”, or “don’t really like any names”. What they tend to have in common is a lot of rules restricting their choices, so that the pool of baby names to consider is more of a teaspoon.

I always give a little inward sigh when someone tells me that what they want is an unpretentious traditional name that isn’t weird or unusual, but not common at all. In fact, it can’t even become common in the future. In other words, they want a nice normal name that’s exactly like everyone else’s baby name, but they don’t want anyone else to have actually chosen the name for their child, or to do so at a later date.

That’s a tall order. And once they find the four or five names that might fit this paradoxical profile, what are the odds that they even like those names, let alone love them?

Looking at some of your comments on the boy’s names you’ve discussed, I see that Alfie, which is around the #200 mark, is already “too popular” for you, while classic and gently rising Arthur might be slightly over the top. The name that you really like, George, is too common, and Rex, which fits every single one of your requirements, just gets a “meh”.

I confess to being stumped, and I’m not surprised that you’re stumped as well. I think something has to give – either you start liking names that are a bit more unusual, or you accept that the names you like are gaining in popularity. It’s very hard to force yourself to be attracted to names that aren’t your style, and it would be much easier to come to terms with name popularity, and maybe even discover it’s not such a spooky bogeyman after all.

Let’s have a look at those names which you might actually use, and see if some of their problems aren’t so bad.

Albie or Alfie
You both seem to like the similar sounds of these two names, with Rachel suggesting Albie, and Nathan preferring Alfie. I’m not sure either of you have convinced the other, although I really don’t think Alfie is too common – I wonder if the idea of someone nicknaming him Alf is the real problem?

Albie made me think of Paddy, Rory and Finley, while cheeky Alfie reminded me of a list Elea has at British Baby Names called Lively Lads. I wonder if any of these names might appeal, such as Freddie or Ollie?

Jimmy
This seems like a genuine possibility, with Nathan liking it and Rachel okay with it. It does seem like a boyish version of Lottie, as both are pet forms of very popular names (James and Charlotte). It fits all of your requirements, and is a real charmer of a name. Other names that seem similar are Johnny, Billy, Sonny, Gus, and Ted.

Rex
Poor old Rex – it’s everything you’ve asked for, yet neither of you are that keen on it. That suggests that your feelings for a name are much more important than how many boxes it ticks. Names that remind me of Rex are Roy, Stanley, Victor, Leon, Lawrence, and Theodore.

George
And then there’s George, which Rachel has always liked. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to give your son a name that you’ve always had warm feelings for? And if you’re worried about it becoming too common, here’s something to consider. It already is common. Which sounds like a bad thing, except that here’s something else to consider. It’s always been common. George has never been out of the Top 100, making it one of those sturdy, reliable classics where you don’t have to worry about them becoming popular, because there’s never been a time they weren’t popular. Doesn’t that give you a feeling of security? And it hasn’t been higher than #50 since the 1980s, so it’s popular, but not too popular. Isn’t that a comforting thought?

I think your worries about popularity have made it so hard to think of names that it’s worth starting from scratch, and this time don’t think about how popular a name is at all, or how much more frequently you’ve seen it lately.

I’d like to see the two of you each write down ten boys’ names you really like – names that you can imagine giving your son, names that fit well into your family, names that feel right. Then compare lists, and see if there are any names you’ve both chosen. If so, that’s a great starting point. If not, perhaps there are points of such similarity that you can reach a compromise together.

You’ve got a fair way to go before your due date, so you have time to write in for another blog consultation if you would like one. And take heart – you’ve already chosen a fantastic girl’s name that you both like, and which fits all your needs, so there’s no reason you can’t be just as successful choosing a boy’s name.

UPDATE: Unfortunately Rachel never got back to me, and when I tried to contact her, her email had been disabled.

POLL RESULT: The public’s choice for a boy’s name was George with 35% of the vote, and Alfie was not too far behind on 30%.

Girls Names from Australian Children’s Literature

17 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists, Requested Names

≈ 10 Comments

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astronomical names, Babylonian names, Biblical names, classic names, english names, Etruscan names, fictional namesakes, flower names, French names, Greek names, hebrew names, Irish names, Italian names, Latin names, Median names, middle names, month names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, names from television, nature names, nicknames, plant names, popular names, retro names, Roman names, royal names, Semitic names, Shakespearean names, underused classics, underused names, unisex names

This week it is Children’s Book Week, which is run by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Librarians and teachers everywhere will be thinking up exciting new ways to encourage children to read, while the CBC has awarded prizes to the best new Australian children’s books. I thought it would be fun to join in the celebrations, and many of the books chosen are classics and award winners.

Amaryllis
I know two characters with this name. One is Amaryllis “Ryl” Mereweather, from H.F. Brinsmead’s Pastures of the Blue Crane (1964), about a teenage girl who inherits an old shack in northern New South Wales. (Name nerd bonus info: H.F. Brinsmead stands for Hesba Fay – Hesba is derived from the Greek hesperus, meaning “western”). The other is in Sally Odger’s fantasy Amy Amaryllis (1992), about an ordinary Australian girl named Amy Day who switches identities with a girl named Amaryllis Loveday, from a magical world named Ankoor. Amaryllis is a Greek name meaning “to sparkle”, perhaps to suggest sparkling eyes. In Virgil’s pastoral poems, The Eclogues, Amaryllis is a beautiful shepherdess, and the poet makes a play on words to suggest that her name comes from Latin amor, “love”. The amaryllis flower is often known as “Easter lily” in Australia; it is named after the literary character, so this is not just a simple flower name. Unusual and lovely, Amaryllis comes with a host of possible nicknames, including Amy, Ryl, Rylla, Lily, Lissy, and Mary.

Beatrice
In Playing Beatie Bow (1980) by Ruth Park, Beatie Bow is a local legend, a game that children play to frighten each other. But when teenage loner Abigail watches the game, she is brought to the Sydney of one hundred years earlier by a strange girl named Beatrice “Beatie” Bow. This classic is a YA time-travel historical mystery adventure with a dash of romance, and so firmly grounded in The Rocks area of Sydney that you can follow every step of Abigail’s journey. (Name nerd bonus info: Abigail’s parents named her Lynette, but when her parents separate, she chooses Abigail for herself, because it’s an “old witch” name). Beatrice is the Italian form of Beatrix, very famous because of the beautiful muse in Dante’s Divine Comedy. The name has been used in England since the Middle Ages, including by royalty; Princess Beatrice of York was named after a daughter of Queen Victoria, but itwas used in the royal family long before. It’s also a Shakespearean name, because in the comedy Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice is the witty heroine. Beatrice was #50 in the 1900s, and left the Top 100 in the 1930s; by the 1960s it had left the charts. It made a modest comeback in the 1990s, after the birth of Princess Beatrice, and has remained around the 500-600 level. This is an elegant retro name which has long remained underused. Bea is the usual nickname, although Beatrice Prior from the Divergent series goes by Tris.

Blossom
Little Ragged Blossom is one of the main characters in May Gibbs‘ Snugglepot and Cuddlepie series (1918-40), featuring her plump “gum nut babies”. Blossom is a poor little gum-blossom girl, alone in the world until she gains the friendship and protection of gum-nut boys Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. From then on, she is part and parcel of their adventures, and not infrequently plays the role of damsel in distress, such as when she needs rescuing from the wicked Banskia Men. Even now, I cannot see a gum tree in bloom without imagining the flowers as little blossom girls … The word blossom is used for flowers that grow in masses and clusters, especially on trees, and evokes spring and freshness. Blossom has been used as a girl’s name since the 18^th century, and is probably more common as a nickname, such as aviation engineer Maxine “Blossom” Miles, or a middle name, such as jazz singer (Margrethe) Blossom Dearie. On television, Blossom was one of the Powerpuff Girls, and Blossom Rosso the floppy-hatted heroine of sitcom Blossom. Ultra-feminine, quirky and cool, could Blossom be the ultimate flower name?

Celia
Feeling Sorry for Celia (2000) is Jaclyn Moriarty’s side-splittingly comic début epistolary YA novel. Private school girl Elizabeth spends most of her time fretting over her best friend Celia, whose life is one self-caused drama after another. However, a pen-pal programme with the local public school teaches Elizabeth how real friendship works. Celia is the feminine form of Caelius, a Roman family name traditionally derived from caelum, Latin for “heaven”. However, the Caelii traced their ancestry to the Etruscan hero Caeles Vibenna, so the name probably isn’t Latin in origin. It may come from Cel, the Etruscan earth goddess who is the equivalent of Gaia; her name means “honoured”, and the Etruscans named the month of Celi (September) after her. I like the idea of an earthy goddess becoming connected with heaven. Shakespeare used the name for an attractive, serious character in As You Like It, and Ben Jonson wrote the poem Song to Celia, which became Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes. These writers sparked interest in Celia as an English name in the 17^th century. This literary name is both rare and traditional, and doesn’t seem out of place next to popular names like Olivia and Sienna.

Dot
Ethel C. Pedley’s posthumous novel Dot and the Kangaroo (1899) is about a five-year-old girl named Dot who wanders off into the bush and gets lost. She is befriended by a kangaroo who has lost her joey, and gives Dot some magic berries that allow her to understand the speech of animals. It has a strong conservationist message in regard to our native flora and fauna, which is still very much needed. The book was the first to show Australian animals in a genuine Australian setting, and became an immediate favourite. Dot is a short form of Dorothy which dates to medieval times, and has been used as an independent name at least since the 17^th century. This adorably pert little name could honour a Dorothy, and also works well in the middle.

Esther
Ethel Turner’s Seven Little Australians (1894) is the only Australian book to be continuously in print for more than a century. Featuring a family of mischievous, lovable army brats who live in Sydney’s outer suburbs, it is surprising how little it has dated. Blended families, teen rebellion, obsession with body image, schoolgirl crushes, and discipline problems … all topics of interest more than a hundred years ago too. The seven little Australians are Meg, Pip, Judy, Nell, Bunty, Baby, and The General; their father is stern Captain Woolcot and stepmother (The General’s mother) is Esther. Esther is beautiful and sweet, but barely older than her eldest step-children, and incapable of really mothering them. Hilarious, heart-warming, and tragic, this is one of Australia’s best-loved children’s books. In the Bible, Esther was a Jewish queen of a Persian king; her story is the basis for the Jewish holiday of Purim. The meaning of Esther is much debated. It may be from a Semitic word meaning “star, morning star”, or a Median word meaning “myrtle” (the translation of her Hebrew name, Hadassah). Another theory is that it comes from the Babylonian fertility goddess Ishtar (Ishtar also represents the morning star, Venus). Esther was #73 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1920s. It reached its lowest point in the 1950s and ’60s at #379, but has climbed since then, and isn’t far outside the Top 100 in Victoria. This underused classic is very much on trend at present.

Harriet
Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild (2000) is a picture book written by kidlit doyenne Mem Fox, illustrated by Marla Frazee. Harriet Harris is a toddler who doesn’t mean to be naughty, but trouble follows in her wake without her even trying. Harriet’s mother is a calm woman who doesn’t like to yell, but Harriet pushes her to breaking point. The book helps explain to littlies why parents lose their cool. (Name nerd bonus info: Mem Fox’s full name is Merrion, but she has always gone by Mem). Harriet is the English form of Henriette, the feminine form of French Henri, and thus a feminine form of Harry. Harriet was #122 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1930s. It returned in the 1970s, and has been climbing ever since. Last year it was one of the fastest rising names of 2013, and joined the Top 100 at #89. Cute and spunky, it can be shortened to Hallie or Hattie – Hattie is a hen in Mem Fox’s Hattie and the Fox (1986).

Josie
Josephine Alibrandi, known as Josie to her friends, features in Melina Marchetta’s breakthrough YA novel, Looking for Alibrandi (1992). A coming of age story, its smart-mouth heroine is in her last year of school, dealing with boys, family, exams, mean girls, and her father, who left when she was a baby and has suddenly reappeared in her life. Looking for Alibrandi was an instant success upon publication, and has been called “the most stolen library book”. Josie is a short form of Josephine, used as an independent name since the 16^th century. It has sometimes been given to boys, as a short form of Joseph or Josiah. Josie first ranked in the 1920s at #291, and left the charts in the 1940s. It returned in the 1970s, and climbed before peaking in 2009 at #175. This is an underused retro name which doesn’t sound old-fashioned, but sassy and stylish.

Liesel
Liesel Meminger is the young girl in Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief (2005), set in Nazi Germany during World War II, and narrated by Death himself. Liesel is illiterate at the start of the story, but through learning to read, discovers a lifelong love of words, and finds solace in stealing books to share with others. Against a backdrop of fear and horror, the story shows that books can feed the soul even in our darkest hours. The story does end up having an Australian connection, and a specific Australian setting is used in a very unexpected way. Liesel is a German pet form of Elisabeth, pronounced LEE-zel. Although it’s never charted in Australia, this charming name is very familiar because of Liesl from The Sound of Music, and swimmer Leisel Jones.

Norah
Norah Linton is the heroine of Mary Grant Bruce’s Billabong series (1910-42). Making her début in A Little Bush Maid at the age of twelve, Norah lives at Billabong Station in northern Victoria. She’s a hardy, spirited tomboy who loves horse-riding, camping, and fishing, and is a total daddy’s girl. The books haven’t aged too well, but Norah is an ancestor of other feisty, independent Australian heroines, such as Ryl Merewether and Josie Alibrandi. Norah is a variant of Nora, a pet form of names such as Honoria and Eleanor. It’s often thought of as particularly Irish, and records show many Norahs of the 18^th century were born in Ireland. Hip and arty, Norah is fast growing in popularity in both the UK and US, and already popular in Europe, but almost unknown in Australia. It deserves serious consideration by those keen to get ahead of the trends.

Thank you to Manday for suggesting the name Liesel be featured on Waltzing More Than Matilda, and for recommending The Book Thief be added to this list.

POLL RESULTS
The public’s favourite names were Beatrice, Harriet and Norah, and their least favourite were Josie, Blossom and Dot.

(Picture shows cover of Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild, from Mem Fox’s website)

Famous Name: Hope

13 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 3 Comments

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birth notices, classic names, english names, locational names, middle names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, Old English names, saints names, surname names, underused classics, unisex names, virtue names, vocabulary names

Last week there were commemorations around the world for the centenary of the start of World War I. I chose the name Hope to mark this solemn occasion, because even during those dark days, when the “lamps went out all over Europe”, there still remained a glimmer of hope for eventual peace.

Britain declared war on Germany on August 4 1914, to take effect at 11 pm. Less than four hours later, the first shot was fired by the British Empire – not in Europe, but thousands of miles away at Point Nepean, near Melbourne.

On August 5 1914, at 12.45 pm, the German cargo ship SS Pfalz was in Port Phillip, desperately trying to leave Australian waters, for they were now in enemy territory. Just minutes after learning that war had been declared, Fort Queenscliff gave the order to Fort Nepean: “Stop her or sink her”.

The first shot was sent across the bow, fired by Sergeant John Purdue. The Australian pilot Captain Montgomery Robinson, who was guiding the Pfalz through the heads, tussled with the German captain for a little while, because Robinson was adamant the Pfalz must stop, or the next shot would go into the ship.

The Pfalz, which was carrying consular officials and contraband, surrendered and was requisitioned by the Australian navy. Her crew were captured and interned, so nobody was killed or even injured. So quietly began the war which would claim 16 million lives and change the world forever.

I also chose to feature Hope because it feels as if the world has become a darker place in the last twelve months. Every day I hear of war and strife, of fear and cruelty, of genocide and bloodshed, of my countrymen and women lying in foreign fields, or at the bottom of the sea.

At such times, all one can do is light a little candle against the darkness, and its flickering flame, which sometimes wavers, and sometimes leaps up tall and strong, is hope.

Hope is a familiar vocabulary word which suggests confident optimism and positivity, a belief that things will improve, or an expectation that a good outcome will be achieved.

Hope is one of the three theological virtues in Christianity, along with faith and love. It refers to the hope of attaining heaven, and means much more than a vague optimism – it’s a complete trust in God’s guidance, and a firm assurance of a reward in the next life.

Saint Hope is one of a trio of legendary martyred saints named Faith, Hope, and Charity, the daughters of Saint Sophia (Wisdom). Their story is very old, and they are clearly personifications of theological virtues. There is also a male Saint Hope, a 6th century Italian abbot.

Modern psychology also views hope in a very favourable light, with many seeing it as harnessing the power of positive thinking to overcome difficult circumstances. Like religion, it also sees hope as more than just optimism, being stronger, and more goal-oriented. While an optimistic person has a passive “something will turn up” attitude, a hopeful person actively works towards the attainment of their desires.

Hope makes an appearance in Greek mythology, in the story of Pandora, who curiously opened a jar which released all the evils of the world. When everything had gone, only Hope remained in the jar. The Greeks generally depicted Hope as a young woman carrying flowers in her hands, and the Romans worshipped her as a goddess, and a power which came from the gods.

Hope has been used as a girl’s name since the late 16th century, and although name sites often say it was first bestowed as a virtue name by the Puritans, there isn’t much evidence of that. In fact, early births suggest that it may have orignally been inspired by places, such as the Hope Valley in Derbyshire, or Hope Cove in Devon.

These place names don’t have anything to do with being hopeful, but are from an Old English word meaning “a small enclosed valley”; it’s one of the sources of the Hope surname. However, later on a Christian meaning does seem more obvious. The name Hope has sometimes been given to boys as well, and you may remember that war hero Hugo Throssell had Hope as one of his middle names.

The name Hope was #247 in the 1900s, and has been on the charts almost constantly, only dropping out for brief periods. It began rising in the 1970s, and seems to have peaked in 2010 at #177; currently it’s in the 200s.

Interestingly, the name seems to have gone down a little in popularity since the sitcom Raising Hope has been on the air; the baby who gives her name to the show’s title is called Hope Chance, and her father changed her name from Princess Beyonce, given to her by her serial killer mother. The eccentric Chance family may have dampened enthusiasm for the name.

I often see the name Hope in birth notices and newspaper stories, most often in the middle, and I think in almost every case, the name was given because the baby was conceived against the odds, or born in difficult circumstances. It adds an extra layer of meaning to the name Hope.

Hope isn’t as popular as Grace, or climbing in popularity like Faith, but that may make this underused classic virtue name all the more desirable. Simple, clean, sweet, and wholesome, it’s a pretty name evoking a state of mind almost magical in its power. May your little Hope glow like a candle in the darkness, may she shine like a star in the night sky.

POLL RESULTS

Hope received an outstanding approval rating of 86%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2014, and the highest-rated Famous Name for girls of the year. People saw the name Hope as a simple and elegant classic (29%), sweet and wholesome (21%), beautiful or pretty (16%), and having a very positive meaning (13%). However, 6% thought it was tacky and downmarket. Nobody was put off the name by the TV show Raising Hope.

(Photo shows candlelit vigil for World War I centenary service)

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