Famous Name: Howard

10 Thursday Sep 2015

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aristocratic surnames, dated names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, germanic names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, names from films, names from television, nicknames, Old English names, Old Norse names, saints names, surname names, UK name popularity, US name popularity, vintage names

Famous Namesakes
On September 24 it will be the 117th birthday of Howard Florey, the Australian scientist who was part of the team which developed penicillin for medical use. Although it was Sir Alexander Fleming who discovered the antibiotic properties of penicillin in 1928, it was Howard Florey and his research team who actually made penicillin into an effective medication.

While Professor of Pathology at Oxford, Howard and his team treated their first patient with penicillin in 1941. A police constable named Albert Alexander had been accidentally scratched with a rose thorn in his mouth, and was now suffering from severe infection, to such an extent that one of his eyes had to be removed. Within a day of receiving penicillin Albert began to recover, but due to the difficulties of making enough penicillin to continue treating him, he relapsed and died.

Let’s just take a moment to think about that. When did you ever hear of someone you knew who died from a scratch from a rose thorn? That was what the world was like before antibiotics – simple things like cuts, abrasions, and burns could kill you in prolonged, painful, and particularly nasty ways. If you somehow survived, you might be left chronically ill, crippled, or missing an eye or a limb.

It was too late to save Albert Alexander, but he hadn’t died in vain. Howard interested pharmaceutical companies in the United States in mass-producing quantities of penicillin, and the first patient was successfully treated for septicemia in 1942. By the end of World War II, penicillin had made a significant difference in saving the lives of wounded Allied forces, and Australia was the first country to make penicillin available for civilian use after the war.

In 1944 Howard was made a Knight Bachelor, and in 1945 shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine with his fellow researcher Sir Ernst Chain, and with Sir Alexander Fleming. That same year he received the Lister Medal for contributions to surgical science, and in 1948 the US awarded him the Medal of Merit. Elected to the Royal Society in 1941, he became its president in 1958. In 1962 he became provost of Queen’s College at Oxford, and the college’s residential Florey Building was named in his honour.

In 1965 he was appointed a life peer, and became Baron Florey, as well as being appointed a Member of the Order of Merit. From that year until his death three years later, he was Chancellor of the Australian National University, and after he died he was given a memorial service at Westminster Abbey. The one thing that his discoveries didn’t bring him was money – he never patented penicillin, being advised that it would be unethical.

The discoveries of Howard Florey, along with Alexander Fleming and Ernst Chain, are estimated to have saved more than 82 million lives. Long-serving Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies said: In terms of world well-being, Florey was the most important man ever born in Australia.

I have particular reason to be grateful to Howard Florey, as one of that club with 82 million members. When I was a child, I contracted a serious lung infection, and only just pulled through, even with the assistance of modern antibiotics. Without them, I would have been toast. So if you enjoy reading this blog, give thanks to Howard Florey! It couldn’t exist without him.

Name Information
The English surname Howard could be derived from Huard or Heward: related to the name Hugh, it combines the Germanic elements hug, meaning “mind, heart, spirit” and hard, meaning “brave, tough”. It could thus be translated as “brave heart”. Another possibility is that it is from Haward, an English form of the Old Norse Hávarðr, meaning “high guardian, chief guardian”. The surname Howard is first found in Norfolk.

The Howards are an aristocratic family which have been in the English Peerage since the 15th century, and remain the Premier Dukes of the Realm. The Howard family holds the Dukedom of Norfolk, as well as numerous earldoms and baronies. They hold the title of Earl Marshal, the highest hereditary position in the United Kingdom outside the Royal Family, responsible for organising coronations, state funerals, and the State Opening of Parliament.

The family’s founder was John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk: on his father’s side he was descended from King John, and on his mother’s from King Edward I. John Howard was the great-grandfather of two English queens: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both married to King Henry VIII. Queen Elizabeth I was the first English monarch to be descended from John Howard, and Queen Elizabeth II the first British monarch to be one of his descendants.

After the English Reformation, many of the Howards remained in the Catholic faith, and they are still the highest profile Catholic family in England. Philip Howard, 20th Earl of Arundel, has been canonised as a saint and martyr: he was imprisoned for ten years by his second cousin Queen Elizabeth I, and died in the Tower of London. Philip’s grandson William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, was falsely implicated in a fictitious conspiracy to assassinate King Charles II, and executed: he has been beatified as a Catholic martyr.

The Howards dubiously claim descent from Hereward the Wake, a semi-legendary hero who led a resistance against the Normans after the Conquest. Hereward is an Old English name meaning “guardian of the army”. A possibly dodgy old pedigree says the Howards are descended from the Howarth family of Yorkshire – this surname means either “homestead on the hill” or “homestead with hawthorn hedges”. Howard has been used as a boy’s name since at least the 16th century, most likely due to the aristocratic family.

Famous namesakes include Howard Carter, the British archaeologist who discovered Tutankhamen’s tomb; classic film director Howard Hawks; and eccentric tycoon Howard Hughes. Fictional Howards tends to be dads (such as Howard Cunningham on Happy Days, Howard “Ward” Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver, and Howard Stark, the father of Iron Man superhero Tony Stark), or offbeat (like Howard the Duck, Howard Wolowitz from The Big Bang Theory, and Howard Moon from The Mighty Boosh).

In Australia, Howard was #122 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1940s at #101; it hasn’t charted since the 1980s. In the UK, Howard was in the Top 100 from the late 19th century until the 1920s, but never got very high; in 2013 there were 16 babies named Howard born in England/Wales. The name has been much more popular in the United States: it was in the Top 100 from the late 19th century to 1958, peaked during World War I at #25, and has only been off the Top 1000 once, in 2013; it returned last year and is currently #986.

Howard is a dated name, although it has never been popular and might more properly be described as vintage. It sounds sturdy and dependable, has a good meaning, and can be shortened to either Howie or Ward. An issue in Australia is that it’s strongly associated with former conservative Prime Minister John Howard, whose term was from 1996 to 2007, often called the Howard Years or Howard Era; it may not be pure coincidence that the name disappeared from the charts in the 1980s when John Howard was Federal Treasurer.

POLL RESULTS
Howard received an approval rating of 51%. 18% of people thought the name Howard was too dated, while 16% were put off the name by former prime minister John Howard. However, 14% saw it as old-fashioned yet charming.

(Picture shows a scene from the 2009 film Breaking the Mould, with Dominic West as Howard Florey)

Famous Names: Bronwyn and Dolores

05 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 5 Comments

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controversial names, dated names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, Harry Potter names, Marian titles, modern names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, names from films, nicknames, Spanish names, UK name popularity, US name popularity, Welsh names

Famous Namesake
Bronwyn Bishop resigned as Speaker of the House two days ago, after a furore over her use of travel allowances. Usually when someone is caught out abusing the system they quickly hand in their notice and quietly slip away before too many questions can be raised. However Ms Bishop refused to admit she had done anything wrong and resisted all pressure to resign for three weeks, which meant we had plenty of time to hear about her extravagant travel expenses.

They included a $6000 private flight from Sydney to Nowra for a Liberal party fundraiser, and more than $1000 on a limo so she could attend a theatre premiere in her home city. There was also the $600 return flight to attend colleague Sophie Mirabella’s wedding in Albury, and $130 000 spent on overseas travel to Europe and Asia, including $1000 a day on private limos.

The one that really left people gobsmacked was a $5000 chartered helicopter to take her from Melbourne to a Liberal party fundraiser in Geelong and back – a trip which takes only about an hour each way by road. Referred to as Choppergate, this was the scandal that brought Ms Bishop down. She wasn’t a first-timer at this: in the 1980s she once hired a helicopter at taxpayer’s expense to transport her from a fete to a dog show.

Ironically, back in the 1990s Bronwyn Bishop rose to fame as the face of public accountability when she was on the Senate estimates and joint public accounts committee. This sounds dull and usually was – an assessment of government departments and where they spent their appropriations. Under Bishop, committee meetings became virtual show trials where senior public servants were routinely interrogated, hectored, and taunted for their spending habits.

When Bronwyn Bishop was appointed Speaker in 2013, the Opposition described her as Dolores Umbridge, after the infamous headmistress from the Harry Potter series. This didn’t refer to a penchant for hair ribbons or interest in fluffy kittens, but indicated a fear she was to be a corrupt tool of government. This turned out to be not unfounded, for in her term of office Ms Bishop showed considerable bias, ejecting 393 Opposition members from the house, but only 7 of her own party.

Bronwyn Bishop was appointed to the role of Speaker by the Prime Minister, who describes her as a close personal friend, and himself as her ideological love child. This has turned out to be yet another damaging captain’s call, and no doubt the next Speaker will be the choice of his party.

It’s been a spectacular fall from grace for the longest-serving woman in Parliament, who once boasted she would be a future Prime Minister. Now the Prime Minister admits her parliamentary career is at an end.

BRONWYN
Bronwyn is a variant of Bronwen, a modern Welsh name meaning “white breasted, fair breasted”. The meaning is possibly less important than the fact it is very similar to the medieval Welsh name Branwen, meaning “fair raven”; in Welsh legend, Branwen was the sister of Brân the Blessed. Both Bronwen and Bronwyn have been used since the 19th century.

There is a popular notion that Bronwyn is the masculine form of Bronwen, since in Welsh the suffix -wyn is usually attached to masculine names. In fact, you can get into some quite nasty arguments about it on baby name forums, with angry people telling you that you have ignorantly given your daughter Bronwyn a specifically male name.

However if you look at the records, Bronwyn was always used as a girl’s name in Wales right from the start, with the -wyn spelling just a variant, not an indication of gender. Interestingly, the few examples of men named Bronwyn I found, dating from the 20th century, were all from outside Wales. I suspect their parents read up on the Welsh language and “corrected” Bronwyn from feminine to masculine, possibly being a bit too clever in the process and giving their sons a traditionally female name.

While Bronwen was originally by far the more common spelling in the 19th century, Bronwyn overtook it in the 20th. It was popularised by the 1941 film How Green Was My Valley, with Anna Lee in the role of Bronwyn, the narrator’s sister-in-law that he loves. The film is based on the 1939 novel by author Richard Llewellyn, and is set in a Welsh mining village. In the book the sister-in-law’s name is Bronwen, and I’m not sure why Hollywood decided to spell her name with a Y. Perhaps they thought it looked more feminine.

The name Bronwyn first joined the charts in the 1940s, coinciding with the release of the film; it made its debut at #143. (Bronwyn Bishop was born in 1942, the year after the film came out). By the 1950s it had joined the Top 100 and peaked in 1964 at #53. It left the Top 100 in 1980, and hasn’t charted since the late 2000s.

For some reason, Bronwyn has only been popular in Australia: it doesn’t seem to have ever been a Top 100 name in the UK, and has never even charted in the US. In 2013, there were 23 baby girls named Bronwyn in England/Wales, and last year there were 49 baby girls named Bronwyn in the US. Numbers of Bronwyns seem fairly stable in both countries.

Bronwen has never charted in Australia. In the UK in 2013 Bronwens and Bronwyns were roughly equal (21 babies named Bronwen), while in the US there were 6 Bronwens, a lot less popular than Bronwyn.

Although Bronwyn is now a dated name, the sound of it seems to have led to the popularity of similar-sounding Bronte, which joined the Top 100 just as Bronwyn slipped off the charts. Perhaps even the rise of Bonnie owe something to Bronwyn, since a common nickname for Bronwyn is Bronnie.

DOLORES
Dolores is a Spanish name meaning “pain, sorrow”. It is taken from one of the titles of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Senora de Dolores, or Our Lady of Sorrows. The title refers to the Seven Sorrows of Mary, which are seven sad events in Mary’s life connected with her son Jesus. They begin with his Presentation in the Temple, and the prophecies made about him, and end with his body being placed in the tomb.

The feast day for Our Lady of Sorrows began in the Middle Ages, and was originally the third Sunday after Easter; today it is September 15. It’s possible that the name Dolores was first given to girls born around this feast day, although I can’t find any evidence for this.

The feast was rarely celebrated until the 16th century, and by the 17th century Dolores had become a common name in Spanish-speaking countries, although occasionally also used by Catholics in other countries. It came into common use in the English-speaking world in the 19th century, and was a particular favourite with Irish Catholics.

Dolores has never charted in Australia. In the United States, Dolores joined the Top 100 during the 1920s, the era when Mexican actress Dolores del Rio flourished as a Hollywood star. The first Latin American actress to become famous internationally, Dolores was exquisite, elegant, and gracious.

The name left the US Top 100 in the 1940s, after Dolores de Rio was accused of Communism during the McCarthy era, and continued her career in her homeland. The name left the charts in the 1980s, after Dolores del Rio’s death, but Dolores is still remembered as one of the classic Hollywood beauties, and a great lady.

During Ms del Rio’s heyday this name must have been exotic and glamorous, but now seems dated and frumpy. The evil Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter has not helped its image: her name was chosen because it sounds similar to the English word dolorous, which can be understood as “causing pain or grief” (it has the same Latin source as the name Dolores). However, Lola is a popular pet form of Dolores, and I can see Lolita, Dolly and Lolly becoming fashionable in the future.

Two names connected with Hollywood beauties which have fallen from favour, but are probably more influential on current trends that we give them credit for. Which one will score higher, I wonder?

POLL RESULTS
Bronwyn received an approval rating of 44%. 39% of people weren’t keen on the name Bronwyn, while 18% loved it.

Dolores received an even lower approval rating of 28%. 40% of people weren’t keen on the name Dolores, while 10% loved it.

(Photo from the ABC website)

Suburbs of Adelaide and Hobart Which Could Be Used as Boys Names

26 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 2 Comments

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Anglo-Saxon names, aristocratic names, aristocratic surnames, astronomical names, car names, colour names, dated names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, gemstone names, germanic names, honouring, locational names, middle names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, names from movies, names of animals, names of ships, nature names, nicknames, Old French names, plant names, popular names, rare names, retro names, Roman names, royal names, saints names, Scottish names, surname names, tree names, unisex names, vocabulary names

Austin
Austins Ferry is a suburb of Hobart, named after convict James Austin. Austin and his cousin was transported to Australia in 1803, and after their sentences expired, were given small land grants on the River Derwent near Hobart. In 1818 they established a ferry service across the river, and became very wealthy. You can still visit James Austin’s original cottage. Austin is an Old French shortening of the name Agustin, the equivalent of the English Augustine, and the surname Austin has the same source. Austin was #108 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1950s. It returned in the 1990s at #196, the decade of the Austin Powers spy comedies with Mike Myers in the title role. Groovy, baby! It climbed steeply and joined the Top 100 in 2011. It is currently #61, and was the fastest-rising name in Queensland and a fast-rising name in South Australia last year. It was a fast-rising name in New South Wales in 2013 too, so this retro name is doing very well for itself, and is now more popular than it has ever been before.

Cornelian
Cornelian Bay is a suburb of Hobart, whose bay on the River Derwent provides anchorage for yachts; there are boathouses and a waterside restaurant along its foreshore. The first English navigator to explore the Derwent was Lieutenant John Hayes; he came ashore here in 1793, and named the bay after the semi-precious cornelian stones which he found on the beach. Cornelian (also known as carnelian) is a dark red mineral whose name is from the Latin for the cornel cherry, a flowering dogwood tree which has small dark red fruit just the colour of the gemstone. Cornelian was used in Roman times for signet rings used to seal important documents, as hot wax doesn’t stick to it. It was a gemstone often associated with courage and good luck. Cornelian has been in very rare use as a personal name since the 17th century, and overall has been given fairly evenly to both boys and girls. Not many gemstones work well as boys’ names, but this sounds very similar to Cornelius, yet seems much more up-to-date. This would also make a great middle name, and is suitable for both sexes.

Fitzroy
Fitzroy is an inner-city suburb of Adelaide, and an exclusive area overlooking the North Adelaide Parklands. The houses are mostly 19th century mansions along a few tree-lined streets, as this is where the upper class settlers lived in the city’s early days. It may have been named after Fitzroy in Melbourne, which is named after Sir Charles FitzRoy, the governor of New South Wales in the mid 19th century. Another suggestion is that it was named for historic Fitzroy Square in London, whose name comes from Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton, an 18th century politician who was a distant ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales. The English surname Fitzroy (or FitzRoy) comes from the Old French for “son of the king”, and was traditionally given to illegitimate sons and daughters of a monarch, and could be inherited as a surname by their descendants. For example, the father of the 2nd Duke of Grafton was an illegitimate son of King Charles II by his mistress Barbara Villiers. Fitzroy has been used as a personal name since the 18th century, and was sometimes used to indicate a family relationship with illegitimate royalty. Roy- (and royal) names are on trend, and this is one you could consider that has Fitz or Fitzy as the nickname.

Hobart
Hobart is the capital of Tasmania; it is Australia’s second-oldest capital city after Sydney, and is our most southern capital city, serving as a hub for Australian and French Antarctic operations. It is located on an estuary of the Derwent River at the foot of Mount Wellington, and more than half of the city is taken up with bushland, so it contains much natural beauty. A small city with many historical buildings from its colonial past, Hobart has a great deal of charm. Hobart was named after Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire: Lord Hobart was the Colonial Secretary at the beginning of the 19th century. The surname Hobart is derived from the personal name Hubert, meaning “bright mind”. Hobart has long use as a personal name, and can be found often in historical records, with it being a bit of a favourite in Tasmania – indeed one example I found was Tasman Hobart. The Ho- at the beginning is rousing yet problematic, but you could use Bart or Barty as a nickname. A patriotic choice that may work better as a middle name.

Holden
Holden Hill is an inner-city suburb of Adelaide. It was named after a road extension called Halden’s Hill in the mid 19th century, as the land the road ran through was owned by a Mr Halden. The name was corrupted into Holden Hill. Holden is an English surname after a small village in Lancashire; it comes from the Anglo-Saxon meaning “deep valley”. Its most famous literary namesake is Holden Caulfield from J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. It’s quite likely that Salinger named the character after a friend called Holden Bowler he met while they were both working on a ship. Mr Bowler went on to run his own advertising business and was godfather to singer Judy Collins. In Australia Holden will remind people of the car company, its name coming from South Australian manufacturer Sir Edward Holden (although it is owned by General Motors). Sadly, Holden will cease production in Australia in 2017. A very uncommon name in Australia because of the car.

Jupiter
Jupiter Creek is a semi-rural suburb of Adelaide which was once part of a gold-mining area, and still a place to go fossicking. Its name was given by gold-miners, possibly after a bull named Jupiter who was fond of running away to graze there. In Roman mythology, Jupiter is king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder, the equivalent of the Greek god Zeus. Ruler of the heavens, he was a divine witness to oaths and the protector of the state and justice; his symbols were the oak tree, the eagle, and the thunder bolt. His name is from an ancient root meaning “O Father Sky-god”, so his name is an invocation: to speak the name of Jupiter aloud is to call upon the god. The Romans named the largest planet in the solar system after Jupiter, and believed those born under its influence to be especially fortunate. As Juno is a hip name for girls, and so is Juniper, Jupiter for boys doesn’t seem too strange. A possible issue is the movie Jupiter Ascending, which has Mila Kunis as a heroine named Jupiter.

Linden
Linden Park is an affluent suburb of Adelaide. It was named after a house and estate which was built by Sir Alexander Hay in 1861. Linden trees (Tilia) are also called lime trees, although they are not closely related to the tree which produces lime fruit. They are tall, shady trees that have great significance in Germany and Eastern Europe, where they were seen as sacred; in German folklore, the linden is said to be the tree of lovers. Lindens have often featured in stories and poems, often as a symbol of love, protection, or resurrection. In Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way, the narrator dips his madeleine cake into a cup of lime-flower tea, which opens up a flood of memories. The word linden is from an ancient Germanic root which may mean “mild, soft”: the timber of the linden tree is soft and easily worked, making it ideal for carving. Linden has been used as a name since the 18th century, overwhelmingly for boys, and is found in Australian records quite often, mostly from around the late 19th and early 20th centuries, although I know a few men around my age named Linden. I haven’t seen it on a young child, but this is a handsome, soft-sounding tree name, not so different in sound from popular Lincoln.

Montrose
Montrose is a northern suburb of Hobart. It is named after Montrose House which was built in 1813 by a Scottish settler named Robert Littlejohn, a renowned painter, botanist and teacher. It is the third oldest house in the state, and is named after Montrose, on Scotland’s east coast. A picturesque resort town, it is regarded as a cultural centre, and known for its sculpture. The town’s name is usually thought to be from the Gaelic monadh, meaning “moor”, and ros, meaning “peninsula”. Folk etymology understands it as “mount of roses”, and the town’s Latin motto is Mare Didat, Rosa Decorat, meaning “the sea enriches, the rose adorns”. Montrose is also a surname, and the Duke of Montrose is a title in the Scottish peerage, held by the Graham family. Montrose has been used as personal name since the 18th century, and first used by the Grahams. It has been used for both sexes, but is more common as a male name. Scottish and aristocratic, this is like a cross between Montgomery and Ambrose, and has Monty as the obvious nickname.

Sorell
Sorell is a historic market town north-east of Hobart, now a dormitory suburb of the city. It is named after William Sorell, the state’s third Lieutenant-Governor. William Sorell did a good job of cleaning up the colony, which he had found in a fairly lawless and untidy position. The English surname Sorell is from the Old French nickname Sorel, meaning “chestnut”, and given to someone with reddish-brown hair. It has been in rare use since the 19th century, and is given to both sexes, although more common overall as a male name. It may be known from Sir Julian Sorell Huxley, biologist and brother of Aldous Huxley. An interesting, intelligent name that may sound too close to the word sorrow for some parents.

Stuart
Mount Stuart is a suburb of Hobart on a ridge with the wonderful name of Knocklofty. The suburb is named because of Mountstuart Elphinstone, a Scottish statesman and historian who was Governor of Bombay (now Mumbai). A ship named in the governor’s honour as the Mountstuart Elphinstone visited Hobart in 1836, bringing the welcome news that the cruel and unpopular Lieutenant-Governor George Arthur was ordered to return to London. In celebration of getting rid of him, two roads were named Mount Stuart Road and Elphinstone Road, and eventually the area became known as Mount Stuart. Mountstuart Elphinstone was probably named after Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute in Scotland, the seat of the Stuarts of Bute. They are descended from Robert II of Scotland, the first of the Stuart kings (the Elphinstones are related to the Stuarts). The name of the Stuart dynasty comes from Stewart, the Scottish form of steward, meaning a governor. The first of this surname was Walter Stewart of Dundonald, High Steward of Scotland. The Stuart dynasty ended up ruling Great Britain for more than a century, and it’s because of them that Stuart was used as a personal name. Stuart was #135 in the 1900s, joined the Top 100 in the 1940s and peaked in 1969 at #31. It left the Top 100 in the 1990s and hasn’t charted since 2010. Stewart was less popular, never reached the Top 100, and hasn’t charted since the early 2000s.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Linden, Austin and Holden, and their least favourite were Montrose, Jupiter and Hobart.

(Photo shows Hobart)

From Mary to Olivia: Life Cycles of the #1 Girls Names in New South Wales

05 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by A.O. in Naming Issues

≈ 8 Comments

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Appellation Mountain, brand names, celebrity baby names, classic names, dated names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, modern classics, name data, name popularity, names from films, names from songs, nicknames, popular names, retro names, royal names, UK name popularity

Recently Abby from Appellation Mountain had a great article on the #1 girls names in the United States – such a good idea that I had to steal it! As we don’t have national data stretching back to the turn of the century, I’ve looked at the #1 girls names in New South Wales, since it is the most populous state, and has the best data. Annual data is only available from 1960, so until then the #1 names are for the decade only.

Mary 1900s and 1910s
The #1 name of the 1900s and 1910s (previous history unknown, but in the UK was #1 for the second half of the 19th century). Left the Top 10 in the 1940s, and the Top 100 in 2009. 2011 position was #101. Mary was the overall #1 girls’ name of the twentieth century.

Betty 1920s
Was #276 in the 1900s. Joined the Top 100 in the 1910s at #62 – sudden increase in popularity correlates with matinee idol Betty Blythe starting her film career. Shot up to #1 in the 1920s, the peak era for Blythe. Left the Top 10 in 1940, and the Top 100 in 1950. Left the charts in the 1990s.

Margaret 1930s and 1940s
Was #6 in the 1900s (previous history unknown, but in the UK had been stable in the Top 10 for the second half of the 19th century). Made #1 for both the 1930s and 1940s, coinciding with the early life of Princess Margaret. Left the Top 10 in the 1960s, and the Top 100 in 1970s; Princess Margaret attracted some controversy at this time. Failed to chart in 2010, but in 2011 was #428 – higher than before the drop. Margaret is the overall #1 girls’ name in Australian history.

Susan 1950s
Was #149 in the 1900s. Joined the Top 100 in the 1940s at #14 – sudden increase in popularity correlates with actress Susan Hayward starting her career. The #1 name of the 1950s, the peak of Susan Hayward’s career. Left the Top 10 in the 1970s, and the Top 100 in the 1980s. Although in steady use for many years, it failed to chart in 2011.

Jennifer 1960-62
Joined the charts and Top 100 in the 1930s at #75. Surged in popularity during the 1940s, correlating to career success of actress Jennifer Jones. Was #1 in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Left the Top 10 in 1970, and the Top 50 in 1995. Left the Top 100 in 2005. 2011 position was 260 and stable.

Karen 1963 to 1966
Joined the charts in the 1940s at #104 and the Top 100 in the 1950s at #13. By 1960 it was Top 10, and overall Karen was the most popular girls’ name of the 1960s. Left the Top 10 in 1977, and the Top 50 in 1983, leaving the Top 100 in 1987. Sudden drop in popularity correlates with the death of singer Karen Carpenter from anorexia nervosa, and the death of Karen Ann Quinlan, who had been in a long-term coma after a radical starvation diet. Left the charts in 2009, but made a slight recovery in 2011, ranking #631.

Michelle 1967-72 and 1974-75
First charted in the 1940s at #248 and joined the Top 100 in the 1950s at #52. By 1960 it had reached #18, and was in the Top 10 by 1961. Reached #1 in 1967, when The Beatles song Michelle won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Michelle reached #1 again in the mid 1970s, the most popular girls’ name of that decade. Left the Top 10 in 1985, the Top 50 in 1995, and the Top 100 in 2003. 2011 position was 233 and stable.

Kylie 1973
Joined the charts and Top 100 in 1965 at #93. Reached the Top 50 in 1968, and the Top 10 in 1970. Left the Top 10 in 1982, but managed to get back into it in 1987, the year of Kylie Minogue’s onscreen wedding to Jason Donovan in soap opera Neighbours. Left the Top 50 in 1989 and the Top 100 in 1990 – sudden fall in popularity correlates with Mary-Anne Fahey appearing as grouchy schoolgirl Kylie Mole in The Comedy Company television show. Left the charts in the late 2000s.

Rebecca 1976 to 1982
Was #179 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1930s. Made a comeback in the 1940s at #366, the same decade that Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rebecca was released. Joined the Top 100 in 1966 at #93, and the Top 50 in 1969. Joined the Top 10 in 1972, and was #1 four years later, staying in the top spot for eight years. Left the Top 10 in 1998, and the Top 50 in 2004. Left the Top 100 in 2008 – sudden fall in popularity correlates with actress Rebecca “Bec” Cartright leaving soap opera Home and Away. 2011 position was 188 and stable.

Sarah 1983
Has been on the charts since the 1900s, falling to its lowest level in the 1940s at #284. Began rising in the 1950s, and joined the Top 100 in 1964 at #98. Joined the Top 50 in 1970, and the Top 10 in 1976. Despite only being #1 for one year, Sarah was overall the most popular girls’ name of the 1980s. Left the Top 10 in 2005. Currently #44.

Jessica 1984-97 and 2000-01
Joined the charts in the 1960s at #437; similarity to Jennifer probably a major factor. Joined the Top 100 in 1976 at #97, and the Top 50 in 1979. Joined the Top 10 in 1982, spending thirteen consecutive years at #1 and managing to get there again at the start of the 2000s. Overall Jessica was the most popular girls’ name of the 1990s. Left the Top 10 in 2008. Currently #40.

Emily 1998-99 and 2002-2004
Has been on the charts since the 1900s, falling to its lowest level in the 1950s at #455. Began rising in the 1960s, and joined the Top 100 in 1977 at #77. Joined the Top 50 in 1981, and the Top 10 in 1989. Made #1 twice for a total of five years between 1998 and 2004, and was overall the most popular girls’ name of the 2000s. Currently #6.

Olivia 2005 and 2014
Joined the charts and Top 100 in 1978 at #65, the year that Newton-John starred as as Sandy in the movie Grease. Joined the Top 50 in 1990, and Top 10 in 1998. Currently #1 again, correlating with a busy period for actress Olivia Wilde.

Chloe 2006 and 2011
Joined the charts in the 1970s at #674, the decade when French fashion house Chloé was at its peak. Joined the Top 100 in 1985 at #98, the same year that actress Candice Bergen welcomed a daughter named Chloe. Joined the Top 50 in 1986 – sudden rise in popularity correlates with the birth of Olivia Newton-John’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi. Joined the Top 10 in 1996 and was #1 ten years later. Made #1 again in 2011, a key year for young actress Chloe Moretz. Currently #7.

Isabella 2007 and 2009-10
Has been on the charts since the 1900s, dropping off in the 1950s and the 1970s. Came back in the 1980s at #499, after actress Isabella Rossellini began her career in American films. Joined the Top 100 in 1993 at #78 and the Top 50 in 1994 – sudden surge in popularity correlates with actress Nicole Kidman welcoming a daughter named Isabella by adoption. Joined the Top 10 in 1998. Reaching #1 in 2007, it was back again in 2009, the year after the first Twilight film, with Kristen Stewart as Isabella “Bella” Swan. Currently #9.

Mia 2008
Joined the charts in the 1960s at #464 for the decade, the era when Maria “Mia” Farrow, daughter of Australian director John Farrow, began her career on soap opera Peyton Place. It joined the Top 100 in 1997 and the Top 50 in 2003 – sudden massive surge in popularity correlates with The Princess Diaries being released on DVD, with Anne Hathaway as Princess Mia. Joined the Top 10 in 2005, and was #1 for one year. Currently #2.

Ruby 2012
Was #21 in the 1900s and left the charts in the 1950s. Came back in the 1980s, at 548, the decade comedian Ruby Wax began her career on British TV. Joined the Top 100 in 1996 at #100, and the Top 50 in 1998 – sudden surge in popularity correlates with Ruby Wax getting her own interview show. Joined the Top 10 in 2010, just after the name Ruby was chosen for a baby on hit drama series, Packed to the Rafters. Two years later it was #1. Currently #8.

Charlotte 2013
Was #96 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1940s. Came back in the 1960s at #513, just as actress Charlotte Rampling began her career. Joined the Top 100 in 1989 at #86, and the Top 50 in 1998. Joined the Top 10 in 2003, and was #1 a decade later. Charlotte is currently #3.

What do the #1 names have in common? They include classics and retro names, but many had never appeared on the charts before they began their ascent to the top.

The amount of time it took to go from obscurity to popularity varied. Some leaped straight from nowhere into the Top 100, while others took decades – Mia had around 30 years between appearing on the charts and joining the Top 100. The average was 13 years.

One thing that nearly all the names had in common was the swiftness with which they went from the bottom half of the Top 100 into the Top 50: the average amount of time it took was just four years, and some managed it in a single year. The longest was Olivia, which took 12 years to get into the Top 50.

Once in the Top 10, the longest any names took to reach #1 was ten years. It took them at least two years before they reached the #1 spot, with the fastest being Jessica and Ruby. The average was six years.

Having made #1, names tended to stay in the Top 10 for a while, an average of twelve years. It took Kylie 17 years to finally leave the Top 10 for good, while Jessica was gone in just seven.

After they left the Top 10, most names were fairly quick to depart the Top 100, except Jennifer, which had 35 years of further popularity. Kylie had just three. Most of the names remained in reasonable use, so #1 names don’t usually become horribly dated, unless they become associated with something unpleasant or comical.

Can we draw any inferences for the future? It’s apparent that the nature of the #1 name has changed – the days of one name being at the top for several years are over. The change set in around the mid-2000s, which is when we all became a lot more conscious about name popularity. Since then, it seems as if being #1 is a job-sharing position, with several Top 10 names taking it in turns to wear the crown.

Could other current Top 10 names get to #1? Ava reached the Top 10 in 2008 and Amelia in 2009, so they still have until 2018 and 2019 to make the ten year deadline. However, Sophie joined in 2004, so time has run out – she should have been #1 last year if we accept a ten-year time-frame.

Speed of rising is a predictor of potential #1 success. If we look at names currently rising, Aria and Evelyn look like possibilities for the future, taking just 2 years to go from the bottom of the Top 100 to the Top 50. Harper, Isla and Ivy seem even more likely, as they took only one year.

Maybe that’s making parents of Arias and Islas feel a little nervous, but there’s one thing to remember: out of all the names given to babies in New South Wales since 1900, most didn’t get to #1. In other words, whatever name you love, the odds are on your side that it will never become the most popular name of the year.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite #1 girl’s name was Charlotte, gaining 20% of the vote. The least favourite was Michelle, which nobody voted for.

Name News: Bagging Out Bad Baby Names, Baby Boomers Bite the Dust, and Branding Your Baby

22 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by A.O. in Names in the News

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

acronym names, Baby Center, baby name businesses, baby name etiquette, choosing baby names, dated names, Facebook, Instagram, rare names, Vimeo

Lara Bingle and Sam Worthington’s son Rocket Zot recently got his name hammered in the press. Celebrity mum Chrissie Swan wouldn’t have approved of that, because she believes that nobody deserves to have their baby name rubbished. She had her children’s’ names, Kit and Peggy, criticised, so she knows how horrible it feels. However, even Chrissie draws the line somewhere, and for her it is demonic names. I’ve noticed nobody seems able to say, “All baby names are great”; everyone has a clause in fine print that says, “Except for these obviously terrible names that nobody in their right mind would consider”.

However, while Alissa Warren from Mamamia agrees that bagging out someone’s baby name after the baby is born is not on, she thinks it’s fine to do it before the baby is born (as a warning, I guess). Chrissie would not be on board with that, because her son’s name was called “a nothing name” before his birth, which has damaged her relationship with the friend who shared this pre-natal opinion. Lots of comments on the article, with nearly all of them saying that you can’t be rude about someone’s baby name before the baby is born either, or even if the name hasn’t been decided yet.

They weren’t quite criticised, but certain rare names chosen by Australian parents at Baby Center this year were mentioned on Scoopla. Boys names included Anthem, Basil, Denim, Falcon, Finnick, Guru, Judge, Patch, Ranger, Tiger, Viggo, Zealand, and Zeppelin, while unusual names for girls were Agape, Chia, Elowen, Holiday, Hyacinth, Lark, Neo, Nivea, Posey, Sparrow, Tempest, and Violina. Members voted Moody for boys and Yolo for girls (an acronym for You Only Live Once) as the most unusual names they had heard of.

Of course, people are always fiddling the numbers to “prove” how rare or how common a name is, sometimes with unconvincing results. The Daily Telegraph looked through the data, and found that names like Arya are more often used than “common” Australian names like Kylie and Sharon. Sharon is a common name for women in their fifties – not at all common for newborn babies. Surely no one is surprised to hear there are more new babies named Arya than Sharon?

Same with this article on baby boomer names which are supposedly “dying out”. There’s not many Bruces around, but the numbers have remained pretty stable for the past 15 years, which doesn’t spell death to me. Neil is holding its own, and Ian is a classic which is still in the 200s – not even close to needing palliative care. Sandra hasn’t disappeared from the charts just yet, and classic Helen has been stable for a decade and may even be on the rise. The article is quite right though that even the “dead” names could very well come back one day – one day people will be naming their babies after Great-Grandmother Judith, the same way Elsie and Ruby have been rediscovered.

If you yearn for your own unique baby name, and are dismayed to find that Finnick and Elowen aren’t as one-off as you’d hoped, a Swiss company will custom design you one, for a measly $40 000. They have 14 naming experts, 4 historians, 12 translators, and two trademark attorneys who will work for 100 hours to create a baby name list for you. All elements of the name will have a positive meaning, and they often combine words in a new order, or use vocabulary words that haven’t been used as names before. The trouble is that the company is called Erfolgswelle (it means “wave of success” in German), which doesn’t inspire confidence in their naming abilities.

You can also go the cheapie option, and crowd source your baby name, like north-coast NSW inventor Cedar and his partner Kylie did. Their baby came early, and he was a boy when they were expecting a girl, so they didn’t have any baby names planned. Cedar and his dad had already used crowd funding for their innovative bee hive, so naturally saw crowd sourcing the baby name as an extension. So far, the most popular baby name is Buzz.

And why does your baby need a unique baby name? So they can start building their personal brand, for we are assured that in the future there will be no such things as a CV, and employers will instead be making hiring decisions based on your personal website (preferably with its own .com) and social media strategies. Already nine year-old surfer Winter Vincent has his own Instagram, Facebook and Vimeo, and has attracted sponsors through his charity work and his “amazing name”. And Millie-Belle Diamond is only 14-months old but already earns up to $250 a post on Instagram flogging teeny-size fashion brands. Don’t Winter Vincent and Millie-Belle Diamond already sound like brand names? And they didn’t cost $40 000 or require a crowd to pitch in, so if you want an amazing name to brand your baby, you can do it yourself quite successfully.

(Photo of Millie-Belle Diamond from Instagram)

Girls Names from the Top 100 of the 1940s

01 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

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animal names, aristocratic names, Biblical names, classic names, colour names, controversial names, created names, dated names, english names, fictional namesakes, French names, gemstone names, German names, Greek names, hebrew names, Latin names, middle names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, nature names, nicknames, plant names, rare names, retro names, royal names, saints names, Spanish names, underused classics, unisex names, vocabulary names

These are names of babies born during World War II, and the first baby boomers, born in the years just after the war. If you are an older parent, your own mother might have been born in this decade, while young parents may see 1940s names as “grandma” names. For those wanting a name that’s ahead of the curve, there are rich pickings from this time period.

Coral
Coral is a gemstone made from the polished shells or exoskeletons of coral polyps – originally, and typically, Corallium rubrum, from the Mediterranean. Because this species has a pink or red colouring, the word coral also refers to a pinkish colour. The ancient Romans believed coral would protect children, and it was common for baby toys and teething rings to be made from coral, even in the 19th century. Coral jewellery has been worn since prehistoric times, although it was the Victorian era which made coral fashionable. Today, with greater awareness of the environmental impact of harvesting coral, many jewellers will no longer sell coral items, and consumers are urged to boycott jewellery made from coral. The name Coral was #194 in the 1900s, and joined the Top 100 in the 1930s. It peaked in the 1940s at #79, left the Top 100 the following decade, and was off the charts by the 1980s, perhaps partly due to growing environmental concerns. Leaving aside the gemstone, you could see this name as a way to celebrate our beautiful coral reefs, and marine environment.

Daphne
In Greek mythology, Daphne was a naiad; a nymph of fresh water, and daughter of a river god. Acording to legend, she was so beautiful that the god Apollo pursued her. Just as he was about to catch her, she pleaded with her father to help her, and he turned her into a laurel tree – Daphne literally means “laurel”, and it’s also the scientific name for the plant. The laurel became sacred to Apollo, and wreaths of laurel were traditionally given to those who had achieved victory. The name Daphne has been use since the 18th century, when classical names became fashionable, but only became common in the 19th, because of the interest in botanical names. Daphne was #82 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1920s at #22. It was #76 in the 1940s, left the Top 100 the following decade, and was off the charts by the 1970s. Recently it been in the charts again, and is around the 300s. Charming retro Daphne makes a distinguished choice, not a daffy one.

Frances
Feminine form of Francis, often given in tribute to St Francis of Assisi, although St Frances of Rome provides a medieval female saintly namesake. The name was commonly used by the British aristocracy, with examples such as Frances Cobham, a close friend of Elizabeth I, and Frances Grey, the mother of queen-for-nine-days Lady Jane Grey. The great Restoration beauty Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, drove King Charles II batty with desire, but she refused to become his mistress. Her lovely face was used as the model for Brittania on coins, medals, and statues, and can still be seen today. In common use since the 16th century at least, Frances is a classic name which has never disappeared from the charts. It was #52 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1940s at #47, leaving the Top 100 in the 1970s. It sank into obscurity in the late 2000s, but had a boost at the start of this decade which saw it move into the 500s, and is now around the 200s. More solid than Francesca, Frances is a quiet achiever which gets royal glamour from being the middle name of Diana, Princess of Wales, and offers the cool nickname Frankie.

Irene
From the Greek Eirene, meaning “peace”. In Greek mythology, Eirene was the personification of peace, depicted as a beautiful young girl carrying symbols of plenty. Another mythological Eirene was a daughter of Poisedon. The name was in use in ancient Greece, and one Eirene was a famous artist. There are a number of saints named Irene, with Irene of Thessalonica martyred with her sisters Love and Purity, so personifications of theological virtues. Originally more popular in eastern Christianity, it was the name of a Byzantine Empress, and has been used by European royalty. The name was originally pronounced e-REE-nee, but is usually said IE-reen now. Irene is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #19 in the 1900s, and peaked the following decade at #17. It was #56 in the 1940s, and left the Top 100 in the 1960s. It reached its lowest point in the late 2000s at #684, and since then become more popular, perhaps because it’s been used for several fictional characters in the past few years. Currently it’s around the 400s. This is a hip, underused classic with a lovely meaning.

Lois
In the New Testament, Lois was the pious grandmother of Saint Timothy. It’s not known what the name means: it may be from the Greek meaning “more desirable, more agreeable”, and understood as “the most beautiful, the best”. However, as Lois was Jewish, it could be an attempt to Hellenise a Hebrew name. Lois is also a male name – an Occitan and Galician form of Louis. The female name Lois has been in use since the 16th century, and was used by Puritan families. Lois Lane, Superman’s love interest, has given the name publicity for many decades, but more recently it has become a “mum name” on TV, with Lois Wilkerson from Malcolm in the Middle, and Lois Griffin from Family Guy. Lois joined the charts in the 1910s, debuting at #181. It joined the Top 100 in the 1930s, when it peaked at #84, and was #93 in the 1940s. It left the Top 100 the following decade, and was off the charts by the 1970s. Soft sounding Lois would make an interesting alternative to popular names such as Eloise.

Marlene
German name combining Maria/Marie and Magdalene, so it commemorates Mary Magdalene from the New Testament, the chief female disciple of Jesus Christ. The German pronunciation is mahr-LE-nuh, but it is often said MAHR-leen in English. The name became well known in the English speaking world because of iconic German-American film star Marlene Dietrich, whose real name was Marie Magdalene. The name Marlene rocketed into the Top 100 from nowhere in the 1930s when Dietrich became a star after appearing as the uberdesirable Lola Lola in Josef von Sternberg’s movie The Blue Angel. It both debuted and peaked at #63 in the 1930s. The name Marlene was #68 in the 1940s, when Dietrich did valuable war work, such as performing for the troops and raising war bonds. By the 1950s, when Dietrich became a cabaret star, the name Marlene had left the Top 100. It left the the charts in the 1980s, when Dietrich’s career was over. Despite being a dated name which spiked in popularity only briefly, Marlene still seems glamorous and sexy, fitting in with modern names such as Marley and Elena.

Pamela
Created by Sir Philip Sidney for his 16th century epic, the Arcadia; in the story, Pamela is an attractive main character. It is usually thought that Sidney based the name on the Greek for “all sweetness”. The name was given publicity by Samuel Richardson’s best-selling 18th century novel, Pamela, where a lovely teenaged maidservant is threatened with rape by her employer, but she successfully resists him, and is rewarded for her virtue by being allowed to marry him. Not only are there so many things wrong with that sentence, it was apparently based on a true story. Pamela was originally pronounced pa-MEE-luh, but PAM-eh-luh is more usual now. Pamela has been used since the 17th century, and an early namesake was Lady Edward Fitzgerald; although her real name was Stephanie, she named her eldest daughter Pamela. Pamela joined the charts in the 1910s, debuting at #310, and peaked in the 1940s at #9. It left the Top 100 in the 1970s, and hasn’t been on the charts since the early 2000s. This is an elegant literary name which is dated, but still seems very usable.

Ruth
In the Old Testament, Ruth was the loyal widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi, who famously offered to follow her mother-in-law wherever she went. Naomi married Ruth to one of her relatives, who called Ruth a “noble character”; she is one of the nicest people in the Bible, blessed with a loving spirit. Her name comes from the Hebrew ru’at, meaning “friend, companion” – it seems chosen for the story, as she was such a good friend to Naomi. Ruth is also an English word meaning “mercy, compassion” – it’s one of those words which only seems to be used in its negative form, as we often describe people as ruthless, but rarely ruthful. Ruth has been in common use throughout the modern era, and is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #66 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1920s at #41. It was #58 in the 1940s, and left the Top 100 in the 1970s. It’s currently around the 500s. An underused classic with two lovely meanings and a sweet namesake, this is a great name. After all, you can’t spell truth without Ruth!

Thelma
Popularised by Marie Corelli’s 1887 novel Thelma; in Corelli’s romance, Thelma is an enchantingly beautiful, snow-pure Norwegian princess who marries an English nobleman. The name Thelma had been in use since at least the 18th century, but the meaning is not known. One theory is that it is based on the Greek word thelema, meaning “will”, but there is no evidence to support it. It may be a variant of Selma, since Selma is a common name in Scandinavia even today, and Thelma was used in Norway before the novel was published. The name Thelma was also used in Spanish-speaking countries before Corelli’s novel, and Anselma (the long form of Selma) is a Spanish name. Thelma was #18 in the 1900s and peaked the following decade at #9. It was #96 in the 1940s, left the Top 100 by the following decade, and was off the charts by the 1970s. With the name Selma now receiving a boost from the film, could its clunky sister Thelma be in with a chance?

Valerie
English form of the French name Valérie, from the Latin name Valeria, the feminine form of Valerius, meaning “strong, healthy”. It comes from the same source as the name Valentine. St Valerie was a legendary French saint who was martyred by beheading, then went for a walk carrying her head. This was a popular thing for French saints to do in medieval legends, so the name Valerie got quite a boost. Valerie is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #180 in the 1900s, and joined the Top 100 the following decade. Peaking in the 1930s at #12, it was #38 in the 1940s. It left the Top 100 in the 1960s, and has remained in uncommon use. It had a small boost at the start of this decade, when it was in the 400s. Valerie is a classic with a rather luscious feel to it. It makes a great middle name too.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Daphne, Coral and Frances, and their least favourite were Marlene, Thelma, and Pamela.

(Picture shows members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force working on a RAAF plane; photo from the Australian War Memorial)

Names of Australian Prime Ministers’ Wives

25 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

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Anglo-Saxon names, Aramaic names, Biblical names, celebrity baby names, classic names, dated names, Etruscan names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, Finnish names, French names, gemstone names, German names, Greek names, hebrew names, Hindi names, honouring, Hungarian names, Indian names, Italian names, middle names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, names from movies, names from songs, nicknames, Old French names, rare names, Roman names, royal names, Russian names, saints names, Scottish names, Shakespearean names, UK name popularity, underused modern classics, unisex names, vintage names

It is Australia Day tomorrow, and for our patriotic lists, I thought it must be about time to have names of our prime ministers and their spouses. Ladies first!

Antonia
Antonia Watson (nee Dowlan) was the second wife of Chris Watson; she was a 23 year old waitress and he was 58. Antonia is the feminine form of the Roman family name Antonius. The Antonia was a very old family who claimed descent from Anton, a son of Hercules – Anton seems to have been invented, and the name may be Etruscan in origin. The most famous of the Antonii was Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony), made famous by Shakespeare’s play Antony and Cleopatra. Mark Antony’s first wife was his cousin Antonia, and he had three daughters, all named Antonia. The youngest Antonia was famed for her beauty and virtue, and became the mother of the Emperor Claudius, and grandmother of Caligula. There is a Saint Antonia who seems to be Saint Theodora under another name, and the name has been used amongst continental royalty – it was a middle name of Maria Antonia, otherwise known as Marie Antoinette. Antonia has charted since the 1950s, when it debuted at #346, and it peaked in the early 2000s at #279. Currently it is around the 400s, so this elegant name is an underused modern classic.

Bettina
Lady Bettina Gorton (nee Brown) was the wife of John Gorton. Bettina was an American student at the Sorbonne who met John while on holiday in Spain; he was a student at Oxford. After marrying in England, they moved to his family’s farm in Australia, and Bettina supported her husband in his political career. On an official visit to Sarawak, Bettina became interested in Asian languages and culture; she later graduated with honours in Oriental Studies from ANU and worked on the English-Malay dictionary. When John became prime minister, her knowledge of South East Asian languages made her a great asset when travelling overseas, and she established a native garden at The Lodge which is named in her honour. The name Bettina can have two possible origins. If German, it is a pet form of Elisabeth, while if Italian, it is a pet form of Benedetta, the feminine form of Benedetto, the Italian form of Benedict. One of the world’s first supermodels was Simone Bodin, who worked under the professional name “Bettina” in the 1940s and ’50s. The French model gave the name Bettina a little boost in the postwar era, but it’s never been common.

Blanche
(Josephine) Blanche d’Alpuget is the second wife of Bob Hawke; she was named after her great-aunt Blanche d’Alpuget, a pioneering journalist. Blanche lived in South East Asia for several years, and after returning to Australia, began writing about her experiences, winning a number of literary awards for both fiction and non-fiction. She later became Bob Hawke’s biographer: his wife tolerated their open relationship for many years, and after retiring from politics he divorced to marry Blanche. Blanche was originally an Old French nickname meaning “white”, to suggest “pure”. The name became common in the Middle Ages, perhaps because very fair skin was considered beautiful and aristocratic. It was popularised by Blanche of Navarre, who had a French mother; as she became Queen of Castile, the name was traditional in her royal family. A famous namesake is Blanche of Lancaster, the mother of King Henry IV, said to be pretty and fair. Blanche was #125 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1940s. This is a vintage name which works well in the middle; it might remind you of The Golden Girls or A Streetcar Named Desire.

Ethel
Ethel Bruce (nee Anderson) was the wife of Stanley Bruce. She and Stanley were a devoted couple, and the first to live at The Lodge. Ethel is a short form of names starting with Ethel-, such as Ethelinde. The Old English word ethel meant “noble”, and it was a common name element in royal and aristocratic names. The Victorians were mad keen on Anglo-Saxon names, and began using Ethel as a name in its own right; usually for girls, but occasionally for boys, as there were plenty of male names starting with Ethel-, such as Ethelred. The name was popularised by two 1850s novel – The Newcombes, by W.M. Thackery and The Daisy Chain by C.M. Yonge. Ethel was #14 in the 1900s, and left the top 100 in the 1940s before dropping off the charts in the 1960s. It recently became a celebrity baby name, when pop singer Lily Allen named her first child Ethel, and would appeal to someone looking for an old-fashioned alernative to the current crop of fashionable E names, such as Esther and Eloise.

Ilma
Ilma Fadden (nee Thornber) was the wife of Arthur Fadden. Ilma was a supportive political wife who campaigned for her husband and accompanied him on official visits overseas. The name Ilma can be a short form of Wilhelmina, as well as a Finnish name meaning “air”; I have also seen it listed as a Hungarian form of Amelia. I suspect that in everyday usage, it was often given as a variant of Elma – a name of obscure origin, possibly sometimes created from other names, such as Elizabeth and Mary. Ilma was #176 in the 1900s, and fell until it left the charts in the 1940s – it was a minor trend of the early twentieth century and almost a twin in popularity of Elma. Now this vintage name seems like an interesting multicultural choice not much different to Isla and Emma.

Jean
Lady Jean Page (nee Thomas) was the second wife of Earle Page, and originally his secretary. Like Joan and Jane, Jean is a medieval form of the Old French name Jehanne, introduced by the Normans, and a popular choice in both England and Scotland during the Middle Ages. In England, Jean was eventually surpassed in popularity by Jane, but continued being used in Scotland. In the 19th century, the name was re-introduced back to England, where it now seemed a Scottish name choice. Jean is also a man’s name, the French form of Old French Jehan, and thus the French equivalent of John. Jean first charted in Australia as a unisex name, peaking in the 1910s and ’20s (in the Top 50 if most of the Jeans were girls). In the 1950s, Jean joined the charts as a specifically feminine name, where it peaked at #140, and left the charts altogether in the 1990s. Never popular in the postwar era, it remains very well used as a middle name.

Margaret
Margaret Whitlam (nee Dovey) was the wife of Gough Whitlam. A former champion swimmer, Margaret was a social worker who seemed the perfect match for her husband, and the couple were deeply in love. Margaret was an outspoken advocate for women’s rights, a regular guest on radio and television, and a columnist for Woman’s Day. She died just two years before her husband, acknowledged as one of Australia’s National Treasures. Margaret is derived from the Greek for “pearl”. The name came into common use because of Saint Margaret of Antioch, a legendary saint who was tortured for her faith. She was supposedly swallowed by Satan in the form of a dragon but escaped unharmed, which made her enormously popular. Margaret has been used by European royalty since medieval times. Queen Margaret of Scotland was an Englishwoman married to Malcolm III canonised as a saint: the name has particularly strong associations with Scotland. Princess Margaret was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth; her grandfather was a Scottish peer. Margaret is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #6 in the 1900s, and the #1 name of the 1930s and ’40s. It left the Top 100 in the 1980s, and is currently in the 400s, where it has remained fairly stable for decades. An intelligent, dignified classic with tons of nicknames, including Daisy, Greta, Maggie, Maisie, Margot, Meg, Meta, Peggy, and Rita.

Martha
(Elizabeth) Martha “Pattie” Deakin (nee Browne) was the wife of Alfred Deakin. Alfred was a lifelong spiritualist, and Pattie shared his faith; their marriage was long and happy. Martha is the Latin form of the Aramaic name Marta, meaning “lady, mistress”. In the New Testament, Martha was the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany. Many remember the story when Martha was busy in the kitchen cooking for the disciples, while her sister Mary sat listening to Jesus. Worried and distracted, Martha asked Jesus to rebuke her sister for not helping her, but Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better path (tough advice for those who wear themselves out working for others). Practical and caring, Saint Martha is a role model for those seeking an active helping role in the spiritual life. Martha was #92 in the 1900s, and left the Top 100 the following decade, dropping off the charts briefly in the 1940s, and again in the 1990s. It had a minor comeback in the late 2000s, and is already a Top 100 name in the UK, and climbing. A strong, capable, and attractive name which has never been very popular.

Sonia
Lady Sonia McMahon (nee Hopkins) was the wife of William McMahon. The grand-daughter of one of Australia’s wealthiest men, she was an occupational therapist before her marriage. Glamorous and charming, Sonia made international headlines when she wore a revealing dress to a dinner at the White House, showing more leg than was usual. Sonia is a variant of Sonya, Russian pet form of the name Sophia, from the Greek for “wisdom”; Sonja is another common variant. Sonia is also an Indian name, meaning “golden” in Hindi. The name was popularised in the English speaking world through a 1917 best-selling novel called Sonia: Between Two Worlds by Stephen McKenna. The title character is an upper class English girl with big brown eyes and a face like a Sistine Madonna. Sonia first entered the charts in the 1920s, debuting at #309. It entered the Top 100 in 1967, around the time Sonia McMahon came into the public eye, and peaked in 1971 at #52 – the year she wore “that dress”. Leaving the Top 100 in the 1980s, it hasn’t charted since the early 2000s, having been well and truly taken over by popular Sophia.

Tamara
Tamara “Tamie” Fraser (nee Beggs) is the wife of Malcolm Fraser. Ambivalent about being in the public eye, she proved an excellent political campaigner, and was the first prime ministerial wife to employ her own secretary; Tamie also oversaw extensive renovations in The Lodge. She continues to be active in community affairs. Tamara is the Russian form of Tamar, a Hebrew name meaning “date palm”. The name became better known in the English speaking world because of Russian ballerina Tamara Karsavina, who moved to London as a ballet teacher in the 1930s. Tamara first joined the charts in the 1950s, debuting at #522. Its rise in the 1950s seems to be as a formal option for the name Tammy, which became popular because of a Debbie Reynolds romantic comedy called Tammy and the Bachelor: the song Tammy from the film became a smash hit. Tamara joined the Top 100 in 1975, when Tamie Fraser came into the public eye, and peaked in 1989 at #56, leaving the Top 100 in the early 2000s. Currently it is around the 300s, and shows some signs of a slight recovery.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Margaret, Antonia and Martha, and their least favourite were Blanche, Ethel and Ilma.

(Photo shows Sonia McMahon in the entrance hall of The Lodge, 1971)

Famous Name: Sheila

24 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

allegorical names, Australian slang terms, dated names, Gaelic names, Irish names, Irish slang, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, saints names, UK name popularity, US name popularity

September 9 marked the 119th birthday of Sheila Chisholm (named Margaret, and always known by her middle name). It was a century ago that Sheila left Sydney for her grand tour of Europe. A striking beauty with short auburn hair, lovely complexion, and big hazel eyes, she had grown up on a sheep station in country New South Wales, and was an accomplished horsewoman, and daring swimmer, popular as a good dancer with a sense of humour.

Once arrived in England, Sheila barely had time to “come out” for her first London Season before war was declared, and she headed off to Cairo to nurse wounded soldiers. During the war, she married the eldest son of a Scottish earl, Lord Loughborough (“Luffy”), and became a fixture of smart London society in the Prince of Wales set, admired for her languorous beauty, calm presence, and exotic colonial background.

Her marriage deteriorated, as Luffy was a gambling addict and unfaithful (both were considered acceptable for a man of his class). Sheila also took lovers, amongst them Prince Albert, known to his friends as Bertie. Bertie was entranced by Sheila as soon as they met, and the two became inseparable. King George V naturally wasn’t thrilled, and demanded that Bertie end it: his obedience was rewarded with a dukedom, and he soon married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Bertie later became King George VI, the father of the present queen.

Sheila also received attention from married Russian prince Serge Obolensky, American billionaire Vincent Astor (Serge was his brother-in-law), and film star Rudolph Valentino. However, after her divorce she married English baronet Sir John Milbanke (“Buffles”), and continued her ascent in society. She threw lavish parties, and was friends with celebrities like actor Fred Astaire, socialites Lady Diana Cooper and Wallis Simpson, and writers Noel Coward, Nancy Mitford, and Evelyn Waugh (she gave Waugh the idea for The Loved One).

In the post-war years, after being widowed, she not only became a millionaire businesswoman in the travel industry, but married an exiled Russian prince who was the cousin of her old flame, Obolensky. Sheila was very happy in her marriage to Dmitri Romanoff, so ended her amazing life as a princess.

Sheila’s biography, by journalist Robert Wainwright, is called Sheila: The Australian beauty who bewitched British society. Just published this year, the author has hinted of a possible TV deal – “It’s Downton (Abbey) meets Neighbours“. Keep an eye out!

Sheila is an Anglicised form of the Irish name Síle or Sìle, a medieval Gaelic form of the name Celia (although often understood as a form of Cecilia). It has several variant spellings, including Sheelagh and Shelagh. Rather confusingly, the name Sheila has historically been hyper-Anglicised to Julia.

The name Sheila has a special place in Ireland’s history, because in the patriotic traditions of the 17th century, it was one of the allegorical female names used to stand for Ireland (like Erin and Kathleen). In ballads, Sheelagh is a feminine personification of Ireland, a sovereignty goddess who is wasting away as she lacks a royal suitor. In political pamphlets, Sheelagh was a lady whose health suffered due to the violence inflicted on her by “Mr Bull”.

According to folklore, Sheelah was the name of St Patrick’s wife, or in other traditions, his mother. Irish communities celebrated St Sheelah’s Day on March 18: some say it was a day to sober up, while others saw it as a chance to continue the celebrations. St Sheelah’s health was to be drunk in whiskey, and the shamrock was worn on her day also. St Sheelah’s Day has been associated with snow storms, and in many stories she becomes an old crone, who quarrels with St Patrick and puts a spell of bad weather on the country out of spite. This makes St Sheelah seem more of a weather goddess than anything else – she is certainly not very saintly!

Another Irish connection to the name is the mysterious Sheela na Gig – grotesque carvings of a naked woman displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are all over Europe, but particularly in Ireland; they are often found on churches, and like gargoyles, their hideous appearance is said to drive away evil spirits. The name Sheela na Gig is usually translated as something like “Sheela showing her vagina”.

It is thought that Sheela na Gig represents a Celtic pagan goddess, perhaps a divine hag, or fertility figure. It is hard not to be struck by the coincidence of a “hag” named Sheela and the crone-like St Sheelah, and many note the similarity in sound between Sheela and the Gaelic word sidhe (pronounced SHEE), referring to a race of fairy-like beings who are the remnants of gods and goddesses. All very evocative and enigmatic.

Another riddle is how the name Sheila became Australian slang to mean “woman, girlfriend”. The first use of the slang dates to 1822, and the usual explanation is that Sheila was a common Irish name, and so widespread amongst Irish emigrants to Australia that it became a de facto term to mean “Irish woman”, the female equivalent of Paddy for an Irish man.

However Dr Dymphna Lonergen, an academic who specialises in the Irish language in Australia, notes that this makes little sense. Sheila isn’t a common Irish name, and not even a single woman called Sheila was transported to Australia in the 18th century. There were much larger numbers of Irish emigrants to Britain and America than to Australia, and Sheila never became a generic term for an Irishwoman there – in the US, the term for an Irishwoman is Biddy, short for Bridget.

She suggests that the term derives from Irish slang, where Sìle was used as a derogatory term for a man judged to be weak or effeminate, overly fond of female society and domestic pursuits, or a homosexual (this last sense is a “taboo” word, or underworld slang). Presumably the slang quickly became transferred from “womanish men” to actual women.

Whether the word remained derogatory is still up for debate! However, Robert Wainwright says that the phrase “good looking sheila” dates to the 1920s – the time when Sheila Chisholm first became well known in society. Could this stunning, vivacious Australian woman have inspired its use? If so, it seems like a great compliment.

The name Sheila was #236 in the 1900s, but joined the Top 100 in the 1910s at #83. It peaked in the 1920s at #67, and by the 1930s was already out of the Top 100. It hasn’t charted since the 1950s, and can be seen as a “trendy” name of the 1910s and ’20s (the time when Sheila Chisholm was most in the Australian society pages, and before sheila became widely used slang).

Although it’s often thought as very Australian, the name Sheila enjoyed more popularity in the United States, where it was Top 100 from the 1940s to the 1970s, and peaked higher at #50. It only left the charts in the late 2000s. In the UK, it was far more popular still, and Top 100 from the 1920s (when Sheila Chisholm entered the social scene) to the 1960s (when she died), and peaked at #6 in the 1930s. Last year 10 baby girls in England/Wales were named Sheila, a number which has held steady since 1996.

Disappointed that nobody much in Australia seems to have been named Sheila since around the ’50s? Fear not, because modern variants of Sheila abound here, such as Shayla, Shaylah, Shailah, Shyla, and Shylah, influenced by names like Kayla and Skyla. If they were all added together as one name (even though they sound different), Sheila would be somewhere in in the 100s, so not really that rare at all.

POLL RESULTS
The name Sheila received an approval rating of 31%. People saw the name Sheila as too closely associated with the slang term (27%), and too dated (17%). However, 14% thought it seemed cool, retro, and deserving of a comeback. Only one person thought Sheila made a geat Irish heritage choice.

(Portrait of Sheila Chisholm by Cecil Beaton, held by the National Portrait Gallery in London, courtesy of the Rosslyn Family Estate)

Famous Names: Clyde and Campbell

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

aristocratic surnames, birth notices, dated names, famous namesakes, Gaelic names, locational names, modern classics, name history, name meaning, name popularity, names of mascots, names of rivers, Scottish names, surname names, US name popularity

The Glasgow Commonwealth Games ended on Sunday, a very friendly games where Glasgow gave everyone a warm welcome. It was the first time England had won since 1986, and those games were also held in Scotland. In fact, it was a great Games for the British, with England, Scotland (fourth), and Wales (thirteenth) all winning more medals than they ever had before, in something of an Olympian afterglow.

At the closing ceremony, the baton was passed on to Australia, because the next Commonwealth Games will be held on the Gold Coast in April 2018. Let’s hope we’ll have better uniforms for that. Oh and by the way – it poured with rain the last few days of the Glasgow Games, but our team was warm and dry in their jumpers and anoraks, so who’s laughing now?

Now the Games are over for four more years, this is the end of our Scottish names. I picked the name Clyde because that was the mascot for the Glasgow Games, a cheery looking thistle named after the River Clyde, which flows through the city of Glasgow.

As an Australian reference, I picked Campbell for the Campbell sisters, Cate and Bronte, who did so well in the swimming. Between them they won five gold medals, so as many as Wales, and if they were a country they would have come fourteenth in the medal tally. They were also on the team which set a world record for the women’s freestyle relay.

Clyde is a Scottish surname, given to those who lived along the River Clyde. The Clyde is the third largest river in Scotland, and has its source in the Lowther Hills, in Scotland’s Southern Uplands. It meanders west across the country, and empties into the Firth of Clyde, the largest and deepest coastal waters of the British Isles.

The river’s Gaelic name is Chluaidh, which probably means “cleansing”. It may be related to the Latin cloaca, “sewer, drain”. Clyde has been used as a first name for boys since around the 18th century.

One of my favourite Australian Clydes is Clyde Fenton, a flying doctor in the years before WW II, who piloted his own plane as well as serving as a medical officer in the Northern Territory. Known for his kind and determinedly helpful nature, as well as his great resilience, he was famous for his daring rescues, lively escapades, and madcap pranks, which usually got him into trouble with the authorities. Although fairly indifferent to his own personal safety, he surprisingly lived into his eighties.

The name Clyde was #104 in the 1900s, when Clyde Fenton was born, and peaked in the 1910s at #96. It left the Top 100 in the 1920s, and hasn’t charted since the 1950s. Although it’s a dated name, it has never been really popular, and perhaps isn’t as tied to a particular era as you might think. Interestingly, this name just reached the Top 1000 again in the US, so seems to be having a comeback there.

The name sounds big and capable to me – perhaps because of Clydesdale horses. These Scottish horses were so important in colonial Australia they were called “the breed that built Australia”.

Campbell is a Scottish surname. The Clan Campbell are one of the largest of the Highlands clans, and became one of the most powerful families in Scotland. The Campbells had a reputation for being good soldiers and fighters, but lacking in diplomacy and cunning. The chief of the clan is the Duke of Argyll, in the Peerage of Scotland. The current Duke is Torquil Campbell, and his son and heir is Archibald Campbell, who is around ten years old – I think you will remember that Archibald is a traditional name in the Campbell family.

The name Campbell comes from Cam Beul, a Gaelic nickname meaning “crooked mouth, wry mouth”. The first person given this nickname is said to have been Dugald on Lochawe in the 12th century, who supposedly had a habit of talking out of one side of his mouth.

The name was originally Cambel, but as early as the 14th century it began to be spelled with a p, perhaps because the Norman knights at the Scottish court who were responsible for administration misunderstood it as from the Norman-French camp bello, “beautiful plain”. Campbell has been used as a (mostly male) first name since the 17th century.

Campbell began charting in the 1960s, debuting at #302. This is the decade British speed enthusiast Donald Campbell made several attempts in Australia to break land and water speed records, finally achieving success in 1964, when he broke both the land speed record on Lake Eyre in South Australia, and the water speed record on Lake Dumbleyung in Western Australia.

The popularity of the name Campbell went up steeply in the 1990s, the decade when sound-alike Cameron reached its height and began falling, and peaked in the early 2000s at #181. In New South Wales it seems to be somewhere in the 300s, but in Victoria it is around the high 100s. In the past, it has managed to be a Top 100 name in Tasmania.

It would be interesting to see how Queensland premier Campbell Newman affects the popularity of the name, since politicians generally don’t give names a boost, and Campbell Newman is extremely unpopular, according to the polls. In fact, it will be interesting to see whether he is still premier at the next Commonwealth Games. I do see Campbell quite frequently in birth notices, but not in Queensland, I must admit.

(Premier Newman was born in the 1960s, just as the name Campbell hit the charts, and a year before Donald Campbell broke the speed records in Australia, so his parents were naming trail-blazers.)

Campbell is a strong, handsome Scottish choice which has managed to become a modern classic without ever becoming popular. This makes it a desirable option for parents seeking a name that is familiar without being common.

Two Scottish surnames-as-first-names – but which one is better?

POLL RESULTS
Clyde received an approval rating of 41%, while Campbell did rather better at 59%.

(Picture shows the River Clyde in Glasgow, taken from the air)

Boys Names from the Top 100 of the 1920s

11 Sunday May 2014

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 7 Comments

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Anglo-Saxon names, aristocratic surnames, classic names, dated names, english names, epithets, famous namesakes, Gaelic names, germanic names, Irish names, locational names, middle names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, nicknames, Norman-French names, Old English names, Old Norse names, retro names, Roman names, royal names, saints names, Scottish names, surname names, unisex names, Welsh names

Happy Mother’s Day! One of my mum’s favourite hobbies is browsing in antique shops and vintage stores: sometimes you find the most wonderful items in these places, and marvel that we ever stopped making such beauties. On the other hand, sometimes there’s nothing but junk in them. But either way, you get to lose yourself in the past for a while. Here are ten boys names from the 1920s, and I will let you decide whether I have dug up something worthwhile, or whether they should be allowed to lie under dust sheets for a few years longer.

Athol
Based on the place name Atholl, a district of the Scottish Highlands which means “New Ireland” in Gaelic. One of its towns is named Blair Atholl, and the Duke of Atholl is a member of the Scottish peerage – the only person in Europe legally commanding his own private army, the Atholl Highlanders. Both Sydney and Adelaide have suburbs named Blair Athol; the one in Sydney is named after a historic house. A famous Australian namesake is Athol Guy, from folk group The Seekers – he’s the one with glasses. Athol has been used as a first name since the 18th century, and originates from the Atholl region of Scotland. Athol was #86 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1910s at #70; by the 1920s it was #72. It left the Top 100 in the 1940s, and hasn’t ranked since the 1950s. Athol unfortunately sounds a lot like the female name Ethel, and can be mispronounced to sound like a rude word (I went to primary school with an Athol, and can testify to this). It might be better suited as a middle name.

Bernard
Germanic name translated as “brave as a bear”. It was brought to England by the Normans, where it replaced the Old English equivalent, Beornheard. There are several saints named Bernard, including St Bernard of Mentone, founder of a famous refuge for pilgrims in the French Alps; the St Bernard dogs used to rescue people are named after him. Another is St Bernard of Clairvaux, who founded the Cistercian Order and is a Doctor of the Church, famed for his eloquence. Two Australian celebrities demonstrate the different ways this name can be pronounced: Bernard Fanning from Powderfinger says his name with the accent on the first syllable, while tennis player Bernard Tomic has his name pronounced with the emphasis on the second. Bernard was #62 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1920s at #53. It didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1970s, and last ranked in the 1990s. With more than sixty years in the Top 100, yet never in the Top 50, Bernard seems very usable. It’s a strong, masculine name that is quite funky, and comes with cute nicknames like Bernie, Barney, and Bear.

Herbert
Germanic name translated as “bright army”, and found very early in the form Charibert, who was King of the Franks in the 6th century; his daughter married a king of Kent. The Anglo-Saxons had their own form of the name, Hereberht, and there is a 7th century saint with this name, as well as an obscure French St Herbert. When the Normans conquered England, they brought the name with them, and it replaced the Old English form. Unlike many other medieval names, Herbert managed to remain in use because it is an aristocratic surname – the Herbert family have been Earls of Pembroke in an unbroken line since 1501. The first Earl of Pembroke was a courtier married to the sister of Catherine Parr, one of Henry VIII’s wives, and the present Earl still lives on the estate built by the first Earl. The name Herbert became popular during the 19th century, when Sidney Herbert, the 14th Earl, was a distinguished politician famous for being the most handsome MP of his day. Herbert was #23 in the1900s, and #48 by the 1920s. It left the Top 100 in the 1940s, and hasn’t ranked since the 1960s. I have seen one or two small children named Herbert, and this is one for the serious lover of vintage names, with the nicknames Herb, Herbie, and Bertie.

Ian
Anglicised form of Iain, a modern Scottish Gaelic form of John, derived from the medieval Irish name Eoin. Both Iain and Ian date from the 19th century, and it is not impossible that Iain was an attempt to Gaelicise English Ian. Ian was #128 in the 1900s, and joined the Top 100 the following decade. It was #57 in the 1920s, and peaked in the 1950s at #10. It didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1990s, and is currently stable in the mid-200s. This makes Ian a very safe choice – it’s a classic which was popular for eighty years, and is still in reasonable use.

Lloyd
English form of the Welsh Llwyd, commonly translated as “grey”, which in practice referred to various shades of brown in different contexts, and white, in the sense of grey hair being white. Although Llwyd was sometimes used as a personal name, it became better known as an epithet, which came to describe someone with mouse-brown hair, and then developed into a surname. By this stage, the original meaning of “grey” was pretty much lost, and it was understood as “brown-haired”. The word llwyd could also be understood as meaning “holy, blessed”, although this doesn’t seem to have contributed to the surname. In Britain, Lloyd has some heavy-duty business clout, due to Lloyds Bank, and the insurance market Lloyd’s of London. Use of the name may have been boosted by David Lloyd George, Britain’s only Welsh Prime Minister. Lloyd was #148 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1910s at #80. By the 1920s it was #91, and it left the Top 100 the following decade. However, the name Lloyd continued to chart until the late 2000s. It’s still in occasional use, and I see it quite often as a middle name in birth notices. Lloyd may be a little clunky, but it’s not an outrageous choice.

Ross
A region in north-west Scotland, said to mean “headland” in Gaelic, perhaps referring to the Black Isle, a peninsula in the Scottish Highlands. Another possibility is that it means “horse island” in Old Norse, in reference to the island of Orkney. The Scottish surname Ross originates from this area. However, the surname has English roots too, because there are places in England named Ross, with the meaning “headland”, and Rozzo was an Anglo-Saxon name meaning “fame” (related to the name Rose). The Rosses were a large Yorkshire family who came over with William the Conqueror from the village of Ros in Normandy (the name means “red’); in the Middle Ages they bought up large tracts of Ayrshire, so their surname also became Scottish. Ross has been used as a personal name since at least the 16th century, and first used in England rather than Scotland. Ross was #203 for the 1900s, and hit the Top 100 in the 1920s at #75. It peaked in the 1950s at #37, didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1980s, and still ranked in the late 2000s. Ross is fairly common in the middle, and wouldn’t be too surprising up front.

Roy
Anglicised form of Ruadh, a Gaelic name meaning “red”, often used as a nickname for someone with red hair. One of the most famous bearers is Scottish outlaw Raibeart Ruadh MacGriogair, known in English as Rob Roy MacGregor. His story was turned into a best-selling novel by Sir Walter Scott, and Liam Neeson starred in a film about him. The name can also be derived from the surname, which can be from Ruadh, but also from Norman-French Roi, meaning “king”. This could be used as a nickname, but was a medieval personal name as well. Roy was #25 in the 1900s, and #34 by the 1920s. It left the Top 100 in the 1950s, and reached its lowest point in 2010 with a ranking of 0. Since then, Roy has begun to pick up steam, and has become rather fashionable, along with similar names like Royce, Elroy and Leroy. This classic is once again on trend.

Sidney
Aristocratic surname which probably comes from a place name meaning “at the water-meadows” in Old English. However, folk etymology derives it from the French Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris named after the city’s first bishop. The Sidney family became prominent during the Tudor period; Sir William Sidney was squire to Henry VIII. Sir William’s grandson was poet Sir Philip Sidney, famous for creating the name Stella. The story goes he had a noble and gallant death, for as he lay dying in battle, he gave his water to another wounded soldier, with the words, “Thy necessity is yet greater than mine”. Sir Philip’s great-nephew was Algernon Sidney, a 17th century republican executed for treason, and afterwards revered as a heroic patriot and martyr. Although Sidney had been used as a first name since the 16th century, it became much more popular in the United States during the 18th and 19th, because Algernon Sidney’s anti-monarchist views were highly influential to the American conception of liberty. Although it has charted for both sexes in the US, in Australia Sidney has only charted as a male name. Sidney was #48 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1910s at #47; by the 1920s it was #63. It left the Top 100 in the 1940s, and dropped from the charts in the 1980s. However, it ranked again in the late 2000s at #450, and has been gently increasing. This retro name is back in style, along with its short form, Sid.

Terence
English form of the Roman family name Terentius, of unknown meaning. The Roman comic playwright we call Terence was named Publius Terentius Afer, and he was a slave (probably from Libya) of a Roman senator from the Terentius family, who educated him, and later freed him; he adopted the name Terentius after gaining his freedom. There are several saints we call Terence, although most of them were named things like Terentianus, Terentian, or Tertius. Terence has been used as an English name since the 17th century, and in Ireland was used to Anglicise the name Toirdhealbhach, meaning “instigator”. Terence was #141 for the 1900s, and joined the Top 100 in the 1920s at #71. It peaked in the 1940s at #30, and left the Top 100 in the 1960s. It hasn’t ranked since the 1990s, but Terence still seems usable, and could be seen as either a “posh” choice or an Irish one.

Wallace
English surname derived from the Norman French waleis, meaning “foreigner”. Although often translated as “Welsh”, the word waleis could refer to someone from Wales, or from the English counties bordering Wales, or to Cornish Celts, or to Bretons who came to England after the Norman Conquest and settled in East Anglia. The surname became associated with Scotland because of the early medieval Kingdom of Strathclyde, which straddled northern England and southern Scotland. The people of Strathclyde spoke Cumbric, a British language closely related to Old Welsh, and were known as walensis. Even after becoming part of Scotland, it remained a distinctive area into the 12th century. The surname is famous because of Sir William Wallace, a commander during the 13th century Wars of Scottish Independence who has become an iconic Scottish national hero. There have been many books and poems written about Wallace’s exploits, and he features in the film Braveheart, played by Mel Gibson. Wallace has been used as a first name since the 17th century, and originates from Scotland. Wallace was #74 for the 1900s, and peaked in the 1920s at #68. It left the Top 100 in the 1940s, and hasn’t ranked since the 1950s. Wallace really deserves to make a comeback, and the nicknames Wally and Wal are cute.

POLL RESULTS
The public’s favourite names were Sidney, Wallace and Ian, and their least favourite were Terence, Athol and Herbert.

(Picture shows two boys riding their tricycles amongst grape vines in Mildura, Victoria in the 1920s; photo from Museum Victoria)

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Waltzing More Than Matilda

~ Names with an Australian Bias of Democratic Temper

Tag Archives: dated names

Famous Name: Howard

Famous Names: Bronwyn and Dolores

Suburbs of Adelaide and Hobart Which Could Be Used as Boys Names

From Mary to Olivia: Life Cycles of the #1 Girls Names in New South Wales

Name News: Bagging Out Bad Baby Names, Baby Boomers Bite the Dust, and Branding Your Baby

Girls Names from the Top 100 of the 1940s

Names of Australian Prime Ministers’ Wives

Famous Name: Sheila

Famous Names: Clyde and Campbell

Boys Names from the Top 100 of the 1920s