Requested Name: Dimity

20 Wednesday Feb 2013

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english names, fabric names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, historical records, name history, name meaning, nicknames, rare names, Russian names, vocabulary names

Dimity is a type of corded fabric, which since the 18^th century has been made with cotton. The name was applied to two different types of corded cotton – one a heavy material used for bedcovers and curtains, and the other a lightweight, sheer fabric, often white with gingham checks, used for women’s dresses, skirts, blouses and lingerie. People usually think of the second meaning when they talk about dimity. The word comes from the medieval Latin dimitum, derived from the Greek dimitos, meaning “double thread”.

There is a great daintiness and femininity to the fabric, but at the same time it is surprisingly tough because of its double weave. These days, dimity is often part of vintage fashion and considered a lovely “old-fashioned” textile.

Its image in the past was twofold. On the one hand, it was seen as very ladylike and respectable, so that in her diaries, the novelist Virginia Woolf used the word in the sense of “niminy-piminy”, to indicate an overly refined and fussy femininity. On the other, it had rather a saucy side, because in Victorian tableau vivants of an erotic nature, the women wore body stockings and were draped in see-through dimity to preserve their modesty.

Information on the history of Dimity as a girl’s name is rather thin, but it seems to be much more common in Britain and Australian than elsewhere, and to be a name from the 20^th century. The earliest Dimity I could find in the records dates to World War I, with an apparent peak in the years after World War II, from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.

Although the name can be found in records from the United States, it’s a bit confusing, because there the name seems to have been used as a short form of the Russian name Dimitrya. I can’t even tell if the women were actually called Dimity in real life, or if this is used as a shorthand for Dimitrya by the people writing the records. So although the English name Dimity might have a history of use in the US, it is not possible for me to be sure.

The whimsical and lightly tripping sound of the name Dimity has made it very suitable for fiction, with Australian children’s author Bob Graham penning Dimity Dumpty, about the sister of Humpty Dumpty, and American children’s author Jane Yolen writing of Dimity Duck, the friend of Frumity Frog.

Another American author, Nancy Atherton, has an entire series about an Aunt Dimity who manages to solve mysteries from beyond the grave. Interestingly, Ms Atherton’s novels are set in Britain rather than her homeland, and she also has to explain to her readers how to pronounce the name Dimity (DIM-uh-tee). This lends weight to the notion that the name Dimity is less familiar in the United States.

I get the impression that in times past, Dimity was seen as rather upper-class, and like Verity, had the image of being a Head Girl/Debating Team Captain/Pony Club Champion sort of a name. These days I think it seems much more accessible, with the number of successful women named Dimity in the public eye giving it greater exposure. I suspect that the popularity of the similar-sounding Trinity may also broaden its appeal.

Famous namesakes include news reporter Dimity Clancey, opera singer Dimity Shepherd, ballerina Dimity Azoury, violinist Dimity Hall, United Nations Women Australia board member Dimity Hodge, and speech pathologist Dr Dimity Dornan, who has been honoured for her lifetime working with deaf and hearing-impaired children. There seems to be many successful women called Dimity, considering that the name is apparently quite rare.

Dimity is a dainty, feminine name with a hint of whimsy, but not one to be underestimated. Like the fabric it is named after, there is a strength to delicate Dimity. Although it is an uncommon name, it isn’t unfamiliar in Australia, and has many high-achieving namesakes.

Thank you to Brooke for suggesting Dimity as a featured name.

POLL RESULT: Dimity received an approval rating of 69%. People saw it as poetic and whimsical (20%), delightful (19%), delicate but strong (15%) and dainty and demure (10%). However, its detractors thought it was too odd and eccentric (10%), or even “frightful” (8%). Nobody thought Dimity was a lower-class name.

(Picture is of a 1930s-style white dimity dress)

Waltzing with … Orange

17 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by A.O. in Waltzing with ...

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Banjo Paterson, Celtic names, colour names, Devon names, english names, famous namesakes, French names, fruit names, historical records, locational names, middle names, mythological names, name combinations, name history, name meaning, name trends, nature names, patriotic names, plant names, rare names, royal names, Sanskrit names, sibsets, surname names, tree names, unisex names, vocabulary names

Today is Banjo Paterson’s birthday, and as we have already covered his name, I thought it would be interesting to look at the name of his birthplace.

At the time of Paterson’s birth, his parents were living at Buckinbah Station, near the town of Yeoval (then known as Buckinbah). Because of the station’s isolation, Banjo’s mother Rose went to stay with her aunt and uncle, Rose and John Templer, at their homestead Narrambla, and it was here that she gave birth to her son. Narrambla is about 2 miles from the centre of Orange, and today lies on the city’s outskirts. Rose herself was born on a homestead near Orange, so it was rather a family tradition.

Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales. It was founded in the early 1820s as a convict settlement, and farmers began settling in the area in 1829. The first discovery of gold in Australia was made in 1851 near Orange, leading to the gold rush. Orange became a trading centre for gold, and continued growing due to its good position for agriculture. It was declared a city in 1946. Orange is known for its fruit growing, especially apples, pears and stone fruits; ironically it is too cool to grow oranges in Orange. It is also a thriving wine making area, and has both gold and copper mining. It is a sister city to Orange in California.

Orange was first called Blackman’s Swamp, after John Blackman, the guide who brought the first explorers there. The name was changed to Orange by the Surveyor-General Sir Thomas Mitchell, in honour of William, Prince of Orange. Mitchell and the Prince had both been aides-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington during the Peninsular War in Spain in the early 19^th century. The Prince of Orange later became the first King of the Netherlands.

The Prince’s title originally came from the Principality of Orange in the south of France. It began life as a settlement called Arausio, named after a local Celtic water god; the god’s name is said to mean “temple”, meaning the temples that are on the forehead, not a temple as in a building for worship.

The town’s name was corrupted into Orange, and by the Middle Ages, conflated with the word orange, which comes from the Sanskrit for “orange tree”, naranga. The colour was named after the fruit, and first used this way in the 16^th century.

As a personal name, Orange has a longer history than you might imagine, for the girl’s names Orenge and Orengia are found in the 13^th century. As this predates the name for the fruit, their etymology is extremely uncertain, and possibly has the same source as the French town, which first became a principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the 12^th century.

The surname Orange is either from the place name, or derived from the female name, and when the English name Orange appears in the early 17^th century, it may have been after the surname. The name first arises in Devon, and in the beginning was exclusively given to girls, although the name became unisex after William III of England, or William of Orange, gave it a masculine feel.

As a first name, Orange is extremely rare in Australian records, and given to only a few girls, but as a middle name is much more common, and given to boys in almost equal numbers as girls (the middle name Orange was sometimes combined with William in the case of boys, showing that William of Orange still had some naming clout).

Colour names for girls are popular at the moment, with many little girls named Scarlet or Jade; tree names such as Olive and Willow are in the girls’ Top 100, surnames such as Marlowe and Quinn are fashionable for girls, and it’s not unusual to see baby girls named after European cities, such as London or Vienna. Orange seems a more vibrant continuation of these trends. Indeed, you could see it as a hyper juiced-up Clementine.

Orange is such a bright, outgoing, fun colour that it seems very cheerful as a person’s name, but it also has a more serious side, because orange is connected to religion and spirituality. There’s a real yin/yang, East/West dichotomy with the name Orange. Is it as crazy as a clown’s wig? Or as serene as a meditating Buddhist monk?

Orange fruit gains its colour from carotenes, the same thing which makes deciduous leaves turn orange. By chance, the city of Orange is known for its spectacular displays of autumn leaves, and it is therefore known as “The Colour City” (also a play on its name). You might see Orange as a name that evokes the changing of the seasons, and the turn of the year.

Although Orange started life as a girl’s name, it did become unisex, and is so rare that it could be worn by either boys or girls. If you are shy about using this vivid name, it would make an eye-catching middle.

Orange is a bold choice as a baby name, though not without shades of subtlety, and it celebrates Australian geography and history. I think Orange is one of the more distinctive of the patriotic names, and has a real tang to it.

Name Combinations for Orange

Orange Beatrice, Orange Eliza, Orange Lily, Orange May, Orange Ruby, Orange Victoria

Brothers for Orange

Eden, Hartley, Fitzroy, Paterson, Sunny, Tennyson

Sisters for Orange

Audley, Breeza, Corindi, Junee, Kendall, Marinna

Note: Name combinations from historical documents; just for fun, sibsets include names of other towns in New South Wales

POLL RESULT: Orange received an approval rating of only 27% – the lowest-rated featured name of 2013, and the only one to score less than 50%. 40% of people hated the name Orange, and nobody loved it.

(Picture shows a postcard from the city of Orange)

Requested Famous Name: Banjo

14 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names, Requested Names

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

aliases, Australian Aboriginal names, Australian names, Australian slang terms, english names, famous namesakes, historical records, musical instruments, name history, name meaning, names of horses, nicknames, patriotic names, pen names, pseudonyms, vocabulary names

On Sunday February 17 this year it will be the 149^th birthday of Andrew Barton Paterson, affectionately known as “Banjo” Paterson. To celebrate, The Orange and District Historical Society will be throwing him a birthday party, with a car rally, picnic lunch in Banjo Paterson Park, poetry readings, stories of Banjo’s life, and walk around the historic property where he was born.

Because this is a name blog, I feel obliged to explain that Paterson was named Andrew after his Scottish-born father, and his middle name Barton was a family name from his mother’s side; he was related to Edmund Barton, who would later become Australia’s first prime minister. Because he and his dad had the same name, Paterson went by his middle name, and was always known as Barty to his friends and family.

Paterson lived with his grandmother while he was attending the prestigious Sydney Grammar School, and she encouraged in him a love of poetry. He was 21 when he first began submitting poems to The Bulletin, under the pseudonym of “The Banjo” (sometimes shortened to a simple “B”). Full of fierce nationalism and a desire for a fairer society, he had some aspirations to write fiery polemic, and had even written a political pamphlet. However, The Bulletin had other ideas.

In the late 19^th century, there was a movement towards the British colonies of Australia becoming one country, a feeling that Australia should be a united nation, and Australians a united people. In the effort to provide Australia with a unifying mythology that would instil nationalistic pride, it seemed that the Australian bush and outback would be the symbol to draw everyone together.

The Bulletin suggested that Banjo Paterson try his hand at bush poetry in line with its nationalist editorial policy. Banjo had been born in the Central West, but spent most of his childhood and youth growing up on the family property near Yass, north of Canberra. It was here he learned to ride, and watched the horsemen from the Murrumbidgee River and Snowy Mountains country play polo and take part in picnic races. He gained a great love of horses, and an admiration for horsemanship.

When he wrote The Man from Snowy River, it was a poem of reckless horse-riding heroism which immediately captured the nation’s imagination, and which still has our heart. It made his name, and his first poetry collection, under the title The Man from Snowy River, is the most-sold collection of Australian bush poetry ever, and is still reprinted today. During his lifetime, Banjo Paterson was second only to Rudyard Kipling in popularity among living poets writing in English.

Banjo Paterson was a colleague and friend of Henry Lawson, but had a very different way of seeing the bush. In Banjo Paterson poems, the bush is a place of adventure, romance and beauty, populated by heroes who live in freedom amongst the gum trees, honest freckle-faced youths, and characters with funny names and odd yarns about them.

Australia is the Outback, and pioneers, and songs around the campfire under the starry sky, and swagmen camped by billabongs. It’s a country of warmth and humour, and although it never quite existed, like all good mythology it lives in our hearts and minds. Banjo Paterson gave us a dream of Australia – one from which we have never truly awakened.

When it comes to names from history, often times there is a tinge of tragedy to them; some sadness attached to the real person who bore them, or even a whiff of scandal. There is no darkness to the name Banjo – Paterson was a decent, highly intelligent man who cared very much about the less fortunate, but he was essentially a happy person who was popular and sociable, and liked sport and the outdoors.

He wore his fame easily, remained modest about his talents, and never had any scandal attached to him. He was able to fulfil many of his dreams, and those that were denied him didn’t set him back. He enjoyed the ordinary love of friends and family, as well as the extraordinary love and devotion given to him by his nation. He is the model of what we hope for and expect from our celebrities.

The equine-loving Paterson took his pen name name of The Banjo from that of a horse owned by his family. This always seems to be described as “a favourite horse”, or even “his favourite horse”, but I cannot find any original source for this. Paterson himself simply describes it, no doubt with affection, as a “so-called racehorse“.

The origin of the horse’s name is apparently lost to history, but the word banjo has a history as a slang word in Australia. Slang dictionaries suggest as possible meanings “frying pan”, and “shoulder of mutton”. Another meaning was “shovel used for mining”, which during World War I, became used for any military entrenching tool – in other words, there are some correlations between the slang terms banjo and digger!

A banjo is military slang for a bacon and egg roll, because the motion of constantly dealing with crumbs while eating is reminiscent of someone playing the banjo. And Banjo Paterson himself has added another slang term – a banjo is a $10 note, because Paterson’s picture is on it, along with the words to The Man from Snowy River (Henry Lawson was on the old $10 note).

The banjo is the descendant of musical instruments brought to Colonial America by African slaves, and long seen as a staple of country music, the music of the poor and downtrodden (the kind of people that Banjo Paterson cared about). It is not known where the word banjo comes from, but the most likely source is West Africa, where it may be the same word they used for bamboo.

There are quite a few men named Banjo in Australian records, with the name most common as a nickname or alias. Many must have been named in honour of the poet, with some families named Paterson apparently finding it hard to resist having their own “Banjo Paterson”. The name isn’t unusual in Aboriginal communities, where it is given as a nickname.

The name Banjo gained fresh impetus when actress Rachel Griffiths named her son Banjo Patrick in 2003; since then the name has received more use, with 12 baby boys named Banjo last year in Victoria alone.

Banjo is an uniquely Australian name; one which seems strange in other countries, yet cosy and familiar in our own. It’s patriotic and honours one of our most beloved national poets. It’s cute, cool, and has a very Aussie nickname too – Joey.

Thank you to Brooke for suggesting Banjo as a featured name.

POLL RESULT: Banjo received an approval rating of 86%, making it one of the most highly esteemed names of the year. It was seen as uniquely Australian and patriotic (36%), cool and different (30%), and cute and spunky (20%). The remaining 14% of people thought it was over the top, weird, or ridiculous.

(Picture shows Banjo Paterson with the score to Waltzing Matilda)

Underused Names for Boys

10 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 14 Comments

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Anglo-Saxon names, Arthurian legends, Arthurian names, band names, Biblical names, British names, celebrity baby names, Celtic names, Cornish names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, French names, German names, Gothic names, Greek names, hebrew names, Jakob Grimm, Latin names, locational names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, nicknames, Old English names, Old French names, Roman names, royal names, Sabine names, saints names, Scottish names, Shakespearean names, Sir Walter Scott, surname names, unisex names, William Shakespeare

This follows on from last week’s Underused Names for Girls; to briefly recap, they are names which aren’t common here (used less than six times in the 2012 Victorian data, have never charted in Australia), but still have a history of use in Australia (can be found in historical records).

Alaric

Alaric is from the Gothic name Alareiks, meaning “ruler over all”. Alaric I was the king of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in 410, and his great-grandson, Alaric II, was ruler of the Visigothic kingdom, covering most of Spain and the south of France. Another Alaric was a legendary king of Sweden, skilled in battle and sport, and a masterful horseman. He had a brother Eric, and for some unknown reason, the pair of them killed each other with their horses’ bridles, which seems an awfully strange choice of weapon. The name Alaric is far commoner in fiction than in real life, where it tends to be either chosen for comedies, in the belief that the name Alaric sounds amusingly high-faluting, or science-fiction/fantasy, in the belief that it sounds geekily exotic. In the TV series, The Vampire Diaries, there is a character named Alaric; he says his name uh-LAHR-ik, although most sources say the name is pronounced AL-uh-rik. Powerful and commanding, this is unusual, but sounds similar to familiar names like Alan and Eric.

Blaise

In Arthurian legend, Blaise was the priest who baptised the wizard Merlin, became his tutor and friend, then took the trouble to write down all Merlin’s deeds for posterity. There is a Saint Blaise, who is a saint of healing, as he cures sore throats (the saint was a doctor as well as a bishop). He seems to have been quite popular in England, perhaps because his feast day of February 3 is right after the Celtic festival of Imbolc and the Christian feast of Candlemas, and often marked by bonfires. Blaise sounds like the word blaze, so a pleasing coincidence for fire-lovers. The most famous namesake is Blaise Pascal, the French theologian and philosopher. The meaning could be from either Latin or Greek. If Latin, it means “stuttering, lisping”; if Greek it means “bow-legged”, so either way it’s not flattering. Saint Blaise was Greek, but the Blaise of Arthurian legend is probably meant to be Roman or Romanised, so you can take your pick. It’s a name loved for its sound, namesakes and associations rather than its meaning.

Corin

Corin is a French surname derived from Quirinus; Saint Quirinus was part of a Roman missionary group sent to convert Gaul, and legend has attached to this popular saint all the standard saintly stories, such as killing a dragon and going for a stroll after getting his head chopped off. The original Quirinus was an early Roman god, probably a Sabine war deity. The Sabines had an altar to Quirinus on the Quirinal Hill, one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The Romans considered him to be a deified Romulus, and in the early days he was a major god, although they gradually lost interest in worshipping him. However, even after the fall of Rome, the Quirinal Hill remained a place of power, so that it was chosen as the seat of royalty, and later the residence of the Presidents of the Italian Republic. The name is linked to the name of the Sabine town Cures, and may come from the Sabine word for “spear”. There is a shepherd named Corin in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and a Prince Corin in C.S. Lewis’ The Horse and His Boy. You can also see this name from another perspective, for in British legend, Corineus was a great warrior and giant-killer who founded Cornwall; his name may be an echo of Cernunnos, the Celtic god, whose name is usually translated as “horn”, or “horned one”. There are several place names in Cornwall apparently derived from Cernunnos (including Cornwall itself), and the name Corin enjoyed early popularity in Cornwall and Devon – so you can see this as a British name just as much as a French one. This packs a double mythological punch, and doesn’t seem much different than names such as Corey or Colin.

Edgar

Edgar is an Old English name meaning “rich spear”. Saint Edgar the Peaceful was a king of England; a Scottish King Edgar was a son of Saint Margaret. The name became rare after the Norman Conquest, but had a revival in the 19t^h century, after Sir Walter Scott’s historical novel, The Bride of Lammermoor, told the story of tragic lovers Lucy and Edgar – a tale which ends in madness, murder and quicksand. Edgar is also a character in William Shakespeare’s King Lear; disinherited by his father, he wanders the heath disguised as a babbling madman. Noble and clever, he is also enigmatic with a touch of darkness; he enjoys playing the crazy beggar just a little too much. The most famous person named Edgar is probably the American writer, Edgar Allen Poe, said to have been named after Shakespeare’s character. Poe’s works are also quite dark and enigmatic, dealing with topics such as grief, guilt, mystery, murder, madness, doom, death, drugs, and being buried alive. Edgar is related to the other Ed- names, such as Edward and Edwin, but seems more vintage, a bit edgier, and a touch more Gothic. This name might be uncommon, but it’s also traditional and comes with all the usual Ed and Eddie nicknames.

Giles

This is based on the Latin name Aegidius, derived from the Greek for “young goat”. Aegidius was a 7^th century hermit from Athens who lived in the south of France with a tame deer; in Old French his name became Gidie, then Gide, and finally Gilles; when the Normans took his name to Britain, it became Giles. A noted miracle worker, Saint Giles was very popular in the Middle Ages, and his name became common; it was also given quietly but steadily to girls (even into the 20^th century). Although we often think of Giles as a terribly “English” name, Saint Giles is the patron saint of Edinburgh, and the name Giles is traditional in Scotland; many Gileses in Australian records have Scottish surnames. The English haven’t done this name many favours, as it’s a favourite in English books and TV shows for good-natured upper class twits. However, this doesn’t reflect the reality of the name, or the Australian experience of it, and I think it’s possible to see Giles in quite a different light. I can see Giles as a solid country-style name, a brother to Archie and Will, or slightly hipster, a brother to Hugo and Barnaby. If you crossed Gus with Miles, you might end up with something that looks a little like Giles …

Huxley

Huxley is an English surname. The Huxley family were Normans who came to Britain after the Conquest and settled in Cheshire, taking their name from a village near Chester, which was originally named Holdesieia, and corrupted into Huxley. The original name may be from the Anglo-Saxon for “sloping land”, and Huxley is believed to mean’s “Hucc’s wood”, with Hucc being an Anglo-Saxon nickname meaning “insult, taunt”. Huxley has been used as a personal name since the 18^th century, and early examples are from the Cheshire area, suggesting they may have been named directly after the village. The Huxley family have produced an astonishing number of brilliant thinkers, from the biologist T.H. Huxley, supporter of Charles Darwin, to the author Aldous Huxley, who wrote Brave New World. T.H. Huxley came to Australia as a young man, and did such excellent work in natural history that he was made an immediate Fellow of the Royal Society on his return (Mount Huxley in Tasmania is named in his honour). T.H. Huxley’s distant cousin, Sir Leonard Huxley, migrated to Australia in childhood, and became one of our most distinguished physicists. With its fashionable X and intellectual pedigree, this name seems very hip, and comes with the nicknames Huck or Hux.

Jethro

Jethro is translated as “excellence, abundance” in Hebrew, and in the Old Testament, Jethro is the father-in-law of Moses, and a priest (it is never made clear in what religion he was a priest, but by the end he accepted Yahweh as his God). Jethro is revered as a prophet in Islam, and is held in the highest regard by the Druzes. The most famous person with this name is Jethro Tull, an English agricultural pioneer who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution which formed the basis of modern farming practices. The rock band Jethro Tull is named after him. You may also remember the dull-witted Jethro Bodine from The Beverly Hillbillies. Jethro is a little bit hick and a whole lot hip – it’s hickster.

Rufus

Rufus started life as a Roman nickname, but afterwards became a family name; it’s from the Latin for “red haired”. There are many famous men with the surname Rufus, including the Stoic philosopher Gaius Musonius Rufus. His views on philosophy were moderate and practical, encouraging all men and women to follow a philosophical life, and giving advice on all manner of topics, including diet (vegetarian, raw) and hairstyles (long, beardy). He was so highly-regarded that when all other philosophers were expelled from Rome by the Emperor Vespasian, Rufus was allowed to stay. There are at least ten saints named Rufus, one of whom is mentioned in the New Testament as a disciple of St. Paul; his father was the man who carried the cross for Jesus on the way to Calvary. There is also the Gaelic saint Mael Ruba, whose name is Anglicised as either Maree or Rufus. King William II of England was nicknamed “Rufus” for his ruddy complexion. Famous people named Rufus include the Canadian-American singer Rufus Wainwright, and the British actor Rufus Sewell; Roger Taylor from Queen has a son named Rufus Tiger. With names ending in -us becoming fashionable, Rufus looks set to become the new Atticus.

Wolfgang

Wolfgang is a German name meaning “wolf path, wolf journey”, and interpreted by folklorist Jakob Grimm as being the name of a hero who follows in the wake of the “wolf of victory”. It has two heavy-duty namesakes: composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; there is also a Saint Wolfgang, one of the patrons of Germany. Eddie Van Halen chose this name for his son. Nearly all Wolfgangs in Australian records have German surnames, and although this would make a striking heritage choice, it could work even if you don’t have a scrap of German ancestry. Wolfgang is one of those names that people seem to either love or loathe, so it attracts some extreme reactions. The usual nicknames are Wolf or Wolfie.

Zebedee

In the New Testament, Zebedee was a fisherman, and the father of the Apostles John and James. He is mentioned as being left behind in the boat when Jesus called the brothers to “become fishers of men”; we never learn whether he was supportive of his sons’ career change, or thought they should have remained fishers of fish. Zebedee’s wife was one of the women present at the crucifixion. The name Zebedee is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Zebadiah, meaning “Yahweh has bestowed”, and nearly always interpreted as “gift of God”. There is an English painter named Zebedee Jones and an English newsreader named Zebedee Soanes; both these Zebedees were born in the 1970s, when the cult children’s show, The Magic Roundabout, was first on television. In the show, Zebedee was a jack-in-the-box who is popularly recalled as ended the show by bouncing down out of nowhere and intoning, “Time for bed, children” (although I’m not sure how often this occurred). With Old Testament names for boys becoming a bit old hat, it could be time to consider some of the more unusual New Testament names. This one is full of zest, and the nickname Zeb is as cowboy cool as Zeke and Jed.

POLL RESULT: People’s favourite names were Huxley, Alaric, and Corin, and their least favourite were Wolfgang, Zebedee, and Giles.

(Picture shows Zebedee from The Magic Roundabout)

Underused Names for Girls

03 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 20 Comments

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Arabic names, Arthurian legends, celebrity baby names, Disney names, english names, ethnonyms, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, flower names, French name popularity, French names, German names, germanic names, Greek names, historical records, How Green Was My Valley, Italian names, Latin names, mythological names, name data, name history, name meaning, name popuarity, names from movies, nature names, nicknames, Old French names, Old Welsh names, Oz: The Great and Powerful, plant names, Poldark, popular culture, Puritan names, rare names, royal names, saints names, Shakespearean names, surname names, The Iliad, The Wizard of Oz, tribal names, unisex names, virtue names, vocabulary names, Welsh names, William Shakespeare

Last week we had names from Victoria which were used less than ten times in 2012. Those names are uncommon – but what if you wanted something even rarer? These are names which don’t appear even once in the Victorian data from last year, and have never charted in Australia. However, they are not strange or obscure, and all of them can be found in Australian historical records.

Angharad

Angharad is an Old Welsh name meaning “greatly loved”. It was reasonably common in medieval times, and there are several Angharads in Welsh history. In Welsh mythology, Angharad Golden-Hand is the lover of Peredur, one of King Arthur’s knights. Angharad Morgan is a main character in How Green Was My Valley, and in the film version was played by Maureen O’Hara. Actress Angharad Rees became well known in the 1970s for playing the role of Demelza in the TV series Poldark. Lots of famous Angharads, yet I could find only one woman named Angharad in Australian records. The pronunciation, ang-HAH-rad, may have caused some concern. This is a strong and unusual name with a lovely meaning. It would definitely stand out.

Beatrix

Beatrix is based on the name Viatrix, the feminine form of the Latin name Viator, meaning “voyager, traveller”. Early on, the spelling was altered to associate it with the Latin word beatus, meaning “blessed”, and it was common amongst early Christians. Some baby name books sandwich these two meanings together and interpret it as “blessed traveller”. Saint Beatrix was an early Roman martyr; according to legend, she was strangled by her servants. The name became less common in England after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19^th century. One of the most famous people with this name is Beatrix Potter, the children’s writer and illustrator, who gave us such delightful characters as Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Squirrel Nutkin and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. As well as these talents, she was also a scientific researcher, conservationist, farmer, and sheep breeder. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands helps give this name a royal touch, and a famous literary character is Beatrix “Trixie” Belden, girl detective. To me, this charming name seems spunkier and more eccentric than her sister Beatrice.

Cressida

In Greek mythology, Chryseis was the daughter of a Trojan priest named Chryses, and she was captured by the Greek champion Agamemnon as part of the spoils of war; he refused to give her back even after being asked nicely. Chryseis’ dad prayed like blazes to the god Apollo, who obligingly sent a plague through the Greek soldiers until Chryseis was returned. A later legend says that she bore Agamemnon a son. Her name given in the Iliad simply means “daughter of Chryses”; appropriately for a priest of Apollo, Chryses’ name means “golden”, perhaps in reference to sunlight. Some writers say Chryseis’ real name was Astynome, meaning “possessor of the city”. When medieval authors retold the tale of the Trojan War, this story had a complete rewrite. Chryseis became Cressida (KRES-ih-duh), and one corner of a tragic love triangle; she is made the epitome of the false woman and the whore. Some authors were sympathetic to Cressida’s plight, and in Shakespeare’s version, Cressida is complex, highly intelligent and witty. A famous Australian with this name is the artist Cressida Campbell. I find this literary name quite bewitching.

Emmeline

Emmeline is the Old French form of the Germanic name Amelina, based on the word for “work”; it is therefore related to the name Amelia, and not to Emily. The name was introduced to Britain by the Normans, and many people prefer to give it a slightly French pronunciation as EM-uh-leen, while others seek to Anglicise the way it is said as EM-uh-line (like Caroline). My experience is that the British tend to say leen, Americans tend to say line, and Australians have a bob each way and can usually cope with either. There were several prominent suffragists named Emmeline, including Emmeline Pankhurst, Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence and Emmeline Wells. Australia mountaineer Emmeline Du Faur was the first woman to climb Mount Cook (in record time), and the first person to climb several peaks – always dressed in a skirt. Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence was a keen hiker and woodcrafter, and to me the name Emmeline sounds vigorous, healthy, and practical. Emmeline has a solid history of use in Australia, being commonly found in old records, and today its nickname Emmie means it fits in with popular names such as Emily, Emma and Emmerson.

Isadora

Isadora is a variant of the name Isidora, the feminine form of Isidore, from the Greek for “gift of Isis”; the Egyptian goddess Isis was worshipped widely in the ancient world, and she was also important to the Greeks and Romans. Saint Isidora was a 4^th century Egyptian nun, considered to be a “holy fool”, and treated with contempt by the other nuns for her eccentric ways, such as wearing a dirty dishrag on her head instead of a veil, and eating only leftovers instead of proper meals. When a visiting saint came to the nunnery, he immediately picked out Isidora as the only person holier than himself; upset by the praise and attention, Isidora ran away into the desert to be a hermit, and nothing more is known of her. The most famous Isadora is the American dancer Isadora Duncan, who developed her own unique style of dance, based on the natural movements of the human body. Like the saint, she was considered eccentric and radical, and danced to the beat of her own drum. Isadora is a beautiful, glamorous and individualistic name!

Lavender

Lavender has been used as a personal name since the 17^th century, and was given to both sexes. It may have originally been derived from the surname, which is Norman-French and based on the word lavandier, referring to a worker in the wool industry who washed the raw wool (this is an occupation that both men and women had). Even in the middle of the 20^th century, you can still find boys named Lavender. By now, however, it is almost entirely thought of as a girl’s name, and considered to be from the flower. The flower name comes from the Old French lavendre, possibly from the Latin for “blue-coloured”, lividius, but also influenced by lavare, meaning “wash”, because lavender was used in washing clothes. Lavender is often used to scent soaps and beauty products, and has been used as a relaxation aid for thousands of years. The colour lavender is associated with sensuality and decadence, and at one time, was considered symbolic of homosexuality. Like Rose, this is a pretty old-fashioned flower name that is more complex that it first appears.

Sabine

Sabine is a French and German form of Sabina, the feminine form of the Latin name Sabinus, meaning “Sabine”. The Sabines were an Italian tribe who inhabited the region where the city of Rome stands today, and some of them fought against Rome for their independence. According to legend, the Romans abducted Sabine women to populate the city of Rome; the war between the Romans and Sabines ended when the women threw themselves and their children between the armies of their fathers and those of their husbands. The history behind the legend is that the conquered Sabines assimilated with the Romans, beginning a new line of inheritance. Many of the noble Roman families traced their ancestry to Sabine origins, and at least some of the deities and rituals of Rome came from the Sabines. The Sabines were said to have taken their name from the hero Sabus, who was worshipped as a deity. Although it is too long ago to be sure, one theory is that the tribal name Sabine meant “us, ourselves, our own people”. You can either say this name the French way, sa-BEEN, or the German way, za-BEE-nuh; most English-speakers use the French pronunciation. There is at least one famous man named Sabine – the writer Sabine Baring-Gould, whose name was after the surname (derived from the personal name). You can find both men and women named Sabine in Australian records. Sabine is smooth and sophisticated, but comes with a cute nickname – Bean.

Theodora

Theodora is the feminine form of the Greek name Theodoros, meaning “gift of God”. The name pre-dates Christianity, but its meaning appealed to early Christians, and there are a few saints with this name. One of them was Saint Theodora, who as punishment for her pious celibacy, was dragged into a brothel. Her first “customer” was a Christian man, who had came to save her; they were both martyred, but their virtue remained intact. This story is probably fictional, and may have been inspired by sacred prostitution, of which Christians obviously disapproved. An Eastern Orthodox Saint Theodora disguised herself as a man and joined a monastery. Her identity as a woman was only discovered after her death. The name was a very popular one for Byzantine empresses, and Theodora I is also regarded as a saint. A Roman Theodora was a senator, and supposedly the lover of one of the early popes. She was harshly condemned for daring to “exercise power like a man”. The hussy! The image you get from these historical Theodoras is of very strong, independent, determined women – which might explain why Disney has chosen this name for the Wicked Witch of the West in Oz: The Great and Powerful. Pop star Robbie William welcomed a daughter named Theodora Rose last year, called Teddy; he wanted a dignified full name for the cuddly nickname, and Theodora fit the bill perfectly.

Verity

Verity is an English word meaning “truth”, especially in regard to religious truth or doctrine. It has been used as a personal name since the 17^th century, and would have been given as a virtue name by the Puritans. However, it was most likely also given in honour of the surname, for births of Veritys in Yorkshire are suggestive, given that the Verity family is a prominent one in that county. The surname is Anglo-Norman, and has the same meaning as the personal name. Originally, Verity was a unisex name, and in early records is given equally to boys and girls. The first Verity I can find born in the United States was a boy, and his family were Puritans in Massachusetts. You can find the name Verity given to both sexes in Australian records, but only as a middle name for boys, and it has never been very common here. Famous Australian women named Verity include the politicians Verity Barton and Verity Firth, the ABC presenter Verity James, and the actress Verity Hunt-Ballard, who played Mary Poppins in the Australian version of the musical. This is a crisp, clean name which sounds intelligent and upper-class to me.

Zia

Zia is a variant of the Arabic name Ziya, meaning “light, shine, splendour” – more specifically, it refers to light which shines by its own illumination, and is connected to the sun and sunlight. Traditionally, Zia is a male name, but Arabic baby name sites usually list it as female, and the name charts in France only for girls. There are quite a few people called Zia in Australian records, and they are not all Arabic men. There are women called Zia from different cultures, including Italian, where Zia may be short for a name such as Annunzia (zia means “aunt” in Italian, but this doesn’t seem to have been a hindrance to its use by Italians). Most women called Zia in the records seem to be of British descent, and I’m guessing either it was seen as a short form of other names, or parents just liked the sound of it. I can imagine parents today also liking the sound of it, because it is so similar to popular names such as Zara and Mia – indeed, it almost seems like a cross between these names. This is a zippy name which sounds a bit different, but won’t seem out of place in the playground.

POLL RESULT: People’s favourite names were Beatrix, Emmeline, and Isadora, and their least favourite were Lavender, Zia, and Angharad.

(Picture shows a detail from The Intervention of the Sabine Women (1799) by Jacques-Louis David)

Famous Name: Jackson

23 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

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On Saturday January 26 it will be Australia Day, so we are looking forward to the long weekend. In Sydney, there will be many events in and around the harbour, with one of the most popular the Ferrython, where the Sydney ferries race against each other. Chartering a boat to spend Australia Day on the harbour, basking in sunshine under blue skies, must be one of the most perfect ways to spend Australia Day in Sydney.

It’s also very appropriate, because the early history of Sydney is centred on its harbour. The size of Port Jackson, in which Sydney Harbour is located, was one of the main things which convinced the British to set up base in this area. You may recall that Captain Arthur Phillip rated Port Jackson as “the finest harbour in the world”.

I was always taught that Port Jackson was the largest natural harbour in the world, but it turns out that this is a matter of disagreement. In fact, what with the difficulties in deciding what is classed as a harbour, and whether you count size by square kilometres, length of coastline, or water volume, it doesn’t seem possible to declare any natural harbour the largest in the world – although Port Jackson must be one of the world’s largest, at least.

Sydneysiders still firmly believe that Port Jackson is the finest natural harbour in the world, and many that it is the world’s most beautiful – and as beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder, this claim at least is difficult to dispute. I expect other cities feel the same way about their own harbours.

The first known European to come here was James Cook in 1770. Not being of a gushing nature, there is nothing in his ship’s log to indicate that he thought the harbour fine or beautiful, only recording that it “appeared to be a safe anchorage”.

He named it after Sir George Jackson, a fellow Yorkshireman, and Cook’s friend and patron. Jackson later got married and changed his surname to his wife’s, becoming Sir George Duckett. I can’t help but be thankful that this happened after the naming of Port Jackson, as Port Duckett doesn’t have quite the same ring to it – although like the island of Nantucket, it would no doubt be a boon to the authors of limericks.

Jackson is an English and Scottish surname meaning “son of Jack“, which must be one of the most straightforward name meanings. The surname Jackson can be found from the 14^th century onwards, and was historically most common in the north of England.

Jackson was first used as a personal name in the early 17^th century, and in the United States, may sometimes have been given in honour of the seventh president, Andrew “Stonewall” Jackson – before he was president, he was a national hero for defending New Orleans from the British. He had such a reputation for toughness that his nickname was “Old Hickory”.

Although there are many examples of men named Jackson in Australian records, the name did not begin charting in Australia until the 1970s – around the time American teen idols, The Jackson 5, became a big hit. Jackson climbed steeply to make the Top 100 by the 1990s, and peaked in the early 2000s at #29. Since then it has gently declined in popularity, and was #40 in NSW for 2011.

Early results from 2012 name data in the ACT and Victoria suggest that Jackson is falling as the variant spelling Jaxon takes off. This spelling (also a legitimate surname), takes advantage of the fashionable X, while suggesting Jax as the nickname, rather than Jack.

While Jackson may not be quite as popular as it once was, this name makes a great one for a boy born on Australia Day, and is much more subtle than last year’s suggestion.

POLL RESULT: Jackson received an approval rating of 62%. More than half of people (56%) said the name Jackson was fine and handsome, although 22% believed it was too popular, and 17% saw it as boring. Nobody preferred the spelling Jaxon, or thought of Jackson as a patriotic name.

Famous Name: Rose

16 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

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This Friday will be The Day of the Roses, which sounds lovely, but has a tragic meaning. January 18 this year marks the 36^th anniversary of the Granville train disaster, when a crowded train was derailed in a suburb of western Sydney, and hit the supports of a railway bridge. The bridge collapsed onto the train carriages, crushing the passengers inside. 83 people were killed, and more than 200 injured; it was then Australia’s worst peace time disaster, and is still the worst rail accident in Australian history.

The Granville Memorial Trust was established to commemorate the victims and to campaign for improvements to rail safety. Since the disaster, there has been a substantial increase in money spent maintaining the railways, and standards have improved. Each year on the anniversary of the crash, the Trust organises a memorial service, in which a bell rings 83 times, and 83 roses are thrown onto the railway tracks – one for each of the victims.

Rose is not the simple flower name it at first appears, for it began life as the Germanic name Hrodohaidis or Hrodheid, meaning “bright kind, famous kind” (kind in the sense of type, sort). It was the Normans who introduced it to Britain in the forms Roes, Rohais, Roheis and Rohese. The name Rohese was a fairly common one amongst the Norman nobility in England after the Conquest.

The form Rose began to be used by the early 1200s – even this early it was already being associated with the flower, whose name is French, derived from the Latin rosa. It goes back to an ancient word meaning “sweetbriar” (a wild rose also known as the eglantine rose).

Roses are tens of millions of years old, and have been grown in gardens for thousands of years – perhaps first in China, although they were grown in Persia, Babylon and ancient Egypt as well. The flower was sacred to the goddess Isis, and later the Greeks and Romans identified it with Aphrodite or Venus, so that it became seen as a blossom of beauty and eternal love – which is one reason why you are more likely to receive roses on Valentine’s Day than daisies or sweetpeas.

In medieval Christianity, roses became associated with the Virgin Mary, were carefully cultivated by monks, and in both Christian and Islamic mysticism, the rose can be a symbol of divine love. The rose is the national flower of England and the floral emblem of the United States; the red rose is the symbol of socialism; the white rose of peaceful resistance. The Romans used it as a symbol of secrecy, and to alchemists it meant balance and unity.

This ancient flower speaks to our hearts on so many different levels, and the rose has a richness of beauty we cannot help but admire. Yet it is mysterious too, and its thorns urge us to keep our distance, even while its loveliness attracts. Roses are by no means vain beauties, because they can be used to make perfumes, skin care products and medicines; rose hips can be made into jams, syrups and teas (in fact I am drinking a cup of it as I write). Rose petals are also edible.

We often think of Rose as being a quintessentially English name, and a beautiful Englishwoman is even called an “English rose”. Yet the name is also French, and Rose is Top 100 in France, as well as in England/Wales and Scotland.

In Australia, Rose is a classic which has always charted. It was #55 in 1900, and gradually fell until it left the Top 100 in the 1930s. It reached its lowest point in the 1970s, at #287, and after that began a stately rise, with its sharpest increase in the late 2000s. By 2008 it was near the bottom of the Top 100, and each year has continued to steadily gain. In 2011 it was #66 in New South Wales, and in Victoria and the ACT it has proved to be one of the names with the most growth during 2012. Rose is also extremely popular as a middle name.

Rose is an overwhelmingly feminine name, yet isn’t frilly. It’s both sensual and sensible, possessing the ripeness of a mature woman rather than a frivolous girl. It’s a short name, yet doesn’t seem abrupt or harsh but rather, soft and velvety as one of its own petals. Despite being an English word, there are many international variants of Rose, and it is easily understood in other countries. It is a name from fairy tale, reminding us of Briar Rose, the sleeping beauty, and Rose-Red, the vivid sister of fair Snow-White – and yet it also has a practical and wholesome appeal.

Increasing numbers of parents are choosing the name Rose for their daughters. In The Little Prince, the prince, who is in love with the only rose on his planet, cries in dismay when he comes to Earth and sees dozens of rose bushes; he has given his heart to something special, and found it commonplace. But a wise fox teaches him that his rose is unique, because it is the only one that he loves. There may be a garden of Roses in the world, but only one Rose who blooms there will be the one in your heart.

POLL RESULT: Rose received an approval rating of 86%, making it one of the most highly esteemed names of the year. The name Rose was judged to be beautiful and feminine (54%) and pretty and wholesome (21%), although 7% thought it was better left in the middle position. Nobody thought that the name Rose was boring.

Australian Beaches That Could be Used as Boys Names

06 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

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Cheviot

Cheviot Beach is on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula, and will forever be remembered in Australian history as the place where our seventeenth Prime Minister, Harold Holt, disappeared without trace on December 17 1967, presumed drowned. To the best of my knowledge, we are the only country to have had a national leader disappear in modern times. The beach is named after the SS Cheviot, which was wrecked here in 1887, 35 people losing their lives. Not surprisingly, the public is not permitted access to Cheviot Beach, because the seas are far too dangerous – Harold Holt was only allowed to swim here because he was the Prime Minister, and as we see, it wasn’t a good idea. The SS Cheviot was named after the Cheviot Hills on the border between England and Scotland. They feature in The Ballad of Chevy Chase, which tells of a medieval battle between the English and the Scottish here. The name Cheviot is almost certainly Celtic, but the meaning is not known. This seems like an interesting way to get the nickname Chevy – which I’ve seen several times on baby boys.

Elliott

Elliott Heads is a small town in Queensland, set amongst farmland and sugarcane fields. The beach at Elliott Heads is family friendly, popular for swimming, fishing, sailboarding and jet skiing. The town is at the mouth of the Elliott River, with the river supposedly named after Gilbert Eliott, who was the first Speaker of the Queensland Parliament. If so, I’m not sure why it is spelled differently. Eliott came from a long line of Scottish barons and baronets, and being calm, courteous and dignified, avoided nearly all political controversy, and was extremely popular. The surname Elliott can be derived from a number of different personal names. One is Ellis, a medieval English form of the name Elijah. It can be from the Old English Athelgeat, a male name meaning “noble Geat” (the Geats were a tribe who inhabited what is now Sweden). Another source is Old English Athelgyth, a female name meaning “noble battle”. It can be from Old English Aelfwald, meaning “elf ruler”. Finally, in Scotland it can be from the Gaelic surname Elloch, meaning “dweller by the mound”. Elliott has never charted in Australia, with parents preferring the spelling Elliot for their sons, currently #181.

Henley

Henley Beach is a pleasant suburb of Adelaide, and its white sandy beach has gentle water for swimming and a jetty for fishing. The public square next to the beach is lined with shops, hotels and restaurants. A well-established older suburb, it was first advertised in 1860 as being “free of noxious smells”, but as you can see, it’s got a lot more going for it than that. Henley was named after Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, a famous centre for rowing, with the Henley Royal Regatta held each summer. Sir Ninian Stephen, former Governor-General of Australia, was born in Henley, and came to Australia during his childhood. The name Henley means “high wood” in Old English, because the town is in the Chiltern Hills. Henley was in use as a boy’s name in the 19^th century, and it is found in some rather aristocratic-sounding name combinations in Australian records (and the less inspired Henry Henley). It was a classy name choice 150 years ago – could it be again?

Kingston

Kingston is a commuter town just south of Hobart in Tasmania; Kingston Beach is one of its suburbs. The area was settled in the 19^th century by a family who were evacuated from Norfolk Island. Norfolk Island was at first a convict settlement like Sydney, but it ran into such difficulties that settlers were eventually forced to relocate to Tasmania. Being sent from a balmy subtropical island to freezing Tasmania must have come as a shock, but the pioneers obviously flourished. After World War II, many Dutch immigrants moved to Kingston, and it is a sister city to Grootegast in The Netherlands. Kingston Beach is the first swimming beach south of Hobart. Kingston was nostalgically named after the capital of Norfolk Island, which gained its appellation from its founder, Lieutenant Philip King. As we know, it’s not possible to name your child King in Australia, but you can call a baby Kingston, and it’s reasonably well-used in the records – one girl from Tasmania was even named Revie Josephine Kingston Beach. Quite common as a middle name for girls, only boys seem to have received it as a first name, including Kingston Rainbow, who managed to get two beachy names from my lists.

Lennox

Lennox Head is a village in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales near the town of Ballina. Lennox Head Beach is more popularly known as Seven Mile Beach, although technically it’s only 5.3 miles long. The head, often called Lennox Point, provides panoramic views and a world-class point break, which makes this a famous surfing destination. Young surfers can look forward to the Rusty Gromfest in Lennox Head, known as the original and best youth surfing event in the country, and boasting alumni such as Stephanie Gilmore and Joel Parkinson. People also use Lennox Point for hang-gliding, and dolphin and whale watching. Lennox Head was named after Charles Gordon-Lennox, Duke of Lennox and Richmond, a soldier and politician. The dukedom is named for the district of Lennox in Scotland, near Glasgow; its name comes from the Old Gaelic for “field of elm trees”. Lennox is a very cool name for boys at the moment, which not only has the fashionable X, but also gives the trendy nickname Lenny; it was chosen as a baby name by racing driver Jason Bright. Handsome and aristocratic, it’s a great choice, and one I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of in the future.

Lorne

Lorne is a seaside town on the stunning Great Ocean Road in Victoria. Settled in the mid 19^th century, it was visited by Rudyard Kipling in 1891, who mentions it in his poem The Flowers. Kipling was obviously ahead of the trends, because the town only opened up to tourists in the 1930s. Lorne is one of Victoria’s most popular tourist destinations, and its beach one of the main attractions, offering good swimming, surfing and fishing. In January, the town holds the Pier to Pub swim, which, with a 1.2 km course, attracts thousands of entrants, and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest organised ocean swim in the world (Kieren Perkins won in 1992). Lorne is named in honour of the Marquess of Lorne, to commemorate his marriage to Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria. The Marquess became a very popular Governor-General of Canada; the Candian press feared he and his princess bride would be horribly snooty, but the young couple turned out to be sociable, relaxed, and flatteringly enchanted by Canada’s natural beauty. The district of Lorne in Scotland may have gained its name from Loarn mac Eirc, a Dark Ages ruler of a kingdom in Argyllshire. The Celtic name Loarn is said to mean “fox”, a clan totem animal. Lorne is a name comparatively well-used in Canada, which has close ties to the Marquess, and probably best known for many years as the screen name of Canadian actor, Lorne Greene. Others may remember it as Andy Hallett’s character’s name on the TV series, Angel – the joke is that his demonic face is green.

Lucky

Lucky Bay is in Cape Le Grand National Park, not far from Esperance on the Southern Ocean coast of Western Australia. Australia has more than its fair share of beautiful beaches, but Lucky Bay must be one of the most magnificent – over five kilometres long, it is a perfect crescent of white sand lapped by clear, sparkling turquoise water. Surrounded by bushland inhabited by pygmy possums and bandicoots, you may have to share the beach with kangaroos, who enjoy lazing on the sands. Lucky Bay received its name from the navigator Matthew Flinders, who discovered it in 1802. He had been sailing in the hazardous Archipelago of the Recherche, the place where Australia’s only pirate operated from, in the 1830s. Although Flinders didn’t have to negotiate wth pirates, he had trouble enough to deal with. Sailing through the labyrinth of islets and rocks, and with night falling, Flinders took the risky step of sailing straight to the coast, in the hope that he could find safe anchorage on a beach. All was well, and he dubbed his welcome haven Lucky Bay. Most explorers in Australia haven’t been as fortunate, and therefore it is littered with forbidding place names such as Mount Disappointment, Misery Creek, Mount Hopeless, Miserable Island, Starvation Lake, Point Torment, Dismal Swamp, and Mount Destruction. Lucky Bay is unusually upbeat for an Australian place name chosen by an explorer. Lucky is a rare unisex name, and a very happy one – well suited to a baby whose birth circumstances seem particularly auspicious.

Preston

Preston Beach is a hamlet in the south of Western Australia, between Mandurah and Bunbury. It was developed in the late 1950s as a private estate, and its beach is known locally for being a good fishing spot. It was named after nearby Lake Preston, in Yalgorup National Park; the lake is named after Lieutenant William Preston, who discovered it in 1829. The surname Preston is from a very common place name in England, and means “priest town”. It may have either denoted a village which had its own priest, or one which belonged to the Church. Preston is well-known in Ireland as an aristocratic surname, and it is fairly common in Australian records from the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. It strikes me as a rather sleek, understated surname name for boys, in a similar mould to Parker and Spencer.

Tallow

Tallow Beach is near Byron Bay in northern New South Wales. Once a hard-working and rather environment-destroying centre for logging, sand-mining, dairying, slaughtering, fishing and whaling, in the 1960s Byron began attracting surfers to its beaches. This began its new life as a tourist destination, and in the early 1970s the counter-culture Aquarius Festival was held in nearby Nimbin. From then on, it was known as a hippy, alternative town. Today in Byron, barely a weekend goes by when they are not holding a yoga or meditation retreat, pagan gathering, music festival, film festival, writers festival, surf festival, triathlon, underwater photo festival or art fair. Tallow Beach, in Bouddi National Park is a long stretch of wild, windswept shoreline with huge waves. It got its name when the Volunteer was wrecked there in 1864, and 120 casks of tallow were washed ashore. Tallow is rendered meat fat, once used to make candles, and still used today for biodiesel, soap and skincare products. I have occasionally seen Tallow used as a unisex name – it has the fashionable -oh sound ending with homespun appeal, and is similar to names such as Talon, Tallis, Talia and Tully. Because Tallow was used for candles, it seems like another name with an association of “light”.

Trigg

Trigg is a northern suburb of Perth in Western Australia, and Trigg Beach one of the city’s most popular beaches for surfing and bodyboarding. The suburb is named after Henry Trigg, who was the Superintendent of Public Works in the 1830-1850s. A wealthy builder, Henry was able to emigrate to Australia and take up a large land grant. His son, also named Henry, was his partner in the building trade, and an architect who designed many of the buildings in Perth city. The surname Trigg is from the Old Norse surname Triggr, meaning “trustworthy, faithful, true”, and the personal name Trig has been used in England since medieval times. The American politician Sarah Palin has a son named Trig, which brought this very old name to new public attention. It has an attractive meaning, and is part of Western Australian history. I think it might appeal to people who like short, unusual names for boys, such as Kip, Dex or Zed.

(Picture shows kangaroo relaxing on the beach at Lucky Bay)

Australian Beaches That Could be Used as Girls Names

30 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

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You may have noticed that all the names that have been featured on the blog since the weather got warmer have had some connection with water or the sea. With summer holidays upon us, it is only fitting that the last Name List for the year is one of Australian beach names.

Airlie

The town of Airlie Beach in the Whitsunday region of north Queensland is a popular tourist destination and one of the departure points for the Great Barrier Reef. Because James Cook thought he arrived here on Whitsunday, every year there is a Blessing of the Fleet on Whitsunday (Pentecost) – although Cook almost certainly got the day wrong and it was really Whitmonday. The town’s beach is quite small, and infested by sea wasps, the most lethal jellyfish in the world. For the convenience of those wishing to avoid a painful death, a swimming lagoon has been built on the foreshore. The town is named after Airlie in Scotland, the seat of the Earl of Airlie. Airlie Castle is referenced in the ballad, The Bonnie House o’ Airlie, and mentioned in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Kidnapped. The meaning is not known, although it’s possibly from the Gaelic for “edge of a ridge”. Airlie is a name reasonably well-known in Australia, although rare elsewhere; there’s ABC presenter Airlie Ward, hockey player Airlie Ogilvie, policy analyst Dr Airlie Worrall, and actress Airlie Dodds. This is a modern name with ties to Scottish history, and would be a great choice if Airlie Beach is meaningful to you.

Bondi

Bondi Beach is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike, one of Sydney’s iconic destinations, and heritage listed. In the fashionable eastern suburbs, it’s a place to see and be seen, lined with hotels, cafes and restaurants from where you can view the beach and beachgoers. Bondi has always had a reputation for showing a lot of flesh, and in stricter times the American actress Jean Parker was booted off it for wearing a bikini. These days topless bathing is common on Bondi. If almost-naked humans aren’t your thing, there is always the chance of seeing dolphins, fairy penguins, and in season, whales. Bondi Beach has many cultural events, including the annual City to Surf charity run, and it stars in TV shows such as Bondi Rescue and Bondi Vet. The name Bondi (said BON-dye) is said to be from boondi, a local Aboriginal word meaning “sound of water breaking over rocks”. The rare use of this name in records may be from the Italian surname Bondi (said bon-DEE), meaning “good day”. I saw a baby girl named Bondi in this year’s Bonds Baby Search. This is an unusual choice, but rather patriotic, and seems ideal for beach-loving Sydneysiders.

Etty

Etty Bay is a picturesque little bay in far north Queensland; the nearest town is Innisfail. Enclosed by rainforest filled with wildlife, it attracts bushwalkers, birdwatchers and picnickers, and is known as one of the best places to see endangered cassowary birds in the wild – cassowaries are large flightless birds around six feet tall. Etty Beach is considered safe for swimming, as long as you avoid saltwater crocodiles and deadly jellyfish. Etty is a pet form of names such as Esther, Ethel, Henrietta and Harriet, and was most common in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With Etta tipped as the next retro-chic name, and Arrietty from The Borrowers receiving notice, Etty seems not only cute and usable, but positively stylish. It fits in with other vintage nicknames such as Elsie, Hattie and Millie.

Miami

Miami is a suburb of the Gold Coast which was first developed in the 1920s to entice tourists, and is still a popular place for people to visit. Its clean sandy surf beach make it a favourite destination for family holidays. It is named after Miami in Florida, as being somewhere else that’s hot, humid and beachy – during the 1920s, Miami enjoyed such prosperity and growth that it was dubbed “The Magic City”. This success the Queensland developers no doubt hoped to emulate. The city of Miami was named after the Miami River, and this in turn was named for the Native American people called the Maiyami. They took their name from the lake they lived by (later known as Lake Okeechobee); the name simply means “big water”. Miami is a name I see sometimes on little girls, and its not only an American place name, but an Australian one as well. It fits in with popular names such as Mia, Maya and Amy.

Pippi

The town of Yamba in northern New South Wales lies at the mouth of the Clarence River, and boasts eleven beaches, including Pippi. It’s primarily known for surfing, and the Pippi Beach Classic is a surfing event held here each January. At one end of the beach is the enticingly-named Lovers Point, and from here is an easy walk up to a rock shelf which gives magnificent views of the sea. Dolphins are plentiful, and whales can be seen during winter and early spring. Pippi Beach is named after the pippis or pipis which can be found here – small edible clams which are often used for fish bait. You may recall that John Sutton, co-captain of the South Sydney Rabbitohs team in the NRL, welcomed a daughter named Pippi last year. As John is a keen surfer, I wondered if Pippi Sutton may have been named after this popular surf beach. You probably also know the name from the Pippi Longstocking books by Astrid Lindgren – the character’s name was invented by Mrs Lindgren’s nine-year-old daughter, Karin. You can see Pippi as short for Phillipa, and if Pippa or Piper delight you, yet seem too common, then sprightly Pippi may fit the bill.

Rainbow

Rainbow Beach is a small town in southern Queensland which was once a centre for sand-mining, but is now a popular tourist destination with an attractive beach and many bushwalking tracks. The town get its name from the brilliant coloured sand dunes which surround it. According to a local Aboriginal legend, the dunes received their colours when the spirit of the rainbow plunged into the cliffs after coming off second-best in battle. More prosaically, the colours stem from the sand’s rich mineral content. The evanescent beauty of rainbows have made them part of mythology for many thousands of years. Both Greek and Norse myth saw the rainbow as a path between heaven and earth; in Irish folklore there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; and in the familiar story of Noah and the Ark from the Old Testament, the rainbow is a sign of God’s promise to never destroy the earth again. In Australian Aboriginal mythology, the rainbow serpent is of great significance and power, creating and marking the earth’s territories, and controlling its water resources. The subject of artists, singers and poets, the stuff of hopes and dreams, the rainbow has long been used as a symbol of social change. The striking name Rainbow is not that rare in old records, and used for both sexes, but is most common as a middle name.

Trinity

Trinity Beach is a suburb of Cairns in far north Queensland; the city lies on Trinity Bay, which is where the suburb gets its name. Captain James Cook named it on his 1770 voyage, as he arrived there on Trinity Sunday, which is the first Sunday after Pentecost (hopefully he had his dates sorted out by this stage). It is a festival to celebrate the Holy Trinity of the three Persons of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Although the Holy Trinity is a Christian concept, the idea of a triple deity is found in several religions. The name Trinity was used from the 17^th century, and was given to both sexes, in honour of the Holy Trinity. In recent years, it has gained a sci-fi image, for there has not only been a cult science-fiction film called Trinity, but Trinity is the love interest in The Matrix movie series, and Trinity Wells a newsreader in Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. More ominously, the Trinity Test was the code name for the first detonation of a nuclear bomb in 1945, heralding the start of the Atomic Age.

Vera

Vera View Beach is just north of famous Cottlesloe Beach, in Perth, Western Australia. It isn’t one you will see promoted as a major tourist destination; not the most stunning beach in the world, it nonetheless makes a pleasant walk from the main beach, and is near the main cafe strip. It is also a good place to go snorkelling, as there a small reef nearby teeming with sea life. The beach’s name comes from the fact that it is near Vera View Parade in Cottlesloe. Vera is a Russian name which means “faith”; we tend to be struck by its similarity to the Latin for “truth”, while Albanians notice that it sounds like their word for “spring”. Vera was #15 in the 1900s, and by the 1940s was out of the Top 100. It ceased to chart in the 1980s, but has very recently made a comeback, and was #626 in 2011. Its image was severely dented by the sour-faced prison guard, Vera “Vinegar Tits” Bennett, in the 1970s-80s TV series, Prisoner (no wonder it disappeared from the charts then). However, with simple old names firmly back in fashion, and the V sound becoming increasingly popular, retro Vera could do very well.

Vivonne

Vivonne Bay is on Kangaroo Island in South Australia; the island is off the coast of Cape Jervis. The pristine beach at Vivonne Bay is several kilometres long, and popular for surfing and fishing. There is a tiny town of Vivonne beside the bay. Vivonne Bay was named by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin, who came here in 1803. He was the first to map the western and southern coasts of Australia, and his expedition was a great success, discovering more than 2500 new species and meeting the Indigenous people of Australia. Apparently his expedition harboured a spy – one of his men prepared a report for Napoleon on how to invade and capture the British colony in Sydney Cove, but recommended not to. Baudin died of TB in Mauritius on the way home. He named Vivonne Bay after the French town of Vivonne, near Poitiers (or the aristocratic surname which comes from the town – the town’s name comes from the nearby river Vonne). Readers of Marcel Proust will remember he used the name Vivonne for the river in Swann’s Way. I think this name is pretty, and seems like a cross between Vivienne and Yvonne. It’s different, but not too different.

Wanda

Wanda Beach lies on Bate Bay in the suburb of Cronulla; this is in Sutherland shire, in the southern districts of Sydney. Wanda has a dark past, because there were two murders here in 1965. Two teenage girls, Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sharrock, best friends and neighbours, disappeared at Wanda Beach while on a picnic, and their bodies, partially covered in sand, were found the next day. The murder is still unsolved. Wanda Beach gets its name from an Aboriginal word, wanda, said to mean “beach” or “sand dunes”. Wanda is also a Polish name; there is a medieval Polish legend about a Princess Wanda, and the name was popularised in the English-speaking world by English author Ouida’s 1883 novel, Wanda. The name may come from the West Slavic people known as the Wends; their name possibly means “tribe, kinship, alliance”, ultimately from an ancient word for “love, desire”, and related to the name Venus.

(Photo shows the morning tide coming in at Etty Bay)

Names Spotted at Home and Abroad (Spring Edition)

22 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by A.O. in Names Spotted at Home and Abroad

≈ 12 Comments

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adult name changes, backwards names, brand names, car names, choosing baby names, classic names, controversial names, created names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, French names, gemstone names, Greek names, guinea pig names, honouring, linguistic terms, Maori names, meteorological names, name combinations, name meaning, name sociology, names from movies, names of art styles, names of musical styles, names of pets, names of wines, naming traditions, nature names, plant names, saints names, Sanskrit names, sibsets, tree names, Twitter, unisex names, virtue names, vocabuary names

A nurse saved the life of her daughter’s guinea pig Snowflake by giving it mouth-to-mouth. Her little girl is named Fauve, which in French literally means “wild beast”. In the early twentieth century, les Fauves were avant-garde artists whose style was characterised by wild brushstrokes and vibrant colours. Fauve as a name is as bold as the art it is named after, but still seems on trend.

A bittersweet baby story. Nei Nei Anderson, daughter of Pippin, is just about to have her first Christmas, but she never got to meet her father Jahminn, who died from cancer before she was born. Nei Nei is named after her Maori grandmother; neinei is the Maori word for a New Zealand tree whose Latin name is Dracophyllum traversii. These small trees can live up to 500-600 years.

Elvina Robson [pictured] was born very prematurely, and her little life hung in the balance for a while, but she is ready for her first Christmas too. Elvina’s mum and dad are Emma and Brendan, and her siblings are Marguerite, 16, Gilbert, 12, Lucy, 10, Walter, 4, Angelique, 3 and Stella (deceased). A very lovely and original sibset.

A baby who arrived in a great hurry was named Patience Mezzino. Her name was chosen before her birth, and turned out to be rather ironic.

I have been hoping to see a baby Diamond born in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Year, and finally I have. Diamond Andre Thomas Thompson arrived very unexpectedly, but that did not stop his mum Regine from attending her graduation ceremony the next day. Regine now has a Masters in Maritime and Logistics Management. Diamond’s dad is named Paul, and his big sister is Herleen, aged 3.

Hermione Quinn Penning was born just outside the local rubbish tip. Not the most glamorous start to life, but what a beautiful name parents Kelly and Travis picked out. Hermione’s older sister is Elena, aged 3.

Kellie-Anne, and her ex-partner Trent Ford, came up with their son’s name when they saw the back of of a Holden Commodore ute with Storm written on the back of it. They couldn’t afford the ute, but they could name their son after it, so they named him Storme Hunter Ford. Storme’s younger brother is Levi Ryder, who was named after a pair of jeans. Name inspiration can be found everywhere!

A gym for babies aged 2 months and over has opened on the Sunshine Coast. One of its first clients was a baby boy named Horizen Earle. The name seems to ask that he reach for the horizon – but in a totally Zen way. It somehow seems very Sunshine Coast!

A couple who each run their own winery have welcomed their first child, and their daughter is named Peggy Mignonne. Mignonne is French for “cute”, and I think this is an adorable name combination. Charles Mignon is a famous brand of French champagne, and Peggy’s Hill is a wine produced in Australia, but I don’t know whether they put two wine names together or not.

A gorgeous sibset I saw in the paper – Sebastian, Raphael and Augustine, sons of Emily and Mark Wolfenden. Emily and Mark have both donated kidneys to save Sebastian and Raphael’s lives; unfortunately Augustine did not survive.

Names of Adults

Peter Drouyn was a champion surfer in the 1960s and 1970s, but always felt different. Today she is Westerly Windina – she chose her new name because she had such happy memories of surfing in westerly winds. Ms Windina is now a lawyer.

Supreme Court Judge, Justice Emilios Kyrou, has a name which came as a shock to his parents. Born in a small Greek village, it was tradition there that the godparent would choose the baby name and have it baptised, and the name would be kept secret from the parents until announced by the local priest. Traditionally, the first-born son would be named after his paternal grandfather. However, Emilios’ godmother had other ideas, and named him after the hero of a best-selling romantic novel. Parents not pleased. His younger brother, now a doctor, was named Theodoros after grand-dad instead.

Names from Television

Did you watch Life at 7 on the ABC? The series has been following a group of children since they were babies, and now in this series they are seven years old, and for the first time, speak for themselves to us as they learn to navigate the world. The boys are Wyatt, Declan, Joshua, Jara’na and Daniel, and the girls are Haleema, Shine, Anastasia, Sofia and Loulou.

On the news, there was a young man who was the unfortunate victim of some white collar crime. He was called Armand d’Armagnac, and he was as romantic and exotic-looking as his name – but his Australian accent made it clear he probably wasn’t a French count after all.

Another news story: it was announced that the new head of Swimming Australia was a businessman named Barclay Nettlefold. His first name is said BARK-lee, like the British bank founder. I feel that just by telling you his name, you automatically know he is from a prominent family and a keen yachtsman.

Names from Real Life

I was persuaded to escort two young ladies to a posh hotel which throws children’s high tea parties each afternoon during the school holidays. I was informed by some mummy blog or other that only the hippest mothers and their progeny would be there (fathers, and most sons, seem to give it a miss). I was interested to see what the cool people are naming their kids; mostly they just seemed to have the same names as everyone else. However, I did manage to overhear a Bee/Bea, an Aspen, and a pair of sisters named Cleo/Clio and Isis. A rare and very small boy was named Roland.

Two brothers I met elsewhere were called Ziggy and Dash, which struck me as pleasingly zippy.

I also encountered a baby boy named Urban; I was too shy to ask his parents if he was named after the popes, or the cityscape, or the musical style, or Keith Urban.

Do some baby names seem controversial to you? I met a little boy named Aryan, which simply means “noble”, and is related to the Sanskrit name Arya. It refers to the Indo-Iranian languages, which together have one billion speakers, stretching from Russia to Sri Lanka. It really shouldn’t be any different from calling your daughter India or Persia. And yet …

I did part of my Christmas shopping with my friend Claire, who is in her 30s. As we joined the queue to pay, we heard someone talking to their baby girl in her stroller – the baby’s name was Claire. The plump grey-haired lady who served us had a name badge that said “Claire”. When I got home, I switched on the news and a pretty young reporter named Claire was covering the story. And the name Claire suited ALL of them perfectly! Go classic names.

On Twitter, Name Sociology mentioned the name Evolet, which is a character from the movie 10, 000 BC, and is “t(h)e love” written backwards. It reminded me of a woman I used to work with whose name was Evol, which is Love backwards. Sounds like a nice idea, except that until I saw her name written down, I thought she was called Evil.

Names of Babies Born to People I Know or Know Of:

Girls: Mary, Phoebe, Roma, Sanna

Boys: Boaz, Castel, Phoenix

If you are able to read this, it means the world probably hasn’t ended, yay! However, something has started – Christmas holidays – and I won’t be around much until January 7. Have a very merry Christmas season, and a happy New Year!

(Photo from The Blue Mountains Gazette Facebook page)

	waltzingmorethanmati… on Zarah Zaynab and Wolfgang…
	Madelyn on Zarah Zaynab and Wolfgang…
	drperegrine on Can Phoebe Complete This …
	waltzingmorethanmati… on Rua and Rhoa
	redrover23 on Rua and Rhoa

Waltzing More Than Matilda

~ Names with an Australian Bias of Democratic Temper

Tag Archives: english names

Requested Name: Dimity

Waltzing with … Orange

Requested Famous Name: Banjo

Underused Names for Boys

Underused Names for Girls

Famous Name: Jackson

Famous Name: Rose

Australian Beaches That Could be Used as Boys Names

Australian Beaches That Could be Used as Girls Names

Names Spotted at Home and Abroad (Spring Edition)