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Ruby Anne Susie Murch: A Daughter for Cathy Freeman and James Murch

25 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by in Celebrity Baby Names

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Cathy Freeman’s daughter was one of the most anticipated babies to be born this year, because Cathy is not only one of our greatest athletes, but also one of our most loved. Australia has been blessed with more than its fair share of fast runners, but Cathy did more than run fast – she has that charisma that draws people to her, and a smile that can light up, not just a room, but an entire stadium.

Her sporting achievements are well-known and add up to a stellar career. She began running aged five, won her first gold medal at the age of eight in Brisbane, and was encouraged by her family to pursue her dream of becoming an Olympic athlete. She won her first international gold medal for the women’s relay at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, 1990; this made her not only the first Aboriginal gold medal winner at a Commonwealth Games, but also the youngest, as she was only 16. To commemorate her achievement, she was awarded Young Australian of the Year in 1990. In her acceptance speech, she said that she ran for all Australians, but particularly for Aboriginal Australians, whom she hoped to inspire to reach their own goals.

Cathy’s childhood dream came true in 1992, when she became the first Aboriginal Australian to compete at an Olympics Games, in Barcelona. She won double gold at the 1994 Commonwealth Games, and in 1996 received her first Olympic medal when she won silver in the 400 metres in Atlanta. Three subsequent Grand Prix victories and her taking first place at the 1997 World Track and Field Championships in Athens confirmed her status as world champion over 400 metres. In 1998, she received the Australian of the Year Award for her athletic achievements. To date, she is the only person who has ever been awarded both Young Australian of the Year and Australian of the Year.

The 2000 Olympics in Sydney were expected to be the jewel in her crown, and she was chosen to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony. Cathy didn’t disappoint, as she won her first Olympic gold medal for the 400 metres, and after the race, did her victory lap carrying both the Australian and Aboriginal flags as a symbol of national reconciliation. This had to gain the special permission of the International Olympic Committee, because although the Aboriginal flag is officially recognised in Australia, it isn’t a national flag, and isn’t recognised by the IOC. Cathy later explained that the carrying of both flags was the culmination of a promise that she had made to herself when she was 16, and just beginning her international career.

Further honours came her way: she received the Olympic Order, the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award, and the Order of Australia Medal all in the same year, 2001. After her retirement, she devoted herself to many charitable causes, most notably the Cathy Freeman Foundation, which encourages indigenous children to stay in school and succeed academically.

Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman had become not just an athlete, not just an Olympian, not just a gold medallist, but also a spokesperson, a community leader, a role model, an icon, an inspiration, a star. Her success was beyond the wildest dreams of the little girl who had won primary school sports day races in Queensland.

A couple of years ago I watched an episode of genealogy show, Who Do You Think You Are?, featuring Cathy Freeman. She already knew that her grandfather, Frank Fisher, was a famous rugby league player from an Aboriginal mission, known for being a fast sprinter and a fierce competitor on the field, but was surprised to find her great-grandfather, Frank Fisher senior, served in World War I as a member of the Light Horse. She discovered that she had both English and Chinese ancestry on her mother’s side, and that her mother’s family had been sent to a Palm Island penal settlement for being too independent. They were to remain there for four generations – a place so strictly controlled that Cathy’s mother Cecelia was not allowed to visit family members for Christmas; this was in 1963.

As Cathy read the documents connected with her family history, she shed tears of rage and frustration on behalf of her ancestors. She said that if she had known all this when she was an athlete, she would have run even faster, and her running would have been fuelled by anger. Cathy has a tattoo on one bicep that reads Cos I’m Free, and she realised that her freedom was a historically recent thing.

Despite her magnificent public success, her private life was filled with drama, turmoil and even scandal. But as Cathy explained in an interview: “I might be a champion athlete but that doesn’t make me a champion person. Why shouldn’t my personal life be just as difficult and troublesome as any other woman’s? God, the mistakes I have made and the tears I’ve shed . . . Apart from a certain God-given talent I firmly believe the reason I achieved so much is that running was my escape from a chaotic personal life. Athletics was my refuge, something I could lose myself in.”

Fortunately, her chaotic love life got a lot happier and more stable when she met fund manager James Murch at a charity ball – a man that Cathy describes as “fantastic, fabulous, sexy, beautiful, gorgeous”, and also her best friend. In April 2009, Cathy and James were married in a Ba’hai wedding ceremony that included traditional indigenous elements. They were very open about wanting children as soon as possible, and said they were willing to adopt if necessary.

Cathy dropped a hint that she might be pregnant in September last year, during a ceremony to mark the tenth anniversary of the Sydney Olympic Games. She made a comment about her memory living on through her “unborn children and their children”. After she was questioned what she meant by that, her thought was, “Oh dear, what have I said?”. Pictures of her looking plumper, and a suddenly cancelled charity run across Sydney Harbour Bridge only fuelled speculation.

The pregnancy was officially announced in February, and it was also revealed that pregnancy had triggered gestational diabetes, which is said to run in Cathy’s family, and which Aboriginal women have a higher risk of getting. She had to inject herself with insulin four times a day, and after always being so fit and healthy, it was hard for her to adjust to the idea of her body failing her. In fact, in photos taken during the last few months of her pregnancy, Cathy looks noticeably tired and unwell, although she was able to continue going to the gym.

Her daughter Ruby Anne Susie was born on July 8, and we are told that the delivery went smoothly and both mother and baby were healthy. On July 11, she posted photos of Ruby on her website, and said on Twitter that she was recovering well and loving being a new mum. By the end of July, she was back at work promoting children’s sport.

Ruby was the #1 name last year in Victoria, where the Murch family live, and Cathy and James may well have picked it simply because they love it. However, this pretty gemstone has historically been often used as a name in the indigenous community, and there are several famous Aboriginal women called Ruby, including singer-songwriter, Ruby Hunter; political activist Ruby Langford Ginibi; and Ruby Hammond, the first Aboriginal woman political candidate in South Australia.

I think the middle name Anne may be in tribute to Cathy’s older sister, Anne-Marie, who was born with severe cerebral palsy and spent most of her life in a home for the disabled. Cathy always said that she had to run so fast because Anne-Marie couldn’t move her hands and feet at all, and that Anne-Marie has been a constant inspiration in her life – not just the wind beneath her wings, but a tornado. Anne-Marie died when Cathy was sixteen. The second middle name, Susie, is after James’ mother, who sadly passed away before she could ever meet Cathy.

I must confess that I admire Cathy Freeman a great deal, and basically I would have loved any name she chose for her daughter. I think Ruby Anne Susie is a bright, smiley, sunshiney name that’s cute as a button and also honours loved ones – two completely biased thumbs up!

(Photo from Cathy’s Freeman’s website)

Famous Name: Nancy

06 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by in Famous Names

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This blog post was first published on September 6 2011, and revised and updated on September 24 2015.

Famous Namesake
On August 7 2011, Australia’s most decorated servicewoman of World War II died. Nancy Wake was born in New Zealand in 1912, and her family moved to Australia when she was a baby. Not long after, her father abandoned the family and went back to New Zealand, selling their house in the process, thus leaving his wife and six children homeless and destitute.

Life must have been tough for young Nancy, but she was clearly a born survivor. A girl of spirit, she ran away from home at the age of 16 and worked as a nurse. When an aunt left her a £200 inheritance, she travelled to New York, and then London, where she became a journalist.

During the 1930s, she settled in Paris, and worked for the Hearst newspapers as European correspondent. One of her first assignments was to interview Adolf Hitler. She also witnessed first-hand the brutal persecution of Jews by the Nazis in Vienna, and vowed that if she could ever do something about it, she would.

In 1939 Nancy married Henri Fiocca, a handsome and wealthy French industrialist who she described as the love of her life. Six months later, Germany invaded France, and Henri and Nancy both joined the French Resistance. Nancy worked as a courier, smuggling food and messages to Resistance agents in Spain, and was able to assist more than a thousand escaped prisoners of war and Allied fliers out of France.

By 1942, the Gestapo had become aware of a significant Resistance agent who was proving a thorn in their side, and code-named her The White Mouse. She was #1 on the Gestapo’s “Most Wanted” list, and had a 5 million franc bounty on her head. Nancy escaped to England, where she trained as a spy in the French section of the British Special Operations Executive, who worked with local resistance groups in German-occupied territories.

She parachuted back into France in 1944 to help with D-Day preparations, and after D-Day was in charge of an army involved in combat against German troops. Never one to back down from a hard task, she once cycled 500 km in three days, crossing several German checkpoints, to find an operator to radio Britain and request new radio codes.

Attractive, vivacious and feisty, she drew admiration for being an “Australian bombshell” who was a crack shot with a cheerfully never-say-die attitude. One of her comrades, Henri Tardivat, said of her: She is the most feminine woman I know, until the fighting starts. Then she is like five men.

At the end of the war, Nancy discovered that her beloved husband Henri had been captured, tortured and executed by the Gestapo in 1943 for refusing to disclose her location. She never ceased to regret leaving France, and blamed herself for his death, believing that if she had stayed with him, he would have survived.

After the war, she was showered in international honours, including the George Medal, the Croix de Guerre, the Medaille de la Resistance, the Chevalier de Legion d’Honneur, and the US Medal of Freedom. Further honours came to her throughout her life, but none from Australia for many years. At first she refused all Australian recognition, then there was some bureaucratic tangles because technically Nancy was still a citizen of New Zealand.

Nancy probably didn’t help the process by getting unsuccessfully involved in Australian politics, and by telling them to stick their medals somewhere unmentionable. Rather belatedly, she was awarded the Companion Order of Australia in 2004; by that time she had left Australia permanently to live in London, after being widowed once more (this time after 40 years of marriage).

Nancy died three weeks away from her 99th birthday. On March 10 2013, her ashes were taken to the village of Verneix near Montluçon, in central France – the region she had used as her base while a Resistance fighter. Here the ashes were scattered in a private ceremony attended by close friends, in accordance with her wishes.

She said of herself: I hate wars and violence, but if they come, I don’t see why we women should just wave our men a proud goodbye and then knit them balaclavas.

Name Information
Nancy was originally a short form of Annis, the medieval English form of Agnes, and in use since the Middle Ages. However, by the time Nancy became commonly used as an independent name in the 18th century, it was derived from Nan, a short form of Ann or Anne.

There are many famous namesakes for this name. Anne “Nancy” Regan, former US First Lady; Nancy Astor, the first female MP in the British Parliament; boot-stomping singer Nancy Sinatra; witty author Nancy Mitford; voice actress of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartright; punk lover Nancy Spungen; nobbled skater Nancy Kerrigan. It’s interesting how often famous Nancys end up being controversial in some way.

Fictional Nancys are just as strong characters as their real world counterparts. Smart girl detective Nancy Drew, an inspiration to powerful women such as Hilary Clinton. Piratical tomboy Nancy Blackett from Swallows and Amazons; her real name is Ruth, but pirates must be ruthless! Dreamworld heroine Nancy Thompson, who takes on the nightmarish Freddy Kruger. Poor degraded Nancy from Oliver Twist, who performs a noble act to save another, though it risks her own life.

Nancy is a classic name which has been almost continuously on the charts. It was #114 in the 1900s, joined the Top 100 the following decade, and peaked in the 1920s at #26. It left the Top 100 in the 1950s and has fallen gradually; currently it is around the 500s.

In the United States, Nancy was a Top 100 name in the late 19th century, and then again from the 1920s to the end of the 1970s – a very good run. It is has fallen steadily since then and is now #752. In the UK, Nancy was on the top 100 from the mid-19th century until World War II. In 1996 it was #251, and generally making upward progress. It joined the Top 100 again last year, and is currently #90. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has a daughter named Nancy, born in 2004.

Nancy is a wholesome yet spunky name which faded too quickly in Australia compared to other countries. It fits in perfectly with the current trend for cute short form names such as Maggie and Kitty, while having a clean classic feel. This is a spirited choice, suitable for those who want their daughters to be in the thick of the fight, not just waving and knitting on the sidelines.

POLL RESULT
Nancy received an approval rating of 56%. 30% of people thought the name was too dated and old-fashioned, but 16% said it was sweet and wholesome. Nobody was affected by the “nasty Nancy” label given to Nancy Spungen, but 6% were concerned about the phrase “negative Nancy”, and 4% were really bothered that “nancy” is slang for a homosexual or effeminate man.

(Image of Nancy Wake c 1945  from The Australian War Memorial, which houses the collection of all her war medals)

Boys Names from the National Rugby League

04 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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Bodene (Thompson) – Gold Coast Titans

Bodene Thompson was born in New Zealand, and began playing rugby league in high school after his family moved to Australia. He made his début with the Titans in 2009, and last year he played for the New Zealand Maori team against England. His name is something of a mystery to me. It may be a variant of the Germanic surname Boden, taken from the Frisian for “messenger”. On the other hand, I have seen some people using Bodene as a form of the surname Beaudoin, a French form of Baldwin. It’s also hard not to wonder if it’s been chosen as a portmanteau of Beau and Dean – which make the obvious nicknames for this country-sounding name.

Braith (Anasta) – Sydney Roosters

Braith Anasta was born in Sydney, and is of Greek-Australian heritage (his surname was originally Anastasakis). He made his début in 2000, and first played for the Roosters in 2005. He is currently captain of his team. He is eligible to play for Greece internationally, but has done so only once, playing for Australia four times. He has played for New South Wales nine times, and for City six. He won the Dally M Rookie of the Year medal in 2001, the Jack Gibson Medal, and the Supporters Club Player of the Year in 2007, the Players Player of the Year in 2008, and last year won the Dally M Captain of the Year. Braith is a unisex Welsh name meaning “speckled”; however I’m not clear on the Welsh pronunciation. Braith pronounces his name BRAYTH. Braith can also come from the Gaelic word for “British” and the Old Norse for “broad”; both these words appear in various English surnames and place names, such as Braithwaite and Gilbraith, and these are exactly as Anasta’s name is said. Brief and brusque, this seems a name born to command, although it does sound a touch lispy.

Bronx (Goodwin) – St George Illawarra Dragons

Bronx Goodwin was born in the country town of Parkes in New South Wales. He made his début in 2007, and joined the St George Illawarra Dragons last year. He played for the New Zealand Maori side in 2008. The Goodwin family are well known for their involvement in, and success at, rugby league over several generations in the Illawarra region. Bronx’s name is taken from the borough of New York City called The Bronx. It receives its name from the Bronx River, which was named for an early settler from Sweden called Jonas Bronck. His surname is a variant of Brink, from the Low German meaning “edge, slope, waterside grazing land”, and would have been given to someone who lived on the edge of a waterway (rather appropriate for a river). The Bronx is an area known for its cultural diversity, and has a tough image. The name Bronx is blunt and masculine and sounds very sturdy; it has the X at the end which has become such a name trend. Bronx was born many years before Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson named their son Bronx Mowgli, so the Goodwins were obviously ahead of their time.

Constantine (Mika) – Newcastle Knights

Constantine Mika is a New Zealander of Samoan descent. He didn’t have any luck at getting into the New Zealand first grade team, so moved to Australia and joined the Knights in 2009. The name Constantine is well known from history due to Constantine the Great, famously the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. Although historians are divided as to just how “Christian” Constantine was, and whether he had a dramatic conversion or not, there is no doubt that his rule was a significant turning point in history. He also moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium, in the east; the city was renamed Constantinople in his honour (today it is known as Istanbul, in Turkey). Constantine is venerated as a saint in Eastern Orthodoxy and the Eastern rites of the Roman Catholic church. His name is from the Latin for “constant, steadfast”. This is a very rich and indeed, imperial-sounding name, redolent of Byzantine marble and gold. Constantine Mika uses the usual Con as the short form, but Stan would also work well.

Drury (Low) – Canberra Raiders

Drury Low is originally from New Zealand and grew up in Melbourne. He made his début in 2010 with the Canberra Raiders, and was also chosen for the Junior Kiwis (New Zealand’s second national team) the same year. His name is an English surname from an Old French word meaning “love, friendship”; by the 12th century it meant a love token or a sweetheart. Sir William Drury was an English statesman and soldier in the time of Elizabeth I, and his house in London gave its name to the famous street, Drury Lane. It has theatrical associations, for the name of the street is often used to refer to The Theatre Royal, which has been located in Drury Lane since the 17th century; it’s shown popular works from Shakespeare to Monty Python, and currently showcases West End musicals. You may also know this street as the home of The Muffin Man in the nursery rhyme, which was made familiar in the Shrek movies, but also makes an appearance in Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Drury is a small town near Auckland in New Zealand, but I don’t know whether this was the inspiration for Low’s name.

Fuifui (Moimoi) – Parramatta Eels

Fuifui Moimoi was born in Tonga and grew up in New Zealand (pictured). He made his début for Parramatta Eels in 2004, and has proved himself a valuable player. He is eligible to play rugby league for Tonga, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Samoa, but so far has only played for Tonga and New Zealand. While watching a game recently, I heard the commentator explain that Fuifui’s name means “love love” in the Tongan language (as if to say, doubly loved). Not only is this a fantastic meaning for a name, but Fuifui Moimoi is without doubt the funnest name to say I have ever heard. Fuifui’s name is pronounced FOO-EE FOO-EE MOY MOY; you say it quickly and all the syllables have equal emphasis. It’s a name that you can’t help but smile as you say it. Fuifui goes by Fui in everyday life.

Krisnan (Inu) – New Zealand Warriors

Krisnan Inu was born in Auckland, New Zealand, to Samoan parents, and grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. He made his debut in 2007, and began playing for the Warriors this season. He also plays for the New Zealand national team. A devout Mormon, he decided to forgo becoming a missionary, believing he can accomplish more for the church as a role model by remaining in the NRL. Krisnan is a variant of the Indian name Krishna, which means “black, dark, dark blue” in Sanskrit. Krishna is a central figure in Hinduism, believed to be the earthly manifestation of the supreme deity, Vishnu. He is said to have written the Hindu scriptures, the Bhagavad Gītā. Krisnan Inu calls himself Kris, and he has an interesting middle name too – Nevada!

Sandor (Earl) – Penrith Panthers

Sandor Earl was raised in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, and attended St Gregory’s College, a famous “nursery” for rugby league, where it is the dominant sport. Sandor made his début in 2009, and went to the Panthers last year, where he was named the club’s top rookie player. In 2010 he was part of the New Zealand Maori team which played against England, and is also reportedly eligible to play for Russia. Off the field, he works part-time as an underwear model. Sandor’s name is a Hungarian form of Alexander, and is pronounced SHAHN-dor. This is a form of the popular Alexander you don’t hear every day; it sounds like an exotic alternative to Xander to me.

Shea (Moylan) – Brisbane Broncos

Shea Moylan just made his début for the Brisbane Broncos this season. Shea is an Anglicised form of the Irish name Seaghdha, said to mean “hawk-like” in Old Gaelic, with connotations of being brave and fierce, and is pronounced SHAY. Although Seaghdha is a masculine name, the Anglicised form must sound slightly feminine to some people, as it is listed as a unisex name. However, I have personally only ever seen this name on boys, with Australian parents usually opting to use feminised creations such as Shaylie or Shayla for girls. I have also witnessed a wide range of variant spellings, including Shae, Shay, Shaye, Sheye and Shai. Although this has been a reasonably well-known name here, I get the impression it’s not being used as much as it was. It’s an attractive name, pleasantly soft, and sounds enough like Shane and Sean to seem familiar to most people.

Tariq Sims – North Queensland Cowboys

Tariq Sims is from Gerringong, in the Illawarra area of New South Wales, and is of part-Fijian descent. He made his début with the North Queensland Cowboys this season; his brothers Ashton and Korbin also play rugby league. Tariq is an Arabic name translated as “he who knocks on the door”, related to the Arabic word for “nightcomer” (in the sense that someone who comes by night will need to knock on the door to wake you up). Tariq is also the name given to the Morning Star, because it comes at the end of the night, but this star (planet) is also used as a metaphor for a great man or chieftain. In the Qur’an, the Morning Star is used to refer to the Prophet Mohammad. Tariq ibn-Ziyad was a military leader who conquered Spain for the Moors; Gibralter is named after him, for it is the Spanish derivation of “mountain of Tariq”. Tariq Sims pronounces his name tuh-REEK. This name has a mysterious meaning with positive associations and interesting namesakes; it’s exotic, but not difficult to spell or say. The Sims were ahead of the curve with Ashton and Korbin – Tariq may be next to become popular.

A very happy Father’s Day to all the dads! Here’s hoping you get spoiled rotten, and may your name suggestions always be taken seriously.

Saturday Sibset: Russell Crowe’s Rush to Start a Family

03 Saturday Sep 2011

Posted by in Sibsets in the News

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Russell Crowe is a New Zealand-born Australian actor who began his career on Australian soaps, and he won the Australian Film Industry Best Actor Award for his role in Romper Stomper in 1992. In 1997 he gained the attention of Hollywood when he took a leading part in LA Confidential, and since then has starred in movies such as The Insider, Gladiator, Cinderella Man, and A Beautiful Mind.

He also has a less-publicised but doggedly determined career as a rock singer. An enthusiastic sports fan who follows team sports in Australia, the UK, the US and Canada, he is also the owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs team in the National Rugby League.

Russell Crowe is married to former actress and current singer-songwriter, Danielle Spencer, who he met in 1990 when they both had roles in the Australian film, The Crossing. In an interview, Danielle revealed that their relationship was slow to get going, and that they remained friends for several years before romance eventually bloomed. Neither was Danielle in any hurry to settle down, and they didn’t get married until April 2003.

Danielle wasn’t sure whether she wanted children or not, and says that she could have kept procrastinating about it, but Russell was already certain that he wanted children, and according to his wife, once he gets an idea in his head, he’s pretty tenacious. Danielle says:

“I fell pregnant on our honeymoon, and the decision was made for me”.

Russell and Danielle’s son Charles Spencer Crowe (called Charlie) was born in December 2003, showing that Russell didn’t have to wait too long at all after his wedding to have the family he wanted. And in July 2006, Charlie was joined by his younger brother, Tennyson Spencer Crowe, so Danielle must have been well and truly talked into the having kids lark by then.

Tennyson Crowe is named after English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Oddly enough, Lord Tennyson has a connection with Australia, because his son Hallam became the second Governor-General of Australia. He was popular with Australians, who were impressed with his modest manner and frugal ways (his predecessor had been considered a spendthrift), and there are several places in Australia named after him. His wife Audrey was also well-liked. The English surname Tennyson simply means “son of Tenney”; Tenney is a medieval form of the name Denis.

Alfred Tennyson’s older brother was called Charles Tennyson Turner; he was also a poet, and the two were very close. Charles married the sister of Alfred’s wife, so they were brothers-in-law as well as brothers, fellow-poets, and close friends. If you’re wondering why they have different surnames, Charles changed his surname to Turner when he inherited the property of his uncle, the Rev. Samuel Turner.

Even though Charles is such a well-known name, and Tennyson a rare one, somehow this sibset really works. The connections within the Tennyson family and the connection with Australia makes this very meaningful, with echoes of an earlier pair of brothers speaking to us.

(Story from babycenter.com, photo from exposay.com; picture shows the Crowe family April 12 2010, when Russell was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame)

Boys Names from the Australian Football League

28 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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Writer, critic and broadcaster, Clive James, wrote in his “Unreliable Memoirs” that Australian boys tend to be named after athletes. Although much has changed since his birth during World War II, and naming practices have considerably broadened, plenty of baby boys are named after sportsmen in Australia even now. In the period leading up until Father’s Day, we’re going to have lists of boys names from the two main (rival?) football codes to look at some of the less common names found amongst the players. (Don’t worry – at some point we’ll have two lists of girls names to balance it).

Alwyn (Davey) – Essendon Bombers

Alwyn Davey is from Darwin in the Northern Territory, and his tribal ancestry can be traced to the Kokatha Mula people from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. He was a late starter to professional football, being considered a bit short. He was picked up by Essendon in 2007, and at 22, was thought to be a little old to make of a success of it. He quickly gained a cult following due to his explosive speed, and won the AFL Army Award (for bravery) in the year of his debut. Alwyn was named after his father, and surely must have a connection with Wales, for his full name looks very Welsh. Alwyn is said to be derived from the name of the River Alwen, which may mean “winding and fair”, but could also be influenced by the name of a Celtic god of healing and prophecy, Alaunos. The meaning of the god’s name is extremely unsure, and may mean “pale, faded”, “brilliant white”, “dark grey”, or possibly “treasure”. A soft and lilting name, this sounds a bit like Alan and Alvin, and is easily shortened to Al or Ally, although personally I like Wyn.

Amon (Buchanan) – Brisbane Lions

Amon Buchanan is from the country town of Colac, west of Melbourne, and his brother Liam plays cricket for the state team. He made his debut in 2002, and was traded to the Lions in 2009. In Egyptian mythology, Amon is a fertility god who was believed to be father of all the Pharoahs. So popular was he that he became combined with the sun god Re into the supreme solar deity Amon-Re, and was worshipped devotedly as a protector of the poor and weak. His name means “the hidden one”, and is pronounced AH-mun. Amon is also the Greek form of a Hebrew name meaning “skilled workman”. In the Old Testament, Amon was one of the kings of Judah, and gets a bad rap for idolatry and general depravity. However, in the New Testament he is listed as one of the ancestors of Jesus. Amon has a bit of baggage, and might seem slightly overweening, but it’s a nice simple name that doesn’t sound too different from Harmon, Eamon or Aidan.

Chance (Bateman) – Hawthorn Hawks

Chance Bateman is from Perth in Western Australia (pictured). He was Hawthorn’s first indigenous player to play 100 games, the first Aboriginal life member, and the club’s longest-serving recruit from WA. He is one of Hawthorn’s most valuable players because of his speed and hardness. He is notable for his dreadlocks, which he once cut off for charity and donated to the Rioli Fund for Aboriginal health. Chance is a surname of Old French origin, derived from a nickname given to someone blessed with good fortune. The English word “chance” can mean a stroke of luck or good opportunity, but now also has connotations of accident or randomness. This is one of those names that people tend to either love or hate, find cool or ridiculous. Nearly always the name is given meaningfully, and boys called Chance often have a story attached to how their name was chosen.

Maverick (Weller) – Gold Coast Suns

Maverick Weller is a young player from Burnie in Tasmania, and made his debut this season. The word “maverick” refers to someone unconventional, independent or even controversial in their thinking; someone who follows their own rules. The word comes from the name of Samuel Maverick, a Texas lawyer who refused to brand his cattle. (In reality, Samuel wasn’t so much an independent thinker as uninterested in ranching). His surname may be Welsh, and derived from the Gaelic name Muirgheas, meaning “seafarer”, or from the Welsh Mawr-rwyce, meaning “valiant hero”. It’s been used as the title of both a Western TV series starring James Garner and a Western movie starring Mel Gibson, so still has rather a “cowboy” image. Maverick Weller seems to have been named after Tom Cruise’s callsign in the movie Top Gun, as he has a tattoo of his namesake. It’s another vocabulary name that can draw strong opinions from people – no doubt, just like the original Mister Maverick!

Kade (Simpson) – Carlton Blues

Kade Simpson is from Melbourne, and was drafted by Carlton in 2002. He has the club record for most consecutive games played, and won the Jim Stynes Medal in 2008 for best player on the Australian national team. His name is a variant of Cade, a surname which began as a form of the personal name Cada, coming from the Germanic for “swelling, lump”. This slightly unflattering name may have begun life as a nickname for someone overly plump, but to me it almost sounds like a “womb name” – the sort of epithet you might fondly give the baby swelling your belly out (“my little lumpkin”). The surname has another source, the Old French word cade meaning “barrel”; although this also has connotations of stoutness, it’s an occupational name for someone who made barrels, and thus is the same as Cooper. There is another meaning which parents might find more appealing: a cade is a baby farm animal reared by hand; these pet lambs and calves tend to be cossetted and well-fed little darlings. It’s a name filled with cute, cuddly, childish and chubby connotations; however I’m guessing most people will assume it’s a short form of Kaden.

Kepler (Bradley) – Fremantle Dockers

Kepler Bradley is from West Australia, was drafted in 2003, and began playing for Fremantle in 2007. Tall and agile, he won the Lark Medal for players 18 and under in 2003. Kepler is a German surname meaning “hooded cloak”; it’s an occupational name for someone who made such garments. The name is given in honour of Johannes Kepler, a mathematician, astronomer and astrologer. A key figure in the 17th century scientific revolution, his laws of planetary motion helped set the stage for Isaac’s Newton’s laws on gravity. A devout Lutheran who had considered becoming a church minister before his obvious talent for mathematics pushed him into an academic career, he was banished from Graz for refusing to convert to Catholicism, but found refuge in tolerant Linz. His mother was a herbalist who was imprisoned as a witch, but Kepler’s extensive defense got her released, adding “legal mastermind” to his already impressive list of accomplishments. This is a strong, unusual name that celebrates a hardworking polymath of powerful imagination, known for his cheerful and affectionate nature. Kip is the obvious nickname.

Marlon (Motlop) – Port Adelaide Power

Marlon Motlop is from the Northern Territory, and traces his tribal ancestry to the Larrakia people, from the Darwin area. He was drafted in 2007 and is the youngest player drafted to Port Adelaide. He won the Allan McLean Medal for players under 16 in 2006. The name Marlon is another surname, this time coming from place names called Moreland, common in the north of England and southern Scotland, meaning “moor land”. The name is strongly associated with American screen legend Marlon Brando, who starred in movies such as A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. Actor Marlon Brando was named after his father; of German-Dutch origins, the family surname was originally Brandeau. It’s also the name of Michael Jackson’s older brother, singer Marlon Jackson, who gave the name Marlon to his youngest son, Marlon Jackson Jnr. This name may seem almost too famous to use, but it’s a name that’s been good enough to be handed down from father to son at least twice, and you can also use Marley as a nickname, thus honouring another famous singer.

Sharrod (Wellingham) – Collingwood Magpies

Sharrod Wellingham is from Western Australia, and was selected for the 2006 rookie draft. Since 2008, he has become a valuable asset for Collingwood. Sharrod looks like a cross between Sharon and Jarrod, but is yet another surname. This could be a variant of either of two different surnames. One is Sherrard, which has been found in Ireland from the 17th century onwards. The meaning is unknown, but has been interpreted as a combination of English and French meaning “bright, fair”. Another possibility is Sherrod, based on the French surname Cherot, meaning “wagoner”. Sherrard, Sherrod and Sharrod have all been used in the past as personal names, but mostly in the United States. In fact, there is an American basketball player called Sharrod Ford only a few years older than Sharrod Wellingham, so the name seems to have floating around in the public consciousness during the 1980s.

Tadhg (Kennelly) – Sydney Swans

Tadhg Kennelly is from County Kerry in Ireland, and already had a background in Gaelic football when he signed with the Sydney Swans in 1999. He made his debut in 2001, and became a high-profile player, writing articles for the Swans’ website entitled Talking with Tadhg. After the death of his father, Tadhg returned to Ireland in 2009 where he won a National Football League medal, but came back to Australia in the 2010 season. Tadhg is an Irish name that means “poet”; Tadhg was a medieval king of Connacht. The name does have pronunciation issues in Australia, where people tend to want to say it to sound like the word tie, or the name Ty. However, it is pronounced TIEG, like the first syllable in the word tiger. Australia has a great fondness for Irish names and Irish culture, and I think this name would be accepted and admired once people understood the pronunciation. It has a romantic meaning, yet sounds masculine, and it’s short without being cute.

Zephaniah (Skinner) – Western Bulldogs

Zephaniah Skinner is a young player from the Kimberley region of Western Australia who moved to Darwin, and was drafted last year. Zephaniah is a Hebrew name that means “Yahweh has hidden, Yahweh has concealed”, or slightly more ominously, “Yahweh lies in wait”. There are several people of this name in the Old Testament, the best known being a minor prophet who features in the very brief Book of Zephaniah. These three chapters give the teachings of Zephaniah, who seemed pretty keen on a universal Judgement Day, and as is usual with prophets, warned that widespread repentence is necessary to avoid this catastrophe. Another famous namesake is British Rastafarian poet, Benjamin Zephaniah. He supports veganism, animal rights, anti-racism, a British Republic, a change to the first-past-the-post voting system, and the UK Green Party. Boys names from the Old Testament are very popular at the moment, and although Zephaniah is quite rare, it isn’t any more unusual-sounding than Zachariah. Zeph or Zeff seems like a pretty cool nickname as well.

Boys Names That Only Chart in Australia

31 Sunday Jul 2011

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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Campbell

This is a Scottish surname, which was originally a Gaelic nickname, Caimbeul, meaning “wry, twisted or crooked mouth”. A p was later added to the spelling in the belief the name was from the French for “beautiful field”. I suppose that meaning seemed a lot more appealing. The Clan Campbell was one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans, and the chief of the clan became Duke of Argyll. There are many prominent Australians with this surname. Campbell is #60 in Tasmania, which is very proud of its Scottish heritage, and has a historic town called Campbell. Campbell is on the US Top Top 1000, but only as a girl’s name. As a boy’s name, it has appeared only sporadically, peaked in 1885 at #700, and hasn’t been seen there since 2005.

Darcy

An English surname, from a French place name meaning “town of the bear”, which was introduced by the Normans as the surname of one of William the Conqueror’s barons. It can also be interpreted as an anglicised form of a Gaelic surname meaning “son of the dark one”, and this is a more likely origin in Australia. Although romantics cannot help connecting this to Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the most famous Australian with this surname is probably Les Darcy, the folk hero boxer. There are a number of notable Australian men called Darcy, including D’Arcy Niland, the roving novelist, Darcy Ward, the motorcyclist, Darcy Lussick, the rugby league player, and Darcy Dugan, the notorious bank robber. As you can see, although Darcy is unisex, it’s a very manly name here, and only Top 100 for boys. It’s #94 in New South Wales, #57 in Victoria, #97 in South Australia, #75 in Tasmania and #54 in the ACT. Darcy as a male name hasn’t been on the US Top 1000 since 1970, and it peaked in 1968 at #868.

Eamon

The Irish form of Edmund, this is pronounced AY-muhn. It’s use today is probably influenced by the sprint swimmer Eamon Sullivan (pictured). An Olympic athlete, Eamon is not only a good-looking underwear model, he also proved he was a fantastic cook by winning Celebrity Master Chef. Little wonder that he then went on to claim Cleo‘s Bachelor of the Year Contest. It’s #71 in the ACT, and has never charted in another country.

Flynn

An Irish surname meaning “son of Flann”; the name Flann means “red” and was the name of a 9th century Irish king. In Australia, it’s most strongly associated with the Tasmanian-born Hollywood film legend, Erroll Flynn. His name was bestowed upon Disney prince Flynn Rider in honour of Erroll Flynn, as the character has much in common with the actor. As this name has been given to Miranda Kerr and Orlando’s Bloom’s son, Flynn Christopher Bloom, I can see it gaining further in popularity. It’s #94 in Victoria, #79 in Tasmania and #80 in the ACT. It’s never charted in another country.

Hamish

This is the anglicised form of Seumas, which is the Scottish form of James; it’s pronounced HAY-mish. Its current popularity is almost certainly due to a well-known comedian who stars on both radio and television, called Hamish Blake. Multi-award winning, he was recently voted the most recognisable celebrity, and will be included in this year’s issue of Who’s Who. The name is #60 in New South Wales, #49 in Victoria, #45 in South Australia, #28 in Tasmania and #34 in the ACT. Hamish only just made it onto the list – it’s only recently left the Top 100 for Scotland.

Jai

A Hindi name which means “victory”, it can apparently be pronounced either JAY or JY. Jai has been in use in Australia since the 1970s. Jai Abberton is a former pro surfer who is a member of the notorious Bra Boys Gang. Jai Koutrae is an actor who’s appeared in several popular soap operas. Jai Ayoub plays rugby for Western Harbour. Jai Larkan is the lead singer of folk-rock band, The Wishing Well. Jai Taurima is a retired athlete who won silver at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Lots of guys called Jai! It’s currently #98 in Victoria and #95 in South Australia. It only ever seems to have charted in Australia.

Jed

The short form of the Hebrew name Jedidiah, which means “beloved of Yahweh”. In the Bible, this was a term of endearment given to King Solomon by the prophet Nathan. In use in Australia since the 1980s, there are a number of athletes with this name, including AFL player Jed Adcock (who this year welcomed a daughter named Lily Rose). There’s also some rock singers with the name Jed, including Jed Kurzel, who did the music for the film Snowtown. It’s #99 in Tasmania, whose rural population seems suited to the rustic charms of this name. Jed was on the US Top 1000 from 1947-1989; it peaked in 1978 at #481.

Lachlan

This is a Highland Scottish name from the Gaelic Lochlann, which was used as a nickname for someone from Norway – “the land of the lochs (lakes)”. It’s pronounced LOHK-luhn. There was a strong relationship between the neighbouring lands of Norway and Scotland during the Middle Ages, as both battled for control of the Western Isles of Scotland. There were diplomatic missions between the two nations, and even intermarriage between the royal houses. The name Lachlan has a long history in Australia, owing much to Lachlan Macquarie, a British military officer from the Hebrides who served as Governor of New South Wales from 1810-21, in the period when it was transitioning from a penal colony to a free settlement. He therefore played a major role in the shaping of Australian society, and his liberal views toward ex-convicts and lavish expenditure on public works had a great impact on New South Wales. There are 30 places in Australia named after him, and 6 named after his wife, Elizabeth; on his tomb in Scotland he is called “The Father of Australia”. (American readers may be interested to know that he fought very successfully during the American War of Independence – on the British side of course). When media magnate Rupert Murdoch chose Lachlan as his eldest son’s name, he was perhaps drawing on his own Scottish heritage and honouring a great man from Australian history. Forty years later, this name is still going strong, and there is another generation of well-known Lachlans giving it new impetus, such as soap actor Lachlan Buchanan, and fullback for the Penrith panthers, Lachlan Coote. The name is #6 in New South Wales, #13 in Victoria, #5 in South Australia, #5 in Queensland, #12 in Tasmania and #3 in the ACT. It’s never charted in any other country.

Nate

A short form of Nathan, which is a Hebrew name from the verb “to give”; it can be interpreted as “given”, in the sense that God has given a child. Less persnickety baby name sites often interpret it as meaning “gift”, or “gift from God”, which is a more user-friendly way of putting it. The short form has proved very popular here recently, and I can’t help wondering if that’s partly because Australian baby name sites sometimes list Nate as meaning “little gift”, which I think is taking looseness of interpretation a bit far! Nate has a similar level of popularity to Nathan, and if you’re wondering why I don’t mention Nathaniel as a source of Nate, that’s because it’s not well enough known here to have a nickname yet. A famous Nate is Nate Myles, who plays for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. It’s #60 in Victoria, #52 in South Australia, #44 in Western Australia, #58 in Tasmania and #50 in the ACT. It’s never charted in any other country.

Taj

An Arabic name meaning “crown”, it’s probably best known from the Taj Mahal in India, the name meaning “crown of buildings”. Taj Burrow is an Australian surfer, and as he’s from Western Australia, it’s not surprising that the name is #42 in that state. Taj has only been on the US Top 1000 twice, in 1976 and 1998, and never got higher than #951.

Zac

The short form of Zachary, the English form of Hebrew name Zechariah, meaning “Yahweh remembers”. In the New Testament, Zechariah is the father of John the Baptist. This seems to have done particularly well as a full name here. It’s been around long enough to have some famous Zacs already, such as Zac Dawson, who plays for St Kilda in the AFL, and Zac Drayson, an actor on the popular soap opera, Home and Away. American actor Zac Efron probably isn’t doing it any harm either. Early this year, V8 ute racer Craig Dontas named his second son Zac Michael. It’s #76 in New South Wales, #52 in Victoria, #77 in South Australia and #80 in Tasmania. It hasn’t charted in any other country.

Close But No Cigar

These names don’t make the top 1000 in the United States, but do chart in countries besides Australia

Angus – #75 in Scotland

Archie – #24 in England/Wales, #43 in Scotland

Reuben – #67 in N. Ireland, #71 in England/Wales

Tom – #10 in France, #18 in Belgium, #38 in Netherlands, #62 in Ireland, #93 in N Ireland

Harvey – #47 in England/Wales

NOTE

Please also read Girls Names That Only Chart in Australia, as it contains information relevant to this blog entry. Since then, the 2010 list for England/Wales has been released.

Girls Names That Only Chart in Australia

24 Sunday Jul 2011

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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Recently, Lou at Mer de Noms has had a couple of articles on names that are in the UK Top 150, but fail to make the US Top 500. It’s an interesting look at differences in name popularity between the two countries. I thought about doing the same thing from an Australian perspective, but found the list became too long for my purposes. So I made my conditions a bit tighter – these are names that are on a Top 100 list in Australia, but don’t make the Top 100 in any other country, and aren’t on the US Top 1000.

Asha

Asha has two different origins and meanings. It can be seen as an Indian name from the Sanskrit for “hope, wish, desire”, or an East African name from the Swahili word for “life”. Either way it has a beautiful meaning, and both Indian and Swahili names are becoming fashionable in Australia. It fits in well with other popular Ash- names, such as Ashley, Ash, Asher and Ashton. There’s an attractive TV presenter in Australia called Asha Kuerten (pictured), which has probably helped it gain momentum here. Asha is currently #89 in Victoria, #77 in South Australia, and #68 in the ACT. It’s never been higher than #794 on the US Top 1000 (in 1989), and hasn’t charted there since 2003.

Bridie

This is a pet form of the Irish name Brighid or its anglicised form, Bridget, which means “exalted one”. In Irish mythology, Brighid was the goddess of fire, poetry and wisdom. There was a 5th century Irish saint called Brigid, who is the patron saint of Ireland, and whose feast day on February 1 coincides with the pagan festival of Imbolc (possibly this day was sacred to the goddess of the same name). As around 30% of Australians claim Irish heritage, the name Bridie isn’t too unusual here, and there are several well-known women with this name, including Bridie Carter, a popular soap actress. Bridie is #70 in Tasmania, which has a particularly strong Irish community. It doesn’t chart in any other country.

Ebony

This is from the English word for the valuable black wood which comes from the ebony tree; different species are native to India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Mauritius, and West Africa. Although Ebony is often said to be used mostly by African-Americans in the United States, in Australia it is not connected to a person’s skin tone and is just seen as another colour name, like Ruby, Jade or Amber, or a plant name, like Rose or Holly. The exoticism of this name seems to have possessed a strange fascination for Australian parents, and it has been a Top 100 name since the early 1980s. Perhaps popular songs from that decade, such as Ebony Eyes and Ebony and Ivory, helped give it a boost. It’s #63 in South Australia and #55 in Tasmania. In the United States, Ebony got as high as #132 in 1982, and hasn’t been on the Top 1000 since 2005.

Indiana

The name of an American state, it means “land of the Indians”, because of the high Native American population in the area at the beginning of the 19th century (unfortunately, not to last). Indiana was used as a girl’s name (at least in fiction) before the American state was founded: Fanny Burney’s 1795 classic novel, Camilla, features a beautiful but shallow character called Indiana Lynmere. Possibly the name was intended as an elaboration of India, then part of the British Empire. French author George Sand also gave a character this name in her first novel, Indiana (1832). In this book, Indiana is a beautiful, romantic Creole from Reunion, of part-Indian descent. Here, there is a young TV actress called Indiana Rose Evans, and early this year, former NRL player Glenn Hall had a daughter named Indiana Maree. This name has only been Top 100 since last year, and it’s #98 in Victoria. Indiana has not been on the US Top 1000 since the late 19th century.

Jorja

The name Georgia, also an American state name (the state is named after King George II), is more popular in Australia than anywhere else in the world, hovering around the #20 mark on most lists, and Top 100 since the early 1980s. The phonetic spelling Jorja has also proved popular here. It’s currently #88 in Tasmania. Jorja has only been on the US Top 1000 once, in 2006, when it was at #976.

Lucinda

This is an elaboration of the Latin name Lucia, meaning “light”. Always a rather literary name, it was created by Miguel de Cervantes for his 1605 novel, Don Quixote for a character in a farcical romantic subplot. The 17th century Spanish poet Lope de Vega wrote love sonnets to a woman he called “Lucinda” to protect her identity. In more recent fiction, Lucinda is the rather silly fairy godmother in the children’s novel Ella Enchanted, later made into a movie. Australian novelist Peter Carey’s Oscar and Lucinda won the 1988 Booker Prize, and was made into a film directed by Gillian Anderson. Another Australian connection is that Lucinda is the name of a small coastal town in Queensland. As Lucy is so popular, Lucinda seems like a pretty alternative which will allow Lucy/Lucie as a nickname. It was chosen for the name of lifesaver and reality TV star Dean Gladstone’s daughter Lucinda May. It’s # 67 in Tasmania. Lucinda hasn’t been on the US Top 1000 since 1987, and peaked in 1881 at #153.

Tahlia

The name Talia can come from a range of origins. It’s a variant of the Hebrew name Talya, which means “dew from God”; it’s the Italian form of Greek Thalia, which means “to blossom” (Thalia was one of the nine Muses); and it can also be a short form of Natalia, a Latin name which means “Christmas Day”. However, In Australia, Talia is often taken as coming from an Aboriginal word meaning “near water”. Talia has become hugely popular in many parts of Australia; it has a certain patriotic flavour, and is pleasingly multicultural, suiting a variety of backgrounds. Yet it is not found consistently on the Top 100 because it has so many variant spellings. Tahlia is the most common of these variants, and is beginning to overtake Talia because it makes the favoured pronunciation more clear. It’s #47 in New South Wales, #41 in Victoria, #39 in South Australia, #35 in Western Australia, #84 in Tasmania, and #52 in the ACT. Tahlia has never charted in any other country.

Tayla

A specifically feminine form of the popular unisex name Taylor, this may have been coined in imitation of Kayla and related names. However, I can’t help thinking it’s taking off in Australia partly because it looks similar to Talia and Tahlia. It’s #68 in South Australia, #40 in Western Australia, and #94 in Tasmania. Tayla has only been on the US Top 1000 twice – in 1998 and 2006, and was never higher than #924.

Zahra

This is an Arabic name usually translated as “radiance”. The meaning is gorgeous, and Arabic names are becoming increasingly fashionable here with our growing Islamic population. However, almost certainly the reason for its popularity in Australia is due to its similarity to the name Zara. Zara has been used in Britain since the 18th century, where it is the English form of the French name Zaïre, created by the author Voltaire in 1732 for his hugely successful play of the same name, and possibly based on the name Zahra. The drama was soon translated as Zara: A Tragedy, and proved a big hit with English audiences too, being staged well into the 19th century. For some reason, Zara has been a favourite in Australia for over a century, and there are several famous women from Australian history called Zara, including the glamorous wife of former Prime Minister Harold Holt. Zara is more popular in Australia than in any other country, and Zahra is rising on the basis of its success. It’s #82 in the ACT. Zahra has never charted in the United States.

Also Qualifying

Bronte and Lara, which were covered on earlier Name Lists – Bronte in Sydney Suburbs That Can Be Used as Girls Names, and Lara in Girls Names from Video Games. Bronte is #68 in Tasmania. Lara is #43 in New South Wales, #80 in Victoria, #79 in Tasmania and #52 in the ACT. Neither has ever charted in another country.

Close But No Cigar

These names don’t make the top 1000 in the United States, but do chart in countries besides Australia

Freya – #19 in Scotland, #21 in England/Wales, #68 in Ireland, #70 in N. Ireland

Harriet – #89 in England/Wales

Imogen – #32 in England/Wales, #77 in Scotland

Maisie – #34 in England/Wales, #36 in Scotland

Milla – #48 in Norway

Poppy – #22 in England/Wales, #47 in Scotland, #60 in N. Ireland

NOTE

There are some serious statistical issues facing anyone doing comparisons between countries. Australia doesn’t produce a national Top 100, states and territories have different population sizes, not all states and territories provide their Top 100, and one has refused to divulge any of its name data. Countries don’t all release their popularity charts for the year at the same time, so we are still waiting for the ones from England/Wales, for example, and I had to use the one for 2009. I used popularity charts from Behind the Name, and sometimes they are slow in updating their data as well. Not only that, but there is no data available for many countries.

So rather than getting into a mathematical tangle, this is only intended to be of general interest and show a few broad trends.

Bonds Baby Search 2011 – Winners 0-9 Months Category

21 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by in Baby Contests

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Each year, the Bonds underwear label has run a huge annual campaign to find the perfect babies to model for them. Although the prizes aren’t lavish, $250 worth of Bonds merchandise and a free photo, the fame and prestige must be enough of a drawcard, because it is the biggest baby contest in the country, attracting thousands of entrants. Bonds are careful not to identify it as a “cute baby contest”, and say any baby can win, as long as they fit into Bonds baby sizes and interact well with the camera.

I thought we’d look at the names of the winning babies, as an indication of names used recently.

Phoenix Nate

Isabelle

Xanden

Zia

Thomas James (People’s Choice)

Midweek Sibset: The Gender-Neutral Sibset

06 Wednesday Jul 2011

Posted by in Sibsets in the News

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There has been an international brouhaha over the decision by Canadian couple Kathy Witterick and David Stocker not to reveal the sex of their baby, Storm. As brother Jazz enjoys wearing pink dresses and pigtails, Kathy and David decided it would be better if their child’s sex remained private to their family to avoid any more societal gender issues.

This story got plenty of media time in Australia, as in other countries, and mostly people were very much against the idea of raising a “genderless baby”. This opinion piece in the The Age says that the parents are selfishly putting their own ideological agenda before their child’s welfare, while more forthright articles suggested the parents’ idea was just absurd.

However, Emma Jane in The Australian was one of those who took a more sympathetic view. She believes that gender stereotyping of babies and toddlers has reached a ridiculous level, where even new-born infants are dressed in either pink frills or solid workmanlike blue.

She dressed her daughter Alice in boy’s clothes and gender-neutral primary colours as a baby, which was declared to be “child abuse” by a concerned onlooker. Now 4 years old, Alice can make her own choices, which, it turns out, means a wardrobe full of pink and girly outfits.

Sydney couple Jay Black and Scott Collins are supporters of Witterick and Stocker’s choice to raise a “genderless child”. (I think Jay and Scott are a female-male couple). Jay and Scott are trying to raise their sons, Poe, 4, and Ilo, 22 months, without gender stereotypes. Their boys have ambiguous haircuts, play with dolls, and are supported if they choose to wear skirts and dresses.

In line with this lack of gender demarcation, Poe and Ilo have been given unusual unisex names.

Poe is a surname, most famous as that of the American Gothic writer, Edgar Allen Poe. His surname is a variant of the early English name Peacock, which began as a nickname for someone who was vain or dandified, or from someone who bred peacocks. In a few cases, it may have come from a house distinguished by the sign of a peacock. Poe Ballantine is an American novelist, while Poe is the stage name of American rock singer Anne Danielewski. Poe is also a raven character in the TV series Ruby Gloom.

Ilo is such a rare name that information on it is scarce, and I have turned to Appellation Mountain to discover that it’s the name of an Estonian goddess dedicated to feasting whose name may mean “pleasure”, and possibly a Nigerian boy’s name meaning “joy”. Sylvia Plath’s teenage diaries rather fervently describe a blonde Estonian refugee called Ilo Pill; he was male, so even in Estonia the name of the goddess seems to have been used for both boys and girls. In addition, Ilo is a lake in North Dakota, USA, and a port town in Peru, so you may take it as a geographic name as well. It’s so neutral that you can’t even tell which country the name is from, or what it means! It can either be pronounced EYE-low, or EE-loh (I believe).

Boys Names from the Top 100 of the 1930s

26 Sunday Jun 2011

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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This post was first published on June 26 2011, and substantially revised and updated on June 25 2015.

Alfred
Anglo-Saxon name meaning “elf counsel”. The name became famous due to Alfred the Great, 9th century king of Wessex, who defended England against the Vikings, and was the first to call himself King of the Anglo-Saxons. Renowned for his love of learning, he encouraged education and reformed the legal system. Although not officially a saint, he is regarded as a Christian hero, and has a feast day in the Anglican Church. The name Alfred continued to be used even after the Norman Conquest, when many Anglo-Saxon names were discarded. It dwindled after the Middle Ages, but had a revival in the 19th century, and was chosen as the name of one of Queen Victoria’s sons – an earlier Prince Alfred was the son of King George III, and the current British family trace their ancestry back to Alfred the Great. Alfred is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #14 in the 1900s, and #50 by the 1930s. Alfred left the Top 100 in the 1950s, and is currently around the 300s, its position apparently fairly stable. Popular in Scandinavia, Alfie, Fred, and Freddie give this venerable classic several cute nickname options.

Brian
Irish name, possibly from the Celtic bre, meaning “hill”, to suggest “high, great, exalted”. In Irish mythology, Brian is one of three brothers who are sent on a worldwide magical quest. In some versions, Brian is the clever one of the three, while his brothers are bumbling and easily pushed around. A famous namesake is Brian Boru, the first High King of Ireland, and founder of the O’Brien dynasty; he made the name common in Ireland. The name Brian was also used in Brittany, and became quite popular in East Anglia, where it was spread by Breton immigrants, and in the north of England, brought over by Scandinavian settlers who had lived in Ireland. It experienced a revival in the early 20th century. Brian is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #169 in the 1900s, and joined the Top 100 in the 1920s. Peaking in the 1930s and ’40s at #7, Brian didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1980s – Monty Python’s Life of Brian having turned it into a “joke name” didn’t help its fortunes. However, it’s been reasonably stable for about a decade, and is around the 300s. Brian remains a popular name in Ireland. This is a strong-sounding Irish classic still getting reasonable use.

Colin
Anglicised form of the Scottish name Cailean, meaning “whelp, pup, young dog” in Gaelic. It is also a medieval pet form of Col, short for Nicholas, so it’s an English name as well. Cuilén mac Ildulb was a 10th century King of the Scots, while Sir Colin Campbell (“Colin the Great”) was a 13th century cousin of Robert the Bruce, and one of the earliest known members of the Clan Campbell, ancestor of the Earls of Argyll. The name became traditional in the Campbell family because of him. Colin was #51 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1930s at #14. It left the Top 100 in the 1980s, and although it stayed in use for many years afterwards, now seems to be quite rare. Colin is a traditional name which has a gentle and slightly poetic feel, and works well in the middle.

Edwin
Modern form of the Anglo-Saxon name Eadwine, meaning “rich friend”. The name was traditional amongst Anglo-Saxon royalty and nobility, with the most famous Edwin being a 7th century king of Northumbria who converted to Christianity; it was said that during his reign, the land was so peaceful that a woman with a new baby could walk across the country without being harmed (it tells you something that this was considered remarkable). He was canonised as a saint after his death. The name Edwin sunk in popularity after the Norman Conquest, but was revived in the 19th century during the Victorian enthusiasm for early English names. Edwin is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #52 in the 1900s, and #88 by the 1930s. It left the Top 100 in the 1940s, and is currently around the 400s. A good alternative to popular Edward, while still having Eddie, Ed, Ned, and Ted as nicknames.

Frederick
English form of the Germanic name Friduric, translated as “peaceful ruler”; the modern German version is Friedrich. A favourite amongst European royalty, the name was traditional amongst the Holy Roman Emperors, with Frederick I also known as Frederick Barbarossa, meaning “red bearded” in Italian. Descended from two of Germany’s leading royal houses, he is regarded as the greatest of the medieval Holy Roman Emperors. Handsome, charismatic, and courtly, he was ambitious and skilful, greatly increasing Germany’s power base, and bringing back the Roman rule of law. According to medieval legend, he is not dead, but sleeps in a cave, waiting to return Germany to its former greatness. There are also a couple of medieval German saints named Frederick. The name was brought to England by the Normans after the Conquest, but it didn’t catch on. It was revived in the 18th century when the German House of Hanover inherited the British throne; Prince Frederick was the eldest son of King George II. Frederick is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #8 in the 1900s, and #26 by the 1930s. It left the Top 100 in the 1960s, and sunk to its lowest level in the 1990s, at #459. Since then it has gradually increased in popularity, and is now around the low 200s. A distinguished name with friendly nicknames like Fred and Freddie, Frederick is already popular in the UK.

Ivan
Slavic form of John. A traditional Slavic name, there have been many famous Ivans in history, including six tsars of Russia, and many Croatian and Ukrainian leaders. St Ivan is a legendary hermit from Bohemia, while St Ivan of Rila is the patron saint of Bulgaria. Ivan continues to be a popular name in Eastern Europe, while the Spanish form Iván is popular in Spain and Latin America. Its long-term use in the English-speaking world may come from its similarity to the Welsh form of John, Ifan, so it can be seen as an Anglicised form of the Welsh name. Ivan is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #117 in the 1900s, peaked in the 1910s at #97, and was #100 in the 1930s. It left the Top 100 in the 1940s and is currently around the low 300s, having been reasonably stable since the 1990s. That makes it a great cross-cultural choice which has remained both familiar and underused.

Lawrence
Variant of Laurence, and the usual surname form of the name. St Lawrence of Rome was a 3rd century Spanish saint who was archdeacon of Rome during a time of Christian persecution. There are many stories and legends about him. One is that he spirited the Holy Grail to Spain, where it remains in Valencia. Another is that the Emperor demanded that Lawrence hand over all the church’s goods. Lawrence hastily distributed everything the poor, then presented the city’s suffering, saying that these were the true treasures of the church. For this act of defiance, he was supposedly martyred by being roasted over a gridiron; after hours of pain, he remarked cheerfully: I’m well done. Turn me over! He is one of the most widely venerated saints, and his tomb a favourite pilgrimage site since the 4th century. Lawrence is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #67 in the 1900s, peaked at #55 in the 1910s and ’20s, and was #61 in the 1930s. It left the Top 100 in the 1960s, and reached its lowest point in 2010 at #466. Since then it has risen again, and is now in the 200s, outstripping Laurence in popularity. This rugged-sounding classic comes with the nicknames Lawrie and Larry.

Lionel
Medieval pet form of Leon, a Greek name meaning “lion”; it could also be directly from Lion, which was used as a nickname in the Middle Ages. According to Arthurian legend, Sir Lionel was a Breton king, and knight of the Round Table. He features in the Grail Quest, where he is shown to be unworthy of the Grail, and more interested in fighting than the spiritual life. Lionel of Antwerp was a son of King Edward III, and reputedly a giant of a man, almost seven feet tall and of athletic build. It is through him that the House of York claimed the throne of England, and the name was a common one amongst the aristocracy. Lionel was #68 in the 1900s, peaked in the 1910s at #66, and was #73 by the 1930s. It left the Top 100 in the 1950s, and hasn’t charted since the 1980s. The name is rising in both the the UK and US, fitting in well with both popular Leo, and the trend for animal names. Definitely a worthy choice that has too often been overlooked!

Rex
The Latin word for “king”, and the title of the ancient kings of Rome (“Rex Romae“) – according to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus. The Roman monarchs did not inherit kingship, but were elected to the role, and held absolute power. The word rex is ultimately from an ancient root meaning “to rule”, and it is related to the Sanskrit term Raja, the German word reich, and the English words rich, right, regal, royal, reign, and realm. Rex has been used as a personal name since the 17th century, but only came into common use in the 19th century. Rex was #138 in the 1900s, and entered the Top 100 in the 1920s. Peaking in the 1930s at #74, Rex left the Top 100 in the 1950s. It left the charts in the 1980s, but returned the following decade at #635. It has continued climbing, and is now around the 300s. No wonder Rex is making a comeback – it’s short and snappy, ends in the fashionable X (like Max), and sounds very masculine and confident.

Walter
English form of the ancient Germanic name Walthari, meaning “ruler of the army”. It was brought to England by the Normans and soon replaced its Old English version, Wealdhere. Mythologist Jacob Grimm theorised that the name may have originally been an epithet of one of the Germanic war gods, and be linked to the Norse god Tyr. The name was especially famous in the Middle Ages because of Walter of Aquitaine, a legendary king of the Visigoths; medieval poems tell of his military exploits, fighting one-handed against his foes. He may be based on a 5th century king of Aquitaine, Wallia – his name is probably from the Old Norse for “slaughter”. There is a 12th century English saint called Walter. Walter was #15 in the 1900s, and #46 by the 1930s. It left the Top 100 in the 1950s, and dropped off the charts in the 1990s. However, it made a comeback in 2011 after the hit TV show Breaking Bad aired in Australia, with ailing chemistry teacher turned criminal Walter White played by Bryan Cranston. His name was inspired by the American poet, Walt Whitman, and he is also often known as Walt. His teenage son is Walter White Jr, giving the name a younger image to match Walter Snr’s villainous smarts. Walter is currently around the 500s, and it is yet to be seen whether it continues rising now the show has finished. I hope so, because this retro name now seems fresh and unconventional.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Walter, Frederick and Alfred, and their least favourites were Lionel, Ivan and Brian.

(Photo of men doing relief work during the Great Depression in 1933 from the National Library of Australia)