Waltzing With … Ignatius

24 Sunday May 2015

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celebrity baby names, famous namesakes, name history, name meaning, name popularity, nicknames, Roman names, saints names, Spanish names, UK name popularity, US name popularity

Today is Pentecost, which marks the end of the Easter season – its name means “the fiftieth”, because it is 50 days after Easter Sunday. It is the Greek name for the Hebrew festival of Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, a harvest festival which also commemorates the traditional anniversary of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God. In this case, the name comes from being 50 days after Passover.

Pentecost became a key date in Christianity because of an event related in the New Testament. The Acts of the Apostles states that about 120 of the disciples of Jesus were gathered together to celebrate the Feast of Weeks, 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ, and ten days after he ascended into Heaven. By tradition, it was the large upper room in which the Last Supper took place, and which the disciples continued to use as a place for meeting and prayer.

The Bible records that suddenly there came a noise like a mighty wind which filled the entire house, and upon each of them sat something which looked like a tongue of fire. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were able to speak in different languages. This drew a large crowd, to whom the Apostles preached, and which was so impressed by the demonstration that about three thousand people were baptised, forming the beginnings of the Christian church.

A major feast day from the very earliest times, Pentecost is celebrated as a joyous occasion, and can be seen as the “birthday” of the church. The colour red is used to symbolise the Holy Spirit descending as fire, and there may be red banners, flowers, candles, balloons, and other decorations. Doves are also a prominent motif in reference to the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is a popular day to be baptised or confirmed, and as it occurs during spring in the northern hemisphere, this affirmation of youth and new life seems very appropriate.

In Britain, Pentecost became known as Whitsun, perhaps because of the white clothes worn by those preparing for baptism or confirmation (another interpretation is that it is from the “wit” given to the disciples by the Holy Spirit). In England, Whitsun was historically a major holiday, incorporating some of the traditions of the pagan summer festival, Beltane; there might be parades, music and singing, morris dancing, sports and games, and village fairs. The time around Pentecost is still often celebrated by pagans.

In the southern hemisphere, Pentecost arrives during late autumn or early winter, but this ties in quite well with the original idea of a harvest festival, as there are often food and fresh produce fairs at this time of year. Autumn is also the breeding season for several species of native doves, giving another connection to the day. Bright red autumn leaves and red poinsettia flowers can be used as decorations, and to feel a mighty wind, there are freezing gusts in some areas, freshened with snow!

So we say farewell to Easter, which ends with a bang, not a whimper, and look forward to the cold days and nights of winter.

Name Information
Ignatius is derived from the Roman family Egnatius, of unknown meaning, and presumed to be of Etruscan origin, although the Egnatia were Samnites from southern Italy, so may be Oscan instead. From early on, folk etymology connected it to the Latin word ignis, meaning “fire”, which makes it a good choice to cover for Pentecost.

There were quite a number of prominent Romans with the name Egnatius, and it rather amuses me that the first ever fire fighting service was organised in ancient Rome by Egnatius Rufus – Rufus means “red”, of course. Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus was the Emperor Gallienus, the son of the Emperor Valerian. A father and son of the Egnatii were killed with a single blow as enemies of the state, and died locked together, each trying to shield the other from harm.

There are a number of saints named Ignatius, with the earliest being Ignatius of Antioch, a first century bishop believed to be a disciple of St John the Apostle. He was one of the church’s earliest theologians, and is important to Catholicism, as he was the first known writer to use to word catholic, meaning, “universal” to describe Christianity (although from his phrasing, it would seem to have been a term already widely in use).

One of the most famous of saints of this name is Ignatius of Loyola, a 16th century Spanish knight who was converted while recovering from battle. He founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), and was a church leader during the Counter-Reformation. Known for his zeal and complete devotion to the church, he was brought before the Inquisition a couple of times due to concerns he might be overdoing it (being too religious was one of the many things the Inquisition tried to stamp out). He wrote a book of simple prayers and meditations that is still used for spiritual retreats by both Catholics and non-Catholics.

Ignatius of Loyola is the main influence on the use of the name Ignatius, which is somewhat ironic, as his name wasn’t really Ignatius. He was named Íñigo, a Spanish name recently covered on the blog meaning “my dear one”, but used the Roman name Ignatius instead as he thought it would be more widely understood. Writers on Ignatius of Loyola often connect the “fiery” meaning of his name with the saint’s “fiery” zeal, overlooking the fact that Ignatius wasn’t his real name, and “fiery” isn’t the real meaning of Ignatius.

Ignatius (said ig-NAY-shus) has been used as an English name since at least the 16th century, in honour of St Ignatius of Loyola. A few Australian examples are Depression-era politician Ignatius Boyle, headmaster Ignatius O’Connor, rugby player Ignatius “Iggy” O’Donnell, and former pop singer and events director Ignatius Jones (born Juan Ignacio Trápaga, the brother of childrens’ presenter Monica Trapaga). Actress Cate Blanchett has a son named Ignatius.

Ignatius is around the 400s and is more popular in Australia than in the UK or the US, allowing for differences in population size. In 2013, 4 boys were named Ignatius in England/Wales, while last year 40 boys were given the name Ignatius in the US.

Ignatius isn’t a common name, but isn’t rare enough to seem strange or outrageous either. Australia’s strong Irish heritage gives the name plenty of recognition, and being chosen as a celebrity baby name certainly hasn’t hurt. Once seen as a Catholic name, Ignatius is beginning to be appreciated by a wider variety of parents, just as happened with Xavier, and now makes a rather hip choice. Iggy is the obvious nickname, but Nate and Ace are also possibilities.

POLL RESULT
Ignatius received a very good approval rating of 79%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2015. 35% of people thought the name Ignatius was okay, and only 5% hated it.

Famous Name: Diana

20 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

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aristocratic names, Biblical names, European name popularity, famous namesakes, honouring, Latin names, modern classics, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, rare names, Roman names, royal names, Shakespearean names, UK name popularity, US name popularity

Famous Namesake
The birth of Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana has many people wondering if Charlotte can get to #1 – it would be an easy feat in Australia, as its just been deposed by Olivia, and could regain its throne by going up just one spot in the rankings. It feels as if I am already seeing more Charlottes in birth notices, so who knows!

The princess’ name also invites the question of whether her middle name, Diana, may become more popular as either a first or a middle name. It is well known that the name Diana honours Princess Charlotte’s grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales – Lady Diana Spencer before her marriage, and dubbed “Lady Di” by the press.

Famous for her beauty and charisma, Diana gained respect for her charity work, and sympathy for her unhappy marriage and divorce. Her life, lived under intense scrutiny, ended shockingly in a car crash, leading to an outpouring of public grief. Years later, her memory is still fresh, and she continues to be a subject of fascination for the media.

Diana’s name is a traditional one in the Spencer family, and she was named after a distant 18th century ancestor, who was also Lady Diana Spencer. Tall, fair, charismatic, and attractive, it was hoped this earlier Lady Diana would marry the Prince of Wales, Frederick, the son of King George II. These plans came to naught, and she married a future Duke of Bedford instead.

The parallels between these two namesakes are striking: both grew up at the stately home of Althorp, both socialised with the royal family, both were intended brides of a Prince of Wales, and both unexpectedly died young – the earlier Lady Diana of TB at 25.

Another Lady Diana Spencer born in the 18th century was known as Lady Di, and a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte. A talented artist, she was most famous for the unhappiness of her first marriage, which was marked by infidelity, and ended in divorce. Days later, she married again, to a celebrated wit who was a great-grandson of King Charles II. It was out of the frying pan and into the fire, as her second husband was evil-tempered, a drug fiend, and extremely filthy in his habits. He died begging her pardon for the life of misery he had given her.

While Princess Charlotte’s first two names connect her equally to her royal and commoner families, her third name is a link to her famous grandmother, not just a style icon and People’s Princess, but a beloved mother still deeply missed by her sons. It’s also a connection to her aristocratic Spencer line. Diana has already been used as a middle name twice to honour Diana, Princess of Wales – for Princess Charlotte, and for Diana’s niece, Charlotte Diana Spencer – and perhaps there will be more family namesakes in the future.

Name Information
In Roman mythology, Diana is the goddess of the hunt, having power over wild animals. Associated with countryside and woodlands, oak groves are sacred to her. She is a goddess of the moon, the twin sister of the sun god Apollo. Diana is also a goddess of women, childbirth and midwifery, although a maiden goddess. She is the Roman equivalent of Artemis.

On the one hand, Diana is inaccessible like the chill light of the moon, ever virgin, dwelling far away on sacred mountains, deep in the woods. On the other, she bestowed divine authority onto kings, with her own priest taking the role of King of the Grove. Women worshipped her when they wished to become pregnant, and during pregnancy, as they prayed to her for an easy delivery. Thus this seemingly cold distant goddess helped the survival of humanity.

Diana was one of the most widely worshipped and ancient of the Roman gods, pre-dating the city, and originating amongst the Latin tribes of the Alban Hills. She was the especial patron of the lower classes, with slaves being able to claim asylum in her temples. Diana is portrayed as young and beautiful, often dressed for the hunt in a short tunic and boots, carrying her bows and arrows, and accompanied by a deer or hunting dogs.

The name Diana is believed to come from the Latin dius, meaning “sky”, from an ancient root meaning “bright sky, daylight”. Related to it are the Latin words deus, meaning “god”, die, meaning “day, daylight”, and diurnal, meaning “day time”. The name is usually translated as “divine, deity”.

The goddess Diana is mentioned in the New Testament, because of Ephesus in present-day Turkey, the location of The Temple of Diana. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the man who compiled the list considered the Temple of Diana to be the greatest of them all, outstripping the pyramids of Egypt and the hanging gardens of Babylon in its beauty and brilliance.

In the Acts of the Apostles, the Ephesian craftsmen who earned their living making shrines of the goddess felt their livelihoods threatened by St Paul’s preaching of Christianity, and organised a spirited protest march, shouting the catchy slogan, Great is Diana of the Ephesians! In the short term, the situation by was smoothed over by a city bureaucrat.

In the long term, Christianity didn’t do the worship of Diana any favours, although when the Temple of Diana was eventually destroyed, it was by pagan Goths, not Christians. However, worship of the goddess Diana is alive and well, and still practised in various strains of modern Wicca and witchcraft.

Diana has been a favourite in the arts for centuries, featured in many paintings and sculptures. Referenced numerous times in Shakespeare, she actually appears in both Pericles and All’s Well That Ends Well. Neither has her fame diminished. Her myth was the basis for Wonder Woman, and she is a character in the Sailor Moon series, as well as featuring in several video games.

Diana has been used as an English name since at least the 16th century. It has been something of a favourite amongst the English aristocracy, with a famous example being Lady Diana Cooper (nee Manners). Beautiful, witty, and glamorous, her parents hoped that she would one day marry the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) – what is it with Dianas being matched up with Princes of Wales? Instead she married a future ambassador to France. Lady Diana had a glittering career as a socialite, writer, and actress, and was often referenced in Jazz Age literature.

The name Diana first charted in the 1910s, debuting at #301; this was the decade when Lady Diana Cooper first came to prominence as a member a group of aristocrats and intellectuals, and coincides with the publication of Anne of Green Gables, where Diana Barry is Anne’s pretty and loyal best friend. It rose steadily, and joined the Top 100 in the 1930s, peaking the following decade at #59 – the time when Lady Diana Cooper became a celebrated hostess in postwar France.

The name remained stable through the 1950s and ’60s, under the influence of sexy British actresses, Diana Dors and Diana Rigg, but left the Top 100 in the 1970s, and continued falling – Diana, Princess of Wales, did not halt its downward progress. The name had a slight boost in 2009, the year after Diana’s inquest found there was no evidence of foul play in her death, but hasn’t charted since 2011.

Diana is still only #297 in the US, although falling, while in the UK it is #358, and rose in 2013. A popular name in Spain and Poland, it is most popular in Hungary, at #75.

Diana is a beautiful, elegant name, with a history that is divine, noble, and even royal. It seems to have become prematurely dated in Australia, as the name remains in use in other countries, and is popular in Europe. I wonder if the name has become too firmly attached to Diana, Princess of Wales, with her luminous fame and life tragically cut short. Will the baby princess help give Diana a boost, or will it merely underline it as a name reserved for Diana’s family?

POLL RESULTS
Diana received a decent approval rating of 60%. 19% of people thought the name Diana was beautiful and elegant, but 15% believed it was too strongly associated with Diana, Princess of Wales. Nobody thought the name Diana was ugly and frumpy.

Boys Names from the British Royal Family

17 Sunday May 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

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animal names, Basque names, bird names, Castilian names, Disney names, ethnonyms, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, German names, germanic names, honouring, Italian names, Latin names, Maori names, middle names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, Native American names, New Zealand names, nicknames, popular names, retro names, royal names, saints names, Spanish names, surname names, UK name trends, unisex names, vintage names

Christian
Christian Mowatt is the younger brother of Zenouska Mowatt, grandson of Princess Alexandra, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 1993, he is 51st in line to the throne. Christian is one of the most common names in the British royal family, especially in the middle. Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, a member of the Danish royal family, was the husband of Princess Helena, the daughter of Queen Victoria. Their son was also called Prince Christian, and he was Queen Victoria’s favourite grandson, a British army officer who fell in the Boer War. Christian is from the Latin name Christianus, meaning “follower of Christ”. It has been used as a personal name since the Middle Ages, and was originally more common for girls amongst English-speakers. It became seen as a boy’s name after John Bunyan’s highly popular The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), where the hero is a man named Christian. Christian has been a traditional name for Danish kings since the 15th century, and Prince Christian of Denmark, the son of Prince Frederik and Princess Mary, is second in line to the Danish throne. Christian was #178 in the 1900s, and disappeared from the charts the following decade. It returned in the 1950s at #280, perhaps inspired by French fashion designer Christian Dior, or Danish fairy tale writer Hans Christian Anderson, both popular at the time. It rose in the 1960s, and reached the Top 100 in 1971. Its progress has been up and down, and it’s currently #85. It’s a retro name that feels like a modern classic, popular for decades without feeling overused.

Columbus
Columbus Taylor is the eldest son of Lady Helen Taylor, a grandson of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and a great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 1994, he is 38th in line to the throne. The name Columbus is best known as the surname of Christopher Columbus, the 15th century Italian explorer and navigator under the patronage of the Spanish monarchy. In his efforts to find a safe passage to Asia by sailing west, he initiated the Spanish colonisation of the New World, leading to lasting European contact with the Americas that changed the world forever. The explorer’s Italian name was Cristoforo Colombo; Colombo is the Italian form of the saint’s name Columba, Latin for “dove”, and used by Christians in reference to the Holy Spirit, often symbolised as a dove. A name with Transatlantic appeal, nearly always given in honour of the explorer, and a more eyebrow-raising form of Callum.

Guelph
Guelph is one of the middle names of Leopold Windsor, the son of Nicholas Windsor, who has been featured on the blog as a royal dad. A grandson of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and great-great-grandson of King George V, Leopold was born in 2009, and as a Roman Catholic, is not in the line of succession to the throne. The House of Guelph was a European dynasty which played a major role in the politics of medieval Italy, but whose territories moved towards Germany early on, and was eventually succeeded by the Kingdom of Hanover – thus giving strong ties to the British royal family. The current head of the House of Guelph is Ernest August, Prince of Hanover, a descendant of King George II, and husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco. The House of Guelph was founded by Welf IV, Duke of Bavaria, of Italian and German heritage; his name is a Germanic one meaning “young dog”, and thus the equivalent of the English word whelp. A very noble name – perhaps even too aristocratic for most.

Hubert
Hubert was one of the middle names of George Lascelles, the 7th Earl of Harewood, who was the son of Princess Mary, and grandson of King George V, cousin to Elizabeth II. He passed his middle name down to his son, Mark Hubert Lascelles, born 1964, and not in line to the throne due to being born out of wedlock. Hubert is a Germanic name meaning “bright mind”, and became well known because of St Hubert, an 8th century Bishop of Liege. A French nobleman, he became addicted to hunting after his wife died in childbirth, until he had a vision of a crucifix between the antlers of the stag he was pursuing. Even though this legend was taken from the story of St Eustace, St Hubert is honoured as the patron of ethical hunting, having compassion for animals as God’s creatures. Widely venerated during the Middle Ages, St Hubert’s noble ancestry made him a favourite with chivalric and military orders. Hubert has been used in two Disney films – King Hubert is the father of Sleeping Beauty, while in Brave, Hubert is one of Princess Merida’s three brothers. Hubert was #102 in the 1900s, and had left the charts by the 1940s, so this vintage name may appear dated, although it is rising in the UK, and fits in with Hugh and Hugo.

Inigo
Inigo is one of the middle names of Charles Armstrong-Jones, the son of Viscount Linley, grandson of Princess Margaret, and great-grandson of King George VI; Queen Elizabeth II is his great aunt. Born in 1999, he is 19th in line to the throne, and his middle name is in honour of Inigo Jones, a personal hero of his father. Inigo Jones was a 17th century British architect and stage designer, a royal Surveyor-General, and hugely influential. Some of his many works include the Queen’s House in Greenwich, now used to house the art collection of the National Maritime Museum, the Banqueting House in the Palace of Whitehall, now a museum, and the Queen’s Chapel at St James’ Palace. He also designed Covent Garden square, and undertook repair and remodelling of St Paul’s Cathedral. Inigo is a British form of Íñigo, a Castilian form of the Basque name Eneko, translated as “my little love, my little dear one”. It may go back to Roman times, but from the Middle Ages was traditional amongst Spanish royalty and nobility. Pronounced IN-i-go, this was first used as an English name in Cornwall, but became traditional amongst descendants of Inigo Jones. Those descendants in Australia include meteorologist Inigo Owen Jones, and wealthy grazier Arthur Triggs, whose brother was named Inigo. A sweet yet solid choice, Inigo has been given further dash and a famous catchphrase by Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride.

Maximilian
Maximilian Lascelles is the son of Henry Lascelles, the great-grandson of Princess Mary, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 1991, he is 66th in line to the throne. The name Maximilian is from the Roman name Maxmilianus, derived from Maximus, meaning “greatest”. There are a few saints named Maximilian, with the 3rd century martyr St Maximilian of Tebessa regarded as the first conscientious objector, because he believed that as a Christian, he could not serve in the Roman army. He has been a hero to the anti-war movement ever since. Maximilian I was a 15th century Holy Roman Emperor, named for one of the St Maximilians – probably Germanic missionary and martyr Maximilian of Celeia – and the name has been traditional amongst European monarchy ever since (the tradition that his name was a cross between two Roman emperors is just folklore). Maximilian is around the 400s here, but significantly higher in the UK. Handsome and regal, Maximilian sounds very imposing – but shortens to popular, friendly Max.

Otis
Otis Shard is the son of Lady Emily Shard, and the great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 2011, he is not in the line of succession because his mother was born out of wedlock. Otis is a surname derived from an English form of the medieval Germanic name Ode or Odo, an earlier form of the German name Otto. The surname is very well known in the United States, as the Otises are a prominent family influential in early American politics; aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart was one of their members. Famous musical namesakes include Otis Redding, Otis Rush, Otis Span, rapper Otis Jackson Jr, and Otis Williams, from The Temptations, and another musical connection is the song Otis by Kanye West and Jay-Z, sampling Otis Redding. A rising name in the UK, Otis is around the 300s here, and a very fashionable choice.

Tane
Tane Lewis is the brother of Senna Lewis, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 2012, he is 30th in line to the throne. As earlier discussed, Tane’s father is New Zealander Gary Lewis, the only Maori to have married into the British royal family, and Tane has a name to honour his heritage. Tane is the god of trees and birds in Maori mythology, the son of the sky father and the earth mother, who clothed his father in the stars and his mother with vegetation. In some legends, he made the first man, and in others he made the first woman, moulding her from soil so she could be his wife. The word tāne means “man” in Maori, and it is pronounced TAH-neh, although I have met boys in New Zealand and Australia called Tane who say their name TAYN. A strong, simple yet evocative name which is a wonderful heritage choice, fitting in with familiar names such as Tanner, Tate, and Talon.

Tewa
Tewa Lascelles is the brother of Tanit Lascelles, a great-grandson of Princess Mary, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 1985, he is 58th in line to the throne. Tewa’s mother was Lori Lee, known as “Shadow”, of Native American descent, and his name was chosen to honour his heritage. The Tewa people are from New Mexico, and the name Tewa comes from a Keres word meaning “moccasins”; it is pronounced TAY-wuh, rather like Taylor with a W instead of an L. Tewa Lascelles, an American citizen, was born in New Mexico, and perhaps the name reflects his birthplace as well. Tewa is in a progressive punk band, following in his family’s musical footsteps, as James Lascelles is a keyboardist with an interest in world music, and grandfather George Lascelles devoted most of his career to opera.

Xan
Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden, is the brother of Lady Cosima Windsor, son of the Earl of Ulster, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 2007, he is 26th in line to the throne. Xan is named in honour of his father, Major Alex Ulster, and this snappy short form of Alexander seems very versatile. Fresh and futuristic, Xan could belong to either gender, and is of ambiguous cultural background, making it the perfect choice for the modern age.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Otis, Christian and Tane, and their least favourite were Columbus, Tewa and Guelph.

(Picture shows Tane Lewis, accompanied by his mother, Lady Davina Lewis; photo from The Daily Mail)

Girls Names from the British Royal Family

10 Sunday May 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 1 Comment

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I hope everyone had a very happy Mother’s Day! It’s expected that the new princess will increase the current trend for baby names inspired by royal traditions, so here are some names for girls from the House of Windsor. I’ve focused particularly on the names of some of the younger royals.

Alexandra
Alexandra is one of the most common girls’ names in the British royal family. It was introduced to it by Queen Alexandra, the wife of King Edward VII. A Danish royal, she was extremely popular with the British public, and much admired as a setter of fashion. After her, the name became a favourite to pass down, including to Queen Alexandra’s granddaughter, Lady Alexandra Duff, and her great-granddaughter, Princess Alexandra, the queen’s cousin; Alexandra is one of the queen’s middle names. Alexandra is the feminine form of Alexander, and unlike many other feminisations of masculine names, Alexandra seems to have come first. It was an epithet of the Greek goddess Hera in her role as protector, and can be understood as “she who saves warriors”. St Alexandra was a legendary martyr, and the name is traditional amongst European royalty. Alexandra was #239 in the 1900s, and dropped off the charts in the 1910s and ’20s. Returning in the 1930s, its popularity jumped in the 1950s, and it was Top 100 by the early 1970s. It peaked in 1995 at #14, and is currently #75. A dignified classic with a host of nickname options, including popular Lexi.

Cosima
Lady Cosima Windsor is the daughter of the Earl of Ulster, and a great-granddaughter of King George V; born in 2010, she is 27th in line to the throne. Cosima is the feminine form of the Cosimo, the Italian form of Greek Cosmas, meaning “order” (related to the British name Cosmo). A famous musical namesake is Cosima Wagner, the daughter of Franz Liszt and wife of Richard Wagner. British socialite Countess Cosima von Bülow Pavoncelli has given the name a very fashionable air, and the name has been chosen for their daughters by celebrities Nigella Lawson, Sofia Coppola, and Claudia Schiffer. You may also remember young actress Cosima Littlewood, who played Adele in the mini-series Jane Eyre, while Australians will be reminded of Cosima De Vito, singer and Australian Idol contestant. Elegant and sophisticated, Cosima is an upper-class choice that works well multiculturally.

Eloise
Eloise Taylor is the eldest daughter of Lady Helen Taylor, a granddaughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and great-granddaughter of King George V; born in 2003, she is 39th in line to the throne. Eloise is the English form of Éloïse, from the Old French Héloïse. It’s thought to be from the Germanic Helewidis, from name elements meaning “healthy, whole”, and “wood, forest”. The name became famous because of Héloïse, a brilliant medieval scholar and feminist, famous for her scandalous affair and secret marriage to her distinguished teacher, Pierre Abélard, who was castrated in punishment. Their tragic romance has captured people’s imaginations for centuries, and it is a tradition for lovers and the lovelorn to leave letters on their reputed grave in Paris. Eloise entered the charts in the 1970s, making #498. It was the same decade that 8-year-old Eloise Worledge was abducted from her home in Melbourne, with the case still unsolved. Eloise rose steeply in the 1990s, when the song Eloise featured at Eurovision, and joined the Top 100 in 2011. One of the fastest risers of 2013, this pretty, stylish name is currently #71 and still rising. I picked this name to be in the Top 10 by 2028.

Imogen
Imogen Lascelles is a daughter of Mark Lascelles, and a great-great-granddaughter of George V; born in 1998, she is not in line to the throne as her father was born out of wedlock. Imogen is a name created by William Shakespeare for his romance Cymbeline: in the play, Imogen is a princess of ancient Britain, and a virtuous wife who is falsely accused of infidelity. The name is a variation of Innogen, which comes from the Old Irish Ingen, meaning “maiden, daughter”; Innogen was a legendary British queen. Modern scholars consider that the substitution of Imogen for Innogen was a misprint, especially as Shakespeare already used the name Innogen in Much Ado About Nothing, so this would be a rare example of a name created from a printing error. Imogen first entered the charts in the 1970s, debuting at #724 for the decade, perhaps inspired by sexy English pin-up and actress Imogen Hassall. The name Imogen rose steeply during the 1990s, and entered the Top 100 in 2001. Currently Imogen is #34 and stable, and was one of the fastest-rising names in New South Wales for 2013. Chic and British with a superior literary heritage – not too shabby for a “made up” name!

Isla
Isla Phillips is the daughter of Mark Phillips, a granddaughter of Princess Anne, and great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth; born in 2012, she is 15th in line to the throne. Isla is a Scottish name taken from an archaic spelling of the island of Islay in the Hebrides, which is said IE-luh, not IZ-lay. The island’s name is of unknown origin and meaning. Islay began as a male name in the 18th century, and Isla gradually became seen as a specifically feminine spelling of the name which overtook the male form in the 19th century (Islay is more commonly given to girls now too). Isla first entered in the charts in the 1990s, debuting at #891 for the decade – propelled there by actress Isla Fisher, who was then in popular soap opera Home and Away. The name zoomed up the charts during the 2000s when Fisher became a gossip mag staple as aspiring Hollywood actress and partner of British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Isla entered the Top 100 in 2008 at #74 and is currently #13 and rising. I picked this name to be in the Top 5 by 2028.

Ophelia
Ophelia is one of the middle names of Lady Gabriella Windsor, a writer known professionally as Ella Windsor. She is the sister of Lord Frederick Windsor, who has been featured on the blog as a royal dad. Lady Gabriella is the daughter of Prince Michael of Kent, and a great-granddaughter of King George V; born in 1981, she is 45th in line to the throne. Ophelia is well known as the title character’s tragic love interest in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Shakespeare did not create the name, but took it from the Italian form Ofelia in Jacopo Sannazaro’s 1504 pastoral romance, Arcadia – Sannazaro was a huge influence on 16th century literature. The name Ophelia looks to be taken from the ancient Greek ophelus, meaning “help”, to suggest “assistant”. Sannazaro may have invented the name, but there are examples of men in ancient Greece with male forms of the name, such as Ophelion, so it seems plausible that the ancient Greeks could have used Ophelia as a female name. Beautiful and elaborate, Ophelia is rising in the UK, and this seems like a very hip alternative to popular Olivia.

Senna
Senna Lewis is the daughter of Lady Davina Lewis; she has received quite a bit of press in the Antipodes, because her father is a New Zealander, the first Maori to marry into the British royal family. Senna is a granddaughter of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and a great-great-granddaughter of King George V; born in 2010, she is 29th in line to the throne. Senna can be a variant of the Arabic name Sana, meaning “brilliance, radiance, splendour”; it is one of the five daily prayers in Islam. It can also be a nature name after the flowering senna plants, whose name has the same Arabic source and meaning. There are numerous varieties of senna, some of which are grown as ornamental trees and shrubs, but widely familiar as a herbal laxative. The name Senna was used for a minor character in the Twilight series, sparking recent interest in the name, but the name had been used several times previously in science-fiction and fantasy. It’s also associated with the Brazilian Formula 1 champion, Ayrton Senna, often considered the best of all time. Similar to popular Sienna, this unusual botanical name has potential.

Sophia
Sophia is one of the middle names of Lady Amelia Windsor, a daughter of George Windsor, granddaughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and great-great-granddaughter of King George V; born in 1995, she is 36th in line to the throne. Sophia of Hanover was the heiress to the throne of Great Britain, and mother of King George I, and only her descendants can be in the line of succession. It was a very popular name amongst Hanoverian royalty. Sophia is from the Greek for “wisdom”, a cardinal virtue of Greek philosophy that was taken up by Christian theologians, who have seen Holy Wisdom as a divine energy, and in Orthodox Christianity especially, the second person in the Trinity. In Christian legend, St Sophia was a martyr who had daughters named Faith, Hope, and Love – personifications of the chief Christian virtues. Sophia was #181 in the 1900s, and dropped off the charts in the 1930s and ’40s. It came back in the 1950s, the same decade Sophia Loren became an international film star, at #414. It charged up the charts in the 1980s and joined the Top 100 in 1997. Currently it is #16 and rising; when combined with the variant Sofia (climbing faster than Sophia), it is in the Top Ten at #7. Lovely and gracious with a wonderful meaning and history, expect Sophia to keep climbing.

Tanit
Tanit Lascelles is a daughter of James Lascelles, and a great-granddaughter of King George V; born in 1981, she is not in the line of succession because she was born out of wedlock. Tanit is the name of a Punic and Phoenician goddess who was the chief deity of ancient Carthage, the equivalent of the goddess Astarte. She was a goddess of the sun, moon and stars, a goddess of war and civic protector, a mother goddess, patron of sailors, good luck figure, and fertility symbol. The meaning of her name is disputed – one theory is that it comes from the word for lament, and should be translated as “she who weeps”, perhaps to indicate that she mourns for a dying god, such as Adonis. Others translate her name as “serpent lady”, linking her with Tannin, the dragon-like sea monster of Near Eastern mythology (sometimes called Leviathan), and believe her name is one of the titles of Asherah, from the Bible. Pronounced TAN-it, this is an exotic and unusual name that fits in with Australian name trends.

Zenouska
Zenouska Mowatt is the daughter of Marina Ogilvy, a granddaughter of Princess Alexandra, and great-great-granddaughter of King George V. Born in 1990, she works for a luxury gifts company, and is 52nd in line to the throne. Zenouska is a name her parents created from putting sounds together – she uses Zen as a nickname, and it seems plausible that the inspiration was the Buddhist school of Zen. However, it sounds like a genuine Russian nickname, in the style of Anouska, and seems very suitable for someone of Russian heritage. Zenouska Mowatt is a great-granddaughter of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, who was a granddaughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia. It just shows that a “made up” name can sometimes work very well.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Eloise, Imogen and Isla, and their least favourite were Senna, Tanit, and Zenouska.

(Picture shows Lady Amelia Sophia Theodora Mary Margaret Windsor, who made her début into society in Paris, 2013; photo from Le Journal des Femmes)

Is Grace Too Short, or Too Popular?

09 Saturday May 2015

Posted by A.O. in Naming Assistance

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

choosing baby names, classic names, famous namesakes, honouring, matching, middle names, name combinations, name popularity, nicknames, popular names

Kristel and David were told they couldn’t have children, but just as they gave up trying, they discovered they were expecting a baby girl, who will arrive in a few months. They are still a bit in shock, but naturally overjoyed.

There is only one name they have both agreed on – Grace. As soon as they found out the baby’s sex, Dave began calling her Gracie. As well as both of them liking the name Grace, it seems appropriate, since their daughter feels like something of a “miracle baby”.

However, Kristel is worried that the name Grace is too popular, and hates the thought that their daughter might have to share her name with four other girls named Grace in all her classes at school. She has suggested other names to Dave, such as Amelia, Elisa, and Stella, but he doesn’t care for them. Dave quite likes the name Estelle though.

Kristel believes this might very well be their only child, and she wants her daughter to have a suitable, traditional, classic, feminine name that she will hopefully like and feel proud of.

Another issue is that Kristel and Dave have a one syllable surname that sounds similar to a vocabulary word, such as Cooke, and people have told them that because of this, they need a longer first name to balance their short surname.

The middle name they have picked out is Audrey, a family name which the baby will share with three other generations. However, Kristel is open to suggestions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kristel and David, congratulations on your wonderful and very unexpected news! After years of waiting, of course you want your baby to have the perfect name, and it’s natural to feel that this is your one chance to get it right.

My instinct is that you have got it right, because I immediately connected the name to your situation, with Grace implying a divine gift or blessing, related to the word grateful. The Greek goddesses known as the Graces were also connected with fertility, giving it another level of meaning.

Furthermore, Grace seems to tick all your boxes very neatly, because it’s a classic, traditional, and feminine name. Blog readers are in agreement that Grace is a beautiful timeless classic, simple yet sophisticated, suitable for all ages, and intelligent and professional, so it seems eminently suitable. I think Grace Audrey is a very attractive name combination as well, and love the idea of using a family name that has been passed down for several generations.

But what about its popularity? Grace is in the Top Ten if you look at names without combining spellings, and is #12 on the combined spellings list. That represents just a little over 1200 babies called Grace born in Australia during 2014 (about 0.8% of baby girls). There are around 7000 schools in Australia which accept primary school students, so statistically that isn’t even one Grace per Year 1 class. More good news is that Grace’s popularity has been stable for more than a decade, making it a safe, if popular, choice.

I can’t guarantee that your daughter will be the only Grace in her class, but I would be astounded if there were five girls called Grace. In the case of name-sharing in a classroom (or sports team etc), a nickname is often a help, so should it happen, Gracie could perhaps come to the rescue.

Is Grace too short? I haven’t been strongly persuaded by the argument that a short surname needs a longer name to balance it. Looking at famous women named Grace, singers Grace Jones, Grace Slick (born Grace Wing), and Grace Knight sound perfectly fine to me. In fact Grace Jones was born Beverly Jones, and she chose to use her “too short” middle name Grace instead.

Two short names together do sound quite strong and punchy, and I think there may be a touch of sexism involved, as people seem to be most keen that girls with a short surname be given a longer name. I wonder if you were having a boy instead, and were considering the name Miles, would you be given the same advice, or would Miles Cooke sound okay? If your daughter feels that Grace Cooke is too abrupt for her, she has the option to go by Gracie Cooke if she prefers – and I guess she could always go by her middle name if she wanted to.

In a case where they were worried about name length and popularity, some parents might choose to use Gracie as the name on the birth certificate, but is that the right choice for you? Because you say that you want a traditional classic name, that seems to point more towards Grace than cute Gracie. I get the feeling that you would prefer your daughter had a name like Grace, and kept Gracie as a nickname only.

Whether a name is too short or too popular is a matter of personal choice, and you and Dave are the only people who can answer these questions. But it feels as if you have really settled on Grace already. It’s the only name you agree on, and Dave seems to have begun getting emotionally attached to the name, already thinking of his daughter as little Gracie. I imagine it might be quite a wrench for him to think of her as anything else.

Although I can’t promise that your daughter will love her name, there is nothing wrong with the name Grace, and lots of things that are right. And I can’t imagine anyone not feeling proud to learn the special meaning of their name, and touched to know that their father was already calling them by their pet name before they were even born.

As you say, this is most likely your only child, and I would hate to see you compromise on another longer, less popular name together, such as Estella, and then regret it later. Deep in your hearts, do you already know that her name is Grace?

UPDATE: The baby’s name is Grace!

POLL RESULTS
96% of respondents didn’t think that Grace was too popular to use. 46% of people said not to even think about popularity once you’ve found the right name, 35% thought Grace was a little bit too popular, but still usable for someone who loved it, and 15% flat out said it wasn’t too popular. Only 4% of people thought Top 10 Grace was too popular to even consider.

93% of respondents didn’t think that Grace was too short matched with a one-syllable surname. 69% of people thought it sounded good, while 24% thought it seemed okay. 4% thought it did seem a bit odd, but not enough to worry about, while only 1% (one person) thought it sounded ridiculous. 2% of people weren’t sure.

Famous Names: Birdie and Melody

30 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

American slang terms, animal names, birth notices, celebrity sibsets, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, historical records, middle names, name history, name meaning, name trends, names from television, nature names, nicknames, sporting terminology, surname names, UK name popularity, underused modern classics, US name popularity, vintage names, vocabulary names

You do not need to be an ornithologist to see that there is something special about Australian birds, whether you are listening to the extraordinary calls of the lyrebird, seeing bright wrens and colourful fruit-eating pigeons, or enjoying the antics of our clever parrots. In fact, the very specialness of Australian wildlife led the great naturalist Charles Darwin to ponder the possibility of two Creators – one a steady sort of chap, turning out sparrows and bunnies, and the other a total nutter who made things like emus and kangaroos.

For most of the twentieth century, European and North American scientists assumed that birds evolved in the northern hemisphere, and that they had the “normal” birds. Australian birds broke a few of the rules, but they could be comfortably dismissed as second-hand fauna from a lost continent where all kinds of wacky things happened.

As the ABC science program Catalyst explained last month, it is only in recent decades that Australian scientists dared to challenge that orthodoxy. In the 1980s Australian scientists used DNA evidence to show that the world’s 4 500 species of songbirds – like the jays, thrushes, robins, and mockingbirds – were all descended from Australian songbirds. Far from being some crazy breakaway branch on the evolutionary tree, our birds were the originals.

This rocked the science world, which demanded evidence from the fossil record. Nobody had ever bothered to look for any fossils, but once an Australian scientist did, he found the bones of a tiny finch-like bird in Queensland in the 1990s. It was the earliest songbird ever found in the world by a staggering amount – at 54 million years old, it was at least 25 million years earlier than anywhere else.

More DNA evidence revealed that Australia was the ancestral home of the world’s pigeons and parrots as well, meaning that the majority of birds in the world have Australian ancestors, and that Australia was the most important continent for bird evolution. Australian birds did not break the rules of evolution – they made the rules!

For example, Charles Darwin proposed that birdsong evolved so that male birds could attract females with their beautiful voices. That never made sense in Australia, where in most species female birds also sing (and sometimes sing more than males). Before, Australia could be written off as a weird exception to the rule, but now we know that birdsong evolved on a continent where both female and male birds sing, so the old assumption cannot be true.

Birds have helped shape our continent for tens of millions of years, and our land has echoed with their songs, even during the many millions of years that the rest of the globe lay silent. But they have also shaped the entire world by filling it with the most intelligent and melodious of birds. In other words, there is only one Creator – and it’s the nutty southern hemisphere one.

BIRDIE
Birdie (or birdy) is a diminutive of the word bird, nearly always seen as affectionate and child-like; the word dates to the late 18th century. The word was associated with the days of early photography, when photographers would show a little metal bird to their subjects, and tell them to Watch the birdie to keep them focused. In golf terminology, a birdie means a score of one under par, and originated in New Jersey in 1899 – it’s from the American slang bird, referring to something excellent.

Birdie has been used as a personal name since the 19th century, but probably more commonly as a nickname than as a legal name. Mostly given as a name to girls, Birdie can be seen as a pet form of names such as Bertha, Bridget, Barbara, Elizabeth, or almost any name with a strong B sound. On Mad Men, Elizabeth “Betty” Draper was called Birdie by her husband as an affectionate nickname.

On the other hand, it is often given as a true nickname – that is, with no connection to the given name at all. An example is the British singer Birdy, whose real name is Jasmine van den Boegarde – her parents called her Birdy from the time she was a baby, because she opened her mouth to be fed like a little bird. These types of nicknames are not uncommon amongst the British aristocracy.

Birdie was used as a name more often in the United States than other countries, and it was on the US Top 1000 for girls almost continuously from 1880 to 1948, peaking in 1882 at #151, and not leaving the Top 500 until 1927. In 2013, 37 girls were named Birdie in the US, while Birdie has only charted once in the UK since 1996, when 3 baby girls were named Birdie in 2010 (data doesn’t take into account people with Birdie as their nickname).

There are quite a few women named Birdie in Australian historical records, mostly born in the late 19th and early 20th century. It can be found occasionally given to boys in the middle position, where it may come from the surname – the surname has nothing to do with birds, but is a corruption of the oath, Par dieu, French for, “by God”. I have recently seen a baby girl named Birdie in a birth notice, while a blog reader named her daughter Mabel last year, but calls her “Birdie” as her nickname.

Vintage nicknames like Buddy and Buster are back in vogue, and Birdie is a very stylish example of the trend. It manages to be cute, without being overtly flirty or sexy, and has a rather upper class feel. Definitely one to watch!

MELODY
A melody is a sequence of notes which makes a musical phrase or motif – what we might otherwise call a tune. The word is ultimately from the ancient Greek meloidia, meaning “singing, chanting”.

Melody has been used as a girl’s name since at least the 18th century, but became more common in the 19th. The name Melody first charted in Australia in the 1960s, debuting at #543. It is currently around the 200s. In the US, where it has charted since the 1940s, Melody is #171 and rising, while in the UK it is #261, and appears to be rising slightly.

Melody is a popular choice for singers, who either seem to have been inspired by the meaning of their name, or have adopted it as a stage name. American singer-songwriter Melody Gardot took up music as therapy after an accident, Melody Thornton is a member of the Pussycat Dolls, while young Australian country singer Melody Pool’s career is just starting out. Japanese pop singer Melody Ishiwara has sisters named Harmony, Rhythmy and Christine (rather in the style of sisters named Grace, Faith, Hope, and Michelle).

There have been several characters named Melody in recent popular culture, such as the daughter of Ariel and Eric in the sequel to The Little Mermaid, the cute ditzy drummer from Josie and the Pussycats, and Melody Pond, the mysterious time-traveller from Dr Who, who goes by the name River Song.

I’ve noticed that people often dismiss Melody as a “dated” name, because it shares a similar sound to Melanie and Melissa, which both peaked as popular names in the 1970s. However, a look at the data shows that this isn’t correct, and underlines the dangers of judging a less-common name based on how it sounds.

Melody is an underused modern classic which has never been higher than the 200s, and is higher now than it has ever been; overseas data suggests that it may even be rising slowly. It’s pretty and music-themed, fitting in well with the current trend for names such as Aria, Harmony, and Cadence, while still feeling like a traditional choice. It’s well worth considering if you are searching for a lyrical, contemporary name without any baggage that has been overlooked by most others.

POLL RESULTS
The name Birdie received an approval rating of 56%. 36% of people loved the name Birdie, and 22% thought it was a terrible name.

The name Melody received a lower approval rating of 48%. 45% weren’t too keen on the name Melody, and 15% loved it.

Information on songbird evolution from Catalyst’s episode Where Birdsong Began, shown March 10 2015, and based on the book Where Song Began, by Australian biologist Tim Low.

(Photo shows an adult male superb lyrebird, an astounding mimic; both males and females sing, but males are louder and more skilful).

Waltzing With … Rosemary

19 Sunday Apr 2015

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

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Anzac Day names, celebrity baby names, Christmas names, famous namesakes, food names, holiday names, honouring, modern classics, name history, name meaning, name popularity, names from movies, names of herbs, nature names, plant names, portmanteau names, UK name popularity, US name popularity

It will be Anzac Day this weekend, the centenary of the first Anzac landing at Gallipoli on April 25 1915. As well as services all over Australia and New Zealand, there will also be Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey, and at Villers-Brettoneux in northern France.

The rosemary plant has long been connected with Anzac Day ceremonies, and it is traditional to wear a sprig in your coat lapel, pinned to your breast, or held in place by war medals. They are often sold by Legacy and the RSL. It is not known when this tradition first started, but it may date back to the very first Anzac Day commemoration in 1916.

According to the ancient Greeks, who drew on the work of Arabic physicians, rosemary improved the memory (students would wear it in their hair during exams), so it became associated with remembrance. Rosemary was thrown into graves or sprigs worn by mourners as a sign the departed person would never be forgotten (and to ward off the smell), and it’s famously referenced in Ophelia’s speech in Shakepeare’s Hamlet, where she says, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance”.

Interestingly, rosemary’s connection with memory is more than mere superstition, because modern science has found that inhaling rosemary oil does significantly enhance memory, and that even small doses of rosemary improve cognitive function in the elderly.

While the connection with rosemary and remembrance for the dead is one that goes back thousands of years, it takes on a particular significance for Anzac Day, because rosemary grows wild on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The scent of rosemary, whether it is pinned to your clothes, planted in a garden as a memorial, or sprinkled over a traditional Anzac Day lamb roast, is the perfect mark of remembrance and commemoration.

Lest we forget.

Name Information
Rosemary can be seen as a combination of the names Rose and Mary, or as a reference to the aromatic herb. The plant rosemary has nothing to do with roses, because its name comes from the Latin ros marinus, meaning “dew of the sea”. This is because it grows naturally in dry coastal Mediterranean climates.

According to legend, Aphrodite was draped in rosemary as she rose from the sea foam. Perhaps because of this, and the association with everlasting memory and fidelity, rosemary was associated with love in the Middle Ages, and it was traditional for brides to wear rosemary wreaths, and for guests to wear a sprig of rosemary at a wedding – even now it’s said that a bit of rosemary in the wedding bouquet brings the bride good luck.

There are many love superstitions involving rosemary in folklore, including the charming one that a newly married couple should plant a rosemary branch in their garden together: if the branch takes root and flourishes, it is a good omen for their wedded life.

There are Christian legends about rosemary too. One tells how the flowers of the rosemary plant were originally white; the Virgin Mary spread her blue cloak on the bush while she rested, and when she removed it, the flowers had miraculously turned blue as a reward for their humble service. Another legend says that she placed the linen from the baby Jesus to dry on the bush, and ever after the plant carried a fresh aroma, while a legend from Spain says that the Virgin Mary sheltered beneath a rosemary plant during the escape to Egypt. It is sometimes called Mary’s rose because of these stories.

Rosemary was one of the plants associated with Christmas. Being an evergreen plant, it was suitable for winter time decorations, and rosemary has a habit of being able to flower even in cold weather. Christmas hot wines and ales were sometimes flavoured with rosemary, which was considered salubrious as well as festive. Rosemary was also a popular New Year’s gift in times past.

Whether it was because of the connection to the Virgin Mary, or because rosemary has such a strong, healthy odour, it was also seen as a protective plant: according to folklore, by planting rosemary in the garden you were safe from witches, although in Sicily they say fairies will live in rosemary. It is said that rosemary will not grow in the garden of an evil person.

With such strong connections to female power, the superstition developed that if rosemary thrived in a garden, it was a sign that the wife of the house was the boss! As rosemary is hardy and easy to grow, you would need to be a very bad gardener for your rosemary to do poorly, but my husband still likes to teasingly point out our healthy rosemary plants as a sign of who rules the home. He’s only joking, but in the past, some men would rip the rosemary from the kitchen garden in an effort to control their wives.

Rosemary’s history is connected to royalty, because according to tradition, it was introduced to England in the 14th century by Joan of Valois, Countess of Hainault. She sent cuttings of it to her daughter, Queen Phillipa, the wife of Edward III, along with instructions on how to grow it, and information on its many benefits. Rosemary was probably brought by the Romans many centuries before, but Queen Phillipa may have re-introduced it, or at least given it a solid royal seal of approval.

Although Rosemary was used as a personal name as early as the 17th century, it didn’t become common until the 19th, when flower and plant names were fashionable. It seems to have been a particular favourite with Catholic families, no doubt in reference to the Virgin Mary.

Famous Rosemarys include Princess Rosemary of Salm-Salm, cabaret singer Rosemary Clooney, actress Rosemary Harris, and children’s author Rosemary Sutcliffe. Famous Australian Rosemarys include poet Rosemary Dobson, gardener Rosemary “Bea” Bligh, human rights activist Rosemary Gillespie, director Rosemary Blight (The Sapphires), nutritionist Rosemary Stanton, and paralympian Rosemary Little.

Rosemary first entered the charts in the 1920s, when it debuted at #220 – it may have been a celebrity baby name, for the tragic Rose Marie, called “Rosemary”, had recently been born to prominent Boston businessman Joseph P. Kennedy. By the following decade it was already in the Top 100. It peaked in the 1950s at #60, when Rosemary Clooney’s career began, and left the Top 100 by the 1970s (it went down rapidly after horror movie Rosemary’s Baby, and real life horror story Rosemary West).

After this, it sunk in popularity until the late 2000s, when it recovered slightly, and is now around the 400s. At present, it appears to be fairly stable. In the US, Rosemary has been almost continually in the Top 1000, and is now in the 500s and rising, while in the UK it has been steadily falling, and is now in the 700s.

Rosemary is a modern classic with a vintage vibe, and US data suggests it may become one of the 1950s names which becomes fashionable in the future. You may think of it as a name to honour a Rose and a Mary simultaneously, or even as a name suitable for a baby girl born around Anzac Day.

It doesn’t really have a sweet old-fashioned feel, for the herb rosemary gives it a tang. Its connection to weddings and Christmas helps it feel festive, while its association with mourning and funerals adds depth.

Rosemary is strong, clear-minded, clean, and healthy – as fresh as a sea breeze, as lusty as a goddess rising from the waves, as pretty as a bride, as practical as a housewife, as dignified as a queen, as dear as memory, and as solemn as the grave made sweet by her scent.

POLL RESULT
Rosemary received an excellent approval rating of 89%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2015. 37% of people thought the name Rosemary was okay, and only 3% hated it.

(Photo of rosemary at Anzac Cove from Friends of Gallipoli)

Rare Boys Names from the 1940s

12 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 7 Comments

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animal names, aristocratic names, car names, Cornish names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, flower names, French names, germanic names, Greek names, honouring, Italian names, locational name, musical names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, names from comics, nature names, nicknames, Old English names, Old Norse names, papal names, plant names, rare names, saints names, scientific names, Scottish names, surname names, twin sets, unisex names, vintage names

The most popular boys names of the 1940s were John, Peter, Robert, and David, but what were the least popular names? Here are ten names which were only chosen once in any year between 1944 and 1949 in South Australia, making them unique names for their time and place. Still rare, some feel surprisingly contemporary, while one or two have perhaps had their day.

Aston
English surname of multiple origins. It can be from a common place name meaning “east settlement”, to indicate a village to the east of a larger town, although occasionally it seems to be a corruption or variant of Ashton, meaning “settlement near the ash trees”. It can also mean “at the stone”, to indicate someone who lived near a prominent stone. Finally, it can be a contraction of a personal name such as Aethelstan, meaning “noble stone”, and there are examples of men with Aston as a first name in the Middle Ages from this derivation. Sir Aston Cockayne, 1st Baronet, was a 17th century writer who was on the Royalist side during the English Civil War, and a close friend of the future Charles II. The name might remind you of Aston Villa Football Club, in the English Premier League, or Aston Martin luxury cars – both familiar in the 1940s as well. I see the name Aston name sometimes in birth notices, perhaps inspired by Aston Merrygold from English boy band JLS.

Bramwell
English surname from an unknown place name meaning “stream surrounded by broom” – broom is a hardy European shrub with yellow flowers. The name has a strong connection with the Salvation Army, because Bramwell Booth was the second General of the Salvation Army who served during World War I, the eldest son of its founder, William Booth. We know the name was used by Salvationists, because Bramwell Tillsley, a Canadian who was the son of British Salvationists, was the 14th General of the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army has a strong history in South Australia, with the first official Salvation Army corps formed in Adelaide in 1880. Booth was also used as a baby name during the 1940s, with the Salvation Army’s support of the troops being greatly appreciated. Bramwell is an attractive, little-used surname that has the appealing nickname Bram.

Cosmo
Form of the Greek name Kosmas, meaning “order”, and thus the opposite of “chaos”. The Greeks also used the word to mean “the world”, because they believed the world was perfectly put in order. We use the word cosmos to mean “the universe, all of creation”. According to tradition, Saint Cosmas was a skilled doctor; along with his twin brother Damian, he performed many miraculous cures before his martyrdom. The name Cosmo was introduced to Britain by the Scottish peer Alexander Gordon, 2nd Duke of Gordon, when he named his son Cosmo in 1720. Cosmo’s name was in honour of his father’s close friend Cosimo di Medici – Cosimo is the Italian form of Kosmas. The name has always had a rather exotic and aristocratic image, and Scottish associations. There were several famous Cosmos that could have inspired the name in the 1940s, including popular British playwright Cosmo Hamilton, and Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Lang. Cosmos is also a type of daisy, whose name comes from the same Greek origin, so with some imagination, the name Cosmo could honour someone named Daisy.

Denzil
Variant of Denzel, a Cornish surname. The name was traditional in the aristocratic Holles family, with one of the earliest and most famous of their number to bear the name Denzil Holles, 1st Baron Holles, a 17th century statesman who is best known for being part of a group who attempted to arrest King Charles I, sparking the Civil War, but also took a leading role in bringing about the Restoration. The Denzel spelling came first, as Denzil Holles’ grandfather was Denzel Holles. These Denzils and Denzels were named in honour of their ancestor John Denzel, who had large estates in Cornwall in the 16th century and was Attorney-General to Elizabeth of York, queen of Henry VII. John Denzel took his surname from the Denzell manor house in St Mawgan, Cornwall, and the meaning of its name is not known for sure, although perhaps from the Celtic for “hill fortress in open view”. A 1940s Australian namesake is Sir Denzil Macarthur-Onslow, a World War II general regarded as a “cracker of a bloke”. Denzil still seems contemporary because of American actor Denzel Washington, and is very usable.

Everard
Derived from the ancient Germanic name Eberhard, often translated as “brave as a wild boar”. The name was introduced by the Normans to Britain, where there was already an Old English form of the name, Eoforheard. A famous namesake is Sir Everard Digby, who was executed for his part in the failed Gunpowder Plot, and another was Everard Calthrop, a railway engineer who helped develop the modern parachute. Although in use since the Middle Ages, modern usage has probably been influenced by the surname, as the Everards are an aristocratic family who have been created baronets in both Ireland and England. Everard Park is a suburb of Adelaide, named after the prominent pioneer Sir Charles Everard, said to have the best orchard in the colony, giving this a strong South Australian feel. Everard is an interesting twist on classic Evan, and the trend for girls’ names starting with Ev- may also be a help.

Garfield
English surname referring to someone living near a triangular field; the word gar means spear in Old English, and a gar field is one that is shaped like the point of a spearhead. The surname is well known in the United States, as their 20th president was James A. Garfield, and his sons also went on to have illustrious public careers – there is a town in Victoria named Garfield in honour of the American president. A namesake from the 1940s was Hollywood actor John Garfield, while one with Garfield as his first name is Garfield “Gar” Wood, an American inventor, showman, and record-breaking motorboat racer – the first to travel over 100 miles an hour on water. An Australian namesake from this era is Sir Garfield Barwick, a barrister who came to prominence during a 1943 court case involving the Archibald Prize. He later became a Liberal MP, Attorney-General, and Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia. He was the legal advisor to Sir John Kerr during the controversial dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam (an old enemy of Barwick’s), so he well and truly made history. Garfield would be a charming and unusual vintage name, except for one thing – the obese cartoon cat!

Linus
In Greek mythology, Linus was a Thracian prince who was so musically talented that he was said to have been the son of Apollo, god of music, and Calliope, the muse of epic poetry. According to legend, Linus invented melody and rhythm, and taught music to his brothers Orpheus and Heracles. Unfortunately, Heracles didn’t appreciate the music lessons, and killed Linus with his own lyre after he tried to give Heracles some constructive criticism. Although the meaning of the name is not certain, there was a type of dirge in classical Greece called a linos, and it’s possible that the mythological character was a personification of this song of mourning. The name has a Christian association because Linus is said to have been a Bishop of Rome in the early church, and is listed as the second pope. The name Linus is especially popular in Scandinavia, although many people will connect it to Linus Pauling, the American scientist who won both the Nobel Chemistry Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize, and whose work was aleady known by the 1940s. The name might also remind you of security blanket-hugging philosopher Linus from the Peanuts comics. A sweet, smart name with a mythological musical connection.

Neon
Greek name meaning “new”. It wasn’t an unusual name in ancient Greece, and there are several prominent men named Neon from history. However, in modern times the name is strongly associated with neon lighting – bright electrified glass tubes often used for signs. They are named after neon gas, which is used to give off a bright orange light, but other gases provide different colours. Neon has has the same meaning as the name Neon. Neon lighting was invented in 1910, and was in its heyday between 1920 and 1940, the bright colours suddenly bringing dark streets to life. It’s probably not a coincidence that the name Neon peaked in the 1940s and ’50s, usually given to boys. Neon feel both space age and vintage, and has been used as a comic book hero name, for both a male and female character. As neon is often used in an artistic context today, you might think of this as an arty name, and it’s otherwise bright and energetic.

Revel
A revel is a festive celebration, while to revel is to make merry. The word comes from Old French, and is directly related to the Latin rebello, from which our word (and name) Rebel is derived. This is probably because we think of celebrations as tending to be rather unruly or disorderly, and sometimes they can even get out of hand! This fun-loving word has been used as a personal name since the Middle Ages in both England and France, and was also given as a nickname to people who were known for partying particularly hard. It is from this that the surname derives, and it is especially associated with Yorkshire. A famous Australian namesake is Western Australian Indigenous artist Revel Cooper, whose career began in the 1940s. Although he was just a child then, he was one of a number of children in state care who were given specialised art training, and their artwork exhibited in Perth, New Zealand, India, and Europe. Unlike many of the children, Revel continued his art career into adulthood. Revel is a boisterous medieval boys’ name that still sounds contemporary.

Rollo
Rollo was a powerful 9th century Viking leader who was the founder and first ruler of the area of France now known as Normandy. He was the great-great-great grandfather of William the Conqueror, and through William, is the ancestor of the present day British royal family, as well as all current European monarchs. His name is a Latinised form of the Old Norse name Hrólfr, which in modern times is known as Rolf. It’s a shortened form of Hrodulf, now known as Rudolf, meaning “famous wolf”. Rollo is also a Scottish surname, the Clan Rollo being descended from the Normans, and in particular the nephew of William the Conqueror, Erik Rollo. Because the Lords Rollo is a title in the Scottish peerage, the name gains further aristocratic credentials. Rollo fitted in well with 1940s name trends, when Rolf and Roland were fashionable, and Australian artist Rollo Thompson flourished in this decade. Like Cosmo, it fits in with current trends for boys names ending in -o, and this is a fun yet blue-blooded choice.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Linus, Aston and Bramwell, and their least favourite were Neon, Denzil and Garfield.

(Picture shows Denzil Macarthur-Onslow, on the right, supervising a training exercise in Queensland in 1942; photo from the Australian War Memorial)

Famous Name: Malcolm

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 1 Comment

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classic names, famous namesakes, name history, name meaning, name popularity, names from television, royal names, Scottish names, Shakespearean names, UK name popularity, underused classics, US name popularity

Famous Namesake
Just a few months after saying farewell to Gough Whitlam, the 21st Prime Minister of Australia, we sadly lost our 22nd Prime Minister, when John Malcolm Fraser, always known by his middle name, unexpectedly passed away after a brief illness in the early hours of March 20. He was 84.

You will remember he came to power in a controversial way, instructing Coalition Senators to delay government budget bills in hopes of forcing an early election. His plan worked when, after several months of political deadlock, governor-general Sir John Kerr suddenly sacked Prime Minister Gough Whitlam on November 11 1975, on the day that became known as The Dismissal.

Malcolm was sworn in as caretaker Prime Minister, and later led the Liberal-Country Party Coalition to a landslide victory, his 55 seat majority the largest yet in Australian history. He had a second victory in 1977, and the Liberal Party won a majority in their own right, not needing the support of the (National) Country Party, which is almost unheard of.

As Prime Minister, Malcolm was active in foreign policy, showing a commitment to racial equality that was to be a keynote of his character. He supported the campaign to abolish apartheid in South Africa, and strongly opposed white rule in Rhodesia, being one of the architects of the new Zimbabwe.

His policy was for humanitarian resettlement, allowing more refugees to enter Australia, and greatly expanding immigration from Asia. A strong believer in a multicultural Australia, he established government-funded multilingual radio and television, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). He also gave Indigenous Australians control of their traditional lands in the Northern Territory, was a supporter of environmental concerns, and banned whaling around the Australian coast.

Although he managed to win another election in 1980 with a greatly reduced majority, he lost the 1983 election to Bob Hawke in a heavy defeat. He was the last non-caretaker Prime Minister to come from a rural seat, and is remembered not just as a Prime Minister, but an excellent farmer from a distinguished pastoral family who understood the needs of regional Australia.

After leaving office, Malcolm served in key roles at the United Nations, with a focus on South Africa and other African nations. He helped to establish humanitarian agency CARE International in Australia, demonstrating again his commitment to helping vulnerable people around the world. He reconciled with his old enemy, Gough Whitlam, and the two men were able to be good friends, finding common ground on many issues.

At the same time, Malcolm gradually became estranged from the Liberal Party, with many of even his own party unable to forget the role he had played in The Dismissal. A man of conviction, Malcolm did not hesitate to speak out on important issues of the day, such as the human rights of asylum seekers in detention, civil liberties, and treatment of Aborigines, even when his opinions were at odds with those of the Liberals.

After years of criticising Liberal Party policy, bemoaning the lack of integrity in Australian politics, and supporting the campaign for a change of policy on Iraq, Malcolm finally handed in his Liberal Party membership in 2009, when Tony Abbot became the party’s leader, saying that it was no longer a liberal party, but a conservative party. In 2013, he endorsed a Green Party Senator and urged his Twitter followers to vote Green in the upcoming election.

Just before he died, Malcolm was working to set up a new political party called Renew Australia. It was to stand for an Australian republic, to reconcile with Indigenous Australians through a treaty, to support a larger population with an independent foreign policy and a post-carbon economy, recognising climate change and the urgent need to avoid its most catastrophic effects, as well as a central commitment to human rights obligations.

Malcolm’s memorial service was on March 27, and his son Hugh spoke of his father as someone who never ceased to care about current affairs, his strong sense of responsibility enduring to the end. According to Hugh Fraser, his father loved Australia, and was not merely one of its sons, but one of its most fervent custodians.

With the passing of Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, political giants who defined the 1970s (and physical giants, as they were our tallest prime ministers at 1.94 and 1.93 metres tall respectively), it does feel like the end of an era. Gough was the most progressive Labor prime minister, followed by Malcolm, the most progressive Liberal prime minister, and with them gone, the political future feels rather bleak.

Malcolm was famous for his quote from George Bernard Shaw: Life wasn’t meant to be easy. Most people forget that the quote continues … but take courage child, for it can be delightful. We must remember our courage now.

Name Information
Malcolm is the Anglicised form of the Scottish name Máel Coluim, meaning “follower of Saint Columba”. You will remember that Columba means “dove”. It was a traditional name amongst Scottish royalty and nobility, and there have been four medieval kings of Scotland with the name Malcolm.

Malcolm III is the basis for the King Malcolm who is the son of Duncan in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, although in real life he did not immediately avenge his father by killing Macbeth, as he was only a little boy at the time. Only after he had grown up did he kill Macbeth, and then Macbeth’s heir, so that he could take the throne at last. Malcolm III was the husband of the English princess who became Saint Margaret of Scotland. Despite Malcolm not being particularly religious, they had a strong and loving marriage, and Margaret is said to have died of sorrow after hearing of Malcolm’s death in battle.

The name Malcolm was #81 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1950s at #52, when Malcolm Fraser entered parliament as the youngest MP, aged 25 (this was also the decade that Malcolm Young from AC/DC was born). It left the Top 100 by the 1980s, the time when Malcolm Fraser suffered the worst defeat of a non-Labor government since Federation, and lost the prime ministership. After that it fell steadily, and despite a small boost in the late 2000s, when the sit-com Malcolm in the Middle was aired, it has not charted since 2009, the year Malcolm Fraser left the Liberal Party.

There has been another prominent Malcolm in the Liberal Party, Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull, and celebrity grandfather on the blog. This may not have been a help to the name, as politicians generally don’t assist a name’s fortunes. The name can now be said to be in rare use.

In the UK, there were 14 baby boys named Malcolm in 2013, so it is uncommon there as well. Malcolm is most popular in the US, where it has never gone off the charts and is in the mid-400s; it is associated there with civil rights hero Malcolm X.

Malcolm is a strong, handsome underused Scottish classic with a slightly quirky feel. It honours one of our greatest statesman, a gentleman who had the courage to speak out and work towards constructive change, who was uncompromising yet compassionate, and who placed his duty higher than his popularity.

POLL RESULTS
Malcolm received an excellent approval rating of 81%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2015. People saw Malcolm as a normal name that is still a bit quirky (27%), strong and handsome (22%), and a good Scottish heritage choice (22%). However, 14% thought it was harsh and ugly. Nobody thought the name Malcolm was too Scottish, and 3% were put off the name by former prime minister Malcolm Fraser.

(Photo shows Malcolm Fraser on his rural property, Nareen Station, in 1982)

Waltzing With … Matthew

15 Sunday Mar 2015

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

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Tags

animal names, Biblical names, classic names, famous namesakes, hebrew names, Irish names, locational names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, names of cats, names of ships, nature names, patriotic names, popular names, saints names

Famous Namesake
Tomorrow it will be the 241st birthday of the English explorer Matthew Flinders, who was the first to circumnavigate Australia.

He’s a historical figure that Australia has taken to its heart, and it’s very difficult not to find him almost immediately endearing. As a schoolboy, he read Robinsoe Crusoe and became enamoured of a desire to go to sea; apparently against all advice, he joined the navy at the age of fifteen. He never lost his love for Defoe’s novel – one of the last letters he ever wrote was to order a copy of the new edition.

Matthew first came to New South Wales in 1795, as midshipman on the Reliance, where he made a good impression as navigator and cartographer, became excellent friends with the ship’s surgeon, George Bass, and gained a black and white cat. Born on the ship, the kitten fell overboard, but was able to swim back and climb a rope to safety. Matthew saw it was intelligent with a strong survival instinct, and named it Trim after the butler in Lawrence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy, because of the cat’s faithful and affectionate nature.

Flinders and Bass made expeditions to Botany Bay and up the Georges River, from Port Jackson to Lake Illawarra, and to Moreton Bay, where their arrival on Coochiemudlo Island is still celebrated each year on Flinders Day.

The daring duo were sent to find a passage from the mainland to Tasmania (then Van Diemen’s Land). The passage they found is named Bass Strait, and its largest island is Flinders Island. Matthew charted all the islands, and he and George Bass were the first to circumnavigate Tasmania.

Matthew’s work gained the attention of the great scientists of the day, especially Sir Joseph Banks, who convinced the Admiralty to send Flinders to chart the entire coastline of New Holland. Matthew was promoted to commander, and given a slightly dilapidated ship called the Investigator (England was at war with France, and the navy was saving the really good ships for fighting).

Flinders wed his childhood friend Ann Chappell while in England (he named Mount Chappell Island in Bass Strait after her). Newly married, but with an expedition to command where women were strictly forbidden, he tried to smuggle Ann onto the Investigator. Sir Joseph Banks found out, and put an immediate stop to it. Ann was left at home: however, Matthew was allowed take Trim on the voyage.

The circumnavigation of Australia started on Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia, and continued eastward across the Great Australian Bight. Flinders ran into French explorer Nicolas Baudin in South Australia; although hostilities had temporarily ceased between England and France, both men thought their countries were still at war, but peacefully exchanged discoveries with each other. Matthew named the place where they met Encounter Bay.

Although circumnavigation was completed, it was not possible for Matthew to chart the entire coast, due to problems with the ship. Once back in Sydney in 1803, the Investigator was judged unseaworthy, and as he was unable to continue his work, Matthew set sail again on a ship called the Porpoise, which only made it as far as the Great Barrier Reef: the place was named Wreck Reef as a result. Flinders made it across open seas back to Sydney in the ship’s cutter, and (still accompanied by Trim), took command of the Cumberland to get home.

The Cumberland was also in poor condition, and Flinders was forced to put in at the Isle de France (now called Mauritius), just three months after Nicolas Baudin had died there. War had broken out with France again a few months previously, but Matthew Flinders thought that being on an important scientific mission, having a French passport, and knowing Nicolas Baudin would afford him diplomatic immunity.

The French governor disagreed, and detained Matthew there for years, even after Napoleon told him to release Flinders. Trim, who proved such a comfort to him, disappeared in mysterious circumstances, and the heartbroken Matthew believed he had been killed and eaten by the island’s slaves (not the first brave explorer to have met this fate, if true).

Finally, Matthew returned to England in 1810, his wife having waited more than nine years to see him again. Now in very poor health after his harsh imprisonment on Mauritius, he worked on completing his atlas.

It was during his voyages that Matthew Flinders began to use the name Australia to refer to the continent he was exploring. He wasn’t the first to use the name, but previously geographers used it for the whole South Pacific region.

Sir Joseph Banks, who had been such an interfering nuisance by not letting Ann accompany her husband Matthew on the Investigator, now turned out to disapprove of the name Australia. Despite Matthew’s objections, his book came out under the title A Voyage to Terra Australis. The final proofs came to him on his death bed, but by then he was unconscious; he died the day after his book was published, having never regained consciousness.

A Voyage to Terra Australis was the first book to use the name Australia for our continent, as Matthew Flinders was sure that there was no other great landmass in the area it could apply to. With his gift for nomenclature, he noted that the name Australia was “more agreeable to the ear” than any other. His chosen name stuck, and it was Governor Lachlan Macquarie who recommended that it be officially adopted, which took place in 1824.

Amongst all the places in Australia which Matthew charted, he never named one after himself, but that has been well and truly remedied, with more than a hundred places bearing the name Flinders – from the Flinders Ranges to Flinders Bay to the suburb of Flinders in Canberra, not to mention Melbourne’s Flinders Street, the Flinders Highway, and Adelaide’s Flinders University. There are more statues of Matthew Flinders in Australia than of any other man, and the only person to outdo him is Queen Victoria.

Even Trim the cat has not been forgotten, as he has a bronze statue at the Mitchell Library in Sydney, while the library has a cafe named after him, and sells a wide variety of Trim-related merchandise at their gift shop. Author Bryce Courtenay wrote a novel called Matthew Flinders’ Cat, in memory of the pet that Matthew Flinders called “the best and most illustrious of his race … and best of creatures … ever the delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers”.

Name Information
Matthew is the English form of Matthaios, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Matityahu, meaning “gift of Yahweh”, and almost always translated as “gift of God”.

The name became common because of the Apostle Matthew. Matthew was one of the first to join Jesus’ ministry, and is described in the New Testament as a publican. In Roman times, this meant a public contractor, who was responsible for collecting duties and taxes. It’s possible that Matthew collected the taxes of the Hebrews on King Herod’s behalf.

Publicans were very unpopular – not only because nobody likes paying taxes, but because they were seen as traitors collaborating with the Roman Empire. It’s significant that Jesus chose a publican as one of his followers, because it suggests he was actively seeking out people on the fringes of Hebrew society, and those despised by others.

The New Testament mentions a tax collector named Levi who was called to join Jesus, and it is tempting to think that Levi and Matthew were the same person, but this is never made explicit. If so, he may have been born Levi, and taken (or been given) the name Matthew to symbolise his new life.

According to Christian tradition, Matthew was the author of The Gospel of Matthew; as a publican, he would probably have been literate enough to have written it. However, most modern scholars believe that the Gospel was written later, by someone who strove to emphasise that Jesus was part of Jewish tradition. This makes it seem as if it may have been written for a Jewish Christian community, to ensure that their Jewish laws were not lost in a church that was gradually losing touch with its Hebrew roots. It’s possible such a community would have venerated Matthew as a leader of a former generation, and kept records of his teachings and stories.

Tradition says that Matthew preached to Jewish communities in Judea, before travelling through other countries of the Middle East and eastern Europe: so many conflicting countries are mentioned that one wonders if he ever left Judea at all. He is regarded as a martyr, although no specific martyrdom is given for him, and many doubt this belief. Saint Matthew is the patron of accountants, bankers, tax collectors, and public servants (all important jobs which still don’t make you very popular).

Matthew has been in use as a name since the Middle Ages, and in Ireland has been used to Anglicise the Irish name Mathúin, meaning “bear”.

Never out of common use in the post-medieval era, Matthew is a classic which has remained on the charts since Federation, and never been out of the Top 200. It was #89 in the 1900s, and left the Top 100 in the 1910s, reaching its lowest point in the 1940s at #161. It climbed steeply to re-join the Top 100 by the 1960s, and peaked in the 1980s as the #1 name of the decade. It has fallen very gradually since then, and is still in the Top 50. Currently it is #48 nationally, #41 in New South Wales, #56 in Victoria, #55 in Queensland, #35 in Western Australia, #83 in Tasmania, and #55 in the Australian Capital Territory.

Matthew is a popular name in all English-speaking countries, but most popular in Northern Ireland, where it is in the Top 10. Its popularity in Australia is very similar to that in New Zealand and England/Wales.

Matthew is not only a strong, handsome, timeless classic, it honours a man who was daring enough to follow a childhood dream, and courageous enough to sail through seas unknown. He had the determination and tenacity to see through painstaking, detailed scientific work, and endured shipwreck, starvation and attack on his voyage, as well as cruel imprisonment which shortened his life.

Most importantly, he was the man who named us – we could not be Australia without him, making Matthew one of the most Australian names possible for a boy.

POLL RESULT
Matthew received an outstanding approval rating of 92%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2015. 44% of people thought the name Matthew was okay, and only one person hated it.

(Photo shows the Matthew Flinders memorial, including his cat Trim, which was unveiled at Australia House last year, and is at Euston Station in London, above where Matthew Flinders is rumoured to be buried. Flinders University helped pay for the statue.)

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Waltzing More Than Matilda

~ Names with an Australian Bias of Democratic Temper

Tag Archives: famous namesakes

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Rare Boys Names from the 1940s

Famous Name: Malcolm

Waltzing With … Matthew