Names of Australian Models

06 Sunday Nov 2011

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Cornish names, created names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, French names, hebrew names, Indian names, Italian names, Latin names, Maori names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, Native American names, nicknames, Shakespearean names, Tamil names, Welsh names

Because we had two sets of male names for Boys N ames from the Australian Football League and Boys Names from the National Rugby League, we need to have two sets of female names to keep the numbers even. As the spring fashion collections are out now, and ladies are getting frocked up for the spring racing season, it seemed a good time of year to feature women’s names from the world of Australian fashion.

Bambi (Northwood-Blyth)

Bambi Northwood-Blyth is a young up and coming model from Melbourne. She became known once her photo started being seen in tabloids partying with her surfer boyfriend who owns a fashion label, and soon became an internationally known “it” girl. At 5 foot 7, Bambi is unusually short for a fashion model, has a very distinctive look with heavy dark eyebrows, and sports tattoos and facial piercings. Bambi is a diminutive of the Italian word bambina, meaning “girl child”; English equivalents of Bambi might be Babe or Lassie. A girl named Bambi (real name Francesca) is the heroine of 1914 novel, Bambi, by Marjorie Benton Cooke. It recounts the romantic adventures of a lively young society girl in New York, and seems an entertaining enough read. However, it’s been overtaken in the public consciousness by a male deer called Bambi, hero of a novel by Felix Salten which was made into an animated Disney movie. Since then, Bambi has taken on connotations of being doe-eyed, long-limbed and generally adorable, like a baby deer. Bambi is usually a nickname or stage name in real life, and this case is no exception: Bambi Northwood-Blyth’s real name is Stephanie.

Cheyenne (Tozzi)

Cheyenne Tozzi was raised in Sydney, and is the type of blonde bikini babe which makes her suitable to be the face of Mambo Goddess and Just Jeans. She’s been hailed as “the next Elle McPherson”, and seems to be dating someone new every time you open a gossip magazine, from Kanye West to Mickey Rourke to Brandon Davis to our own Taj Burrow. Cheyenne is the name of a Native American people from the Great Plains region. Their name is what the Dakota Sioux called them, and means something like “the people of an alien language” (literally, “red-talkers”). One of their most famous members was the chief Black Kettle, who tried to make peace with the American settlers, and was killed by General George Custer. It’s pronounced shy-AN, and seems to be have been first used as a name in 1950s TV western, Cheyenne, about a cowboy called Cheyenne Bodie. It’s now seen as a primarily feminine name, and you should be aware that many Native Americans find using tribal names as personal names culturally insensitive or even offensive.

Demelza (Reveley)

Demelza Reveley is from Wollongong, and won the fourth series of Australia’s Next Top Model. Despite winning the show, judges said she lacked the sophistication to be a top model, and was just young and pretty. She has posed for Cosmopolitan and Vogue, and is currently the face of Sydney’s fashionable Strand Arcade shopping centre. Demelza is the name of a Cornish village said to mean “fort of Maeldaf”. The name Demelza was used for a character in the Winston Graham’s Poldark novels, and it became well known after the novels were turned into a TV series in the 1970s; the part of Demelza Poldark was played by Angharad Rees. Part of the success of the name at the time may be because, in the story, Demelza is told that her name means “thy sweetness”. Demelza Reveley’s parents obviously like unusual names – her sister’s name is Tanith.

Elle (Macpherson)

Elle Macpherson (pictured) was born in Sydney, and first modelled in New York as a teenager to raise money for her law degree (soon abandoned). She became known for her girl next door looks and magnificent figure, which earned her the sobriquet of “The Body”. Elle became part of the generation of supermodels in the 1980s, and went on to control many business interests. Today she is a multimillionaire businesswoman with her own fashion label, and is the face of Revlon cosmetics. She lives in Britain with her two sons. Elle’s name is short for her real name of Eleanor. Elle is the name of the world’s largest fashion magazine, founded in Paris in 1945. At one time, Elle Macpherson appeared in every issue of the magazine for six years in a row, and at the age of 21, married its creative director, Gilles Bensimon. The magazine’s name is the French word for “she”.

Miranda (Kerr)

Miranda Kerr was raised in the country town of Gunnedah in New South Wales before her family moved to Brisbane. She won the 1997 Dolly magazine contest at the age of 13, became a swimwear model, and relocated to New York. She is the first Australian to become a Victoria’s Secret lingerie model. She is married to actor Orlando Bloom, and is the mother of Flynn Christopher Blanchard Copeland Bloom. The name Miranda was created by William Shakespeare for his play, The Tempest; Miranda is the teenage daughter of the duke Prospero, and the two of them have been exiled on a remote island since Miranda was a toddler. Miranda’s name is derived from Latin for “admirable, miraculous” – Prospero is a magician, and perhaps chose a rather magical sounding name for his daughter. Miranda seems to be a popular name in Australia, at least in fiction; there seems to be a lot of Mirandas in films and television shows, including the beautiful schoolgirl Miranda in Picnic at Hanging Rock, based on the novel by Joan Lindsay. As this movie is very mysterious, it adds up to Miranda being a remarkably magical and mystical name.

Myfanwy (Shepherd)

Myfanwy Shepherd is from Cairns; she auditioned for the fourth series of Australia’s Next Top Model, but was rejected, as judges didn’t believe she had what it takes. A few months later, she was on the runways of New York, London, Paris and Milan. Myfanwy is a medieval Welsh name revived in the 19^th century. It is often translated as “my fine one” or “my rare one”, but this seems to be an imaginative gloss, as it is more likely from the Welsh for “beloved”. A 14th-century legend tells of Myfanwy Fychan, who was said to be the most beautiful woman in Powys, and vain enough to love nothing more than hearing her appearance praised. She took a fancy to a penniless bard because he could compose poems extolling her loveliness. Fickle as well as vain, she soon dumped him for someone richer and better looking, and the bard was left to wander around sadly composing poetry to his lost love. This rather unpleasant character’s story was turned into a popular song by Joseph Parry in the 19^th century. The name is pronounced muh-VAHN-wee, however Australian Myfanwys have a range of pronunciations, including like Tiffany with an M at the front. Like Myfanwy Shepherd, they all seem to use Myf (said MIFF) as the nickname.

Pania (Rose)

Pania Rose is from Perth in Western Australia; she was discovered during a national teen covergirl contest. She’s posed for Marie Claire and Spanish Vogue, and is most famous for her 2006 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition appearance. The name Pania is one from Maori mythology; Pania of the Reef was a beautiful sea maiden. She fell in love with a handsome son of a chieftain, and the pair became secretly married. These mortal-to-sea creature love affairs always seem to go horribly wrong in tales, and this one is no exception. Pania stayed with her husband every night, but during the day she needed to be in the sea in order to survive. Her frustrated husband got tired of not having a wife around during the day, and tried to force her to remain on land against her will. Horrified that he would risk her life, she fled from him into the ocean. There is a statue of Pania on the city of Napier’s Marine Parade that is sometimes compared to that of The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen. The name is said PAH-NEE-AH, and it may mean “polished”.

Tabrett (Bethell)

Tabrett Bethell was born in Sydney, and was a teenage model and cheerleader for the NRL Cronulla Sharks. After this she trained as an actress, has been in several films, and played a key role in the US fantasy TV show, Legend of the Seeker, where she gained a fan following. Tabrett’s unusual name came about because of an argument her parents had about what to name her. Her mother had chosen the name Siobhan, but her father preferred the name Murray. Her dad left the hospital and went for a drive, where he saw a sign for Tabrett Street. He drove back to the hospital, and suggested Tabrett instead, which her mother proved equally enthusiastic about. Tabrett is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable, and for many years, Tabrett was told her name was Welsh. I have read that it is derived from the Hebrew word tofe, for the hand drum that is used to praise Yahweh, and is interpreted as meaning “celebration”. Although Tabrett’s surname is Welsh, meaning “son of Ithel”, by coincidence it looks similar to the Hebrew for “house of God”, so there is some odd Welsh-yet-Hebrew/Hebrew-yet-Welsh theme to her name, I think.

Tahnee (Atkinson)

Tahnee Atkinson is from Perth, and is the winner of the fifth series of Australia’s Next Top Model. Tahnee has a curvaceous figure, and her weight was sometimes an issue during the course of the show. As part of her prize, she received a contract with Maybelline and a spread in Harper’s Bazaar, which retained exclusive rights to her for six months. Tahnee is a name that has long been a favourite in Australia; the oldest Tahnee I know is in her late fifties, and the youngest was born last year. The meaning of the name is uncertain, but Australians often fondly believe it to be Aboriginal or Maori in origin. Most likely, it just a variant of Tania; it is pronounced TAH-nee (like tardy with an N in it instead of a D).

Valli (Kemp)

Valli Kemp was born in Kenya to British parents, moved to London when she was seven and to Sydney when she was twelve. She was chosen Miss World Australia in 1970, and seen as the epitome of early ’70s glamour, with bedroom eyes and full lips. After moving to London for the Miss World finals (Grenada won), she became part of the “beautiful people” scene, and appeared in a few films, most notably cult horror flick Dr Phibes Rises Again, opposite Vincent Price. After moving back to Australia in the 1980s, she became a full-time artist and art teacher. The name Valli means “creeping plant” in Tamil, which refers to either a sweet potato or a yam; both of these grow on vines. Valli is a Hindu goddess in the mythology of South India and Sri Lanka. In the stories, a chieftain and his wife prayed for a child, and found a baby girl amongst the vines in the forest; they raised her as their own and she grew up to be princess of her tribe. She became the wife of Lord Murugan, the most loved deity in Sri Lanka – a brave warrior who protects even the most humble.

Saturday Sibset: Dave Hughes – Funny Man, Family Man

29 Saturday Oct 2011

Posted by A.O. in Sibsets in the News

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celebrity baby names, celebrity sibsets, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes

Dave Hughes, affectionately known as “Hughesy”, is a comedian who always seems to be described as “laconic”. “Laid-back” and “dry” are two other popular words used to describe his style of comedy. American audiences are, according to him anyway, fascinated by his broad accent, and US comedian Seth Rogen has said that he would turn gay for Hughesy (I presume he meant this in a light-hearted jocular sort of way, rather than a tortured confession of uncontrollable lust).

The odd thing is, Dave Hughes isn’t particularly laconic or laid-back – he has plenty to say for himself, and he admits to being an insecure teeth-grinder. According to his profile on Twitter, he has an addictive personality and will be checking for replies to his posts in an OCD-like way. In his act, he pretends to be lazy and careless, but is relentlessly ambitious. He portrays himself as an academic failure whose education consisted of being hit around the head by the Christian Brothers, but he was Dux of his school the year he graduated.

A man of contradictions, he is a teetotaller and doesn’t eat meat (except fish) for his health, but he hates vegetables, loves sugar, and (according to his Twitter posts) seems to be ill quite a lot. He meditates and reads self-help books, but still appears anxious and irritable. He appears on the customary left-wing comedy shows, but strikes me as a social conservative. Despite his working class rural background, ocker accent, and endless wardrobe of man-of-the-people shirts, he’s a multi-millionaire living a celebrity lifestyle.

A stand-up veteran, he has appeared on radio and television for many years. Currently he co-hosts the breakfast radio programme, Hughesy and Kate, with Kate Langbroek, on Nova 100. He is also co-host of Channel 10’s light entertainment current affairs TV show, The 7PM Project, with Charlie Pickering and Carrie Bickmore.

He married Holly Ife, a reporter with the Herald Sun, on New Year’s Eve 2006 at Flemington race track. Hughesy tends to portray his wife as both bossy and long-suffering. Dave and Holly have two children. Their son Rafferty David was born in April 2009, and their daughter Sadie May was born in April this year. (Dave got the giggles while she was being born).

Rafferty is “on trend” here, as names beginning with Raf-, such as Rafael and Rafi, are very much in vogue. It has a particular flavour in Australia, due to the old-fashioned slang, “Rafferty’s rules”, to describe a state of lawlessness. This was also the name of a police drama in the 1980s, starring popular actor, John Wood. More Australian-ness: Chips Rafferty was an iconic Australian movie star from the 1940s and 50s; and Rafferty’s Garden is a company which makes baby food.

Sadie is starting to become fashionable here, following recent North American trends. For many years it was in the no-go zone, thanks to Johnny Farnham’s hit single, Sadie the Cleaning Lady, but does now seem to considered more usable. The Canadian kid’s TV show, Naturally Sadie, has probably helped. Christina Applegate’s daughter, Sadie Grace, was born just three months before Sadie Hughes.

Keen-eyed starwatchers may have noticed a coincidence in the Hughes’ family names – English film star Jude Law has a son named Rafferty, and for several years was married to actress and designer Sadie Frost. I presume this was unintentional, rather than some sort of homage to Mr. Law.

Rafferty and Sadie are a sibset with strong Australian associations; the names are shabby-chic, and have already been road-tested by overseas celebrities. I can definitely see the names Rafferty and Sadie gaining in popularity in the next few years.

Dave discusses fatherhood on chat show, Rove, in 2009:

Unique Boys Names from Tasmania, 2010

09 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 12 Comments

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astronomical names, Australian Aboriginal names, celebrity baby names, created names, Danish names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, German names, Greek names, hebrew names, Irish names, Latin names, Maori names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, nature names, Old English names, place names, popular culture, saints names, surname names, Tibetan names, unique names, vocabulary names

This follows on the previous list, Unique Girls Names from Tasmania, 2010. Please read the notes attached to that to see how names were chosen. Although there were fewer unique names for boys, they were much more likely to be genuine names, and not just variant spellings of common names. Whether you like these names or not, it’s nice to know that not everyone calls their children by names from the Top 100. There’s a lot of variety out there once you start looking. (If you are unsure what the animal in the photo is, it is a Tasmanian devil).

Ambrose

This is the English form of a Latin name derived from the Greek, meaning “immortal”. It is connected linguistically to ambrosia, the food or drink of the gods in mythology, and is said to not only taste delicious, but to have a delightful aroma. In fact, it has been argued that ambrosia means “fragrant”, rather than “immortal”. If ambrosia had any basis in reality, it may be describing a honey product, although another theory is that it refers to the hallucinogenic mushroom, Amanita muscaria. The most famous namesake is probably Saint Ambrose of Milan, a 4^th century Doctor of the Church who converted Saint Augustine. Interestingly, according to legend, bees swarmed on Ambrose’s face as a baby, leaving behind a drop of honey; this does seem to link the saint with the mythical ambrosia. An old-fashioned name, this fits in with the antique name revival, and the S/Z-ending for boys names. The meaning, and its associations with divine sweetness, is also hard to resist.

Other Latin names: Adrian, Augustus, Cassius, Ignatius, Maxmilian, Roman, Rufus, Silas, Sylvester

Anakin

This is the name of a Jedi knight in the Star Wars movies, father of Luke and Leia Skywalker, who crossed over to the Dark Side, and went on to become the heavy-breathing evil villain known as Darth Vader. Annikkin Starkiller was the name that George Lucas has originally chosen for Luke Skywalker, and when there was a major plot change and Darth Vader became Luke’s dad, a slight change of spelling meant that Darthy could have Luke’s old name. It’s sometimes claimed that George Lucas took Anakin’s name from his friend, Brtish film director Ken Annakin, but Lucas denies this. Although it’s tempting to give this name all number of foreboding meanings, we should remember it was originally planned as the hero’s name. It wasn’t clear in the beginning what kind of person the protagonist was going to be, and in one version it was an old man, and in another, a woman, so the name predates the character and the plot. Most likely, George Lucas just made it up.

Other sci-fi names: Auron, Draven, Grayson, Jango, Lex, Navi, Neo, Obi, Quillam

Bon

This is the name of the Scottish-born Australian rock musician, Bon Scott, who was the lyricist and lead singer for AC/DC, until his death in 1980, aged 34. AC/DC dedicated their next album, Back in Black, to him, which is the best-selling rock album of all time. Bon Scott is regarded as one of the greatest lead vocalists, has been inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and been honoured in both his home town of Fremantle, Western Australia, and his birthplace of Kirriemuir, Scotland. Bon was born Ronald Belford Scott, and his nickname was given to him in primary school. As there was already a classmate called Ronald, and as Scott had recently emigrated from “Bonnie Scotland”, he was dubbed Bon. The Scottish word bonnie means “beautiful, fair, fine”, and is taken from the French word bon, meaning “good”. Not only honouring a rock legend, this name seems similar to Beau in meaning and origin.

Other celebrity names: Cadel, Cassidy, Denzel, Dre, Elvis, Hammond, Joaquin, Keanu, Leland, Maddox, Makaveli, Orlando, Otis, Sylvain, Tander, Tex, Ziggie Other Scottish names: Dougal, Jock

Clancy

This is from an Irish surname meaning “son of Flannchadh”, with Flannchadh being a Gaelic name meaning “red warrior”. The name is well known in Australia, because of the poem Clancy of The Overflow, by Banjo Paterson; The Overflow is the name of a station where Clancy, a drover, works. It’s based on the true story of Paterson, a lawyer, sending a letter to Thomas Gerald Clancy of The Overflow, and imagining Clancy’s enviable life in the bush, under the “glory of the everlasting stars”. The reply that he received to his letter – “Clancy’s gone to Queensland droving and we don’t know where he are” – delighted Paterson, and was included in the poem. Clancy also appears briefly in The Man from Snowy River, and when that poem was made into a movie, the role of Clancy was played by Jack Thompson. Clancy of the Overflow is a romanticised image of bush life as dreamed of by the city dweller, and probably seems a patriotic choice as a name.

Other Irish names: Fionbharr, Niall, Rafferty, Ronan, Sullivan

Diesel

This is the name for the fuel used in diesel engines, which are named after their inventor, French-born Rudolf Diesel. His German surname is said to be based on a short form of either Matthias or Dietrich. As it sounds quite tough and butch, and has connotations of being able to keep going like a mechanical engine, it’s been a popular nickname or assumed name, for celebrities such as American actor Vin Diesel, Australian rock singer Diesel, American basketball player Shaquille “The Diesel” O’Neill, and AFL player Greg “Diesel” Williams. Diesel is also a popular name for dogs, and with “dog names” for boys in style, Diesel seems very usable. US Olympian softabller, Jennie Finch, called her second son Diesel Dean Daigle, so now it’s a celebrity baby name as well.

Other vocabulary names: Ace, Buddy, Gray, Spike Other car-related names: Holden, Jag

Esmond

An Old English name meaning “gracious protection”, this fell out of use after the Norman Conquest, and became best known as a surname. Thackery’s History of Henry Esmond is a historical novel set in the time of Queen Anne, where the hero spends the whole book in love with his foster-sister and cousin, but marries his foster-mother instead (also his cousin). This surname is part of Australian history, because James Esmond was an Irish-Australian who was one of the first people to find gold during the Victorian goldrush. He was also politically prominent in the miner’s organisation, and commanded a section of miners in the Eureka Stockade rebellion. It’s tempting to wonder if baby Esmond is a descendant of James, or whether the name was chosen in honour of this famous rebel.

Other Old English names: Bede, Edgar, Edwin, Winston

Iluka

This is a small coastal town on the Clarence River in New South Wales, and its name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning “by the sea”. It is pronounced eye-LOO-ka. Iluka is a popular tourist destination, blessed with beaches and rainforest, and people who live in the chilly southern parts of Australia may enjoy spending their winters here. Maybe the parents of Iluka spent a happy holiday in the town? It’s easy to see the appeal of it as a name, because it is so similiar to the popular Luka, but has a distinctive Australian meaning.

Other place names: Carlisle, Clyde, Griffith, Hamilton, Maitland, Memphis, Meredith, Nelson, Preston, Ripley, Weston, Wilson, Windsor Other Aboriginal names: Wirra

Manuka

This is the name of a small tree or shrub native to New Zealand and south-east Australia – including, of course, Tasmania. It’s scientific name is Leptospermum scoparium, and it’s also called tea tree (not the same tea tree that tea tree oil is made from). The name manuka is Maori, and comes from history, where one of the sea-going canoes that brought the Maoris to New Zealand is said to have been called Mānuka. It’s pronounced mahn-OO-ka. Manuka honey is not only delicious, but recently it’s been discovered to have powerful antibacterial properties, and you can now buy medical-grade manuka honey to apply to wounds. There is a town in Tasmania near Hobart called Tea Tree, which may be named after this useful plant.

Other nature names: Aspen, Brae, Nullah, Reef, Stone, Sunny, Tiger Other Polynesian names: Loti, Kalani, Tavita

Namkha

Meaning “sky, heaven” in Tibetan, a namkha is a yarn or thread cross used in Buddhism as a sacred weaving, used in ritual or placed on an altar. “Thread” is the literal translation of the word tantra, and the threads of the mankha symbolise the warp and weft of time and space. A famous bearer is Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Rigdzin Namkha Gyatso Rinpoche.

Other Asian names: Anshuman, Arjuna, Ba, Dravid, Khan, Omita, Yang, Yasir, Zusong

Shem

One of Noah’s sons in the Old Testament, Shem is Hebrew for “name”. It can refer to someone’s fame and reputation, and also to their essential nature and being. While Noah is one of the most popular boy’s names, the names of his sons, Shem, Ham and Japeth, have had only occasional use. This may be because from early on, these three men were seen as the progenitors of the various races (as that vague and inaccurate word was understood at the time). Different writers have claimed Shem as the source of either the “Semitic” peoples, all Europeans, Germans, Greeks, Persians, or Indians; some texts even say that God made Shem brown skinned, Japeth fair skinned and Ham dark skinned. These ideas on race and ethnicity now look rather embarrassing, or even offensive; at the very least, we know them to be scientifically wrong. In the Bible, Shem is said to be an ancestor of Abram, who founded the Abrahamic religions. The name is pronounced SHAYM, and although uncommon, sounds not unlike familiar names such as Sean, Sheamus and Shane.

Other Biblical names: Abel, Amos, Elihu, Gideon, Hezekiah, Jairus, Jotham, Matthias, Raphael, Simeon

Soren

This is an anglicised form of the Danish name Søren, which is a form of the Roman name family Severinus, derived from the personal name Severus, meaning “stern” in Latin. Certain Harry Potter fans may see this as a way of using the name of grim Potions Master, Professor Snape, without actually calling their son Severus. The name has been used several times in recent popular culture; most notably the vampire Soren in the Underworld films. In the Charlie and Lola books and TV series, Soren Lorensen is little Lola’s imaginary friend. If these namesakes seem a bit lightweight, Søren Kierkegaard was a 19^th century philosopher and theologian who has been enormously influential in shaping our ideas of the self and subjectivity. It’s pronounced SOH-ren.

Other Scandinavian names: Anders, Thor

Titan

According to Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of gods that ruled in the legendary Golden Age. They were the Elder Gods who were overthrown by the Olympians; this myth of a “war in heaven”, where one group of gods replaces another, exists in many cultures across Europe and the Middle East. The meaning of their name is uncertain, but is often intepreteted as “to stretch”; the Greek poet Hesiod refers to them as “the Stretchers”, because they stretched out their power. Other scholars believe it comes from the Greek for “white earth, white clay, gypsum”; they believe that this white dust was used in ancient shamanistic rituals, and it is from these almost-forgotten rites that the myth of the Titans grew. The name has been given to a moon of Saturn, and inspired the name of the element, titanium. The Titans, often imagined as gigantic figures, are part of popular culture, and you may find Titans in comic books, science fiction movies, and video games, as well as sports teams – including the Gold Coast Titans. Although the name may seem too big for a little boy, it sounds similar to names such as Tate, Tyrone and Titus.

Other Greek names: Constandinos, Eugene, Leonidas, Orion

Unique Girls Names from Tasmania, 2010

02 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 18 Comments

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astronomical names, Australian Aboriginal names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, Flemish names, Greek names, Irish names, Latin names, locational names, musical names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, nature names, Nook of Names, Old Norse names, popular culture, royal names, Sanskrit names, surname names, unique names, virtue names, vocabulary names

Many parents say that they are looking for a “unique” name, but what they mean by that seems to differ from person to person. Some say it’s a name you don’t see every day; others define it as any name not in the Top 100; and still others refuse to say what it means to them, but will “know it when they see it”. According to the dictionary, “unique” means that only one person possesses it, and names of which the world holds but one example are few and far between. However, names do not have to be particularly strange or rare to be unique in a certain context. For example, the name Savannah is unique within the British royal family. Here are some names from baby girls born in Tasmania last year; in each case, only one child was given these names. For their state, and in the year they were born, these girls possess unique names. I usually do ten names per list, but this time there was so much choice I did twelve; I’ve also listed other unique names from the same state and year that are similar in some way to the main entry.

Bird

Not only referring to our feathered friends, a “bird” is English slang for a woman, although in the 19^th century it was slang for a man, which makes it seem unisex. Another slang term is to “give someone the bird”, meaning to raise the middle finger in an obscene gesture; this has been a favoured way of insulting others since the time of the Ancient Greeks, at least. Being a bird-lover, I find this name simple and homely, and it does remind me of birdsong.

Other nature names: Acacia, Autumn, Clover, Fern, Honey, Maple, Misty, Opal, Pearl, Rosemary, Sage, Storm

Capri

This is the name of an island off the coast off Naples, famous for its stunning natural beauty. Inhabited since prehistoric times, it was a pleasure resort during the days of the Roman Empire, but the first modern tourist didn’t arrive until the 17^th century. It was a popular place for artists and writers in the 19^th century, and also a haven for gay men and women who formed a community where they could feel more open. A popular 1930s romantic song was The Isle of Capri, which was covered by The Gaylords, aptly enough. Capri pants were all in the rage in the 1950s as cool beachwear suitable for this resort island. No doubt the Ford Capri was also meant to suggest insouciant summer fun. The name of the island may mean either “wild boar” (from Greek) or “goats” (from Latin); there’s even a tiny possibility it means “rocky” (from Etruscan). But clearly it’s the history and associations of the name that are more important than the meaning. It’s a name that spells beauty, romance, art, fashion and freedom.

Other place names: Arizona, Baltimore, Bethany, Cheyenne, Florence, Ireland, Israel, Italia, London, Olympia, Petra, Sierra

Faithful

The virtue name Faith is familiar, but the adjective Faithful is one new to me as a name for a real person. Faithful is a (male) character in John Bunyan’s classic work, The Pilgrim’s Progress. He’s a friend of the protagonist who is executed as a martyr. He is meant to be represent those Christians who remain faithful to their beliefs, even should that lead to death. The Latin for “I am faithful” is Fido, traditionally given to dogs – apparently after Abraham Lincoln gave this name to his canine companion. As a child, I read the YA novel, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, by Anne de Roo, about a young girl growing up on a farm. The heroine wrote a story for school called “Old Faithful” about the touching death of her beloved dog. Unfortunately, she spelled “Faithful” as Fatful, and the teacher read her story mockingly to the class, with every “faithful” replaced by fatful, so that the children screamed with laughter at the tale of her dog dying. As a youngster, this struck me as the epitome of cruelty, and today makes me hope that nobody mis-spells little Faithful’s name.

Other adjective name: Innocent

Fritha

This is an Old Norse name often translated as “love, peace”, but more accurately it refers to the harmonious social order which leads to peace. It was a rare name during the Viking era, and only seems to have become commonly used in Scandinavia after the coming of Christianity – which suggests that it was connected to Christian ideals of peace and brotherhood. Fritha is a main character in the novella, The Snow Goose, by American author Paul Gallico; a sentimental tale of friendship blooming against the backdrop of World War II which was very popular in England. There was a British actress called Fritha Goodey who you may have caught a glimpse of in the movie About a Boy, starring Hugh Grant. Sadly, she died a few years ago in tragic circumstances while still quite young. There’s also a musician, Fritha Jenkins, who played with UK pagan heavy metal band, Skyclad. Because of these associations, Fritha seems like a very “English” name, despite its origins, and also quite artsy.

Other Scandinavian name: Inka

Halle

This is famous for being the name of gorgeous award-winning Hollywood actress, Halle Berry. Ms Berry’s birth name was Maria Halle Berry, but legally switched around to Halle Maria Berry when she was five. Her parents chose the name Halle from Halle Brother’s department store, a local landmark at that time in her home town of Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in the 19^th century by Samuel and Salmon Halle, it became an upmarket emporium, but was liquidated in the 1980s. The brothers’ surname is originally Flemish, and is after the village of Halle in Belgium. Of Old Norse origin, Halle means “manorial hall”, and is the equivalent of the English surname Hall. Pronounced HAL-ee, it sounds the same as the girl’s name Hallie, a short form of Harriet.

Other celebrity names: Angelina, Gwyneth, Jolie, Shakira

Justice

This can either be seen as an occupational surname meaning “judge”, or an English vocabulary word. Some people see this name as a Christian virtue name, referring to God’s righteousness; others connect it with social justice; others see it as simply describing the person as fair-minded and honourable. I remember Kay at Nook of Names got rather alarmed at Australian naming laws and thought the name Justice wouldn’t be permitted here, so I wanted to reassure her that it definitely is, even though not a common name.

Other virtue names: Constance, Honor, Prudence, Temperance, Verity

Namaha

This is a Sanskrit word which is an element of sacred Vedic mantras. It means “to surrender with love”, and literally, “to bow (in a gesture of homage and respect)”. It is a negation of one’s ego, and an affirmation of the greater Self becoming one with the Cosmic Soul. It is pronounced nah-ma-hah, with unstressed syllables.

Other Asian names: Jaya, Megumi, Mika, Nilu, Palpasa, Sakura

Nerida

This Australian Aboriginal name means “waterlily”, and features in a legend from Victoria. Nerida and Berwain are two young lovers, about to marry. Wahwee, the spirit of thunder who lives in the mud pool where the couple meet to gather mussels, develops an overpowering desire for Nerida. Because she will not give herself to him, he transforms her into a waterlily, and her lover Berwain into rushes. A superstition is that if you pick a waterlily, you must also pick the rushes growing nearby so that Nerida and Berwain never be divided in death. The waterlily is used as a food source by Aborigines as a traditional bush food; the roots can be roasted, and the stem and seeds eaten raw. Nerida was used as a female name by Aborigines, and also by Europeans, who may have been charmed by the fact it is so similar to Nereida, the name of a nymph in Greek mythology (the scientific name for waterlily is Nymphaea, another pleasing coincidence). Pronounced NEHR-uh-duh, it’s a bit old-fashioned now, but clearly still in use.

Pallas

The epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, this may mean “maiden”. The original Pallas was the daughter of sea-god Triton, and foster-sister to Athena. During a friendly fight between the two goddesses, Athena received divine protection from her father Zeus, but she mortally wounded Pallas. Out of her deep sadness, she created the palladium, a statue made in the likeness of Pallas, which was given to the city of Troy to act as its protector and guardian. This sacred statue was stolen by the Greeks during the Trojan War, otherwise they could never have conquered it. Some stories say that the palladium became the property of Rome, and there are rumours that it was transferred to Constantinople. Pallas is also one of the largest asteroids, and the name of one of the Moon’s craters. Sailor Pallas is a character in the Sailor Moon manga who is named after the asteroid as well the Greek goddess, so it is an astronomical name and one from popular culture.

Other classical names: Athena, Camilla, Cassandra, Lucia, Melanie, Melissa, Octavia, Olympia, Penelope, Sylvia, Valentine, Veronica, Xanthe, Zephyr

Saoirse

This modern Irish name means “freedom”, and came into use in Northern Ireland during the 1920s as a Republican political slogan. Depending on your accent, you can pronounce it SEER-sha, SAIR-sha or SOR-sha, with SEER-sha being the Northern Irish way of saying it, and therefore (some would argue) the “correct” one. Although spelling and pronunciation may be an issue for some, the name sounds enough like names such as Sasha and Sarah to not seem out of place. Its recent use probably owes a lot to young actress Saoirse Ronan, who has impressed critics with her sensitive performances in movies such as Atonement and The Lovely Bones. Saoirse Ronan pronounces her name SUR-sha, just to confuse things further. I suspect the political and religious implications of this name have not been considered much outside Ireland.

Other Irish and British names: Arwen, Ciara, Cordelia, Fiona, Maeve, Sabrina, Shona, Sian, Una

Satanica

This is the Latinised feminine form of the word “satanic”, which can either literally mean giving veneration to Satan, or more generally, suggestive of being diabolical in nature. Satan is from the Hebrew, meaning “the adversary, the opposer, the obstructor”, and in the Hebrew portion of the Bible, Satan is an agent of God whose thankless task it is to tempt humankind and then accuse it before Heaven. In Christianity, he is seen as the Devil, the personification of all evil. Satanica is often used in black metal music as a title, and there is band with this name. There is also a manga series called La Satanica, so it can be seen as a name from popular culture. Satanica cannot help but be controversial as a baby name, and I think it is a heavy burden to place on a child; this name even made me feel depressed just thinking about it, which almost never happens.

Other Latinate names: Amanda, Clementine, Felicia, Mirabella

Tango

This is a dance which arose in the working class neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the mid-19^th century. It is claimed that the tango is a mixture of South American popular dances influenced by the African community, and by European immigrants. Although the word tango could be Spanish in origin, it may very well come from Nigeria, where temgu means “to dance” in the Ibibio language. The tango arrived in Paris early in the twentieth century, and soon spread to other world capitals, where it was thought to be shockingly intimate (as nearly all new dances seem to be thought). Another tango reference is the scandalously erotic film, Last Tango in Paris, starring Marlon Brando. Even though tango, as a dance form, is dark and sensual, the name Tango isn’t – it sounds chipper and bouncy, and I’m sure has been given as a name to more animals than humans.

Other musical names: Allegra, Aria, Melody Other verb names: Cherish, Treasure Other O-enders: Indigo, Marlo

NOTE: I didn’t count variant spellings of more common names as unique, and I also disqualified double names, as well as names that had also been given to boys.

Famous Name: Nancy

06 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

celebrity baby names, classic names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, name history, name popularity, name trends, nicknames, UK name popularity, US name popularity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boys Names from the Australian Football League

28 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Biblical names, Egyptian names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, German names, hebrew names, Irish names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, nicknames, popular culture, surname names, vocabulary names, Welsh names

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

Alwyn (Davey) – Essendon Bombers

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

Amon (Buchanan) – Brisbane Lions

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

Chance (Bateman) – Hawthorn Hawks

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

Maverick (Weller) – Gold Coast Suns

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

Kade (Simpson) – Carlton Blues

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

Kepler (Bradley) – Fremantle Dockers

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

Marlon (Motlop) – Port Adelaide Power

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

Sharrod (Wellingham) – Collingwood Magpies

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

Tadhg (Kennelly) – Sydney Swans

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

Zephaniah (Skinner) – Western Bulldogs

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

Waltzing With … Mary

07 Sunday Aug 2011

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

≈ 10 Comments

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Biblical names, classic names, Egyptian names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, French names, hebrew names, Irish name popularity, Latin names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, royal names, saints names, UK name popularity, US name popularity

This blog post was first published on August 7 2011, and revised and updated on August 13 2015.

Famous Namesake
Tomorrow is the solemnity of Saint Mary of the Cross, otherwise known as Saint Mary MacKillop. It’s a special day for Australian Catholics, because Mary MacKillop is the only Australian to have ever been canonised as a saint.

Born in 1842, she was a nun who founded the order of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, as well as several schools and welfare organisations across South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. She had a special interest in educating the poor, especially in rural areas, but the Josephites also cared for parentless and neglected children, unmarried mothers, women escaping domestic violence, the elderly, and the dying, as well as prisoners and juvenile delinquents. The Josephites did not live in convents, but amongst the community, living as they did, and sharing their hard lives. The brown habits they wore gave them the very Australian nickname, “The Brown Joeys”.

Church politics often caused her stress, including a period of a few months when she was excommunicated for speaking out against child sex abuse within the church. During this time, she lived with a Jewish family and was sheltered by Jesuit priests. There was also an ugly smear campaign against her, including accusations that she was a drunkard. In fact, in an age where pain medication options were limited, she took alcohol on doctor’s orders for severe menstrual pain that left her bedridden for days each month.

Even during her lifetime, Mary MacKillop was regarded as a saint for her holiness and charitable works, and after she died on August 8 1909, people took earth from around her grave as a relic, until her remains were placed in a vault in a memorial chapel in Sydney, paid for by an admiring Presbyterian friend.

In 1925 the long process of having Mary MacKillop declared a saint was begun; she was beatified in 1995, and canonised on October 17 2010. She is the patron saint of Australia, and of the city of Brisbane.

Whatever your beliefs, it’s hard not to admire Mary MacKillop for her altruism and determination. She was greatly beloved by the poor, and accepted by the Aboriginal community as one of themselves. She was a fiery-tempered yet affectionate Scottish redhead with big blue eyes who believed in social justice and equality for all, and whose catchphrase was, “Never see a need without doing something about it”.

Name Information
Mary has long been a favourite for girls, due to it being the name of the mother of Jesus. In fact, there are a confusing number of women named Mary in the New Testament, because it was a name used in the royal family of Judea at the time, and extremely common. Mary is an English translation of the Latin and Greek forms of the Hebrew name Miryam.

The original Miryam was the older sister of Moses and Aaron in the Old Testament. It was she who hid Moses in the bullrushes when he was a baby to save his life, and then watched the Pharaoh’s daughter discover and adopt him. She cleverly suggested to this adoptive mother that she hire Miryam’s mother as a nurse, so that Moses was raised within his own family.

As Miryam was born in Egypt, it’s been suggested that her name comes from the Egyptian word for “love” or “beloved”, or even possibly from the Egyptian name Meritamen, meaning “beloved of Amun” – Amun being the chief god of the Egyptians. So this name, now seen as very Christian, may have ancient pagan roots.

Although Mary is a traditional English name, it didn’t become widely used in Britain until after the Conquest, when the Normans introduced the idea of using names of saints as personal names; before that, they were seen as too holy for an ordinary person to bear. It was introduced in the Latin form Maria and the French form Marie; only as the Middle Ages came to an end did Mary became standard.

The name gained royal credentials, with Mary I the first woman to successfully claim the throne of England, and rule as a king as well as queen – she was known as Bloody Mary for her brutal persecution of Protestants. Several kings had queens named Mary, and Mary, Queen of Scots, was an attractive and romantic figure who earns admiration for the brave manner she faced imprisonment and execution. Queen Mary II, of William and Mary fame, was named after her. Australia has its own royal Mary – Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, born Mary Donaldson in Hobart.

Mary was the #1 name of the 1900s and 1910s, and remained in the Top 10 until the 1940s. It left the Top 50 in 1971, and the Top 100 in 1995. Since then, it has remained relatively stable, and is apparently not far out of the Top 100. That makes Mary a very safe choice – a classic name still in common and regular use without being popular.

Mary was even more popular in the US, remaining at #1 from the late 19th century to the early 1960s – a really staggering run of hypersuccess. It left the Top 10 in the 1970s, and the Top 50 in the early 2000s, dropping off the Top 100 in 2009. It is currently #120 and stable, a similar popularity to here.

In the UK, Mary was the #1 name from the middle of the 19th century to the 1920s, and remained in the Top 10 until the 1960s. It left the Top 50 during the 1970s, and was out of the Top 100 by the middle of the 1990s. Mary has fallen slightly faster in the UK than here or in the US, and is now #244, although still relatively stable. The only country where Mary is still popular is Ireland, where it is #81 and falling steadily.

Mary is gracious enough to be at ease in every level of society, as suitable for a saint or a princess as it is for a scientist or a politician, a soprano or a photographer, a sportswoman or a pilot. While it’s unlikely that your daughter will ever be a saint or a princess, it’s nice to think that if she does, her name will sound just fine with either title in front of it.

This is a timeless classic which sounds wonderful whatever your age, from wee baby Mary to great-grandma Mary. It’s short and simple without seeming cutesy or insubstantial, and is strong, wholesome, dignified, and completely unpretentious. As Australian author P.L. Travers taught us in Mary Poppins, it’s a name that carries just a hint of magic and mystery, and is practically perfect in every way!

POLL RESULT
Mary received an excellent approval rating of 85%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2011. 34% of people loved the name Mary, and only 5% hated it.

Famous Name: Cadel

25 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, name history, name meaning, name popularity, rare names, Roman names, surname names, UK name popularity, US name popularity, Welsh names

This blog post was first published on July 25 2011, and revised and updated on July 23 2015.

Famous Namesake
On July 25 2011, Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France in the race’s 108-year history, only the second non-European to officially win it, and at 34, the oldest winner since World War II.

This gruelling 3 600 km (2 200 miles) cycle race lasts for three weeks, and finishes in Paris, with the climax of the final stage along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Traditionally the overall winner wears a ceremonial yellow jersey.

This was a great moment in our sporting history, and in Cadel’s home state of Victoria, everyone was urged to wear yellow to work as a show of support. When Cadel returned to Australia in August, there was a huge homecoming parade for him in Melbourne’s Federation Square, with tens of thousands of people dressed in yellow or waving yellow flags. He was also honoured with a state reception.

Cadel was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2013, and has also been featured on the blog as a celebrity dad. In February 2015, he took part in the inaugural Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and finished fifth, announcing his retirement as soon as the race finished. He is currently Global Ambassador for the BMC Racing Team.

Name Information
As you can probably tell from Cadel’s surname, he is of Welsh ancestry – his great-grandfather was from Wales. Cadel is a variant of the Welsh name Cadell, which is based on cad, the Welsh word for “battle”; there are several related names, such as Cadwalader, meaning “battle leader”. There is a recent fancy that the name is a Welsh form of the Roman name Catallus, although there doesn’t seem to be much evidence to support it.

There were several medieval Welsh kings and princes called Cadell. Cadell Ddyrnllwg was driven from his father’s kingdom by Irish pirates during the chaos of the 5th century. He lived amongst the peasants until a visit from Saint Germanus changed his fortunes. Saint Germanus laid siege to the capital, as it was held by Irish pagans, and Cadell offered the saint his humble hospitality. Saint Germanus had a premonition of disaster, and warned Cadell and his friends to get out of the city. That night the palace was struck by lightning and the resulting fire burned everyone alive, so without any annoying questions from insurance investigators, Cadell was able to regain his throne.

There is a famous explorer in Australian history with the surname Cadell – a Scotsman called Francis Cadell who was the first to explore and navigate the Murray River by steamship. A man who lived a life of adventure, he took part in the New Zealand land wars, where he staged a mutiny against his captain, and also was one of the first to explore the Northern Territory (where Cadel Evans was born), where the Cadell Strait bears his name. Later in life, he took up whaling, pearling, and trading in the East Indies, and was murdered near New Guinea; a fittingly violent end to an exciting life.

A fictional namesake is Cadel Piggot, the protagonist of the Evil Genius series of young adult books by Australian author Catherine Jinks. It’s about a boy who is very small with curly blonde hair and baby blue eyes, and an evil genius with a passion for IT. The series follows his exploits from the ages of 7 to 15 as he gradually develops a sense of right and wrong.

Since Cadel Evans’ historic win at the Tour de France, I have seen quite a few baby boys named Cadel, although the name is still rare in Australia. In the UK, there were 4 baby boys named Cadel in 2013, the name apparently rising slightly after Cadel Evans’ victory. In the US, there were 10 baby boys named Cadel in the US in 2014, down from 19 in 2012 and 17 in 2011. It seems that Cadel Evans did give the name a boost in the US after the 2011 Tour de France, but it has faded, as the name Cadel is now less used than it was in 2010, when there were 12 boys named Cadel.

Cadel fits in quite well with current trends in boy names, looking similar to Caden and Cade. Although at the start of his career, Cadel Evans had his name mispronounced as KAY-del, to sound like cradle without the R, I think by now everyone knows he says his name kuh-DEL (like Adele with a K at the front). This isn’t the British pronunciation, which is more like KAD-el. However, now that Evans has retired, it is unclear whether the name Cadel will continue gathering steam, or run out of puff.

POLL RESULTS
Cadel received an approval rating of 60%. 16% of people thought it was handsome or attractive, but an equal number believed it was too closely associated with Cadel Evans, and felt like a “one person name”. Few were willing to predict the name’s fortunes – 2% thought the name Cadel would continue growing in popularity, while 5% were fairly sure the name was a flash in the pan that would soon be forgotten.

Girls Names That Only Chart in Australia

24 Sunday Jul 2011

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 29 Comments

Tags

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

Asha

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

Bridie

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

Ebony

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

Indiana

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

Jorja

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

Lucinda

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

Tahlia

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

Tayla

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

Zahra

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

Also Qualifying

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

Close But No Cigar

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

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

Harriet – #89 in England/Wales

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

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

Milla – #48 in Norway

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

NOTE

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

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

Bonds Baby Search 2011 – Winners 0-9 Months Category

21 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by A.O. in Baby Contests

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Arabic names, Aramaic names, Biblical names, created names, english names, fictional namesakes, French names, Greek names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, nicknames, popular names, saints names, surname names, unisex names

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

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

Phoenix Nate

Isabelle

Xanden

Zia

Thomas James (People’s Choice)

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

Waltzing More Than Matilda

~ Names with an Australian Bias of Democratic Temper

Tag Archives: fictional namesakes

Names of Australian Models

Saturday Sibset: Dave Hughes – Funny Man, Family Man

Unique Boys Names from Tasmania, 2010

Unique Girls Names from Tasmania, 2010

Famous Name: Nancy

Boys Names from the Australian Football League

Waltzing With … Mary

Famous Name: Cadel

Girls Names That Only Chart in Australia

Bonds Baby Search 2011 – Winners 0-9 Months Category