Tag Archives: honouring

Name Update: The Hospital Helped With The Baby’s Name

29 Thursday May 2014

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Fiona and Brent had agreed on a list of boy’s names for their fourth child, but Fiona was still worried that Brent’s preference for names popular in his own era would mean their baby’s name would seem out of place next to his peers. After writing in to the blog, she felt reassured that the names they had chosen were still quite popular, and even rising in popularity. (It’s nice to know some parents are actually pleased to find out their favourite name is a popular one!).

Before their baby was born, Fiona and Brent chose the name John together, but decided to leave the middle name until they had met their son. After the baby was born, the nurse commented that her son was also named John – John Patrick. Later, a wardsmen told them that her father was named John, and his middle name was Patrick too. Patrick was also a name they had considered as either a first or a middle, and the encounters at the hospital confirmed that the right name was

JOHN PATRICK FRANCIS “JOHNNY“,

youngest of three boys and one girl.

John is Fiona’s father’s middle name, and Francis is her grandmother’s maiden name, so her family is very pleased, and her dad terribly excited to have a little namesake. Fiona says her dad’s excitement and happiness has convinced her that they made the right choice.

Congratulations to Fiona and Brent! What a handsome name combination, and lovely name story to pass on.

Celebrity Baby News: Alistair and Yasmin Coe

22 Thursday May 2014

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Politician Alistair Coe, and his wife Yasmin, welcomed their first child on May 16, and have named their son Angus Bruce. Angus Coe was born at John James Hospital, weighing 3.2 kg and 50 cm in length. He and his father share the same middle name – and the same initials, ABC.

Alistair is a member of the Liberal Party, and was elected to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly in the Ginninderra electorate in 2008. He is the deputy leader of the ACT Liberals, and holds several shadow portfolios. Yasmin is in the public service, and she and Alistair were married last year.

Celebrity Baby News: Megan Gale and Shaun Hampson

15 Thursday May 2014

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Model Megan Gale, and her partner, AFL footballer Shaun Hampson, welcomed their first child on May 13 and have named their son River Alan Thomas. River Hampson was born at 4.47 am weighing 3.87 kg (8lb 5oz). Rivers is Megan’s mother’s maiden name, Alan is after Megan’s father, and Thomas after Shaun’s father.

Megan won a Perth modelling competition at the age of 18, and has modelled for Italian fashion houses and Australian designers. She has appeared in advertisements in Italy, and in 2003 was chosen by the Australian Tourist Commission to represent the face of Australia in Italy. She was ambassador for department store David Jones for ten years; the longest fashion contract in Australia. Megan retired from catwalk modelling in 2008 after fifteen years, and has also worked as an actress and television presenter. Currently she is the host of Project Runway Australia, and an ambassador for L’Oreal .

Shaun played for Carlton from 2007 to 2013, and this year has signed with Richmond. He and Megan have been dating since 2011.

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Celebrity Baby News: Hamish Blake and Zoe Foster Blake

12 Monday May 2014

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Comedian Hamish Blake, and his wife Zoe Foster Blake, welcomed their first child on May 10 and have named their son Sonny Donald. Sonny Blake shares his middle name with his father.

Hamish has been covered on the blog twice, once for his surname, and again for his first name. Zoe is a writer; her first novel, Air Kisses, was published in 2008, and her fourth, The Wrong Girl was released a few months ago. Zoe is also a blogger on beauty website Fruity Beauty, has written a book of beauty tips called Amazing Face, and has her own skin care range called Go To. She is the dating columnist at Cosmopolitan, and has written a dating and relationship guide called Textbook Romance, with contributions from Hamish. She writes a pop culture column for Sunday Style. Hamish and Zoe were married on December 11 2012, which was Hamish’s birthday.

Zoe and Hamish joked that they had called their baby Dracula Von Sandwich Twinklestar, and back in February, Zoe said in an interview that they still hadn’t decided on names, although there were several they liked and kept changing their minds. She noted that “odd” names are really popular now, and everyone is used to “kooky” names, so whatever name they picked would fit in. She did say they wouldn’t go “really crazy weird” though, as they would be naming an adult rather than a baby.

It sounds as if they were after a name that was “different but not too different”, and Sonny fits the bill, as it is not in the Top 100, but not too far away from it either.

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Can You Help This Mum Find Some Baby Name Inspiration?

03 Saturday May 2014

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Elizabeth and Thomas are expecting their second child later this month, but are yet to seriously discuss names. They already have a little boy named Xavier, but Elizabeth isn’t too fussed about “sibset flow” – she just wants the children to have names they like.

What they would like in a name

  • Not extremely popular
  • Not very uncommon
  • No unusual spellings
  • A name that can stand the test of time, and suit an adult as well as a child
  • Elizabeth would most like a classic or traditional name, combined with a more modern or contemporary middle, such as Zali or Eden

Names currently being considered
Girls: Grace or Kate, with Olive or Victoria as the middle name. Elizabeth loves the name Zara, but Thomas isn’t convinced.
Boys: Elizabeth really likes the name Jack, but believes it is too popular. She likes Ned, Ted, and Sam, but isn’t 100% sold on them. They earlier considered the name Lenny, but weren’t sure they could love it forever as much as they did initially. They may use the family name Geoffrey as the middle name.

Names that have been crossed off the list
Girls: Maggie
Boys: Elizabeth has crossed off Harry and Charlie, and Thomas has crossed off Ben, Benjamin, Clancy and Chas. Noah and Joe are also off the list.

The family surname begins with M and ends with R with an L sound in it eg Marler. Because of this, they have eliminated Amelia as a possibility, and any two-syllable name ending with -la, such as Ella or Layla. Elizabeth loves alliterative names, and would be happy with a name starting with M.

Elizabeth is feeling quite stuck in regard to name inspiration, and is hoping blog readers can help her out with some ideas. She wishes she could just have a list of names in front of her, so she could tick or cross off ones she likes or doesn’t.

* * * * * * * * * *

Elizabeth, when you said you would like a list of names that you could either say Yes or No to, that reminded me of the Nymbler website, run by Laura Wattenberg of the Baby Name Wizard.

To use it, you choose up to six names you like as your name inspirations, and then press Find Names – you can also select boy or girl names, or both. Once you receive your list of names, you can either save the names you like by pressing the heart symbol, or you can block the ones you dislike so you won’t see them again. I find the longer you go on from the same set of names, the more crazy and random the name suggestions get.

Another online tool that is a bit more focused is the Baby Name Expert on Behind the Name. You have to register to use the site (it’s free), and then you will find it under the Tools menu. You select a gender, and the country you are from (Australia is included), and then it starts suggesting names at random.

At this point, you can tell the BNE that you love the name, and save it to your list. Or you can tell it that the name is okay, and the reasons that you don’t mind it. Or you can give it the flick, and explain why this name is completely wrong for you.

Each time you either save, okay, or ditch a name, you will receive suggestions based on your preferences. Unlike Nymbler, the longer you use this app, the more focused and sensible the suggestions tend to get, and it’s very fast to move from one name to the next.

Anyway, that’s two methods of getting a long list of names that you can tick or cross off. It might be fun to do this with Thomas, so you can choose names together, and discuss your preferences. Or if he finds this kind of thing boring or stressful, it’s a way to immediately get a list of names you like that he can either agree to or nix in his own time.

I can’t give you hundreds of name ideas, but I did notice that all the names you chose were short and simple. You seem to like sensible, wholesome names for girls, like Grace and Kate, with maybe something more elaborate, trendy, retro, or modern in the middle. For boys, you seem to like cute, nicknamey names like Jack, Ned, Ted, Sam, or Lenny.

Girls names that reminded me a bit of Grace and Kate include

  • Alice
  • April
  • Audrey
  • Bonnie
  • Claire
  • Daisy
  • Hope
  • Ivy
  • Lucy
  • Maisie
  • Rose
  • Zoe

Possible middle names could be

  • Aria
  • Clementine
  • Eleanor
  • Eloise
  • June
  • Pearl
  • Penelope
  • Tess
  • Sadie
  • Scarlett
  • Susannah
  • Vivienne

Cute boys names could be names like

  • Alfie
  • Digby
  • Finn
  • Freddie
  • Gus
  • Jed
  • Jem
  • Kit
  • Mack
  • Nico
  • Rafe
  • Roy
  • Sid
  • Sonny
  • Toby
  • Vince

It seems as if you have already picked out nice names though – Grace and Kate are perfect, and Grace Victoria or Kate Victoria is quite regal.

There are several boy’s names you like, but you don’t seem ready to commit to any of them yet. I wonder whether you just need more time, or need to meet your baby first before you decide? Or maybe you’d prefer choosing a formal name for the birth certificate, with a nickname for everyday use, like Edward nn “Ned”, or Theodore nn “Ted”, or Lennox nn “Lenny”.

I know you are getting close to your due date, but don’t let that panic you. Take some time to get a list of names that you and Thomas like – names that you can imagine calling your child, and that fits in with your lifestyle. You don’t need to decide on one until after the baby is born, and if you still don’t have a name, you have weeks after the birth to choose one.

Good luck Elizabeth – for some reason I feel as if you are closer to finding a baby name than you think, even if you end up with something completely different than the names you are considering. Do let us know what name you choose for your baby once she or he arrives!

NAME UPDATE: The baby’s name is Patrick!

Celebrity Baby News: Robert Doyle and Emma Page Campbell

26 Saturday Apr 2014

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Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, and his wife, Emma Page Campbell, welcomed their first child together yesterday, on Anzac Day, and have named their son Henry Ian Bennett. Henry Doyle was born at 4.20 pm at Frances Perry House, a private obstretric hospital in Melbourne. Robert has three adult children named Andy, Bridie and Antonia with his first wife Jennifer.

Robert is a Liberal Party politician, with a background in teaching and school administration. He won the seat of Malvern in the 1992 state election, and had several important roles in the Kennett government. After becaming leader of the Liberal Party he lost the 2002 election by a large margin, taking the party to its worst-ever defeat in Victoria. In 2006 he resigned as opposition leader, and ended his term as MP of Malvern after another severe defeat in the polls. The following year, he was appointed chairman of Melbourne Health, which operates Royal Melbourne Hospital. In 2008, he was elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Robert’s great-great grandfather, Robert Bennett, served as Mayor of Melbourne in the early 1860s.

Emma is a lawyer at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, which promotes Australian screen culture. She and Robert were married in 2011 while on holiday in New York City.

Henry Doyle has been jokingly referred to as “Melbourne’s royal baby”, and with a princely name and famous family name in the middle, he certainly sounds the part.

Requested Name: Eva

02 Wednesday Apr 2014

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Front1Eva is the Latinate form of Eve, a Hebrew name translated as “breath, life”. Eve is famous as the first woman in the Bible, and the companion of the first man, Adam. She shared Adam’s fate of being cast out of the Garden of Eden, and is regarded in the Bible as the mother of all humanity. Apart from the biblical figure, there is also a saint named Blessed Eva of Liege, a medieval holy recluse.

Eva is the most usual form of the name Eve in many countries around the world, and in Ireland and Scotland, can be used to Anglicise the Irish name Aoife, meaning “beauty”. In Australia, Eva has historically been often used by European immigrants, particularly amongst Catholics and Jews. This gives it considerable scope as a potential heritage choice.

Amongst English-speakers, the name received a boost of popularity in the 19th century after the publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In the book, Evangeline St. Clare, or “Little Eva” is an angelic little girl who inspires love in even the most heart-hardened, and in her final throes, converts all the slaves to Christianity with some locks of her hair. It is the pure goodness of Little Eva which changes the lives of all around her.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin created a wave of pro-slavery novels to combat its views, and one of them was Little Eva: the Flower of the South, in 1853. Quick to cash in on the Little Eva phenomenon, it features yet another angelic little girl called Little Eva, equally loving and lacking in prejudice – only in this book, Eva is so kind-hearted that when the slaves are set free, they elect to remain with her of their own free will. This idealistic dream of voluntary slavery never came to pass on a large scale.

A real life Little Eva was the 1960s pop singer, born Eva Narcissus Boyd. She didn’t receive her moniker from either of these literary characters, but was called Little Eva by her family to distinguish her from her aunt, also named Eva. Little Eva is most famous for singing The Locomotion, later covered by Australian pop star Kylie Minogue. Little Eva apparently wasn’t too impressed by Kylie’s version.

Another Australian connection to Little Eva comes from World War II, when an American Air Force plane named the Little Eva got lost and crashed after a bombing mission in an isolated region of the Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland. What happened to the survivors of the crash, and their desperate struggle against the dangers of the Australian outback, was made into a documentary called Aeroplane Dance, and is being developed into a feature film scheduled for release this year.

Eva is a classic name in Australia which has never left the charts. It was #37 in the 1900s, sinking until it left the Top 100 in the 1930s. It reached its lowest point in the 1980s at #425, then rose steeply during the 1990s to make the Top 100 for the late 2000s. Currently it is #24 nationally, #26 in New South Wales, #30 in Victoria, #31 in Queensland, #66 in Tasmania, and #27 in the Australian Capital Territory.

Eva is a very international name, being popular in all English-speaking countries, and all over Europe, including Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. It is most popular in Slovenia, at #2, and its popularity in Britain and New Zealand is almost identical to that in Australia.

Eva’s position in the Top 100 is stable, and it is now at its highest level of popularity ever. This makes it a Contemporary Classic – a traditional classic name which manages to feel modern and up-to-date. Because it is still rising, albeit gradually, it is also an Up and Coming Classic, so that it still seems rather fresh and stylish.

This all helps to make Eva an attractive choice. Furthermore, it fits in with the trend for short names ending in -a, such as Isla and Ella, and the V names, such as Ava, Ivy, Evie and Evelyn. This means that while Eva doesn’t stand out amongst its peers, neither does it sound particularly distinctive.

However, for those who care about such things, Eva has the advantage of being a classic, unlike Isla, Ella, Ava, Ivy and Evie, and also began rising before them, so that it cannot be accused of being a copycat. Eva is closest to the name Evelyn, which is also a classic that began rising in the 1990s – although Evelyn has yet to reach the popularity it enjoyed in the 1900s.

Eva is a beautiful classic name that is feminine without being frilly. Eva sounds intelligent as well as pretty, and it’s a name which ages well. It is easy to spell and pronounce, and is popular without being either extremely common or faddish. That makes it a baby name which might tick a lot of boxes on many people’s lists. The usual nicknames are Eve or Evie, but it is so short and simple that it doesn’t really need a nickname.

POLL RESULT
Eva received an excellent approval rating of 83%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2014. People saw the name Eva as a stylish classic (23%), feminine yet not frilly (19%), beautiful or pretty (18%), and easy to spell and pronounce (17%). However, 6% thought it was too popular. Nobody thought the name Eva sounded too much like the word evil.

Thank you to Brooke for suggesting the name Eva be featured on Waltzing More Than Matilda

Interview with Alexia Mae at Baby Names from the Bible

23 Sunday Mar 2014

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Interview-PhotoAlexia Mae is the warm and enthusiastic blogger behind Baby Names from the Bible, devoted to all the great names in the Good Book, whether familiar or unusual. I usually allow blog readers to decide which blogger is interviewed, but last month Alexia Mae was kind enough to invite me to be interviewed at Baby Names from the Bible, so this is a return visit – although she would have been chosen next time anyway. Alexia Mae passed her 100th post a month ago, so let’s hope there are many more.

What is your name?

Alexia Mae. I’m the “Dear Abby” of baby names, as Alexia Mae is my pen name.

Have you ever wished you had a different name?

My real one? Oh, yes. It’s not too common a name; it’s only ever made it to #30. But the spelling of it is unique, which catapults it outside the Top 1000 for all time. Add a filler family middle, and the annoyance of people misunderstanding my name, and I begged to be called Alexia as a kid. Fast forward to me needing a pen name … Bob’s your uncle, I had one. Mae is in honour of my grandma. Now that I’m an adult I appreciate my given name more. I was almost a Kasia, which I would have loved, too.

How did you become interested in names?

I blame my name craziness on Shane, my kindergarten crush. He was the ruddy-haired Irish kid with the leather necklace, the dude everyone wanted to be friends with. In a classroom of boring names from the ’80s, Shane stuck out. I suddenly became very aware of people’s names.

When I was thirteen, my mom got pregnant. My brother Aaron and I were close in age, but now I was way older for this new brother, and boy, was I ready to help name the kid! Shot down, but kept on trying. Their choice? Another A name, Andrew. A perfect recipe for my mom to never get our names right. But, after stealing (I mean permanently borrowing) a name book my mom picked up, I came down with full blown name-nuttiness. It’s been downhill ever since.

How did you become interested in biblical names?

That first baby name book I got my hands on happened to be about biblical names. And it was literally four pieces of paper. (Maybe that’s why my parents never got out of the As.) It was small. But it had a big impact. To see the meaning of names, and to be able to go to the Bible and see them used, just blew me away. It was my own “sawdust trail moment” for names. They have proved themselves to be real gems, and have a power in their age and timelessness.

Do you have a favourite baby name book?

The Holy Bible 😉 My email inbox is also swarmed with name people I’m subscribed to, and I rely on Clare’s Scoop for everything else. (That gal needs an award.) [WMTM: She got one! She has a gold ribbon saying her page is one of the most highly-recommended in the Society topic on Scoop].

What inspired you to begin a name blog?

My husband Josiah and I both love the idea of using biblical names for our children. When I was first married I searched for biblical baby name books, and couldn’t find any. Zilch. Zip. Nada. Not even the one that I originally had. Then I began to think about that original name book, and thought it was awfully small compared to the actual Bible. I mean, the Book of Numbers wouldn’t even fit in there, and it’s practically nothing but names.

I kept asking myself, if I can’t find them, who else will? Why is no one celebrating the biblical names I know must exist? So I began logging the names I was coming across for my own use, and I really wanted to share them … and Baby Names from the Bible was born.

Do you have a favourite blog entry on Baby Names from the Bible?

The post that I’m the most proud of is one I wrote a couple of years ago, Why Name Your Baby a Biblical Name? I take a moment to stand on my soap box and talk about why people, even those who aren’t religious, should take another look at baby names from the Bible. Forget about Zerubbabel. How about Junia? Rissah? Ardon? There are names galore for anyone thirsty for a good name.

Are there any other ways to stay in touch with you online?

I’m @NamesDaily on Instagram, and I post names every day, both biblical and not. Instagram has been an amazing experience. I have a growing following of over 2000 people. I’m getting the opportunity first hand to see names that knock your socks off, and some, that well, just don’t. I’m also on YouTube.

Do you have a pet peeve in regard to names?

Yhess. Yoonique namez. If I have to read it more than once to get what name you’re actually trying to say, I’ve got to stand up and get a cup of coffee. It literally makes my skin crawl. Jaycein? I am somebody who has zero adrenaline tolerance for awkwardness in any way, so I have to get up and walk it off. True stuff.

In the name community, I feel sometimes it’s like Eskimos marketing ice to fellow Eskimos who live in the same igloo. I want to find ways to branch out and actually talk to parents who have never even owned a baby name book. I think that’s why I love being on Instagram so much, because it’s exactly that. I enjoy so many people in the baby name community, but I want to find ways to branch out, too. (We need an annual name conference.)

What are some of your favourite names?

Boys: Judah and Josiah, of course. Abel.

Girls: Juniper. Ellowyn. Cassia. Maewyn. I really love Naphtali for a girl, but can’t bring myself to use it because no one would be able to pronounce it or spell it. It’s like Natalie with an F. I’m drawn to biblical names, but I enjoy other names, too.

What names do you dislike?

Delilah. I see the appeal, but I would never use it. The same with Jezebel. That one makes my skin crawl when I hear someone nonchalantly talking about using it. Whether you believe in the Bible or not, the connotation still exists. Jezebel was a murderer, and it would be like naming your child Hitler. I just don’t think you should do it.

What are your favourite names in the US Top 100?

Girls: Biblical – Leah (#33). Other – Harper (#24) and Lillian (#25)

Boys: Biblical – Josiah (#79). Other – Landon (#34)

What are your favourite names in the rest of the US Top 1000?

Margaret (#178) and Judah (#273)

What are your favourite names that don’t currently chart?

Blythe (never charted) and Clive (hasn’t charted since 1935)

What is your son’s name?

Judah David. Our story of Judah’s name is a fun and interesting one, and you can read about it at So There’s This Name ….

If you found out you were pregnant right now, what names would you be considering?

I would be trying to convince Josiah to like Blythe Salomae. We have boys names we like, but like we did with Judah, we’re not telling anyone.

What is something we don’t know about you that you would like to share?

I love the Anne of Green Gables series and have read them probably too much. Tell me Lucy Maud Montgomery wasn’t a name nut. Ludovic Speed? Gilbert ❤ Is this why I love the name Blythe? I will never tell.

What advice would you give someone choosing a baby name?

If you can’t use the one you love, use it anyway. Never, ever settle. Unless it’s Jezebel or Kidneigh Bean, and then I’d say maybe keep looking. Valuable life lessons also apply to names. You are giving your babies the first impression they will have on people. Give them something that makes them proud. Something that makes you proud. And like weak coffee, name regret stinks. I’ll brew down some Starbucks, and you can come over and we can talk more about names!

(Picture shows Alexia Mae with her son Judah; photo supplied by Baby Names from the Bible)

Celebrity Baby News: Mark Philippoussis and Silvana Lovin

17 Monday Mar 2014

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Former tennis player Mark Philippoussis, and his wife Silvana Lovin, welcomed their first child on February 3, and have named their son Nicholas Emanuel. Nicholas may be named after Mark’s father, Nick Phillipoussis, who was his first tennis coach.

Mark was a professional tennis player during the 1990s and early 2000s. He and his doubles partner Jelena Dokic won the Hopman Cup in 1999 – the only time Australia has ever won it. At the height of his career, he was known for having one of the fastest serves in tennis, and gained the nickname Scud, after the Scud missile. Mark has had a minor career in modelling, and appeared on the NBC dating show, The Age of Love. He is now in the fashion business after launching his own label, runs tennis clinics, and still plays seniors tennis.

Silvana is a model and actress who has appeared in the Australian movie Vanished, and in the American version of the television comedy, Wilfred. She and Mark were married last year, and live in San Diego.

Famous Name: Henrietta

05 Wednesday Mar 2014

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henrietta_dugdale-australian-feminist-suffrageThis Saturday, March 8, marks International Women’s Day. I haven’t covered a name specifically for Women’s Day before, but thought it would be a good opportunity to look at one of Australia’s early feminists.

Henrietta Dugdale was originally from London, and arrived in Melbourne in the early 1850s, becoming a pioneer of the women’s movement in Victoria in 1869, after separating from her second husband. She formed the Victorian Suffrage Society in 1884, and became its president; this was the first Australian organisation to work towards voting equality for women. By this time, women could vote on Norfolk Island, and South Australia had brought in limited female suffrage.

(It should be remembered that male suffrage was only introduced during the 1850s, so women weren’t so far behind, although obviously they didn’t want to be behind at all).

Henrietta was confident, passionate and quick-witted in her quest for an equal society, and believed in the possibility of a Utopian future which could be achieved through the use of reason, and co-operation between the sexes. She fought for female suffrage as an essential step towards female emancipation, and bitterly spoke against the Victorian courts, and their failure to protect women from violent crimes. She noted that women’s anger was compounded by the fact that those who inflicted violence on women had a share in making the laws, while their victims did not.

Henrietta believed that women’s lives could be improved through gaining access to the professions, sensible clothing, birth control, and harsh penalties for sexual assault. She was a proponent of temperance, universal education, a more equal distribution of wealth, and the eight hour day as means towards improving the lives of the working class. A member of the Secular Association, she saw Christianity as an oppressive force in women’s lives, and also opposed monarchy and imperialism.

In her private life, she was a wife, and mother to three sons. She made her own clothes, grew her own vegetables, was a skilled carpenter, and an excellent chess player. She outlived three husbands and was over 90 when she died – a good advertisement for teetotalism and fresh vegetables!

Henrietta was recognised as a pioneer of female suffrage when the Commonwealth gave women the vote in 1902, shortly after Federation. Australia was the second country in the world to grant women equal voting rights, after New Zealand, in 1893; however we were the first in the world to allow women to stand for parliament. Henrietta’s own state of Victoria was the last to grant women the vote, in 1908.

When you look at modern Australian society, there must be much of which Henrietta Dugdale would approve. Women can vote, and be elected to power; they can enter the professions, have access to birth control, and don’t have to wear corsets. Presumably she would give the thumbs up to state school education, Dry July, Family Planning clinics, the fall of the Empire, and the rise of secularism.

However, the fight against violence towards women still has a long way to go. 57% of Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence. One in three will suffer violence in an intimate relationship. The incidence of sexual violence against women in this country is more than double the global average. In Victoria, domestic violence is the leading contributor of death, injury and illness amongst women aged 15-44. Almost every week, a woman will die at the hands of her spouse or partner.

The Dugdale Trust for Women & Girls in Victoria was set up last year to to reduce violence against women and girls, with women and men working to address the root causes of violence. It is proudly named in honour of Henrietta Dugdale, and I am sure she would applaud this initiative.

Henrietta is a feminine form of the Germanic Henry. Although a traditional name amongst European royalty, the name only became widely used in England after the marriage of Charles I to Henriette-Marie of France, the youngest sister of the future King Louis XIII. In England, her name was Anglicised to Henrietta Maria; the king called her Maria, and the English public thought of her as Queen Mary.

Henriette-Marie wasn’t a popular queen, due to her Frenchness, which included staunch Catholicism, and failure to learn English very well. Nonetheless her name made an impact, and she bestowed it on her daughter Princess Henrietta of England, who married the son of Louis XIII, Phillipe I, Duke of Orleans. Unlike her mother, Henrietta seemed popular in her adopted country, although she died young, possibly from poisoning.

Another (semi) royal Henrietta was the illegitimate daughter of King James II, an ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her sons William and Henry (Harry). The name Henrietta became commonly used amongst the English nobility, and still has a rather aristocratic air. It isn’t particularly common in English-speaking countries, and has been less popular in Australia than in either the United States, where it left the charts in the 1960s, or in England/Wales, where it has remained fairly stable since the 1990s, and is currently in the 500s.

In New South Wales, Henrietta was #158 in the 1900s, and fell in popularity so that it had left the charts altogether by the 1930s. You could call it a dated name, as it hasn’t charted for more than 80 years, but as it was never popular, I prefer to think of it as a vintage name. In Victoria, there were 7 babies named Henrietta in 2012.

Although Henrietta could never be accused of trendiness, it feels like a great time to give your daughter this name. Vintage and retro names are in style, four-syllable names for girls are popular, and there is a fresh appreciation for names associated with royalty. Princess Mary of Denmark has a daughter whose second name is Henrietta: not named for a queen or princess, but for Mary’s mother, Henrietta Donaldson.

This is a lovely dignified vintage name with a royal history and the attraction of never having become popular. The short form Etta is very fashionable (Henrietta Donaldson’s nickname), Hettie would be adorable, Hennie is sweet, and I have even seen a little girl named Henri in a birth notice.

POLL RESULT
Henrietta received an excellent approval rating of 77%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2014. People saw the name Henrietta as strong and intelligent (21%), classy and dignified (17%), beautiful and charming (16%), and a vintage name ready for revival (16%). However, 7% of people thought it was ugly and frumpish.