Tag Archives: middle names

Most Common Baby Names From Birth Notices in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age (Melbourne) in 2014

04 Monday May 2015

Posted by in Name Data

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Elea from British Baby Names publishes the most popular first and middle names from birth announcements in The Telegraph, to show what the upper crust are naming their babies. We don’t have a “posh” newspaper, but the Herald and the Age probably have the most middle class and upper middle class birth notices. It does seem to have a certain cachet, as it’s not uncommon for parents to put an official notice in one of these papers, and another one in their local or regional paper.

GIRLS FIRST NAMES

  1. Annabel/Annabelle 4
  2. Isabelle 4
  3. Amelie 3
  4. Charlotte 3
  5. Chloe 3
  6. Emily 3
  7. Grace 3
  8. Harriet 3
  9. Sophia/Sofia 3
  10. Alice 2
  11. Arabella 2
  12. Camilla 2
  13. Eleanor 2
  14. Georgia 2
  15. Isla 2
  16. Lucinda 2
  17. Olivia 2
  18. Phillipa 2
  19. Saskia 2
  20. Scarlett 2
  21. Sophie 2
 BOYS FIRST NAMES

  1. Angus 5
  2. Edward 5
  3. Harry 5
  4. William 5
  5. Henry 4
  6. Samuel 4
  7. Alexander 2
  8. Benjamin 2
  9. Frederick 2
  10. George 2
  11. Hamish 2
  12. Harrison 2
  13. Jack 2
  14. James 2
  15. Oscar 2
  16. Patrick 2
  17. Thomas 2
  18. Tobias 2
GIRLS MIDDLE NAMES

  1. Grace 7
  2. Rose 6
  3. May/Mae 4
  4. Anne 3
  5. Catherine/Kathryn 3
  6. Elizabeth 3
  7. Emily 3
  8. Florence 3
  9. Victoria 3
  10. Alexandra 2
  11. Annabel/Annabelle 2
  12. Clementine 2
  13. Daisy 2
  14. Kate 2
  15. Louise 2
 BOYS MIDDLE NAMES

  1. James 8
  2. William 7
  3. John 6
  4. Benjamin 5
  5. Edward 5
  6. Alastair/Alistair 2
  7. Christopher 2
  8. Daniel 2
  9. David 2
  10. Henry 2
  11. Jack 2
  12. Louis 2
  13. Oliver 2
  14. Patrick 2
  15. Peter 2
  16. Robert 2

Famous Names: Birdie and Melody

30 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in Famous Names

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rare Girls Names From the 1940s

05 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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The most popular girls names of the 1940s were Margaret, Patricia, Judith, and Helen, but what were the least popular names? Here are ten names which were only chosen once in any year between 1944 and 1949 in South Australia, making them unique names for their time and place. They continue to be rare, and some parents will still find them appealing.

Avis
Thought to be a Latinised form of the Germanic name Aveza, most likely a long form or elaboration of the familiar Ava. Introduced to England by the Normans, it was reasonably common in the Middle Ages, and quickly became associated with the Latin word avis, meaning “bird”. Avis Rent a Car was founded in the 1940s by Warren Avis, but did not become big in Australia for some time – it’s now quite difficult to disassociate the name Avis from the rental company, although it’s very much on trend and still seems contemporary and pretty. It was also a good fit in the 1940s, when names such as Avril and Averil were fashionable.

Bunty
An old British term of endearment, dating back to perhaps the 17th century. In Scotland, buntin means “short and plump”, while in Wales, bontin means “the bottom, the rump” (a part of the body usually seen as quite plump). It’s interesting that in both Scottish and English dialect, bunt and bun refer to a rabbit’s tail, which recalls the bottom meaning. You probably remember the nursery rhyme, Bye Baby Bunting, where bunting meant “a plump little child”, and it’s amusing that they have “a rabbit skin to wrap the Baby Bunting in”, given the etymological connection between chubby babies and bunnies’ bottoms. By the 19th century, bunty was a country word for a lamb, because they bunt (or butt) with their heads, giving bunty another adorable baby-related association. The name Bunty was popularised by the Scottish comedy Bunty Pulls the Strings, which was a hit in 1911 in the West End and on Broadway (Bunty was a canny Highland lass). However, even before this, Bunty was used as a nickname, especially by the aristocracy. It was occasionally given to boys, and in Seven Little Australians, young John is called Bunty, because he is prone to be greedy and a bit overweight. In his case, the nickname literally meant “little fatty”, but Bunty can be understood as “cute wee bairn, bonny babe”. This could be a charming vintage-style nickname, and if you’re worried it’s too infantile, Babe and Baby were both used as names in the 1940s!

Cosette
Cosette is one of the main characters in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the novel, Cosette is the daughter of Fantine, a poor girl who must leave her child in the care of some innkeepers, while she works to provide for her. Cosette is badly treated by her guardians, and becomes a Cinderella-like figure, but is rescued by the ex-convict Jean Valjean. They take refuge in a convent, where Cosette develops into a beautiful young girl, and eventually finds her happy ending. Cosette’s real name is Euphrasie (meaning “good cheer”), but her mother’s pet name for her is the one which sticks – Cosette is from the French word chosette, meaning “little thing”. Les Misérables was made into a successful film in 1935, with child star Marilyn Knowlden in the role of the young Cosette; this would have increased interest in the name. Les Misérables was made into an award-winning musical film in 2012, this time with British actress Isabelle Allen playing young Cosette. Her face was used for the publicity posters, and with her arresting blue eyes, this may bring Cosette into the baby name spotlight again.

Dymphna
Anglicised form of the Irish name Damhnait, meaning “fawn”. Saint Dymphna is a 7th century Irish saint with a truly disturbing story, because legend has it that when she was fourteen, her father went mad and developed an unnatural desire for her. She ran away and devoted herself to helping the sick and the poor, but her father discovered her whereabouts, and killed her in a rage. Called the Lily of Eire, Saint Dymphna is the patron of the mentally ill, as well as vctims of incest, and many miraculous cures have been claimed on her behalf. A famous namesake is the author Dymphna Cusack, and another is Dymphna Clark, married to the historian Manning Clark, so the name has strong Australian credentials. Despite this, and the pretty meaning, Saint Dymphna’s tragic life has probably not been a help. Said DIMF-na, Dymphna has a lovely sound though, like a quirkier Daphne.

Jinx
According to superstition, a jinx is something, or someone, who brings bad luck, often without meaning to. The word is American English, first used in the context of baseball, and its origins are obscure. One suggestion is that it comes from the 1887 musical comedy Little Puck, which had a character named Jinks Hoodoo, who is a curse to everyone he meets, as well as to himself. Although Hoodoo is fairly obviously a “bad luck” word, Jinks is just a surname based on the name John, and not too unusual as a first name. Perhaps it was given with the phrase high jinks in mind, meaning “boisterous fun”. After the popular musical comedy, jinks and jinx seem to have rapidly come into use as slang terms to describe an unlucky person or object. Jinx was known as a girl’s name in the 1940s because of Jinx Falkenburg, one of the highest-paid cover-girls of the 1930s and ’40s – an early example of a supermodel. Considered one of the most beautiful and glamorous women of her time, she was also a talented sportswoman and Hollywood actress, and went on to have successful chat shows on radio and TV. Born Eugenia, her mother nicknamed her Jinx in the belief that it would bring her good luck – I’m not sure how that was meant to work, but Jinx did indeed have a fortunate life. Jinx has quite often been used as a name for (mostly female) fictional characters, from L’il Jinx from the Archie comics to Jinx Johnson in the James Bond film, played by Halle Berry. This is a playful modern nickname for the non-superstitious.

Marigold
The flower name marigold is attached to several plants with yellow blooms, but usually refers to the Calendula or pot marigold – although sometimes called English marigold, the plant probably originated in southern Europe, but became widely naturalised elsewhere from an early date. The name seems to have been first used for the wildflower Caltha palustris, also known as marsh marigold and kingcup. Marigold literally means “Mary gold”, and the name came about because the spring wildflower was a favourite in medieval churches at Easter, a tribute to the Virgin Mary. Shakespeare refers to the “golden eyes” of “Marybuds” in his play Cymbeline, and the marsh marigold is one of the UK’s most ancient plants, being an Ice Age survivor. Marigold has been used as a name since the 19th century, when flower names were fashionable, and is a hip underused floral choice which could honour a Mary.

Rilla
Rilla Blythe is the main character in L.M. Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside; the daughter of the famous Anne Shirley (later Anne Blythe), she is a carefree teenager who must grow up fast when World War I is declared. Rilla’s full name is Bertha Marilla, with her middle name in honour of Anne’s strict but loving adoptive mother, Marilla Cuthbert. Marilla may be a short form of Amaryllis or an elaboration of Mary, and it’s notable that the name Marilla was used more than once during the 1940s. Perhaps the wartime courage of Rilla Blythe struck a chord during World War II, or maybe the 1939 publication of Anne of Ingleside played a role, where Rilla is said to be sweetest baby of all, and shown as an adorably pretty and plump lisping toddler. Rilla is a trendy name from the wartime era that still seems cute, especially knowing Rilla Blythe was affectionately known as “Rilla, my Rilla”. One for Montgomery fans!

Thais
Thaïs of Athens was a famous Greek hetaera who accompanied Alexander the Great on his campaigns. Hetaera were high status courtesans; educated, influential, and sophisticated women who were paid companions to men – not just in the bedroom, but as stimulating conversationalists and talented musicians and dancers. Thaïs was the lover of Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander’s generals, and she is said to have been witty and entertaining company. After Alexander’s death, Ptolemy became the king of Egypt, and Thaïs was his wife, or at least a high ranking concubine, and mother of his children (he had other wives to provide him with heirs to the throne). Saint Thaïs was from 4th century Egypt, a beautiful and wealthy courtesan who repented of her life and converted to Christianity. It is hard not to wonder if her story was influenced by Thaïs of Athens, who also lived in Egypt during the 4th century. The saint inspired a novel by Anataloe France, and an opera by Massenet; as a result, Thaïs is a popular name in France. The Greek name Thaïs means “head band”, referring to the plain cloth bands that women in ancient Greece commonly wore to keep their hair in place. Like the hair covering, this name is both simple and sophisticated, with a fascinating historical namesake, and fits in with Australian name trends. The French pronunciation is rather like tah-EES, while English speakers may prefer TAY-is or ty-EES.

Unity
The word unity means “oneness”, familiar in both religious and political contexts, and used as a virtue name since at least the 17th century. It seems a rather strange choice for the 1940s, because Unity Mitford was an aristocratic English girl who was a rabid supporter of the Nazis and fervent devotee of Adolf Hitler, her close personal friend. When Britain declared war on Germany, Unity tried to commit suicide by shooting herself in the head, but survived, although permanently affected by her brain injuries. She died from an infection caused by the bullet in 1948, a controversial figure to the end. Unity Mitford was the inspiration behind evil Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series, and it’s interesting that J.K. Rowling named her eldest daughter after Jessica Mitford, a staunch Communist and Unity’s sister. If you can get over the connection to Unity Mitford, Unity is a rather attractive name, and similar in sound to Una, which still charted in the 1940s.

Valencia
A large port city in Spain, famous for its vibrant culture and delicious cuisine. Founded as a Roman colony in the 2nd century, its name was originally Valentia, meaning “strength, valour”, in recognition of the bravery of former Roman soldiers who settled there. The name is closely related to the familiar Valentine. During the period of Muslim rule, Valencia was nicknamed Medina bu-Tarab, “City of Joy”. The name might remind you of Valencia oranges, grown in California but named after the Spanish city, which had a reputation for very sweet oranges. Valencia has long been used as a personal name in Spanish-speaking countries, but is not common in English-speaking ones. It may have got a boost from the 1926 romantic film Valencia, where the title character is an exotic Spanish dancer, played by Mae Murray. A box office success, its title song was one of the biggest hits of that year. Valencia fitted in with popular names of the 1940s such as Valerie, and still seems rather glamorous.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Marigold, Cosette and Rilla, and their least favourite were Unity, Dymphna and Bunty.

(Photo shows Australian author Dymphna Cusack in 1945: her play Red Sky At Morning was one of few produced during the war years, and was made into film in 1944)

Celebrity Baby News: Sporting Babies

22 Sunday Mar 2015

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Champion jockey Tommy Berry, and his fiancée Sharni Nisbet, welcomed their first child in February, and named their son Kaiden Nathan [pictured]. Kaiden’s middle name is in honour of Tommy’s twin brother Nathan, who died last year from an acute form of epilepsy.

NRL star Johnathan Thurston, and his fiancée Samantha Lynch, welcomed their daughter Charlie Grace on March 16. Charlie joins big sister Frankie, who will be 2 this year; Frankie’s birth was featured on the blog. Johnathan is co-captain of the North Queensland Cowboys, and is the all-time scorer for the State of Origin series.

Rugby league footballer Nathan Peats, and his partner Jade, welcomed their first child on March 4, and named their son Leyton Winiata. Nathan started his career with South Sydney in 2011, and signed with the Parramatta Eels last year. He has also been named for the Indigenous All Stars, and City Origin. He is the son of Geordi Peats, who played for the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Celebrity Baby News: ALP Babies

22 Sunday Mar 2015

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Labor MP Amanda Rishworth, and her husband Timothy Walker, recently welcomed their son Percy James [pictured]. Amanda has represented the seat of Kingston in Adelaide since 2007, which she turned around from the most marginal Labor seat in South Australia to the second safest. Last year she was promoted to the Opposition’s front bench when she was appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Education. Before entering politics, Amanda was a clinical psychologist, and she has been a volunteer surf life saver since high school.

Labor MP Jim Chalmers, and his wife Laura, welcomed their son Leo James on March 13; Leo’s middle name seems to be after his dad. Jim has represented the seat of Rankin in Brisbane since 2013. He was formerly chief of staff to Wayne Swan when he was Treasurer, and was then Executive Director of the Chifley Research Centre, a Labor Party think tank. Laura is a journalist, and a former press secretary for Julia Gillard and Penny Wong.

Famous Name: Rapunzel

18 Wednesday Mar 2015

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Name in the News
March 12 marked the start of the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave. One of the participants this year was librarian Nicolette Suttor, from the National Library in Canberra, whose hair hadn’t been cut for a decade, and which hung to her knees.

Nicolette’s cousin Ben died from leukaemia six years ago, and two years ago, her twin sister Camille shaved off her hair to support the Leukaemia Foundation. This year, Nicolette was amongst the thousands of people who signed up to raise money for the World’s Greatest Shave, and she was supported by colleagues, who performed a modern version of the fairy tale Rapunzel ahead of the charity event, with Nicolette taking the lead role.

Since having her 1.4 metre locks of hair removed and her head shorn, real life fairy tale princess Nicolette has raised more than $5500, and her hair will be used to make wigs for leukaemia patients who have lost their hair.

Name Story and Information
The German fairy tale Rapunzel tells of a poor couple who longed for a child. At last the wife became pregnant, and began to develop cravings for a leafy green vegetable, which in Germany is called rapunzel. She told her husband that if she could not eat the delicious looking rapunzel which grew in their neighbour’s walled garden, she would die.

Her husband was very frightened, because their neighbour was an enchantress from the Black Forest, but he was even more frightened of losing his wife. So he climbed the wall into the garden, and stole the rapunzel. The Enchantress caught him, and after he explained he was only taking it for his pregnant wife, she told him he could have as much as he wanted, but on one condition – when the baby was born, he must give it to her.

The man agreed to this, and when the baby was born, it was a girl which they reluctantly handed over to the Enchantress, who took the baby far away, to her own country. She named the girl Rapunzel, after the vegetable which had delivered the child into her hands, and taught the child to call her Gothel (“godmother”).

Rapunzel grew into the loveliest child under the sun, with long hair like spun gold. When Rapunzel turned twelve, the Enchantress locked her in a tower with no stairs or doors, but a tiny window at the top. When the Enchantress wanted to visit Rapunzel, she would call out, Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair! The girl would throw her long, golden, braided hair out the window, so the Enchantress could climb up.

A couple of years later, a prince rode through the forest, and became enraptured by Rapunzel’s sweet singing. Coupled with the sight of her beautiful, wistful face at the tower window, his heart was touched, and each day he rode out to hear her. The day came when he heard the Enchantress give the signal and climb up, and when the coast was clear, he tried his luck by calling out Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!

Rapunzel at first was frightened when a man climbed into her tower. However, the prince was young and handsome, and Rapunzel soon loved him in return, agreeing to become his wife. They decided that the prince would bring Rapunzel silk so she could make herself a ladder – the simpler escape plan of bringing an actual ladder apparently not occurring to them.

While Rapunzel worked on the ladder, she and the prince got to know each better each evening, and it became obvious how well their relationship had progressed when Rapunzel innocently mentioned to her “Gothel” how tight her clothes were growing. No doubt food cravings would have soon developed.

Furious and betrayed, the Enchantress did the “godmother scorned” routine by cutting off Rapunzel’s braid of hair, and taking her into the desert to wander in misery. (There’s no German deserts, so it’s meant in the sense of a dreary, uninhabited wilderness).

The cruel Enchantress then fixed Rapunzel’s braid of hair to an iron spike, and waited in the tower for the prince. When he called out Rapunzel Rapunzel etc etc, the Enchantress let down the braid, and confronted the prince when he climbed into the tower. Heartbroken at the news that Rapunzel was gone, he threw himself from the tower, where he blinded himself on the thorns which grew below.

For some years, the blind prince wandered through the forest living on roots and berries, crying for his lost love. At last he came across Rapunzel, who had in the meantime given birth to their twins, a boy and a girl. Hearing Rapunzel’s beautiful voice, the prince proved love was blind by knowing at once it was his lost love, and hurled himself into her arms.

The two held each other tenderly, and Rapunzel wept. Luckily she had magical tears, because as they fell into the prince’s eyes, his blindness was cured. Hooray! The family hiked back to the prince’s kingdom, where they all lived happily ever after.

The Brothers Grimm adapted Rapunzel from a German fairy tale, which was based on a French one called Persinette – Persinette is derived from the French word for “parsley”, as this was the vegetable craved by the mother in this story. In turn, this was based on the 17th century Italian tale Petrosinella by Giambattista Basile, which is the earliest known version of the story (Petrosinella is Italian for “parsley”).

Rapunzel is similar to the medieval Persian tale of Rūdāba, where the beautiful Rūdāba, meaning “shining child”, lets down her raven-black tresses so her lover Zal can climb into her tower. However, there are a number of folk tales where girls get locked in towers by their parents, such as Danae in Greek mythology, the princess rescued by Cian in Irish legend, and even Saint Barbara.

The vegetable which Rapunzel is named after is Valerianella locusta, otherwise known as lamb’s lettuce or corn salad. The plant will grow in even the most barren of environments, making it a favourite with peasants, and foreshadowing Rapunzel’s own surprising ability to survive in a wilderness. Its German name of rapunzel is derived from the Latin, meaning “valerian root”.

Later versions of the story insist that the rapunzel was actually rampion, a purple bell-like wildflower whose leaves are edible. Perhaps it seemed more palatable for a fairytale heroine to be given a floral name.

The name Rapunzel has been in rare use since the 19th century. I have only been able to find Rapunzels born in the United States, and the name showed up in the data there once – in 1959, when 9 girls were given the name Rapunzel. This was the year after Shirley Temple’s Storybook television series featured the story of Rapunzel, with Carol Lynley in the title role, and Agnes Moorehead as the wicked enchantress.

Despite Rapunzel being the lovely princess in Disney’s charming film Tangled, it hasn’t shown up since, and this would be a very bold choice as a name. Besides the vegetable meaning, the fairy tale shows parents in a poor light, with Rapunzel’s biological parents swapping her for salad in a very short-sighted way, and her adoptive mother being insanely possessive and brutally punishing.

And then there’s the famous tagline, which means that someone named Rapunzel would probably have to hear “let down your hair” on a regular basis, even if they had a bob or a pixie cut.

However, Rapunzel would make an awesome middle name, and even as a first name, nicknames such as Zella and Zellie seem feasible for your little fairy tale princess.

POLL RESULTS
Rapunzel received an approval rating of 33%. 34% of people thought the name Rapunzel would lead to teasing and jokes, but 9% saw it as charming and fantastical.

(Photo shows Nicolette Suttor dressed as Rapunzel)

Famous Name: Quentin Bryce

11 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Famous Names, Requested Names

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Famous Namesake
It was International Women’s Day on Sunday, so this seems like a good chance to cover the name of a prominent and ground-breaking Australian woman.

Quentin Bryce (nee Strachan) was one of the first women admitted to the Queensland Bar, and became the first woman appointed as a faculty member of the law school where she had studied, at the University of Queensland. As well as her teaching role, she was appointed to the new National Women’s Advisory Council in 1978, becoming its convenor a few years later.

She went on to take up other key roles in women’s issues, such as becoming the first Director of the Queensland Women’s Information Service, and Queensland Director of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. She served as Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner for five years, then became founding chair and CEO of the National Childcare Accreditation Council. A surprise move saw her become principal and CEO of the Women’s College at the University of Sydney, where she was able to combine her academic interests with her skills in administration.

In 2003 she was appointed Governor of Queensland by Premier Peter Beattie, only the second woman to take the role (the first was Leneen Forde, in the 1990s). Peter Beattie’s successor offered her an extension of her five-year term, but by then Dame Quentin had another appointment, and so she was succeeded as Governor of Queensland by Penelope Wensley – the first time a female governor of the state made way for another woman.

In 2008, the Queen approved Quentin’s appointment as Governor-General, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and so she became the 25th Governor-General of Australia, and the first female Governor-General of this country. The decision gained approval on all sides of politics, and was seen as a positive move by commentators. Towards the end of her term, she made headlines after giving the annual Boyer Lecture, when she implied that she looked forward to Australia becoming a republic, and legalising gay marriage.

When her term was completed last year, Quentin Bryce was made a Dame of the Order of Australia, on the recommendation of the current prime minister. Shortly afterwards, Dame Quentin was announced as the chair of a new task force to combat domestic violence in Queensland, so she continues her valuable work on behalf of Australian women.

QUENTIN
French form of the Roman name Quintinus, derived from Quintus, meaning “fifth” in Latin, and traditionally given to a fifth child.

Saint Quentin is a 3rd century saint, and according to legend he was a Roman citizen who went to Gaul as a missionary, where he settled in Amiens in northern France. After performing many miracles, he was tortured and martyred before his body was thrown into the marshes of the Somme. By miraculous means, his body was later discovered and a shrine erected in his honour.

The cult of Saint Quentin was an important one in the Middle Ages, and Saint Quentin’s tomb was a major pilgrimage site, much favoured by the Carolingians. There are many places named after the saint in northern France. Because of the saint, the Normans introduced the name Quentin to England, where it may have contributed to the surname Quentin, although that could also come from Quinton in Warwickshire, meaning “the queen’s settlement” in Old English.

The name Quentin has been in use since medieval times, overwhelmingly as a male name. It is in the Top 500 in the United States, while in England/Wales, 17 baby boys were named Quentin in 2013. The name is most popular in France, where it is in the Top 50. There are not many Quentins in Australian historical records, and they are all male.

Besides Quentin Bryce, there are many famous Australians named Quentin in the media. Quentin Spedding was a journalist in the 1920s and 1930s, while ABC journalists include Quentin Dempster, Quentin McDermott, and Quentin Hull. There’s also film-maker and producer Quentin Kenihan, who first rose to fame as a little boy being interviewed on television.

You might also be reminded of American film director Quentin Tarantino, or British illustrator Quentin Blake. Homosexual author and performer Quentin Crisp changed his name to Quentin (born Denis Pratt), while Quentin Cook changed his name to Norman, and performed under the stage name Fatboy Slim.

These are all men named Quentin, but as a surname, Quentin refers to a queen, and even as a first name, Quentin could be used as a form of the female Roman name Quintina. I only know two people named Quentin, and they are both female, so the name seems very usable for girls to me, in addition to being a splendid choice for a boy.

BRYCE
Surname derived from the male name Brice. Saint Brice was a Bishop of Tours during the Dark Ages. Acccording to legend, he was an orphan rescued by Saint Martin and raised in an monastery as St Martin’s pupil. He took over as bishop from St Martin, but proved rather worldly, so he was exiled to Rome for seven years to have his sins absolved by the pope. When he returned, he was a changed man, and served with such humility that he was venerated as a saint.

He is remembered in England because his feast day is November 13, and on that day in 1002 there was a mass killing of the Danes living in England ordered by King Ethelred the Unready, who was fed up with England being ravaged in Viking raids each year. It is known as the St Brice’s Day Massacre.

The meaning of Brice is not known for sure, although it is assumed to be Celtic. It may come from the Gaulish word briccus, meaning “speckled”. As a surname, Bryce is particularly associated with Scotland, and is understood as meaning “follower of Saint Brice”.

The name is very well known in Australia because of best-selling author Bryce Courtenay, who was born in South Africa – his name was Arthur, but went by his middle name. Before becoming a published writer, Bryce worked in advertising, and headed many award-winning campaigns, including Louie the Fly, The Milkybar Kid, and It’s Time, on behalf of Gough Whitlam. His most famous work is his first novel, The Power of One, which has been made into a film.

Bryce entered the charts in the 1960s, debuting at #274 – its similarity to Bruce is so striking that you might suspect it was a replacement for the name, which was still popular in the ’60s, but falling steeply. Bryce rose into the Top 100 by the 1990s, just as Bryce Courtenay began his career as an author, and left the Top 100 in 2000. It is now around the 200s, so still fairly common.

It’s more popular in the US, where it has fallen much more slowly, and is not far out of the Top 100. It is least common in England/Wales, where 19 boys and 3 girls were named Bryce in 2013 (the second time that Bryce has charted as a female name in the UK, probably because of American actress Bryce Dallas Howard, who has recently been in the Twilight series and The Help).

Modern classic Bryce is still getting reasonable use, along with old favourites like Brock and Brody, and is also on trend, fitting in with fashionable rising choices like Byron. It’s a great way to honour a Bruce and a Bryan simultaneously, and I see this name more commonly in the middle, as it goes well with so many first names.

Two medieval French saints names – but which one do you like best?

POLL RESULTS
Quentin received an approval rating of 51%. 40% of people weren’t keen on the name Quentin, but 21% thought it was a good name.

Bryce received an approval rating of 37%. 53% of people weren’t keen on the name Bryce, although 10% loved it.

Thank you to Brooke for requesting that the name Quentin be featured on Waltzing More Than Matilda, and Dame Quentin Bryce be featured as part of the Famous Name series

(Picture shows Dame Quentin Bryce opening the Defence Museum in Darwin)

Girls Names from the Top 100 of the 1940s

01 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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These are names of babies born during World War II, and the first baby boomers, born in the years just after the war. If you are an older parent, your own mother might have been born in this decade, while young parents may see 1940s names as “grandma” names. For those wanting a name that’s ahead of the curve, there are rich pickings from this time period.

Coral
Coral is a gemstone made from the polished shells or exoskeletons of coral polyps – originally, and typically, Corallium rubrum, from the Mediterranean. Because this species has a pink or red colouring, the word coral also refers to a pinkish colour. The ancient Romans believed coral would protect children, and it was common for baby toys and teething rings to be made from coral, even in the 19th century. Coral jewellery has been worn since prehistoric times, although it was the Victorian era which made coral fashionable. Today, with greater awareness of the environmental impact of harvesting coral, many jewellers will no longer sell coral items, and consumers are urged to boycott jewellery made from coral. The name Coral was #194 in the 1900s, and joined the Top 100 in the 1930s. It peaked in the 1940s at #79, left the Top 100 the following decade, and was off the charts by the 1980s, perhaps partly due to growing environmental concerns. Leaving aside the gemstone, you could see this name as a way to celebrate our beautiful coral reefs, and marine environment.

Daphne
In Greek mythology, Daphne was a naiad; a nymph of fresh water, and daughter of a river god. Acording to legend, she was so beautiful that the god Apollo pursued her. Just as he was about to catch her, she pleaded with her father to help her, and he turned her into a laurel tree – Daphne literally means “laurel”, and it’s also the scientific name for the plant. The laurel became sacred to Apollo, and wreaths of laurel were traditionally given to those who had achieved victory. The name Daphne has been use since the 18th century, when classical names became fashionable, but only became common in the 19th, because of the interest in botanical names. Daphne was #82 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1920s at #22. It was #76 in the 1940s, left the Top 100 the following decade, and was off the charts by the 1970s. Recently it been in the charts again, and is around the 300s. Charming retro Daphne makes a distinguished choice, not a daffy one.

Frances
Feminine form of Francis, often given in tribute to St Francis of Assisi, although St Frances of Rome provides a medieval female saintly namesake. The name was commonly used by the British aristocracy, with examples such as Frances Cobham, a close friend of Elizabeth I, and Frances Grey, the mother of queen-for-nine-days Lady Jane Grey. The great Restoration beauty Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, drove King Charles II batty with desire, but she refused to become his mistress. Her lovely face was used as the model for Brittania on coins, medals, and statues, and can still be seen today. In common use since the 16th century at least, Frances is a classic name which has never disappeared from the charts. It was #52 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1940s at #47, leaving the Top 100 in the 1970s. It sank into obscurity in the late 2000s, but had a boost at the start of this decade which saw it move into the 500s, and is now around the 200s. More solid than Francesca, Frances is a quiet achiever which gets royal glamour from being the middle name of Diana, Princess of Wales, and offers the cool nickname Frankie.

Irene
From the Greek Eirene, meaning “peace”. In Greek mythology, Eirene was the personification of peace, depicted as a beautiful young girl carrying symbols of plenty. Another mythological Eirene was a daughter of Poisedon. The name was in use in ancient Greece, and one Eirene was a famous artist. There are a number of saints named Irene, with Irene of Thessalonica martyred with her sisters Love and Purity, so personifications of theological virtues. Originally more popular in eastern Christianity, it was the name of a Byzantine Empress, and has been used by European royalty. The name was originally pronounced e-REE-nee, but is usually said IE-reen now. Irene is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #19 in the 1900s, and peaked the following decade at #17. It was #56 in the 1940s, and left the Top 100 in the 1960s. It reached its lowest point in the late 2000s at #684, and since then become more popular, perhaps because it’s been used for several fictional characters in the past few years. Currently it’s around the 400s. This is a hip, underused classic with a lovely meaning.

Lois
In the New Testament, Lois was the pious grandmother of Saint Timothy. It’s not known what the name means: it may be from the Greek meaning “more desirable, more agreeable”, and understood as “the most beautiful, the best”. However, as Lois was Jewish, it could be an attempt to Hellenise a Hebrew name. Lois is also a male name – an Occitan and Galician form of Louis. The female name Lois has been in use since the 16th century, and was used by Puritan families. Lois Lane, Superman’s love interest, has given the name publicity for many decades, but more recently it has become a “mum name” on TV, with Lois Wilkerson from Malcolm in the Middle, and Lois Griffin from Family Guy. Lois joined the charts in the 1910s, debuting at #181. It joined the Top 100 in the 1930s, when it peaked at #84, and was #93 in the 1940s. It left the Top 100 the following decade, and was off the charts by the 1970s. Soft sounding Lois would make an interesting alternative to popular names such as Eloise.

Marlene
German name combining Maria/Marie and Magdalene, so it commemorates Mary Magdalene from the New Testament, the chief female disciple of Jesus Christ. The German pronunciation is mahr-LE-nuh, but it is often said MAHR-leen in English. The name became well known in the English speaking world because of iconic German-American film star Marlene Dietrich, whose real name was Marie Magdalene. The name Marlene rocketed into the Top 100 from nowhere in the 1930s when Dietrich became a star after appearing as the uberdesirable Lola Lola in Josef von Sternberg’s movie The Blue Angel. It both debuted and peaked at #63 in the 1930s. The name Marlene was #68 in the 1940s, when Dietrich did valuable war work, such as performing for the troops and raising war bonds. By the 1950s, when Dietrich became a cabaret star, the name Marlene had left the Top 100. It left the the charts in the 1980s, when Dietrich’s career was over. Despite being a dated name which spiked in popularity only briefly, Marlene still seems glamorous and sexy, fitting in with modern names such as Marley and Elena.

Pamela
Created by Sir Philip Sidney for his 16th century epic, the Arcadia; in the story, Pamela is an attractive main character. It is usually thought that Sidney based the name on the Greek for “all sweetness”. The name was given publicity by Samuel Richardson’s best-selling 18th century novel, Pamela, where a lovely teenaged maidservant is threatened with rape by her employer, but she successfully resists him, and is rewarded for her virtue by being allowed to marry him. Not only are there so many things wrong with that sentence, it was apparently based on a true story. Pamela was originally pronounced pa-MEE-luh, but PAM-eh-luh is more usual now. Pamela has been used since the 17th century, and an early namesake was Lady Edward Fitzgerald; although her real name was Stephanie, she named her eldest daughter Pamela. Pamela joined the charts in the 1910s, debuting at #310, and peaked in the 1940s at #9. It left the Top 100 in the 1970s, and hasn’t been on the charts since the early 2000s. This is an elegant literary name which is dated, but still seems very usable.

Ruth
In the Old Testament, Ruth was the loyal widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi, who famously offered to follow her mother-in-law wherever she went. Naomi married Ruth to one of her relatives, who called Ruth a “noble character”; she is one of the nicest people in the Bible, blessed with a loving spirit. Her name comes from the Hebrew ru’at, meaning “friend, companion” – it seems chosen for the story, as she was such a good friend to Naomi. Ruth is also an English word meaning “mercy, compassion” – it’s one of those words which only seems to be used in its negative form, as we often describe people as ruthless, but rarely ruthful. Ruth has been in common use throughout the modern era, and is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #66 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1920s at #41. It was #58 in the 1940s, and left the Top 100 in the 1970s. It’s currently around the 500s. An underused classic with two lovely meanings and a sweet namesake, this is a great name. After all, you can’t spell truth without Ruth!

Thelma
Popularised by Marie Corelli’s 1887 novel Thelma; in Corelli’s romance, Thelma is an enchantingly beautiful, snow-pure Norwegian princess who marries an English nobleman. The name Thelma had been in use since at least the 18th century, but the meaning is not known. One theory is that it is based on the Greek word thelema, meaning “will”, but there is no evidence to support it. It may be a variant of Selma, since Selma is a common name in Scandinavia even today, and Thelma was used in Norway before the novel was published. The name Thelma was also used in Spanish-speaking countries before Corelli’s novel, and Anselma (the long form of Selma) is a Spanish name. Thelma was #18 in the 1900s and peaked the following decade at #9. It was #96 in the 1940s, left the Top 100 by the following decade, and was off the charts by the 1970s. With the name Selma now receiving a boost from the film, could its clunky sister Thelma be in with a chance?

Valerie
English form of the French name Valérie, from the Latin name Valeria, the feminine form of Valerius, meaning “strong, healthy”. It comes from the same source as the name Valentine. St Valerie was a legendary French saint who was martyred by beheading, then went for a walk carrying her head. This was a popular thing for French saints to do in medieval legends, so the name Valerie got quite a boost. Valerie is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #180 in the 1900s, and joined the Top 100 the following decade. Peaking in the 1930s at #12, it was #38 in the 1940s. It left the Top 100 in the 1960s, and has remained in uncommon use. It had a small boost at the start of this decade, when it was in the 400s. Valerie is a classic with a rather luscious feel to it. It makes a great middle name too.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Daphne, Coral and Frances, and their least favourite were Marlene, Thelma, and Pamela.

(Picture shows members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force working on a RAAF plane; photo from the Australian War Memorial)

Historical Naming Patterns in the House of Windsor – Part 2: Sisters for Prince George

22 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by in Naming Issues

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Last week I examined how babies have been named in the House of Windsor, with a look at the factors common to the names of those close to the throne. By following those methods used in the past, I looked at names that could be considered for a brother for Prince George.

In case you can’t be bothered reading the whole post, the basic thing to keep in mind is: names of royals (kings, queens, princes, and princesses) that are currently popular. Now it’s time to look at what a possible sister to Prince George could be called.

Elizabeth #39
There have been several princesses named Elizabeth, five British queens, and one queen of Scotland named Elizabeth; of course Elizabeth II is the current monarch, and her mother’s name was Elizabeth too. Elizabeth is also the middle name of the duchess. Current gossip says that Elizabeth is the name that the Duke and Duchess have already chosen for their baby, should they have a girl, and gained permission from the queen. As 2015 is the year that Queen Elizabeth is set to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history, it would seem like the perfect gesture, especially if the baby arrives on Queen Elizabeth’s birthday. A cute connection is that Lily could be used as the nickname, which is one of Catherine’s favourite flowers.
My rating: nine coronets

Alice #27
A name introduced to the royal family by Queen Victoria, there have been four princesses named Alice. The most recent was an aunt of Queen Elizabeth, who was married to the Governor-General of Australia, and lived here for two years after World War II. She reached the greatest age of anyone yet in the British royal family, passing away at the age of 102. Another was Alice of Battenberg, a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria who married into the Greek royal family, and became the mother of Prince Philip. Alice is one of Princess Anne’s middle names, and it is also a prominent name in the Spencer family, as Alice Spencer was a patron of the arts. And don’t George and Alice sound adorable together? No wonder this has often been tipped as a possibility.
My rating: eight and a half coronets

Victoria #88
This only became a British royal name with the accession of the teenaged Alexandrina, who used her middle name to rule as Queen Victoria. The last of the Hanoverians, the longest-reigning British monarch so far, and a powerful symbol of the British Empire, Victoria is an eminently suitable royal name which has been handed down to seven princesses – Queen Victoria’s mother was another Princess Victoria. In fact, Alice of Battenberg’s first name was Victoria, making this another possibility to honour the mother of Prince Philip. A popular choice with the bookies, Victoria is said to be one of Catherine’s favourite names (more gossip!). The timing is perhaps not as good as for Elizabeth, with the queen set to overtake Queen Victoria’s record reign next year.
My rating: eight coronets

Eleanor #57
This name was introduced to English royalty by Eleanor of Aquitaine, a wealthy, powerful French duchess who married Henry II, and was the mother of two kings – Richard I, and King John. Other medieval Eleanors married English kings, and the name was handed down to multiple princesses.  This seems a very suitable name for a princess; elegant and restrained with an impeccable royal pedigree. It’s the name of one of Prince William’s Spencer cousins, which isn’t necessarily a drawback – all three of Prince George’s names are shared with Spencer cousins.
My rating: seven and a half coronets

Amelia #1
There have been two British princesses named Amelia – one a daughter of George II, and the other a daughter of George III. The latter Amelia (called Emily) was beautiful and charming, and great hopes for held for her future, but unfortunately she died of measles, and her death devastated the royal family, helping to precipitate her father into madness. There is an Amelia in the Windsor family, a grand-daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and one in the Spencer family as well, a cousin of Princes William and Harry, who is considered rather “wild”. There is no historical reason a #1 name would be rejected (the queen’s sister Princess Margaret had the #1 name of her era), and Amelia is in with a genuine chance, although it may come with some baggage.
My rating: six coronets

Sophia #15
This is a truly royal name, because Sophia of Hanover was the mother of King George I, and to be in the line of succession to the British throne, you must be a direct descendant of Sophia. There has been a queen named Sophia (George I’s wife), and three princesses, with the most recent being born in the 18th century. Sophia has been used as a middle name in the royal family fairly often, although I think George and Sophia as royal siblings are a bit much.
My rating: five coronets

Alexandra #102
Queen Alexandra was the wife of Edward VIII; a Danish princess by birth, she was elegant, fashionable, and extremely popular with the British public. There have been a number of princesses named Alexandra, including ones still living – a notable example is Princess Alexandra, who is a cousin of the queen, and one of the most active members of the royal family. It’s a popular royal middle name, and the queen herself has Alexandra as one of her middle names. To me this would be a slightly odd choice, as Alexander is one of Prince George’s middle names
My rating: four coronets

Sophie #9
This is a name from Prince Philip’s family, because Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark was the Duke of Edinburgh’s sister. Another family connection is that Prince Edward’s wife is named Sophie, and she has reportedly been a good friend to Catherine, as well as a favourite of Queen Elizabeth. Despite not being a name of a British queen or princess, I don’t think Sophie can be entirely ruled out.
My rating: three coronets

Charlotte #21
Queen Charlotte was the wife of George III, and there have been two Princess Charlottes in the British royal family named after her. The last one was Princess Charlotte of Wales, who died young in childbirth, deeply mourned by the public, who had hoped she would one day be queen. Although not used for a princess since, Charlotte is in use as a middle name in the current royal family. Charles Spencer, brother to Diana, Princess of Wales, has a very young daughter named Charlotte Diana, so a bit awkward to use it if the duke and duchess also want Diana as the middle name. Although the name could seem like a nod to Prince Charles, so far the royal family has not used feminised forms of male names to honour men. Charlotte is also the middle name of Pippa Middleton, sister to the duchess; although some people think this makes the name more likely, to me it makes it less likely, because the royals probably don’t want the name to seem as if it is honouring a commoner in-law.
My rating: two coronets

Isabella #8
This was a reasonably common royal name in the Middle Ages, introduced by a beautiful French countess who married King John. Another beautiful queen was the Isabella who married King Edward III; a French princess, she became known as The She-Wolf of France for her intrigues against her husband, which led to him being deposed, and their son Edward III becoming king. For ever after, she has been viewed as a femme fatale figure. This name has also been used in the Spencer family, but its wolfish image is problematic. I think it’s too ornate for a British princess, and the Twilight connection probably isn’t a help.
My rating: one coronet

Matilda #36
This name goes right back the beginning of English royalty, because Matilda of Flanders was the wife of William the Conqueror. There have been three other medieval English queens named Matilda, and one princess who became the Empress Matilda and claimed the English throne during a period of anarchy – she was never proclaimed queen, but rather Lady of the English, and her son was made king when he was old enough. In more modern times, Matilda has been used as a middle name within the royal family. This name would greatly please the royal family’s Australian subjects, although I can’t think of any reason why they would particularly want to please us, unless that toy bilby we gave Prince George was a bigger hit than it seemed at the time. I can’t say this is impossible, but it doesn’t seem at all likely.
My rating: one coronet

Emma #55
This royal name pre-dates the Norman Conquest, because Emma of Normandy married both Ethelred the Unready and Cnut the Great, and was the mother of Edward the Confessor, once regarded as a patron saint of England. She was the first English queen to have a portrait, and was both rich and influential. Despite being way, way back, she is an ancestor of the current royal family. However, I do think this is just too mists-of-timey.
My rating: half a coronet

Edith #164
Edith was a common royal name in Anglo-Saxon times, and one princess named Edith was a saint. Edith of Essex was the wife of Edward the Confessor, and highly influential. While this is very ancient history, Matilda of Scotland, who married Henry II and was the mother of the Empress Matilda, was baptised Edith, only receiving the Norman name Matilda upon her marriage to a Norman king. Although she was a stand-out queen, and the link between modern royalty and the Anglo-Saxon kings, this is a pretty flimsy connection, and regrettably it seems most unlikely, although personally I would love it. So English, so regal, so refined, and quite a fashionable name to boot.
My rating: half a coronet

Maria #83
Maria d’Este was an Italian princess who became queen through marrying James II, but she was known as Queen Mary in England until her husband fled to France during the Glorious Revolution. Too foreign.
My rating: zero coronets

Beatrice #95
This has a long, if sparing, use as a royal name. Beatrice of England was the daughter of Henry III, while Queen Victoria had both a daughter and a grand-daughter called Princess Beatrice. It’s currently in use by Princess Beatrice of York, Prince William’s cousin, and her name was considered an unusual choice at the time. As she is the daughter of the controversial Prince Andrew, I don’t think this is in with any sort of chance.
My rating: zero coronets

Unlike the potential princely names, which had no glaringly obvious choice, there are some very clear winners for a princess. I am tipping Elizabeth, Alice, or Victoria, with some chance of Eleanor or Amelia, and Sophia as an outsider. With solid options on the girls’ list, I can’t see any reason why the royals would need to look beyond it, and feel pretty confident one of the names in this post will be used.

UPDATE: The royal baby was a princess named Charlotte!

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite choices for a princess were Alice, Victoria, and Eleanor. 10% of people voted for Elizabeth, and 9% voted for Charlotte, the next two most popular choices. Nobody voted for the names Sophie or Maria. 3% of people felt that the royal couple would start a new trend in baby names, which was very far from happening – the chosen name fits in well with all the historical naming patterns identified in the articles.

(Picture shows a photo of Queen Elizabeth II as a very young child – could there soon be another Princess Elizabeth in the House of Windsor?)

Famous Name: Georgina

18 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by in Famous Names

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Famous Namesake
The Channel 9 mini-series House of Hancock has just come to an end, having enjoyed a certain amount of notoriety and controversy. The series is based on one of Australia’s real life soap operas: the family of wealthy Western Australian mining magnate Lang Hancock.

The main focus of the mini-series is on the relationship between Lang and his daughter Georgina (called Gina), brought under pressure when the teenaged Gina married a man old enough to be her father, which is increased when freshly-widowed Lang married his Filipina maid, who was young enough to be his daughter. The story then follows Gina’s relentless rise to wealth and power as Lang’s heiress, accompanied by family ructions.

Gina Rinehart is the chair of Hancock Prospecting, founded by her father Lang. She is the richest person in Australia, and a few years ago was the world’s richest woman, but is now only the sixth-richest. She was named after her father, who has George as one of his middle names, while her middle name Hope is her mother’s name.

Mrs Rinehart took legal action against the makers of House of Hancock, with her lawyer calling the program “almost entirely fiction”, “replete with falsehoods”, and its depiction of true events as “twisted.” Part of her legal team’s argument was that actors in House of Hancock breached consumer law against misleading and deceptive conduct by pretending to be someone else. I can only think a lot of actors, if not all of them at some time or another, have similarly breached consumer law.

Her lawyers were successful: Gina was granted access to the second episode before it went to air, and certain cuts were hastily made to key scenes before the show went to air, leading to a very abrupt ending. Despite all the cuts, House of Hancock was a hit, attracting more than 25% of the audience, or nearly 2 million viewers per episode. Actress Mandy McElhinney (Rhonda from the AAMi commercials) has garnered praise for her outstanding performance.

Although the details haven’t been made public, apparently one of the things Gina objected to was her father’s ghost coming back to chat with her, which she assures us did not happen. I for one believe her story, and don’t need a lawyer to convince me. She also says that she never fought with her stepmother, and in fact never spoke to her at all, painting a picture of happy family life in the process.

Despite making sure that House of Hancock came with a disclaimer that it had been fictionalised for dramatic purposes and was not a documentary, Gina Rinehart is still fuming, and will now sue Channel Nine for defamation. No stranger to the courtroom, she mounted an eleven-year legal battle against her stepmother Rose Porteous, claiming that she had hastened Lang Hancock’s death (the coroner determined he had died of natural causes). In turn, Gina has been in a long-running legal feud with her children over the family trust.

So that’s Georgina Rinehart – large, in charge, rich as filth, and liable to sue you if you claim she talks to ghosts and her stepmother.

Name Information
Georgina is a feminine form of George. Like its male counterpart, it has been in use for many centuries, but only gained prominence after the House of Hanover began to rule Britain in the 18th century, with George becoming a traditional royal name.

Georgina has been used as a middle name in the royal family – an example is Princess Maud of Fife, grand-daughter of Edward VII. It’s also been used by the aristocracy: Georgina Ward, Countess of Dudley, was one of the great beauties of the Victorian era, while Georgina Gascoyne-Cecil, Marchioness of Salisbury, was the wife of British prime minister, Lord Robert Cecil.

Georgina has been rather a favourite for characters in children’s literature, with the best known perhaps Georgina Kirrin from Enid Blyton’s Famous Five series. Georgina is a tomboy who is always called “George”. In the TV series Gossip Girl, the character of Georgina Sparks has been turned into one of the show’s villains; she goes by “Georgie”.

Georgina is an underused classic name which has never left the charts, yet never been popular. It was #171 in the 1900s, and hit its peak in the 1970s at #109 – it may not be a coincidence that the Famous Five series was on TV in that decade. Currently it is around the mid-200s, and I see the name Georgina quite often in birth notices.

Georgina is more popular in the UK, where it is #173 and falling, but doesn’t chart in the US. This gives it a rather “British” feel, although it’s used internationally, including in Spain, the Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe.

This is a stylish yet solid choice which has all the advantages of a classic name that doesn’t feel dated, without any popularity to worry about. It has a rather upper middle class image in Australia, but has a number of breezy, carefree nicknames to go by, including George, Georgie, Gia, Gina, Ginny, Gigi, and Nina.

POLL RESULTS
Georgina received a creditable approval rating of 73%. People saw the name Georgina as familiar without being common (21%), and stylish and classy (16%). However, 10% were put off the name by Gina Rinehart.

(Photo of Gina Rinehart from news.com.au)