Tag Archives: popular names

Choosing Between Two Baby Names

09 Sunday Jun 2013

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k-bigpicA lot of times, parents end up with two front-runners on their baby name list – both equally good choices, both equally loved. They’re usually fairly similar in style and popularity, which makes it harder to decide.

One of the most common questions used to search for the blog is choosing between two different names, so today I thought we would take one of these questions as an example of different ways you could use to make the choice between names. Not all of them will work for you, but hopefully at least one of them will make sense.

The names I’ve chosen are Sophia nn “Sophie” and Matilda nn “Tilly“, which are only four places apart in the 2012 NSW 100. For the purposes of the exercise, I’ve picked the surname Conway out of the phone book, and we will imagine that the middle name has to be Jane, after grandma. The baby’s siblings are named Audrey and William nn “Will“.

Check how each name sounds with the middle name and surname

Take your names on a road test by trying all possible combinations of each name, including nicknames and initials.

Sophia Jane, Sophia Conway, Sophia Jane Conway, Sophie Conway, S Conway, SJ Conway, SJC

OR

Matilda Jane, Matilda Conway, Matilda Jane Conway, Tilly Conway, M Conway, MJ Conway, MJC

Don’t just write them down on a piece of paper, say them aloud. Put them into sentences. Sophie, please set the table for dinner … Tilly, where were you? I was so worried! This road test from Baby Name Genie is quite good.

Call them out – Sophia, are you ready for school? Matilda Jane Conway, get in here this instant! (The usual advice seems to be to do this in a supermarket or playground, but where I live, this will get you called “the crazy woman who yelled at an imaginary person in the supermarket/playground” for the next forty years. Everyone else must have more open-minded supermarkets, or else they drive to another town to do it or something.)

Does one name appeal more than another when you say it out aloud? Do you prefer the smooth sound of Sophia Conway, or the perky lilt of Tilly Conway? Does Matilda Jane seem “right” to you, in a way that Sophia Jane doesn’t? Do the initials MJ bug you for some indefinable reason?

Check how each name sounds with the siblings

Audrey, William and Sophia

OR

Audrey, William and Matilda

Which one can you best imagine as Audrey and William’s baby sister? Can you see yourself saying, These are my children – Audrey, William and Sophia or My kids are called Audrey, Will and Tilly? Do Will and Tilly sound too much alike to your ears?

Popularity

If you care about popularity even a little (and let’s face it, most of us do), have a quick check of each name’s popularity. Not just how popular it is now, but whether it is becoming more or less popular.

Sophia is still climbing in popularity, while Matilda has begun to descend in the charts, although both names are fairly stable – Sophia rose only 1 place last year, while Matilda didn’t move.

While both names have a similar popularity, Sophia is likely to become more popular, and perhaps even reach #1, as it has in the United States. Matilda is unlikely to overtake its peak of #16, but will probably remain fairly popular for some time.

A lot of parents have a great anxiety about their baby’s name becoming “too popular” and reject names on an upward trajectory, but I think names rising in popularity are nothing to be afraid of. For girls especially, having a rising name seems to correlate with liking their own name a great deal.

In this case, they may not have too many years to have a rising name, as Sophia could peak fairly soon. You may want to take the nickname into account and consider the popularity of Sophie too.

In practice, parents are going to be more concerned about local popularity – if they know ten Matildas and no Sophias in their neighbourhood, Sophia is going to be more attractive to them, no matter what the charts say.

As we don’t have crystal balls or the ability to control other parents’ names choices, I think it’s wisest to educate ourselves about popularity, but not to fret over it.

Wait until the baby is born before deciding

This must be the most common piece of advice handed out to indecisive parents, and with good reason: a lot of the time it seems to work. Many parents seem able to instinctively feel that their baby looks like a particular name, and no other can be considered. They look at their daughter, and know at once she is a Matilda, and not a Sophia, and the question is settled.

It doesn’t work for everyone, or for every baby, so I would consider this a technique you would hope to work, rather than expect it to.

Flip a coin

This is another common piece of advice handed out when you need to make a decision. It’s not as silly as it sounds, because the important part is not whether you get heads or tails, but how the outcome makes you feel. In other words, the coin toss is just a way to gauge your gut reaction. You toss a coin, and you get heads, which means the name is Matilda. Do you feel a pang of loss that it isn’t Sophia? Were you secretly hoping it would be tails? Maybe your gut is telling you something.

Choose a third option

If you get all the way through this and you still can’t decide between Sophia and Matilda, chances are neither name is right. Maybe the perfect name has been staring you in the face the whole time, and you’ve been too distracted obsessing over Sophia and Matilda to notice it. Stop obsessing, and the right name might make itself known to you.

Things to consider

  • It’s fine to ask other people for their opinions, but don’t follow them blindly. Asking too many people may end up confusing you more, so it’s best to limit how many people you ask, and choose them wisely. The best people to talk to are those that ask you questions to help you understand your own feelings better, rather than people who just tell you their own opinions, and those who can share their own experiences, so you can learn what techniques worked for other people.
  • If you are hesitating about a name because of the middle name or the nickname, that’s something that might be easily fixed. For example, if Sophie as a nn for Sophia seems too common, you could always use Fia. If you think Tilly sounds odd next to a brother named Will, maybe Tilda or Matti is more pleasing to you (or you might just choose to be glad you didn’t nickname William “Billy”). If you don’t love Sophia Jane, perhaps you could add another middle and call her Sophia Violet Jane instead. Think about whether a particular issue can be changed to suit you better before you cross it off.
  • Trust your instincts. There’s no right or wrong answer, so go with what feels right to you. A name doesn’t have to tick every box to be the right one.
  • Don’t stress over the decision or over-think it. In the grander scheme of things, it doesn’t make a huge difference whether you pick Sophia or Matilda – they are both nice names. Since there isn’t a wrong choice to make, you might as well relax about it!

Have you ever had to choose between two names which both seemed perfect? How did you make a choice?

Waltzing with … Fletcher

02 Sunday Jun 2013

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Bounty-paintingBounty Day is on June 8th, and this year the festivities will be held on the 10th because it’s a weekend. Bounty Day is a major holiday on Norfolk Island, and celebrates the day that the descendants of the mutineers on the Bounty arrived on the island. The mutiny on the Bounty in 1789 is a tale which has often been told in books, movies, songs and TV shows, yet continues to be a subject of debate, with the relationship between Captain William Bligh and head mutineer Fletcher Christian at its centre.

There has been a tendency to portray Captain Bligh as a cruel tyrant who flogged his men into mutiny, but records show that his rule was generally mild and enlightened. For whatever reason, he and his master’s mate, Fletcher Christian, failed to get along. During the voyage, the ship’s crew enjoyed a lengthy stay on Tahiti, and its relaxed lifestyle seem to have made a return to naval discipline appear intolerable to the men; Bligh’s acid tongue, quick temper and insulting manner probably didn’t help.

Fletcher led the mutiny against Bligh while the ship was near Tonga, and took control of the Bounty, while Bligh and his loyalists were set afloat. The mutineers spent time in Tahiti, where Fletcher married Maimiti, the daughter of a local chief. From there, they kidnapped several of the locals and took them to Pitcairn Island, at that time uninhabited and incorrectly mapped. Once there, they sunk and burned the Bounty so that nobody could leave.

Perhaps they thought they had found an island paradise, but Pitcairn Island became plagued by murder, rape, slavery, alcoholism and insurrection. During one conflict, Fletcher Christian was reportedly killed, leaving behind his pregnant wife and their sons, Thursday October and Charles; his daughter Mary Ann was born after his death. Thursday and Charles are the ancestors of almost everyone with the surname Christian on Pitcairn and Norfolk Island, and the Christians are one of Norfolk Islands first families.

Norfolk Island was once a penal colony, and after the convicts had been repatriated to Tasmania, it was resettled in 1856 by people from Pitcairn Island, whose population (the descendants of mutineers and their Tahitian wives) had grown too large for it. Norfolk Island became part of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

[If you have been worried about Captain Bligh all this time – don’t be. That capable seaman navigated his way to Timor across 3618 nautical miles of sea in 47 days, and made his way back to England, where he reported the mutiny to the Admiralty. Later he was appointed Governor of New South Wales, where he must have rubbed people up the wrong way again, as the Rum Rebellion saw him arrested and imprisoned by the rebels. Once all that mess had been sorted out, he was promoted].

Fletcher is an English surname which is an occupational name for an arrowsmith, someone who makes arrows. The word is derived from the Old French fleche, meaning “arrow”. It takes a great deal of skill to make arrows correctly, and during medieval times, the role of the fletcher became highly respected and well-paid.

The Fletchers trace their descent from Jean de la Fleche, a Norman noble who was granted lands in Yorkshire by William the Conqueror. Jean’s descendant, Sir Bernard Fletcher, moved to Scotland, where he was granted lands by King David I. The Fletchers forged strong relationships with the Campbells, the Stewarts and the McGregors; one of the Fletchers is said to have saved the life of Rob Roy McGregor when he was wounded. The Fletcher line continued their involvement in arrowsmithing for royalty and the nobility for several centuries.

The most famous Australian with the first name Fletcher is probably Sir (David) Fletcher Jones, the son of a Cornish miner who started his own highly successful menswear business in the 1920s. Fletcher Jones is credited with transforming men’s fashion in Australia, which gives this name a conservative, yet stylish, feel.

Fletcher began charting in New South Wales in the 1990s, when it debuted at #365. It peaked in 2009 at #156, and is currently stable at #178. Fletcher is #152 in Victoria, and is significantly more popular in Tasmania, where it is in the Top 100 at #56.

Given the connection between the islands of Pitcairn, Norfolk and Tasmania, it seems apt that Fletcher Christian’s forename should be most popular there. Another Tasmanian connection to the name is that Errol Flynn’s first film role was playing Fletcher Christian in In the Wake of the Bounty.

The name Fletcher is more popular in Australia than elsewhere – in the US, Fletcher is #790 and rising, and in the UK it is #253 and rising.

As surnames for boys become ever more popular, Fletcher is another which seems as if it has plenty of room for growth. The flipside to Archer, it connects us to an enigmatic adventurer who founded an island dynasty, and continues to haunt our imaginations.

POLL RESULT: Fletcher received an approval rating of 88%. 32% of people liked it, and 28% loved it.

The #1 Names in Regional Australia

01 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in Name Data

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First, a quick reminder of the top names in Australia:

  • National – Charlotte and Jack
  • New South Wales – Ruby and William
  • Victoria – Olivia and Jack
  • Queensland – Charlotte and Jack
  • South Australia – Charlotte and Jack
  • Western Australia – Charlotte and Noah
  • Tasmania – Ruby and Jack
  • Australian Capital Territory – Charlotte and Jack
  • Northern Territory – Chloe and William

And these are the top names in different regions, reported by several local newspapers

Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, New South Wales

  • Girls: Evie and Sophie
  • Boys: Max

Orange and the Central West, New South Wales

  • Girls: Lily/Lilly
  • Boys: Lachlan and Noah

Tamworth, New South Wales

  • Girls: Charlotte, Ella, Isabelle, Lily and Kate
  • Boys: Bailey, Connor, Cooper, Harrison and Hunter

Albury-Wodonga, New South Wales/Victoria

  • Girls: Zoe
  • Boys: Patrick

Bacchus Marsh and Melton, Victoria

  • Girls: Ruby
  • Boys: Jaxon and Levi

Ballarat, Victoria

  • Girls: Amelia
  • Boys: Jack

Sunshine Coast, Queensland

  • Girls: Ava
  • Boys: Jack

Warwick and the Southern Downs, Queensland

  • Girls: Alayna, Grace and Willow
  • Boys: Declan

Caboolture, Queensland

  • Girls: Ruby
  • Boys: William

Cairns, Queensland

  • Girls: Ella, Ava and Sophie
  • Boys: Thomas, George and Liam

Hobart and the Southern Coast, Tasmania

  • Girls: Charlotte and Ruby
  • Boys: Oliver and William

Devonport and the North-West Coast, Tasmania

  • Girls: Ruby
  • Boys: Lucas and Oliver

Famous Name: Ruby

29 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in Famous Names

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6da7f547404dd4d8481fbb78ea9b6745Yesterday was the birthday of Ruby Payne-Scott, who was born 101 years ago in 1912, and a pioneer in radio physics and radio astronomy, as well as an advocate for women’s rights. Her extraordinary scientific mind became obvious early in life, when she entered the University of Sydney aged just 16, where she graduated with double first-class honours in mathematics and physics, and won the mathematics prize, as well as gaining a scholarship in physics. She was the third female graduate in physics at the university.

The Depression wasn’t a good time to be job-searching, but Ruby found work at the Cancer Research Institute where she completed her masters thesis on radiation. After a brief stint of teaching, she applied to Australian Wireless Amalgamated, a huge company that ran all the wireless services, and was the first woman they hired in a research capacity. AWA weren’t keen on hiring women at all, even as cleaners or typists, but they took Ruby on as librarian; she was soon a full-time research physicist.

During World War II, she was one of a group of young engineers from AWA hired by the government to conduct research on a secret new defensive weapons system – radar. She came into close contact with group leader Joseph Pawsey, and both became fascinated with reports of extra-terrestrial radio signals; they conducted the first experiment in radio astronomy in the southern hemisphere in 1944. After the war, she was one of a team at the CSIR (later the CSIRO) formed to survey “cosmic static” from astronomical objects. As a result, Australia became a global leader in radio astronomy, with Ruby the first female radio astronomer in the world.

Ruby was feisty and self-confident, very outspoken about her political views, which were that women should be equal to men, and scientific research should be independent. This got her labelled a communist, and “loud and unstable”, but she continued to press for equal treatment.

One thing she kept quiet was that she had married a telephone mechanic named Bill Hall in 1944, because until 1966, married women were expected to resign from the public service, and could not be employed on a permanent basis. When news of her marriage got out in 1950, she was reduced to temporary status and lost her pension and other benefits. She was forced to resign in 1951 when she became pregnant with her first child, and with no maternity leave or childcare, her brilliant career ended at the age of 39.

By the standards of her day, Ruby had it all. A highly-paid and rewarding scientific career, outside interests which included bushwalking and home renovation, a happy marriage, two children (who grew up to be a renowned mathematician and a distinguished artist), and, when her children were older, a return to teaching, where she was greatly admired by students who had no idea of her earlier achievements.

In her honour, the CSIRO initiated the Payne-Scott Awards to support researchers who need to take time off after the birth of a child. She was a bright star in her field, and because of Ruby and women like her, it’s possible to want equal pay, and the choice to work and have a family without being called a loud, unstable communist.

Ruby is a precious gemstone which is a variety of the mineral corundum, and comes in a range of red colours (when corundum is blue, it is called Sapphire). Its name comes from ruber, the Latin for “red”, and the most valuable rubies have the deepest red colour with a hint of blue. For centuries the main source of rubies was Myanmar (Burma), and today most rubies are either from Burma or Thailand. Rubies have always been especially valued in Asia, where they are seen as bringing good fortune.

Ruby has been used as a girl’s name since at least the 17th century, but was used as a pet form of Reuben since the Middle Ages. When Ruby was established as a girl’s name, it was sometimes given to boys, perhaps after the surname, which can come from the town of Roubaix in Normandy; its name means “stream on the plain”. Another possibility for the surname is that it is from the town of Roby in Lancashire, meaning “settlement by the boundary marker” in Old Norse. Ruby became popular for girls in the 19th century, when other gemstone names were fashionable.

Ruby was #21 in the 1900s, and had left the Top 100 by the 1930s. It disappeared from the charts between the 1950s and the 1970s, but came back in the 1980s at #548. One of the 1980s-born Rubys is model and TV host Ruby Rose, born Ruby Rose Lagenheim.

Ruby zoomed up the charts at such a dizzying speed that by 1996 it was already in the Top 100, debuting at #75. By 1998 it was in the Top 50 at #44, and by 2003 it was #20. Ruby made her Top 10 début in 2010, at #2, and last year she was #1. According to this article, Ruby is particularly popular on the Central Coast and in Newcastle.

Currently Ruby is #1 in New South Wales, #3 in Victoria, #3 in Queensland, #2 in South Australia, #3 in Western Australia, #1 in Tasmania, #4 in the Northern Territory and #2 in the Australian Capital Territory. Nationally Ruby is #2.

When a new baby was added to the Rafter family on popular family drama, Packed to the Rafters, she was named Ruby, and one of the babies portraying the character is also named Ruby. In fiction and real life, Ruby is big news.

Last year, Ruby was the name most commonly searched for to reach my blog, and no wonder people love it, because it’s a warm, vibrant name that is womanly yet spunky. However, it’s certainly had some detractors along the road to massive popularity.

It’s been called an old lady name, a hooker name, a trashy name … but the one that irritates me the most is when people refer to Ruby as a “dumb girl” name. I even saw one online pundit prophesy that your daughter would not get a degree if she was named Ruby!

Ruby Scott-Payne is proof that you can be named Ruby, and get as many degrees as you want. A Ruby can be brainy, bright, brilliant, strong, smart, sassy … and she can reach for the stars.

More information on Ruby Payne-Scott can be gained by reading her in-depth biography – Under the Radar: The First Woman in Radio Astronomy, Ruby Payne-Scott by William Miller Goss and Richard X. McGee

POLL RESULT: Ruby received an approval rating of 66%. People saw the name Ruby as cute and spunky (25%), but also thought it was too popular (20%). Nobody thought the name Ruby sounded like a “stripper name”.

(Picture is a detail from a poster featuring Ruby Payne-Scott designed by Amy Blue; by clicking on this link, you can “appreciate” the picture, or “like” it on Facebook etc)

Famous Name: Chelsea

22 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in Famous Names

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article-2327391-19E40B7A000005DC-627_964x610Australian horticultural team, Flemings, have made history by taking out the top prize at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show this year. It is the first time anyone from Australia has ever won Best in Show.

The winning garden is a landscape showing a gorge with giant boulders, ferns, wildflowers, and a billabong fed by a series of waterfalls. Overlooking it is a studio in the shape of a giant waratah flower, and the accompanying soundtrack is a chorus of Australian frogs. The garden promotes sustainability by collecting rainwater run-off and being powered by solar panels.

The judges were unanimous in voting for Flemings’ Trailfinders Australian Garden, designed by Phillip Johnson, and it was praised for its lush greenery, exuberant spirit and environmental message. Flemings will go out on a high, as this is their last year at Chelsea.

2013 is the centenary year of the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show (although the Society have been holding spring flower shows since the 1830s). More than a hundred thousand people visit the Chelsea Flower Show each year, with many chances of celebrity-spotting, and royal-spotting, as the royal family are patrons of the Show.

Chelsea is a district of West London which began as a Saxon village some miles from the town of London. The name of the area is from the Old English for “chalk wharf”, indicating a landing place for boats on the River Thames, and suggesting that it was used for the shipment of chalk.

The Manor of Chelsea is first mentioned in the Domesday Book as being a gift to the Abbot of Westminster during Anglo-Saxon times. King Henry VIII acquired the manor, and two of his wives lived at the manor house, as well as his daughter Elizabeth, destined to be Queen Elizabeth I. By the 17th century, it was a popular locale for the ultra-wealthy, and called “a village of palaces”, but still rural in nature, serving London as a market garden until the 19th century.

Chelsea gained a bohemian reputation in the 19th century, when it was an artist’s colony for painters such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti and poets such as Leigh Hunt. The area around around Cheyne Walk was the heart of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Right into the first decades of the twentieth century, it was a place for radicals, artists, poets and bohemians.

Oscar Wilde began his career living in an artistic boarding house in Chelsea and feminist activist Sylvia Pankhurst had a house on Cheyne Walk. The occult Order of the Golden Dawn had members active in the area, including Pamela Colman Smith, who painted the designs for the Rider-Waite tarot cards.

However, it was the era of Swinging London in the 1960s and 1970s that really put Chelsea in the public consciousness as a cool place to be. This was centred around the King’s Road, where you could find groovy psychedelic fashion boutiques that catered to super-slim model Twiggy and the Rolling Stones.

The Chelsea Drugstore was a hip hangout that combined a pharmacy with a record store and a soda fountain; it features in the lyrics of Rolling Stones hit, You Can’t Always Get What You Want. In the 1970s, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren ran their boutique SEX, which became a focal point for the punk movement; habitués of the store were formed by McLaren into punk band The Sex Pistols.

The hipness of Chelsea rapidly faded. Today it is inhabited by more investment bankers than avant-garde painters, you’re more likely to shop at The Gap in the King’s Road than a crazy boutique, and The Chelsea Drugstore has been replaced by a McDonalds.

Chelsea is first found as a personal name in the United States during the late 18th century, and was given equally to boys and girls. There is a city near Boston named Chelsea (named after the place in London), and the Battle of Chelsea Creek was fought here in 1775 during the American Revolution. American forces made one of their first captures of a British ship, which was a great boost to their morale. Perhaps Chelsea was originally given as a name in honour of this battle.

During the 19th century, Chelsea was much more commonly given to boys and in the first half of the 20th century, numbers of boys and girls named Chelsea became more even. It was in the 1960s, at the height of (London) Chelsea’s chicness, that the pendulum swung and Chelsea became overwhelmingly feminine.

In 1969, Chelsea made the US charts, debuting at #707. This was the same year that Joni Mitchell released Chelsea Morning – this time inspired by Chelsea in New York City, also named after Chelsea in London.

The song describes Mitchell’s room in Chelsea, with light filtering through a stained glass mobile. As the song has the phrase Wake up pretty baby in it, it probably helped cement Chelsea as feminine, although the name had been heading there anyway. Bill and Hillary Clinton named their daughter Chelsea after Mitchell’s song.

Chelsea first charted in Australia in the 1970s, debuting at #337. By the 1990s it was in the Top 100, where it remains to this day. Chelsea peaked in 2009 at #26, and since then has been gradually declining. Currently it is #34 in New South Wales, #47 in Victoria, #29 in Queensland, #42 in South Australia, #33 in Western Australia, #42 in Tasmania and #48 in the Australian Capital Territory, so it has yet to move out of the Top 50 in any state.

Australians have had an enduring affection for Chelsea unmatched by any other country, for it left the US Top 100 in 1999, and the UK Top 100 in 2005. (In both countries, it quickly fell, and is now around the #200 mark).

I’m not sure why, but for some reason, Chelsea seems to suit Australian conditions. Perhaps the -sea on the end subconsciously reminds us of the beach? There is a Chelsea in Australia too – a seaside suburb of Melbourne which does happen to have a beach.

Like the district of London, the name Chelsea has moved firmly into the mainstream and become a modern classic. It’s a simple, friendly and unpretentious choice which isn’t frilly or fussy.

POLL RESULT: Chelsea received an approval rating of 41%. People saw Chelsea as downmarket (21%), but also pretty or cute (15%). 13% of people could not shake the association with Chelsea Football Club and/or Chelsea buns. Only one person thought Chelsea could still be used as a boys name.

(Picture shows the winning garden at the Chelsea Flower Show; photo from The Daily Mail)

Girls Names from the Top 100 of the 1910s

19 Sunday May 2013

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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P04233.001Amy

Amy is the English form of the Old French name Amée, meaning “beloved”; it’s a form of the Latin name Amata. It was in use in the Middle Ages, and revived in the 19th century. Amy was #32 in the 1900s, and by the following decade had sunk to #58, leaving the Top 100 in the 1920s. Amy disappeared from the charts between 1940 and 1960, but soared in popularity to make the Top 100 in the 1970s, and peaked in the 1980s at #8; by the 1990s it had only dropped one place. Amy had a very gentle decline, and left the Top 100 in 2011, but last year rallied and made #89, showing that there is life in this name yet. No wonder Amy has remained such a favourite – it’s a simple, unpretentious name with a nice meaning, and possesses appealing fictional namesakes from Little Women‘s Amy March to Doctor Who‘s Amelia “Amy” Pond.

Enid

Enid is a Welsh name meaning “soul”. In medieval Welsh legend, Enid is the wife of Geraint, a warrior king who is one of King Arthur’s men. Due to a silly misunderstanding, Geraint believes Enid has been unfaithful, and drags her off on a dangerous journey where she is not allowed to speak to him. Sensible Enid ignores this request, as she often has to warn him of approaching danger. Somehow this road trip from hell doesn’t put Enid off her husband, and in the end the two lovebirds are reconciled. Lord Tennyson turned the legend into two poems for his Idylls of the King, which brought the name to the attention of literature-loving Victorians. Enid was #64 in the 1900s, #49 for the 1910s, and peaked in the 1920s at #40. It left the Top 100 in the 1940s, and hasn’t charted since the 1950s. The most famous Australian Enid is Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman elected to the House of Representatives. Strong yet sweet, and sounding like an anagram of Eden, this is a clunky old-style name which deserves revival.

Gertrude

Gertrude is a Germanic name meaning “spear of strength”. It was used amongst medieval German nobility and royalty, and Saint Gertrude was one of the great mystics of the 13th century. The name probably didn’t become well known in Britain until the 15th century, due to immigration from the Netherlands. Shakespeare used it for the Danish queen in Hamlet, giving it a stamp of approval as an English name. The name seems to have been more common in Australia amongst Catholics, due to its saintly namesake. Gertrude was #54 in the 1900s, #87 in the 1910s, and had left the Top 100 by the 1920s. It hasn’t charted since the 1930s – a very steep decline. However, I feel that this dignified name could have a slight revival, and would make a very hip and cutting-edge choice. The nicknames Gertie and Trudy seem cute and usable.

Helen

Helen is a name of Greek derivation whose meaning has been much debated. Often translated as “light”, “torch” or “the shining one”, the name may be related to a Sanskrit name meaning “swift”. The name is forever connected to its original namesake, Helen of Troy, a woman of staggering beauty. In Greek mythology, Helen was the daughter of Zeus, who came to her mother Leda in the guise of a swan, so that Helen was born from an egg. Married to King Menelaus of Sparta, she was carried off by Prince Paris of Troy, sparking the Trojan War to avenge her abduction, causing no end of trouble for all involved. Famous Helens include singer Helen Reddy, novelist Helen Garner, and opera star Dame Helen “Nellie” Melba. Helen has never left the charts; #77 in the 1900s, it was #71 in the 1910s and peaked in the 1940s at #4. A long-time favourite, it didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1980s. It reached its lowest point in 2009 at #554, and since then has taken a slight upward turn, making #355 in 2011. With names such as Eleanor and Elena gaining rapidly in popularity, and retro nicknames Nell and Nellie becoming fashionable, classic Helen looks like it has plenty of room for growth.

Joan

Joan is the English form of the Old French name Johanne, a feminine form of Johannes, which is the Latin form of the Greek name Ioannes, from the Hebrew name Yehochanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious”. The English form of Johannes is John, and Joan is also a Spanish form of John. Joan was introduced to Britain by the Normans, and it was used amongst royalty and the nobility during the Middle Ages. Later it became less common, and had a revival in the 19th century. It is well known from Saint Joan of Arc, the visionary military leader, whose French name is Jeanne d’Arc. Famous Joans include Joan Lindsay, who wrote Picnic at Hanging Rock and opera star Dame Joan Sutherland. Joan was #152 for the 1900s, shot up to make #28 for the 1910s, and peaked in the 1920s at #2. It didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1960s, and hasn’t been on the charts since the 1970s. For many years, Joan’s image was stout and sensible, but since Mad Men came to our TV screens, Joan Holloway has given it a stylish and sassy edge.

Mavis

Mavis is an English dialect word meaning “song thrush”; it is related to the French word mauvis and appears in literature as a poetic word for the bird. The word was in rare use as a girl’s name, but massively popularised by its use in Marie Corelli’s 1895 novel, The Sorrows of Satan. Although panned by the critics, it is considered the world’s first best-seller. Mavis was #85 in the 1900s, #16 by the 1910s, and peaked in the 1920s at #14. It left the Top 100 in the 1940s, and hasn’t charted since the 1950s. Mavis seems to have been a real Australian favourite, because it was more popular here than in Britain, and much more popular than in the US. In the 1960s, pioneering TV series, The Mavis Bramston Show, set the tone for Australian sketch comedy (a “Mavis Bramston” was theatre slang for an actress who was a pain in the backside). Australian band The Mavis’s were named after a cat. Mavis was a fresh, pretty name in the 1910s, and I think it can be again. It sounds very much like Maeve, and its associations with spring time and bird song are lovely.

Minnie

Minnie can be used as a short form of many different names – Mary, Amelia, Wilhelmina, Minerva, Hermione, or anything similar – and has long been used as an independent name. Famous fictional Minnies include Disney sweetheart Minnie Mouse, the Beano‘s tomboyish Minnie the Minx, and Cab Calloway’s jazzy Minnie the Moocher. These lively vintage creations make Minnie seem appealing, mischievous and off-beat; you can’t imagine a Minnie being tame or dull. Minnie was #56 in the 1900s, and by the 1910s was #100; it hasn’t ranked since the 1940s. With other vintage nicknames like Millie in vogue, piquant Minnie seems more than ready for a comeback.

Olga

Olga is the Russian form of the Scandinavian name Helga, meaning “holy, blessed”. Saint Olga was a 10th century Russian saint and princess, and the first Russian ruler to convert to Christianity. She didn’t convert until she was quite elderly, and before that she was a fierce ruler and brutal military leader. The name Olga was used by the Russian imperial family, and Mount Olga in the Northern Territory is named after Queen Olga of Württemberg, a daughter of Nicholas I of Russia. Olga was #88 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1910s at #60. It left the Top 100 in the 1930s, and last charted in the 1980s. I am not sure why Olga became such a trend in this decade; I can only think it had something to do with the Russian Imperial Family, who would have often been in the news during World War I, and who were overthrown in 1917. Today we might connect the name to actress Olga Kurylenko, who played Bond girl Camille in Quantum of Solace and recently appeared in Oblivion. On Nancy’s Baby Names, people debated whether Olga was a “horrid” name; although some find it ugly, others could find it clunky and hip. This would be a bold choice which still seems exotic.

Stella

Stella is the Latin for “star”, and it was created as a name by 16th century poet Sir Philip Sydney in his sonnet sequence Astrophel and Stella. It is believed that Stella was inspired by real-life noblewoman Lady Penelope Rich, so endowed with dark-eyed, golden-haired beauty that it was practically mandatory for the poets of the day to fall in love with her (or pretend to), and dash off poems in her honour. Apparently unmoved by their literary efforts, she instead chose as her lover a handsome, wealthy and ruthless baron. Perhaps Sydney saw Lady Rich like a distant star – beautiful, glittering, cold, and unattainable. Stella wouldn’t have seemed too crazy as a name, because the Old French name Estelle is based on the Latin stella, and had been in use since the Middle Ages, and the Virgin Mary had for centuries been known as Stella Maris (“Star of the Sea”). Stella is a classic name in Australia. It was #48 in the 1900s, and #70 in the 1910s; by the 1920s it had left the Top 100. It reached its lowest point in the 1980s at #563, and since then has mostly climbed, reaching the Top 100 in the late 2000s. It is currently #52 in New South Wales, and still rising. You can understand why parents continue to use this pretty, star-like name, which fits in with the trend for -ella names.

Veronica

Veronica is a Latin form of the Greek name Berenice, which means “bringing victory”; the spelling was altered to make it seem as if it was based on the Latin phrase vera icon, meaning “true icon”. Saint Veronica is a legendary saint who is said to have been so moved to pity when she saw Jesus on his way to Calvary that she wiped his face with her veil. By a miracle, the image of his face was impressed upon it, and this cloth could then be used to heal the sick, or even bring the dead back to life. This legend, which comes from the Eastern church, was very popular in the Middle Ages, and several of these veils were venerated as holy relics until their cult was suppressed. Veronica was first used as a girl’s name in Italy, and spread from there. In Australia, Veronica was #63 for the 1900s and #69 for the 1910s; it didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1950s. It has never stopped charting, and is currently at its lowest point yet – #356. Veronica has something of a glamorous image. Hollywood femme fatale Veronica Lake lent her name to Veronica Lodge from the Archie comics, with the comics themselves suggesting that “a Veronica” was a stunning high-maintenance girl. This was picked up by 1980s mean girls cult flick Heathers, with Winona Ryder as Veronica, and Australian girl band The Veronicas called themselves after Ryder’s character. This is an underused classic which seems sophisticated, with dark undertones.

POLL RESULT: People’s favourite names were Stella, Helen, and Minnie, and their least favourite were Gertrude, Joan, and Olga.  

(Photo is of Australian World War I nurses; standing at the back on the right is Sister Constance Keys, who was mentioned in the post on Gallipoli. These nurses received military decorations for their heroism, and all made it back to Australia at the end of the war)

Popular Australian Names and Their US Chart Positions

16 Thursday May 2013

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The flipside to the previous article.

GIRLS

Already Left the Top 100

  • #84 Amber – #260 (last on Top 100 in 2004)
  • #68 Amy – #144 (last on Top 100 in 1998)
  • #95 Angelina – #132 (last on Top 100 in 2010)
  • #85 Caitlin – #442 (last on Top 100 in 2001)
  • #31 Chelsea – #233 (last on Top 100 in 1998)
  • #76 Heidi – #334 (last on Top 100 in 1983)
  • #48 Holly – #424 (last on Top 100 in 1992)
  • #69 Jade – #112 (last on Top 100 in 2002)
  • #33 Jessica – #138 (last on Top 100 in 2010)
  • #70 Mikayla – #238 (last on Top 100 in 1999)
  • #54 Paige – #105 (last on Top 100 in 2010)

Still Rising Toward the Top 100

  • #52 Charlie – #305
  • #73 Eden – #164
  • #96 Elise – #151
  • #86 Eloise – #364
  • #93 Josephine – #160
  • #18 Isla – #230
  • #22 Ivy – #187
  • #59 Mila – #115
  • #90 Olive – #368
  • #58 Phoebe – #303
  • #2 Ruby – #106
  • #44 Willow – #171

Possibly Rising Toward the Top 100

  • #91 Amelie – #631
  • #71 Eliza – #224
  • #23 Evie – #602
  • #37 Georgia – #298
  • #72 Lola – #848
  • #75 Lara – #231
  • #66 Madeleine – #288
  • #94 Mariam – #620
  • #21 Matilda – #658
  • #63 Rose – #261
  • #92 Skye – #448
  • #32 Zara – #556

Falling Without Reaching the Top 100

  • #82 Eve – #558
  • #49 Hayley – #463
  • #98 Lacey – #493
  • #30 Lilly – #110
  • #27 Maddison – #350
  • #13 Sienna – #241
  • #29 Summer – #176

In Rare Use

  • #97 Ebony – 93 births (last charted 2005)
  • #45 Imogen – 111 births (never charted)
  • #64 Indiana – 33 births (last charted in 1893)
  • ? Milla – 135 births (never charted)
  • #57 Poppy – 171 births (never charted)
  • #77 Tahlia – 108 births (never charted)

BOYS

Already Left the Top 100

  • #80 Ashton – #141(last on Top 100 in 2004)
  • #68 Edward – #157 (last on Top 100 in 1997)
  • #71 George – #166 (last on Top 100 in 1992)
  • #52 Hayden – #109 (last on Top 100 in 2011)
  • #39 Jake – #153 (last on Top 100 in 2004)
  • #91 Jesse – #151 (last on Top 100 in 2005)
  • #73 Marcus – #149 (last on Top 100 in 2000)
  • #17 Max – #105 (last on Top 100 in 2011)
  • #45 Mitchell – #463 (last on Top 100 in 1997)
  • #42 Patrick – #142 (last on Top 100 in 2004)
  • #16 Riley – #133 (last on Top 100 in 2002 – still Top 100 for girls)

Still Rising Toward the Top 100

  • #62 Archer – #404
  • #58 Beau – #311
  • #31 Braxton – #125
  • #19 Charlie – #233
  • #84 Declan – #143
  • #65 Finn – #291
  • #22 Harrison – #181
  • #77 Jasper – #264
  • #61 Kai – #195
  • #54 Leo – #134
  • #67 Lincoln – #132
  • #74 Luca – #223
  • #100 Muhammad – #467

Possibly Rising Toward the Top 100

  • #97 Ali – #358
  • #94 Callum – #810
  • #41 Flynn – #692
  • #76 Hugo – #436
  • #78 Toby – #672

Falling Without Reaching the Top 100

  • #30 Harry– #718
  • #21 Oscar – #177

In Rare Use

  • #57 Angus – 83 births (last charted 1948)
  • #46 Archie – 93 births (last charted 1988)
  • #75 Bailey – 121 births (last charted 2009, Top 100 for girls)
  • #85 Darcy – 9 births (last charted for boys 1970, more common for girls)
  • #72 Hamish – 15 births (never charted)
  • #10 Lachlan – 183 births (never charted)
  • #56 Nate – 101 births (never charted)
  • #90 Zac – 73 births (never charted)

Famous Names: Asher and Hamish

16 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Famous Names

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4615398-16x9-512x288Last month the Logie Awards were held to honour those deemed most excellent or most popular in the TV industry (the public votes on the “popular” categories via the TV Week website). The Gold Logie for most popular personality on Australian television overall went to actress Asher Keddie, for her work in popular thirty-something drama Offspring (she also won Most Popular Actress).

Comedian Hamish Blake won the Gold Logie last year, but this year had to be satisfied with Most Popular TV Presenter, for Hamish and Andy’s Euro Gap Year and Hamish and Andy’s Caravan of Courage: Australia vs New Zealand.

We’ve already seen Asher Keddie and Hamish Blake on the blog before – Asher for her award-winning role playing Ita Buttrose, and we covered Hamish’s surname, Blake, a year ago. So this seemed like a good opportunity to cover both their first names.

In the Bible, Asher is one of the sons of Jacob and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Because Asher’s mother is said to be one of Jacob’s handmaids, rather than one of his wives, some scholars believe this means the tribe of Asher had non-Israelite origins, of which there is some evidence from outside sources.

The tribe of Asher was believed to be especially blessed, for they were very wealthy, produced an abundance of sons and beautiful daughters, and had a reputation for great wisdom. This fits very well with the Hebrew meaning of Asher given in the Bible: “happy, blessed, fortunate”.

However, meanings of names given in the Old Testament are nearly always just folk etymology, and Asher may be named after Asherah, the Semitic mother goddess; she was worshipped as the consort of Yahweh before the Israelites became monotheistic. Her ancient name may mean “straight, upright”, with reference to trees, or “holy place, shrine”, or perhaps “lady”. It is pronounced uh-SHEER-uh.

Another possibility is that Asher is after the East Semitic god Ashur, which means “the whole of heaven”. He was the major Assyrian deity, and seems to have been a god of the weather – both sunshine and tempests.

An interesting theory put forward is that the tribe of Asher descended from the Uash people, one of the mysterious Peoples of the Sea who were seafaring raiders. As nobody is quite sure where the Uash people came from (they may have been Trojans), I doubt that the meaning of their name is even known.

So quite a range of attractive meanings to choose from, and quite possibly the real meaning is so ancient and mysterious as to be unknowable.

Although usually listed as a boy’s name, in Australia the name Asher is unisex, and in Victoria at least (Asher Keddie’s home state), is given fairly equally to boys and girls (it is #168 for boys and #195 for girls).

Apart from Ms Keddie herself, another reason for its unisex status here is that in an Australian accent, this is said the same way as the girl’s Asha. And if you believe the name Asher is related to Asherah, then it has a feminine meaning.

Hamish is an Anglicised form of Seumas, the Scottish form of James, and obviously based on the Irish form of the name, Séamas. The Scottish pronunciation SHAY-mas is similar to how Hamish is said – HAY-mish. (Hamish shouldn’t remind you of ham any more than James reminds you of jam).

Apart from all the famous Hamishes (on the blog alone we have already had Hamish Blake, Hamish Rosser and Hamish McLachlan) there are several Hamishes in fiction, including Hamish Campbell in Braveheart, and TV detective Hamish Macbeth, played by Robert Carlyle. Another detective connection is that Hamish is the middle name of Dr. John Watson, Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick.

Hamish first charted in Australia in the 1950s, and from the 1980s onwards, rose steadily to make the Top 100 in the early 2000s. It peaked in 2010 at #60, and since then has been on a decline. Currently it is #85 in New South Wales, #58 in Victoria, #77 in Queensland, #28 in Tasmania and #67 in the Australian Capital Territory.

Apart from its obvious Scottish heritage associations, Hamish is often seen as a rather upper class name in Australia. It’s still popular, and outside New South Wales at least, is probably set to have a fairly gentle decline.

POLL RESULT: Hamish received an approval rating of 81%, and Asher a slightly higher approval rating of 83%. This makes Hamish and Asher two of the most highly-rated names of the year.

(Photo is of Asher Keddie with her Logie)

Popular US Names and Their Australian Chart Positions

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in Name Data

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You probably noticed in the previous article there were a lot of names from the US Top 100 which can’t be found on the Australian Top 100. Here’s where the “missing” names from the United States appear on the Australian charts, and their popularity status.

BOYS

Already Left Top 100

  • #51 Aaron – just left Top 100 in NSW, #97 in Vic
  • #60 Adrian – #157 in NSW, #160 in Vic (last on Top 100 in early 2000s)
  • #56 Brandon – #183 in NSW, #207 in Vic (last on Top 100 in early 2000s)
  • #39 Brayden – #140 in NSW, #205 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 2008)
  • #97 Damian – #426 in NSW, #435 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 1970s)
  • #40 Gavin – #537 in NSW, #533 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 1980s)
  • #78 Ian – #262 in NSW, #274 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 1980s)
  • #76 Jason – #133 in NSW, #132 in Vic (last on Top 100 in early 2000s)
  • #74 Justin – #102 in NSW, #146 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 2010)
  • #67 Kevin – #174 in NSW, #180 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 1990s)
  • #61 Robert – #107 in NSW, #182 in Vic (last on Top 100 in early 2000s)
  • #89 Tristan – #123 in NSW, #158 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 2008)

Still Rising Toward the Top 100

  • #42 Isaiah – #129 in NSW, #136 in Vic
  • #52 Jeremiah – #221 in NSW, #539 in Vic
  • #79 Josiah – #233 in NSW, #349 in Vic
  • #53 Julian – #114 in NSW, #102 in Vic
  • #84 Nathaniel – #122 in NSW, #113 in Vic

Falling Without Reaching the Top 100

  • #69 Ayden – #172 in NSW, #174 in Vic
  • #91 Brody – #144 in NSW, #169 in Vic
  • #47 Evan – #130 in NSW, #127 in Vic

Possibly Rising

  • #75 Bentley – #185 in Vic
  • #36 Carter – #140 in Vic
  • #99 Kayden – #194 in Vic
  • #80 Parker – #189 in Vic
  • #41 Wyatt – #252 in Vic

In Rare Use

  • #95 Carlos – #519 in Vic
  • #65 Colton – #384 in Vic
  • #86 Jace – #489 in Vic
  • #34 Landon – #543 in Vic
  • #90 Luis – #618 in Vic

Never Charted in Australia

  • #57 Angel (only charts as a girl’s name)
  • #94 Bryson
  • #87 Carson
  • #96 Easton
  • #72 Jose
  • #92 Juan
  • #88 Nolan

GIRLS

Already Left Top 100

  • #38 Allison – uncharted in NSW, #401 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 1970s)
  • #50 Ashley – just left the Top 100 in NSW, #158 in Vic
  • #51 Brianna – #173 in NSW, #222 in Vic (last on Top 100 in late 2000s)
  • #80 Caroline – #495 in NSW, #330 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 1970s)
  • #65 Julia – #211 in NSW, #153 in Vic (last on Top 100 in early 2000s)
  • #64 Katherine – #168 in NSW, #207 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 1990s)
  • #59 Kylie – uncharted in NSW and Vic (last on Top 100 in 1980s)
  • #96 Madeline – just left Top 100 in NSW, #82 in Vic
  • #77 Melanie #473 in NSW, #491 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 1990s)
  • #81 Naomi – #152 in NSW, #169 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 1990s)
  • #17 Natalie – just left Top 100 in NSW, #91 in Vic
  • #46 Taylor – #108 in NSW, #163 in Vic (last on Top 100 in 2010)

Still Rising Toward the Top 100

  • #75 Faith – #125 in NSW, #146 in Vic
  • #34 Kaylee – #167 in NSW, #208 in Vic

Never Reached Top 100

  • #99 Andrea – #331 in NSW, #362 in Vic
  • #92 Jocelyn – #536 in NSW, uncharted in Vic
  • #88 Kimberly – uncharted in NSW and Vic
  • #95 Lydia – #282 in NSW, #227 in Vic
  • #69 Makayla – #128 in NSW, uncharted in Vic

Possibly Rising

  • #57 Alexa – #173 in Vic
  • #74 Ariana – #145 in Vic
  • #29 Brooklyn – #281 in Vic
  • #32 Hailey – #188 in Vic
  • #55 Khloe – #261 in Vic
  • #39 Nevaeh – #149 in Vic
  • #53 Peyton – #217 in Vic
  • #93 Trinity – #250 in Vic
  • #20 Zoey – #186 in Vic

In Rare Use

  • #15 Aubrey – #604 in Vic
  • #68 Autumn – #511 in Vic
  • #13 Avery – #443 in Vic
  • #79 Bailey – #316 in Vic (in Top 100 for boys)
  • #94 London – #456 in Vic
  • #67 Madelyn – #380 in Vic
  • #82 Morgan – #465 in Vic (more popular for boys)
  • #47 Riley – #539 in Vic (in Top 100 for boys)
  • #78 Sydney – #593 in Vic

Never Charted in Australia

  • #49 Arianna
  • #60 Aubree
  • #48 Camila
  • #56 Genesis
  • #73 Gianna
  • #83 Kennedy
  • #97 Reagan
  • #58 Serenity
  • #87 Skylar

Popular Here and There: Comparing the Shared Top 100 Names of the US and Australia

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in Name Data

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The 2012 birth data from the United States has recently been released, with data analysis of almost every kind pouring in from excited name nerds everywhere. I thought it might be interesting to look at those names which are on the Top 100 in both the US and Australia, and see the similarities and differences in popularity between these two nations.

BOYS

Similar Level of Popularity (within 10 places of each other)

Ethan, Noah, William, Liam, Alexander, James, Benjamin, Joshua, Jackson, Ryan, Isaac, Hunter, Nicholas

More Popular in Australia (11-40 places higher)

Samuel, Lucas, Henry, Eli, Tyler, Levi, Connor, Sebastian, Jaxon, Zachary, Chase, Adam, Alex, Ryder

Much More Popular in Australia (more than 40 places higher)

Jack, Thomas, Blake, Oliver, Xavier, Cooper, Hudson

More Popular in United States (11-40 places higher)

Jacob, Mason, Jayden, Aiden, Daniel, Matthew, Elijah, Logan, Nathan, Dylan, Caleb, Luke, Owen, Jordan, Cameron, Austin, Charles, Dominic

Much More Popular in United States (more than 40 places higher)

Michael, Anthony, Andrew, David, Joseph, Christopher, Gabriel, John, Christian, Jonathan

GIRLS

Similar Level of Popularity (within 10 places of each other)

Isabella, Olivia, Ava, Emily, Mia, Chloe, Ella, Lily, Hannah, Layla, Alexis, Audrey, Savannah, Sarah, Bella, Maya, Kayla, Alexandra, Aria

More Popular in Australia (11-40 places higher)

Charlotte, Grace, Amelia, Zoe, Scarlett, Stella, Lucy, Mackenzie, Ellie, Violet, Molly, Piper

Much More Popular in Australia (more than 40 places higher)

Sophie, Jasmine, Eva, Annabelle

More Popular in United States (11-40 places higher)

Sophia, Sofia, Emma, Abigail, Madison, Elizabeth, Harper, Evelyn, Anna, Alyssa, Claire, Lauren

Much More Popular in United States (more than 40 places higher)

Addison, Lillian, Samantha, Victoria, Leah, Aaliyah, Gabriella