Unique Girls Names from the 2015 Birth Notices

11 Sunday Sep 2016

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These are ten names given to girls which I saw only once in the birth announcements of last year. They are not all rare (and some of them are popular in other countries even if uncommon here), but they are at least names you don’t see every day.

Aviva
Feminine form of the modern Hebrew name Aviv, meaning “spring”. The word aviv refers to that time of year when grain crops are ripening, is a month of the Jewish calendar, and well known from Israel’s capital Tel Aviv, meaning “Spring Hill”. The names Aviv and Aviva have also become commonly used in Russian-speaking countries. The American philosopher Noam Chomsky has a daughter named Aviva, who is a historian and activist, and you might have seen Aviva Dreschel on The Real Housewives of New York City. Another TV Aviva was pretty schoolgirl Aviva “Viv” Newton from Home and Away, played by Mouche Phillips back in 1990. Although Aviva is a rare name in Australia, it fits in perfectly with current name trends for girls, and does not look at all out of place next to popular Ava and fashionable Vivian. Despite the name’s origin, I suspect many people will automatically connect it to the Latin viva, meaning “alive”. However, this dovetails nicely with the true meaning, as spring is a season of new life. Avi, Viv, Eva, Evie, and Viva are obvious nicknames – the last one is also a brand of paper towels. Vivka is a traditional Russian pet form.

Clodagh
Modern Irish name taken from the name of the River Clodiagh, which runs through the counties of Tipperary and Waterford. There’s a small river with the same name in Kilkenny, and you can find variations of the name all over Ireland. There’s a River Clydagh in Mayo, a Clady Water in Antrim, and towns with names such as Claudy in Derry and Bunclody in Wexford, at the foot of the River Clody, which is yet another river with basically the same name. The name is derived from the Gaelic for “wash, clean” – baby name sites often tell us that Clodiagh was a goddess of water in Irish mythology, but nothing is known of such a deity, although it’s not implausible. The name is said to have first been bestowed in 1897 on the youngest daughter of John Beresford, 5th Marquess of Waterford, giving the name aristocratic origins. Lady Clodagh married the son of an English earl and wrote memoirs, gaining a wider audience for her name. Clodagh is a popular name in Ireland and Northern Ireland, being in the Top 50 of both countries. Pronounced KLO-da, this is an Irish heritage choice reminiscent of Chloe and Claudia.

Eilidh
Medieval Scottish name. Despite the rather daunting spelling, it is very easy to pronounce – AY-lee. It is usually said to be the Scottish equivalent of Helen, although seems much more likely to be a form of Elionoir (said AY-lee-nuh), the medieval Scottish form of Eleanor, due to the usual medieval mix-up between Eleanor and Ellen. It has also been linked to the Irish name Eileen, the name Evelyn, and so august a source as the Oxford Press suggests it as a Scottish medieval pet form of Elizabeth. Eilidh was a common name during the Middle Ages, but went out of use and was revived in the 20th century so you can see it as both ancient and modern. It’s a popular name in Scotland, and is currently #22. This is a charming Caledonian choice whose sound fits in with familiar names like Ellie, Ayla, Hayley and Kaylee, and due to the competing theories of origin, could be used to honour multiple women at once.

Liv
Norwegian name from the Old Norse hlif, meaning “shelter, protection”. In modern Norwegian, it coincides with the word for “life”. Both these meanings bring to mind the character of Líf from Norse mythology: it is foretold that at the end of the world, she and her male partner Lífþrasir will survive by hiding in the World Tree, and from them will new generations of humans be born (their names can be translated as Life and Life’s Lover). This gives it an irresistible connection to the name Eve. The name Liv became well known in the English-speaking world through the award-winning Norwegian actress Liv Ullman, who starred in several Ingmar Bergman films. The American actress Liv Tyler was named after her – Tyler’s mother saw Liv Ullman on the cover of TV Guide a few months before Liv Tyler was born. The name Liv is popular in Scandinavia, Belgium, and The Netherlands, and doesn’t seem unfamiliar because of popular Olivia. Short and simple with two great meanings, this is a rare but very usable name.

Nadia
Can be a variant of Nadya, a short form of the Slavic name Nadezhda, meaning “hope” (in some Slavic languages, Nadia actually coincides with the word for “hope”). Nadia has an extensive history of use, being used in English-speaking countries, Latin America, Scandinavia, France, Italy and Spain, as well as in Russia and Eastern Europe. Nadia is also an Arabic name, a transliteration of Nadiyyah, which can be translated as “tender, delicate”, or “the caller”, to suggest one who inspires others to a higher cause. Nadia is a popular name in Spain and Portugal, and most popular in Poland, as well as being widely known in the Arabic world. In Australia, Nadia joined the charts in the 1950s at #348; one of the names introduced by post-war immigration. It peaked in the 1980s at #181 and is currently around the 200s or 300s. This is a multicultural choice with two positive meanings that will be familiar almost everywhere.

Rhea
In Greek mythology Rhea was one of the Titans, the daughter of the earth goddess Gaia and sky god Uranus. The sister and wife of Cronus, the god of time, Rhea was the mother of the chief Olympian gods and goddesses. It was she who helped save Zeus from being killed by his father, tricking Cronus by presenting him with a stone wrapped in a blanket instead of a baby god. As such, she was venerated as the mother of the gods, and as a mother goddess and guide of destiny; she is often depicted driving a chariot pulled by two lions. The mother of Romulus and Remus, and the mother of Hercules were both named Rhea after the goddess. The meaning of Rhea’s name is uncertain. It’s traditionally derived either from the Greek word for “ground”, or from “flow, discharge”. Another suggestion is that it comes from the word for “pomegranate”, a fertility symbol. It’s quite possible that the name is pre-Greek and the meaning unrecoverable. Pronounced either REE-uh or RAY-uh, Rhea is an uncommon name but is simple to spell and say, and fits in well with current naming trends (not to mention the fashion for mythological names). It’s also a good multicultural choice, as it sounds like European Ria, used as a short form of names like Maria, and also like the Indian names Riya and Reya.

Serena
Latin name meaning “serene, tranquil”. There is a legendary Saint Serena, said to be the Christian wife of the Emperor Diocletian; Diocletian’s wife was actually Saint Prisca, sometimes called Saint Alexandra just to confuse things further. There was a famous Christian noblewoman named Serena in ancient Rome, married to a high-ranking general and cousin to the emperor. The story goes that she took a necklace from a statue of Rhea Silvia, the legendary mother of Romulus and Remus, and placed it around her own neck. The last Vestal Virgin cursed her for her impiety, and after this Serena was troubled by nightmares about her own death; these dreams proved prophetic when she was falsely accused of conspiring with the Goths and executed. The name Serena first entered the charts in the 1960s at #515; this was the era when Serena was Samantha’s mischievous brunette cousin on Bewitched (played by Elizabeth Montgomery in a wig). The name mostly rose after that, peaking in 2009 at #190: it’s now around the 200s. A popular name in Italy, this is another multicultural choice with a famous namesake in American tennis champ Serena Williams, and numerous fictional namesakes.

Tauriel
Tauriel is a character in The Hobbit movie series by Peter Jackson, played by Evangeline Lilly. She doesn’t appear in the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien but was created for the films by Peter Jackson, Phillipa Boyens, and Fran Walsh. In the films Tauriel is one of the Woodland Elves of Mirkwood; a warrior and head of the elven guard. She’s a rebellious figure, and rather reckless, but shows her softer side through a romantic plot line. The name Tauriel was created for the character from the Sindarin language invented by Tolkien, and is probably best translated as “forest maiden”; it’s said TAWR-ee-el. There’s a real Katniss vibe to this name, as they are names from popular culture, and both Tauriel and Katniss are bold, brave young women who are brilliant with bow and arrows. It feels like a name with a use-by date, but doesn’t seem that strange, as it has the Tori sound from Victoria and the -elle sound ending shared with names like Estelle and Gabrielle.

Ulanni
Variant spelling of Uʻilani or Uilani, a Polynesian name usually translated as “heavenly beauty” or “royal beauty”, which can also be spelled Ulani. It can be pronounced yoo-LAH-nee. Uilani an be given to either sex (there is a male soccer player from Tuvalu called Uilani), but is generally thought of as a female name, and is sometimes a surname as well. To me, Ulanni feels like a more specifically feminine spelling, and this is a pretty heritage choice which comes with the fashionable nickname Lani.

Zaya
Mongolian name meaning “fate, destiny”. It is a Top 10 name for girls in Mongolia, although a famous namesake is Zaya Pandita, a 17th century Mongolian prince who became a Tibetan Buddhist scholar – in his case, the name is a variant of the unisex Indian name Jaya, meaning “victory” in Sanskrit. The name has recently been in the spotlight because of the fantasy film Gods of Egypt, which has a slave girl named Zaya as the love interest, played by Australian model and actress Courtney Eaton. In the film the name is said ZAY-uh, but it can also be pronounced ZY-uh. Zaya is a spunky little name that seems like a fresh alternative to Zara, Zahlia, and other Z names.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Liv, Aviva and Eilidh, while their least favourites were Clodagh, Tauriel and Ulanni.

(Picture shows a poster for Gods of Egypt, featuring Zaya)

Rare Girls Names From the 1950s

05 Sunday Jun 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

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Ancient Egyptian names, Australian names, Biblical names, celebrity baby names, controversial names, created names, english names, famous namesakes, French names, Greek names, hebrew names, Indian names, locational names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name trends, names from movies, names of rivers, nicknames, pen names, Roman names, Shakespearean names, Slavic names, stage names, Swedish names

The most popular girls names of the 1950s were Susan, Jennifer, Christine, and Margaret, but what were the least popular names? Here are ten names which were only chosen once in any year between 1950 and 1959 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.

Adelie
Anglicised form of Adélie, a variant or pet form of the French name Adèle. The name came into common use in the 19th century, and has a strong connection with Antarctica. Adélie Land borders the Australian Antarctic Territory, and has been claimed by France, although most countries do not recognise their sovereignty. The coast of Adélie Land was discovered in 1840 by the French explorer Jules D’Urville, and named after his wife Adèle. Since 1956 there has been a French research station here, and perhaps it helped to give the name some publicity in this decade. Adélie penguins get their name from Adélie Land, and the location has another penguin connection, as this is where the award-winning French documentary March of the Penguins was filmed. Names such as Adeline and Adele are on trend, and Adelie has a strong local association. Usually pronounced AD-uh-lee by English-speakers; Addie is the obvious nickname.

Drusilla
Feminine form of the Roman family name Drusus. The first of the line was Livius Drusus, who gained his name by killing a Gallic chieftain named Drausus in one-on-one combat. Although the meaning of Drausus is unknown, one theory is that it comes from the Celtic for “strong”. Drusilla was the name of one of King Herod’s great-granddaughters, and she briefly appears in the New Testament as the wife of the Roman governor Felix Antonius; mention is made of her beauty, and that Felix used great cunning to persuade the Jewish – and already married – Drusilla to wed him, a pagan (later she perished in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius). Drusilla has been used as an English name since at least the 17th century; presumably the loveliness of the biblical namesake was a drawcard. A famous namesake of the decade was British actress Drusilla Wills, who passed away in 1951. In Australia this name has an intellectual image, due to novelist and literary critic Drusilla Modjeska; however Drusilla often has a Gothic connection in popular culture. Dru makes a cool nickname.

Isis
Greek version of the Egyptian goddess Aset, whose name means “throne”, and represents the power of the pharaoh. Worshipped as the ideal wife and mother, Isis was a patron of nature and magic; she was the protector of the poor and downtrodden, but also heeded the prayers of the wealthy and aristocratic. She was popular throughout Egypt, and later her cult spread through the Greco-Roman world, where she came to represent wisdom. She even influenced Christianity, for the popular image of the Virgin Mary nursing the baby Jesus was taken directly from Isis suckling her son Horus. Worship of Isis continues today in both pagan and interfaith contexts, and she has become important to occult, esoteric and New Age movements. A famous namesake from this decade was Isis Finlay, the Miss Cuba of 1954. The British astronomer Isis Pogson, who used her middle name, was probably named after the River Isis, part of the Thames, and this is the inspiration for the name of the Isis Rivers in Australia. A lovely ancient name which has suffered from the coincidence of the terrorist group popularly called ISIS, although Islamic State is the more usual way of referring to it.

Keturah
Hebrew name meaning “incense”, probably with spiritual overtones rather than simply describing a pleasant aroma. In the Old Testament, Keturah was the second wife of the patriarch Abraham; he married her after the death of Sarah, and she is implied to be a lower-status wife. Keturah bore Abraham six sons, and Abraham settled them in colonies at some distance away, presumably so that they wouldn’t trouble his son Isaac. They are said to represent the Arab tribes who lived south and east of Palestine, although the youngest ended up in Syria. Despite being one of the most ignored characters in the Bible, Keturah has been used as an English name since the 17th century, but has never gained popularity. Keturah fit in with popular names of the 1950s such as Kathleen, Kathryn, Karen and Kerry, and even today underrated Keturah is surprisingly stylish. You could use Kitty as the nickname.

Kiki
Can be used as a short form of any name starting with a K, ending in -iki, or with a strong K sound, or as a true nickname with no relation to the birth name. The name was well known by the 1950s due to the French artist’s model and cabaret singer Alice Prin, who worked under the professional name Kiki, and was known as The Queen of Montparnasse. The companion of American photographer Man Ray for several years, she is the subject of many of his most famous works. An artist in her own right, her autobiography was reprinted in the 1950s under the title The Education of a Young Model. Kiki died in 1953, but she remained a bohemian symbol of feminine freedom and audacity. Another inspiration was Norwegian-born fashion designer Kiki Byrne (born Olaug Grinaker), who was Mary Quant’s rival in the trendy London scene of the late 1950s and 1960s. Kiki was also a celebrity baby name in this decade, the nickname of Chiara, daughter of American artist Tony Smith, and his opera singer wife, Jane Lawrence (Kiki Smith is now a highly successful artist herself). Kiki is a vintage nickname which still seems daring, chic, and sexy.

Nerissa
Created by William Shakespeare for a character in The Merchant of Venice. It is usually thought that he based it on the Nereids, the beautiful sea nymphs of Greek mythology who were the daughters of the sea god Nereus; his name and theirs comes from the Greek word for “water”. In the play, Nerissa is the handmaid of the heroine Portia, and the two of them team up to fool the boys and save the day with a clever plan. Although Nerissa is pretty, witty, and gets her man, her role as a servant and sidekick may not have helped the name’s fortunes. It doesn’t seem to have been used as a name until the 19th century, when Shakespeare became very fashionable, and has never been popular, like his other creations Jessica and Olivia. Nerissa was very on trend in the 1950s, when names like Nerida, Narelle, Nerine, and Nerys were all the rage. It perhaps sounds slightly dated now, but is still a very pretty name with an attractive fictional namesake.

Pandora
In Greek mythology Pandora was the first woman created by the gods, designed not as a companion and helpmate for man but his punishment. Each of the gods bestowed upon Pandora the most seductive of gifts, such as beauty, grace, intelligence, and charm, but she was also given a jar which contained all diseases and miseries. Pandora almost immediately opened it, so that evil entered the world. Only Hope was left in the jar, but it is unclear whether this was a Bad Thing (hope was never released, giving us no expectation of improvement) or a Good Thing (at least we still have hope). For that matter, why did the gods regard Hope as an evil? Scholars have devoted many pages to these questions. At least Pandora’s name is straightforward: she was named by Hermes with the meaning “all gifts”, to indicate how well the gods endowed her. Pandora has been used as an English name since at least the 18th century, although the backstory is a mixed blessing. An inspiration from this decade was the 1951 romantic film Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, with Ava Gardner as femme fatale Pandora Reynolds. An exotic spin on Eve, but the mistranslation of her jar makes Pandora’s Box something of an issue.

Tasma
The pen name of Australian novelist Jessie Couvreur, who was of Dutch, French, and English descent. Jessie and her family arrived in Tasmania from London in 1852, and she was raised and given a liberal education in Hobart. Her pseudonym was inspired by the island state of Tasmania, and could be seen as a feminine form of Tasman. There is a Tasma Street in Hobart, apparently named in her honour. Jessie began publishing her work when she was sixteen, and she spent most of her career in Europe. An example of the New Woman, Jessie divorced her first husband, and was already financially independent through her work. She published eight novels between 1877 and 1897, lectured in French, and wrote for the Nouvelle Revue, receiving the Officier d’Académie from the French government; she was particularly interested in feminist issues. Later in life she became a correspondent for The Times in Brussels, proving herself an excellent journalist. A famous namesake is actress Tasma Walton, who is married to comedian Rove McManus, and has been a celebrity parent on the blog. Another celebrity mum, Yumi Stynes, has Tasma as her middle name. The name Tasma is particularly associated with Australia, and although it is found in other countries too, seemingly only after Jessie Couvreur began her international writing career, leaving open the possibility this is a genuine Australian original that’s both literary and patriotic.

Viveka
Swedish form of Wiebke, feminine form of the Germanic name Wiebe, a medieval short form of names containing the name element wig, meaning “war”. The name is pronounced VIV-eh-kuh. In the 1950s, Viveka would have fitted in with fashionable Vivian and Vivienne, and still makes a good alternative to those names. By coincidence, viveka is also a Sanskrit word meaning “discrimination, discernment”. In Eastern philosophies, viveka is the ability to tell the difference between what is real (eternal) and unreal (changing), which is necessary for spiritual growth; the word is used in yoga and certain meditation techniques. It is sometimes used as a female name in India, which makes Viveka a cool multicultural choice.

Zora
Slavic name meaning “dawn”. A famous Australian with the name was the writer Zora Cross, who wrote several novels between the 1920s and 1940s but is primarily known for her poetry. Her private life was scandalous for the time, because she separated from her husband and lived with her partner, who she had two children with and “married” in a private commitment ceremony. Zora’s partner adopted another child she had with a previous lover, and in turn he and his wife were separated, she living with her own partner. These bohemian arrangements were frowned upon and caused some difficulties with employment, but Zora was able to support herself through acting and journalism. Despite this interesting namesake, the name Zora probably appeared in the 1950s data because of post-war immigration from the former Yugoslavia (now Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). Several other Slavic names appear in the data, including Zorica, a pet form of Zora. Very similar to popular Zara, this makes a good heritage choice and an alternative to Aurora.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Adelie, Zora and Viveka, and their least favourites were Pandora, Kiki and Drusilla.

(Photo shows the writer “Tasma” in Turkish dress in Istanbul; a favourite photo of hers since Turkish women’s clothing was unrestrictive compared to that in Europe)

Cyclone Names for Boys

06 Sunday Mar 2016

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

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Anglo-Saxon names, Arabic names, Biblical names, classic names, cyclone names, Egyptian names, english names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, germanic names, hebrew names, Irish names, Latin names, locational names, modern classics, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, nicknames, Old English names, pen names, popular names, rare names, Roman names, royal names, saints names, Slavic names, stage names, surname names, underused modern classics, unisex names, vintage names

Dominic
There was a Cyclone Dominic in 1982 and another in 2009; both were quite severe and did significant damage. Dominic is from the Latin name Dominicus, meaning “of the Lord”, and often translated as “belonging to God”. It began as a specifically Christian name, and there are several saints named Dominic. The most famous is the medieval Spanish priest who founded the Dominican Order; he was named after St Dominic of Silos, who answered the prayer of the second St Dominic’s mother that she might become pregnant. As part of that joking folk etymology that religion is so fond of, the Dominicans are said to be named from the Latin for “dog of God” (Domini canis), as a sign of St Dominic’s dogged faithfulness. Dominic has charted since the 1950s, when it debuted at #236. It reached the Top 100 in the 1990s, and has mostly stayed around the bottom quarter of the Top 100, or fallen just below it. Currently it is #88. This is a sleekly handsome modern classic that’s never been highly popular, and comes with the nicknames Dom, Nic, or Nico.

Iggy
Cyclone Iggy was off the coast of Western Australia in 2012: grave fears were held as its power intensified, but by the time it made landfall it had waned considerably. Iggy is traditionally used as a short form of Ignatius, but rocker Iggy Pop (born James Osterberg) took his stage name from his high school band, The Iguanas. Another musical Iggy is Australian rapper Iggy Azalea (born Amethyst Kelly): her stage name Iggy is from her childhood dog, possibly named after Mr Pop. In the Maximum Ride YA series by James Patterson, Iggy is an extremely handsome blind boy whose real name is James Griffiths. This name might feel like “nickname only” territory, but a few people have Iggy as their full legal name. While Ignatius is elegant, Iggy is in-your-face cyberpunk nuttiness, and will appeal to parents wanting something fun and different.

Marcus
Marcus is on the current list of cyclone names. Marcus is a Roman name believed to be derived from Mars, the Roman god of war, and was one of the most popular names in ancient Rome. Famous Romans with the name include the general Marcus Antonius, otherwise known as Mark Antony; the emperor Marcus Aurelius; Marcus Junius Brutus, usually known to us as Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar; and the philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero. Marcus has been used as an English name since the Middle Ages, but widely used on the Continent and in Latin America as well. It’s currently popular in Scandinavia, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Marcus is a classic name which has been almost continuously on the charts. It was #190 in the 1900s, and fell to nothing during the 1930s. After that it continued growing and made the Top 100 by the 1970s. Popularity dipped, but it was back again in the 1990s, and peaked at #51 in 2003. It is currently #82. A popular classic never higher than the bottom half of the Top 100, Marcus combines historical gravitas with European style.

Miles
Cyclone Miles was off the coast of Queensland in 1977. Miles is the English form of the Germanic name Milo, whose meaning is unclear. It may be from an ancient Germanic word meaning “mild”, but it has been argued that it is related to those Slavic names meaning “dear, gracious”, such as Mila and Milan. From early on, folk etymology connected it to the Latin word miles, meaning soldier – in Roman comedies, a foolish stock character was Miles Gloriosus, meaning “bragging soldier”. The name has been in use since the Middle Ages, introduced by the Normans, and is often thought of as rather aristocratic. A famous namesake is Miles Coverdale, who was the first person to translate the Bible into English in 1535. Miles has charted since the 1950s, when jazz legend Miles Davis gave the name an injection of cool; it debuted at #323. Since then, the name has increased in popularity, but never become popular, so this is an underused modern classic. It’s around the 100s currently. Rising in both the US and UK, this is a hip choice with a smooth sound.

Oswald
Cyclone Oswald hit Queensland and New South Wales in 2013, causing widespread storms and floods. A natural disaster was declared, and due to the severity of the cyclone, the name Oswald has now been retired. Oswald is an Old English name meaning “godly ruler, divine ruler”. There are two English saints named Oswald; Oswald of Northumbria was an Anglo-Saxon king, and the most powerful ruler in Britain during his time. The name Oswald became less common after the Middle Ages, but was revived in the 19th century as part of the Victorian fascination with ancient British names. Oswald was #75 in the 1900s and left the Top 100 in the 1920s. It left the charts in the 1940s and had unfortunate wartime namesakes – Nazi officer Oswald Pohl, who oversaw the concentration camps, and British Fascist, Sir Oswald Moseley, a friend of Adolf Hitler. In fiction, Oswalds are usually villains or comic characters, but Oswald Bastable from the Treasure Seeker series by E. Nesbit has been claimed as a revolutionary hero name in the Nomad of Time Streams works of Michael Moorcock, and the name is sometimes used in sci fi. A bold vintage choice with a steam punk vibe.

Paddy
Cyclone Paddy was near Cocos Island in May 1981, extremely late in the season. Paddy is an Irish nickname for the name Patrick, or its Irish forms Padraig and Padraic. It was once so commonly used that Paddy became a derogatory term for any Irishman. With such strong immigration from Ireland, the name has a long history in Australia with several famous namesakes, with Paddy either short for Patrick, their full name, or a nickname unrelated to their name. Some examples are: Paddy Hannan, the gold prospector who set off the gold rush in Kalgoorlie; Indigenous artist Paddy Bedford; colourful politician Paddy Crick; Aboriginal elder Paddy Roe; and pioneering bushwalker Paddy Pallin, who founded the chain of outdoor equipment stores. Paddy is also occasionally used as a girl’s name, a variant of Patty; an example is Australian author Paddy O’Reilly. Paddy is around the 500s in Australia, and fits in with the trend for nicknames as full name. Great Irish heritage choice with an Australian flavour.

Rusty
Cyclone Rusty hit the coast of northern Western Australia in 2013. Hurricane-force winds and heavy rain caused flooding and significant damage. Due to the severity of the cyclone, the name Rusty has now been retired. Rusty can be a nickname for either the first name or surname Russell, or a nickname given to someone with red or reddish-brown hair. It is not commonly given as a full name, but after Cyclone Rusty there was a reported increase in the number of baby boys named Rusty, so this is one cyclone at least which influenced local name trends. A rough-and-tumble boyish name in the style of Buster and Sunny: not recommended if your surname is Naylor, Bucket or Lidd.

Seth
Seth is on the current list of cyclone names. In the Old Testament, Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve, born after Abel was murdered by Cain. According to the Bible, Seth was the progenitor of the human race as it exists today, as only his descendants survived the Great Flood. The Bible is coy as to how Seth had children for us to be descended from, but the Apocrypha provides the obvious solution by having him marry his sister. Although the Bible tells us nothing more about Seth, according to tradition he was virtuous and wise; he is regarded as a saint in Christianity, and revered as a prophet in Islam. The name doesn’t seem to have been common for Jews, although in the New Testament the High Priest is said to be the son of a Seth. According to the Bible, the name Seth means “appointed”, to suggest that God appointed Seth as a replacement for Abel. Seth is also the Greek form of the Egyptian god Set, deity of storms and chaos, and murderer of his brother Osiris. The name has a strong New Age resonance due to the supposed chanelled messages of a being named Seth, highly influential to later writers. Seth has been used as an English name at least since the 16th century, and became more common during the 18th. Seth has charted since the 1970s, debuting at #539, and joined the Top 100 in the 2000s. It left the Top 100 in 2014, but cannot be far below it. An Old Testament name that women in particular seem to love as both soft and gentle, and dangerously sexy.

Vance
Cyclone Vance hit Western Australia in 1999, bringing gale-force winds and severe storms, and causing significant damage, particularly in Exmouth. Vance is an English surname that comes from the Old English for “fen”, describing someone who lived near a flat wetlands area or marsh. The surname has a particular association with Scotland, and the Scottish Vances believe their name is Norman, from Vaux in France, meaning “valley”. Vance has been used as a personal name since the 18th century, and was strongly connected with Scotland and Ireland. Vance Drummond was a New Zealand-born officer in the RAAF, much decorated for his gallantry in the Vietnam War. The famous writer Vance Palmer was born Edward, with Vance short for his middle name, Vivian. Not only a great contributor to Australian literature, he and his wife Nettie were part of the social movement that promoted Australian egalitarianism. The indie pop singer Vance Joy’s real name is James Keogh – he took his stage name from a minor character in Peter Carey’s novel Bliss. A vintage name ripe for revival with a strong connection to Australian culture.

Zane
Cyclone Zane was off the coast of Queensland in 2013, but by the time it made landfall it had dissipated to almost nothing. The name Zane was popularised by the American western novelist Zane Grey: he was born Pearl Grey (apparently in tribute to Queen Victoria’s mourning dress, which seems a strange way to name a child, especially a boy). Grey used his middle name Zane for his pen name; it was his mother’s maiden name. The Zanes were a famous American pioneering family, and Zane Grey himself was born in Zanesville, Ohio, named after his ancestor, Ebenezer Zane. The Zanes were descended from Devon Quakers, but the name’s origin is a mystery. It has been claimed that the family had either Danish or Italian ancestry, but neither theory has been proven. Sometimes presumed to be a form of John, as Zane is an unusual short form of Giovanni; it can also be a female name, short for Suzannah or Zuzannah. Zane has charted since the 1970s, debuting at #397 – Zane Grey was still a bestseller then, and another namesake for the era was bodybuilder Frank Zane, multiple Mr Olympia winner. It was in the Top 100 during the 2000s, peaking at #83 in 2005, and is probably around the 100s now. Not at all zany, Zane has become a modern standard conflated with the Arabic name Zain or Zayn, meaning “beauty, grace”.

POLL RESULTS

The public’s favourite names were Dominic, Miles and Seth, while their least favourites were Oswald, Paddy and Rusty.

(Photo is of Australian literary powerhouse, Vance Palmer)

Uncommon Boys Names from the Birth Announcements of 2011-12

21 Sunday Jun 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists, Requested Names

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aliases, aristocratic surnames, Australian slang terms, Biblical names, english names, epithets and titles, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, food names, fruit names, germanic names, hebrew names, honouring, imperial titles, Irish names, Italian names, Latin names, locational names, mythological names, name history, name meanings, name popularity, name trends, names from movies, names of bands, Old Norse names, plant names, Polish names, rare names, royal names, saints names, Scottish names, Slavic names, surname names, unisex names, US name popularity, US name trends, weaponry terms

Augustus
The Emperor Augustus was the founder of the Roman Empire and its first emperor; the month of August was named after him. His reign initiated the Pax Romana, a relatively conflict-free period which lasted for more than two centuries. Born Gaius Octavius, he was granted the title of Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus, meaning “Military Commander and Caesar, the Son of God, the Venerable”, with the Augustus part meaning “venerable”, from the Latin augeo, meaning “increase, growth, honour”. Before it became an imperial title, Augustus was an epithet used to signal something that was sacred, and the title was adopted by the Holy Roman Emperors in the Middle Ages. Augustus has been a favourite name amongst European royalty, and traditionally used by the Hanoverians in the British monarchy. Hazel has shot into the Top 100 since The Fault in Our Stars, and I wonder if it could also boost regal Augustus, as this is the name of Hazel’s love interest? The name is already rising in the US, so maybe. Gus is a popular short form, although I have seen a lot of interest in Augie because of the Australian rock band Augie March, named for a character in a Saul Bellow novel.

Brasco
Scottish surname referring to someone from the village of Brisco in Cumbria, once part of the Strathclyde kingdom of Scotland. The place name comes from the Old Norse for “wood of the Britons”. Also an extremely rare Italian surname which is probably from the Germanic brakia, meaning “struggle”, used as a nickname. The name is well known because of the undercover alias Donnie Brasco used by FBI agent Joseph Pistone during the 1970s: his autobiography inspired the movie Donnie Brasco, with Johnny Depp in the title role. It has an unfortunate meaning in Australia, as brasco is slang for “toilet”, from the manufacturer Brass Co. Brasco is an extremely cool-sounding name, and as for the toilet association – better tell everyone to just forget about it!

Casimir
Latinised form of the Polish name Kazimierz, from the Slavic for “to destroy fame”, referring to someone who annihilates their opponent in battle so completely that they lose all honour. Four medieval rulers of Poland have been named Casimir, and St Casimir, the son of Casimir IV, is the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania. Kazimierz is a reasonably popular name in Poland, but Casimir is rare around the world, even in countries with high immigration from Poland. However, this is a handsome heritage choice, not so different from fashionable Casper and hip Caspian, with Caz as the obvious nickname, although Cass and even Cash seem possible.

Fintan
Irish name thought to mean “white fire”. In Irish mythology, Fintan mac Bóchra was a seer who accompanied Noah’s granddaughter to Ireland before the Great Flood. When the floodwaters hit, his family were all drowned, but Fintan managed to survive under the sea in the form of a salmon for a year; he also lived as an eagle and a hawk before returning to human form. He lived for more than 5000 years after the Deluge, becoming the repository of all wisdom. Once Christianity arrived in Ireland, Fintan decided to leave the world of mortals with a magical hawk who was born at the same time as he. There are a staggering 74 Irish saints named Fintan, which shows what a common name it must have been, and it is still in regular use in Ireland. The popular boy’s name Finn, and all the similar names, such as Finlay and Finnian, make this seem on trend.

Gage
English surname which can be related to the word gauge, meaning “measure”, and would have started as an occupational surname for someone who checked weights and measures. It can also be an occupational surname for a moneylender, as gage meant “pledge” – that which the person would put up as surety against the money loaned (as when objects are pawned). Its related to the words wage and mortgage, and also to the word engage: when you get engaged to someone, you make a pledge to them. Gage is an aristocratic surname; Sir William Gage first introduced the plum-like greengage into England in the 18th century, which is where its English name comes from. Gage has been used as a personal name since the 18th century, originating in the west country. It first joined the US charts in 1989, the same year that Stephen King’s Pet Sematary was made into a horror film; the protagonist’s toddler son is named Gage, played by Miko Hughes (from Full House). Although Gage takes on a particularly macabre role in the story, the cuteness of little blond Miko must have had an effect. Still in fairly common use in the US, Gage is a rare name in Australia and the UK – its similarity to the word gauge, used in the context of guns, makes this an on-trend weaponry name.

Loki
In Norse mythology, Loki is a mysterious figure, sometimes depicted as a trickster or god of deceit. Other times he is a troublemaker, or commits outright evil. Although said to be one of the giant folk, he is sometimes numbered amongst the gods, and seems to have been on friendly terms with them at some point. However, after many acts of mischief and malice, they punished him by having him bound by the entrails of one of his sons, with a serpent dripping venom on him, making him writhe in pain, which causes earthquakes. It is foretold that at the end of the world, he will slip free from his bonds and fight against the gods on the side of the giants, and be slain. Fittingly for such an enigmatic character, the meaning of Loki isn’t known. However, he is also called Lopt, meaning “air”, suggesting he was associated with that element. In Scandinavian folklore, the phenomenon where the air shimmers on a hot day is said to be caused by Loki. The name has been used more often since the Marvel comics world was brought to life on film, with Loki as a super-villain played by Tom Hiddleston. Hiddleston portrays a complex, vulnerable, intelligent character whose charisma and style has won him legions of fans. Not only a cute-sounding mischievous name, Loki is quite similar to popular names like Luca and Lachlan, so it doesn’t seem strange.

Nazareth
Biblical place name; in the New Testament it is described as the home town of Jesus and his family. It’s also a title, because Jesus is often called Jesus of Nazareth. In early times, Christians were called Nazarenes (“people of Nazareth”) by non-Christians, and the modern Jewish word for Christians is notzrim, while in the Quran Christians are known as naṣārā – all coming from the name Nazareth. Archaeologists think that Nazareth would have been a small, insignificant village at the time of Jesus; today it is a city in northern Israel with most of its citizens Arabs, both Muslim and Christian. A place of Christian pilgrimage, it also has several sites of Islamic significance. The meaning of the city’s name is uncertain – it may come from the Hebrew for “branch”, or “watch, guard, keep”, implying it was originally on a hill, or protected in a secluded spot. Nazareth has been used as a personal name since at least the 16th century, and is of Puritan origin. Originally used mostly for girls, overall it has been given fairly evenly to both sexes, and has never been very common. An unusual Biblical name which is overtly Christian.

Roland
Derived from the Germanic name Hruodland, translated as “famous land”, or perhaps “fame of his country”. Roland was an 8th century Frankish military leader under Charlemagne, responsible for defending France against the Bretons. It is recorded that he was killed at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in northern Spain by a group of rebel Basques. He became a major figure in medieval legend, and his death an epic tale of a Christian hero slain in battle against Muslims (the real Roland was killed by Christians, although Charlemagne was engaged in a war against Islamic forces in Spain). The 11th century La Chanson de Roland (The Song of Roland) describes Roland fighting a rearguard action against thousands of Muslims with a magical sword given to Charlemagne by an angel. Against the sensible advice of his best friend Oliver, Roland proudly refuses to call for reinforcements until it is too late, then dies a martyr’s death before angels take his soul to Paradise. In an English fairy tale based on a Scottish ballad, Childe Rowland is a prince who rescues his sister from the Dark Tower of the King of Elfland; the story is mentioned in Shakespeare’s King Lear. It helped inspire the poem Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came by Robert Browning, and in turn this informed Stephen King’s fantasy series, The Dark Tower, with Roland Deschain as the flawed hero. Roland was #107 in the 1900s and continued falling until it left the charts altogether in the 1990s. This is a traditional underused name which is heroic and noble.

Slater
English surname referring to someone who worked with slate, especially in laying slate roof tiles. The surname comes from Derbyshire, and although it is of Norman-French origin, possibly existed before the Conquest. It has been used as a personal name since the 17th century, and from the beginning was associated with Derbyshire and the Midlands, which has a long history as a centre for slate quarrying. An unfortunate association in Australia is that slater is another word for a wood louse. The surname has several sporting namesakes, including former cricketer and media personality Michael Slater, rugby league star Billy Slater, and American surfing champion Kelly Slater. That probably helps explain use of the name Slater at present, and it seems like a tougher, edgier version of Tyler.

Willoughby
English surname after a village in Lincolnshire, meaning “homestead by the willows, settlement by the willows”. Willoughby’s main claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of John Smith, who was one of the leaders of the Virginia Colony in early colonial America, and connected with the Native American girl known as Pocahontas. Willoughby is an aristocratic surname connected with several baronies; the family trace their lineage to a Norman knight who was granted land in Lincolnshire by William the Conqueror. Since the 17th century, the Barony of Willoughby de Eresby has been associated with the office of the Lord Great Chamberlain, who has charge of the royal apartments and hall at Westminster Palace, and plays a major role at coronations: the current baroness was one of the maids of honour at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. Willoughby is also a suburb of Sydney on the Lower North Shore, first settled as farmland under Captain Arthur Phillip. Some people believe Surveyor-General Sir Thomas Mitchell chose the suburb’s name in honour of Sir James Willoughby Gordon, whom he had served under during the Peninsular War. In use as a personal name since the 17th century, Willoughby is a hip boy’s name which seems like a spin on popular William, while also boosted by looking like a masculine form of Willow. Will is the obvious nickname.

Thank you to Leah for suggesting the name Willoughby be featured on Waltzing More Than Matilda.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Augustus, Willoughby and Fintan, and their least favourite were Nazareth, Brasco and Slater.

(Photo of Billy Slater from the Herald Sun)

International Names for Girls

23 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

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These are names chosen from my e-book, International Baby Names for Australian Parents – names which are familiar in other countries, but rarely used here. I chose ten that I particularly like, or find interesting, or think very usable. If you haven’t read the book, it gives you an idea as to what’s inside, and if you have read it, it’s a chance for me to provide more information than is possible in a book.

Anais

Identified as a French form of the Persian name Anahita, meaning “pure, immaculate”; Aredvi Sura Anahita is an Indo-Iranian goddess of fertility and wisdom. To get around French naming regulations, it was explained as a Catalan or Provençal form of Anna or Anne. The name is strongly associated with the American writer Anaïs Nin, whose first name was Angela, but always went by her second name. Anaïs was born in France and was of Spanish, Cuban, French and Danish descent. She is principally known as a diarist, where she intimately explored the complexities of her personal life, and as a writer of female erotica. Her name was the inspiration for the Cacharel perfume, Anais Anais, and in Australia we have the children’s clothing label, Aden + Anais. The name is pronounced a-na-EES. Feminine and exotic, Anais is very popular in France and Chile, and charts in the UK.

This short spunky name has different origins. It is a Chinese name for both boys and girls which means “wave”, as in a wave on water (especially the sea). It is a rare Chinese surname too, and an aristocratic title translated as the equivalent of a Count. It is also a Scandinavian boy’s name derived from the Old Norse name Búi, meaning “to live”. As a girl’s name, its most famous namesake is American actress and sex symbol Bo Derek, born Mary Collins. Ms Derek doesn’t know why she chose the name Bo: it just seemed “grown up” and “unusual” to her. A fictional girl Bo is the nursery rhyme shepherdess Bo Peep – her name comes from a slang term for being in a pillory, presumably because the person “peeped” through the head holes. Radio host Tim Blackwell named his daughter Bo last year, and since then there seems to be a few girl babies with the name in Australian birth notices. To show the gender divide in regard to this name, Bo is rising in the UK charts as a girl’s name, and rising in the US as boy’s name (probably a variant spelling of Beau). In the Netherlands, it charts for both sexes, but is only popular for girls.

Cora

The American author James Fenimore Cooper is credited with the creation of this name, in his 1826 historical novel, The Last of the Mohicans. The novel’s heroine is Cora Munro; dark, intelligent, and serious, she is a distant descendant of African-American slaves who forms a relationship with the son of a Native American chief – the titular “last of the Mohicans”. Her story ends tragically. There are actually many people named Cora in the records prior to the book’s publication, dating back to the late 16th century, but it is difficult to tell if they are abbreviations for longer names, like Cordelia. The name Cora is often theorised to be based on the Greek name Kore, meaning “maiden”; it was the common name of the goddess Persephone. If invented by Cooper, this makes sense, as there are a number of names with this derivation, such as Corinna. However, if its use goes back to the 16th century, it would pre-date the use of these “Kore” names, and may be based on the Latin cor, meaning “heart”. Cora is also used to Anglicise the Gaelic name Coira, meaning “seething pool”. Cora is a Downton Abbey name (the character is American-born), and fits in with the trend for simple, graceful names like Clara and Isla. It charts in both the US and UK, and is popular in Northern Ireland.

Elvira

Spanish form of an unknown Visigothic name whose meaning is much debated. It was traditional amongst medieval Spanish royalty, and became a favourite in fiction. The vengeful scorned lover Elvira of Mozart’s Don Giovanni is just one example of the many characters of this name in operas, plays, novels and films. Another is the title character of Noel Coward’s supernatural comedy Blithe Spirit, a hauntingly beautiful former wife who arrives in the least convenient fashion. Elvira is the name of Donald Duck’s grandmother, and many will remember the campy, cleavage-enhanced Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, played by Cassandra Peterson. A famous person with the name is Elvira Madigan (born Hedvig Jensen), a 19th century Danish circus performer who had a tragic love affair. Her story has been turned into several films and songs. English-speakers can pronounce this romantic name either el-VEER-ah or el-VY-ra (I prefer the first, as the second reminds me of virus), and it fits in with popular names such as Ella and Ava. Elvira charts in The Netherlands and is popular in Sweden.

Hermione

Derived from Hermes, the Greek god of transitions and boundaries, who was the messenger of the gods, and patron of travellers, herdsmen, thieves, public speakers, comedians, writers, poets, athletes, inventors, and merchants. Most scholars understand his name as meaning “stone, roadside shrine, boundary marker” – these were dedicated to Hermes as the god of boundaries and travellers. It may be related to the Greek for “the interpreter” to reflect the god’s role as divine messenger. In Greek myth, Hermione was the daughter of the lovely Helen of Troy, and had relationship troubles of her own involving Trojans. There is a Saint Hermione, an early Christian martyr who was the daughter of Saint Philip, identified as a prophetess in the church. In literature, Hermione is a beautiful queen accused of infidelity in Shakespeare’s play, The Winter’s Tale, and Harry Potter’s best female friend, the book-smart Hermione Granger. An Australian character of this name is Hermione the Modern Girl, the cartoon creation of Kaz Cooke. A famous namesake is British actress Hermione Norriss, from television shows Cold Feet and Wire in the Blood. This elegant name is pronounced her-MY-oh-nee, and charts in the UK.

Ilona

Hungarian name of uncertain meaning. It is usually said to be a form of Helen, although this may be folk etymology. In Magyar folklore, Ilona is the traditional name of the Queen of the Fairies. She is very beautiful, but also mischevious, and at times, dangerous! Archduchess Ilona of Austria was a Hungarian member of the Hapsburgs, one of the great royal houses of Europe; she passed away a few years ago. This pretty name is usually pronounced ih-LOH-na, and has Loni as the obvious nickname. It charts in France.

Juno

The Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth, and the queen of the gods, besides being the patron and protector of the Roman state. She was seen as eternally youthful, filled with forceful vitality, and a fertility figure, yet also warlike. Juno was the sister and wife of the sky god Jupiter, and the divine couple are two of the oldest known Roman gods. Like her husband, Juno had the power to throw thunderbolts, and the couple’s relationship could be stormy at times. The Romans believed that each woman had a protective guardian spirit called a juno, and this was given offerings on the woman’s birthday. The goddess’ name may mean “youth”, with the suggestion of vitality and fertility, but it is also possible that it is related to that of the Etruscan mother goddess Uni, meaning “she who gives”. The Romans connected her name to the waxing and waning of the moon – perhaps with the idea that, like the moon, she constantly renewed herself. The month of June is named in Juno’s honour, and when a woman is described as junoesque, it means she is beautiful, tall and shapely in a stately, imposing way. A famous person with the name is British actress Juno Temple, who has been in The Other Boleyn Girl, and The Dark Kight Rises. The movie Juno, starring Ellen Page, has helped give this name recent exposure, and it fits in with the trend for names ending with O. You may recall that New Zealand name blogger Anna Hamilton has a little girl named Juno. Juno charts in the UK, where it is rising.

Patience

Patience is the ability to endure difficult circumstances, persevering without exhibiting negativity such as irritation or anger, and being able to deal with strain or frustration during long-term difficulties. It is considered one of the highest virtues in several religions, such as Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism, and in Christianity is one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues. Modern psychology sees patience as a sign of self-control and maturity, and it is a secular virtue as well. The word patience is ultimately from the Latin for “suffering”, and it was introduced as a virtue name by the Puritans in the late 16th century. A famous Australian namesake is Patience Hodgson, a member of indie rock band The Grates. Virtue names are back in fashion, and this one seems both admirable and attractive – a name that someone can grow with. Patience charts in the US.

Safiya

Variant of Safiyya, feminine form of the Arabic name Safi, meaning “pure”. The name is important in Islam because Safiyaa bint Huyayy was a Jewish woman captured from a nomadic Arabian tribe at the age of 17 who was chosen by Muhammad for his own. Previously, she had dreamed that the moon fell from the heavens into her lap, and this was interpreted as a miraculous sign she would marry Muhammad. She converted to Islam and became one of the Prophet’s wives, and after his death gained quite a bit of power and influence. Safiya is pronounced sa-FEE-ah, and is an Arabic heritage choice which fits in with current trends, as it is not dissimilar to popular Sophia. It charts in both the UK and France.

Ziva

Slavic name meaning “living, being, existing”. In Slavic mythology, Živa was a goddess of life and fertility who was worshipped throughout what is now Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Germany before the coming of Christianity. She was depicted as a beautiful woman, and people prayed to her for good health and long life. She seems to have been connected with the harvest of both fruit and grains, and one story is that she was able to turn herself into a cuckoo bird. Ziva is also a feminine form of the Hebrew name Ziv, meaning “bright, radiant”. In the television drama series NCIS, Ziva David is an Israeli-American agent portrayed by Cote de Pablo. Pronounced ZEE-vah, Ziva fits in with popular names such as Ava and Zoe. It charts in The Netherlands, and the UK, where it is rising, and is popular in Slovenia.

POLL RESULTS
The public’s favourite names were Cora, Juno and Hermione, and their least favourite were Safiya, Patience and Elvira.

(Photo shows Ellen Page as Juno MacGuff in Juno)

Famous Name: Boris

05 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

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Bulgar names, Bulgarian names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, name history, name meaning, nicknames, royal names, Russian names, saints names, Slavic names, Turkic names, UK name popularity, US name popularity

Last week we covered the name of the Australian of the Year for 2014, and here we have another name associated with the Australia Day Foundation awards. At an Australia Day dinner in London, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, was declared Honorary Australian of the Year for 2014.

The flamboyant mayor confessed to being a “bit baffled” by his unexpected award, which he received for promoting Australian interests, and campaigning to create visa-free labour and migration between Australia and the United Kingdom. You’ve probably heard on the news that the numbers of Antipodeans in the UK has dropped significantly, partly because of new restrictions on Australians in gaining visas and employment. It’s hard to believe that Londoners want more Australians, but Mayor Johnson will endeavour to get them more anyway.

In case you are dubious about Boris Johnson’s qualifications for being an Australian (even an honorary one), he spent a working holiday in Australia as a teenager, and seems to have had a pretty good time, and he has relatives here. He also points out that as there are more than 200 000 Australians living in London, he can be counted as mayor of the 12^th largest Australian city.

Boris is a Bulgar name derived from the Turkic nickname Bogoris, usually interpreted as “short, small”, although other suggestions are “wolf” and “snow leopard, lynx, tiger”. Another theory is that the name ultimately comes from an Iranian source, and may mean “god-like”. Boris can also be used as a short form of the Slavic name Borislav, meaning “one who fights for glory”.

The first person known to history with this name is Prince Boris I, a 9^th century ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire who converted to Christianity and adopted the name Mikhail. Boris seems to have converted chiefly for diplomatic and political reasons, for as a Christian ruler he could make more alliances and expand his personal power. However, his conversion also appears to be have been sincere, and at the end of his reign he abdicated to become a monk: he kept having to come out of monkish retirement to quash pagan rebellion and help out with major crises. After his death, he became known as the first Bulgarian saint.

The name Boris became particularly associated with Russia, because Boris II, the great-grandson of Boris I, formed an alliance with the Rus’ Slav prince, Sviatoslav I of Kiev. Sviatoslav’s son Vladimir the Great had a son named Boris – it is conjectured that his mother may have been Bulgarian, possibly even Boris II’s sister. The Kievan Rus’ converted to Christianity, and Boris (son of Vladimir) was later martyred and canonised, becoming one of the Russian Orthodox Church’s most revered saints. The name Boris became used in surrounding countries, and was a traditional name amongst royalty and nobility.

Boris is often seen by English-speakers as an almost comically stereotypical Russian name, and is a favourite choice for fictional villains. This may be a hangover from the Cold War, when Russians were generally portrayed as menacing “baddies”, or it may be because of the English movie star Boris Karloff (real name William Pratt), best known for playing sinister roles in Hollywood horror films such as Frankenstein and The Mummy.

Despite the name being familiar due to high profile Borises such as German former tennis champ Boris Becker, Russian author Boris Pasternak who wrote Dr Zhivago, former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and Boris Johnson himself, Boris continues to sound rather exotic.

Boris is one of my early name loves, and I think this is because of the novels for young people by Mary Rodgers called Freaky Friday and A Billion For Boris (there’s another book in the series, but my school library didn’t have it). I liked A Billion For Boris better than Freaky Friday, probably because the idea of a psychic television which can make you rich was more appealing to me than swapping lives with my mother (an incredibly selfless workaholic whose life would be daunting for me to take on even as an adult).

Boris is (as you may remember) the tomboyish Annabel’s neighbour, childhood playmate and proto-boyfriend, and as you may also recall, during the course of Freaky Friday, it transpires that Boris’ name is actually Morris – he just has a nasally voice and says his Ms as Bs. Perhaps Mary Rodgers intended this to be a Oh thank goodness – he has a totally normal name! moment, but I was horrified.

To me, Morris was a hideous old man name, reeking of mothballs and uncoolness. Maybe in America in the early 1970s, Morris was considered an okayish name for a nerdy teenager (it only left the US Top 1000 in the 1990s), but by the time I got to read the books, it was nausea-invoking. Luckily, everyone continues to call Morris Boris for the rest of the books.

I thought then, and still tend to think now, that Boris is an awesomely hip yet huggable name, with a lot going for it. Interestingly, the name Boris has risen in popularity in the UK since the 1990s, and last year it made the Top 1000 again at #901 – it debuted there in 2004 at #999.

Political figures are not usually helpful to the popularity of their own names, yet Boris Johnson does not seem to have negatively affected the name Boris. Its rise in the UK may have more to do with the growing number of emigrants to Britain from Russia and Slavic countries though. Indeed, Boris Johnson has Russian ancestry, and describes himself as a “one man melting pot”, so melting a bit of Australian into the pot won’t be any great stretch for him.

POLL RESULT
Boris received an approval rating of 21%. 40% of people saw it as ugly and lumpy, 17% thought it was only suitable for people with Russian or Slavic heritage, and 12% preferred the name Morris. Only 5% of people thought the name Boris was handsome and exotic. 7% were put off the name by Boris Johnson.

The People’s Choice of Boys Names

22 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 9 Comments

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African names, Akkadian names, Albanian names, Arabic names, Armenian names, celebrity baby names, Christmas names, english names, epithets and titles, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, Finnish names, French names, Greek names, Hawaiian names, hebrew names, Indian names, Irish names, Kurdish names, Latin names, Maori names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, nicknames, Old Norse names, polynesian names, saints names, scandinavian names, Semitic names, Slavic names, surname names, unisex names

A selection of boys names that have been searched for several times to reach the blog. I chose names from different backgrounds that aren’t on the Top 100.

Ari

This little name has several origins. It is a Hebrew name meaning “lion”, an Armenian name meaning “brave”, a Scandinavian name from Old Norse, meaning “eagle”, an Albanian name meaning “bear”, a Maori name meaning “clear, visible”, or an Indian name meaning either “sun-like” or “free from sin”. It is also a Finnish form of Aaron and Adrian, a Kurdish short form of the name Arian, meaning “Aryan”, and is commonly used as a short form of any name begining with Ari-, such as Aristotle. There have been quite a few characters named Ari in popular culture, starting way back in the 1950s, with Ari Ben Canaan as the hero of Leon Uris’ novel Exodus, about the founding of the state of Israel; based on Israeli military leader Moshe Dayan, in the movie he was played by Paul Newman. This simple multicultural name is rising like other Ar- names such as Archer, Arlo and Arthur, and is #135 in Victoria.

Balthazar

Variant of Belshazzar, the Hebrew form of the Akkadian name Bel-sarra-usur, meaning “Ba’al protect the king”. Ba’al is a Semitic title for any god, meaning “lord, master”, and in the Old Testament, the early Hebrews used the term to apply to the God of Israel. Later the term became seen as a heretical one, with a clear divide drawn between the Hebrew Yahweh and the Phoenician Ba’al. In Christian legend, Balthazar is the name given to one of the Magi – the three wise men who followed a mysterious star to visit the baby Jesus, bringing him gifts. The story appears in the New Testament, but no name (or even number) is ascribed to the Magi in the Bible. According to some traditions, Balthazar was an Arabian or Ethiopian scholar who brought the gift of frankincense to symbolise Christ’s role as a high priest. He is usually depicted as middle-aged and dark-skinned. One story is that Balthazar later converted to Christianity and was ordained a bishop; like the other Magi, he is regarded as a saint. Usually pronounced BAL-ta-zar in Australia, this is a seriously cool Christmas name.

Dragan

Slavic name meaning “precious, dear one”. It is usually pronounced DRAH-gahn, although I have heard people give it the same pronunciation as the word dragon. This reminds me that there is a sympathetic character named Dragan in the novel, Girl With a Dragon Tattoo; in the American film version, he is played by Croatian actor Goran Višnjić. Dragan Roganović is the real name of award-winning Serbian-Australian DJ Dirty South, and unfortunately the name has had a bit of bad publicity in Australia due to accused Serbian-Australian war criminal Dragan Vasiljković “Captain Dragan”, currently imprisoned in Australia awaiting extradition to Croatia. Despite this, Dragan is an attractive heritage choice with a very sweet meaning.

Kalani

Unisex Hawaiian name meaning “the sky, the heavens”. It’s a name often connected with surfing, because of Hawaiian surfers Kalani Robb, Kalani Chapman, Kalani Vierra and Kalani David, and young Australian surfer Kalani Ball. Mark Gasnier, former NRL player for the St George Illawarra Dragons, welcomed a son named Kalani two years ago. These are all guys, but surfer Kalani Miller, girlfriend of Kelly Slater, is a reminder that it’s a girl’s name as well – in fact, Kalani seems more common as a girl’s name in Australia, making #570 for girls in Victoria and not ranking as a boy’s name. Then again, Victoria is not famous for its surf culture – in northern New South Wales or Queensland, boys named Kalani may be more common. It’s a great name for either sex.

Leander

Greek name meaning “lion man”, featured in the tragic tale of Hero and Leander. Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite who lived in a tower in Sestos, on the European side of the Dardanelles, while her lover Leander was from Abydos, on the other side of the strait. Leander swam across the Hellespont every night to be with Hero, while she lit a lantern at the top of her tower to guide his way. Their love affair lasted all through the summer nights, but winter weather proved an obstacle to swimming. Desperate to be with his sweetheart, Leander braved the icy waters and was drowned during a storm, while the savage winds blew out Hero’s lantern. The distraught Hero plunged from her tower into the waves to join him in his watery grave. The story has inspired many writers, including Ovid, John Donne, Christopher Marlowe, and John Keats. Lord Byron recreated the swim by crossing from Sestos to Abydos, a distance of just over 1 km, which he turned into a poem; although he did it in May, according to his poem it was still difficult and he ended up with a chill. Leander was obviously made of sterner stuff. This is a handsome and romantic name with a very masculine meaning.

Mandela

The surname of inspirational world leader Nelson Mandela, his surname the name of his grandfather, the son of a king. Mandela was a lawyer and prominent campaigner against the apartheid government when he was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against the state. He served more than 27 years, released in 1990 after an international campaign had lobbied the South African government on his behalf. He joined negotiations to abolish apartheid and establish multiracial elections, becoming South Africa’s first black president. Deeply loved in his own country, where he was called Tata, or “father””, he was a respected figure on the world stage. He received more than 250 awards and honours during his lifetime, including the Nobel Peace Prize; he was appointed Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia in 1999. His passing this month at the age of 95 after a long illness has only highlighted the global reverence he attained. This is a worthy namesake whose name I have seen given to a boy – a name that Africa has given to the world.

Oisin

Anglicised form of Oisín, an Irish name translated as”young deer”. In Irish mythology, Oisín was a warrior and the greatest poet in Ireland. He was the son of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill, and a woman named Sadbh, who had been turned into a deer by a malevolant druid. Fionn caught Sadbh as a deer, and she turned back into a human; all was well until the druid caught up with her and made her a deer while she was still pregnant. Sadhbh returned to the wild, and gave birth to Oisín while in deer form – hence his name. Eventually Fionn got to meet his son, and Oisín joined dad’s band of warriors. Oisín’s most famous adventure is when he fell in love with a fairy queen named Niamh, who took him to live in the Land of Youth. Although he thought he only lived with her for three years, three centuries passed in Ireland during his absence. Acording to some tales, Oisín lived long enough to meet Saint Patrick and tell him of his exploits. Oisín, or Ossian, is the narrator of the famous poem series by Scottish author James Macpherson, who made the Gaelic myths so popular in the 18^th century. Pronounced OSH-een or USH-een, this a popular name in Ireland and would be well-received in Australia.

Remy

Anglicised form of Rémy, French form of the Latin name Remigius, meaning “oarsmen”. Saint Remigius was a 5^th century Gallo-Roman bishop, a highly-educated man of noble blood. According to tradition, he converted and baptised Clovis, the King of the Franks. Clovis was baptised on Christmas Eve; such was his status that 3000 Franks were baptised that day with him. Because of this story, Saint Remigius is credited with France becoming a Christian country, and there are numerous places named Saint-Rémy his honour, as well as Saint-Rémy being a French surname. The name can also be spelled Rémi, and in France the second one is more popular. In Australia, both Remy and Remi are unisex, and roughly even for both sexes (Remy – 19 girls and 14 boys in Victoria; Remi – 11 boys and 7 girls). Although some get upset about Remy and Remi being used for girls, the names could just as easily be short forms of Remigia – the feminine form of Remigius. In Australia, they are usually pronounced RAY-mee or REH-mee.

Wyatt

English surname derived from the personal name Wyot, the medieval form of the Old English name Wigheard, meaning “brave in battle”. The Wyatt family were a prominent one in Britain; the Tudor poet Thomas Wyatt was one of their number. Sir Francis Wyatt was another, and he became Governor of Virginia, so the surname became well known in the United States as well. As a first name, Wyatt is famous because of Western lawman Wyatt Earp, who was Deputy Marshal of Tombstone in Arizona, and is known for the Gunfight at the O.K. Corall, in which three outlaw cowboys were killed. Wyatt was never injured in a gunfight, adding to his mystique, and after his death he gained legendary status as the toughest and deadliest gunman in the West. The name had a boost from popular culture through the television series Charmed, where Wyatt Halliwell was the son born to Piper and her White-Lighter husband Leo; the baby was named from his father’s earthly surname, and seems like a play on the word white, in the sense of “good, angelic”. Wyatt is #252 in Victoria.

Zayd

Arabic name meaning “abundance, growth, increase”. This name is important in Islam, because Zayd ibn Harithah was from an Arabian tribe, and after being abducted, sold into slavery while only a young boy. He was eventually sold to one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad, and when she married, she gave Zayd to Muhammad as a wedding present. The Prophet became very fond of Zayd, even calling him “the beloved”. One day Zayd’s grieving family managed to track him down, and Muhammad asked him to choose his fate; Zayd told his family he did not want to leave his owner. Zayd’s family accepted his choice, and Muhammad legally adopted him as a son, making him a free man. After Muhammad received his divine revelations from the angel Gabriel, Zayd was one of the first converts to Islam, the only one of Muhammad’s companions who are mentioned by name in the Qur’an, and the first Muslim to be killed fighting for Islam on foreign soil. The name can also be spelled Zaid, and elaborated as Zayden or Zaiden – which fits right in with the -ayden trend. Zayd is #650 in Victoria, while Zaid is #648.

POLL RESULT: People’s favourite names were Ari, Leander and Remy, and their least favourite were Dragan, Kalani and Mandela.

(Picture shows the Magi travelling to see the infant Jesus)

Girls Names of Australian Aboriginal Origin – Part 2

28 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 16 Comments

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animal names, astronomical names, Australian Aboriginal names, baby name books, bird names, birth notices, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, flower names, Greek names, hebrew names, historical records, Italian names, Japanese names, locational names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, names from books, names from fairy tales, names from movies, names from television, names of businesses, names of horses, names of ships, nature names, nicknames, plant names, Polish names, popular names, Romanian names, Slavic names, unisex names, varieties of fruit

My first lists of names from Aboriginal languages are the most popular articles on the blog, so it seemed time for another selection. These names are all ones which have been used as personal names in Australia. I have done my best to elucidate meaning and history as much as possible.

Alinta

Alinta means “flame” in one of the traditional languages of South Australia; it was published in a dictionary by the Royal Society of South Australia in 1891. The name was popularised in 1981 when it was featured in the award-winning mini-series Women of the Sun. Each episode portrayed fictionalised accounts of lives of Aboriginal women in Australian society through history, and the first was Alinta: The Flame. It shows first contact between an Aboriginal tribe and Europeans, when early settlers encounter a tribe while searching for grazing land. The tribe’s culture is threatened by the newcomers, and the tribe is wiped out. The only survivors are a woman named Alinta and her child; Alinta vows that her daughter will “carry the torch” for her culture. There are several businesses in Australia named Alinta, most notably a Western Australian energy company, one of the largest in Australia, and named with the Aboriginal meaning in mind. There is also an Australian-bred variety of strawberry called Alinta. It’s not a very unusual name here, and there are several young actresses with the name. Alinta is also used as a name in Romania, where it means “caress”.

Arika

Arika is a name from the Waka Waka people of south-east Queensland, meaning “blue water lily”. There are several species of blue water lily native to Queensland, and they are used as bush food, for all parts of the plant are edible. In Aboriginal mythology, water lilies are a gift from the Rainbow Serpent, and sometimes in Indigenous astronomy, small stars were seen as water lily bulbs. In the novel Book of Dreams by Traci Harding, the meaning of the name is translated, and it says that in the past, Aboriginal women named Arika were given the name Lily by white people – which suggests that Arika might be a good name to honour a great-grandma Lily. Australians named Arika include Indigenous artist Arika Waulu Onus, and Arika Errington, who works in Aboriginal health, and contacted the blog to tell us about her name. I saw several children and teens named Arika online, mostly from Queensland, so it seems as if this name could be today’s Nerida. Arika sounds a bit like Erica, and is an angram of the Japanese name Akira, while having a similar meaning to Lotus. Possible nicknames that occur to me are Ari and Riki.

Jedda

Jedda (1955) was the first Australian film in colour, the last film of famous director Charles Chauvel, and the first film to star two Aboriginal actors in leading roles. In the movie, Jedda is an Aboriginal girl raised from infancy by a white woman after her mother died giving birth to her. Although she is curious about her own culture, her adoptive mother forbids her from learning anything about it, with tragic consequences. The film was nominated for the main prize at Cannes, and was a commercial success in Australia. In the movie, the name Jedda means “little wild goose” – a forerunner of the chase she will engender. I am not sure if the meaning was invented for the film, or drew on local knowledge; Jedda certainly exists as an Aboriginal name in historical records before 1955. An Aboriginal lady told me that she understood the name Jedda (which was her daughter’s name) as “little child”, but she didn’t say what language that was from. This is reasonably well used as a girl’s name, being similar to Jenna and Jetta – but I have seen it on a boy, because it shortens to Jed, and is also a plant name, because jedda (Jedda multicaulis) is a native shrub.

Kalina

Kalina means “love” in the extinct Wemba-Wemba language of north-west Victoria and south-west New South Wales. It has often been used as a place name, street name, a name for businesses and organisations, and sometimes as a girl’s name in Australia, but I’m not sure whether it was used as a personal name by the Wemba-Wemba people. It is also a literary name, because Kalina is one of the brumbies in the Australian classic children’s series, The Silver Brumby, by Elyne Mitchell – although in this case, Kalina is a white stallion, and his name is understood to mean (in horse language) “marvellous beauty of frost on snow”. Kalina is also a Slavic name which means “cranberry bush”; in Romania it means “rowan tree”, and in Poland it means “virburnum bush”. This is a pretty cross-cultural name which has several attractive meanings, and seems very easy to wear, being similar to Karina, Katrina and Kalista.

Leumeah

Leumeah is an outer southern suburb of Sydney, in the Macarthur region. It was settled by John Warby, a convict explorer who was transported here in 1792. In 1802, Warby was given the job of protecting cattle roaming free south-west of Sydney. Here he befriended the Tharawal people who lived in the area, and learned some of their language. In 1816 he was granted land on which to build a house, barn and stables; the barn and stables are still standing – one of them is a restaurant and the other a motel. (Just to confuse things, the stables is called The Barn Restaurant). Warby named his farm Leumeah, which means “here I rest” in the Tharawal language, and this became the name of the suburb. It is pronounced LOO-mee-uh. I have seen one or two girls given this name, and it seems like an especially happy name for an Australian, as it came about from a rare case of friendship between Aborigines and European settlers. The sound of it is quite on trend, and Lulu could be a nickname.

Marlee

Marlee is a small town in mid-northern New South Wales, whose name means “elder tree” in the local Biripi language. Native Elderberry or Yellow Elderberry is Sambucus australasica; its berries are bush food and they are sweeter than the variety from the northern hemisphere. Marlee is a popular name for houses and streets, suggesting leafy abundance, and it is not uncommon as a girl’s name here. Marlee also means “swan” in the Nyungar language of Western Australia, so it has a nice meaning in two languages. It is a rare week when I don’t see a baby named Marli, Marlie, Mahli or Mali in the birth notices, and Marlee fits in perfectly – in fact there was a Marlee in this week’s birth announcements. You could see these names as attempts to “feminise” Marley, but they could just as easily be short forms of Marlene, Mahlia or Malia. Marlee seems like a great way to join this trend with a specifically Australian meaning.

Narelle

Queen Narelle was the wife of King Merriman (or Umbarra), an important elder of the Yuin people in the latter part of the 19^th century. The Yuin people are the traditional owners of the South Coast region of New South Wales, in the Bermagui area. Aboriginal people traditionally did not have kings or chiefs, and the title of “king” was given to certain elders by white people as a (misguided) mark of respect. There is a famous photo of Queen Narelle’s well-attended funeral taken around 1895, which shows black and white people mourning for her together, so it does seem as if Narelle and Merriman were able to form a bridge between cultures, or that relations in the 19^th century could be harmonious. You may see Narelle translated as “woman from the sea” in baby name books, but in fact the meaning isn’t known; it is pronounced nuh-REL. Narelle first charted in Australia in the 1920s at #362, and reached the Top 100 in the 1940s. It peaked in the 1950s at #50, and was out of the Top 100 in the 1970s. It hasn’t ranked since the 1980s or charted since the 1990s. The name took a dive in the late 1970s, when it featured on highly popular comedy series The Naked Vicar Show. Narelle was a slightly dim-witted, mildly tarty woman – hence the plummeting popularity of the name, which immediately lost all cachet. However, Narelle is actually a pretty name, and the TV show has long been off the air. It even fits in with the trend for -ell names for girls, and could have fashionable Nell or Nellie as the nickname. Names from the 1950s are predicted to make a comeback: could Narelle be one of them?

Nyah

Nyah is a small town in Victoria on the banks of the Murray River, pronounced NY-ah. It began as a utopian socialist community in the late 19^th century, but as utopian socialism went out of fashion, it lost the necessary government support, and it isn’t now any more utopian or socialist than the next country town. Its name means “this bend (of the river)” in the local Boorung language – the bend of the Murray River at Nyah was an important boundary marker for the Boorung people. The region around Nyah has several Indigenous sacred sites, and in the surrounding state forests, anthropologists have discovered many interesting artefacts of Aboriginal culture. I know of someone with this name, and it seems attractive and simple, similar in sound to popular names like Maya, while also a place name important to Indigenous heritage.

Talia

Talia is a small town on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia whose name means “near water” in one of the local languages – appropriately enough for a town by the sea. It may be from Wirangu, or one of its closely related languages. Talia has charted in Australia since the 1970s, which seems to follow its inclusion in Aboriginal Words and Place Names by Alexander Wyclif Reed (1965). It first ranked in the 1980s at #483, and hit its peak in 2009, when it joined the New South Wales Top 100 at #91. Since then it has rapidly declined, and is now #222. The variant spelling of Tahlia has been much more successful, which has been in the Top 100 since the 1990s, peaked in 2009 at #36, and is now #78. Tahlia may be more than an attempt to make clear the Australian pronunciation of Talia – it may also be to differentiate it from international names, because Talia is known as a girl’s name in several other cultures. Talia is a variant of the modern Hebrew name Talya, meaning “dew of God”, and the Italian form of the Greek name Thalia, meaning “blooming”. It can also be used as a short form of Natalia. Talia was the name of the princess in an Italian folk tale on which Sleeping Beauty was based. This is a pretty cross-cultural name with a specifically Australian meaning, and although it is less popular than Tahlia, that may make it more attractive to some parents.

Yindi

Yindi was the name of a ship, one of four that the Australian government presented to the navy of the Philippines as a gift in 1958. Each of them were given Aboriginal names taken from The Australian Language by Sidney J. Baker (1945). The first ship was the Yindi, whose name is translated as “sun”; in most Aboriginal cultures, the sun is female. Yindi also means “to descend” in the Yindjibarndi language of Western Australia, and the name may remind you of the Australian band Yothu Yindi, which means “child and mother” in the Yolngu language of the Northern Territory. I saw a baby girl named Yindi in a birth notice last year, and it struck me as a really stylish choice, which stands out from the crowd and has a sunny meaning.

POLL RESULT: People’s favourite names were Talia, Alinta, and Kalina, and their least favourite were Leumeah, Jedda, and Narelle.

(Photo shows Nymphaea gigantea – a species of blue water lily native to south-east Queensland; © Raimond Spekking / CC-BY-SA-4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Names Spotted at Home and Abroad (Autum Edition)

27 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by A.O. in Names Spotted at Home and Abroad

≈ 7 Comments

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Arabic names, Arthurian names, Biblical names, Cornish names, english names, hebrew names, Japanese names, locational names, Maori names, name meaning, names from movies, names from television, portmanteau names, rare names, Scottish names, Slavic names, Spanish names, stage names, surname names, terms of endearment, unisex names, vocabulary names, Welsh names

Names of Babies and Children

The winners of the 2013 Bonds Baby Search were announced during the autumn, and some of the interesting names I saw amongst them were Ramsey, Cielo and Azriel. Ramsey is a Scottish surname from an English town meaning “wild garlic island” – at last, it’s an anti-vampire name! Cielo means “sky”, in Spanish, but it’s also a term of affection, meaning “my heaven”. Azriel is a Hebrew Biblical name which means “help of God”. Although male in the Bible, its similarity to Azaria and Ariel probably makes it seem unisex, or even female.

A baby girl born rather suddenly in a hospital car park in Adelaide was named Lowenek, a Cornish name said to mean “joyfulness”. South Australia has a strong Cornish heritage, and I wonder if little Lowenek was named with this in mind?

A poor little baby had a rather awful time in hospital. Her name is Venice, which I think is really pretty. We just saw a Verona in a birth announcement, and I saw a Vienna at For Real Baby Names – Valencia must be just around the corner.

This story on a mum who went all out to lose her baby weight, getting super fit in the process, says that she has a toddler son named Jatticus, and a baby daughter named Atlantis. I’ve seen people use Jatticus as a user name online, but never seen it on a baby before, and Atlantis is pretty wow.

A story on a Sydney family with a dozen children did not give all their names, but did mention one boy named Taiawhio, which is a Maori name meaning “go around, encircle”.

An article on baby naming laws in Australia from Lifehacker mentioned a few rare baby names that were registered last year – Hurricane, J’Adore, Couture, Excel, Burger, Google, Tron, Hippo. Are these unique baby names? Nope, they were each registered more than once. Remember, no matter how unusual you think your baby name is, someone else has probably thought of it.

Names of Adults

A story on a baby’s difficult birth mentioned the midwife as being named Oki Rose. Oki is a Japanese name which means “offing” – the offing is the distant sea which is still visible from the shoreline. It’s a surname in Japan, as well as a place name, the Oki Islands. It’s a name which strangely appeals to me, and as parents sometimes call their babies after the midwife in gratitude, I wonder if there are any little Okis in her area?

There was a profile on a novelist named Honey Brown. People always ask her if it’s a pen name, but it’s the name she was given at birth. Her dad was driving down a country road when he saw a sign advertising honey painted on a roadside shed, and he went home and told his pregnant wife that if they had a girl, her name had to be Honey. If that isn’t sweet enough, for her 40^th birthday, Honey’s sister tracked down the original sign and took a photo of it. I love a name with a story behind it.

Another writer, this time a teenage fashion blogger from Perth named Willabelle Ong. She’s been blogging since she was 15, has more than 60 000 subscribers, racks up over 115 000 views a month, and has been featured in Teen Vogue and the New York Times. I’m not usually a fan of portmanteau names, but Willabelle is really quirky and charming.

There was a story on a young rapper whose stage name is Iggy Azalea, which is pretty cool. Her real name is Amethyst Kelly, which is cool too. Would you prefer to be called Iggy or Amethyst?

A story on new Australian citizens in Queensland mentioned one with the intriguing name of Ginny Lovelady. It puts an interesting picture in your mind. Other names of new Australians were Craig, Manjula, Marriette, Brigette, Albert, Melissa and Almari.

While watching RPA, I saw a young man, still in his teens, having a tumour removed from his leg. Luckily, his limb was able to be saved. He had the romantically Arthurian name Galahad, which some interpret as being from the Welsh for “hawk of summer”. Galahad is the only knight who is pure enough to find the Holy Grail, and some see him as a Christ-figure. Guinevere is becoming accepted as a “normal” name now, so how about Galahad for the guys?

On the news, there was a brief interview with the father of an unsuccessful criminal who was foiled by a quick-thinking young lady. The dad’s name was Trampas, which seemed to me very unusual (okay, utterly bizarre). Turns out the name had quite a vogue in its day, because Trampas was one of the main characters in the 1960s TV cowboy series, The Virginian. It’s from a place name meaning “traps” in Spanish, and there’s some famous Americans with this name, who were born while the TV show was on. There’s also several Australians with the name in historical records. Perhaps in 50 years a name blogger will exclaim over a stout middle-aged lady named Katniss, and wonder where on earth she got her “weird” name from.

Speaking of names from books, a friend complained that she couldn’t finish the novel she’d started because of the heroine’s name – Ava. She found it ridiculous that a grown woman should have a “little girl” name – sooo unbelievable. The funny thing is, I know an Ava who’s 32, not to mention a Ruby who’s 28 , a Keeley who’s 29, and an Oliver and a Tyson in their mid-forties. These popular baby names had to start out somewhere! The grown-up Ava I know has a toddler named Jessica – I wonder how many people get their names confused?

Interesting Names Spotted in Real Life

Akira – a Japanese name meaning “bright, clear”. It can be unisex, but I saw it on a boy.

Ebenezer – I was so rapt to see this on a little boy! It really doesn’t seem any different to Biblical names like Ethan, Elijah, Ezra etc.

Malik – an Arabic name meaning “chieftain, king”. Does it remind you of Slumdog Millionaire or One Direction?

Riven – a girl’s name from the online game, League of Legends. Literally it means “split asunder” in English, which kind of freaks me out, but I can see it sounds a lot like River and Rivendell. Maybe her parents think riven means “full of rivers”?

Zora – a Slavic name meaning “dawn”. A nice alternative to popular Zara.

Names of Babies Born to People I Know or Know Of:

Girls: Autumn, Mabel, Xanthe

Boys: Calvin, Lennon, Theo, Wyatt

(Picture shows the original sign which inspired Honey Brown’s name)

Girls Names Which Rose in Popularity in 2012

14 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 25 Comments

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celebrity baby names, classic names, english names, epithets, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, Gaelic names, germanic names, Hollywood names, locational names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, names from television, Native American names, nature names, nicknames, Old French names, Old Norse names, plant names, popular names, retro names, royal names, Scottish names, Slavic names, Spanish names, surname names, Twilight names, unisex names, vocabulary names

These names became noticeably more popular in Australia last year. If you are considering using any of them, don’t panic. Most are making solid progress rather than madly storming upward. It would be foolish to reject them based on their current popularity, and silly to fret if you chose one of these names in 2012.

The list indicates the diversity of girls’ names at present, with a mix of classic and modern; places and nature; Hollywood and royalty. There’s something for nearly everyone amongst these popular names.

Ivy

Ivy was the fastest-rising girl’s name both nationally and in Western Australia last year, and made the top 5 fastest-rising names in South Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. It became more popular across the board in 2012, and nationally rose 18 places. This is its second time around in the Top 100 – Ivy was #17 in the 1900s, and didn’t leave the Top 100 until the 1940s. It vanished from the charts in the 1970s, but reappeared in the 1990s. Ivy soared during the 2000s, making the Top 100 by the end of that decade. It is currently #22 in Australia, #21 in NSW, #27 in Victoria, #25 in Queensland, #22 in SA, #28 in WA, #44 in Tasmania, and #30 in the ACT. Ivy is named for the plant, and like its namesake, is presently climbing; Beyonce‘s daughter Blue Ivy may have given the name publicity. Chances are we’ll be seeing more of this fresh, pretty retro name, which sounds similar to popular Ava, Eva and Evie.

Savannah

Savannah was in the top 5 fastest-rising names in South Australia, went up 9 places nationally, and increased in popularity in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania. It is currently #35 in Australia, #38 in NSW, #74 in Victoria, #28 in Queensland, #43 in SA, #35 in WA and #94 in Tasmania. Savannah first charted in the 1990s, and climbed until it reached the Top 100 at the end of the 2000s. Savannah is an alternate spelling of the word savanna, referring to grasslands that have scattered trees, or where the trees are open to the sky; large tracts of northern Australia are savanna. The word comes from the Spanish sabana, derived from the Arawak (Native American) word zabana, which originally meant a treeless grassy plain. Savannah is a place name in the United States, most famously the city in Georgia. The city’s name comes from the Savannah River, which may be derived from the Shawnee people, or from Native American words for “southerner” or “salt”. The city featured in 1990s soap, Savannah, which probably accounts for its début in the charts that decade. While I imagine Savannah originally got its foot in the door because it sounds like Susannah, here it fit in with those other hip names of the ’90s, Ava and Sienna. Like Harper, this is another American South-inspired name, but also a royal one, because the queen’s first great-granddaughter is named Savannah.

Harper

Harper was the fastest-rising name in Tasmania and Victoria, made the top 5 fastest-rising names in South Australia and Western Australia, and became more popular in every state. Currently it is #39 in Australia, #37 in NSW, #29 in Victoria, #36 in Queensland, #44 in SA, #29 in WA, and #31 in Tasmania. Harper began as a surname from the English word for a professional harp player. The surname originates from the west coast of Scotland, and is especially associated with the Clan Buchanan. The name also has Christian overtones, for heaven is said to be filled with the sound of harp music. Harper has been used as a first name since the 17^th century, and was originally given to boys. The fame of (Nelle) Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, gave it a feminine slant. Harper only began charting in 2011, after David and Victoria Beckham welcomed their first daughter. Harper Beckham was named by her brothers after a character in Wizards of Waverley Place (although Victoria Beckham also happened to be working for Harper’s Bazaar at the time). The Beckhams said they wanted a name to honour their time in the United States, and chose this American-style name. Many Australians have followed in their footsteps.

Alice

Alice was the #1 fastest-rising name in South Australia, and has just joined the Top 20 in the Northern Territory, so it has gained popularity in central Australia. Intriguingly, the town of Alice Springs is in the middle of the Australia, offering food for thought. Alice also went up in popularity nationally, in Victoria, and in Tasmania. It is currently #43 in Australia, #49 in NSW, #34 in Victoria, #53 in Queensland, #34 in SA, #49 in WA, #41 in Tasmania, #20 in the NT and #43 in the ACT. Alice is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #4 in the 1900s, and just missed out on the Top 100 in the 1940s, at #105. It reached its lowest point in the 1960s at #265, then began climbing, reaching the Top 100 for the second time in the 1990s. Since the beginning of the 2000s it has made staid but steady progress up the charts, and become middle name de jour. Alice is from the Old French name Aalis, short for Adelais, which is a short form of the Germanic name Adelheidis, meaning “noble kind” (which Adelaide is based on). Alice became popular in the Middle Ages, and got a boost during the 19^th century after Queen Victoria had a Princess Alice. It’s been a favourite in fiction ever since Lewis Carroll penned Alice in Wonderland, and is the name of a main character in the Twilight series. Sensible, yet with a touch of magic, sweet Alice is one to keep your eye on.

Willow

Willow was in the top 5 fastest-rising names in Western Australia, went up nationally, and increased in popularity in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. It is currently #44 in Australia, #43 in NSW, #33 in Victoria, #39 in Queensland, #32 in WA, #73 in Tasmania and #68 in the ACT. Willow first charted in the 1990s, and rose precipitously to make the Top 100 by the late 2000s. Willow is named for the genus of small trees and shrubs which symbolise both wisdom and deep loss. It has been used as a personal name since the 18^th century, and was originally given equally to boys and girls. It has only ever charted for girls in Australia, but is still occasionally used for boys. The 1988 fantasy film Willow, which possibly played a role in Willow joining the charts in the ’90s, has a hero named Willow. In 2011, pop singer Pink welcomed a daughter named Willow, and that doesn’t seem to have done this name any harm. Flower names mostly didn’t do well in 2012; Ivy and Willow show that greenery is more appreciated than petals at present.

Mackenzie

Mackenzie made the top 5 fastest-rising lists in New South Wales and Victoria, and increased its popularity in other states and the Australian Capital Territory. Currently it is #46 in Australia, #57 in NSW, #44 in Victoria, #45 in Queensland, #33 in SA, #37 in WA, #45 in Tasmania, and #48 in the ACT. Mackenzie has charted since the 1990s, and zoomed up the charts to make the Top 100 by the early 2000s. It dipped out of the Top 100 in 2009, but was back the next year. Mackenzie is a Scottish surname, an Anglicised form of of the Gaelic Mac Coinnich, meaning “son of Coinneach” (Coinneach is the original form of Kenneth). The Clan Mackenzie is from the Highlands, and of Celtic origin; they trace their clan name back to the pagan god Cernunnos. Mackenzie has been used as a first name since the 18^th century in Scotland; it was nearly always given to boys in the beginning, but not exclusively so. Mackenzie first charted in the US as a female name, popularised by actress (Laura) Mackenzie Phillips, who was in American Graffiti. Since then there have been other Mackenzies on our screens; most recently, Mackenzie Foy played Renesmee in Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

Audrey

Audrey made the national Top 50 last year, and according to my estimate, rose almost as many places as Ivy. However, it’s harder to see where the gains were made than it is with Ivy, although Audrey made significant increases in New South Wales and Victoria, and modest ones in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Currently it is #50 in Australia, #36 in NSW, #32 in Victoria, #55 in Queensland, #96 in Tasmania and #35 in the ACT. Like Ivy and Alice, Audrey has been Top 100 before. Although it was #156 in the 1900s, it made the Top 100 the following decade, and shot up to peak at #32 in the 1920s. It sank faster than it had risen, and was #197 in the 1940s, reaching its lowest point in the 1980s with a ranking of #0. Since then it has climbed, and reached the Top 100 again at the end of the 2000s. It looks likely to overtake its earlier peak, but Audrey seems to be under the radar at present. This is one of those names which is probably more popular than you think, and has an Australian connection, for the famous Skipping Girl Vinegar neon sign in Melbourne is affectionately known as Little Audrey.

Mila

Mila was the #1 fastest-rising name in the Australian Capital Territory, and grew more popular in New South Wales, Western Australia and Tasmania. It is currently #59 in NSW, #46 in Victoria, #65 in Queensland, #44 in WA, #70 in Tasmania, and #48 in the ACT. Mila only began charting in 2011, so has been extremely successful in a brief space of time. The fame of Hollywood actress Mila Kunis must have had an impact; Mila entered the charts the year after Ms Kunis appeared in Black Swan. Mila is a short form of Slavic names containing the element mil, meaning “gracious, dear”. Mila Kunis’ full name is Milena, which is the feminine form of the Slavic name Milan, meaning something like “dear one”, and often translated as “sweetheart”. Mila sounds similar to other popular names such as Mia and Milla, and at the moment is doing very well.

Freya

Freya is a name just beginning to make an impression, for it joined the Top 100 in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory last year, and was in the top 5 fastest-rising names in Tasmania. Both these regions have small population sizes, so you can be forgiven for being a little sceptical; Freya is currently #174 in NSW and #129 in Victoria. Freya is the English spelling of the Old Norse goddess Freyja – her name means “lady”, and was originally an epithet. In Norse mythology, Freyja is a goddess of love, sex, beauty, fertility, sorcery, gold, war and death. Immensely beautiful and clever, she rules over a field in the afterlife. The name Freya has been popular in the UK for several years now, and is well known here due to Tasmanian actress Freya Stafford; it doesn’t seem too far-fetched that we should follow Britain’s lead, but we shall have to wait and see.

Josephine

Josephine just managed to squeeze onto the Top 100 in New South Wales last year. That may not sound impressive, but the amount Josephine climbed was phenomenal – it went up 99 places, far outstripping Ivy’s mere 18. For that reason alone, it deserves a place on this list. Josephine is a solid classic which has never been off the charts, or left the Top 200; on the other hand it has never enjoyed high popularity either. It was #86 for the 1900s, and peaked the following decade at #76. It just failed to reach the Top 100 of the 1940s at #103, and dipped in the 1980s to make #172. Its progress has been up and down, but never too high or low, and it reached its lowest point in the charts in 2011, at #199. It has more than made up for this by getting back to the Top 100 in 2012, where it hasn’t been since the 1930s. Currently it is #100 in NSW and #105 in Tasmania. Josephine has recently made its mark as a royal and celebrity baby name, with Josephine chosen for the daughter of Prince Frederik and Princess Mary of Denmark, and also the grand-daughter of former prime minister Kevin Rudd. Will Josephine continue its ascent? Historically it’s unlikely, for Josephine seems most comfortable in the low to mid 100s, and may very well drop back this year. Stay tuned!

POLL RESULT: People’s favourite names were Alice, Ivy, and Freya, and their least favourite were Harper, Savannah, and Mackenzie.

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~ Names with an Australian Bias of Democratic Temper

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