Boys Names from the British Royal Family

17 Sunday May 2015

Tags

animal names, Basque names, bird names, Castilian names, Disney names, ethnonyms, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, German names, germanic names, honouring, Italian names, Latin names, Maori names, middle names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, Native American names, New Zealand names, nicknames, popular names, retro names, royal names, saints names, Spanish names, surname names, UK name trends, unisex names, vintage names

Christian
Christian Mowatt is the younger brother of Zenouska Mowatt, grandson of Princess Alexandra, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 1993, he is 51st in line to the throne. Christian is one of the most common names in the British royal family, especially in the middle. Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, a member of the Danish royal family, was the husband of Princess Helena, the daughter of Queen Victoria. Their son was also called Prince Christian, and he was Queen Victoria’s favourite grandson, a British army officer who fell in the Boer War. Christian is from the Latin name Christianus, meaning “follower of Christ”. It has been used as a personal name since the Middle Ages, and was originally more common for girls amongst English-speakers. It became seen as a boy’s name after John Bunyan’s highly popular The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), where the hero is a man named Christian. Christian has been a traditional name for Danish kings since the 15th century, and Prince Christian of Denmark, the son of Prince Frederik and Princess Mary, is second in line to the Danish throne. Christian was #178 in the 1900s, and disappeared from the charts the following decade. It returned in the 1950s at #280, perhaps inspired by French fashion designer Christian Dior, or Danish fairy tale writer Hans Christian Anderson, both popular at the time. It rose in the 1960s, and reached the Top 100 in 1971. Its progress has been up and down, and it’s currently #85. It’s a retro name that feels like a modern classic, popular for decades without feeling overused.

Columbus
Columbus Taylor is the eldest son of Lady Helen Taylor, a grandson of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and a great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 1994, he is 38th in line to the throne. The name Columbus is best known as the surname of Christopher Columbus, the 15th century Italian explorer and navigator under the patronage of the Spanish monarchy. In his efforts to find a safe passage to Asia by sailing west, he initiated the Spanish colonisation of the New World, leading to lasting European contact with the Americas that changed the world forever. The explorer’s Italian name was Cristoforo Colombo; Colombo is the Italian form of the saint’s name Columba, Latin for “dove”, and used by Christians in reference to the Holy Spirit, often symbolised as a dove. A name with Transatlantic appeal, nearly always given in honour of the explorer, and a more eyebrow-raising form of Callum.

Guelph
Guelph is one of the middle names of Leopold Windsor, the son of Nicholas Windsor, who has been featured on the blog as a royal dad. A grandson of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and great-great-grandson of King George V, Leopold was born in 2009, and as a Roman Catholic, is not in the line of succession to the throne. The House of Guelph was a European dynasty which played a major role in the politics of medieval Italy, but whose territories moved towards Germany early on, and was eventually succeeded by the Kingdom of Hanover – thus giving strong ties to the British royal family. The current head of the House of Guelph is Ernest August, Prince of Hanover, a descendant of King George II, and husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco. The House of Guelph was founded by Welf IV, Duke of Bavaria, of Italian and German heritage; his name is a Germanic one meaning “young dog”, and thus the equivalent of the English word whelp. A very noble name – perhaps even too aristocratic for most.

Hubert
Hubert was one of the middle names of George Lascelles, the 7th Earl of Harewood, who was the son of Princess Mary, and grandson of King George V, cousin to Elizabeth II. He passed his middle name down to his son, Mark Hubert Lascelles, born 1964, and not in line to the throne due to being born out of wedlock. Hubert is a Germanic name meaning “bright mind”, and became well known because of St Hubert, an 8th century Bishop of Liege. A French nobleman, he became addicted to hunting after his wife died in childbirth, until he had a vision of a crucifix between the antlers of the stag he was pursuing. Even though this legend was taken from the story of St Eustace, St Hubert is honoured as the patron of ethical hunting, having compassion for animals as God’s creatures. Widely venerated during the Middle Ages, St Hubert’s noble ancestry made him a favourite with chivalric and military orders. Hubert has been used in two Disney films – King Hubert is the father of Sleeping Beauty, while in Brave, Hubert is one of Princess Merida’s three brothers. Hubert was #102 in the 1900s, and had left the charts by the 1940s, so this vintage name may appear dated, although it is rising in the UK, and fits in with Hugh and Hugo.

Inigo
Inigo is one of the middle names of Charles Armstrong-Jones, the son of Viscount Linley, grandson of Princess Margaret, and great-grandson of King George VI; Queen Elizabeth II is his great aunt. Born in 1999, he is 19th in line to the throne, and his middle name is in honour of Inigo Jones, a personal hero of his father. Inigo Jones was a 17th century British architect and stage designer, a royal Surveyor-General, and hugely influential. Some of his many works include the Queen’s House in Greenwich, now used to house the art collection of the National Maritime Museum, the Banqueting House in the Palace of Whitehall, now a museum, and the Queen’s Chapel at St James’ Palace. He also designed Covent Garden square, and undertook repair and remodelling of St Paul’s Cathedral. Inigo is a British form of Íñigo, a Castilian form of the Basque name Eneko, translated as “my little love, my little dear one”. It may go back to Roman times, but from the Middle Ages was traditional amongst Spanish royalty and nobility. Pronounced IN-i-go, this was first used as an English name in Cornwall, but became traditional amongst descendants of Inigo Jones. Those descendants in Australia include meteorologist Inigo Owen Jones, and wealthy grazier Arthur Triggs, whose brother was named Inigo. A sweet yet solid choice, Inigo has been given further dash and a famous catchphrase by Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride.

Maximilian
Maximilian Lascelles is the son of Henry Lascelles, the great-grandson of Princess Mary, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 1991, he is 66th in line to the throne. The name Maximilian is from the Roman name Maxmilianus, derived from Maximus, meaning “greatest”. There are a few saints named Maximilian, with the 3rd century martyr St Maximilian of Tebessa regarded as the first conscientious objector, because he believed that as a Christian, he could not serve in the Roman army. He has been a hero to the anti-war movement ever since. Maximilian I was a 15th century Holy Roman Emperor, named for one of the St Maximilians – probably Germanic missionary and martyr Maximilian of Celeia – and the name has been traditional amongst European monarchy ever since (the tradition that his name was a cross between two Roman emperors is just folklore). Maximilian is around the 400s here, but significantly higher in the UK. Handsome and regal, Maximilian sounds very imposing – but shortens to popular, friendly Max.

Otis
Otis Shard is the son of Lady Emily Shard, and the great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 2011, he is not in the line of succession because his mother was born out of wedlock. Otis is a surname derived from an English form of the medieval Germanic name Ode or Odo, an earlier form of the German name Otto. The surname is very well known in the United States, as the Otises are a prominent family influential in early American politics; aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart was one of their members. Famous musical namesakes include Otis Redding, Otis Rush, Otis Span, rapper Otis Jackson Jr, and Otis Williams, from The Temptations, and another musical connection is the song Otis by Kanye West and Jay-Z, sampling Otis Redding. A rising name in the UK, Otis is around the 300s here, and a very fashionable choice.

Tane
Tane Lewis is the brother of Senna Lewis, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 2012, he is 30th in line to the throne. As earlier discussed, Tane’s father is New Zealander Gary Lewis, the only Maori to have married into the British royal family, and Tane has a name to honour his heritage. Tane is the god of trees and birds in Maori mythology, the son of the sky father and the earth mother, who clothed his father in the stars and his mother with vegetation. In some legends, he made the first man, and in others he made the first woman, moulding her from soil so she could be his wife. The word tāne means “man” in Maori, and it is pronounced TAH-neh, although I have met boys in New Zealand and Australia called Tane who say their name TAYN. A strong, simple yet evocative name which is a wonderful heritage choice, fitting in with familiar names such as Tanner, Tate, and Talon.

Tewa
Tewa Lascelles is the brother of Tanit Lascelles, a great-grandson of Princess Mary, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 1985, he is 58th in line to the throne. Tewa’s mother was Lori Lee, known as “Shadow”, of Native American descent, and his name was chosen to honour his heritage. The Tewa people are from New Mexico, and the name Tewa comes from a Keres word meaning “moccasins”; it is pronounced TAY-wuh, rather like Taylor with a W instead of an L. Tewa Lascelles, an American citizen, was born in New Mexico, and perhaps the name reflects his birthplace as well. Tewa is in a progressive punk band, following in his family’s musical footsteps, as James Lascelles is a keyboardist with an interest in world music, and grandfather George Lascelles devoted most of his career to opera.

Xan
Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden, is the brother of Lady Cosima Windsor, son of the Earl of Ulster, and great-great-grandson of King George V; born in 2007, he is 26th in line to the throne. Xan is named in honour of his father, Major Alex Ulster, and this snappy short form of Alexander seems very versatile. Fresh and futuristic, Xan could belong to either gender, and is of ambiguous cultural background, making it the perfect choice for the modern age.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Otis, Christian and Tane, and their least favourite were Columbus, Tewa and Guelph.

(Picture shows Tane Lewis, accompanied by his mother, Lady Davina Lewis; photo from The Daily Mail)

Rare Girls Names From the 1940s

05 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

animal names, controversial names, created names, Easter names, english names, fictional namesakes, flower names, French names, germanic names, Greek names, honouring, Irish names, Latin names, locational names, middle names, name history, name meaning, name trends, names from films, names from songs, nature names, nicknames, plant names, rare names, Roman names, saints names, Scottish names, Spanish names, surname names, unisex names, vintage names, virtue names, vocabulary words

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Girls Names from the Top 100 of the 1940s

01 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

animal names, aristocratic names, Biblical names, classic names, colour names, controversial names, created names, dated names, english names, fictional namesakes, French names, gemstone names, German names, Greek names, hebrew names, Latin names, middle names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, nature names, nicknames, plant names, rare names, retro names, royal names, saints names, Spanish names, underused classics, unisex names, vocabulary names

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interesting Girls Names From the 2014 Birth Announcements

30 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Arabic names, Biblical names, birth notices, celebrity baby names, controversial names, Disney names, epithets and titles, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, flower names, French names, German names, germanic names, Greek names, hebrew names, Indian names, Latin American names, Latin names, locational names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, names from ballet, names from films, names of businesses, names of cocktails, nature names, nicknames, plant names, rare names, Roman names, saints names, Sanskrit names, Spanish names, surname names, unisex names, yoga names

I’m always on the look-out for unusual names in the birth notices, and here are a dozen that are little used, but have intriguing histories. If you are looking for a rare yet genuine name, but fear choosing something too strange, you can take heart that these names have all been recently used by real life Australian parents.

Anjali
Sanskrit name meaning “divine offering”, from the word anj, meaning “to honour, to celebrate”. The Añjali Mudrā is a gesture of respect used in India as a greeting, where the palms join over the heart. If you go to yoga classes, you may greet each other with an Añjali Mudrā; it’s also part of several yoga positions. Anjali is quite a common name in India, and you may know the name as that of the wife of Indian cricket star, Sachin Tendulkar. A pretty Indian name that works very well in English-speaking countries, it is usually pronounced UN-juh-lee, although English-speakers may prefer an-JAH-lee.

Cataleya
Latin American form of cattleya, a type of South American tropical orchid with large, showy flowers. The orchid is named after English horticulturist William Cattley, who was the first European to successfully bring one into bloom. His surname comes from Catley in Herefordshire, meaning “wildcat wood”. Readers of Marcel Proust may recall that in Swann’s Way, the courtesan Odette wore a cattleya as decoration on her gown one evening, and her lover Swann removed it for her. As one thing led to another, they used cattleya as a private word between them for lovemaking. Cataleya was the highest-rising girls’ name in the United States last year, rocketing into the Top 500 from nowhere. The reason is the 2011 action film Colombiana, where the heroine is the assassin Cataleya, who leaves a cattleya as her calling card. Exotic and with a tough girl namesake, it is pronounced kah-tah-LAY-uh.

Damaris
In the New Testament, a woman named Damaris is mentioned as a convert of Saint Paul in Athens. Very little is known about her, although it is assumed she was a woman of high social status, but she is recognised as a saint in the Orthodox faith, and there is a street named after her in Athens. Her name is a matter of debate: the most popular theory is that is from the Greek word damalis, which literally means “heifer”, but is understood as “young girl”. Another is that it is derived from damar, the Greek word for “wife”. Once fashionable in 17th century England, this is a little-used biblical name that has gained modern glamour by American swimsuit model Damaris Lewis. The name is pronounced DAM-uh-ris.

Esperanza
Spanish form of the Latin name Sperantia, meaning “to hope”; esperanza is the Spanish vocabulary word for “hope”. The name got some publicity in 2010 because of Campamento Esperanza (“Camp Hope”), set up in Chile by friends and relatives after a cave-in at a mine; many weeks later their prayers were answered when all 33 miners were rescued. The following year, jazz singer Esperanza Spalding was named Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. The name also has a motherly vibe, for Esperanza is the wife of Zorro, and mother of his beloved daughter Elena in The Mask of Zorro, while the mare who gives birth to the stallion Spirit in the animated movie is named Esperanza. Another famous mum is Oscar Wilde’s mother, who wrote under the pen name Speranza. Esperanza is a cool name that’s unusual, but not unfamiliar.

Farrah
Variant of Farah, a unisex Arabic name meaning “joy”. The name is well known because of the glamorous 1970s actress Farrah Fawcett, who passed away a few years ago. Farrah Fawcett posed for an iconic photograph wearing a red Speedo swimsuit, so there is an Australian connection to her. More recently, Farrah King from the hip hop outfit Cherish has given it fresh publicity. Soft and pretty, Farrah is an Arabic name which works well cross-culturally.

Fauve
Modern French name, which is pronounced to rhyme with the word mauve. Fauve literally means “wild beast” in French, referring to beasts of prey, and especially the big cats, such as lions and tigers. The word has a very artistic heritage, because in the early twentieth century, les Fauves were a group of modern artists who were known for their bold use of bright colours; they got their name because their work was criticised as looking like something a wild beast would produce. Henri Matisse is one of the most famous of this group. However, fauve has another meaning in French, and that is “yellowish-brown” – a tawny lion colour which would suit someone with dark blonde hair. Fauve is an uncommon name in France, and a rare one here, although not unheard of. It’s very daring, but also on trend.

Jerusha
In the Old Testament, Jerusha was the daughter of a high priest, and a queen of Judah, the wife of King Uzziah. Uzziah was considered one of the greatest rulers of the kingdom, but he became too proud, and began to usurp the role of the priests. Struck down with a disfiguring skin disease, he was replaced by his son Jotham, who is listed as one of the ancestors of Jesus in the New Testament. The name means “possession” in Hebrew, in the sense of something precious, and is said jeh-ROO-sha. A literary namesake is the teenage girl in the children’s book Daddy Long-Legs: she goes by the name Judy, although Roo would be a very Australian nickname.

Odette
French name which is a pet form of the Germanic names Oda or Odilia. These names may both be feminine forms of names which became the German name Otto, meaning “wealth”, although Odilia might instead mean “fatherland”. The name is forever associated with swans, because Princess Odette is the White Swan in the ballet Swan Lake; a sweet, gentle girl, she has been transformed into a swan, and can only take human form at night. Only true love can break the spell, but thanks to nefarious scheming by the baddies, Odette’s story ends in tragedy. Odette is a dated name in France, but to English-speakers, sounds glamorous and romantic. The Disney movie The Swan Princess, based on the ballet, makes it more accessible as well.

Persephone
In Greek mythology, Persephone was the daughter of the agriculture goddess Demeter, and she is central to one of the oldest myths. Legend says that Demeter kept her daughter hidden away from the other gods, so the two could live in companionship with nature. Hades, the god of death, fell in love with Persephone, and one day when she was gathering flowers, he kidnapped her and took her to live in the Underworld as his wife. Demeter was so grief-stricken that she neglected the earth, and nothing would grow: seeing that people were starving to death, Zeus demanded that Persephone be returned. However, Persephone had eaten a few pomegranate seeds in the Underworld, and having tasted its food, was obliged to spend several months of the year with Hades. While Persephone is underground, Demeter mourns for her, and it is winter: when she returns in spring, life is renewed. This ancient myth of death and rebirth comes from the Near East: many rituals and mystery traditions are associated with it, with special significance for girls and women. The name Persephone is interpreted as “female thresher of corn”, because she is an agricultural goddess, but another theory is that her name means “bringer of death”, as she is goddess of the Underworld. The Greeks had so many forms of her name that it would seem they had trouble pronouncing it, suggesting that her name was pre-Greek; it is said per-SEF-uh-nee. Beautiful and elaborate, primal to the human urge for life everlasting, this would be a wonderful choice for someone who thought that Penelope had become too popular to use.

Reeva
Variant of Riva, a pet form of Rivka, modern Hebrew form of the familiar name Rebecca. This comes from the Hebrew word ribhquh, which literally means “a connection”; it can thus be understood as “joining together, securing”. Reeva is also used as a name in India, a variant of Reva, which is Sanskrit for “one who moves”, and often translated as “swift, agile”. It is one of the epithets of Rati, the Hindu goddess of love. The name came into the public eye in a shocking way when South African model Reeva Steenkamp was shot and killed by her boyfriend, world renowned paralympian Oscar Pistorius, now serving a prison sentence for culpable homicide. Due to the notoriety of the high-profile legal trial, Reeva became the fastest-rising girls’ name in England and Wales last year. Reeva fits in with popular names like Ava and Eva, but the very public tragedy of Reeva Steenkamp’s death may make some parents uneasy about using it.

Sephora
Greek form of Zipporah, variant of the Hebrew name Tzipporah, meaning “bird”. In the Old Testament, Zipporah is mentioned as the daughter of the priest Jethro, and the wife of Moses. When Moses fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian man, he took refuge in the desert country of Midian, on the Arabian Peninsula. When Zipporah and her sisters went to water their flocks, they were driven off by shepherds who wanted the water for themselves, and Moses went to their defence. Moses ended up living with Jethro and working for him, and was given Zipporah in marriage. Zipporah had problems with the in-laws, because Moses’ sister Miriam criticised him for marrying a dark-skinned woman, but she was struck down with leprosy in punishment, showing that God approved of the marriage. Sephora is more popular in France than elsewhere, because of the Parisian cosmetics company of that name, but this lovely name isn’t common anywhere.

Vesper
Roman form of the Greek name Hesperus. In Greek mythology, Hesperus was the personalification of the Evening Star (the planet Venus as seen in the evening); his half-brother Phosphorus was the Morning Star. Vesper can be intepreted as “evening, supper time, west”, and Vespers is the name for the evening prayer service in the Christian church. You may know the poem Vespers by A.A. Milne, about Christopher Robin saying his nightly prayers: it was made part of the minature library collection for Queen Mary’s Doll House. Although a rare name in real life, Vesper has had several outings in the world of fiction. Vesper Lynd was James Bond’s lover in Casino Royale, played by Eva Green in the 2006 movie; her parents gave her the name because she was born on a “dark and stormy night”. The famous “shaken not stirred” martini that Bond invents is named the Vesper after her. Vesper has been picked used as a celebrity baby name – one is the daughter of American rock musician Sam Farrar, whose parents are Australian.

POLL RESULTS
The public’s favourite names were Persephone, Odette and Vesper, and their least favourite were Cataleya, Damaris and Jerusha.

(Picture shows Purple Robe and Anemones by Fauvist Henri Matisse – 1937)

The Gentle Art of Discussing Baby Names

16 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by A.O. in Naming Issues

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Biblical names, choosing baby names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, Italian names, name disagreements, name meaning, Old Norse names, saints names, Spanish names

Being a life-long name-nerd, I spent a lot of my younger years dreaming up names for future children. In these daydreams, I was joined at the hip with someone who agreed enthusiastically with my name choices, or responded joyously : “But my darling! That has always been my favourite name, too!”. At the very worst, I hoped my future other half would be the type who said, “Honestly, I’m not very interested in baby names. Anything you pick you out will be fine, sweetie pie”.

These dreams did not eventuate. My husband turned out not to be the easygoing “whatever you say dear” sort of bloke, and it seemed as if every name I suggested was greeted with: No, Nope, Not that one, I don’t think so, and the occasional Absolutely not. I had a long list of names, and every single one got shot down without explanation. What was most frustrating was that he never suggested any names, so I had no idea what was wrong with all these names, or what names he would prefer.

After lots of arguments that never went anywhere, I came up with a new set of rules. He had to at least tell me what was wrong with the suggested name, or it stayed on the list. And just saying “I don’t like it” wasn’t good enough – he had to explain exactly why he didn’t like it. If his answer was something silly, like “I once worked with someone called that and I didn’t like them”, then the name stayed on the list.

There were a few false starts, as he feared as I would jump down his throat the minute he said anything. But I insisted I’d rather hear the truth, and told him I would hear him out without arguing. He started to elaborate on his Nos, and boy, did the flood gates open.

Sometimes it was hard to hear (some of these were names I loved after all), and sometimes I did break my promise and argued back, but as time went on it got easier and easier. The best part was that we were no longer deadlocked, and as he explained what was wrong with every single name I suggested, I started to get a feel for his tastes. That meant that rather than thrash out every name, I could automatically cross off those similar to ones he disliked.

Here are some of the highlights (?) of the process.

BOYS

Alistair
Him: Too posh. People will think he has a country estate and a trust fund, but instead he’ll have a swing set and a piggy bank.
Me: Perhaps that will teach people not to stereotype names.
Him: There’s breaking stereotypes, and then there’s committing fraud. This is more the second one.

Ari
Him (surprised): Oh … I like that one! What language is it from?
Me: It’s Old Norse.
Him: Awsome, I love Scandinavian names. What does it mean?
Me: Eagle.
Him (outraged): What kind of sick meaning is that? How could anyone be so twisted as to call their child evil?
Me: Not evil … eagle. Like the bird.
Him: Well, now all I can think of is evil when I hear it.
(This ended in a heated discussion about people who don’t listen versus people who don’t speak clearly enough).

Angus
Our surname starts with Wil-, so any name ending with an S sound will end up having SWILL in it. This one sounds like “Anger Swill”.
(I cross off all names ending in an S sound).

Bede
Sounds like bidet.

Dante
We’re not Italian!

Digby
Sounds like a dog’s name.

Edmund
Me: I thought maybe with Teddy as the nickname, but is it too close to Eddie?
Him: It’s too close to Narnia, if you ask me.
Me: But you said yes to Lucy!
Him: Lucy sounds sweet – Edmund sounds like a little creep who will sell you out to the White Witch for a block of Turkish Delight.

Ezekiel
It’s like someone throwing crockery down a flight of stairs. No weird Old Testament names – they’re ugly.

Felix
Too catty. And we can’t have any names ending in X, because it sounds the same as something ending in S.
(I cross off all names ending in X).

Gabriel
Too girly.

Hamish
Him: I really hate Scottish names – they’re ugly and pretentious.
Me: But Scottish names are traditional in your family.
Him: Yeah well this is one tradition coming to an end now because I hate them!
(I cross off all Scottish names, gloomily knowing my parents-in-law will blame me).

Hugo
It’s a cartoon villain name.

Jago
It will get twisted around into Gay Joe.

James
Him: That’s the most boring boy’s name in existence.
Me (enraged): It – is – my – father’s – name!
Him (aghast): What? No! Your dad’s name is Fred!
Me: His name is James – his nickname is Fred!
(This ended in a heated discussion about people who don’t bother to learn their own father-in-law’s name versus people who cause confusion because their nicknames are nothing like their actual name).

Jasper
Him: Yuk, sounds evil.
Me: It doesn’t – Jasper is a saint who brought gifts to baby Jesus.
Him: No, Jasper is a crook who stole Dalmatian puppies so a demon hag could turn them into coats!

Jarvis
“Jar of swill” – don’t you remember the whole discussion we had about Angus?
(Oops, forgot to cross it off).

Jude
Hey Jude, na na na na – aargh that song is an earworm, now I’ll never get it out of my head.

Leander
Him: For a boy or a girl?
Me: It’s a boy’s name.
Him: Well it sounds like a mix of Leanne and Miranda.
Me: What if you think of it more as a mix of Leo and Alexander?
Him: I hate Leo and Alexander.
(I secretly cross Leo and Alexander off the list).

Monty
Monty Python.

Oscar
Too grouchy.

Owen
Sounds as if he will always be owin’ money.

Rafael
We’re not Spanish!

GIRLS

Allegra
Him: What would we call her – Leggy? Where does it come from, anyway?
Me (evasively): Well, Lord Byron had a daughter named Allegra.
Him: What happened to her – did she end up famous, like that other daughter?
Me: Um, no … he took her from her mother and stuck her in a convent, and she died.
Him: That’s horrible! This name should be banned!

Clementine
She drowned!

Cordelia
Him: Her senile father didn’t love her! Why are all these names after girls abused by their dads?
Me: Clementine wasn’t abused.
Him: No, her father committed suicide!

Cressida
Him: Wasn’t she a prostitute?
Me: No.
Him: Well it reminds me of watercress anyway.

Harriet
I only like pretty girls’ names.

Esther
Me: This was my favourite teacher’s name.
Him: Too chemical-y.

Jemima
Him: Would she be named after the rag-doll, or the duck?
Me: Maybe after the beautiful daughter of Job in the Bible.
Him: So we’d be naming our daughter after a woman whose father was tortured for no reason? Can we not have any names from stories where the father has a terrible time, please?
(I cross off Keziah).

Lyra
Sounds like liar.

Madeleine
Me: I’m not sure about this one, what do you think?
Him: Nothing that starts with the word mad.

Saskia
Sounds like a snake hissing.

Sylvia
Him: No names starting with S, because look at the initial.
Me: You mean SW, south-west?
Him: No, S. Wil-, swill!
Me: Oh not this again.

Ursula
Him: Don’t you realise the joke on Friends was that Phoebe had a nice name while her evil twin Ursula had an awful one?
Me: So you like the name Phoebe?
Him: Yes.
Me: Me too, let’s add it to the list.
(Partial success!)

Virginia
It looks like virgin and sounds like vagina.

Zara
I hate names that start with Z.

As we worked through the process, it was apparent what names had to go – apart from anything Scottish, Old Testament, starting with Z, ending with X, or starting or ending with S. He didn’t like names that had negative meanings or associations, especially ones from childhood, and was exquisitely sensitive towards anything which sounded even vaguely negative or ridiculous.

Fussy and over-sensitive about names? Now that’s something a name nerd can understand. We weren’t so different after all.

POLL RESULTS
People thought the names that were most unfairly rejected by my husband were James and Harriet. However, there seemed to be sympathy for his views on Bede and Jarvis, as they received no votes to “save” them.

(Cartoon from the Daily Mail)

Diminutive Names for Girls – 2

21 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

aristocratic names, celebrity baby names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, French names, Greek names, international name trends, Italian names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name popularity, name trends, names from movies, names from television, names of mascots, popular names, retro names, royal names, saints names, Spanish names, unisex names

It’s been more than a year since we had a list of short form names, and as this is a huge growth area, it’s time for another.

Ada
Short form of Adelaide and related names. It has been an independent name since the Middle Ages, and was used by royalty and the nobility; an example is the Ada who was reputedly the sister of Charlemagne. There is also a 7th century St Ada, who was a French nun and abbess. Ada was especially popular during the 19th century, and a famous namesake from this era is (Augusta) Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, a daughter of Lord Byron and his only child born in wedlock – nearly always known as Ada Lovelace. Ada was a gifted mathematician who produced an algorithm designed to be used by a machine; in effect, the first computer program. A famous contemporary example is Australian actress Ada Nicomedou. Ada was #40 in the 1900s, and left the Top 100 in the 1920s; it was off the charts by the 1950s. Ada made a comeback in the 1990s at #845, and is currently around the 300s. Fitting in perfectly with the trend for short simple names like Ava, and for traditional old-fashioned names like Elsie, this is a hip retro short form that not too many people are using.

Bella
Short form of Isabella, and other names ending in -bella, such as Annabella or Arabella. However, many people connect it to the Italian word for “beautiful”, and understand it that way. Bella has been an independent name since the Middle Ages, and has had particular use by Jewish families from Russia and Central Europe – two examples are American feminist Bella Abzug, and writer Bella Rosenfeld, the wife of Russian-French artist Marc Chagall. A famous Australian namesake is actress Bella Heathcote, best known for her role on Neighbours a few years ago. Bella first joined the charts in the 1990s at #541, rising on the heels of Isabella, which began its impressive ascent in the 1980s. Bella entered the Top 100 in 2002, debuting at #99; it peaked in 2010 at #41, and is currently #48 nationally. Like Isabella, Bella’s success is often attributed to the Twilight series, although as you can see, it was rising and even popular before the first novel was released in 2005. Stephenie Meyer’s Bella Swan (an irritating character name because it describes the story’s outcome) probably did help though, if only by increasing visibility.

Demi
Short form of the Greek name Demetria, the feminine form of Demetrius, which is derived from the name of the agricultural goddess Demeter. The goddess’ name is often translated as “earth mother” or “barley mother”. Demi is also sometimes connected with the French word demi, meaning “half”, to suggest “small” (as in half-pint). This name has a big dose of star power, thanks to Hollywood actress Demi Moore, and from a generation younger, pop singer and actress Demteria “Demi” Lovato. The name is usually pronounced duh-MEE, but English-speakers sometimes prefer it to be said to rhyme with Emmie. Demi is around the 500s in Australia, and is rising in the US, but falling in the UK, so international trends are at odds on this one.

Ellie
Short form of any name starting with El-, such as Eleanor, Ellen, Elizabeth, or Eloise, and long used as an independent name. It is well known from British pop singer Elena “Ellie” Goulding, and a favourite in the world of fiction. Fictional namesakes include the dainty little girl in The Water Babies, Ellie Linton, heroine of John Marsden’s Tomorrow When the War Began, Eleanor “Ellie” Arroway, brainy heroine of Carl Sagan’s Contact, adventurous Ellie Frederickson from Up, the woolly mammoth from the Ice Age series, and strong matriarch Eleanor “Miss Ellie” Ewing, from Dallas. Ellie joined the charts in the 1980s at #349, and was in the Top 100 as early as 1993, at #98. It managed to get in again a decade later in 2003, at #72, and has remained fairly stable in the bottom half of the Top 100 ever since. Currently it is #56. Ellie fits in perfectly with popular names like Ella, and is well-used without being overly common or rising alarmingly.

Frankie
Unisex nickname that in the case of boys is a pet form of Francis, Francesco, Francisco, Frank, or Franklin, and in the case of girls, of Frances, Francesca, Francisca, or Francine. Famous male Frankies include American crooner Frankie Valli, British comedian Frankie Howerd, American actor Frankie Muniz, who played the title role in Malcolm in the Middle, and Australian kick-boxer Frankie Georgi. A famous female Frankie is British pop singer Frankie Sandford, and the name has been chosen for their daughters by several celebrities, including Drew Barrymore, and in Australia by rugby league star Johnathan Thurston, weather presenter Sara Cumming, and news presenter Rebecca Morse. In the US, Frankie only charts for boys, while in the UK, it charts for both sexes, but is only popular as a boy’s name. In Australia, Frankie is a unisex name, and significantly more common for girls. The reason for its increasingly feminine image here is no doubt because of the hip women’s fashion magazine, frankie.

Gigi
French nickname for any name with a G sound, such as Georgine or Ghislaine. Its most famous namesake is the charming Parisian schoolgirl in Colette’s 1942 novella, Gigi, who is being trained to be a courtesan by her family. Their plans go awry when the gamine Gigi attracts a wealthy older man, and becomes his wife instead of his mistress. It has been turned into a musical and a couple of films, including the 1958 Hollywood production starring Leslie Caron as Gigi, which is surprisingly faithful to the book, except for discreetly upping Gigi’s age from twelve to around sixteen, and adding songs like Thank Heavens For Little Girls. Gigi’s name is short for Gilberte, by the way. In Italy it is a male nickname, short for Luigi. An Australian with this name is actress Gigi Edgely, who has starred in Farscape. A flirty French Lolita, Gigi is currently a hip girl’s name in the style of Coco. It was recently chosen as a celebrity baby name by swimmer Geoff Huegill.

Millie
Short for any name with a mil sound, such as Millicent, Mildred, Camilla, Emilia, or Amelia, and is also spelled Milly. You can see Millie as a vintage charmer, all bonnets and hoop skirts, but there’s also something a little Swinging Sixties about it, thanks to My Boy Lollipop, sung by Millie Small, and the 1967 film Thoroughly Modern Millie, starring Julie Andrews. It has a very Australian connection as Millie the Echidna was one of the official mascots for the Sydney Olympics (her name is short for Millenium). Millie was #196 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1930s. It returned in the 1990s at #501, had a definite upsurge after the 2000 Olympics, and in 2011 was only just outside the Top 100, its highest point ever gained. It fits in perfectly with popular names like Milla and Mila, and is right on trend for sprightly vintage names, so it feels as if popularity must be just around the corner for suddenly modern-again Millie.

Stevie
Unisex nickname for either the boys’ name Stephen or Steven, or the girl’s name Stephanie; these are Greek in origin, and mean “crown”. Stevie has been an independent name since the Middle Ages, and although you might think of it as very modern for girls, it’s been a female name since the 18th century. Famous male Stevies include Stevie Wonder, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Australia’s first international pop star, Stevie Wright. A famous female one is English novelist and confessional poet Stevie Smith, whose real name was Florence, and who gained her nickname from a perceived resemblance to jockey Steve Donaghue. However, the most well known female example is singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, and it is no doubt her popularity in the 1970s and 1980s which made Stevie seem more feminine. In Australia, Stevie can be only be found in current use as a girl’s name, and it’s around the 300s. While writing this, I realised what a musical name Stevie is – look at all those namesakes from the world of pop and rock!

Tess
Short form of Teresa or Theresa, a rather mysterious name, because the various meanings suggested for it are always Greek, but the name itself is of Spanish origin. Nobody has been able to explain this to my satisfaction. Tess has a very famous literary namesake, the beautiful, tormented title character of Thomas Hardy’s rural tragedy, Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Tess Harding is the celebrated journalist trying to cope with marriage as well as a career in rom-com classic Woman of the Year (1941), with Tess played by Katharine Hepburn in her first outing with Spencer Tracy. Another Tracy connection is the adorably-named Tess Trueheart, eventual wife of comic strip detective, Dick Tracy. Tess Mcleod is one of the sisters in Australian drama series McLeod’s Daughters, played by the popular Bridie Carter. Last year comedian Dave Hughes welcomed a daughter named Tess Clementine, voted the most popular celebrity baby name of 2013. Tess joined the charts in the 1980s at #352, and peaked in the early 2000s at #209. Simple yet strong, pert and practical, Tess is a short and stylish choice.

Tilly
Short for Matilda, this can also be spelled Tillie. Apart from being a short form of a patriotic name, Tilly has a notorious namesake in Australia. Tilly Devine was an infamous figure of the Sydney underworld between the two world wars, who became known first as a prostitute, then as a brothel madam and gang member. Her wealth was legendary – she owned real estate, luxury cars, gold and diamonds, threw lavish parties, and always travelled first class. Operating out of Woolloomooloo, Tilly was known as the “Queen of the ‘Loo”, and in the 1953 travelled to London for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Tilly’s story, and her violent gang war with rival vice queen Kate Leigh, was covered in Channel Nine’s drama series, Underbelly: Razor. Tilly is around the 100s in Australia, so not rare at all, while Tillie does not chart. It is something of a puzzle as to why Millie is preferred to Milly, but Tilly preferred to Tillie. Tilly is a sweet and spunky short form in line with British name trends, with an Australian identity all its own.

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

POLL RESULTS

The public’s favourite names were Ada, Tess and Millie, and their least favourite were Frankie, Stevie and Bella.

(Photo shows New Zealand actress Chelsie Preston Crayford as Tilly Devine in Underbelly: Razor)

International Names for Girls

23 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by A.O. in Name Themes and Lists

≈ 19 Comments

Tags

American names, Arabic names, aristocratic titles, birth notices, brand names, Catalan names, celebrity baby names, Chinese names, created names, english names, Etruscan names, European name popularity, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, French names, Gaelic names, Greek names, hebrew names, historical records, Hungarian names, International Baby Names for Australian Parents, international naming laws, Latin names, middle names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, name trends, names from movies, names from television, Old Norse names, Persian names, Provencal names, royal names, saints names, scandinavian names, Slavic names, Spanish names, surname names, UK name popularity, unisex names, US name popularity, virtue names, Visigothic names

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)

Waltzing with …. Candelaria

02 Sunday Feb 2014

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

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Canarian names, Marian titles, name history, name meaning, name trends, nicknames, Spanish names

Today is the Feast of Candlemas, which commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple and the Purification of Mary. Traditionally, there is a blessing of the candles to be used by the church that year, followed by a procession around the church with the congregation holding lighted candles, singing hymns of praise. People can also ask for a blessing on their own personal candles.

The feast follows the story given in the Gospel of Luke, where Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem 40 days after his birth for Mary’s ritual purification after childbirth, and the redemption of a first-born son, according to the Law of Moses. Luke notes that Mary and Joseph sacrificed a pair of pigeons or doves, which was the option offered to the poor – wealthy people sacrificed a lamb.

While in the Temple, the Holy Family encountered an elderly pair of prophets named Simeon and Anna, who prayed for Jesus, prophesying that he would redeem Israel and bring enlightenment to the world. This is significant as the first public recognition of Jesus as a future religious leader, and his first entry into a house of religion.

We know that the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple has been celebrated by the Christian church since at least the 4^th century, but its connection with candles only seems to have begun in the Middle Ages. As candles don’t play any role in the Gospel story, one might suspect that the custom began because in Europe, early February marks the midpoint of winter, when it starts to become noticeably lighter. Because Jesus was prophesied to be a “light … to the Gentiles”, there was a natural link between celebrating the return of the sun’s light with the “light of the world”.

Candlemas has many secular traditions associated with it, especially ones connected with agriculture; as the half-way point of winter, Candlemas was a handy reference point. Farmers were meant to have half their winter grain stores left by Candlemas, and it was the date that poultry was supposed to begin laying. It was also the traditional day to bring cattle in from the hay meadows so that the land could be prepared for another crop.

Weather lore is also a Candlemas tradition. In Britain, a saying is: If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will take another flight. If Candlemas bring cloud or rain, winter is gone and will not come again. In the United States, they have the German tradition of Groundhog Day on Candlemas, when folklore says groundhogs will only come out of their burrow if it is cloudy, meaning that spring is on its way; if it is sunny, the groundhog will retreat back into the burrow for six more snoozy weeks of hibernation. In France, they think the opposite is true: a cloudy Candlemas means forty more days of winter, and in Italy, Candlemas is supposed to be the last cold day of the season.

In Australia, we cannot share in these wintry traditions, and as Candlemas often falls during the bushfire season of total fire bans, it would be foolhardy, not to mention illegal, to be messing around with lighted candles at this time. However, Candlemas is also supposed to mark of the end of the Christmas season, and this probably works better in Australia than Europe now, because it is around this time of the year that the Christmas holidays end.

There is a name especially associated with this festival. Candelaria is a Spanish name meaning “Candlemas”, which can be given in honour of the day. It can also be seen as a reference to Our Lady of Candelaria, one of the titles of the Virgin Mary. The Virgin of Candelaria is especially venerated in the Canary Islands, and we learned about this mysterious figure when we covered the name Chaxiraxi late last year. Her feast day is August 15, but she has another on February 2, linking her to Candlemas.

Candelaria is a rather gorgeous Spanish girl’s name, another of the many names which reference light, and in this case, a promise of approaching spring (or in Australia, the promise of cooler weather, which can’t come soon enough for my liking).

Candelaria may seem extravagant to some, and others may worry that the word “candle” is too obvious within it, but it could be used as a middle name if it seems too spectacular as a first name. I think it would be a marvellous name for anyone born around this time of year, and may be especially attractive to those with Spanish or Canarian heritage. The nickname Candy seems dated, but Aria would be smack bang on trend.

POLL RESULT
Candelaria received an approval rating of 42%. 32% of people hated the name, while only 7% loved it.

Famous Name: Chaxiraxi

18 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by A.O. in Famous Names

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Canarian names, Caribbean names, epithets and titles, Guanche names, Hispanic names, Latin American names, mythological names, name history, name meaning, saints names, Spanish names

The weather is getting hot now (super hot in some areas), and we are drawing close to the Summer Solstice, which is on Saturday. That means Christmas holidays are just about to start, or have started already! It seems like a good time of year to look at a name connected with both sunshine and Christmas.

I only learned about this name a few months ago, when I saw a Tasmanian chef called Chaxiraxi Afonso Higuera on television. Her first name absolutely fascinated me, and I had to look it up. I don’t know quite what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.

Chaxiraxi is a goddess known as the Sun Mother in the Guanche religion – the Guanches are the indigenous people of the Canary Islands. The Canaries belong to Spain, but are situated just off the coast of north-west Africa, and the Guanches are Berbers, who have been in the Canary Islands for perhaps as long as three thousand years. The Guanches are not considered to exist in the Canaries as a distinct ethnic group, but traces of their language and culture can still be found there, and DNA tests show a high proportion of the Canarian population have Guanche ancestry from their female lineage.

Not much is known of the Guanche religion, but their gods lived in the mountains, descending to hear the prayers of the people. The Guanche worshipped outdoors, under trees, in caves, or near mountains, with particularly fervent prayers during times of drought. Chaxiraxi was their mother goddess, who had a special festival on August 15 to celebrate the end of the harvest season, and at that time food such as milk, flour made from roasted grains, and sheep and goat’s meat was shared.

The worship of Chaxiraxi continued in the Canaries in a very surprising way. According to legends told by early Spanish settlers, a statue of the Virgin Mary, holding a child in one hand, and a green candle in the other, was discovered on a beach on the island of Tenerife by two Guanche goatherds. This was in 1392, before the islands were conquered by Spain.

One of the goatherds tried to throw a stone at the statue, but his arm became paralysed; the other tried to stab it with a knife, but ended up stabbing himself. The goatherds took the strangely self-protecting statue to their king, who recognised it as a sacred artefact, and kept it in his cave-palace, where it was venerated as an image of Chaxiraxi. Holding a baby it was easy to see it as a mother goddess, and holding a source of light made it easy to associate with a goddess who gave birth the sun.

Later, a Guanche who had been enslaved by the Spanish and converted to Christianity recognised the statue as the Virgin Mary. The Guanche then took it to another cave, where it was venerated as the Virgin. Archaeologists tell us this cave was a holy site long before Mary was worshipped there, and many of the Guanche continued to see the statue as Chaxiraxi, or saw no difference between the mother goddess and the mother of God. When the islands were conquered, the Spanish believed that the Guanche were already Christians because of the statue.

In 1497 the first mass was performed at the holy shrine, and a hermitage built there in 1526, in the name of Our Lady of the Candelaria – the name coming from the candle the statue held. The Virgin of Candelaria was named as the patron saint of the Canary Islands in 1559, and prayers to the Virgin have been offered against epidemics, plagues, droughts, and volcanic eruptions. Her feast day is August 15 – the same day as Chaxiraxi’s festival, which coincides with the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

The original statue was lost in 1826 when a tsunami carried it out to the sea from which it emerged; the present statue is a copy, always dressed in rich robes and jewels (it’s possible the one lost at sea was a copy of the original).

The cult of Our Lady of Candelaria swept through the Americas when the Spanish conquered there; Canarians emigrating to America took the veneration of the Virgin with them, in the same way Irish emigrants would later bring Saint Patrick. She is venerated in South America and the Caribbean, where she is the patron saint of cities in Bolivia, Colombia and Puerto Rico, and there is an image of her in San Antonio, Texas. The oldest Catholic cathedral in the United States is in San Fernando, Texas, and here you may see a replica of the statue of the Virgin of Candelaria.

As the veneration of the Virgin of Candelaria spread through different countries, she came to be identified with other goddesses. In the Caribbean religion of Santeria, with the Yoruba storm goddess Oya; in the Brazilian Canomble, with the love goddess Oshun; in Hinduism with the goddess Kali, who rules over Time; and in the indigenous religion of the Andes, with Pachamama, the mother goddess of earth, time, fertility and the harvest – the closest one to Chaxiraxi.

The original statue is believed to have been a medieval Gothic image of the Virgin Mary, perhaps from the prow of a wrecked ship. Because it had dark skin and held a baby, it was one of the so-called Black Madonnas which were created in medieval Europe.

Their significance is not understood, but one theory is that they were an attempt to convert images of ancient earth goddesses to Christian use. Many goddesses such as Isis and Demeter were depicted with black skin, because black is the colour of rich soil, and thus a sign of fertility. The Black Madonnas appear around the time of the Crusades, when Europeans travelled to the Middle East and Africa, and possibly saw such images.

If so, it would seem that the Virgin of Candelaria is a pagan mother goddess become Christian icon become multiple pagan goddesses merged with a Christian symbol of womanhood and motherhood.

I have seen the meaning of Chaxiraxi given, by scholars of the Guanche language, either “she who holds up the heavens”, or “bearer of he who possesses the world”. It is often translated as “sun mother” or “mother of the sun” but that is the goddess’ title rather than the meaning of her name.

Because Chaxiraxi is so strongly associated with the Virgin Mary (and could even be seen as her forerunner, paving the way for easier acceptance of Christianity), the name was acceptable for use by Catholics. It isn’t that rare in the Canary Islands, although more common as a middle name. The name is also used in the Caribbean and Latin America, in areas where the veneration of the Virgin of Candelaria, and Canarian culture, has spread.

I’m not completely sure on how Chaxiraxi is pronounced. In some South American countries it seems to be something like hahk-see-rahk-see, but the lady I saw, who is originally from the Canary Islands, only used the first half of her name, and pronounced it SHAH-see, which sounds much softer and prettier.

This is a genuinely unusual name, very ancient and redolent of a mysterious power. Chaxiraxi has managed to not only survive, but flourish, and attract followers from a range of religions and cultures around the world. So much of her history is myth and legend, but the mother of the sun who has become merged with the mother of the Son, while not being submerged by her, continues to captivate me.

POLL RESULT: Chaxiraxi received an approval rating of 58%. People saw the name Chaxiraxi as being an interesting part of African-Spanish culture (22%), and fascinating and mysterious (19%). However, people also thought it was too difficult to spell and/or pronounce (17%), and too strange and complex (13%). Only one person considered Chaxiraxi too pagan for Christians, but too Catholic for pagans.

(Picture shows the statue of the Virgin of Candelaria in her shrine at Tenerife)

Old Names Are New … And New Names Are Old News

26 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by A.O. in Names in the News

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Arabic names, created names, famous namesakes, fictional namesakes, French names, Latin names, locational names, name data, name trends, Polish names, retro names, Roman names, saints names, Spanish names, spellcheck software, Stars Wars, surname names, titles, Twitter, UK trends, US trends, vocabulary names

When it comes to baby names, the newspapers generally run with one of two stories. Either they tell us that “normal” baby names are “back in fashion” (what a relief!), or else they give us dire warnings of “bizarre” baby names which are definitely the sign of the apocalypse, or can at least make us feel all smug and superior for five minutes.

It’s not often they run with both these at once, but in a journalistic triumph, they brought forth two opposing baby name stories within two days of each other. I’m not sure whether they didn’t bother co-ordinating, or hoped nobody would notice the obvious incongruity.

The Daily Telegraph told us that in the future, baby names will no longer be odd hyphenations or spelling variants, because when they looked through the New South Wales data, most of the names popular during the 1940s and ’50s, which had almost disappeared by the early 2000s, have had a resurgence in the past decade.

Henry has almost tripled from 106 in 2002, to 276 in 2012; Evelyn is up from 17 to 112; and Matilda has skyrocketed from 68 to 265. Of the twenty traditional names they chose to look at, only Samuel and Beatrice had suffered a slight decline.

This trend, we are told, reflects a desire for individuality, substance, and “a bit of class”. It has been spearheaded by the young royals, William and Catherine, although they weren’t even engaged at the turn of the century, so I’m not sure how they managed to influence an entire decade of baby names.

Furthermore, we can be assured this signals a return to conservative values, discipline being back in vogue, school uniforms, and clearly defined gender roles (which apparently means girls wearing pink and boys wearing blue).

Generation X parents get the gong for doing their research and picking out good solid names that you can yell from the soccer match sidelines without embarrassment, and which will, it seems, affect their children’s entire destinies and even give them a good Twitter handle. Goodness. Who would thought calling your kid Mabel was so significant?

Meanwhile, over the border, the Courier Mail interviewed an anonymous schoolteacher from Logan (love the old anonymous schoolteacher as a source – can’t be proved they exist, can’t be proved they don’t), and she says names have become increasingly bizarre over the past 20 years, and now spellcheck software can’t even recognise them. I find most names aren’t recognised by spellcheck – where is this spellcheck software which can recognise all the names in the world?

Then comes a long list of names of children who we are told are enrolled at Logan schools, and are meant to be horrified by.

One of them is Romaine – a French name, the feminine of Roman. Another is Cassius, a Roman name and also a saints’s name; it’s gaining in popularity in both the US and the UK. I say thumbs up to Romaine and Cassius’ parents! Felicitas is another Roman saint’s name, with the meaning “fortunate” in Latin. How does a schoolteacher not recognise these as names? That to me is the scary part.

There are names from other cultures, such as Alareal, a Spanish surname derived from the word for “royal”; Jadzia, a Polish form of Hedwig; Santiana, a Spanish surname which means “St. Anna”; Thiery, a French form of Theodoric. Qaira is Arabic, and Zenen is Spanish, but I don’t know anything more than that.

There’s quite a few vocabulary names, including Beautiful, Bravado, Brilliance, Cherish, De Ja Vu, Freedom, Gorgeous, Heritage, Miracle, Precious, Sapphire, Styles, and Twinkle. A spellchecker will recognise them, and they’re all words with positive meanings. When you think of it, most names start out as vocabulary words anyway.

There’s two titles as names: Caesar and Marquis. I’m mentioning these since it’s said Australians can’t use titles as names, but clearly we can in some cases.

There’s real place names: Australasia, which is patriotic; Avantika, the ancient name for a city in India; Jetiis, a village in Indonesia. And a fictional place name: Ataria, an island in Star Wars.

There’s names of celebrities, such as Beyonce, and Kahu, which is a tribute to Brisbane Broncos NRL star Jordan Kahu, and Kovee, after the musician.

There’s Caylis, who is one of the Neopets, Darian, derived from Darius, Hawke, a surname, and Jezzer, a short form of Jeremy.

There’s some variant spellings, such as Bayleigh, Emmerson, Izack, Kaelani, Khaileb, Khynan, and Psalmz, which I don’t find too outrageous.

There’s some “tweaking” of names such as Leilesha, Mikaiah, Shaylani, Tanyce and Taylay, which don’t offend me. I notice there is a Congresswoman in the US named Tanyce, so it doesn’t seem to impede your progress in life.

There’s some names I don’t recognise, although that doesn’t necessarily make them “bad” names, and I can see that they are in use elsewhere: Kalaize, Millieka, Narvasha, and Shizia.

Finally, we end with Sambo, which I agree seems a bit unfortunate, but does have a number of origins, and L-Car, pronounced Ledashcar (although wouldn’t it be Eldashcar???). Anyway I have already made my views known on this subject, and won’t repeat them here.

So there you go – either names are becoming more and more conservative, or they are becoming ever more strange and confusing. You can decide for yourself which one is correct, if either is.

POLL RESULTS
29% believed that names were not becoming either more conservative or more bizarre, but were staying much the same
24% thought that names were becoming both more conservative, and more bizarre
20% thought they were becoming more conservative for the middle classes, but more diverse for the lower classes
12% didn’t know, and felt confused
7% felt that names were in fact all becoming more bizarre across the board
The remaining 8% (representing three people) chose options where they were the only person to have that opinion

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

Waltzing More Than Matilda

~ Names with an Australian Bias of Democratic Temper

Tag Archives: Spanish names

Boys Names from the British Royal Family

Rare Girls Names From the 1940s

Girls Names from the Top 100 of the 1940s

Interesting Girls Names From the 2014 Birth Announcements

The Gentle Art of Discussing Baby Names

Diminutive Names for Girls – 2

International Names for Girls

Waltzing with …. Candelaria

Famous Name: Chaxiraxi

Old Names Are New … And New Names Are Old News