Tag Archives: unisex names

Waltzing With … Florence

29 Sunday May 2011

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This blog post was first published on May 29 2011, and almost completely rewritten on May 28 2015.

Famous Namesake
Autumn is the traditional time of year for farm produce fairs, and on the last Sunday in May is held the Goomeri Pumpkin Festival. Goomeri is a small country town in southern Queensland; quiet and pleasant, it is known for its gourmet food industries.

The highlight of the Goomeri calendar is its Pumpkin Festival, in which they do almost everything to pumpkins, including eat them. There is the pumpkin shot-put, a pumpkin beer brewing competition, pumpkin judging contests, and the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll, in which up to 1000 pumpkins are rolled down Policeman’s Hill. There will of course be cooking demonstrations, food stalls, and all kinds of pumpkin-related culinary delights, including that old favourite, pumpkin scones.

Wen you see “pumpkin scones” and “Queensland” in the same paragraph, the name of only one person can come to mind – Florence Bjelke-Petersen. The widow of Queensland’s longest-serving Premier, Lady Florence Bjelke-Petersen has been a force in conservative politics, a part of Queensland history, and an Australian icon.

Florence was the wife of peanut farmer and Country Party member Johannes “Joh” Bjelke-Petersen, and after Joh became Premier of Queensland in 1968, Florence began to take on a bigger public role. The Queensland National Party increasingly promoted a Bjelke-Petersen “personality cult”, and Florence was a vital part of that.

Her down-to-earth sayings and common-sense attitudes became widely quoted by the media, and she published a cookbook which contained a recipe for her famous pumpkin scones. She was a Senator from 1981-1993; she worked for issues that affected Queensland and was popular with both sides of politics. When Joh Bjelke-Petersen was knighted in 1984, she became Lady Bjelke-Petersen – affectionately known as Lady Flo.

Lady Bjelke-Petersen is now in her nineties and still going strong. Although she no longer makes pumpkin scones, she reads the newspapers every day and has strong opinions on politics, as well as attending church every Sunday, and playing the organ each week for a local nursing home. In her youth, she always vowed she would be known by her full name, Florence, as she hated the short name Flo, but history intervened, and as often happens, she didn’t get much say in it.

Name Information
Florence began as the medieval English form of the Latin name Florentius, from florens, “flowering, flourishing, prospering”. There are several saints named Florentius, with the earliest being a 3rd century Roman soldier who was martyred in Italy. Florence could also be used as a French form of the female name Florentia; St Florentia was a 4th century hermit who was martyred in France.

In the Middle Ages, Florence was used as a name for both males and females, but by the 16th century had become overwhelmingly feminine in usage. Its connection with “flowering”, and similarity to the female name Flora were probably responsible.

Although the name Florence was already in reasonable use, it received a huge boost in the mid nineteenth century because of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Florence Nightingale came to prominence during the Crimean War of 1853-56, when she was hailed as a ministering angel, and called The Lady with the Lamp. It is notable that during the 1850s, the name Florence, which was steadily increasing in popularity at the time, suddenly skyrocketed, and continued rising for the rest of the century.

Florence Nightingale was born in the city of Florence, in Italy, and named after her birthplace. It was something of a family pattern, because her older sister, Frances Parthenope, was similarly named after the place of her birth, Parthenopolis, now part of Naples.

The city of Florence was established by the Romans, and originally named Fluentia, meaning “flowing” in Latin, because it was situated between two rivers – the Arno and the Greve. Later its name was corrupted to Florentia, meaning, as we already know, “flowering, flourishing”. Its new name suited it, because the city did indeed flourish and prosper, and by the 15th century was one of the largest and wealthiest cities of Europe. It is considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance, and called “The Athens of the Middle Ages”; a beautiful city rich in history and culture, famous for its Renaissance art and architecture.

The name Florence was #5 in the 1900s, and fell until it left the Top 100 in the 1940s. It disappeared from the charts in the 1960s, making a minor comeback in the 1990s at #800, before dropping off the charts again in the early 2000s. In the late 2000s, Florence returned at #528 – this was the time that British indie band Florence + the Machine began its career, headed by flame-haired lead vocalist Florence Welch (Florence’s mother is a Professor of Renaissance Studies, so perhaps she was named with the Italian city in mind).

Since then, Florence has continued to rise, and is now in the 100s, almost certainly headed for the Top 100; it joined the New Zealand Top 100 in 2013. In the UK, Florence is even more popular, rising steadily through the 1990s to join the Top 100 in 2008, and is currently #29 and still rising. In the US, Florence hasn’t charted since the early 1980s; however the name is steadily rising, and last year 182 baby girls were given the name Florence.

Fashionable Florence is rising under the influence of British trends, and making friends everywhere – even people who profess to detest place names on people will forgivingly make an exception for Florence. As lovely as a Renaissance statue and as wholesome as pumpkin scones fresh from the oven, this retro name makes a stylish choice, and little wonder parents are eagerly snapping it up while it’s still hot.

POLL RESULTS
Florence received an approval rating of 80% from the public, making it one of the highest-rated names of the year. 40% of people loved the name Florence, while only 6% hated it.

(Photo of pumpkin scones from The Daily Telegraph)

Sydney Suburbs That Could Be Used as Boy’s Names

22 Sunday May 2011

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KyleBay

This blog post was first published on May 22 2011, and substantially revised and updated on May 14 2015.

Auburn
Auburn is in Sydney’s western suburbs. The commercial district contains many Middle Eastern and Asian shops and restaurants, and is a focal point for migrant groups. Auburn has the oldest Hindu temple in Australia, which opened in 1977, and one of its busiest mosques – the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque, built by the Turkish community in honour of the Gallipoli conflict of 1915. Auburn is named after an Irish village in Oliver Goldsmith’s poem The Deserted Village; the first line of the poem is, Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain. Auburn was a tiny place near Athlone in Westmeath, and doesn’t seem to exist any more – perhaps it was too deserted. Auburn simply means “red-brown”, and usually refers to dark red hair colours. Auburn has been used as a personal name since the 17th century, more often given to boys. It sounds similar to Aubrey, Aubin, and Auberon, and seems quite distinguished, while its literary ancestor gives it a sentimental air.

Bexley
Bexley is a suburb in Sydney’s south, in the St George area. It was originally a land grant to Thomas Sylvester in the 1810s, who sold it to James Chandler in 1822. Lydham Hall, the oldest residence in the area, was part of the 1822 sale. Chandler got fed up with the bushrangers, escaped convicts and other undesirables who infested his personal paradise, and sold it to Charles Tindell. By 1856 Tindell was subdividing the land into lots for homes, and by the late 19th century, Bexley was a thriving town. Its best days are behind it, for this suburb has been on the decline since the 1980s. James Chandler named it Bexley after his birthplace in London; the name comes from the Old English, meaning “box tree meadow”. In uncommon use as a personal name since the 16th century, mostly for boys, Bexley has the fashionable X-factor.

Camden
Camden is a historic town in the Macarthur Region, in the far south of Sydney. It’s pretty and semi-rural with a “gentleman farmer” atmosphere. The Camden area originally belonged to the Gandangara people; European explorers first arrived in 1795. In 1805, Governor King rather begrudgingly gave 5000 acres to John Macarthur, who had been promised land by Secretary of State, Lord Camden. (The descendants of John Macarthur still live in their ancestral home at Camden Park). Macarthur’s wool industry was so successful, a town was necessary in order to support it. Founded in 1840, by the 1880s it was a thriving concern. Camden was named after its sponsor, Lord Camden – his title is from a Gloucestershire place name meaning either “enclosed valley” or “valley of encampments” in Old English. In use since the 17th century, Camden sounds like familiar choices such as Cameron and Caden, while retaining a hint of its aristocratic past. It is in the Top 100 in the US, and I am seeing it more frequently in birth notices here.

Carlton
Carlton is the next suburb to Bexley. It is most famous for being the home of the St George Illawarra Dragons National Rugby League team. Carlton was originally heavily timbered, and given as a land grant to Captain John Towson in 1808. When the railway opened in 1884, the land was subdivided and people began moving to the area. Carlton is named after a suburb of Nottingham; I’m not sure why, but assume that it was Captain Towson’s birthplace. The place name Charlton is very common in the UK, and is a linguistic mix of Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse meaning “settlement of free men”. In use since the 17th century, this is a spin on classic Charles, and a variant of Charlton, that I have seen a bit of lately. Like popular Cooper, it is the name of an Australian brewery.

Colebee
Colebee is a fairly new suburb in Sydney’s far west. It is named after an Aboriginal guide, the son of a tribal chief, who assisted William Cox when he surveyed the land across the Blue Mountains. Colebee also tried to bring a peaceful resolution to the years of conflict that existed between Aborigines and white settlers in the area. For his efforts as a geographer and diplomat, he received the first grant of land that the British made to an indigenous person. He received 30 acres on the South Creek; an area which would later become known as Blacktown, and the location of the suburb of Colebee. The meaning of Colebee is not certain, but I have read a theory that it came from the local word for sea eagle (gulbi). Europeans were struck by the fact it sounded exactly like the English name Colby. If you are considering the name Colby, this spelling not only gives the nickname Cole, but is an important part of Sydney’s history.

Kyle
Kyle Bay is a tiny picturesque suburb in Sydney’s south, in the St George area, and takes its name from the bay on the north shore of the Georges River. It is named after local shipbuilder Robert Kyle, who was granted land here in 1853. Kyle is a Scottish surname from the district of Kyle in Ayrshire. The name is from a common place name, usually translated as from the Gaelic word caol, meaning “narrows, channel, strait”. As there are no channels or straits in this district, the name may come instead from the legendary British king Coel Hen (“Coel the Old”), otherwise known as Old King Cole. His name is possibly from the Old Welsh coel, meaning “belief, omen”. In use as a personal name since the 18th century at least, it was originally given to both sexes in its native Scotland, but is now considered to be a male name. Kyle first charted in the 1960s, debuting at #233; its use seems to be heavily influenced by the female name Kylie, which was popular in that decade. Rising swiftly, Kyle was a Top 100 name by 1980, peaked at #27 in 1998, and left the Top 100 in 2006 – the year after obnoxious shock jock Kyle Sandilands became a judge on Australian Idol. It’s now around the 200s, so it’s a modern classic still in reasonable use.

Miller
Miller is a south-west suburb in the Liverpool area. It was part of the Green Valley Housing Estate built in the 1960s, and the suburb was established in 1965. It is named after Peter Miller, an Irish immigrant who was one of the first settlers in the Green Valley area. His surname of Miller is an occupational one, indicating the bearer worked at or managed a corn mill. In use as a first name since at least the 16th century, it has mostly been given to boys, although I have occasionally seen it given to girls because it is a homophone of the popular girls’ name Milla. Miller is around the mid-200s for boys, so not an unusual choice as a name, although not common either, meaning it might very well hit that sweet spot between “too strange” and “too popular”.

Nelson
Nelson is a suburb in the north-west of Sydney, in the affluent Hills District. Governor William Bligh received a land grant in this area, and the suburb is named after Admiral Horatio Nelson, as Bligh served under his command during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. Just in case he hadn’t made it clear enough how much he admired Nelson, he called his property Copenhagen Farm in his further honour. Either Nelson had really impressed him, or he was a total crawler. The surname Nelson means “son of Neil” – Neil being from a Gaelic name which may mean either “champion” or “cloud”. It has been in use as a name for boys since at least the 16th century, but Horatio Nelson helped give the name a boost in the 19th. World leader Nelson Mandela and philanthropist Nelson Rockefeller give this heroic name a lot of clout.

Oran
Oran Park is a suburb of Camden, once the colonial estate of John Douglas Campbell, and for many years the home of the Oran Park Raceway, which regularly hosted major motorsport events. Since 2011 it has been developed for residential housing. Oran Park is named after the village of Oran in Scotland; its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic word for “song”. Oran is also an Anglicised form of the Irish boys’ name Odhran, meaning “sallow, pale green”. Saint Odhran was a follower of St Columba, associated with the island of Iona. There is a strange legend which says he willingly allowed himself to be sacrificed by being buried alive, in what sounds like a pagan ceremony to ensure a chapel could be built, and then popped his head out to tell everyone there was no heaven or hell! St Columba hastily covered Odhran more securely in earth before he gave any more alarming information about the afterlife, or lack thereof. Said like Orange without the ge (OR-an), this attractive Scottish or Irish heritage choice may appeal to nostalgic motorsport fans.

Richmond
Richmond is a historic town to the north-west of Sydney, on the Hawkesbury River flats near the foot of the Blue Mountains. The Darug people lived in this area when Europeans arrived in 1788; in 1789 it was explored by the British. The first settlers came to live here in 1794, and by 1799 it was providing half the grain produced in the colony. Because of its long history, Richmond has many heritage-listed buildings, and the University of Western Sydney dates back to 1891. Richmond was named by Governor Phillip, in honour of Charles Lennox, the Duke of Richmond, who was Master General of Ordance in the British government. His title comes from a town in Yorkshire, which was named after the town of Richemont in Normandy; its name simply means “rich hill”. Similar to both Richard and Edmond, this name has a casually expensive feel, and works well in the middle position.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Miller, Camden and Nelson, and their least favourites were Colebee, Kyle and Carlton.

(Photo is of the waterfront at Kyle Bay)

Sydney Suburbs That Could Be Used as Girl’s Names

15 Sunday May 2011

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Bronte-Beach-6

This blog post was first published on May 15 2011, and revised on May 7 2015.

Arcadia
Arcadia is a semi-rural suburb in the Hornsby shire, first opened up into a settlement by timber cutters in 1817. It is named after a region of Greece that in legend was seen as an idyllic pastoral area. The name of the Greek region means “bear”, and is after a son of Zeus from Greek mythology called Arcas, whose mother Callisto was turned into a bear. He and his mother were made into the constellations of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor – the great and little bear. Because commercial development is severely restricted in the suburb of Arcadia, it has retained an image as a rustic retreat which fits its name. The name Arcadia is a feminine form of the Greek name Arcadius, meaning “from Arcadia”. There are a couple of saints named Arcadius, and there was also an Emperor Arcadius, whose daughter was named Arcadia after him. This name, which has been more often used in continental Europe and Latin American than in English-speaking countries, feels rather exotic, and quite Utopian. It is pronounced ar-KAY-dee-uh, and you could use Arkie, Kay, or Kaydee as a nickname.

Avalon
Avalon is a suburb in the Northern Beaches region famous for its surf culture. An episode of Baywatch was filmed here in the 1990s, and must have impressed, as the show’s producers decided to shoot the rest of the series at Avalon Beach. However, residents complained until Baywatch went to Hawaii instead. Woot, people power! The first land grant in the area was in 1827, but it didn’t receive its name until 1921. It is named after the paradisical island of Celtic myth, where it is said King Arthur received his final resting place. It is thought the name of the island comes from the Welsh word for “apple”, as it is pictured in myth as being blessed by an abundance of fruit. Avalon has been used as a personal name since the 19th century, when anything Arthurian was fashionable, and has more often been given to girls. Fitting in with popular names such as Ava, it seems like a more mystical version of Eden or Heaven.

Bronte
Bronte [pictured] is an upmarket beach-side suburb close to the city centre, with scenic cliff-top walking paths to popular locations such as Cooge and Bondi. This is another suburb with a keen surf culture, and the Bronte surf life saving club, founded in 1903, claims to be the oldest in the world. It has made notable residents over the years, including Peter McCormick, who wrote the national anthem. Robert Lowe, later Viscount Sherbrook, bought 42 acres here in the 1830s. His house was completed in 1845 and named Bronte House in honour of admiral Horatio Nelson, who was the Duke of Bronte. Bronte is a place in Sicily, Italy, near Mount Etna. Its name, pronounced BRON-tee, means “the thunderer”, and as it is right near a volcano, it is easy to see how it got its name. Bronte first joined the charts in the 1990s, and was in the Top 100 by 1997, making #98. It joined the very bottom of Top 100 twice more, in 2000 and 2001, never getting higher than #93, and is now around the 400s. Only in Australia has Bronte attained even mild popularity, and no doubt Bronte Beach helps explain why.

Elanora
Elanora is another Northern Beaches suburb; it is located on a hill overlooking a lagoon and the sea. The northern and south-western sides adjoin national parks, and native wildlife abounds in the area. It’s a suburb of large houses with a country club, and is popular with tourists. Originally a coal mining camp, it came into existence as a residential area in 1929, named Elanora Heights Estate. The name Elanora is derived from an Aboriginal word which means “home by the sea” or “home by the water”. It’s easy to see the appeal of this name – it sounds exactly like the elegant Eleanora, yet has an indigenous origin and pleasant meaning. You could use popular Ella or hip Nora as nicknames.

Eveleigh
Eveleigh is an inner-city suburb, and an area of of great historical importance, because it was here that the first steam locomotives were built in Australia in the railway workshops. The Eveleigh site was also used to manufacture munitions in both world wars, and is significant in the history of unionism. In 1892, unions first successfully negotiated a six-day working week in Eveleigh, and in 917 the General Strike began there. Unlike some of the other suburbs, this isn’t just a swanky address with a nice beach, but a place with working class roots that helped forge our nation. The name Eveleigh is taken from the name of an English estate. It’s a surname that is a variant of Everly, and means “wild boar’s wood”: despite the spelling, it’s pronounced EV-uh-lee, not like Eve + Lee. Similar to popular Evelyn, this spelling may seem more feminine than Everly.

Jannali
Jannali is in Sutherland shire, south of Sydney. The railway was built in 1885, but few people lived in the area until the 1910s. In 1927 the township was named Jannali after a railway signal box that had been there since the beginning. During the Depression, the population of Jannali increased dramatically as people were forced to sell up and move out of the city, and it became known as a place for “battlers” who were doing it tough during the economic hardships of the 1930s. Today Jannali is an unpretentious commuter suburb. When the name Jannali was chosen, it was reported that it was an Aboriginal name from the Northern Territory, meaning “the moon”. Indigenous Australians already used it as a name, and it does have occasional use. Pronounced juh-NAL-ee, the appeal of this name is its vague similarity to names derived from Jane, such as Jan and Janelle, while having an attractive meaning and indigenous origin. It would make a bold alternative to Selena or Luna.

Kareela
Kareela is also in Sutherland shire, and the next suburb to Jannali. Located on the banks of the Georges River, it was first established in 1968. Its name is derived from an Aboriginal word which is said to mean either “place of trees and water” or “south wind”. It was the second meaning that the Geographical Names Board probably had in mind, as the area is known for its strong southerly breezes. Pronounced kuh-RHEEL-ya, Kareela sounds feminine and begins with the popular K sound. People who like Cara and Cordelia may also like the sound of Kareela.

Rosebery
Rosebery is in south-eastern Sydney, near the city centre, and is the seat of local government. In the 1960s it was developed for industry and government housing, and became home to many migrants, especially Greeks and Italians. Rosebery was named after Archibald Primrose, Earl of Rosebery, British Prime Minister in 1894-95. The suburb was named in his honour after a visit he made to Australia in 1883-84. Rosebery is a variant of the place name Roseberry, on the Yorkshire Moors. James Cook once helped his father run a farm here, and climbing the high peaks gave him a taste for adventure which led him to become a sea captain and brought him to Australian shores. It looks like a nature name and sounds like Rose + Bree (ROZE-bree), but Roseberry is a corruption of the Old Norse for “Odin’s rock or crag”. Many of the place names of this area were given by the Vikings. Rosebery is deceptive – it has the air of a fairytale princess, yet its origins are ancient, powerful, and masculine. You may be intrigued by it if you would like an unusual girly name with a surprising amount of grunt.

Rozelle
Rozelle is an inner-city suburb to the west of Sydney’s centre; Rozelle Bay surrounds the container port Glebe Island. Once a colourful working-class district, this attractive village is now fashionable and quirky. The area where Rozelle is now was part of a 1800 land grant to colonial surgeon Dr William Balmain. The land was settled in 1836, and by 1861 was divided into the suburbs of Balmain and Balmain West. By 1900, Balmain West, now a thriving suburb in its own right, became known as Rozelle, after Rozelle Bay. Rozelle Bay (often marked as “Rozella Bay” on old maps), was called after the Australian parrot, the rosella. These beautiful crimson birds were first seen at Rose Hill, the first suburb of Sydney to be established. The parrots were commonly known as “Rose Hill parrots”, then “Rose Hillers”, and finally, “rosellas”. By coincidence, there is an Italian name Rosella, and Rozelle (roe-ZEL), gives it a twist that seems quite cool. It has occasionally been used as a girl’s name.

Sylvania
Sylvania is another southern suburb from Sutherland shire, next to Kareela. It is mostly residential, but also contains areas of native bushland. The traditional owners of this area are the Dharawal people, and their middens, burial sites and rock art remain in sheltered caves along the Georges River. After European settlement, it was acquired as a land grant by John Connell Laycock, and then shortly afterwards by politician Thomas Holt. Holt built Sutherland House on the foreshore in 1818, and a village grew here from 1881 onwards. The name Sylvania is Latin for “wooded area”, and must have been chosen because of its bush setting, but who chose it and why has been lost to history. Sylvania is already a girl’s name, a form of Silvana. However, the suburb’s name is pronounced sil-VAYN-yah and may sound too much like Pennsylvania and Transylvania for some.

POLL RESULTS
Peoples’ favourite names were Bronte, Avalon, and Elanora, and their least favourites were Kareela, Jannali, and Sylvania.

Boys Names from Video Games

17 Sunday Apr 2011

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This post was first published on April 17 2011, and heavily edited on April 23 2015.

Altair
Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad is the protagonist of the first game in the Assassin’s Creed series. Born in the Holy Land in 1165 to an Arabic Muslim father and Italian Christian mother, he joins the medieval secret society of the Assassins. Due to his superior abilities, he quickly gains the title of Master Assassin, but Altaïr becomes overconfident and arrogant, and must be taken down a peg or two. He goes on to have further adventures in later games. Mysteriously cloaked and hooded, he is dark, rather handsome, and has an intense expression. Altair is Arabic for “the flying eagle”, and it is the name of the brightest star in the Aquila constellation. It is pronounced al-TAH-yir, but English-speakers will probably prefer al-TARE instead, and this pronunciation is accepted by astronomers as equally correct. Not only an extremely popular name for people and places in video games, Altair is commonly used to name aeroplanes and rockets too, adding to its flighty, space-age image.

Ash
Ash Ketchum is the main protagonist of the Pokémon (“Pocket Monsters”) series; a ten-year old boy with shaggy dark hair covered by a baseball cap, brown eyes, and a snub nose. A true Pokémon obsessive, he always has a fanatical look in his eyes. He has no other interests apart from Pokémon, and only makes friends with children and adults who share his hobby. His original Japanese name was Satoshi (“clear-thinking, wise”), after creator Satoshi Tajiri. The character is based on Tajiri’s memories of himself as a child, when he was a keen insect collector. The English name Ash was taken from one of the possible default names that can be chosen in the original Pokémon game. Ash can be short for names such as Ashley, Asher, or Ashton, a vocabulary name for the residue of something burned, or a nature name after the ash tree. As the Professors in the Pokémon universe all have tree names (Oak, Juniper, Rowan etc), I think the game-makers probably had the last option in mind. This is a simple, attractive nature name, and although it is technically unisex, I have only seen it on boys so far.

Kain
Kain is an arrogant nobleman who becomes a vampire lord in the Legacy of Kain series, an anti-hero who is morally ambivalent at best, yet provides his world’s only hope. There has been a trend in popular culture to present male vampires as romantically desirable, but Kain is not a pretty-boy vamp, but the stuff of nightmares, and not suitable for taking to senior prom. Kain is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Cain, which is used in the Greek version of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, Cain was a son of Adam and Eve, and committed the first murder by killing his brother Abel in a fit of furious jealousy. This theme also plays a role in the Legacy of Kain story. In the Bible the name Cain is interpreted as “begotten, acquired”, but modern etymologists think it is most likely from an ancient South Arabian word for “metalsmith”. In the Bible, Cain is said to have been the ancestor of a nation who became the first metalworkers, so that does mesh with the Biblical narrative. Although Cain is a controversial character, this name fits in so well with current name trends that it has had reasonable use over the years: a big help is that it’s a homophone of Kane, the Anglicised form of Irish Cathan, meaning “battle”. Famous Australian namesakes include fantasy writer Kain Massin, and actor Kain O’Keefe.

Link
Link is the hero of The Legend of Zelda game series [pictured]. Usually he is young with fair hair and blue eyes, and he is always dressed in green tights and tunic, and has pointed ears. Link is humble, polite and brave, as befits a true hero, and is possessed with a burning sense of justice. He travels through the land, defeating creatures, evil forces, and baddies in order to save Princess Zelda and her kingdom. Despite having minimal facial expression and speaking mostly in grunts, Link is one of the most popular video game characters of all time. Creator Shigeru Miyamato wanted to call him Chris or Christo after his godfather, but this was changed by Nintendo (I wonder if it seemed too Messianic for them?). Instead Link was chosen, because the character is the player’s link to the world of the video game. You might also think of a baby Link as being the link that brings your family together. The name Link doesn’t seem that unusual, because it is already used as a short form of Lincoln.

Maximo
In the Maximo duology, Maximo is a gallant knight who goes out into the world leaving his castle and kingdom in the care of a trusted friend. Unfortunately, little does he know that his pal is, in fact, an evil super-villain. While Maximo tools around in blissful ignorance, this dastardly creep takes over Maximo’s kingdom, and forces Maximo’s girlfriend, Princess Sophia, into marriage with him. Maximo returns home to find his kingdom and his life in ruins. It’s a completely awful day for him, but rather than sit at home crying and eating chocolate, he bravely goes in search of his lost love.
Maximo is the Spanish form of the Roman family name Maximus, from the Latin for “greatest”. Although the Spanish pronunciation is MAHK-see-mo, I’m guessing most English-speakers would say it MAKS-uh-mo, and use the popular Max as a nickname. A Spanish heritage choice that puts a cool spin on fashionable Maximus.

Raiden
Raiden is a thunder god in the Mortal Kombat series, an immortal with many supernatural abilities, and a distinctly hands-on approach. He looks like an enormous, muscular man with eyes filled with lightning and long iron-grey hair. Raiden is a variant of Raijin, the name for the god of thunder and storms in the Shinto religion and Japanese mythology. His name means “thunder god”. He is a popular folk figure who appears in many stories, and his name has been used in several other Japanese video games. The name is pronounced RAH-ee-den, but in English, is meant to be said RY-den. However, the temptation to pronounce it RAY-den, to fit in with the trend for Aiden, Braden, Caden and Hayden type names, is often too strong to resist. I have seen this name used quite a bit on boys in Australia, and mostly their parents have gone with the RAY-den pronunciation.

Ryu
Ryu is the lead character of the Street Fighter series, and an enormously strong Japanese martial artist. Powerful and uber-masculine with huge muscles, his karate outfit is casually tattered. During the game series, it turns out that Ryu has a touch of evil in his psychological make-up which can be exploited by the bad guys. However, Ryu is mentally strong enough to fight off their brainwashing attempts. What a trouper. Naturally he is far too butch to hang out with girls or anything wet like that, but he does have a rather super chum called Ken. Ryu is Japanese for “dragon”, and it is also a suffix to denote a particular school of thought, usually used for martial arts. It’s a popular name in Japanese video games. Ryu is difficult for English-speakers to pronounce correctly. It’s said as one-syllable – RYOO. I have seen this name used on several Australian boys in honour of the game character, but they have either been called RY-oo or ROO (like a kangaroo). This does fit in with familiar names such as Ryan and Reuben.

Snow
Snow Villiers is the leader of an anti-government rebel group in Final Fantasy XIII who gets engaged to a cute pink-haired girl. Their wedding plans are put on ice once his fiancée is turned into a block of crystal. He has to save the world and his sweetheart, while trying to convince his future sister-in-law he’s a decent bloke. Snow is a Nordic giant – 6 foot 7 with a powerful physique, fair skin, pale blond hair, blue eyes, and a light stubble beard. Despite his wintry appearance, he is warm-hearted, fiery-tempered, and optimistic. In the game, the name Snow denotes the character’s affinity for water and ice spells. Snow is a nature name and surname in use as a personal name since the 16th century, and is one of those rare names that has been almost equally given to boys and girls over time. Names connected with the winter and cold are currently on trend, and this one works for both sexes, and as either a first or middle name. It’s a hip alternative to fashionable Winter, but a possible drawback is that it is also a slang term for cocaine.

Sparrow
In Fable II, Sparrow is a poor orphan child who finds out they are descended from a heroic line. Sparrow can be played as either a male or female character, so the name is deliberately unisex. The name Sparrow is after the small brown bird, one of the most familiar birds in the world. Sparrows are often used to denote something common, or of low value, and they are the emblem of the London Cockneys. The New Testament tells us that God cares even for the worthless sparrow, so we know the most insignificant person is valued and worthy of divine love, and Saint Francis preached sermons to these birds. According to the ancient Greeks, sparrows were sacred to the goddess Aphrodite and a symbol of enduring love, while in Christian legend, the sparrow was the only bird who witnessed the Crucifixion. Sparrow has been used as a name since the 17th century, and is historically more common for boys; Pirates of the Caribbean has given it a swashbuckling air. It became a celebrity baby name when Nicole Richie and Joel Madden had a son called Sparrow in 2009. A humble name that’s on trend, and has more behind it than at first glance.

Thane
In Mass Effect 2, Thane Krios is a member of an alien species who are humanoid with reptilian features. An expert assassin dying of an incurable lung disease, he joins an apparent suicide mission to give purpose to what’s left of his life and atone for all the murder he’s committed. Despite his chosen profession, he is a deeply spiritual man following a polytheistic religion. The name Thane is an Anglo-Saxon title of nobility, and is from the Old English thegn meaning “servant, retainer”. A thane was an attendant to a king or noble lord who had military duties as part of their service (similar to a knight). In medieval Scotland it was the name for a hereditary tenant of the Crown; Macbeth held this title in Shakespeare’s play. The name has been used since the 16th century, and a famous namesake is English actor and dancer Thane Bettany, father-in-law to Jennifer Connolly, and step-uncle to Sophie Rhys-Jones, the wife of Prince Edward. This is one of those rare names that have a strong history, and don’t sound strange, being similar to familiar names like Dane and Zane.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Ash, Sparrow, and Link, and their least favourite were Kain, Raiden, and Ryu.

Girls Names from Video Games

10 Sunday Apr 2011

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This blog post was originally published on April 10 2011, and heavily edited and updated on April 16 2015.

Ayame
Ayame is a female ninja in the Tenchu series; she appears petite and feminine, but is possessed of a sharp tongue, and is a cunning and aggressive fighter. Her real name is Omon, so Ayame is her professional or code name. Ayame is the Japanese word for the iris flower. It is used as a girl’s name in Japan, and has a long history, for five generations of kabuki actors, beginning in the 17th century, adopted it as a stage name while playing female roles. The name has become a favourite for Japanese video games, anime, and manga. Pronounced ah-YAH-me, I have seen two girls in Australia with this name, and heard of another. The soft sound and floral meaning make this name an attractive choice which fits in with names like Aya and Ayla.

Coco
Coco is the smart, fearless younger sister of Crash Bandicoot in the Crash Bandicoot series, set in Australia. Coco is a nickname for any name with a CO sound in it, or given because of its similarity to the word cocoa. Its most famous namesake is French fashion designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, who got her nickname from her days as a cabaret singer. It may have been an allusion to either one of her signature songs: Ko Ko Ri Ko (“Cock-a-doodle-doo”), or Qui qu’a vu Coco (“Who Has Seen Coco?” – Coco was a lost male dog). Another theory is that it was based on the French word coquette, used as a slang term for a kept woman or a mistress. Coco the Clown (born Nikolai Poliakoff) is one reminder of its use for males as well. Coco became a celebrity baby name when it was chosen by actress Courtney Cox for her daughter in 2004. Australian journalist Mia Freedman named her daughter Coco the next year, actress Diane Farr called one of her twin daughters Coco in 2008, and Tony Kanal from No Doubt welcomed a daughter with this name in 2011. This is a cute, flirty, yet stylish name that is still underused.

Elika
Prince of Persia is set in ancient Persia and inspired by the religion of Zoroastrianism. Elika is a runaway barefoot princess who must help the hero by systematically travelling the area, and magically healing particular sectors of ground called Fertile Lands; unfortunately each time she does this her life force becomes weaker. In appearance, Elika is beautiful with tousled dark chestnut hair, enigmatic hazel eyes, and a slender, fragile figure; her personality is guarded and serious. She is much greater than she appears, for she holds many secrets, and almost has the status of a demi-goddess. Elika is a name which is found in many different cultures, but I have seen the Persian name Elika translated as being derived from ela or ellka, the Sanskrit for “cardamon”, a fragrant spice tree. In the game Elikas’s name is pronounced ELL-eh-kuh, but eh-LAY-kuh is more traditional. This pretty name fits in with popular names like Ella and Layla, and is not too different from fashionable Elke.

Kairi
Kingdom Hearts is a collaboration between the makers of Final Fantasy and Disney, whereby Disney settings are crossed-over into a fictional universe, and characters from Final Fantasy interact with the player and popular Disney characters. Kairi is one of the hero’s best friends, and also one of the seven Princesses of Hearts – pure maidens whose hearts are free of all darkness. The name Kairi was invented for the game and according to creator Tetsuya Nomura, her name is derived from the Japanese word for “sea”, just as the other two main characters’ names mean “sky” and “land”. The name has become quite popular for use in use other Japanese video games, anime, and manga. It is pronounced KY-rhee, and is similar in sound to familiar names such as Kara, Kyra and Kylie. There is an Australian Aboriginal tribe called the Kairi, whose name has been given to a small town in Far North Queensland, so the name does not even have a particularly foreign sound to Australian ears. Kai can be used as a unisex nickname.

Lara
Lara Croft is the beautiful and intelligent heroine of the Tomb Raider series, an archaeologist travelling the world in search of adventure [pictured]. Lara is a Russian short form of Larissa. In Greek mythology, Larissa is a nymph, and it was also a common name for ancient Greek cities, as the name means “citadel”. Saint Larissa was a 4th century Goth who was martyred in the Crimea; her name is otherwise recorded as Baren or Beride. She is recognised as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox church, and the name Larissa is traditional in Russia and Slavic countries. The name Lara became known in the English-speaking world from Larissa, nicknamed Lara, in Boris Pasternak’s 1957 epic novel, Doctor Zhivago, which was banned in the Soviet Union but popular in the West. It was made into a successful Hollywood movie in 1965, with Julie Christie playing Lara; the piece Lara’s Theme from the film has become a favourite. Lara has charted in Australia since the 1960s, when the film was released, debuting at #337. It reached the Top 100 in the late 1990s, and peaked at #27 in 2002. In 2013 it was #54. Romantic and exotic, Lara is a softer alternative to names such as Laura, Laurel, and Lauren.

Rinoa
Rinoa Heartlilly is the main female character in Final Fantasy VIII, and the love interest of the hero. She is a cute friendly teenager who is member of a resistance faction seeking to liberate a small nation from occupation, and also has magical abilities which render her a “berserker” during warfare. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, game experts believe that the name Rinoa is supposed to be a Japanese rendition of Lenore, a short form of Eleanor. Lenore has a long history as a literary Gothic name, appearing in a Gothic German ballad as well as a poem by Edgar Allen Poe; it is possible that this dark side was intended as part of the character of Rinoa. As there is no spoken pronunciation of her name, you can say it however you like, but RINN-oh-uh seems to be the most commonly used. The nickname Noa gives this a unisex option.

Tira
Tira is a character in the Soulcalibur series. She is a very disturbed person who has been raised since childhood by a group of assassins, and has an uncontrollable urge to kill. A split personality, she has pledged herself to the powers of evil. Tira’s appearance reflects her madness, with rag-doll hair, tattered clothing and bizarre make-up. As her weapon of choice is a ring-blade which looks like a hula-hoop, she resembles a mental patient who has run away to join the circus. The name Tira is most likely an Anglicisation of the Scandinavian name Thyra, which means something like “strength of Thor”. It is pronounced TEE-ra, and people have told me that they love the sound of the name Thyra, but don’t like the look of it, or worry that others would pronounce it like TY-ra or THY-ra. The Tira spelling does solve that problem, and this name fits in well with Australian trends in girls names. I don’t know if it’s because of the video game (which is a slightly worrying thought), but I have seen and heard about quite a few babies called Tira. It seems to be popular to use it in a double name such as Tira-Lee or Tira-Rose.

Wynne
Wynne is a character in Dragon Age: Origins, a prominent mage and powerful spirit healer. Wise, dutiful and virtuous, she could have had a successful political career, but refuses power in order to fight demons and aid the innocent. A tall, handsome, middle-aged woman with an intelligent face, she takes a motherly role, and is blessed with common sense and a dry sense of humour. Wynne is a Welsh surname based on the male name Wyn, meaning “blessed, white, fair”. Although Wynne can be used for both sexes, it is often understood as a specifically feminine form of Wyn. It is the middle name of famous children’s fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones, which may have been a factor in the game makers choosing it. Simple and clean, this resembles the fashionable Winnie.

Zafina
Zafina is a character in the Tekken series who is born into an ancient bloodline which fights evil. The protector of a royal tomb, Zafina uses her spiritual powers to gain omens from the stars. Of Middle Eastern appearance, the game makers believe she is most likely Egyptian. Zafina is an Arabic name, which I have seen translated as “victorious, triumphant”. Pretty and usable, it makes an exotic alternative to Victoria, and sounds enough like familiar names such as Zara, Sophia and Seraphina to be easily accepted.

Zelda
The Legend of Zelda is the longest-running video game series so far. The eponymous Zelda is an elfin princess, usually slender and blonde with dark blue eyes, and often with magical powers. Zelda is a feminine form of the Yiddish name Selig, meaning “blessed, happy”, although it can be also be used as a short form of names such as Griselda. One of its most famous namesakes is Zelda Fitzgerald, wife and muse of American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. Beautiful, glamorous and daring, she was an icon of the Jazz Age, until her intensity and high spirits descended into obsession and mental illness. Zelda’s mother named her after characters in two romantic stories; in both of them, Zelda is a beautiful gypsy. The creator of The Legend of Zelda has said that Princess Zelda’s name was inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald. In turn, Princess Zelda has inspired a celebrity baby name, because actor Robin Williams named his daughter Zelda in 1989 because of his love for the video game series. Zelda can be found in Australian records in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and this is a zippy vintage name that feels clunky cool and fit for a princess.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Lara, Zelda, and Wynne, and their least favourites were Elika, Tira, and Rinoa.

Boys Names From Songs

13 Sunday Mar 2011

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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This blog post was first published on March 13 2011, and heavily edited and updated on March 20 2015. Not being psychic, I did not know then of the vile crimes that Rolf Harris would be imprisoned for, otherwise he would not have been included.

Duncan
Slim Dusty’s country song Duncan is one of his two hits which went to #1.The song describes the great enjoyment experienced drinking at the atmospheric Town and Country pub with his mate Duncan. Although the narrator also drinks with Colin, Kevin, Patrick, and Robert to obtain similar effects, it is Duncan who will always be remembered as the mate Slim would “love to have a beer with”. Duncan is the Anglicised form of the Gaelic name Donnchadh; it may mean either “brown-haired warrior”, or “brown-haired chieftain”. A traditional name amongst Scottish nobility and royalty, there have two medieval Scottish kings named Duncan, with Duncan I the original of William Shakespeare’s King Duncan in Macbeth. Unlike in the play, Duncan was a young king, and not assassinated by his war leader Macbeth, but killed in battle against him. Saint Duncan was of royal blood too, and an abbot of Iona. Duncan was #134 in the 1900s, and peaked in the 1970s at #122. It doesn’t seem to have charted since 2009, so this is a handsome underused Scottish choice.

Erasmus
Erasmus is a 2006 song by alternative rock band You Am I, a nostalgic remembrance of the 1990s. Erasmus is derived from the Greek for “beloved”. Saint Erasmus of Formia was a bishop who, according to tradition, was martyred for his faith in the 4th century. He is more commonly known as Saint Elmo, the old Italian form of his name, and St Elmo’s Fire is named after him – the glowing electrical discharge that can appear around tall, pointed structures during thunderstorms. As it was known for appearing around the masts of ships in the days of sail, Saint Erasmus is a patron of sailors. A famous namesake is Erasmus of Rotterdam, a Catholic priest, theologian, and classical scholar of the Renaissance who is known as “The Prince of Humanists”. Charles Darwin‘s grandfather was Erasmus, named after an ancestor, and Charles’ brother also had the same name. This rare name has geek chic, with history, strength, bags of brain power, and of course, a beautiful meaning. Rasmus and Raz could be used as nicknames.

Harry
Lazy Harry’s, or, The Road to Gundagai is a traditional folk song with a connection to Banjo Paterson, as he was the first to have it published, in 1905. The song tells of two shearers from a Riverina station who set out for Sydney to spend their pay cheques, but get no further than Lazy Harry’s pub between Wagga Wagga and Gundagai before they’ve spent the lot. Harry is a medieval English form of Henry which has never gone out of use. It has also been used as a pet form of Henry and Harold, and more recently, of Harrison. Harry is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #32 in the 1900s, left the Top 100 in the 1950s, and reached its lowest point in the 1970s at #234. It began rising in the 1980s after the birth of Prince Henry, always known by his nickname Harry, and joined the Top 100 in the early 1990s. It continued rising through the 2000s, along with the popularity of boy wizard Harry Potter, and peaked in 2010 at #27, although by 2013 it had only dropped one place, to #26. Classic Harry is royal and magical, yet also friendly and casual.

Henry
Henry Lee is Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’s 1996 version of an English folk song called Young Hunting, which in the United States is usually titled Love Henry or Henry Lee. It is a macabre tale of sexual jealousy; a man tells his mistress that he is leaving her for another woman, and while offering him a farewell kiss, she stabs him and throws his body in a well. P.J. Harvey sings the woman’s part of this eerie duet. Henry is from the Germanic name Heimrich, meaning “home ruler”. It has been commonly used amongst European royalty, and there are many rulers of Germany, France, Spain and Portugal named Henry, or one of its equivalents. There have also been six Holy Roman Emperors named Henry, one of them a saint. Henry is a traditional name in the British royal family, and there have been eight English kings named Henry. Henry is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #11 in the 1900s, and left the Top 100 in the 1950s, hitting its lowest point in the 1970s at #265. It was back on the Top 100 by the 1990s, and had reached #23 by 2013. Henry is a handsome classic which is slowly rising in popularity.

Jack
Adam Harvey’s 2001 country song The House That Jack Built went to #1. It’s inspired by the nursery rhymes The House That Jack Built and Jack and Jill, while giving them a modern twist. Jack is a short form of Jackin, which began as Jankin, a medieval pet form of John. It has been used as an independent name since the Middle Ages, and was so popular in that era that it became a slang word to mean “man, male”. Jack is a fairytale hero, such as Jack and the Beanstalk and Jack the Giant Killer, and a trickster figure, like a jack-in-the-box and the knave in a deck of cards. Jack has a particularly British association, because of the Union Jack which is on our flag. Suffice to say I could talk about Jack until you were completely jack of it! Jack is a classic name which has never left the charts. It was #24 in the 1900s, and left the Top 100 in the 1940s. It hit its lowest point in the 1960s at #277, and was Top 100 again by the 1980s. It hit its peak in the 2000s at #1 name, when there were many heroes on film and TV named Jack. By 2013 it had only fallen two places, to #3, so it has been extremely stable as well as extremely popular. Jack the lad is an everyman name, and a nickname with its own rich history.

Jake
Jake the Peg is a 1965 novelty song by Rolf Harris, based on the Dutch-Canadian song Ben van der Steen. It’s a simple tale of an unfortunate man born with three legs, and Harris performed it onstage with a theatrical prop which left the audience guessing as to which of the three legs was fake. It has been voted one of the best Australian singles of all time. Jake is a medieval variant of Jack, but today is often used as a short form of popular Jacob. Jake first joined the charts in the 1970s at #392, the same decade as Jacob, and just after the song’s release. It joined the Top 100 in the 1980s and peaked in the 1990s at #6. In 2013 it was #43. More boyish than Jacob, more rakish than Jack, this name lets you know that everything is “jake”.

Jessie
Rick Springfield’s pop song Jessie Girl was an instant hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 of 1981, and winning a Grammy. According to Springfield, Jessie’s Girl was inspired by a real-life admiration he had for his friend Gary’s girlfriend. He considered using Gary’s real name, until he saw a girl wearing a softball jersey with the name Jessie on it. The song has been featured in movies and TV shows, and named one of the best songs of the 1980s. As a boy’s name, Jessie is a variant of the Hebrew name Jesse, which may mean “gift”. It’s also a girl’s name which was originally a Scottish pet form of Jean, but also used as a pet form of Jane, and more recently, of Jessica. In Australia, Jessie charted as a unisex name until the 1950s, but since the 1970s and the rise of Jessica, has only charted for girls. It made the Top 100 in the 1990s, when Jessica was the #1 name, and is currently in the 300s. Still usable for boys, although the popular Jessica has given it a pink vibe.

Johnny
Men at Work’s 1982 rock song Be Good Johnny is an obvious reference to Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode. The song is about a young boy, a seemingly troubled daydreamer who can’t relate to or listen to adult authority. It could be the anthem for ADHD kids, and in fact a cover version of the song is the theme tune to the reality TV series Supernanny. Johnny is a pet form of John, long used as an independent name. There’s been heaps of famous Johnnys in Australia – Johnny Diesel, Johnny O’Keefe, Johnny Young, Johnny Lewis and Johnny Warren, to name a few. Johnny has charted since the 1950s, when it debuted at #265. It has not yet become popular, and is currently in the 200s. Modern classic Johnny seems like it has a lot of potential to go further.

Normie
Rak Off Normie was written as a sequel to comedian Bob Hudson’s satirical narrative, The Newcastle Song, which was at #1 for four weeks in 1975. The Newcastle Song is about a young man called Normie looking for a date, and pokes fun at the working class youth culture in the city of Newcastle. Eager for further success, Bob Hudson rapidly penned Rak Off Normie from the point of view of the girl Normie is attracted to, and Maureen Elkner was chosen to sing it. The song reached #6 on the charts. Normie is a pet form of Norman, used as an independent name since the 19th century. It is well known in Australia from 1960s pop star Normie Rowe, and will probably only make a comeback if Norman does.

Sam
Olivia Newton-John’s Sam reached #1 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart of 1977. It’s a song about two people who have been (apparently deservedly) dumped by their respective lovers and are now lonely; the song implies that the two of them may get together in order to comfort each other. Sam can be used as a short form of names such as Samuel or Samson, and as short for the female name Samantha. It is also a Persian name meaning “very dark”, and is familiar from Frodo’s companion in The Lord of the Rings, whose name is short for Samwise (samwise is the Old English for “half-wise, half-wit”). Sam has long been used as an independent name, overwhelmingly given to boys. Sam first joined the charts in the 1950s at #301, and was Top 100 by 1986. It peaked at #62 in 1991, left the Top 100 in 2011, and is still only just outside the Top 100. Well known from Welsh children’s TV show Fireman Sam, which has an Australian rescue pilot in it, this is a modern classic with boyish charm.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Jack, Harry, and Duncan, and their least favourite were Johnny, Jake, and Normie.

Girls Names from Songs

06 Sunday Mar 2011

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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This list was first published on March 6 2011, and substantially revised and updated on March 12 2015.

Astrid
Goodbye (Astrid Goodbye) was a 1979 single for popular rock band Cold Chisel, written as an energetic set finisher. Songwriter Don Walker didn’t know anyone named Astrid, and thinks he probably heard of the name because of Bill Wyman’s partner, Astrid Lundstrom. Astrid is the modern form of Ástríðr, an Old Norse name which can be translated as “beloved of God”, or more freely as “divine beauty”. A traditional name amongst Scandinavian royalty since medieval times, it was the name of Canute the Great’s sister, giving it a slender English connection. It became well known in the English-speaking world because of popular Swedish children’s novelist Astrid Lindgren, the author of the Pippi Longstocking books, and has received fresh attention from Astrid Hofferson in the film How to Train Your Dragon. The name is often understood as being related to the word “star”, because it sounds like the Greek aster, which was exploited in a Dr Who special where Kylie Minogue played star-loving Astrid Peth. This attractive name is currently around the 500s.

Ayla
Ayla was a 1987 single for New Wave duo Flash and the Pan, comprised of music industry powerhouses and ex-Easybeats, Harry Vanda and George Young. The name Ayla has several possible origins. It can be a variant of the Hebrew name Elah, meaning “terebinth tree”, pronounced eh-LAH, or a Turkish name meaning “halo of light around the moon”, and often translated as “moonlight”. In Turkey, it is pronounced to sound like the name Isla. The name Ayla was also used for a beautiful, inventive, and spiritually gifted palaeolithic superwoman in the popular Earth Children  novel series by Jean M. Auel. In the books, Ayla is a Neanderthal attempt at the character’s real name, which isn’t given, but much longer; it is said like Kayla without the K. The name Ayla first joined the US Top 1000 in 1987, a year after Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear was made into a film, starring Daryl Hannah. Despite being a flop, it seems to have catapulted Ayla to #593, and to have helped inspire the Flash and the Pan song. In Australia, Ayla joined the Top 100 in 2013, fitting in with popular names like Layla and Ava.

Clementine
Col Joye’s 1959 #1 hit single (Rockin’ Rollin’) Clementine is a hip retelling of the folk ballad, My Darling Clementine. In this version, the miner’s daughter Clementine is a jeep-driving “real down chick” who meets up with a “cat from the city” in a jumping joint where she hops, bops, and “digs that crazy rhythm”. Clementine is a French form of Clementina, the feminine form of Clement, from the Latin name Clemens, meaning “merciful, gentle”. Clement is a saint’s name, so Clementine would originally have been given with this in mind, and the name dates to the Middle Ages. It has a rather aristocratic image, with several French princesses named Clémentine, and Sir Winston Churchill’s wife was also called Clementine. A clementine is a small citrus fruit, but that isn’t an issue in Australia, where they are nearly always sold as mandarins. Clementine was quite a popular name in Australia in the 19th century, but has never been in the charts since Federation. There has been renewed interest in the name recently, with the quirky Clementine children’s book series by Sara Pennypacker, Clementine the moral compass in The Walking Dead video game, and free spirit Clementine in the film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Expect to see more of this elegant vintage name in the future.

Evie
Stevie Wright is the former lead singer of legendary 1960s rock band The Easybeats. Australia’s first international pop star, he was the first forced to deal with the pressures of being famous and beautiful at a very young age, and the first to blaze, burn out, and come crashing down in spectacular fashion. Evie is his 1974 rock ballad of young love and new life blossoming, blooming, and then going appallingly wrong, and is the only 11-minute song to become a #1 hit. Evie is a pet form of Eve, or a short form of names like Evelyn. It’s been used as an independent name since the 18th century in America, and may have a Dutch influence. Evie first joined the charts in the early 2000s, after the song was covered by one-off supergroup The Wrights in 2004. It climbed so steeply that it was in the Top 100 by the late 2000s, and was #22 in 2013. It’s even more popular in the UK, so you can see this as part of the British nicknamey trend, as much as a tribute to an Australian classic.

Georgy
The Seekers were a folk group, and the first Australian band to achieve major success in the UK and US. Georgy Girl was the title song to the 1966 British movie of the same name, a Swinging Sixties coming-of-age tale about a naïve, frumpy young girl and her unconventional love affairs. The song went to #1 in Australia, and was The Seekers’ highest-charting single in the US, where it got to #2 and was used to advertise mineral water. Georgy can be used as a pet form of either the male name George, or the female names Georgia, Georgette, or Georgiana – the “Georgy Girl”in the song is named Georgina. Although Georgy has a long history of use for both sexes, it is far less common that the variant Georgie, which has charted for girls since the 1990s and is rising steeply in the 200s.

Leilani
Leilani, released 1982, was the début single by quirky rock group Le Hoodoo Gurus (later Hoodoo Gurus). The song’s narrative is loosely based on the plot of 1951 B-grade movie Bird of Paradise, and combines an exotic South Pacific setting with an oddly suburban mindset, and a fun faux-Polynesian chorus filled with Australian place names. Leilani is a Hawaiian name meaning “heavenly garland of flowers”, but often understood as “heavenly child”, pronounced lay-LAH-nee. It fits in with the trend for L-l names, such as Lillian, and is currently around the 300s. A very pretty Polynesian heritage choice which has the fashionable nickname Lani.

Matilda
Waltzing Matilda was written by Banjo Paterson in 1895. The Matilda in the song isn’t a dancing girl, but is what swagmen called the bundle that they carried; to “waltz Matilda” is to walk while carrying a bundle. It is said that the swagman in the song was a real person called Samuel Hoffmeister who was involved in the Shearer’s Strike of that year, so it’s a political protest song (unintentionally). Waltzing Matilda is our unofficial national song and the lyrics are written on every Australian passport. Matilda is a Germanic name meaning “mighty in battle”. A traditional name amongst European royalty, it was literally brought over with the Conqueror to England, as it was the name of William I’s wife, the mother of William II and Henry I. Her grand-daughter was named after her, and she was married to a Holy Roman Emperor, so was the Empress Matilda. She tried to claim the throne of England as her father’s heir, but was never crowned queen, being named Lady of the English – her son instead became King Henry II. Saint Matilda was a medieval German queen whose son became a Holy Roman Emperor; she is the patron saint of large families. Matilda was #144 in the 1900s, and disappeared from the charts in the 1930s. It made a comeback in the 1980s, after Matilda the Kangaroo was chosen as the mascot for the 1982 Commonwealth Games, held in Brisbane and won by Australia. Matilda joined the Top 100 in the early 2000s, peaked in 2009 at #16, and by 2013 had only fallen to #18. A patriotic retro name choice that is extremely stable in the charts.

Rosie
Founded by the brothers of one of the Easybeats, AC/DC is Australia’s most successful rock band, and one of the most successful world-wide. Whole Lotta Rosie is their cheeky 1978 single, allegedly based on Bon Scott’s real life encounter with an obese Tasmanian woman. Rosie is a pet form of Rose which has a long history as an independent name; it can be used as a short form of any Rose- name, such as Rosalie, Rosamund, Rosetta, or Rosemary. Rosie was #229 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1930s. It made a come-back in the 1980s, reaching #749 and climbing steeply. It was in the mid-100s in Victoria in 2012. A sweet, fresh-faced retro name that is already Top 100 in Britain.

Ruby
Ruby Wednesday is an early song by rock band Eskimo Joe, released in 1999. A whimsical re-take on the Rolling Stones’ Ruby Tuesday, it made the Triple J Hottest 100 the year it came out. Ruby is a precious gemstone, whose name comes from the Latin for “red”. It’s been used as a girl’s name since the 17th century, but became popular in the 19th, when gemstone names became fashionable. Ruby was #21 in the 1900s, and had left the Top 100 by the 1930s. It disappeared from the charts in the 1950s, but came back in the 1980s at #548. It reached the Top 100 in 1996, peaked at #1 in 2012, and and by 2013 was #2. A spunky retro choice which has already reached maximum popularity, and is therefore expected to gradually fall.

Sadie
Sadie (The Cleaning Lady) was a 1967 novelty song and the first solo single for pop idol Johnny Farnham; it hit #1 and was the biggest-selling single by an Australian artist in the 1960s. Sadie is a pet form of Sarah, which seems to have originated in 18th century America. The name gained an especially Jewish image in 19th century England, where in Yiddish slang, a Sadie was a low status Jewish girl, sometimes with connotations of prostitution. It’s interesting how often Sadie is linked with that profession, such as Sadie Thompson in the W. Somerset Maughan’s Rain, while The Beatles’ Sadie adds another “sexy” image to the name. Sadie was #145 in the 1900s, and left the charts in the 1940s. It returned in the late 2000s at #566, and in Victoria is in the mid-100s, a similar popularity to that in the UK, while it is already a Top 100 name in the US. This sassy retro name looks set to go places.

POLL RESULTS
People’s favourite names were Evie, Matilda, and Clementine, and their least favourite were Ayla, Leilani, and Georgy.

Waltzing With … Valentine

13 Sunday Feb 2011

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Name Story
As tomorrow is St. Valentine’s Day, I thought I would focus on the name connected with this day for lovers.

The history of how the name became associated with a day for sweethearts is rather murky. The feast of Saint Valentine was first established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I, and he freely admitted that nobody had a clue who Valentine was or what he had done apart from give up his life for his faith and been buried on February 14; traditionally in 269.

There were so many martyrs called Valentine that the compilers of hagiographies didn’t know which Valentine Gelasius meant – hardly surprising as he didn’t either – but managed to whittle it down to two candidates: a bishop and a priest. Saint Valentine seemed doomed to be relegated to the ranks of the obscure minor saints.

Then the Italian archbishop and chronicler Jacobus de Voragine compiled The Golden Legend around 1260. This bestseller of the Middle Ages gave the reader a little story about each saint on the liturgical calendar. It included a brief biography of Saint Valentine which portrayed him as a priest who refused to deny Christ before the Emperor Claudius in the year 280.

Before he was decapitated for his obstinacy, he restored the sight of his gaoler’s blind daughter as a show of Christ’s power. (The daughter was also deaf, but The Golden Legend remains mute as to whether that was similarly healed). This legend became more and more romantically embroidered until Saint Valentine was a priest imprisoned for marrying Christian couples, was in love with the blind daughter he healed, and sent her a card signed, “From your Valentine.”

A popular notion is that the church introduced Valentine’s Day as a Christian substitute for the pagan festival of Lupercalia. You will read this all over the place as if it is an established fact. Actually it has pretty much zero evidence to support it, and was first suggested by two 18th century antiquarians (one a priest).

The idea that Saint Valentine’s Day was a day set aside for lovers dates back to a poem written by Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382, in which he pretended it was an ancient tradition. Fake ancient traditions being all the rage in medieval Europe, it quickly became fashionable to write poems and perform other romantic acts for your beloved on February 14.

Older Australians sometimes grumble about the Americanisation of Valentine’s Day, but if that means you get a card, flowers, and a box of chokkies instead of nothing, then hurray for Americanisation say I! The big event that happened here on Valentine’s Day was the decimalisation of our currency in 1966 – mm, romantic.

I wish you all a happy Saint Valentine’s Day, for although the whole thing turns out to be as fake as a decimalised three dollar bill, it’s as real as really real to everyone who gets a flutter in their heart when they receive a poem, card or SMS signed, From your Valentine.

Name Information
Valentine is from the Roman name Valentinus, derived from the Latin valens, meaning “strong, vigorous, healthy, powerful.” The name was popular in ancient Rome; you can tell how common it was from the fact that there are eleven saints called Valentine, and three called Valens. There has also been a Pope Valentine, a member of the Roman nobility who died just five weeks after being consecrated.

The medieval romance Valentine and Orson tells of twin brothers who are abandoned in the woods as babies. While Valentine is brought up as a knight at a royal court, Orson is raised by bears and becomes a wild man of the woods, until he is tamed by Valentine, and becomes his servant. There are two Valentines in the plays of William Shakespare: one a main character in Two Gentlemen of Verona, the other a bit part in Twelfth Night. Valentine is the sort of romantic, fairy-tale name which has seen it chosen for sci-fi, fantasy, and video games.

In use as an English name since the Middle Ages, Valentine is more often given to boys, although girls named Valentine are relatively common (relative to the number of overall Valentines, I mean). In France, Valentine is a girl’s name, the feminine form of Valentinus, said with the accent on the last syllable instead of the first. It is a Top 100 girl’s name in France, and may have been given a boost from the character named Valentine, a student and model, in the film Three Colours: Red.

Valentine was on the US Top 1000 for boys from 1880, and didn’t leave it permanently until the mid-1950s. It’s only charted twice for girls – once in 1885, and once in 1917. In 2013, there were 32 baby girls given the name Valentine, and 35 boys, making the name almost evenly unisex in the United States. The same situation exists in the UK, where there were 9 girls and 8 boys named Valentine in 2013.

Valentine has never charted in Australia, and is in rare use (the Italian form Valentino is far more common), but I do see it as a middle name for both sexes in birth notices, especially around Valentine’s Day. There are thousands of Valentines in Australian historical records, mostly male, although as a middle name more evenly given to both sexes. The name seems fairly multicultral, given to men with British, Italian, German, and Jewish surnames.

Some romantic name combinations from Australia which took my eye were Valentine Orson, Valentine Giovanni, Cecil Endymion Valentine, Percival Valentine, Capel Arthur Valentine, Lemuel Reginald Valentine Fitzgerald, Ethelbert Valentine, Valentine Aubrey Hamilton, and Saint Valentine, and for girls Evangeline Valentine, Delice Frances Valentine, Lila Valentine, Fairy Valentine, Queenie Valentine, and Valentine Lovely.

Famous Australians named Valentine include war hero Valentine Stacy, scientist Valentine Anderson, and radio and TV pioneer Valentine McDowall (born on Valentine’s Day). Convict Valentine Marshall was transported to Tasmania as a teenager for taking part in political riots, but sadly for romance, he later got in trouble for spouse abuse.

More recently, Valentine Trainor invented the sport of Ironman, and Valentine Jones was the guitarist for Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. Of course, you will see the name of a famous Valentine every time you go the movies at a Hoyts cinema – Val Morgan, the head of Val Morgan Advertising. He handed his name down to his son, William Valentine Morgan.

The suburb of Valentine in Lake Macquare is named after Henry Valentine Joseph Geary, a property developer and mine owner in the area. Meanwhile Valentine Creek in the Snowy Mountains may have been discovered on a Valentine’s Day – the Valentine Hut nearby was originally painted red with white hearts, a motif which even went as far as the toilet seat.

A famous female Valentine was Valentine Leeper, an eccentric teacher born in Melbourne on February 14 in 1900. She became known for writing influential letters on subjects such as education, the ordination of women, international politics and indigenous affairs. She had her own radio show for many years, where she shared little-known facts and her own opinions in equal measure, and if alive today, would surely be a busy blogger and tireless tweeter.

Ms Leeper’s birth date is important in Australian cultural history, because Valentine’s Day in 1900 is the date on which the main events occur in Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel, Picnic at Hanging Rock. An unsolved mystery about the disappearance of three schoolgirls and their eccentric teacher at Hanging Rock in Victoria, it was made into a successful and much-loved film by Peter Weir. Much later, Lindsay published the final chapter which was to explain everything, although it is still an ambiguous ending, open to interpretation.

Valentine is a name that has a strong meaning, but an elegant and slightly fanciful image. It is a name that will always be associated with love and romance, and would be a perfect choice for a baby born on or near Valentine’s Day. It can be given to both boys and girls, and many parents would probably prefer it tucked away in the middle. Nicknames include Val, Valley or Valli, Nina, and Tina, although the fashionable Lenny also seems possible.

POLL RESULT
Valentine received an excellent approval rating of 84%, making it one of the highest-rated names of the year. 31% of people thought it was a great name, and only 6% of people hated it.

(Photo shows Heart Reef in the Whitsunday Islands)