Tag Archives: virtue names

Famous Name: Harmony

19 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by in Famous Names

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harmony-day

This Friday, March 21, it will be Harmony Day. Harmony Day is a government initiative which began in 1999, inspired by the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which takes place every March 21 around the world. It is a public holiday in South Africa, commemorating those who lost their lives in the struggle against apartheid.

On Harmony Day, primary schools, workplaces and communities come together to celebrate diversity and learn respect for each other. The message of Harmony Day is Everyone Belongs, and people are encouraged to dress in orange or wear orange ribbons to show their support. Harmony Day is managed by the Department of Social Services, and is part of Diversity Week.

Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, with people from more than 200 countries and more than 150 languages represented. More than a quarter of the population are migrants, and clearly we all need to learn to get along. Although studies find that Australia is a generally tolerant society, and most migrants feel that they are accepted as part of the community, that isn’t the same as a society where diversity is welcomed, and more needs to be done.

The English word harmony can mean either “agreement, accord” (as Our views on child rearing were in complete harmony), or “a pleasing combination of elements” (as in The harmony of colours in her decorating scheme gave the house a relaxed feel). It is especially connected with music, where harmony is the use of simultaneous notes or chords.

The word is from Old French harmonie, from the Latin harmonia, based on the Ancient Greek harmozo, meaning “to fit together, to join”. In former times, the word harmony was used to mean music itself.

Harmonia was the Greek goddess of harmony and concord. She was seen as the personification of harmonious love between all people, of social order and civic unity. She was married to the Phoenician prince Cadmus, the founder of the city Thebes, and is famous because of a magic gold necklace she received as a wedding present, in the shape of two serpents. Although the necklace made any woman who wore it eternally beautiful and youthful, it had the unpleasant feature of bringing grave misfortune to its owners.

The necklace was wrought by Hephaestus, the god of metalwork, who became enraged when he discovered his wife Aphrodite having an affair with Ares, the god of war. He vowed to wreak revenge by cursing the lineage of any children arising from the affair: Harmonia was the result, and so she was given the jewellery of doom. Harmonia and Cadmus were transformed into dragons as part of the curse, and all Harmonia’s female descendants had horrible times because of the necklace. One of her descendants was Queen Jocasta, the mother of Oedipus – a famous example of family life going terribly wrong.

Eventually, after generations of misery, someone stole the necklace to give to his mistress, upon which her son went mad and set fire to her house, killing her and mercifully burning all that she had possessed, including the necklace. Why no one thought to destroy the thing earlier is a mystery – I suppose looking eternally young and beautiful was too hard to give up.

Harmony has been used as a girls name since the 18th century; although originating in England, it quickly gained more use in the American colonies, and to this day is more popular in the United States than elsewhere. An American connection to the name is the Harmony Society, an esoteric Christian sect which came to the United States from Germany in the early 19th century, named their first commune Harmonie, and built several towns with the name Harmony.

A statue of the goddess Harmonia is in the Harmony Society Gardens in the Old Economy Village in Pennsylvania, showing the high esteem they held for the virtue of harmony – as I think all communes must do, otherwise communal life would soon become intolerable. However, when they built New Harmony in Indiana, they included a shrubbery maze, to indicate that the path to harmony was not easy.

Harmony is a misunderstood virtue: it is perhaps too easy to dismiss those aiming for harmony as submissive, or passive-aggressive, or to see harmony as stifling, controlling, dull, or even totalitarian. Maybe when we think of harmony, we imagine everyone repressing their individuality to conform, being insincerely “nice” to each other, and minimising differences between people.

But in a truly harmonious society, people would recognise and value each other’s individuality, taking pleasure in their differences. Harmony isn’t about us all shutting up so we can fit in, but allowing each other to express ourselves, so that the entire range of the notes of the human chord can be heard together.

In music, harmony occurs when there is a balance between tense moments and relaxed moments – and that’s good in harmonious relationships too. Harmony doesn’t mean that things are always mild, pleasant and bland: it means that there is a healthy balance between dissonance and concurrence, between conflict and peace. Of course, harmony is very subjective, with each of us having our own idea of what this healthy balance looks like: no wonder harmony is so difficult to attain!

Harmony is a pretty name, and extols an unusual virtue, which is secular rather than spiritual, and communal rather than personal in nature. It’s also a musical name, more fashionable than Melody, but less trendy than Cadence, and so a nice harmonious balance between them. It fits in with choices such as Harper and Harlow, and in Victoria is a similar popularity to Harlow, in the 200s.

POLL RESULT
Harmony received an excellent approval rating of 75%, making it one of the highest-rated names of 2014. People saw the name Harmony as pretty and sweet (29%), and a beautiful musical name (25%). However, 16% thought the name seemed unprofessional or lower class.

Names Spotted at Home and Abroad (Summer 2013/14)

15 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by in Names Spotted at Home and Abroad

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Stories in the papers on the most popular names often have a look at the other end, and tell us which names were least common in 2013. Some of them included:

BOYS: Clinchy, Jetta, Kayos, Magick, Rampage, Shanakee, Xenophon

GIRLS: Asterix, Blendin, Bonniebell, Euphemia, Lingo, Passion, Shiny, Tiger Lily, Vogue, Zipporah

A story from Ballarat focused on mothers who had “bonus babies” long after they thought their families were complete. One of the mums was named Peace, which I thought was a lovely serene virtue name. Another was parenting author Pinky McKay, who has a very colourful name (her hair matches).

‘Tis the Season

The first baby born in Wollongong Hospital on Christmas Day was Fenix Cooper Brudenell. Fenix has a very pop culture name: his first name is after Marcus Fenix from the Gears of War video games, while his second is after Sheldon Cooper, from The Big Bang Theory. Fenix’s siblings are Megan and Austin.

Jonathan Butler and Tahani Curtis, from the Tweed Heads region of New South Wales, were expecting a child on Christmas Day, and seriously considered calling him Jesus if they had a boy. Is this the ultimate Christmas name? They had a girl instead, and named her Matilda.

Saint James the Great church in Melbourne invited people to bring their pets to celebrate Christmas Mass, because baby Jesus was born in a stable amongst animals. Nick Haines and Michelle Nichol brought their three poodles, because as Nick says, “these are our children”. The poodles are named George, Poppy and Lilly – surely some are giving their “fur babies” the names they would have given human children, as this sounds like an adorable sibset … er, pupset.

Fighting Fit Families

Bec Hyatt from Brisbane took up cage fighting in order to lose 80 kg of baby weight. She is now set to become the first Australian woman in the UFC, earning more than $100 000 per fight. Bec’s two sons are Enson and Zake – Enson may be named after American MMA champ Enson Inoue, while Zake is a variant of the Arabic name Zaki, meaning “pure”. It sounds like a cousin of Jake, Zac and Zeke.

Still on the subject of competitive fighting: the children of the Metcalf family from Sutherland Shire are all boxers. Raised by a single dad, and with their trainer as a second father, three of them have fought their way to champion status, with the youngest a promising up-and-comer. Their names are Marizza, aged 18, Axx, aged 16, Lolli, aged 14, and Electra-Shenika, aged 11. If you’ve ever wondered what a sibset that can beat your kids up would sound like, this is it.

Expat Americana

Adam Preston lived in New York City for seven years, with his first apartment over a hot dog joint called Crif Dogs in the East Village [pictured], which calls itself “NYC’s  #1 Weiner”. When he married his Canadian wife Jessica two years ago, they eloped to New York, which has so many memories for Adam. Of course he took her to Crif Dogs, and when they had a baby boy soon after, they named him Crif Benjamin Klaver Preston. The name Crif Dogs came about when owner Brian Shebairo tried to say Chris, his former business partner’s name, while chewing a hot dog. Crif sounds more up-to-date as a baby name than Chris, and even a hot dog place can evoke sentimental memories to be commemorated as a baby name.

Yvette Aubusson-Foley, a former journalist from Dubbo, has been living in the US for more than 18 months, and uneasily watching her three children adapt to local conditions in Tucson, Arizona. They dress up as little pilgrims, develop a slight American accent, and (to Yvette’s horror) happily recite the Pledge of Allegiance – although one defiantly wears an Australian flag for Spirit of America Day. Yvette’s children are daughter Jett, and her sons Phoenix and Dash; names which somehow seem ready to assimilate. Would an Indi, Banjo and Taj remain more stubbornly Aussie, I wonder?

Television

Have you ever watched an episode of Australian reality television show Real Housewives of Melbourne? It tends to get people a little excitable, mostly because the women taking part in the show aren’t actually housewives, don’t have much left of themselves that’s real, and only live in a very limited part of Melbourne. One of the women, Andrea, who runs a plastic surgery clinic and is originally from New York, has three children named Budd, Kiff and Buster (who somehow require five nannies). Their names have caused predictable Internet outrage – especially Kiff, with many demanding to know “what culture” Kiff is from: it’s a short form of Christopher, and therefore a linguistic relation to Crif.

Children’s quiz show Pyramid featured a team consisting of two girls named Eugenie and Prudence. Isn’t that a fantastic pairing of gal-pal names?

International Names for Girls

23 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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juno

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.

Bo

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)

Names Spotted at Home and Abroad, Spring 2013

14 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Names Spotted at Home and Abroad

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Rachel

I apologise for the extreme lateness of this entry – apart from being bulldozed by Christmas preparations, I have long been unsure about where to begin and end each season. However, I’ve made a decision, so hopefully will be better organised now.

A commercial site for weight loss after having a baby featured a client named Delight from the Northern Territory who had lost 22 kg on the program. Delight is one of the most interesting of virtue names, and one I have only seen before in old books. I think it’s pretty, but admit it does remind me of Turkish delight a little bit (not that that’s bad). Delight’s youngest daughter is named Halle.

South Grafton High School in New South Wales ran a Maybe Baby program for Community and Family Studies, where students took care of a simulated baby for three days and nights to show what’s involved in caring for an infant. One of the students, Selina, named her baby Wilfred – a top baby name of the future, perhaps? Other high schoolers were Briana, Lertisha, Cheyenne and Brielle. I would have loved to know what names they all chose.

Changing Names

The radio and television presenter Andrew Günsberg (best known from hosting Australian Idol), once nicknamed Spidey, and known by the stage name Andrew G, has changed his name to Osher Günsberg. He was advised by an Israeli shaman that he could change his life energy and life path by changing his name. The name he chose was that of the coolest dude he’d ever met, an Israeli cameraman. Since becoming Osher, he tells us that his life has changed completely, and he now believes that at last he has a name that feels right, and that he owns completely. Osher’s parents have both changed their first names too.

Blogger and editor Alana House relates that one of her Facebook pals had just realised she’d made a terrible mistake with her daughter’s name, and wonders if age two is too old to change her name. The friend’s surname is Nutter, and her daughter’s name is Mia. Uh oh. Alana points out that her own name is the tease-worthy A. House, and she’s grown to like it, so predicts that Mia Nutter will also cope. However, do say the full name out loud at least a few times before whacking it down on the registration form.

Stories on Honouring Names

A story from Ballarat on its fertility rate showed a woman named Vicky who had had a baby during Ballarat’s baby boom year of 2009 [pictured]. Her daughter is named Rachel Scarlett, and she is named after a doll that Vicky had as a little girl. The middle name, Scarlett, is from Gone with the Wind – which hypothetically could be her favourite book as a teen. If I named a daughter after my favourite doll and book character from childhood, her name would be Bridget Cassandra. What would yours be called?

A fun run to raise money for spinal muscular atrophy was held in Tasmania, with one of the participants baby Tylan, named in honour of his sister Taylin, who passed away from the disease several years ago. It’s a lovely way to connect him to the sister he will never meet.

A businessman described as a “traffic king” with the imposing name of Ron Conquest was named after his grandfather, and when his first son arrived this spring, he was also named Ron. Been seeing a lot of babies named Ron or Ronnie lately – but no Ronalds. Is Ron Burgundy making Ron cool? Mrs Conquest’s name is Rana, by the way.

Luke Douglas is a rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans. His dad is named Archibald, and that is Luke’s middle name – I guess in the 1980s, Archibald was a no-go for a baby’s first name. However, I’m interested to see that Luke plans to name a future son Archibald to carry on the family tradition – Archibald is acceptable, now that it can shortened to popular Archie. A good reason to leave “unusable” family names in the middle, because they might be perfect for the next generation to carry on.

And a story from real life. I met a lady with a little girl named Poppy, who told me that her daughter was named after her grandfather. Slightly confused, I asked what grand-dad’s name had been, and she told me, “John. But we always called him Poppy” … I don’t think she knew what made me laugh, but she was perfectly good natured about it.

More Baby Names From Real Life

Kitana: A sexy princess video game character from Mortal Kombat. Could be shortened to Kit or Kitty.

Bly (for a boy): a surname meaning “blithe”; could be seen as a specifically masculine form of Blythe.

Brothers named Aurelius and Evander. Very grand.

A friend who still has small children tells me that at her local daycare centre, there are two boys named Odin, and a Loki. No Thors though. However, the big name for her area is Taylor, with three girls and two boys at daycare with the name. There’s also a Tyler (boy), and Tyla (girl).

The People’s Choice of Girls Names – 2

15 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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Queensland_Ballet_presents_Giselle

Here are ten names for girls which have been often searched for to reach my blog. I chose names that aren’t in the Top 100, and come from a range of origins.

Anouk

Dutch and French short form of Anna. A famous namesake is celebrated French actress Anouk Aimée; she was born Françoise Dreyfus, and took the name Anouk from the first character she portrayed on film. The name became better known in the English-speaking world after the publication of the award-winning 1999 novel Chocolat, by British author Joanne Harris, in which there is a little girl named Anouk. The character of Anouk is based on the author’s daughter Anouchka, whose name is another pet form of Anna. The book was made into a movie in 2000. Actor and author Andrew Daddo has a daughter named Anouk, born a year after the film was released. Pronounced a-NOOK or an-ook, this exotic name doesn’t have an obviously “French” sound to it, and seems quite sophisticated.

Blythe

Variant of Blithe, an English virtue name meaning “cheerful, merry” which is first found in 16th century Norfolk, stronghold of the Puritans. Although the name began as a girls name, it has been given to boys as well, particularly in the United States, and overall is fairly evenly divided between the sexes, although more common for girls. In the case of boys, the name probably comes from the surname, which is derived from any of the places called Bligh, Blyth or Blythe; they get their name from the River Blyth in Northumberland, the River Blythe in Warwickshire, or the River Blithe in Staffordsire. The names of the rivers simply come from the word blithe, so in either case the name has the same pleasant meaning. A famous namesake is American actress Blythe Danner, mother of Gwyneth Paltrow; her name is a middle name of Gwyneth’s daughter, Apple. This is a fresh, sprightly name which has a modern feel despite its long history.

Cordelia

Cordelia is a princess in William Shakespeare’s King Lear, a loyal daughter who is disowned by her father because she will not make flattering speeches to him, with tragic results. The character is based on Queen Cordeilla, a legendary queen of the Britons who appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of Britain. According to Geoffrey, Cordelia ruled Britain as queen, but came to grief because the rule of a woman was deemed unacceptable. Cordelia is also mentioned in Edmund Spenser’s epic poem, The Fairie Queene, where her role as heroic British queen was probably a compliment to Queen Elizabeth I. The first Cordelias were born around the time The Faerie Queene was published, and were from upper-class families. There is a popular but unsubstantiated theory that Geoffrey of Monmouth based the name Cordeilla on that of Creiddylad (said cree-THIL-ahd), a character in Welsh Arthurian legends who was the daughter of the god Lud, and considered the most beautiful girl in Britain. Another idea is that Geoffrey may have based the name on that of Saint Cordula, a legendary companion of Saint Ursula whose name is from the Latin for “heart” (Cordeilla is also found spelled Cordoyla, which offers this some support). Still another is that it may be derived from the Roman name Cordus, meaning “late born”, with the implication that as Cordelia was King Lear’s youngest daughter, he had her late in life. Although all these suggestions are attractive, the last one may appeal most to older parents. If you are a fan of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne books, you will remember that the heroine wished her name was Cordelia – because it is “perfectly elegant”. This literary name still seems refined, and can be pronounced cor-DEE-lee-uh, or cor-DEEL-yuh.

Giselle

Derived from the Germanic name Gisela, meaning “pledge, hostage”. Although the word hostage has rather alarming associations today, in the past it was common for political treaties to be accompanied by the exchange of political hostages, as a guarantee of good faith and to maintain peace. Often the children of the ruling classes, even princes and princesses, would be handed over to be raised and educated by a foreign court, with hopes of greater cultural understanding between nations. Gisela and Gisèle (the French form) were popular names amongst medieval nobility and royalty. The name received a huge boost in the 19th century, because of the romantic ballet, Giselle. It tells of an innocent village girl named Giselle who dies of a broken heart after being betrayed by her lover. However, as a sign of her forgiving nature, after her death she protects the man she loves from the spirits of vengeance, and saves his life. Another fictional Giselle is the sweet peasant girl who makes a happy-ever-after transition from cartoon fantasy land to gritty real world in the Disney film, Enchanted. Graceful and fairytale, Giselle is usually pronounced ji-ZEL in Australia, and is #161 in Victoria.

Ingrid

Derived from the Old Norse name Ingríðr, meaning something like “beloved of Ing, beauty of Ing, delight of Ing”. Ing is an older name for the Norse god Freyr – perhaps his true name, because Freyr means “lord” and is his title. Freyr was a phallic fertility god who brought peace and pleasure, and was associated with sacred kingship, male sexuality, prosperity, and sunshine. In Norse legend, Ing is the god followed by the Germanic peoples of the area which is now Denmark and its surrounds, and he is claimed as the first king of Sweden, as well as the progenitor of the Anglian kings. Ingrid is a traditional name amongst Scandinavian royalty and nobility, and there is a young Princess Ingrid of Norway, who is expected to one day be queen. A famous namesake is beautiful Swedish-born movie star Ingrid Bergman, who starred in many Hollywood movies, including Casablanca. Ingrid has a strong and chiselled beauty, and is #481 in Victoria.

Piata

Maori name meaning “shine, glisten”. It isn’t unusual in New Zealand, and is still given to girls today; it can also be found as a surname. It’s not common in Australia, but I think it would work well here, and has a pleasingly cross-cultural feel, since it is similar to Italian Pia and Pieta. I believe it is pronounced pee-AH-ta.

Soraya

Persian form of the Arabic name Thurayya, meaning “the Pleiades”. The Pleiades is the familiar group of stars in the constellation Taurus, sometimes known as The Seven Sisters. The name became better known in the west because of two royal Sorayas. Soraya Tarzi was a liberal Muslim and feminist who married into the monarchy of Afghanistan and became queen; she appeared in public alongside her husband as an equal and together they tried to modernise their country. Afghanistan wasn’t quite ready for it, and the couple went into exile in Rome in 1929. Even more influential was Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari, who was Queen of Iran as the second wife of the last Shah. Very attractive and western-educated, Soraya and her husband were forced to divorce in 1958 because she was apparently infertile. She also went into exile, under the name Princess Soraya, and lived in France, where her story evoked much sympathy. Her divorce inspired a song, I Want to Cry Like Soraya, and a variety of sunflower was named in her honour. A beautiful star name, Soraya is similar to familiar names like Sarah and Zara, and in Australia is usually pronounced soh-RAY-uh.

Tallulah

A place name of Native American origin, this probably means “town” in the Creek language. Tallulah Falls is a small town in Georgia, in the United States, which has attracted tourists since the late 19th century. Parts of the film Deliverance were filmed there, so you may even have seen it on screen. Tallulah has been used as a girls name since the 19th century, and records show that the name originated in the southern states, with most Tallulahs born in Georgia. The most famous namesake is flamboyant actress and party girl Tallulah Bankhead, who was from Alabama, and named after her grandmother. Despite being a name of American origin, Tallulah has never charted in the US, and is far more popular in the UK. Tallulah Bankhead was a huge celebrity in 1920s London, and her name is very fashionable in England, chosen as a baby name by the upper classes and minor royals. Spunky, sexy and fun to say, this fits in with familiar names such as Tully and Tahlia, and comes with cute nicknames like Lula and Lulu.

Uma

This Indian name is one of the epithets of the benevolent mother goddess Parvati, the wife of Shiva. Its original meaning is “mother (goddess, wife of) Shiva”. Because Parvati is a goddess of light, the name Uma also came to be understood as meaning “light, radiance”. In a previous incarnation, the goddess (then called Sati) committed suicide by throwing herself on a sacrificial fire, and her ashes became the sacred spice turmeric; because of this the name Uma came to be understood as meaning “turmeric”. The meaning of Uma is also glossed as “O child, do not (practice austerities)!”, because as a young girl Parvati’s mother chided her for the extreme ascetisim she practicised in order to please her future husband, Shiva. By coincidence, uma is literally translated as “flax” in Sanskrit, although this doesn’t seem to have any connection to the goddess. The most famous namesake is American actress Uma Thurman, whose name is said to have a different origin. Uma’s father was the first westerner to become a Buddhist monk, and the term uma chenpo means “Great Middle Way” in Tibetan – one of the guiding principles of Buddhism. In modern Hebrew, uma means “nation”, and in Israel Uma is a patriotic unisex name. In the Tiv language of West Africa, the name Uma means “life”, and can be used for both sexes. Simple yet multi-layered, this is a fascinating cross-cultural name which isn’t common in any country of the world.

Xanthe

Ancient Greek name meaning “yellow, yellow-brown”, often translated as “blonde, fair-haired”. There are several figures from Greek mythology with the name. Xanthe was one of the Oceanides, the three thousand daughters of the Titan sea gods Oceanus and Tethys. The Oceanides were nymph-like goddesses who were responsible for the world’s fresh water, and were often pictured married to river gods. In some sources, Xanthe is imagined as presiding over the yellow clouds that can be sometimes be seen at sunrise or sunset. Xanthe is also given as the name of one of the Amazon warriors, and Hesiod mentions Xanthe as being the mortal wife of Asclepius, the god of medicine. Actress Madeleine West welcomed a daughter named Xanthe last year. This quirky, stylish name is usually pronounced ZAN-thee in Australia, and comes with the cool nickname Xan or Zan. The name is #469 in Victoria.

POLL RESULT: People’s favourite names Blythe, Cordelia and Xanthe, and their least favourite were Giselle, Piata and Uma.

(Photo shows a scene from the ballet Giselle, performed by the Queensland Ballet)

Famous Name: Winsome

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Famous Names

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If you were in Sydney in early October, you could have attended the Royal Australian Navy International Fleet Review, celebrating one hundred years of our navy. Or, if you were of a more musical bent, you could have been there for The Renaissance Player’s 35th Runnymede Pop Festival. Held at Sydney University in its Gothic-style Great Hall, this is a unique concert of music, mime and poetry from medieval Europe, performed in brightly-coloured costumes.

The Runnymede Pop Festival has been going since 1973, and from the beginning has featured early music specialist Winsome Evans. Winsome is the director of the Renaissance Players, Australia’s oldest early music ensemble, and she is a professional harpsichordist, composer, and arranger. She conducted the first Renaissance Players concert while still a student.

Winsome is a recipient of the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, The Order of Australia, and a NSW Jaycees Award for services to music.

Winsome is an English word meaning “charming in an innocent manner”. A winsome person is cheerful and open-hearted, engaging, and perhaps slightly naive, in a completely delightful way. The word comes from the Old English for “joy”, and is ultimately from an ancient root meaning “wish, love”.

Winsome is also an English surname, coming from the village of Winchcombe in Gloucester, or from Winscomb in Somerset. In either case, the name is Old English, and means “remote valley”. However, in some cases, the surname may have come directly from the Old English word winsom, meaning “attractive, lovely”, used as a personal name. If so, it means that the first name Winsome could date back to medieval times.

The first name Winsome can be found in records from the middle of the 19th century in North America, and seems to have been especially associated with Ontario, Canada. The reason for this may be Winsome Lake, which is one of the many thousands of smaller lakes in the Great Lakes region of Ontario, but why it inspired baby names is something of a mystery to me. I have been unable to discover how Winsome Lake received its name, because it is relatively obscure.

There are over one hundred women named Winsome in Australian records, most of them born around the turn of the twentieth century. There is another famous Winsome in Australia – Winsome McCaughey, who was Lord Mayor of Melbourne in the late 1980s. And another Australian musical connection too – Peggy Winsome Glanville-Hicks was a Melbourne-born opera composer and music critic who flourished in the middle of the 20th century.

Other successful Winsomes include British playwright Winsome Pinnock, and US Republican politician Winsome Sears. Interestingly, Sears was born in Jamaica and Pinnock’s parents were Jamaican, so there seems to be a West Indian connection. There was a grassroots playwright in Jamaica who wrote under the code name “Winsome” about 20-30 years ago. You can still find the name Winsome in use in Jamaica today, including singer Winsome Benjamin, and prize-winning cook Winsome Murphy.

Although Winsome is a secular virtue name like Felicity or Honour, the word winsome has come to have a particular meaning for evangelical Christians. The book Winsome Christianity by Henry Durbanville was published in 1952, and Winsome Evangelism by Ponder W. Gilliland came out in 1973.

I can’t pretend to be an expert on the subject, but my understanding is that the general message is to be winsome in your Christianity in order to attract more converts, and that some evangelists even use the word winsome to mean “capable of winning souls to Christ”. Author Neil Gaiman is apparently a big fan of the meaning of language changing over time, so I expect this example would be of great pleasure to him. It does give the name Winsome a special meaning for some Christians, so that it could become a religious virtue name in this context.

Winsome is a name I find very intriguing – the meaning of the word winsome seems very feminine to me, and Winsome is overwhelmingly used as a female name. Yet the name itself isn’t frilly in the least, having a similar sound to the male name Winston (which also comes from the Old English for “joy”). It’s a strong-sounding name for a girl, but with a dainty meaning.

Winsome isn’t a name I’ve ever seen on a baby or a child, and its heyday (if it can ever be said to have had one) was over many years ago. However, Winnie is becoming hip once more, and Winsome would be a rare and unusual way to reach it.

POSTSCRIPT: Abby Sandel mentioned Winsome in her Nameberry Nine column, and I was surprised and pleased at how many Berries liked or even loved the name Winsome.

POLL RESULT: Winsome received an approval rating of 61%. 21% of people thought it was an interesting modern virtue name, while 19% loved the idea of Winnie as the short form. However, 18% were reminded too strongly of the phrase win some, lose some. Only one person thought the name Winsome was too cutesy.

Brisbane Suburbs That Could be Used as Girls Names

06 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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Amity

Amity Point is a small town on North Stradbroke Island, 30 km south-east of Brisbane. The town is named after the Amity, a brig which carried the first European settlers to Queensland in 1824. The Amity was later wrecked near Tasmania, and today you can visit a full-size replica of the brig in Albany, because the Amity also took colonists to Western Australia. Amity is an English word which means “friendship”; it comes from the same Latin root as names such as Amy and Amabel, and has been used as a girls name since the 17th century. Amity is #551 in Victoria, and I often see it in birth notices: I think this pretty virtue name is gaining in popularity, and may become a replacement for Amy.

Bethania

Bethania is in Logan City, halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The suburb was founded by Germans in the 19th century, and has a large hobby farm area. The name Bethania comes from Bethanien, the German name for the town of Bethany near Jerusalem. In the New Testament, Bethany is mentioned as the home of siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and is said to be near the place where Lazarus was raised from the dead. The Biblical Bethany may be the same place as the city of al-Eizariya in Palestine – its name means “place of Lazarus”, although others say that the original village of Bethany was slightly higher up on the Mount of Olives, and that al-Eizariya sprung up around the traditional site of Lazarus’ resurrection. The meaning of Bethany has been much debated, but it is thought the most likely derivation is from the Aramaic beth anya, meaning “house of affliction, house of suffering”, with the conclusion being that it was a place for care of the sick and destitute. Although Bethania doesn’t have any connection to Elizabeth or Anne, it might seem like a way to connect these two names, and does give both Beth and Anya as nicknames.

Cashmere

Cashmere is an outer suburb of Brisbane in the foothills of a mountain range surrounded by dense forest, with a nearby lake. Cashmere is named after an early settler, James Cash, famous for his hospitality to passing travellers. Although Cash was not wealthy and lived in a simple shanty, no tramp ever passed his door without receiving a meal or a pot of tea. Because mere means “lake”, and James Cash’s farm was near Lake Samsonvale, the suburb’s name can be understood as “Cash’s land by the lake”. Cashmere is also a fine, high quality fibre taken from Cashmere goats. The name is after the Kashmir region of India, which has been making cashmere shawls for thousands of years. Kashmir’s name comes from the great sage Kashyapa, a legendary wise man whose name is from the Sanskrit for “tortoise”. With Cash a fashionable choice for boys, luxurious Cashmere seems like a way for girls to get the nickname Cash as well. In Australian records, both men and women named Cashmere can be found.

Corinda

Corinda is an older suburb of Brisbane, first settled in the 1860s as a farming community, and with many of its homes dating back to the colonial period. The name Corinda is believed to come from a local cattle station, which was named after a pastoral station in outback Queensland. The name is of Aboriginal origin, but its meaning is not known. Corinda has been used as an English girls name since the 18th century – perhaps based on the Greek name Kore, meaning “maiden”, with an elaborated ending common in 18th century poetic names like Melinda and Dorinda. This name seems elegant and literary, and not so different from familiar names such as Lucinda.

Inala

Inala is a suburb of Brisbane near the industrial estates. It was built in the post-war period to help with the housing shortage that followed World War II, and was one of the earliest and biggest Housing Commission projects in Queensland. Young architects such as Robin Boyd helped design the housing, which features simplicity and lack of ornamentation. In other words, it isn’t pretty, but cheap and efficient to install and maintain. It has an ethnically diverse community, with many migrants from Vietnam, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, amongst other places, settling there. The name Inala is believed to come from an Aboriginal expression meaning “peaceful place, happy place”, but it’s possible it actually means “place of the wind”. I saw a baby girl named Inala in a birth notice early this year, and ever since have been itching to cover this as a name – said ih-NAHL-ah, it fits in with names such as Ayla, Nyla, and even Isla.

Karalee

Karalee is a suburb of Ipswich; originally dairy and farm country, it began to be developed for residential purposes in the 1970s. It is thought that Karalee comes from an Aboriginal expressing meaning “grass around a waterhole”, although the City of Ipswich prefers the translation, “pretty hill beside the water”. This looks like a portmanteau of Kara and Lee, but has its own integrity, and is said KAR-a-lee, like an elaboration of Carol.

Lacey

Laceys Creek is a rural area in the outer suburbs of Brisbane, and was first settled as timber country, soon followed by dairy farming, pineapples, bananas, and bee-keeping. Lacey is an English surname of Norman-French origin. It comes from the village of Lassy in Normandy, which means “Lascius’ place”. The meaning of the Gaulish name Lascius is of unknown meaning. The de Laci family came to England with William the Conqueror, and one of their descendants was amongst the barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. Lacey has been used as a girls name since the 17th century, and part of its feminine charm is that it sounds like the word lacy. Lacey is #234 in Victoria, and I believe this is another pretty girls name which is growing in popularity.

Lucia

St Lucia is an exclusive green and leafy inner-city suburb of Brisbane. It is focused around the University of Queensland, with the university itself, and residential colleges for students, taking up a large proportion of the suburb. There are many wealthy people living in St Lucia, with riverfront houses here costing in the millions. The area was first settled in the 1860s as sugar plantations, and was given its name by William Wilson, who bought and developed one of the plantations for housing in the 1880s. Wilson was born in St Lucia in the West Indies, and he named the housing estate St Lucia because the sugar plantations reminded him of his birthplace. The island of St Lucia is in the Caribbean, part of the Lesser Antilles group. It was named in honour of Saint Lucy by the French, who were the first European settlers to the region. Saint Lucy was a 4th century martyr, and she has become a popular saint, partly because her feast day of December 13 is near Christmas and originally coincided with the (northern hemisphere) Winter Solstice. Her name’s meaning of “light”, from the Latin lux, became a very appropriate one for a Festival of Light, heralding the Light of the World. Lucia has charted since the 1940s and had a minor peak in the 1960s at #283 before dropping to #808 in the 1990s. Since then it has climbed steeply, and peaked in 2010 at #115. Currently it is #122 in New South Wales and #177 in Victoria. This is an alternative to Lucy that has never become popular, although on the charts since the end of World War II.

Ripley

Ripley is a suburb of Ipswich, which currently has only 1000 residents. However, big things are planned for Ripley’s future, and once fully developed it is expected to be a city of 120 000 – one of the country’s largest pre-planned communities. It is named after the Ripley Valley where it is located; I am not sure if this is after someone named Ripley, or one of the towns named Ripley in England. The surname Ripley is from Ripley in Yorkshire – the town’s name means “farm whose land cuts a strip through the forest”, with the forest in question being the forest of Knaresborough. One of the most famous Ripleys must be Robert Ripley, who created Ripleys Believe It or Not! trivia series for newspapers, radio and television. The name may also remind you of tough Lieutenant Ellen Ripley from the Alien film series, played by Sigourney Weaver, or suave con artist Tom Ripley, from the crime novels, turned into a film, The Talented Mr. Ripley, played by Matt Damon. I have seen this name on both sexes.

Sinnamon

Sinnamon Park is an older suburb with some heritage-listed sites; the suburb is named for the pioneering Sinnamon family who settled in the district. Sinnamon is a Scottish surname; the Clan originated in Fife, and their name comes from their seat at Kinnimonth, which was granted to them by King William of Scotland. The name Kinnimonth comes from the Gaelic for “head of the hill”. Sinnamon sounds like the sweet spice Cinnamon, but has its own meaning and history – although the Sin- at the start may be problematic for some. I did find someone named Sinnamon from Queensland in the records, but can’t be sure whether they were male or female.

POLL RESULT: People’s favourite names were Amity, Lucia, and Bethania, and their least favourite were Inala, Sinnamon, and Karalee. Not one person liked the name Karalee.

(Photo shows the University of Queensland in St Lucia)

Will Sadie Always Be a Cleaning Lady?

04 Saturday May 2013

Posted by in Naming Assistance

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vintage-cleaningSamantha and Conall are expecting a baby in a couple of months, and if it’s a boy, he will be named Liam, which is a family name. Girls names are still not settled, as each name they like seems to have a few issues, but the middle name will be Patricia, which honours several relatives. Samantha and Connall have a surname starting with L and ending with R eg Lalor.

Their Short List

  • Sadie – Samantha loves this name to bits, but every time she mentions it to someone they bring up the song, Sadie the Cleaning Lady.
  • Eliza – Samantha also loves this name, but worries that Eliza Lalor doesn’t sound right. They are considering the name Elizabeth (a family name), but calling her Eliza.
  • Niamh – Samantha likes this name a lot, but worries that it is too Irish, and wonders whether spelling and pronunciation will prove troublesome.
  • Annie – Samantha thinks this name sounds almost too sweet.

Other Names That Seem Less Usable

  • Amity, Annabelle, April and Bonnie – Conall doesn’t seem so keen on these
  • Rose – a favourite name which has just been used by a close friend

Samantha would like to know what people think of their name list, and if there are any other names they might like they haven’t considered. The name has to fit their surname, suit the middle name Patricia, and not clash with Liam should they have a boy later. In general, Samantha doesn’t really like most of the girls names in the Australian Top 50.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Your Name List

Sadie

Sadie is a very hip name at the moment, and you’re probably slightly ahead of the crowd on this one. If it’s any comfort, your daughter’s peers won’t know of the song, so it’s definitely not playground teasing material.

Eliza

I don’t think Eliza Lalor sounds horrible, but I agree it doesn’t seem quite right.  Elizabeth Lalor is lovely, but if you call her Eliza anyway, I’m not sure it really solves anything. Wouldn’t she still essentially be Eliza Lalor?

Niamh

This is a really gorgeous Irish name, and I don’t think there would be too many problems with spelling and pronunciation, although you probably would need to explain it sometimes. Niamh is reasonably well known and used in Australia – more than it is in Ireland at present, I believe.

Annie

You’re right, Annie is adorably sweet with your surname, although the name Annie is practical and homespun. I really like it, but saying it’s “too sweet” almost seems as if you’re looking for reasons to cross it off.

Other Names You Might Like

Zadie

This is an option to replace Sadie if you really can’t get over the “cleaning lady” association. Zadie had her heyday in the 19th century, and is probably most familiar from the writer Zadie Smith.

Maisie

Has something of the sound of Sadie and the feel of Annie. It’s not as hip as Sadie though.

Elsie

This short form of Elizabeth has a similar retro feel to Sadie and Annie.

Maeve

If you wanted an Irish name with a fashionable V sound but without the spelling/pronunciation issues, Maeve is generally well known now. Of course, that suggests that Niamh will be better understood in time too.

Nora

Has an Irish history, minimal spelling/pronunciation issues, and is hip and retro like Sadie.

Annabeth

This gives you a name that incorporates Elizabeth, but can still have Annie as a nickname. I think it’s pretty, and seems sweet and sophisticated at the same time.

Felicity

This is a virtue name like Amity with the elegance of Annabelle.

Hazel

A pretty nature name like Rose that sounds a bit like Sadie and Eliza. Like Rose, this is rising in popularity.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It seems as if Sadie is easily your first choice. With the other three names on your list, the doubts you have about them are your own doubts – with Sadie, I wonder if your mind would already be made up without comments from other people.

It’s okay to change your mind about a name; it’s not cool to have your mind changed for you (except by your partner). Almost any interesting name is going to have some issue attached to it: if you want a controversy-free baby name that nearly everyone approves of, pick a name that’s in the Top 30 and rising.

For what it’s worth, I think Sadie sounds great with your surname, suits the middle name you have chosen, and would make a cute sibset with Liam. I would think long and hard before you allow outside interference to decide what you name your baby.

Good luck Samantha, and let us know what decision you make when the time comes!

UPDATE: Samantha and Conall had a boy named Liam, but later had a girl named Sadie!

POLL RESULTS
95% of respondents were not troubled by the connection between the name Sadie and the song Sadie the Cleaning Lady

47% of people had never heard of the song
25% were reminded of the song by the name Sadie, but didn’t think it was a big deal
18% did know the song, but didn’t immediately connect the name Sadie with it
6% were only reminded a little bit of the song by the name Sadie
5% of people were reminded of the song by the name Sadie, and thought it was a big problem

There was strong support for Samantha to stick with her favourite name, with 29% of readers saying that Sadie was the name the parents should choose.

Interview with Cristina from Once Upon a Time Baby Names

03 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by in Blog Reviews

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castle 1Cristina began her successful blog A Baby Name Per Day in 2011, and recently rebooted it as Once Upon a Time Baby Names. Her blog is devoted to rare, unusual and beautiful names, and each entry for a name gives a detailed description of its meaning, history and level of usage. There is also plenty of naming advice, and if you are searching for a less common name, or even a one-of-a-kind name, this is an essential blog to follow.

What is your name?

Cristina Mariane.

Your blog celebrates unusual names, but your own name isn’t that rare. How do you feel towards it?

I liked my name up until I was about ten years old. Around that age I discovered the meaning of my name, and I haven’t liked it since, due to the religious meaning. I think I was also jealous of the girls who didn’t share their name with another girl (or more) in the same class. Now I’ve come to accept that this is the name which was meaningful to my parents, and it was picked out of the family tree. But it does go against most of the criteria I’d use for my own children.

Have you ever wished you had a different name?

I would briefly wish I had been named something more exotic (imagine when I went to Italy and met a girl my age named Chiara). I pushed hard for people to call me Nina in high school, which was a play on the last syllable of my name and my grandmother’s nickname, Marianina, and it stuck with everyone but my family. I still prefer Nina, but I introduce myself to strangers as Cristina. I also wished my parents had gone with Elena or Domenica from our family tree instead.

Would you ever consider changing your name in the future?

No, I’m too old now, and I’ve already gone through one legal name change to get married.

When did you first start getting interested in names?

I began writing stories for fun in middle school [approximately grades 6-8], and reading became an important hobby. I would get inspired by the names in my favorite books, like Zenobia in Ethan Frome [by Edith Wharton]. Having to come up with names for my own stories, I started buying baby name books and researching names online.

What inspired you to begin a name blog?

The blog was a spur of the moment decision, , mostly out of frustration. When you go to big name sites, you expect their information to be accurate and detailed. So when I found information that wasn’t correct and almost never any statistics for names outside the top 1000, I thought maybe I could do it better. Unfortunately, I’m still light years away from my goal of covering 20,000+ names the way those big sites do.

You’ve recently changed your blog’s name, and given it a makeover (which looks fantastic, by the way). What was the reason behind that?

Thank you! I had been writing A Baby Name Per Day for about two years, but not writing every day as the titled suggested. The title also didn’t hint at what I was covering, which was mostly unusual, forgotten names. While looking at my most popular post, names from the TV show Once Upon a Time, the new title of my site was right there, and it felt perfect. “Once Upon a Time” suggests the names are from long ago, but it can also suggest the beginning of a story, as in a baby’s story, or a writer’s story.

Do you have a favourite blog entry on Once Upon a Time, or one that you are especially proud of?

There’s a few names that I’m really proud of for highlighting that really deserved more attention, like Belphoebe, Plumeria, Gwyneira and Samhain. Zenobia is still probably my favourite though.

Do you have any other blogs?

I have a Facebook page for Once Upon a Time Baby Names, but I also write a home decorating blog called Little House Well Done.

Do you have any pet naming peeves?

Oh gosh yes. While the boy-names-on-girls (specifically -son names) has been bothering me less, it still bugs me when parents choose a spelling that is completely unlike the original name. There’s no reason to spell Elizabeth as Alyzybith. It sets the kid up for a lifetime of “No, it’s spelled like this.” I’m also not a fan of names that are too cutesy, like Princess, Baby or Sugar, because babies turn into adults, and adults have to get serious jobs.

What are your favourite names?

Some of my favourites at the moment (that I would actually consider for my kids) are Auriella, Sabina, Jilliana, Calixta, Ursulina/Ursula, Calluna, Calliandra, Attalia, and Umbrielle. I obviously have a thing for frilly names and the letter U. For boys, I’ve had a top three for years and very little interest in anything else, but Casper, Alasdair, Archer, Cyprian and Hadrian have caught my eye.

What names do you dislike?

It’s a long list, but it mainly boils down to names that weren’t given much thought. Names taken off celebrities, celebrity babies, out of movies (Renesmee), copy-cat names (the sea of Bellas), made up, mis-spelled, spelled backwards, and those that are overly aspirational, like Destiny, Passion and Sincere.

Are there any names you love, but can’t use?

My last name makes B names impossible, and anything with a Z or a soft G. Which is unfortunate, because I really love Ginevra, Geneva, Zenira, Benicia, and Bohemia. I also like some names that I would have a hard time using, such as Crystalina and Jemima (thank you, Aunt Jemima [a syrup company in the US]).

What is your favourite name in the US Top 1000? What about the Top 100?

I like quite a few names in the top 1000, most of the time because I grew up with people with those names. I really like Emma, Raina, Gemma, Tabitha, Sophie, Gabrielle, and Jennifer. For boys, I like average Joe names (including Joe) such as Andrew, Sam, Tony, and Ryan. But I also like Blake, Orion, Stefan, Archer and Flynn. Honestly, I can’t pick a favourite.

Do you have names picked out for your future children?

I have a static top three for boys: Evander, Caspian, Alaric. For girls, my style is really frilly, whimsical, and a bit clunky. I like exotic and forgotten names. My long time love is Caspera (going on six years), but new finds Auriella and Sabina are making me reconsider.

Does your husband have compatible tastes in names, or do you sometimes clash over baby names?

My husband does not like my taste in girl’s names. He says they’re strange or too foreign. He’s used to traditional, simple names like Amanda, Caitlin, and Stephanie. Thankfully we’re on the same page with my top three boys names and he’s okay with me picking any girl’s name I like.

What is something we don’t know about you?

I plan on going to graveyards this summer to hunt down rare names from the past.

What advice would you give to someone choosing a baby name?

I think parents should research names they’re interested in. Find out how many kids were given a name in the past year, ten years, etc. I hear so many people say If I had known how many kids she’d meet with the same name, I would have thought twice. Don’t be afraid to get obsessive, exhaust every possibility, search endlessly for “the one”.

Sibling Names and Sibsets

24 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in Your Questions Answered

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sibling1wide-420x0These are questions on sibling names that people have Googled to reach my blog. I did have fun dreaming up matching sibsets.

OPINIONS ON SIBSETS

Isobel and Bella, names too close [as siblings]?

I think they are, since they are variations of the same name.

Arlo and Ezra [as] sibling names; [do they] go [together]?

They both begin and end with vowels, they both have two syllables, and they are both not-quite-unisex-but-not-quite-not-either. This makes them alike enough to go together without being super matchy, and this is a hip brotherly sibset.

Is Lucy a good sibling name for Arabella?

I think it’s an excellent sibling name. Arabella and Lucy sound very elegant together, like something from an 18th century novel.

Are Lachlan and Callum too similar names [as siblings]?

No, I think they make a nice Scottish sibset of popular names. I can only think that their sister will be Isla.

Olivia and Sophia as siblings

They sound almost too pretty together: actually Olivia and Sophia are the sisters in Oliver Goldsmith’s novel The Vicar of Wakefield. In the book, their names are both chosen from romantic novels that their mother is reading.

Reuben and Isaac as a sibset

Great! They are both Old Testament names that are patiently climbing the popularity charts, and go together really well.

Millie and Elsie – sibling names

I’d say this is a perfect match of cute vintage nicknames rising rapidly in popularity. It might be a little hard to add another sister without breaking the pattern or sending the cute factor through the roof though.

Stanley and Evelyn – sibset

I actually love them as siblings – they are both classic English names that are becoming more fashionable, but don’t sound matchy together. There’s just enough of a clash to seem interesting.

Are Lola and Iona too close girl’s names [as siblings]?

I’m not sure whether they are too close, but to me they are a slight mismatch. Iona seems a bit too serious for cute Lola, and I’d probably anticipate something like Ruby or Zoe to match her. However, these unexpected sibsets can be refreshing.

SIBSET SUGGESTIONS

Siblings for Layla (asked more than once)

Sisters: Evie, Grace, Jasmine, Sophie, Willow, Zara

Brothers: Connor, Fabian, Gabriel, Rylan, Samuel, Tighe

Matchy names to go with Poppy

I don’t think you can get any more matchy than other flower names, such as Daisy and Rose. Floral sibsets including Poppy seem quite popular.

Virtue names to go with Wyatt

Sisters: Amity, Blythe, Ever, Faith, Liberty, Temperance

Brothers: Justice, Lucky, Maverick, Pax, True, Zeal

Brother to Violet

Arthur, Caspian, Dexter, Edward, Henry, Sebastian

Names to go with Henry and Barnaby

General advice: I’d steer clear of another name ending in an -ee sound, or you’ll end up with a sibset that sounds like it’s from a cartoon (check nicknames also). For fun, try a four syllable name like Nathaniel or Octavia so that each name increases by one syllable.

Sisters: Alice, Cordelia, Eleanor, Florence, Jemima, Mabel

Brothers: Casper, Felix, Maxwell, Otis, Rupert, Wilfred

Siblings for Jude [using] popular names

Sisters: Abigail, Eden, Hannah, Lily, Piper, Scarlett

Brothers: Ashton, Elijah, Leo, Oliver, Toby, Zac

Biblical and Australian boy names to go with Matilda

If you want a Biblical name which reminds me strongly of Australia, it would be James, after James Cook. And I think Matilda and James do sound nice together.

Siblings to match Edgar

Sisters: Audrey, Beatrice, Cecilia, Daphne, Harriet, Penelope

Brothers: Albert, Charles, Giles, Hugo, Theodore, Vincent

Baby boy name to match Harper, Flynn and William

Angus, Patrick, or Riley.

Sibling names for Clementine

Sisters: Aurelia, Beatrix, Eloise, Genevieve, Isadora, Lucinda

Brothers: Alistair, Hugo, Jasper, Lysander, Miles, Rafe

Sister to go with sibset Robert and Matthew

I’m thinking another sensible classic, like Catherine, Elizabeth, Josephine, Louisa, Sarah or Victoria.

Do you have your own sibling suggestions for any of these, or can you think of something that would be a better match?