The Art of Naming

The record of Kings and Queens of Scotland dates back to the year 843. Over the centuries,  there were many different houses that ruled including the House of Alpin,  the House of Dunkeld, the Canmores , the Balliols , the Bruces , and the Stewart/Stuarts. There were also points in history that Scotland, Great Britain and Ireland all fell under the same rule rather than running their countries separately. This happened in the time of the  Hanovers followed by the currently reigning Windsor house. Let's take a look back in history at the names of the rulers of Scotland in specific. I chose Scotland and this time period because of the variety of interesting names of their rulers. Now, this isn't going to be a history lesson. I won't pretend to be well versed in European History. This is strictly about the interesting names. House of Alpin: 843-858 Kenneth MacAlpin ( Cináed) 858-862 Donald I 862-877 Constantine I 877-878 Aedh 878-889 Eochaid 889-900

Today's featured boy name is pulled from the list of names ending with the letters -cy. Percy is is male given name that comes from an English surname. There is a commune in Normandy in Northwestern France called Percy-en-Auge from which the surname was derived.  The House of Percy (or Perci in Old French) was one of the most powerful noble families in northern England. There are still members of the Percy family to this day who are Dukes of Northumberland. Their surname comes from the manor of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy which was their home during the Norman Conquest. The name Percy started out being used as a given name in their honor. The Greek Perseus is similar in sound and could be assigned the nickname Percy. It means "to destroy" in Greek and was the name of a mythological hero who killed Medusa and founded the ancient city of Mycenae. Percy can also be considered a short form of the name Percival. The name Perceval, with this spelling, was created by a

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge's first birthday is today, May 2, 2016. To celebrate, let's take a look at the names of female rulers of England and other Royal Princesses. While there have been many rulers of England in history , the vast majority of them have been male. However, some of the most influential rulers were the Queens, especially Queen Victoria and our current, long-reigning Queen Elizabeth II. Last week we took a look at the names of male rulers and their meanings and popularity over time. Now it is time to look at the women. Names of Queens of England: Mary: Mary comes from the Greek Mariam and Maria which were derived from the Hebrew Miryam . It's no secret that Mary (and Maria and Marie, etc) is by far the #1 name for women around the world. It ranked at either #1 or #2 in the US from 1880-1965. It wasn't until 2009 that it dropped out of the Top 100. As of 2014, Mary ranked at #120. It has been so well used that its starting to be a bi

How long have there been rulers in England ? At least on record, we can trace their names pretty far back. For a while, the kingdoms were separate and set up differently than today. Currently, Queen Elizabeth II reigns over Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Scotland, Ireland and Wales have all had their own rulers over time before becoming united as they are now. For this article, we will look strictly at the rulers of England. There will be posts in the future looking strictly at the names of the rulers of Wales and Scotland, but for now, let's focus on England. There have been many ruling Houses overtime and those rulers have had some interesting names. I didn't include some of the really early rulers since their names are unlikely to be used today and there are so many of them. We'll look at some of the more traditional names that are still in use such as William, Henry and John. I won't pretend to be a historian. This won't be a history lesson. We are

Congratulations are in order!! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed a daughter into the world on May 2, 2015 at 8:34 am in the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London.  The delivery was quick and easy for Catherine! They left the hospital roughly 10 hours after Princess Charlotte was born and took her home.  We were left waiting for an additional day to find out what name they chose. Speculation was everywhere! There were even bets being placed on the name. So many people were betting on Alice at first and suddenly the opinion changed to Charlotte which might indicate that someone somewhere knew beforehand. Either way, there was probably plenty of money lost and won. Finally, the official announcement came from Kensington Palace: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are delighted to announce that they have named their daughter Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.    The baby will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. " Let's tak

Today's featured name comes from this week's list of The Very Best C Names for Boys and Girls! While there are plenty of great C names, Conrad is the one that caught my eye. Conrad comes from the Germanic elements kuoni and rad that, when combined, mean "brave counsel".  This moniker comes across as strong and interesting. It is well-known enough to work for a modern boy but it is also rather uncommon which would make it refreshing to hear. As far as Con- names go, it falls into a sweet spot: it is bolder than Connor but not as bold as Constantine. In history, Conrad is both saintly and regal having been used by a 10th-century saint from Germany as well as several medieval German kings and dukes. England had a bit of love for the name during the Middle Ages but it wasn't common until the 19th century after being reintroduced there by the Germans. In the US, Conrad has been used consistently every year since at least 1880. It has never been popular th

Welcome to Scandinavian Week! You may have seen the polls that I made on the sidebar of the blog and maybe you even voted for your favorite Scandinavian names for each gender. After a tie-breaker, the winning male name was Magnus. Magnus is a Late Latin name meaning "Great" but it is heavily used by Scandinavians, particularly those from Sweden, Norway and Denmark.  It became popular in those countries because of the 11th century King Magnus I of Norway. It was said that King Magnus I may have been named after another ruler, Charlemagne, who was also known as Carolus Magnus, or Charles the Great.  Others who bore the name Magnus include a 7th century saint, 6 more kings of Norway, and 3 kings of Sweden. In the middle ages, the name Magnus gained usage in Scotland and Ireland. Manus is an Irish variant of the name. There's also the Finnish variants Manu, Mauno and Maunu, and the Danish Mogens. Interestingly, from Magnus sprang forth the Medieval English name M

Welcome to Italian week! On Wednesday, we'll look at Italian baby naming traditions, and Friday will bring a lovely girls name. Today, we're looking at the Italian boy name Lorenzo. Lorenzo is actually both the Italian and Spanish form of the Latin Laurentius or Laurence . This name means "from Laurentum" which is a city in ancient Italy probably derived the Latin word laurus meaning "laurel".   In history, Lorenzo de Medici was the ruler of Florence during the Renaissance. He was known as the Magnificent and was a patron of the arts. He actually employed great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli and others. Click here to view other namesakes in history. Lorenzo currently ranks #4 in Italy and short-form Enzo ranks at #4 in France.  Renzo is another nickname option or even Leo. This name has always done fairly well in the US too! It is one of those exotic but not too exotic choices that parents love. Since 1880, Lorenzo

In this month's World-Wide Wednesday, we'll be visiting Wales and examining their baby naming traditions! To kick things off, let's take a look at a Welsh boy name: Rhys. Rhys is pronounced like Reese and is the name that Reese and Reece spring from. Many girls are given these variations but it is originally a masculine name. In fact, there have been several Welsh rulers named Rhys. In Welsh, the name is said to mean "enthusiasm" or "ardor" which is a great, positive meaning to have in a name! In Wales, the name has quite a bit of history as well as modern usage. It ranks in the Top 100 in England/Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland making it a popular choice for boys! However, in the US, Rhys isn't quite as popular. It has definitely been gaining some attention though. Rhys was first used in 1929, then 1941. It wasn't until 1946 that it gained some more regular usage. Very slowly it began to gain favor with parents. In 2004, R

The awesome baby name lovers on Instagram and Tumblr have spoken! When polled about which German name I should feature for my World-Wide Wednesday segment , Alaric was the clear winner for the boys! The girl name is coming on Friday! Alaric is an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Ruler of All" or "All-Powerful Ruler".  It comes from the Gothic name Alareiks and is derived from the Germanic elements ala "all" and ric "ruler, power". In history, Alaric was the name of the king of the Visigoths who sacked Rome in the 5th century. Because of this king, the name has a very ancient and regal feel to it, but it still has the potential to be a cool, quirky and modern choice for a baby boy today. This name is still flying under the radar in terms of popularity. I've seen it discussed many times on forums but as far as actual usage goes, it is rare! It first appeared in the US in 1949 and it took another ten years to catch on regularly. A

Welcome to the week of Romanian-inspired names. On Wednesday you'll see the traditions and customs surrounding birth and baby naming in Romania. On Friday you'll get a featured Romanian girl name, and today you get a boy name! The male name Constantin ranked in as the #14 name of 2009 in Romania according to this website. I couldn't find much more information beyond that. Constantin is the Romanian (and French) form of the name Constantinus. Other Romanian variations of this are Cosatche, Costel, Costică, Costin, and Dinu. Of course, the name The English Constantine is probably most used and most familiar outside of Romania. All of these names are derived from the Latin Constantinus which comes from Constans meaning "constant, steadfast". The first Roman emperor to adopt Christianity was named Constantine the Great (272-337). He's famous for establishing Constantinople which is now known as Istanbul.  Be sure to view the family tree of all the

The Name of the Week is the biblical girl's name Esther.  Esther is considered a Persian name that means "star" and is related to names like Estee and Hester. However, as an alternative, the origin could possibly come from the goddess name Ishtar. In the Old Testament, Queen Esther was the focus of the Book of Esther. She was the Jewish wife of the King of Persia who is known for saving the Jews from being killed.  Esther's original Hebrew name was Haddassah. In American history, President Grover Cleveland named his daughter Esther in 1893 which gave the name a popularity boost. Esther jumped from 824 births in 1892 to 1,382 births in 1893. It continued to gain popularity over the next couple decades, peaking at 6,575 births in 1918 (#38). The name declined in usage after that, but has never dipped lower than #348. Source Esther has had a slight boost in usage since 2000. In 2012, there were 1,313 baby girls given the name, ranking it at #242. This is

The Girl Name of the Week is Adelaide. I chose this name off of my latest blog post "Old-Fashioned, Vintage Girl Names." The name Adelaide has been around since the SSA began recording names in 1880. It comes from the German "Adalheidis" which is composed of the elements "adal" meaning "Noble" and "heid" meaning "kind, sort, type."  Some variations that stem from the same root word as Adelaide are Alicia, Alice, Heidi, Alix, Alise and Allison. Diminutives include Ada, Addie, Addy, and Della. The name Adelaide was borne in the 10th century by Saint Adelaide, the wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great. She was known as "a marvel of beauty and goodness." In the 19th century, the name became common in Britain due to the popularity of the German-born wife of Britain's King William IV, "Good Queen Adelaide." The city of Adelaide, Australia was named in 1836 after her.  So this name not only

The Boy Name of the Week is Edmund! It was recently featured on my list of old-fashioned, vintage boy names. Edmund is a cool and classic choice that would be handsome on a little guy today. It is a sophisticated English name meaning "fortunate protector." I like the spelling Edmund more, but there is also the French form Edmond. I do like the Irish variation Eamon as well. Not very many names have a popular, historical quote written about them, but Edmund does. In Jane Austen's book "Mansfield Park," the character Fanny says "There is nobleness in the name of Edmund. It is a name of heroism and renown; of kings, princes, and knights; and seems to breathe the spirit of chivalry and warm affections."  And the poet John Keats once said, "Had my name been Edmund, I would have been more fortunate." I would say that is a mighty fine testament to the name! If you're considering naming your little prince Edmund, you may want to know mor

Today's blog post analyzed the name Elizabeth, so I thought I would go a bit more "classic" than usual with the "Name of the Day.'  I chose the handsome Frederick. German meaning "peaceful ruler," Frederick is one of those old-fashioned, classic names that nearly disappeared for a while; (how many Freds do you know?)  Today, some parents are liking its solid history and classic charm and are reviving it! Of course it hasn't really disappeared. Frederick has comfortably been hanging out in the 300-500 range of the US Top 1000 chart for the past couple decades! It was last in the top 100 in 1957. Its largest popularity spikes occurred around 1914 and again around 1946. It was most popular in 1951 with a total of 4,982 baby boys born with the name Frederick.  It was even rarely but consistently used for girls between 1908 and 1993! Since the male popularity spikes, the name has fallen back down to respectable levels. In 2012, there were

Today's featured name is 11-letters and 5-syllables long. Perhaps that explains why it is rarely used in the US.  Did you know that Alexandrina was the real first name of Queen Victoria who went by her middle name? While many parents would opt for Alexa or Alexandra, there is something special about Alexandrina. It has a more exotic flair than her sister-names, and would be a beautiful middle name to pair with a short first name. Ivy Alexandrina or Claire Alexandrina are lovely. As a first name, Alexandrina Eve. As a plus, it is truly a rare name today, but it is so familiar to the ears because of all the other Alex names. It was first used in 1914, 1915, 1920 and 1921 by a total of 23 girls.  After that, there were 5 born in 1935, 6 in 1961, and then it started getting more regular usage in 1975. However, it only sees an average of 5 births per year. Most recently, there were 9 girls named Alexandrina in 2013, which means this name ranks at #10,965. That is far fro

Today's Name of the Day might raise your eyebrows at first. The Greek boy name Basil means "Regal" or "King" and is a quirky choice! The most famous bearer of this name is Basil Rathbone who portrayed the very British Sherlock Holmes in 1939. And of course, many of you probably already thought of the basil herb. It is usually pronounced Baz-uhl rather than Bays-uhl like the herb. Let's try to see it from a different perspective than the above: From the Greek name Βασιλειος (Basileios) which was derived from βασιλευς (basileus) meaning "king".  There were many Byzantine Empire rulers named Basil, as well as some Eastern Orthodox saints. Saint Basil the Great was a 4th century bishop who helped to found the early Christian church. Basil is rich in history. Despite its past-bearers, this name is definitely unique today. It has been used very steadily since 1880. It was most popular from 1912-1969. It fell off the Top 1000 chart in 1970 an

Today's Name of the Day is the Latin boy's name Augustus. For years, this name was considered somewhat fusty, or even pretentious. Today, parents are seeing it differently. Like my own son's name, Maximus, Augustus was originally a title meaning "Great," "Magnificent" or "Venerable." It was given to the first Roman Emperor, Octavius, who was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. He kept Augustus as his name.  The month of August was also named in honor of him. The number of babies given this name has gone down, up, down and way back up again over the years, starting in 1880 until now. As far as chart ranking goes, it hit as high as #175 in 1880 (a total of 74 babies).  In 2012, it ranked at #697 with a total of 337 little boys named Augustus.  It remained steadily in the Top 1000 from 1880-1968 when it fell off the chart. It jumped back on in 1991 at #874. (Remember that the charts vary because of the population differences and the vast