The Beauty of Names

Twiggy In this new segment, I'll be listing the bottom 32 of the top 1000 for certain decades. Today we are doing 1960's, girls edition. Babette Velvet Cheryle Kevin Marni Ester Alissa Roxie Lizette Joanie Yolonda Earlene Debbi Cathie Petra Gabriela Tamala Delisa Lisha Glynis Madelyn Katheryn Brandy Dottie Shanda Deeann Andra Thomas Lily Marti Fawn Maryjane

Origin: Sanskrit Gender: Female Meaning: "Sign, mark" Pronunciation: LUCKSH-mee Other Forms: Laxmi Lakshmi is the name of the Hindu Goddess of prosperity, luck, and beauty. She is the wife of the God Vishnu, and is sometimes also called Mahalakshmi. She is believed to bring her devotees good luck, and protect them from any sort of misery and money problems. Lakshmi is often depicted with the lotus flower, and so many of her epitaphs have something to do with the lotus. It is said that she is flanked by elephants, and gives coins of prosperity. Other times, she is accompanied by an owl. She is usually dressed in a red or gold outfit, and shows the abhaya mudra, or gyan mudra, with her right hand, holds a pot full of gold in her left arm, and a paddy sheaf in her left hand. Lakshmi is worshiped daily, but especially in October. On Diwali, the festival of lights, people put oil lamps outside of their houses, in hopes that she will bless them. Must people will proba...

Chilean stamp from 2000 These are the most popular names for Chile from 2012. Girls: 1.  Sofía 2. Antonella 3. Emilia 4. Florencia 5. Isidora 6. Martina 7. Maite 8. Agustina 9. Catalina 10. Valentina Boys: 1.  Agustín 2.  Benjamín 3.  Martín 4. Vicente 5.  Matías 6.  Cristóbal 7. Joaquín 8. Maximiliano 9. Tomás 10. Felipe

Girls: Mathilda Elizabeth Violet Iróna Grace Clementine Agnes Lavinia Lillian Poppy Saxty Imogen Flora Betsan Rosita River (A sister for Griff) Cecily Bohème Arabella Daisy (A sister for Georgina, Rose, and William) Florence Elizabeth Swan (A sister for William, and Daisy) Isla Eluned Petra Alberta Juno Verity Beatrix (A sister for Hector, and Henrietta) Boys: Hamish Malyn Richard Alec Jay Sebastian Edward James (A brother for Amalie, and Max) Brodie Henry Constantine Frederick Christopher Giles Toby Owen Leonard (A brother for Cara Mary, and Theo Peter) Xavier Alfred Basil Broderick Grey and Graham Sparks Sterling Botolph

Jean Harlow Before there was Marilyn Monroe, there was Jean Harlow. She eloped at the age of sixteen with a businessman and made her way to Los Angeles, where she played bit parts, until her big break in Howard Hughes' "Hell's Angels", in which there is an eight minute scene in color featuring her. With her platinum hair, thin brows, and deep-set eyes, she was instantly adored. Next, she was in "Platinum Blonde" which asserted her as America's new sex symbol. Sadly, at the age of twenty-six, during the filming of "Saratoga", she was hospitalized with uremic poisoning, and eventually died from it. Surely, it is partly due to her untimely death that she is the icon she is today. Lillian - "Red-Headed Woman" - The glamorous counterpart to Lily, Lillian is one of the prettiest and simplest forms of the name. Perhaps originally a diminutive of Elizabeth, it has been used since the 16th century. Vantine - "Red Dust" - An unus...

Judy Lang as Erica in "Count Yorga, Vampire" Origin: Norse, Latin Gender: Female Meaning: Feminine form of Eric; "heather" Pronunciation: AIR-ih-kah Other forms: Erika, Ericka, Eerika Erica is my mother's name, and the story behind it is sort of unusual. First, let's talk about the origins. Erica is the feminine form of the name Eric. Eric comes from the Norse ei, meaning "ever", and  ríkr, which means "ruler". However, Erica is also the Latin word for "heather", and is the name of the genus of heather. Members of the Ericaceae family include huckleberry, cranberry, blueberry, and azalea. Although they are common in many parts of the world, Ericads do not grow in some parts of  Antarctica, Greenland, Australia, and some of the tropics. Heathers are useful, sturdy plants, and in Scotland it was said that the red heather were stained with blood from wars between the clans, and that the white variety had been untouched,...

"The Forest Pet" by William Quiller Orchardson Girls: Enikő - Invented by the Hungarian poet  Mihály Vörösmarty. Based off the mother of the Hungarian people in legend, whose name was  Enéh, which meant "cow", or "deer". Maral - Armenian name which means "deer". Fawn - A name for a young deer. Zibiah - Hebrew name meaning "roe, deer." Bambi - Although Bambi was a boy, this name is more common among girls. Comes from the Italian bambino, "young boy",   or bambina, "young girl". Boys: Oisín - Irish name which means "little deer". This is the name of Fionn mac Cumhail's poet son in Irish legend. Raleigh - A surname possibly meaning "roe deer clearing". It could also mean "red clearing". Buck - From the word for a male deer. Tzvi - Means "deer" in Hebrew. Oscar - Possibly comes from the Gaelic os, "deer", and car...

Origin: English Gender: Unisex Meaning: From the word for the color Pronunciation: IN-dih-go Other forms: N/A I've been seeing this name crop up quite a bit, usually for girls, though it is undoubtedly unisex. Indigo comes from the Greek indikon, meaning "from India". Indigo is a bright color that falls between blue and purple, though it comes in many shades. Isaac Newton was the one who named Indigo, and the indigo plant, which the dye is made out of, exists in tropical lands. In Hinduism, indigo represents the sixth chakra, which is the brow or third eye chakra, and is called Ajna. It governs over the brain, eyes, ears, nose, pituitary gland, pineal glands, and the neurological system. Essential oils for Ajna are mint and jasmine.

Victoria and Family by Franz Xaver Winterhalter Queen Victoria, one of the greatest monarchs of England, was born Alexandrina Victoria, and her husband was Francis Albert Augustus Charles Emmanuel, called Albert. She notoriously disliked children, said her own were "ugly" and "frog-like", and found the thought of breastfeeding disgusting. All of this is surprising seeing as she had nine children. From oldest to youngest: Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa Albert “Bertie” Edward Alice Maud Mary Alfred Ernest Albert Helena Augusta Victoria Louise Caroline Alberta Arthur William Patrick Albert Leopold George Duncan Albert Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore

"Sabinella" by John William Godward I am a great fan of John William Godward's art (as you can tell from my icon!). He has some unusual, and beautiful names for his paintings, which are mostly of Greek or Roman scenes. Godward lived from 1861 to 1922. Cassotis Lucilia Ophelia Athenais Ismenia Sabinella (also the genus of a sea snail) Praxilla Stesicrate Lycinna Ianthe Nerissa Megilla Phyleis Sappho Atalanta Drusilla Amaryllis

Mae Murray Called "The Girl with the Bee Stung Lips", Mae Murray first got her start in show business in the chorus line of the "Ziegfeld Follies" in 1908, and eventually became the headliner. Her first film was "To Have and to Hold", in 1916, and Universal could see that they had something special on their hands. Critics were occasionally underwhelmed with her over-the-top acting, but she was a favorite among movie goers. Unfortunately, with the invention of "talkies", her glamour started to fade. She eventually left MGM at the urging of her husband, which ended up being a costly mistake. In the 40's she started working at a club, where her performances were not all that great. Sadly, after many tribulations, she died at the age of 79 in an retirement home. She has a star on the Walk of Fame. Jocelyn - "To Have and to Hold" - This unisex name is thought to come from a German male name, that comes from the name of a tribe, ...

Georgian stamp from 1920 These are the most popular names for Georgia from 2012. Girls: 1. Nino 2. Mariam 3. Barbare 4. Anastasia 5. Ana 6. Elene 7. Elizaveta 8. Nia 9. Tamar 10. Natalia Boys: 1. Giorgi 2. Nikoloz 3. Luka 4. Andria 5. Saba 6. Davit 7. Aleksandre 8. Mate 9. Demetre 10. Gabrieli

"Jessica" by William Quiller Orchardson Origin: English Gender: Female Meaning: "To behold" Pronunciation: JESS-ih-kah Other forms: Jessika, Yessica, Gessica, Jescha I suppose you could say that Jessica is a staple in American names. She has been in the top 1000 names of the USA since 1880, though it wasn't until the 1970's that she broke into the top 100. Now, she seems dated, and is most likely to be the name of one of our mothers. In reality, she should be considered a classic; perhaps in the next twenty or so years, she'll be as fresh as Mabel, or Violet. Something most people probably don't know, is that Jessica was invented by Shakespeare for his play "The Merchant of Venice". It is most likely that it is a form of the Hebrew Iscah, meaning "to behold". In his time, the common form of it might have been Jescha. "The Merchant of Venice" is undoubtedly racist, the portrayal of Shylock as the villainous Je...

Aidan Turner Origin: Irish Gender: Male Meaning: "Fire" Pronunciation: AY-den Other forms: Aiden, Ayden, Edan At the moment, Aidan is sitting at #115 in the US. Spelled Aiden, it's number #10. It is currently suffering from a condition I like to call "overkill". Which is a shame, really. Aidan comes from Aod h án, a  diminutive  of of Aodh which means "fire". Aodh is the name of of more than a few characters in Irish mythology, and even of a few High Kings. Aidan itself is the name of two Saints, countless characters on TV and in literature, and even some actors, most notably Aidan Turner who played vampire Mitchell on "Being Human" and recently Kili in "The Hobbit", Aidan Quinn, who is Irish-American, and Aidan Gillen, who is currently playing Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish on "Game of Thrones." One of the aforementioned Saints is St. Aidan of Lindisfarne, also known as the "Apostle of Northumbr...

Anton Yelchin Girls: Anne - Anouk, Ninon, Anushka Elizabeth - Sabela, Elspeth, Elsa, Lilias Katherine - Katalin, Katka, Katja, Ekaterina, Katinka Mary - Manon, Mitzi, Moira, Mara, Mairwen Rebecca - Rivka, Riva Margaret - Margery, Margot, Maisie, Griet, Marguerite Josephine - Josefina, Giosetta Beatrice/Beatrix - Viatrix Boys: John - Ivo, Ianto, Johan Anthony - Anton, Antonello Matthew - Mathias, Matteo Christopher - Kit Alexander - Sasha, Alastair Thomas - Tavish Michael - Miho, Misha, Henry - Enzo, Emmerich Andrew - Andreas, Andor, Anders William - Vilko, Willem, Wilky

Warsan Shire Here is a favorite quote of mine relating to names, by the poet Warsan Shire. " Give your daughters difficult names. Give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue. My name makes you want to tell me the truth. My name doesn't allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right."

Origin: N/A Gender: Female Meaning: N/A Pronunciation: lib-ih-TEE-nah Other Forms: N/A This beautiful name is that of the Roman Goddess of death, funerals, and burials. She is associated with Venus, and sometimes Proserpina, and some believe her origin is ultimately Etruscan, and that her name comes from lupu, meaning "to die". Other think it comes from the Latin lubere, "to be pleasing". Her male counterpart is sometimes considered to be Orcus, God of the Underworld, who also punished those who broke oaths. The sacred grove of Libitina was on Esquiline Hill. A cemetery was located outside it's gates, and a temple dedicated to Venus is there to celebrate the day it was founded. When someone died, the temple would take a coin, a "death tax", and a guild of funeral directors were based in the grove. She was sometimes depicted as winged, and often wore robes. The Colosseum had a gate dedicated to her, for the gladiators that died there. Libit...

Brigitte Helm Brigitte Helm is rather iconic for her double role as Maria and the Maschinenmensch, in Fritz Lang's "Metropolis", in which she was only eighteen. Brigitte was the daughter of a Prussian Officer, and was somewhat forced into the audition for "Metropolis", after her mother sent pictures of her in to Lang's wife. She hated working under Lang, and refused to make a film with him again. Although she had a ten year contract with Universum Film AG, she angered the Nazi party after marrying Dr. Hugo von Kuenheim, who was Jewish. She eventually moved to Switzerland, and had four children with Hugo. She died in 1996 at the age of ninety. Magda - "Am Rande der Welt" - A spunky short form of Magdalena, which takes some of the heft out of it, and makes it more accessible. Vera - "Scandal in Baden-Baden" - Vera is perfect for the family looking for a multi-cultural name. It is used in Russia, Germany, Sweden, Macedonia, and Portugal...

Romania stamp from 1961 These are the top names for Romania from 2012. Girls: 1. Maria 2. Andreea 3. Elena 4. Ioana 5. Alexanda 6. Ana 7. Antonia 8. Daria 9. Gabriela 10. Stefania Boys: 1. Andrei 2. David 3. Alexandru 4. Gabriel 5. Stefan 6. Ionut 7. Mihai 8. Cristian 9. Darius 10. Daniel

Tom Mison stars as Ichabod Crane in Fox's new series "Sleepy Hollow" Origin:  Hebrew Gender:  Male Meaning:  "No glory" Pronunciation:  IK-a-bahd Other forms:  N/A Ichabod is a tricky name. There is something endearing about its clunkiness, but it is so tied to the character of Ichabod Crane, that it becomes almost unusable. But before "Sleepy Hollow", Ichabod was the son of Phinehas, who died at the battle of Aphek, and the grandson of Eli. His mother gave him the name Ichabod on her death bed, indicating that the "glory had departed from Israel". In Washington Irving's classic short story, Ichabod Crane is the protagonist, who is a superstitious schoolmaster that tries to win the hand of Katrina Van Tassel, but is bested by local hero Brom Bones. He leaves the Van Tassel's party, where he had intended to propose to Katrina, and rides through several reportedly "haunted" spots, and his imagination starts to get ...

Serbian stamp from 2009 These are the most popular names for Serbia from 2012. Girls: 1. Lena 2. Dunja 3. Milica 4. Sofija 5. Nina 6. Teodora 7. Nikolina 8. Ana 9. Sara 10.  Maša Boys: 1. Luka 2. Stefan 3. Lazar 4. Nikola 5. Vuk 6. Filip 7. Aleksa 8. Petar 9.  Uroš 10. Pavle

Marlene Dietrich Marlene Dietrich is one of the greatest actresses of all time, the American Film Institute ranking her number nine in 1999. She remained popular for many years, but first got her start in 1920's Berlin in the cabaret scene. With her role as Lola-Lola in "The Blue Angel" in 1930, she was introduced to the world, and was whisked away by the director to Hollywood. Known for her "bedroom-eyes", low voice, and affinity for wearing men's clothes, Marlene drew people in to her movies like no other. Throughout WWII she entertained troops, and took a strong stance against Nazism, for which she received a medal, and was the first ever German actress to be nominated for an Oscar. Later in life, Marlene became a recluse, rarely leaving her Paris apartment. She died in 1992, at age ninety. Helen - "Blonde Venus" - Helen comes from the Greek helene, meaning "torch", or "corposant"; The most famous bearer being Helen o...

These are the most popular names for Greenland from 2001 to 2010. A Greenlandic stamp from 1986 Girls: 1. Ivaana 2. Pipaluk 3. Nivi 4. Paninnguaq 5. Ivalu 6. Naasunnguaq 7. Julie 8. Ane 9. Isabella 10. Kimmernaq Boys: 1. Malik 2. Aputsiaq 3. Minik 4. Hans 5. Inunnguaq 6. Kristian 7. Nuka 8. Salik 9. Peter 10. Inuk

"Maharet and Mekare" by Omri Koresh Halloween is upon us! For my favorite time of the year, I'm going to profile names taken from my favorite kind of creatures: vampires. Girls: Lucy - Dracula Gloriana - Morganville Vampires Margolotta - Discworld Thistle - Night World Marceline - Adventure Time Pandora - The Vampire Chronicles Selene - Underworld Claudia - The Vampire Chronicles Lilith - Mythology Eli - Let the Right One In Petronia - The Vampire Chronicles Mavis - Hotel Transylvania Carmilla - Carmilla Elfriede - Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase Lara - The Dresden Files Drusilla - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel Maharet - The Vampire Chronicles Poppy - Night World Sophie-Anne - The Southern Vampire Mysteries Ecatherina - Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption Mekare - The Vampire Chronicles Salacia - Discworld Boys: Armand - The Vampire Chronicles Barnabas - Dark Shadows Kraven - Underworld Vlad - Mythology Gavner - Cirque du Freak: The Vampire...

Göksu Üçtaş Origin : Turkish Gender : Female Meaning : N/A Pronunciation : GOHK-soo Other forms : N/A I've had this name queued up since watching the Olympics, but never got around to actually writing it.   Göksu Üçtaş is a twenty-three year old Turkish  gymnast   who sadly did not advance to the finals of the 2012 Olympics, and, due to an injury she sustained during training, could compete only in the balance beam event. In the 2009  Mediterranean  Games she won the silver medal, and at the World Cup for Artistic-Gymnastics in 2010, she won the gold medal in floor  exercise , and silver medal in both balance beam and vault. I assume she is named after the river  Göksu in the  Taşeli  Peninsula of Turkey. It flows into the Mediterranean sea, and is one of the most important breeding grounds for birds in the Near East, with over 300 species of birds having been seen there. Along with the birds, the endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle...

Origin: Roman, Latin Gender: Male Meaning: "Eighth" Pronunciation: ahk-TAY-vee-us Other Forms: Octavian, Octavianus, Octavio, Ottaviano, Ottavio, Ot ávio,  Oct ávio Octavius is classic and unusual, a sure winner, and perfect for a baby born in the month of October, but why is it so unappreciated? The last time it ranked in the US was in 1991, when it sat at #944. Octavius comes from the Latin octavus , meaning "eighth", and was the family name of Emperor Augustus, who was the founder of Rome and it's first Emperor. He was born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, a part of the old and wealthy Octavii family, and was later adopted posthumously by his uncle Julius Caesar, and was renamed Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. He was described as fairly handsome, though his teeth were ill-kept, and he did not care for any sort of adornment. He reigned from 27 BC to his death at 75 in AD 14. King George III had a son, his eighth, named Octavius, who sadly died at the age ...

Halle and Olivier Halle Berry and husband Olivier Martinez, known for movies "Unfaithful" and "Blood and Chocolate", have recently had a baby boy, but been keeping the name a secret. Well, sources are saying the name is Maceo-Robert Martinez. Halle of course has another child, Nahla Ariella, with Gabriel Aubrey.

Daniel and Rachael Daniel Gillies, who plays Elijah on "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals", and his wife, Rachael Leigh Cook, who played Laney Boggs from "She's All That", have welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Charlotte Easton.

Vintage Girl's Shoes by TheAquaNest on of Etsy For the family that has a mansion by a lake where they spend their summers, but prefers their apartment in Paris. For the family that takes their children to art galleries, and then out to eat pastries and buy flowers. For the family that prefers grandmother's pearls to a new pair of shoes. They have a party for every holiday, apple bobbing and hide-n-seek for Halloween, followed by chocolate cake and the original "The Wolfman". For Christmas, they decorate the whole house, and have a great feast, each person getting one small but lavish gift. They are the shabby aristocrats, rich but eccentric, unable to fit into the molds of the past or the present. Girls:  Vintage Hairpins by thesparklingsparrow of Etsy Suvi Perpetua Margot Dora Belinda Minka Fisher Rowan Endellion Ruby Valentine Toril Calista Joan Roxanne  Fox Toy by LittleWool of Etsy Capucine Artemis Flora Essie Lilou...

Stellan and Alexander Swedish actor Stellan  Skarsgård (Did you know Paul Bettany's son is named after him?)   is father to an astonishing eight children, some with quite unusual names. Many are now actors in their own right. I wasn't able to find the last few middle names. From oldest to youngest: Alexander Johan Hjalmar Gustaf Caspar Orm Samuel "Sam" Kristoffer Ymer Bill Istvan  Günther Eija Valter Ossian Kolbjörn Ossian and  Kolbjörn are with his new wife, Megan Everett, the others are with My.

Ioan and Alice with Ella Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd, known for playing Horatio Hornblower in the TV series "Hornblower", and recently as Andrew Martin in "Ringer", has welcomed his second daughter, Elsie Marigold, with wife Alice Evans, better known as Eve from "The Vampire Diaries". They have one other daughter, Ella Betsi Janet.

I have a soft spot for Finnish names. They have such beautiful sounds, and meanings. I can definitely see some catching on over here. Girls: Ilta - "Evening" Satu - "Fairy tale, fable" Annikki - Diminutive of Anna Tuuli - "Wind" Tuulikki - "Little wind" Suvi - "Summer" Virva - "Will o' the wisp" Meri - "The sea" Taimi - "Sapling, young tree" Sohvi - Form of Sophia Minttu - "Mint" Orvokki - "Pansy flower" Sisko - "Sister" Aamu - "Morning" Vuokko - "Anemone flower" Kielo - "Lily-of-the-valley" Lumi - "Snow" Marjo - Form of Maria Pilvi - "Cloud" Sini - "Blue" Taika - "Magic, spell" Vanamo - "Twinflower" Esteri - Form of Esther Boys: Otsu - "Bear" Vesa - "Sprout, young tree" Aatos - "Thought" Taavi - Form of David Usko - "Brave...

Mark-Paul and Catriona Mark-Paul Gosselaar, best known for playing Zack Morris in "Saved by the Bell", has welcomed a son, Dekker Edward, with his wife Catriona McGinn. He has two other children, Michael Charles and Ava Lorenn, with his previous wife Lisa Ann Russell.