The Beauty of Names

Franz Joseph II and Countess von Wilczek with four of their five children Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein was born Franz Josef Maria Aloys Alfred Karl Johannes Heinrich Michael Georg Ignaz Benediktus Gerhardus Majella to  Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein and  Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria . He married Countess Georgina von Wilczek . Their children are: Johannes Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marco d'Aviano Pius, " Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein " Philipp Erasmus Alois Ferdinand Maria Sebaldus, " Prince Philipp Liechtenstein " Nikolaus Ferdinand Maria Josef Raphael, " Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein " Norberta Elisabeth Maria Assunta Josefine Georgine et omnes sancti, " Princess Nora of Liechtenstein " Franz Josef Wenceslaus Georg Maria, " Prince Franz Josef of Liechtenstein ", called "Wenzel"

Noriko Awaya Origin: Japanese Gender: Female Meaning: Several, including "Ceremonial Child" and "Benevolent Child" Pronunciation: NO-REE-KO Other Forms: Nori Does anyone else just love names of certain origins better than the rest? For me, those names are Japanese (and Irish and French!). Today's name is the lovely Noriko. Like with most Asian names, Noriko can have many meanings depending on what characters you use to write it. Most commonly it is written using 典 ( nori ), meaning "rule, ceremony" or 紀 ( nori ), "chronicle", combined with 子 ( ko ), which means "child". To put it in a more poetic fashion would be to say it means "ceremonial child" or "benevolent child" or "noble child". In Japan, it entered the top ten twice, once in 1928 and the other in 1956. In the 1930's, Noriko Awaya, born Nori, was a famous singer of  ryūkōka (popular music), and was called the "Queen of Blues". In J...

Victoria Eugenie with her six children Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, Queen of Spain  was born Victoria Eugenie Julia Ena to Prince Henry of Battenberg and Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom . She married Alfonso XIII . Their children were: Alfonso Pío Cristino Eduardo Francisco Guillermo Carlos Enrique Eugenio Fernando Antonio Venancio, " Alfonso, Prince of Asturias" - Died at at thirty-one from a car accident. Like many of the royals, Alfonso had hemophilia which caused him to have severe internal bleeding. The gene was passed to him by his mother, just like in the case of his cousin, Tseravich Alexei, a fact which Alfonso XIII was said to never forgive her for. Jaime Leopoldo Isabelino Enrique Alejandro Alberto Alfonso Víctor Acacio Pedro Pablo María, " Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia, Duke of Anjou " Beatriz Isabel Federica Alfonsa Eugénie Cristina Maria Teresia Bienvenida Ladislàa, " Infanta Beatriz of Spain " María Cristina Teresa Alejandra Marí...

The Australian Ballet's Madeleine Eastoe as Clara in "The Nutcracker" Origin: Latin Gender: Female Meaning: "Bright, clear, famous" Pronunciation: CLAIR-uh, KLAR-uh Other Forms: Claire, Clare, Klara, Chiara, Claribel, Clarette; Clarus, Clair Today's name is another classic Christmas choice that dates all the way back to Ancient Rome! Clara is the feminine form of the Latin Clarus , meaning "clear, bright, famous", and became popular due to Saint Chiara (or Clare) of Assisi, a follower and friend of Saint Francis'. According to tradition, after hearing Saint Francis preach at a Lenten service, she approached him and asked how she could live her life in accordance to the gospel. On the evening of Palm Sunday, Chiara escaped her wealthy family, along with her aunt Bianca and a companion, and headed to the Porziuncula chapel to meet Francis. There, they sheared her hair short and exchanged her beautiful dress for simple robes. She was placed in a c...

Honora Burke, circa 1690 by Theodore Russell I've recently become enamored with a set of names I like to call "Honor and Her Sisters", i.e. Honor and all the many forms of it -- from the Latinate lovely, Honoria, to the Breton Enora and the streamlined Nora. Instead of making separate posts for them, since they are so closely related, I thought I would put them all together like this. Please, let me know your favorite, and do you have any "Sister" or "Brother" names you like? Honor and Honour - A favorite among the Puritans of the 17th century, Honour comes from the Anglo-French onur  or honur, derived from the Latin honos, honor or honoris . The first known example of its use is in the 13th century. It means, of course, "to regard or treat with admiration and respect". This virtue name is a popular one among celebrities: both Jessica Alba and Tilda Swinton have daughters named Honor. There is also actress Honor Blackman, best known for playi...

Origin: Slavic Gender: Male Meaning: "More Glory" Pronunciation: WEHN-ses-las Other Forms: Wenceslaus, Venceslaus, Veceslav, Václav, Vyacheslav, Więcesław, Wenzel Are you ready to learn the history behind the beloved Christmas song? Today's name is Wenceslas! Wenceslas, or Wenceslaus, is a Medieval Latinized version of the Slavic Veceslav. Veceslav comes from the elements veche , "more" and slava , meaning "glory". The later form may have been influenced by the Czech word  věnec, which means "wreath" or "crown". The eponymous figure from the classic Christmas song is based on Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, sometimes called Václav the Good (921-935). The song tells of a "good king" who travels through the harrowing winter weather to deliver alms to the poor on the feast day of St. Stephen. His page is about to give up, but through following the king's prints, step for step, he makes it through the blizzard. While Wences...

Princess Catharina-Amalia of Orange Catharina-Amalia + Many More - On December 7th, Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange and heir presumptive to the Dutch throne, turned eighteen. Her full name is Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria, and she has two younger sisters, Princess Alexia Juliana Marcela Laurentien and Princess Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Inés. All of them have meaningful family names. Beatrix honors their grandmother, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, while Juliana does the same with their great-grandmother, Juliana of the Netherlands. Laurentien is for their aunt, Laurentien, who married Prince Constantijn in 2001. Wilhelmina is an often used name in the Dutch royal family, and just so happens to be the name of their great-great grandmother. And finally, Máxima is the name of their mother, Queen Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti, whose own mother was named María del Carmen Cerruti Carricart, showing us just where the Carmen in Catharina-Amalia's name came from. Ice...

Miss Vietnam, Tien Thuc Thuy Nguyen Part two! Which ones were your favorites? Marika Nardozi (Italy) Chika Mizuno (Japan) Jiho Lee (Korea) Daomixay Dao Phachansitthy (Laos) Hajamaya Mulbah (Liberia) Lishalliny Kanaran (Malaysia) Naomi Marie Ashley Dolita Buan (Mauritius) Mariana Macias Ornelas (Mexico) Win Lei Lei Naing (Myanmar) Ronali Amatya (Nepal) Nathalie Yasmin Mogbelzada (The Netherlands) Epifania Jacobed Solis Mercado (Nicarauga) Patience Idowochenema Christopher (Nigeria) Shannon McCullagh (Northern Ireland) Ramina Ashfaque (Pakistan) Katie Nairobi Caicedo Richards (Panama) Jimena Andrea Sosa (Paraguay) Samantha Elizabeth Batallanos Cortegana (Peru) Samantha Alexandra Panlilio (The Philippines) Ana Laura Ferreira (Portugual) Vivianie Diaz Arroyo (Puerto Rico) Alesia Igorevna Semerenko (Russia) Kristina Shenknekht (Siberia) Jeanè Van Dam (South Africa) Alba Dunkerbeck Morales (Spain) Anna-Marie Suzette Quint Ondaatje (Sri Lanka) Jennie Karolina Frondell (Sweden) Indy Johnson (T...

Christina and Mark Actress Christina Ricci has welcomed her first child with husband Mark Hampton, a little girl they named Cleopatra. Ricci has a son from a previous relationship named Frederick. He goes by Freddie.

Zénaïde Bonaparte Zénaïde Bonaparte was born Zénaïde Laetitia Julie Bonaparte to  Joseph-Napoléon Bonaparte and Julie Clary , sister to the famous Désirée Clary. She married Charles Lucien Bonaparte, 2nd Prince of Canino and Musignano . Their children were: Joseph Lucien Charles Napoléon Bonaparte, " Joseph Lucien Bonaparte, 3rd Prince of Canino and Musignano " Alexandrine Gertrude Zénaïde Bonaparte - Died at age one Lucien Louis Joseph Napoléon Bonaparte, " Lucien Bonaparte, 4th Prince of Canino and Musignano " Julie Charlotte Bonaparte Charlotte Honorine Joséphine Pauline Bonaparte Léonie Stéphanie Elise Bonaparte - Died at age five Marie Désirée Eugénie Joséphine Philomène Bonaparte Augusta Amélie Maximilienne Jacqueline Bonaparte Napoléon Charles Grégoire Jacques Philippe Bonaparte, " Napoléon Charles Bonaparte, 5th Prince of Canino and Musignano " Bathilde Aloïse Léonie Bonaparte Albertine Marie Thérèse Bonaparte - Died before her first birthday Charl...

Origin : English Gender : Unisex Meaning : Diminutive of Robert; The bird Pronunciation : RAH-ben Other forms : N/A What came first -- the name of the bird, or the diminutive for Robert? I always assumed that the red-breasted bird's name was perhaps of a different origin than that of the nickname for Robert, but as it turns out, they are one in the same! Robin started life as a short form for Robert in Medieval England, ala Wilkin or Hopkin (for William and Robert again, respectively). Sometime in the the 15th century it was à la mode to name animals human names, and the little bird became known colloquially as "robin redbreast". Other English names for it included ruddock and robinet . The scientific name for the European robin is Erithacus rubecala , with rubecala coming from the Latin for red -- ruber . Its American brother is in fact no brother at all! The American and European robins might be called the same thing, but are not closely related, with the former b...

Miss Angola, Márcia Marília Menezes I've been seeing the beautiful costumes from the Miss Grand International Pageant all over Twitter and my curiosity was piqued and of course, I had to check out the names! There are fifty-nine contestants so I decided to chop this post up into two parts. Let me know your thoughts on these fascinating monikers! Hygerta Hidri (Albania) Márcia Marília Menezes (Angola) Florencia Melanie de Palo (Argentina) Kristina Goharik Ayanian (Armenia) Angolina Amores (Australia) MJ Chowdhury (Bangladesh) Zomkey Tenzin (Belgium) Eloísa Gutiérrez Rendón (Bolivia) Lorena Gonçalves Rodrigues (Brazil) Sothida Pokimtheng (Cambodia) Olga Bykadorova (Canada) Vanessa Camila Francisca Echevarria Maizares (Chile) Mariana Jaramillo (Colombia) Adriana Moya Alvarado (Costa Rica) Geysel Vaillant (Cuba) Kimberley Fabiola Fernandes (Curacao) Barbora Aglerová (Czech Republic) Stephanie Mercedes Medina (Dominican Republic) Andrea Victoria Aquilera (Ecuador) Shahenaz Alaa Dabous (...

Carrick Castle, photographed by Tom Wolf Origin: Gaelic Gender: Unisex Meaning: "Rock" Pronunciation: KAIR-rick Other Forms: Carrack, Kerrick, Craig Today we have a name that does double duty. It is not only a place name, but fits in amongst the Hudsons and Marlowes as a choice derived from a surname. I also think it could work in a growing sea of Gunners and Mavericks and all the other boys names that are uber-masculine and uber-popular, especially because of that sturdy meaning. Carrick is originally a surname derived from the Gaelic word carraig , meaning "rock" or "rocky place". It shares its origin with Craig, and I think Carrick would be a nifty way of honoring one without having to use the actual name. Carrick is a place not only in Scotland, but in Australia and Ireland, California and Wales, even in Pittsburgh! Carrick Castle is an amazing 14th century tower house on the west shore of Loch Goil in Argyle and Bute, Scotland. It was used as a huntin...

"Ilmarinen Ploughs a Field of Vipers" by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1916 Nella - I'm getting around to reading one of my most anticipated books of the year: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. So far I'm loving it (expect a review on my book blog !) and the name of one of the protagonists -- Nella. I can really see it taking off. It fits in perfectly among the ever popular Ella-Bella crowd and would be an excellent choice for parents looking for an alternative with a similar sound and none of the spotlight. It brings to mind the author Nella Larsen, who famously wrote Passing , which was just made into a film starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga. In her case, it was short for Nellallitea! Miskweminanocsqua - November was Native American History month, and I always want to highlight some Native American names, but struggle with my lack of knowledge on them. I feel like I never know if they are legitimate or not, and I would hate to post something that isn't authenti...

Winter is one of my favorite seasons, runner up only to Autumn, and so I have a special affinity for names relating to winter, or snow, or frost! This year I've decided to list some of my favorites from around the world, just in time for Christmas. What are some of your favorite wintry names, and do you see any here? Girls: Aneira - This lovely Welsh name is pronounced "uh-NYE-ruh" and comes the elements an, an intensifying prefix, and eira , meaning "snow". To put it poetically it means "much snow" or "very snowy". Bingbing - Comes from the Chinese bing , meaning "cold, ice". Actress Fan Bingbing is a famous bearer. Drífa - In Norse mythology, Drífa is the daughter of king Snær. Her name means "snowdrift". Flykra - A Faroese name meaning "snow flake". Frostrós - From the Old Norse elements frost , meaning "frost" and  rós , "rose". Used in Iceland. Kaniehtiio - This name is of Kanienʼkehá꞉ka ...

"Goldilocks and the Three Bears" by Kerry Darlington Origin: English and Yiddish Gender: Female Meaning: "Gold" or "Golden-haired" Pronunciation: GOAL-dee Other Forms: Golda, Golde, Goldy A radiant choice, full of spunk and a surprising amount of history: today's name is Goldie! When we think of Goldie, our minds are inevitably drawn to the gamine Goldie Hawn, or perhaps even fairy-tale characters, ala Goldilocks, but would you be surprised to know that it also has a long use in the Jewish community? Golda is a name of Yiddish origin, meaning, you guessed it, "gold". You may have come across it before; Golda is the name of Tevye's wife in Fiddler on the Roof , and was also the name of Israel's first female Prime Minister, Golda Meir (her life story will soon be coming to cinemas, starring Helen Mirren!). Golda Madden was a silent film actress, but more recently it can be seen on actresses Golda Rosheuvel, better known as Queen Charlot...

Origin: Polish Gender: Female Meaning: "Blessed Glory" Pronunciation: sven-toh-SCHWA-vah Other Forms:  Święsława, Święcsława; Świętosław Boy, do I have a mouthful for you today! This year, I read the book Widow Queen by Polish author Elżbieta Cherezińska, and while the book was a bit of a disappointment, I came away with a fascination for the unknown princess -- and her name. Świętosława was a Polish princess born sometime from 968 to 972, a daughter of Mieszko I, the founder of the first independent Polish state in the form of a Duchy. Her brother, Bolesław the Brave, was the first crowned King of Poland. Very little is known about Świętosława, and what is known may not even be about her at all, but another woman. According to German chroniclers of the time, she was first married to Eric the Victorious of Sweden, and gave him a son named Olof, who later become King of Sweden. Upon Eric's death she was married then to Sweyn Forkbeard, who would eventually b...

David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man in "The Suicide Squad" Origin: Hebrew Gender: Male Meaning: "My Father is a Light" Pronunciation: AB-ner Other Forms: Avner, Abenner, Avenir, Ábner I've been trolling the depths of the top 1000, on the lookout for new and rising names, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Abner, a name that seemed destined to be stuck alongside similar "old fogey" names like Reginald and Ernest, deep down in the pits of name nerdery (may I clarify I find Reginald simply romantic?). Abner has just graced the charts at #971 after being absent for eighty-two years! I have to ponder what has caused it to be brought back from a seemingly permanent death? Perhaps we'll find out, below. In the Bible, Abner is not only the cousin of King Saul but the commander of his army, as well. After Saul's death, Abner supported Saul's son, Ish-bosheth, in his bid for the throne. Meanwhile, David was reigning in Hebron as King of J...