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Thursday, November 30, 2006

Ivy and Iris

This will be my seventh post on plant names. But Botanical names are a pet favourite of mine, so it is to be expected.

Ivy
Popular at the turn of the century, Ivy is even more popular now. Very descriptive and obvious meaning (ivy) from Old English ifig. What makes it so appealing? It's an alternative to Eve, it has a sweet sound - especially with the 'ee' ending. It's a Victorian classic that has finally lost the stigma of being a 'Grannie name' - see Evelyn, Lillian or Audrey for other examples. Problems? Poison ivy. I do find the idea of a toxic plant slightly appealing (my favourite name, Bryony, is a poisonous plant) but ivy is more common. Poison ivy itself, is not even a member of the Ivy (Hedera) family but a woody vine that produces a skin irritant. Personally, I like variegated ivy (shown below, from Wikipedia).


Iris
The other 'i' botanical name, that I tend to associate with Ivy, merely because of sound rather than anything else. Iris peaked in the 1930s and therefore is old enough to be a 'Grandmother' name and I do not believe that it has totally shaken that image off. The absence of the 'ee' sound makes it more sophisticated. Iris boasts the more interesting meaning 'rainbow'. Iris was a Greek goddess of the rainbow, and iris is a part of the eye. For all Iris has for being a 'Grandmother' name, it still (if you are interested in meaning) has better credentials than Ivy. It is also a flower - so much more delicate than a woody vine. For me, Ivy has the better sound but Iris has the better meaning.
Iris Germanica from Wikipedia



Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Alternatives to Hannah

Another popular name, fairly timeless (in that it has been fairly consistently popular across the centuries) name. Statistically it is # 6 in NZ, #6 in Austria, #10 in N Ireland, #10 in Scotland, #13 in England and Wales, #5 in Canada and #7 in USA. That's a lot of Hannahs.

Hannah comes from Channah meaning 'favour' or 'grace' (personally that reminds me of the grace and favour lodgers at Kensington amongst other places).

Biblically Hannah was the mother of Samuel, and one of two wives of Elkanah - the other being Penninah. Penninah was able to bear children, but Hannah had remained childless. In a plea to have a child she promised God that she would give him up to the priesthood. She went on to Samuel, who as promised, went to live with Eli the priest, and then five more children.

So, some alternatives:
1) Anna (the Latin form of Hannah) and 'Anna-' names:
Annabel
Anneliese
Annette
Anastasia
Anthea
Antonia
Annabeth
Anneka
Some '-anna' names:
Rosanna
Leanna
Joanna (or Johanna)
Marianna
Arianna
Brianna
Diana
Gianna
Janna
Roxanna

Names containing other elements of Hannah:
Bethany
Chantelle
Shannon
Siobhan
Stephanie
Savannah
Rhiannon
Hannelore
Hanneliese
Hannelien
Hannelotte

2) Similar meaning (grace or favour):
Grace:Charis
Grace
Ludmilla
The three graces: Aglaia, Euphrosyne and Thalia

Favour:Ludmilla
Tirzah
Bohumila
Jarmila

3) Random Connections:
Hester (a Babynamer on Oxygen suggestion)
Other Biblical mothers: Rachel, Leah, Sarah, Eve, Mary, Lois (a grandmother), Elizabeth, Rebecca, Naomi and Ruth