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Saturday, June 16, 2007

Adelaide, Aeronwy, Graciana, Lucasia and Meiriona

Adelaide
add-eh-lade

Popularity:
There are 19 women in Norway named Adelaide
There was 1 baby in Scotland named Adelaide in 2006
#921, USA, 2006 - falling in position, rising in births
Adelaide is not an approved name in Portugal

Meaning:
From the Germanic elements adal and heid meaning 'of noble kind'.

Characters and Usage:
There have been several European royals called Adelaide:
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was the consort of William IV and gave her name to the city of Adelaide in Australia.
Adelaide of Holland lived in the 13th century
Princess Adelheid (or Adelaide) of Hohenlohe-Langenburg was the daughter of Feodora, the half sister of Queen Victoria
Adelaide of Maurienne was the 2nd wife of Louis VI of France, and mother of Louis VII
Adelaide of Aquitaine married Hugh Capet, founder of the Capetian ruling dynasty of France
Louise Marie Adelaide Eugènie d'Orléans or Madame Adelaide was the sister of Louis-Philippe of France.
Adelaide del Vasto was consort of Sicily and Jerusalem.
St Adelaide of Italy was heir to the throne of Italy, who married Otto the Great, Holy Roman Emperor. She was made a saint on account of her good deeds towards the poor.
There is also St Adelaide, Abbess of Vilich

Adelaide appears in music as:
A song by Beethoven
A concerto for violin and piano by Marius Casadesus, previously attributed to Mozart
Songs by Old 97's, Frank Loesser, Ben Folds, Anberlin
Operas by Nicola Porpora and Antonio Sartorio

Aeronwy
ayr-on-wee

Popularity:
Aeronwy is not an approved name in Portugal

Meaning:
Welsh - battle ending. Refers to the river Aeron.

Characters and Usage:
Dylan Thomas's second child is called Aeronwy.

Graciana
grah-syah-nah/gray-see-ah-nah

Popularity:
There are 194 Gracianas in Argentina (Buenos Aires).
Graciana is an approved name in Portugal

Meaning:
English via Spanish - grace, or Latin via Spanish - pleasing.

Characters and Usage:
Graciana Chironi is the grandmother of Argentine director Pablo Trapero
Graciano is a Spanish red wine grape

Lucasia
loo-kay-sha

Popularity:
Lucasia is not an approved name in Portugal

Meaning:
A literary name, probably inspired by Latin lux- light

Characters and Usage:
Lucasia was the name given by 17th century poet Katherine Philips to her friend Anne Owen.

Meiriona
meyr-ee-on-ah

Popularity:
Meiriona is not an approved name in Portugal

Meaning:
From Welsh Meirion - from Latin Marianus - of the god Mars.

Characters and Usage:
Meiriona is related to Merionethshire in Wales.