Alternatives to Ava

I thought I'd return to the alternatives idea, but carry on with my vague 'A' theme. For me, Ava sums up what is popular today in girls names - Ava is sassy, but she's also distinctly sweet and feminine. It's the idea that you feel like you know an Ava, even if you've never met one. Ava has the celebrity seal of approval - through Ava Gardner, and the recent influx of 'celebrities' naming their children Ava.

So Ava is very popular and has risen quickly - from 133 to 9 in the US in just 5 years, from being a rarely heard, yet known, name. It's also risen in other countries (England as an example).

What else makes Ava stand out from the crowd? She's palindromic and (if spelt in capitals) symmetrical (try putting a mirror against AVA).

What alternatives are there?

Similar in spelling:
Ada
Anna
Aviva (also symmetrical if capitalised)
Aveline
Avril
Avigail
Aviya
Ahava
Savannah
The '-slava' names - Branislava, Desislava, Miloslava, Vladislava etc.
Chava
Eva
Iva
Tova
Valerie
Ziva

Similar in meaning:
Ava can have three meanings.
1) Variant of Eve, from Hebrew to breathe, to live
Psyche (to breathe)
Zoe (life)
Asha (life)
Enid (life, soul)
Liv (protection, life)

2) Iranian meaning sound or water
Echo (echo, repeating sound)
Kotone (harp sound)
Maya (water)
Tallulah (leaping waters)

3) German, possibly desired
Asha (desire)
Desiree (desired)
Kanta (desired)
Venus (love, sexual desire)

Alice

I seem to be in the 'A's at the moment. Anyway, I'm going to focus on Alice because I consider it to have a very interesting journey to it's spelling, pronunciation and use today.

Firstly, some statistics:
Alice is not setting the world alight, #414 in US, #47 in UK, #93 in Scotland, #61 in Belgium...
Where it is really popular is Sweden where it leapt to #4 last year.
I would describe Alice's popularity as solid - it's there, and it's not going away any time soon. Not taking into account a whole country, but Alice was also the #1 name listed in the Daily Telegraph's birth announcements last year.

Alice did not suddenly come into being (let's combine the letters A-L-I-C-E, hey that's a nice name), it was rather the product of a process.

The majority of my information has Alice coming about as a pet form of Adelaide, which itself is the short form of Adalheidis. From Adalheidis is much easier than from Alice to see where the name comes from - adal meaning noble (as touched upon in Ada) and heid meaning kind. My conflicting information has Alice coming from Adalheit meaning 'noble woman'.

Alice came about via the step of Adelice, Adelise, Adeliese and Adelais. Another variation is Alys used in Medieval times (such as the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Louis VII of France - Alys of Vexin - 1160-1220).

Alice really shot to fame as the heroine of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

Ada

'Adal' is Old High German for nobility - and therefore names which stem from 'adal' mean noble.
Ada did not become popular until the late 18th century (whereas Alice, Adele, Adelaide etc. - other names stemming from 'adal' had all been around a lot longer). There is a Hebrew name - Adah - meaning decorated, and so Ada is also credited with being the Latinate form of Ada, as well as a short form of Adelaide and Adele. Adah had been popular with the Puritans, but from the appearance of Ada and onwards it was eclipsed.

Ada appeared before the 18th century as the sister of Charlemagne for whom the Ada Gospels were dedicated. Ada of Caria (which is a region of Turkey) was reinstated as satrap or governor of Caria but Alexander the Great. Ada was also the name of a 7th century abbess of Saint-Julien-des-Pres at Le Mans.

When Ada reappeared in the 18th century, it was used by poet Lord Byron for his daughter. She then upon marriage became Ada Lovelace. She was well educated in mathematics and science and this led to her coming into contact with Charles Babbage. She wrote notes on Babbage's 'Analytical Engine' - the first 'computer'. Since her death Ada has been remembered as a computer programming language.

In recent years Ada has reappeared as an alternative to the wildly popular Ava. Similarly palindromic, with almost the same letters and sounds - only time will tell if Ada shares Ava's charms and woos the public.

Gem Names

Basically today a gem name catapulted it's way into my attention. Ruby. Why? Today is the day that 2006 top names of the UK are published, and Ruby has charmed it's way into the top 5 - #4 to be exact. I doubt that this is a start of a great 'gem name' push into the UK (the only other gem name there is Amber, and that has stayed pretty stagnant at no. 40 for the last couple of years), but it is interesting.

In terms of meanings, gem stones are pretty descriptive - ruby means red, amber means amber, opal means opal (but is derived from jewel), diamond (surprise, surprise) means diamond.

Ruby isn't the only 'red' name in the top 100 - Scarlett is up at #46, only a small jump after last year's huge leap, whilst Sienna has decreased slightly in popular (#69-70). Adam, which means 'to be red' has not changed at all from last year.

So why Ruby? To quote a recent new parent of a Ruby (Tobey Maguire - he of Spiderman fame) - they 'treasure her like a jewel'. Some of the popularity of Ruby may be due to (or may simply be the follower of the fashion) the character Ruby Allen on popular soap 'Eastenders' - though she arrived in 2005, when Ruby was already on the rise. Perhaps it is because Ruby fills that mysterious and elusive category of fitting both a young girl (with the '-ee' ending) and a grown woman (strong and red).

12 years ago, the UK scene was different. The top gem name was Jade - in 1994 it was number 9. Jade completely fell off the top 100 last year. There are no 'red' names in this list - green is the major cololur with Jade, Chloe, Ashleigh and Holly. Gemma is also there.

Gemstones are also in the same category of month names (think May, June, April - then you have Julie/Julian/Julius/Juliet, Augustus/a, Octavia and Non/va). In that each month is assigned a stone - Garnet in January, Amethyst = Feb, Aquamarine (I can't see this becoming a name) = March, Diamond=April, Emerald (and therefore Esmeralda) = May, Alexandrite (Alexandra) or Pearl = June, July = Ruby, August = Peridot, Sept = Sapphire, Oct=Opal, Nov = Topaz and Dec = Tanzanite, Zircon or Turquoise.

If we US top 1000 these month names then the 'popular' month stones are: Diamond, Emerald (but not since 2000), Esmeralda, Ruby, Perry (for Peridot) and Sapphire.

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

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

Olive and Olivia

Olive
Meaning is obvious - olive, from Latin oliva. Since Greek times the olive branch has been the symbol of peace, so it could also be taken to mean peace - though it does not directly.
In terms of connection there is Olive Oyl (and olive oil) - the girlfriend of Popeye - probably what has condemned Olive and allowed Olivia to flourish.

The olive plant (as shown to the right) is grown in Eastern Mediterranean. The fruit of the plant is initially inedible and must be treated before eaten. This involves being soaked in a solution of NaOH and thoroughly washed with water to remove oleuropein - a naturally bitter carbohydrate. Green olives are unripe olives that have been processed and allowed to ferment. Black olives are ripe and unfermented thus tasting milder. Olives have also been used since ancient times for making Olive oil.

Olivia
This is a Latinate name, first used by Shakespeare for the rich female heiress in Twelfth Night - wooed by Orsino, falls in love with Cesario (aka Viola as a man) and finally marries Sebastian, twin of Viola. This romantic connection (much more romantic than being the girlfriend of a spinach-muncher), the fact that it's a female form of Oliver and shares the same nicknames (Ollie, Livvy) means that it's popular in mainly English speaking countries - UK, USA, Australia, NZ and (interestingly, seeing as I don't know much about their naming trends) Finland.

Phoebe, Cynthia, Artemis, Diana and Selene

Seeing as I don't want this blog to be all about alternatives (it is interesting and useful to do them, I just don't want an overload).

So I'm going on Moon names or various names that have been attributed to the Greek goddess Artemis. A couple of years ago, the name Artemisia was among my favourite names. She was an architect - builder of one of the 7 wonders of the world, and named after the goddess of virginity and the hunt. Pure determination.

But if you really delve into Artemis it's either a safe name (artemes) or a butcher of a name (artemos), this is one of the problems I have with it - it does not mean beautiful one, or eagle or brave. It's meaning is debatable, and neither are stunning.

Want a twin set? Artemis and Apollo. Except that that would be horrendous. Together, they're names for twin cats or hamsters. I wouldn't advise Apollo on it's own - seems very he-man to me, like calling your child Hercules, Zeus or Achilles.

I suppose to finish off with Artemis - there is Artemis Fowl - a series of books by Eoin Colfer. Artemis is a boy. There is also in Bible a man named Artemas.

So if Artemis is not an option, what about the other names that derive from it:
Phoebe, Cynthia, Diana and Selene - I would say that they are all more popular than Artemis, more acceptable.

I'll start with Phoebe, certainly a name I've been hearing a lot recently. In the non-mythological, non-naming world Phoebe is famous for being the quirky 'Friend' and a witch in 'Charmed'. For English fans there's also a character on 'The Archers' named Phoebe.

Phoebe is sweet, and quite pretty - unusual sound that will stand out from the Emmas and the Amys. In the UK it's also borderline common (#35 to be exact), meaning that a Phoebe is unlikely to go through life without meeting another. It's a bright, pure name (phoibos), so unlike Artemis has a decent meaning.

Problem with it? Spelling - for the dyslexic (and non-dyslexic) Phoebe can be Phebe, Feebe, Phoeby, Pheobe, Phobe...

So lets get onto Cynthia - another name for Artemis due to her birthplace on Mt Cynthos. I tend to associate this name with older woman (all the Cynthias I know are older), but I still like it. It's a sensible name - not too frilly but not too bland. This is a name that has had a curve in popularity (in the US where I can get stats), In 1906 it was in the late 300s, 1957 it was #7 and last year it was #221. Cynthia has the thrilling meaning of 'woman from Cynthos' (reminiscent of Lydia - explored earlier, and Sabina - which will be in an upcoming thread). So...no, not for me.

Diana - I have a personal reason for using this (or not using it as the case may be). Meaning is good - heavenly or divine. She was the Roman equivalent of Artemis - goddess of the moon, hunt, forests, childbirth...It's a name that has dipped in and out of the US top 100, it's rise hasn't been as extreme as it's spawn Diane.

Why not? Diana, Princess of Wales is just too big a block for me. I would use this name to honour someone else, but it may end up like I'm honouring her. I think I'll stick with Dinah - spunky and Biblical.

So finally we get onto Selene. It may have been irrevocably damaged by Celine Dion's 'My Heart will go on' hit. Except that apart from sound Selene and Celine are not closely related. Celine comes from Celio from Caelius meaning Heaven , Selene means moon. It's a fine name, another curve in popularity.

If I had to choose I'd go with Phoebe. It's spunky, a little different but still within the comfort zone.

Jessica and some alternatives

Last year Jessica was the #1 name in England, around #6 in Australia and #5 in NZ. Etymologically, Jessica supposedly hails from the Hebrew name Yiscah, though Shakespeare was the first recorded user of this name - in the Merchant of Venice as the daughter of the Jewish money lender Shylock.

Yiscah means 'Yahweh beholds' or 'God beholds'. Though Jessica may also mean wealth.

Famous Jessicas include actresses Jessica Alba and Biel, and singer Jessica Simpson. There is also the fictional character Jessica Rabbit. Jessicas also class among Oscar winners - with Jessica Tandy and Lange winning awards.

Jessica is very much a name of the 80s and 90s. Especially in America where it was #1 for 9 years between 85 and 95, and the top 5 from 1977-95. It's big year was 1987 when almost 56000 babies were named Jessica in the USA. It was even in the top 1000 boys names from 1977-91, peaking at #579 in 1985, with 229 boys being given that name.

It may not be an ultra-popular name anymore, Jessica is now one of those names that the universities are full of. So what are the alternatives:

1) 'Jes' names:
Jessenia
Jessamine
Yiscah

Containing elements of Jessica:
Jasmine
Justine
Josephine
Jocelyn
Jacinthe
Joyce
Jenna
Jemima
Odessa
Vanessa
Altessa
Cressida
Monica
Veronica
Erica
Fredrica
Rebecca
Bianca
Francesca

2) The meaning (Yahweh beholds, the Lord's gift):
Dorothea
Eudora
Godiva
Hadiyya
Isidora
Mattea
Theodora
Atiya
Callidora
Donata


3) Random connections (this is where I really on Babynamer on Oxygen):
(One I thought up myself) Any Alba name after Jessica Alba - Albinia, Rosalba etc.
(Another one of mine) Another Shakespeare name - Nerissa, Portia, Juliet, Ophelia etc.
(BNoO from now on):
Angela - from Angela Lansbury who plays Jessica Fletcher on 'Murder She Wrote'
Similar names according to BNoO:
Jennifer
Deborah
Maria
Janet
Jacoba
Jaleesa

Alternatives to Emily

New little thing I'm starting.
Basically Emily is a popular name, in terms of the stats I could get for it, it is:
#1 in the USA
#2 in the UK
#7 in Germany
#8 in Scotland
#1 in Canada
#1 in N Territory, Australia and #3 in New South Wales
#4 in New Zealand

Emilija is #3 in Lithuania and Emilie is #6 in Norway.

That's an awful lot of babies being called Emily.
So...what are the alternatives:

1) Obvious alternatives - similar in sound:
The 'Em' names:
Emma (however, this is also an ultra-popular name, in the top 10 of 14 countries - more than Emily)
Emmeline
Emilia
Emerald
Emmanuelle

The 'Milly' names:
Amelia
Camilla
Jamila
Millecent
Mildred
Milburga

Other names containing 'Emily' sounds:
Artemisia
Clementine
Demelza
Demetria
Dilys
Gemma
Hilary
Holly
Jemima
Jillian
Kelly
Lily
Lydia
Molly
Polly

2) Less obvious: The meaning
Emily is from Aemilius from aemelus meaning 'rival'.
There are no names with exactly the same meaning as Emily, however, here are some close and opposite ones:
Amika (friendly)
Atalanta (equal in weight)
Cara (friend)
Philomena (friend of strength)
Ruth (friend)
Theophilia (friend of God)

3) Really random connections (mainly from Babynamer on Oxygen, these are people that I have heard of - I could only think of the Bronte connection):
Charlotte and Anne (two other Bronte sisters)
Natalie, Laura, Martie and Robin (other members of Dixie Chicks)
Dorothy (creator of Emily Pollifax character)

Babynamer on Oxygen lists the following (which I have not mentioned) as similar to Emily:
Valerie
Eleanor
Evelyn
Christina
Diana
Gloria
Julia (I would say that Julie is closer)
Sylvia

So, just a 'few' names to consider, if Emily is not an option.