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.

Zillah and Adah

I think that this is going to be a short one, but I would just like to touch upon two lovely, unusual, Biblical names - Zillah and Adah.

Zillah is a Biblical name meaning 'shade' featured in Genesis 4 v 19-23, as one of two wives of Lamech, the other being Adah meaning 'ornament' or 'dawn'.

Zillah is also spelled Tsilah.

Adah should not be confused with Ada, originally a pet form of Adela, Adelaide and Adeline etc. and therefore meaning 'noble'. Both Adah and Ada are usual alternatives to Ava, which is getting increasingly popular. Adah is also the wife of Esau, and is also known as Basemath.

Zillah is only the third woman to be mentioned in the Bible, and it is partly for that reason that the name was taken up by Puritans and fundamental Christians.

Unusual? Yes, Zillah has only been in the US top 1000 3 times, the last time being 1889. Adah is slightly more popular, it's high point was in 1883 when it was 277th, however, it dropped out of the top 1000 in 1917 and hasn't returned since.

'-wen' and '-wyn'

Just a little thing that's become a pet peeve of mine - the endings '-wen' and '-wyn' on Welsh names, and the trendiness which is blurring the difference between them.
I only found out the difference this week, but now it is annoying me whenever I see the name Bronwyn for a girl.

A simple rule:

'-wyn' is masculine
'-wen' is feminine

In Welsh these only occur in either masculine or feminine. There is no cross-over.
Therefore:
Bronwyn is masculine
Bronwen is feminine

Confusion is caused because their is an Anglo-Saxon feminine ending of '-wyn'. However, on Welsh names these rule exist.

Therefore someone trying to be trendy and using Bronwyn on a girl is doing the equivalent of calling a girl James or Richard.

Information on this can be found at: http://www.medievalscotland.org/problem/names/branwen.shtml

Ceres and Vesta

Both are the names of asteroids in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres is the largest and has the most mass but Vesta is the brightest (and second massive). These are the only two asteroids that can be seen with the naked eye from Earth (Ceres only under exceptional viewing conditions).

Initially Ceres was thought to be the missing planet, but after discovering it was much smaller than any other planet it was decided that instead it was an 'asteroid' - meaning starlike (Latin astra - star). However, though this definition is wrong (planetoid would be better as they do not resemble stars at all) it has stuck. When Vesta was discovered in 1807 it too was called an asteroid.

Currently the IAU are drafting a definition of Planets and Plutons (orbits lasting over 200 years). Under these definitions Ceres is a planet (as it has enough gravity to assume an almost round - oblate spheroid (same as Earth) shape and orbits a star). For a celestial object that has been an asteroid for over 200 years this is quite a development.

Ceres (said Seer-rez) was the Roman goddess of plants and motherly love. She was connected with the Greek goddess Demeter. It is from Ceres that we get the word cereal. Ceres itself comes from ker meaning 'to grow' which is also the root of the words 'create' and 'increase'.

Vesta was the Roman goddess of hearth, home and family - connected with the Greek goddess Hestia. Her priestesses were called the Vestal Virgins/Vestales. They had to observe absolute chastity for 30 years and ensure that the public hearth sacred to Vesta never went out.

My thoughts? Ceres is possibly a planet name that could be used without sounding stupid. If not there is always Sarah, Cerys and Ceri.

Continuing from Elizabeth - male 'Eli-' names

Eli is probably the obvious choice to start with. In Hebrew el means God, however Eli is also believed to be an ancient Hebrew word meaning 'height' or 'high' or 'ascension'. In the Bible Eli was a High Priest of Israel, and the teacher of Samuel (who in turn went on to become a judge). Eli is a fairly simple name - three letters, two syllables and was popular during the Reformation and the rise of Puritanism.

Elijah is an ancient Hebrew name, borne by an important Old Testament prophet, recognized by Christians, Jews and Muslims. It was originally spelt Eliyahu and is commonly thought to mean 'Jah or Jehovah is God'. However, as with Eli, it may also mean 'Jah is highest'. The Biblical Elijah confronted the corrupt Ahab and Jezebel and was severely punished. Elijah's death was not normal - 'a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.' (2 Kings 2:11 NIV).

This prompted the Jewish people to believe that one day Elijah would return - at the Jewish Passover Seder a cup of wine is left for Elijah, who would arrive as an unknown guest and foretell the arrival of the Messiah. John the Baptist is sometimes referred to as Elijah, and during his lifetime Jesus was mistaken for Elijah - 'Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"

28They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."' (Mark 8:26-28 NIV)

Elijah also appeared during the Transfiguration, with Moses: 'There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.' (Matt 17:2-3 NIV).

Elias is the Greek variation of the name. The form Elias is used in the New Testament of the King James Bible for Elijah.

Elisha was Elijah's successor and a prominent prophet. This name is now more commonly used as a girls name (as with actress Elisha Cuthbert). It comes from Elishu'a meaning 'God is my salvation'.

There are many other 'Eli-' names including:
Eliab
Eliada
Eliachim
Eliahba
Eliakim
Eliam
Eliasaph
Eliashib
Eliathah
Elidad
Eliehoenai
Eliel
Elienai
Eliezer
Elihoreph
Elihu
Elim
Elimelech
Elika
Elionai
Eliron
Eliphal
Eliphalet
Eliphaz
Eliphelet
Eliphelehu
Elishah
Elishama
Elishaphat
Elishua
Eliud
Elizaphan
Elizur

Lydia and Bethany

In today's climate of giving place names as first names (think of the 'trendy' examples of London, Preston, Ireland) it is always good to look for alternatives which provide traditional charm whilst retaining the place name status. Two excellent examples of this are Lydia and Bethany.

Lydia

This name has the rather unexciting meaning of 'A woman from Lydia' - an area of Asia Minor - then again when using a place name one should not expect an interesting meaning. However, what's more important about the name is the main namesake - Lydia (from Thyatira) who was a purple cloth-dyer in the Bible and was converted by St Paul. Another famous Lydia is Lydia Bennett in Pride and Prejudice - Lizzie's silly sister.

Bethany

The name Bethany has more of a connection with Jesus than the later apostles. It was the name of the small village outside Jerusalem where Jesus stayed before the Last Supper and crucifixion. It was also where the sisters Mary and Martha lived, and where Jesus raised their brother Lazarus from the death. More information about the town of Bethany can be found here, on Wikipedia.

Bethany has the meaning 'house of figs'. The beth element is used in several place names in Israel such as Bethlehem and Bethsaida.

The enduring popular of Bethany can also be accredited to 'Beth' being a nickname of Elizabeth. Bethany can therefore be used as an alternative - to honour an Elizabeth or the other way around. The 'any' part can also be linked to names such as Anne or containing the '-anne' or '-an' element.

The Welsh name Bethan is connected to Elizabeth, instead of Bethany.