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.

An exploration of names with 'Theo-' as their root

Theos is Greek for God so it is not unexpected that it is a common element in many names. The most popular of these is Theodore meaning 'gift of God'. This names has been borne by Presidents (Theodore Roosevelt), Popes and Saints, and has the nicknames Theo and Teddy (giving Teddy-Bear from Roosevelt). Theodore has several related names, and different spellings in other languages:

Male:
Fedor
Feodor
Fyodor
Teodor
Teodoro
Teuvo
Theodoros
Tivadar
Todor - similar to Tudor the Welsh form of the name which became the surname of the royal family 1485-1603 including the infamous Henry VIII and his 6 wives.

Female:
Dorothea - this is a swap of the two elements of Theodore - theos and doron Dorothea (and Dorothy) has the same meaning as Theodore and shares two of its nickames (Dora and Thea) with:
Theodora
Fedora
Tea (Tee-ah)
Teodora
Thea
Theda
Todorka

Another 'Theo-' name is Theophanes meaning 'manifestation of God' - phanes means appearing. Theophanes coined the female name Theophania from which the modern name Tiffany comes. Theophania was used to refer to Epiphany when the Three Wise Men visited the infant Christ. In Medieval times girls born during the Twelve Days of Christmas (25 Dec - 6 Jan) were given a variant of this name. The French changed Theophania to Tifaina and Tifaine.

The next 'Theo-' name is Theodosius meaning 'giving to God' - dosis means giving. From Theodosius we get the female form Theodosia. This name was borne by several early saints.

Theodotus means 'given to God' - dotus means given.

Theodulus means 'slave of God' - doulos meaning slave. This is quite apt as a Christian slave - Zoe and her husband Hesperus, refused to eat the food their Master offered to the pagan Roman Gods when their son was born. The Master then ordered them and their two sons - Syriacus and Theodulus, to be tortured and roasted. Not exactly a pretty connection but an example of early Christian bravery and trust in God.

Theophilus means 'friend of God'. The Book of Acts and Luke's gospel are both addressed toa man name Theophilus. The female form is Theophilia. This is another name that can be rearranged - in Louis de Bernieres book Birds without wings the central female character is named Philothei.

'Judge of God' is the meaning of Theocritus from krites meaning judge. It was the name of a 3rd century Greek poet.

Theophylaktos is my final Greek, male name. As well as being a mouthful and difficult to spell it means 'guarded by God' with phylasso meaning 'to guard'.

Theokleia is a female name from kleia meaning glory and was the name of the first female saint. Her suffering was recorded in the Apocryphal book of 'Acts of Paul and Thecla'. Thecla is a contracted form of the name.

The non-Greek Theo- names

Namely Theobald and Theodoric. These two names are (confusingly) of German origin. The Theo part is from peud meaning 'people'. Theobald simply means 'bold people' and Theodoric means 'ruler of the people' - ric meaning power.

Elizabeth and its diminutives and alterations

Elizabeth
History: Elizabeth is a fairly common throughout history. It is of Hebrew origin from Elisheva - 'God is my oath'. In the Bible Elisheba was Aaron's wife and John the Baptist's Mother (who is now known as Elizabeth).

An early recording of Elizabeth is a Russian Princess Elisavetta who was sang about by Viking king Harald Hardrada. The songs established the name in Scandinavia and so came the alterations: Elsebin, Lisbet and Helsa.

Changing of Elizabeth:
Elisheba to Elisabet by the Greeks
Elisabet to Elisabeth in Latin
Elisabeth to Lescinska by the Russians
Elisabeth to Elizabeth by the Germans
And Elisabeth to Isabelle in the 12th century

Isabel
Creation in a nutshell: Belgian Princess Elizabeth married Philippe August of France and changed her name to Isabella. This became Isabelle, Isabel and Ysabel.

Nicknames
Elizabeth = Ellie, Ella, Eliza, Elsie, Elspeth, Elise, Liz, Liza, Lizzie, Libby, Lisette, Lilibet, Beth, Bet, Betsy, Bess, Bessie, Bettina, Babette, Betty, Bella, Belle, Izzy

Elisabeth also gives Lisa and Lissie

So what do I think of Elizabeth?
1) Terrific numbers of nicknames and alterations eg Isabel, even if Elizabeth is common the vast amounts of nicknames means that an Elizabeth will not get lost in the crowd. The only names with similar scope that I can think of are Alice (because of all the different Alicia spellings) and Katharine/Katherine/Catherine/Catharine/Kathryn.

2) Huge numbers of namesakes as well - Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, Elizabeth I and II of England, several St Elizabeths, for celebrities there's Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler and Elizabeth Taylor. Also included in plays and literature such as Eliza Dolittle in Pygmalion and My Fair Lady.

3) However, I also think that Elizabeth is common and can be plain. I consider Isabel to be a prettier alternative, especially in the middle name spot. However, Isabella is rising sharply in popularity - last year it was #6 in the USA. But Elizabeth is a safe choice - unlikely to attract the kind of teasing that other 'made-up' and 'unique' names will, and will last a lifetime.

Eglantine with comments '-ine' names

Certainly an unusual flowery name, Eglantine has over the last few weeks appealed to me.
Why?
Firstly, names such as Evangeline or Emmeline are getting popular - being used more - certainly around the name forums. I do not foresee Eglantine ever becoming popular and that adds to its charm. However, neither Evangeline or Emmeline have broken the top 1000 in USA for 40 years. Emmeline in particular, has never even got into the top 1000 and Evangeline's peak was way back in 1901 at #398. But nowadays more and more people are searching for unusually traditional names - Sarah, Alice, Rebecca are all being seen as lovely but too popular. Thus the rise of the '-ine' names - Josephine (2005 #229), Madeline (#69), Angelina (#43) and Katherine (which has been wallowing around #35 since 1978 with dips into the 20s in early 90s.).

Angeline, which was popular at the turn of the century, is back in the charts at #925 after an eighteen year hiatus. This could either be due to film star Angelina Jolie or because of its '-ine' ending.

Back onto Eglantine.
First thoughts:
The spelling - this is quite an ugly name really. The 'lantine' part is pleasing to the eye, but the 'g' is off-putting especially put next to the E.
Pronunciation:
Egg-lan-teen, Eg-lan-tin or Egg-lan-tine (to rhyme with twine)? My research seems to suggest teen or tine.

Meaning - possibly the most important part of a name - if you like sound and spelling then the meaning can break or make a name:
It is a flower name - sweet brier - from Old French aiglent which is from the Latin acus meaning 'needle' as the plant has a prickly stem.

So, does Eglantine have a long and illustrious history?
Depends which way you look at it.
It was used by Geoffrey Chaucer in 'The Prioress's Tale' and by JRR Tolkien as the mother of the Hobbit Pippin. A Wikipedia search comes up with it as the 'the estate of the Irish Mill Baron, Edward Thomas Green'.

My own thoughts on Eglantine are that it is a sing-song name, but should only be used as an alternative to Emmeline and Evangeline if they become popular. I like that it is unusual but dislike the spelling. Recently I have used it as a minor (who may become major) character in my current novel.