Name Combinations, 7/20/2012

For my name combinations this week, I'm going to mix things up a bit. While visiting my mother in June, I came across my name lists from exactly ten years ago. Yep, you guessed it, good ol' July of 2002! I was fresh out of high school, and had lots of summer free time to work on my longest running hobby.

This week I'm going to use some name combinations that I would've used if I had (god forbid!) become pregnant at the ripe old age of 18.

Without further ado, the name combinations for this week are:

Imogen Greysa Bliss and Dorian Griffith Beau (apparently I planned on having British children!)

photo courtesy of  juliejordanscott 

Imogen has an interesting history, and is pronounced IH-moh-jen. This name is believed to be a Shakespearean typo of the name Innogen (The Gaelic Inghean means "maiden" or "daughter"), in the play Cymbeline. In earlier scripts of the play, and in Shakespeare's source documents, the name is clearly printed as Innogen; someone may have thought it was a combination of "imo gens" meaning "last born" in Latin. This name had a short run of common use in the US during the 1880s-1950s as "Imogene" (ih-mo-jeen), peaking in the 1920s. Imogen is commonly used in the UK, however, and is very stylish. The most notable bearer (besides the Shakespeare character) is pop singer Imogen Heap.

I'm pretty sure my obsession with Imogen in 2002 might've had something to do with not only my love for quirky names, but was a tribute to my mom in a backwards way. She and I enjoyed watching the movie Fried Green Tomatoes together (guilty pleasure!), and main character Idgie is an Imogene.

Greysa is something I'm pretty sure I pulled out of my...brain. Ahem. I was in love with the name/word Grey (this spelling only, of course!) I might've been interested in the name Grayson, due to the other surname-names that are on my lists; this very well could be my feminine, "British" twist on it. Not sure how I feel about it now, but it certainly sounds pretty!

Bliss -- the happiest word ever, right? Yes, Bliss means "supreme happiness" and is rarely used as a name for real, live children. There are many songs, albums, novels, and towns bearing the word bliss, showing a fascination with this cheery noun. Word Blithe is very similar, and is used slightly more often as a name, usually as Blythe.

Why Imogen Greysa Bliss? I've had a fascination with two middle names for quite some time. It's a regal, upper-class trend among English families, and a fun way to incorporate even more names (whee!) on one person. It usually sounds best when you have varying syllables and endings (i.e. Millie Holly Mary doesn't sound as great, does it?)

Dorian is an ancient Greek tribal name, one of the four main tribes that settled in the mountains of Doris. People may be most familiar with the eponymous character of Oscar Wilde's novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The name first came into common U.S. use during the 1960s, and has hovered in-between the 400-600 most popular on the Social Security list. I'm guessing the reason this was on my list was the way it sounds -- a beautiful name for males.

Griffith, a Welsh name rarely used in the U.S., most commonly seen as a surname. Could make a nice tribute to the recently deceased Andy Griffith. Griffith seems spunky to me. I could see him as a sibling to a Phoebe or Quincy.

Beau pronounced "Bo," is the French term for "handsome." Ooh la la! Beau didn't hit the U.S. popularity charts 'til the 1970s, and was most popular in the 1980s. Beau is still holding strong, coming in at #350 in last year's most popular boys names rankings. It's a bit dapper, don't you think?

What do you think of the names I liked in 2002? Would they work today?

Name Detective: Ororo

Lauren K. writes:

"If you could find anything about the name "Ororo" would be amazing! I'm really interested in finding out anything about Ororo, mostly because I'm hoping it's a real name and not something just made up for the fictional character! I'm just having the worst time searching for her name!"

photo courtesy of  zuzkins

Ororo Iqudi T'Challa, née Munroe is the name of X-Men character Storm's alter ego. She's best known for a superhero trait many of us wish we were blessed with -- the ability to control the weather.

I did some searching too, and no, there's nothing conclusive. My personal suspicions are that Ororo is a variation of the Greek name Aurora or French Aurore (meaning "dawn").

The character Ororo has some Kenyan heritage, and while Kenyan names in particular don't have a plethora of names that start with an "O," many other African names do -- most notably, Nigeria. One name specifically stands out in this case, Omorose (o mo RO seh, meaning "beautiful"), might be related. It's an Egyptian name often used in Nigeria. This could be a very likely link, since many X-Men fan sites list Ororo as meaning "beauty."

My guess is that Ororo is a mash-up of Aurora and Omorose, or a science-fictionified variant of Aurora or Omorose. While doing some research, one website says that Ororo is a Persian name meaning "great mother." I'm not sure how reliable this information is, since the Farsi (Persian) word for mother is "madar."

I guess we'll never actually know unless we ask the creators of Ms. Ororo Munroe, and one of them has already passed away.

Anyone else have thoughts in Ororo?

Name Combinations, 7/13/2012

This week's combinations are:

Millicent Vera and Henry Leopold (Henry was suggested by reader Libbie H.)

photo courtesy of   jason pratt 

Millicent, poor, dear Millicent. You've been neglected for so long, last ranking in the 1950s at a paltry #990th most popular. Isabel/la and Sophia, names similar in style and (early) popularity, have come back into fashion in a big way. Millicent is still working on her crocheting in some quiet, unknown retirement home.
  Adorable nickname Millie is seeing some signs of rebirth, coming back into the rankings in 2009 at #868, and slowly creeped up to #818 in 2011. 
  Do this dignified, dusty gal a favor -- give Millicent a chance!


Vera, a name found in many countries, is not commonly used in this day and age. It's a shame. The name has an understated beauty, and is Latin for "truth" (Russian Vjera/Vyara means faith). When you pronounce it "vair-uh" instead of "vee-ruh," it adds a touch of softness to any clunkiness Millicent might portray.


Henry. A fine choice. It took a bit of a nosedive in popularity throughout the '50s-'90s, and has started to swing back around, currently at #57. It seems to be a favorite of many Anglo, middle-to-upper class families, although all sorts of people can fall for Henry's soft, gentlemanly charm.
  I assume many recently-born Henrys have middle names like James or John. That's fine and dandy, and right in line with a current naming trend (short, soft, and sweet biblical/Victorian choices,  à la Ella Rose, Sophie Grace, Noah James), but a tad safe. 


Leopold makes a bold, yet complimentary statement with Henry. Leopold is an aristocratic name, just like Henry, but has more panache. What better way to sucker punch people than to give them sweet Henry, and, BOOM! -- Leopold. IN YO' FACE!

Advice

photo courtesy of  jelene

B. writes:

"Charles is nice... But as much as I love the name Charles I could never use it. (Charlie [is an ex-boyfriend]... Ew.) I can't get past people I don't like having a similar name. How do you suggest people get past that? By looking at the meaning of the names??"

Here's the deal, B.

When someone names their child after someone else, it's known as "honoring" them. It's usually a good thing, right?

People in your past (or present) who are less than honorable don't deserve that homage. You may have moved on, but the name will probably always be tainted and unsavory in your mind. When you see your child, do you want to remind yourself of a bad spot in your life?

So, when it comes to the names of exes, old bosses you greatly disliked, or family members that didn't send a fiver in your birthday cards...DTMFA. There are plenty of other nice names in the sea. Sorry, Charlie!

Yeah, Yeah for Yé-Yé!

Many know me as music fan. I've done a few stints working at local record stores, it's true. One genre I enjoy is known as yé-yé (pronounced yeah-yeah -- similar to the "yeah! yeah!" repeated in fun rock/pop songs.) It was a style popularized in France, Spain, and Québec in the early 1960s. The music took several styles, such as rock (think '60s), R&B (ditto), pop, chanson, and beat music, and rolled it into a genre largely characterized by young, female singers who (usually) sang in French.

A lot of these girls had charming, distinctively Gallic names. A lot of them could be adorable, original sounding choices for a baby born in the 2010s. Some favorites:

Brigitte - You guessed it, as in Bardot. (Actually, Bardot would be a pretty cute name too!) This bombshell had a long-spanning career, recording 80 songs, starring in 47 films, and acting in many musical shows. Pronounced in France as brih-ZHEET, this name only charted the American popularity lists in (surprise!) the 1960s, making it an unusual choice. I'm going to assume that most people today would assume this was a fancified version of Bridget, and pronounce it accordingly. If you don't mind correcting people, this is a nice choice.

Sylvie - Sylvie Vartan was a Bulgaria native, whose family fled to France when she was about eight years old after the Soviet Army occupied her homeland. Before leaving, she got to play a role in a film, and it left a lasting desire to become an entertainer. She was one of the first girls to rock in France; before her, it was unusual for a female performer to sing and dance. The name Sylvie is very uncommon in the USA, never charting on the popularity lists. The pretty name is seeing a bit of revival on the internet, and only time will tell if it will finally chart.

Clothilde - This one's a doozy, right? The French pronounce it somewhat like clo-TIL-deh (think of it as a cross between Chloe and Matilda.) The singer Clothilde was not as well known as some of her counterparts, but her songs featured unique instruments and clever lyrics. Where did she get this unusual name? Saint Clotilde was the wife of Frankish King Clovis I in the sixth century. She supposedly went into battle by his side. I think it's safe to say this name has never, and maybe will never be popular in this country, due to its clunkiness. However, it could make a fun middle name if you "Americanized" it and put it with something short and spirited. June Clotilda? Wren Clotilda? It could work.

Violaine - There isn't much information about this girl, although of note: she was sponsored by Ford Motors to put out some singles (they didn't chart), and her half-sister, Christine Pilzer, was also a yé-yé artist. Violaine would make a nice alternative to Violet, if you want to avoid the "violent" sound or the popularity Violet's currently enjoying.

Some other yé-yé singers (or those who had songs in the style) with interesting names: Nicoletta, Bernadette,  Chantal, Cosette, Séverine, Zouzou, Gillian, Liliane. Any of these would be nice, dusty choices to add pizzazz to some of the more commonly given girl names these days. Chloe Marie? Yawn. Chloe Séverine? Wow!

One of my favorite yé-yé songs, sung by France Gall (born Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall).

Name Combinations, 7/6/12

My name combinations for the week are

Frances Ophelia and Victor Elias.

ophelia courtesy of   andypowe11 

Frances is a classic (some might say old-fashioned) name with a no-nonsense feel. It would seem fresh and quirky on a young girl today, but would fit in classmates named Emily and Sophia. Frances was most popular in the USA in the 1910s, hitting a peak of the 9th most given female name. In 2011, however, it was the 789th most popular name, given to just 341 girls. (In comparison: the most commonly given female name of 2011, Sophia, was bestowed upon 21,695 girls. Add the spelling Sofia, and that's another 7,285 babies called "soh-FEE-ə")

Ophelia has some of the same attributes (old-fashioned, no-nonsense, quirky), but rounds out the two-syllable first name Frances with a little more frill.

Victor sounds strong, and that might have something to do with its literal meaning: winner or conqueror. The name Victor just so happens to be the name of many famous people of the past -- Victor Borge and Victor Hugo, amongst others. However, the name is not quite as popular as it once was, slipping from a popularity ranking of #75 in the 1910s, to #142 in 2011. It was given to 2,877 boys last year (in comparison, the most commonly given name, Jacob [this spelling only] was given to nearly ten times as many boys).

Elias, a variant of Elijah, rounds out Victor as a first name with a similar ranking in popularity and style. It has three syllables, which compliments two-syllable Victor.

Hello from Name Tag!

Names are fascinating -- sometimes they tell a lot about the bearer, and sometimes they are a mystery. They're usually one of the first things we learn about a person, and often shed light on their culture and background.

I plan on posting about interesting names, name combinations that I like, and advice. Enjoy!