Some finds from the GRO Birth Records for England and Wales in 1856. All are first names and middle names -- the surnames are not included unless indicated by 'sn'-- and have been checked against census records for accuracy.
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Alpha Beta |
Adela Silvena Zerviah |
*Alma, Inkerman, Sebastopol, Odessa, Nelson, Wellington and Trafalgar are all connected to British military victories and heroes.
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Idony
Once a known name to English parents, Idony has since
fallen into obscurity — ready for revival among the Izzys and Elodies.
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Origin: |
Idony is the Anglicised form of the Norse name Iðunn. In Norse mythology Iðunn was the goddess of spring who was charged with the role of guarding the apples of eternal youth that made the Norse gods immortal. There appears to be little consensus on the etymology of the name — attributed meanings in different sources range from "renewer" to "work lover" — but, if we dig a little deeper, we find that the differences lie in the translating of Old Norse concepts into modern English, rather than a fundamental difference of opinion. The first element of the name, ið, is hard to find in dictionaries of Old Norse, but some sources suggest either "work, labour" (cognate with the Old Germanic id), "again", or "constant movement". One word that is perhaps more helpful, and more frequently attested, is the related iðja meaning "to do, perform, to work at,"** which gives us an overall sense of something being consistently worked on or performed. The second element is derived from the Norse unna "to love, grant, allow, bestow." Historically, the name has also suffered from another confusion of meaning. In official documents Idony was Latinised as Idonia or Idonea. The latter spelling was most likely adopted due to an assumption that the name was related to the Latin idoneus meaning "suitable" as this was the form most commonly used. |
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Usage: |
The name of the goddess was used occasionally as a given name for Viking women, and is twice attested in the medieval Icelandic document Landnámabók. It was most likely brought to Britain by settlers, and used in areas of Viking rule. The Normans, who were of Viking descent themselves, brought the name over from Normandy, and by the 13th century we can find several examples of the name in use, including the daughters of noblemen Robert de Veteripont and Robert de Clifford. The English poll taxes of 1377, 1379 and 1381 show 24 occurrences of the name across ten counties; the same number as Anne.* Alternate spellings included Idone, Edonea, Ydany, and Edony, and it is thought that the surnames Edney, Idney, Iddon and Iddins are all derivatives. The name all but died out by the 16th century: there is one Ideny in 1644, and an Edney in 1754. The Victorians occasionally used the name in the forms Idonia, Idonea and Idona. The 1901 UK census lists 25 women with these variations, which had risen to 35 in the 1911 census. From 1916-2005 only 4 girls were given the name Idony in England and Wales, all of them born between 1996 — 2003. |
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Namesakes: |
Literature: * Idonia is a character in the opera La catena d'Adone (1626) by Domenico Mazzocchi |
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Variants: |
Iðunn, Iðunnr, Idunn (Scandinavian), Idonea, Idonia (Latinised) |
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Pronunciation: |
ID-ə-nee (UK) [key] |
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Combos: |
Idony Calla, Idony Thalia, Idony Larissa, Idony Tamara, Idony Kensa |
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Possible |
Didi, Dido, Dio, Dona, Donnie, Edie, Indy, Nona, Nony |
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Sibling Names: |
Zara Tova Petra Eseld Amalia Eris |
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If you like Idony you may also like: |
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Slovenia is a country in southeastern Europe with a population of around 2,011,000. Slovene is the official language of the country, although Italian and Hungarian are spoken as a minority language in some regions.
Here are some interesting finds from the Top 100 names in Slovenia in 2010. For pronunciation I would recommend this handy guide, but as a quick note: č is 'ch', š is 'sh', ž is 'zh', c is 'ts' and j is 'y'. I have also linked to any available Forvo files by using an asterisk after the name.
We use them; they love them:
Eva — 1 / 37
Lana — 2 / 275
Lara — 3 / 124
Luna — 86 / 526
Nina — 15 / 235
Petra — 81 / 1472
Stella — 81 / 372
Tamara — 70/ 458
Tia — 30 / 79
Veronika — 68 / 452 (as Veronica)
Valentina — 61 / 521
David — 11 / 64
Denis — 72 / 470
Erik — 36 / 256 (as Eric)
Luka — 1 / 70 (as Luca)
Martin — 37 / 267
Niko — 82 / 402 (as Nico)
Tim — 19 / 2199
* Green represents the 2010 ranks in Slovenia, orange represents the 2010 ranks in England and Wales.
Short forms and diminutives:
Maša — There are many Slovene diminutives of Marija, and Maša, at #14, is one of the most popular. Other pet-forms include Maja, Manca, Maruša and Mojca.
Neža* — This Top 10 favourite is the Slovene pet-form of Agnes.
Špela* — Much like Bella, Špela is a variant of Elizabeth. For Brits it is rather reminiscent of the Scottish Ishbel / Iseabail.
Teja — A pet-form of Doroteja, and cognate with Thea.
Tjaša* — A high ranking pet-form of Tatjana.
Urška* — The Slovene diminutive of Uršula.
Zala* — A popular Top 10 pet-form of Rosalija.
Jaka* — Jakob is a high ranker in Slovenia at #6; its popular nickname Jaka is only three places behind.
Lovro* — A diminutive of Lovrenc, the Slovene form of Laurence.
Maks — Slovene pet-form of Maksim.
Miha* — While Mihael is a low ranker at the moment, its diminutive, Miha, is a Top 20 favourite.
Tine* — The Slovene pet-form of Martin, both of which rank in the Top 100.
Similar sound or style:
Mila — A name derived from the Slavic mil "gracious" that would fit in well between Milly and Amelia.
Nika — Ranking popularly at #5 in 2010, Nika is a feminine form of Nikola.
Pia — Feminine form of the Latin name Pius, popularly ranking at #22, which makes an alternative to Mia and Leah.
Tajda — Slovene form of the Greek name Thais, via the Italian Tàide. Another variant, Taja, also ranks in the Top 100.
Žana* — Slovene form of Jane, via the Italian Gianna, which between Zara and Lana.
Zoja — Slovene form of Zoe.
Domen — Cognate with Dominic, this Slovene form offers a swifter sound to our popular favourite.
Matic* — A Slovene variant form of Matthias that's somewhere between Matt and Alick.
Rok* — In Slovenia, Rok is equivalent to the Italian Rocco, a name that is swiftly climbing in the UK.
Tilen — A pet-form of the Slovene name Egidij, which ultimately derives from the Latin Aegidius. It is therefore cognate with Giles, though it is has the rhythm of Dylan.
Žan — The Slovene form of John, via the Italian Gianni.
Something a bit different:
Nuša — A shortened form of Anuša, a diminutive of Anna.
Neja — Jernej, the Slovene form of Bartholomew, is feminised as Jerneja in Slovenia. Neja is a high-ranking short-form, and would make a great feminine namesake for anyone wanting to honour a Bartholomew.
Tinkara — An intriguing pet-form of Tina.
Vita — A popular Latin name meaning "truth".
Zarja — The Slovene word for "dawn", related to the two sun goddesses (Zorya) in Slavic mythology.
Živa* — A Slovene name meaning "alive". In Slavic mythology, Živa is the goddess of life.
Blaž* — Though sometimes thought to be the Slovene form of Blaise, this name is most likely from the Slavic blag "pleasant, gentle, blessed".
Erazem* — The Slovene form of Erasmus.
Maj — The Slovene name for the month of May. Official statistics show that most boys given the name in Slovenia are born in this month.
Nejc — Jernej, a form of Bartholomew, can be considered popular at #61, but its pet-form Necj beats it hands down at #5. The spelling is a tricky one, but it has a familiar sound akin to Nate.
Vid* — Either a form of the Latin Vitus, much like popular Vida, or the Old Germanic Wido.
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Now is the month of maying, and already I'm struck by the blossom on the trees and the bluebells beginning to carpet. So, start gathering flowers and dancing around those maypoles!
The name of the month comes from the Greek and Roman goddess Maia, mother of Hermes. Her name derived from the Greek μαια (maia) "good mother" which was used as a respectful term for married women, and also could mean "midwife" or "nurse." The Greeks often identified her with the goddess Gaia "earth", giving us the sense of 'Mother Earth', while the Romans identified her with the Bona Dea "Good Goddess" and Fauna.
May has been used as an independent name in Britain since the late 19th century. It had developed in the previous century as a pet-form of Mary or Margaret, and was popularised by Princess Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary) who was known as "May". In the Middle Ages, May was a pet-form of Mayhew, a form of Matthew.
May has many continental translations, including: Mai (French, Welsh), Maio (Portuguese), Maggio (Italian), Mayo (Spanish), Mayis (Turkish) and Beltain (Irish).
The Anglo-Saxons called this month Þrimilki-mónaþ, "Three Milkings Month," because it was a time of year when cattle could be milked three times a day. This was partly because May is a time when grass grows particularly vigorously, and so livestock were only given access to small areas at a time. This practice relates to the Old Germanic name for May, Wonne-mond, which meant "Grazing Month."
This time of fertility was celebrated each year with May Day -- a festival still observed today -- when many people held fêtes featuring maypoles, May Queens and morris dancing. The word "maying" literally means "to take part in May Day festivities." The practice is an ancient one that hails back to to the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane. This was a major Pagan festival, symbolising the beginning of summer, in which many fires were lit to imitate the growing sun. The name Beltane means "bright fire", and it is thought cattle was driven through the fires to be purified.
There are many names that have a fiery meaning, including Aidan, Azar, Fiametta, Fintan, and Hestia (see Advent Day 22 for many more examples).
As the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers," which is why May is often seen as the "month of flowers". In fact, the old Frisian name for the month, Blommemoanne, directly translates as "flower month". To the Romans, May was sacred not only to Maia, but also Flora, the goddess of flowers. In her honour, a five day festival, known as Floralia, was held from April 28th to May 3rd. When the Romans came to Britain, many of the rituals of Floralia became added to those of Beltane. This culminated in the May Day practices of decorating villages with flower garlands, dancing around maypoles, washing faces in early morning dew, and morris dancing.
The name Flora derives from the latin flos "flower". Other "flower" names include Anthea, Anthousa, Calanthe, Diantha, Melantha (Greek), Anfisa (Russian), Ayaka (Japanese), Bláthnat (Irish), Blaanid (Manx), Blejan (Cornish), Blodwen (Welsh), Bluma (Yiddish), Fflur (Welsh), Fiorella (Italian), Fleur (Franch), Floor (Dutch), Florinda (Spanish), Kukka (Finnish), Kveta (Czech), Leilani (Hawaiian), Lule (Albanian), Mali (Tai), Pushpa (Sanskrit), Rayén (Mapudungun) and Zahrah (Arabic).
And, being the month of flowers, any flower name would be appropriate for this time of year.
One of the key traditions associated with May Day is the crowning of a May Queen to reign over the festivities. Traditionally, a local girl is chosen each year to represent the Queen of May, or, more literally, the goddess Flora. She is dressed in a white dress, crowned with a wreath of flowers and sits in a garlanded chair. We have many names that contain the term "queen", such as Malika (Arabic), Malka, Milka (Hebrew), Morrigan (Irish), Rani (Sanskrit), Regina (Latin), Reina (Spanish), Reine (French), Rhiannon (Welsh) and Thema (Akan).
Originally, the companion of the May Queen was the May King. In the Middle Ages he was often associated with Robin Hood, where we find games dedicated to him. Other names include Green May or Jack-in-the-Green. The association with the colour is a strong one, as people traditionally wore green clothing, decorated with foliage, on May Day. "Green" names include Chloe, Glassan, Midori and Blerta (see Green Names for many more examples).
Emerald is considered the birthstone of May. Not only is it appropriately green in colour, it is also thought to represent faithfulness. The cognate Esmeralda is s Spanish name for girls, while the form Emeraud is sometimes found used in France.
Lily of the Valley and the Hawthorn are the flower symbols of May.
In Victorian floriography Lily of the Valley symbolises "return of happiness". One baby, born in 1905, was given the names Lily of the Valley but for those a little less adventurous, Lily has many variants: Lilian, Lilia, Ljerka, and Lys. The Finnish name Kielo more literally translates as "lily of the valley."
The Hawthorn is often called the May Tree, because it blossoms in this month. It was also traditionally used to make maypoles, and was decorated with ribbons and other strips bright fabric. Hawthorn has been found as a first name in Britain for boys, and occasionally girls, since at least the 18th century. This can mostly be attributed to its use as a surname. Other names for the plant include maythorn, quickthorn, whitethorn and mayblossom. Several late Victorian girls, often born in May, were given the name Mayblossom or May Blossom.
Taurus, the bull, is the star sign that runs from April 21 to May 21. It represent the Cretan bull of Greek mythology, but we also find the Greek Tauros used as an epithet for Dionysos, and alternate name for Talos.
Many different countries have names associated with days of the year; most often they are the feast days of saints. Below are some of the names associated with the days in May around the world.
Note: As you may imagine, there are hundreds of names associated for each day around the world. Where there are common names, I have chosen the most recognisable spelling for English-speakers.
1 = Bertha, Jeremy, Joseph, Tamara, Walburga
2 = Athanasius, Boris, Maia, Sigmund, Zoe
3 = Alexander, Jacob / James, Philip, Viola
4 = Florian, Guido, Mona, Monica, Rosa, Rosalie, Sylvain
5 = Angelo, Gotthard, Irene, Penelope, Peregrine
6 = Benedicta, Georgi, Judith, Prudence, Valerian
7 = Flavia, Giselle / Gisela, Helmi, Silke
8 = Didier, Ida, Michael, Stanislaus
9 = Austeja, Casper, Christopher, Gregory, Timothy
10 = Aina, Anthony, Gordian, Job, Solange
11 = Estelle / Stella, Ludivine, Mamertus
12 = Achilleus, Charlotta, Flavia Domitilla, Lotta, Nereus
13 = Emma, Imelda, Linn, Robert, Roland
14 = Christian, Corona, Gemma, Matthias, Victor
15 = Hallvard, Isidore, Rupert, Sophia, Sophie
16 = Brendan, Esther, Sara, John, Ronald, Theobald
17 = Ambrose, Bruno, Pascal, Ruben
18 = Alexandra, Eric, Felix, Rosalia, Rose
19 = Celestin, Emilia, Emma, Ivo, Yvonne
20 = Bernardin, Elfrida, Karolina, Lilian / Lilja
21 = Constantine, Ellen, Helena, Herman
22 = Emile, Hemming / Henning, Julia, Rita
23 = Desiderius, Désirée, Leontine, Lydia, Michael, Renate
24 = Esther, Iris, Ivan, Mary, Susanna
25 = Bede, Gregory, Magdalena, Miriam, Urban
26 = Edward, Marianna, Philip, Wilhelmina
27 = Augustine, Carolina, Julius, Lucian, Randolph
28 = Alma, Germain, Hubert, Roman, William
29 = Magdalena, Maximin, Maximilian, Theodosia
30 = Felix, Ferdinand, Joan/na, Lorraine, Vera
31 = Angela, Helga, Petronilla, Petra
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Matthew
A stable reliable that exudes a quiet strength.
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Origin: |
From the Hebrew name Mattityahu, or Mattithiah, meaning "gift of God". In Greek the name became Ματθαιος (Matthaios) and Ματθιας (Matthias), which were translated to Matteus and Matthias in Latin. Several figures in the Old Testament are named Mattithiah including one of the companions of Ezra, and a Levite, appointed by King David to preside over offerings. We also find it on two men in the New Testament: both disciples of Jesus. To make a distinction, the King James bible renders the name differently: Mattithiah is used in the Old Testament, Matthew for the Evangelist (St Matthew), and Matthias for the disciple who was chosen to replace Judas (St Matthias). |
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Usage: |
As an Apostle, St Matthew was a popular saint in the Middle Ages and he was widely venerated throughout Europe. The Old French forms, Mathieu and Mahieu, were brought to Britain by the Normans in the late 11th century, and became anglicised as Mathew and Matthew. This is attested by the two Norman landowners recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) named Matthew / Mathieu. From then on, we can find the name in consistent use through the 12th to the 14th century. Several of these early examples were borne by Scottish bishops. There were many medieval pet-forms of Matthew, which can be found in multitude of surviving surnames. The Normans used Masse / Macy as a short form of Mathieu, and this, too, can be found in the Domesday book. Its impact in Britain can be seen in the surnames Macy, Macey and Massey. May was used as a pet-form for the spelling Mahieu, which was anglicised as Mayhew and Mayo. The nicknames Math and Matthi became Mathieson, Matthey and Matthys. As a biblical name, Matthew was still used after the Reformation. Indeed, for the most part, the name was in the Top 20 most popular names throughout 16th and 17th century*. Interestingly, there are several examples of girls named Matthew, alongside boys, in Norfolk in the 17th and early 18th century. This isn't the first time Matthew recieved a feminine twist either. A few rare examples survive of women in the 12th century named Masota, which is thought to be a feminine diminutive form of Masse. The name was consistantly and well used through the 19th century. The 1851 UK census lists 25,260 Matthews and 12,540 Mathews, while the 1901 census lists 37,467 Matthews and 5,917 Mathews. The name ranked #84 in England and Wales in 1904 and #85 in 1914. It had fallen out of the Top 100 by 1924, until it rocketed back to #52 in 1964. From there, it shot up to #10 in 1974, #6 in 1984 and #5 in 1994. From 1996 to 1999 Matthew ranked at #6, with over 7,000 births each year, and was in the Top 20 until 2007. Since then the name has gradually declined in a smooth downward slope. In 2010 the name ranked #41, with 1984 births, in England and Wales. Similarly, the spelling Mathew is on the decline: from 393 births in 1996 to 74 in 2010. In Scotland the name has been more consistant. In 1998 it ranked at #14, and moved up and down nominally in the following years. In 2011 it was #14 . What we do find, however, is that, whatever the rank each year, the birth count has gradually decreased each year. In 1998 420 boys were named Matthew; in 2011, despite the same rank, there were 282 births. |
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Namesakes: |
History: |
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Variants: |
Matias, Mads (Danish), Matthijs (Dutch), Matias, Matti (Finnish), Mathieu (French), Mathis, Matthäus (German), Maitiú (Irish), Matteo (Italian), Matteus, Mats (Norwegian, Swedish), Mateusz (Polish), Matvey, Motya (Russian), Matej (Slavic), Mateo (Spanish) |
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Pronunciation: |
MATH-yoo (UK) [key] |
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Combos: |
Matthew Rollo, Matthew Theron, Matthew Gabriel, Matthew Rafe, Matthew Gulliver |
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Diminutives: |
Macy, Mads, Masse, Math, Mats, Matt, Matty, May |
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Sibling Names: |
Abigail Leah Emma Georgia Bethany Sophie |
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Name Lists: |
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If you like Matthew you may also like: |
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During my perusals of the Telegraph or Times announcements, I often notice a love of diminutive-names that are more brisk and quirky than the standard two-syllable, ie/y-endings we know and love well. Edwards are often Ned, rather than Eddy; several Henrys are Hal, and Christophers are the striking Kit rather than Chris.
And these names are not just used as nicknames for their formal counterparts: frequently they can found in the middle-name spot, offering a little bit of levity to a heavier name. Billie Piper and Laurence Fox's new son Eugene Pip demonstrates this perfectly. Other examples from recent years include Aeneas Ned, Octavius Kit and Timothy Hal.
With this niche trend in mind, here is a run down of some one-syllable diminutives that have become overlooked since they were developed in the Middle Ages. Several of them, perhaps surprisingly, were unisex.
Bess
In the 16th century Bess was a popular nickname for Elizabeth. You could almost say that she was the diminutive for the name, as Elizabeth I was known fondly as "Good Queen Bess". It began to loose favour in the 18th century, but was revived as Bessie in the 19th. In some instances, Bess was also used as a diminutive for Beatrice.
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Dodge / Hodge
Back in the 12th century, Rodge, a pet form of Roger, developed into Dodge and Hodge. Several surnames have been created from both diminutives including Dodgson, Dodson, Hodgson, Hodgkin and Hodgett.
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Gell
Both Gell and Gill are diminutives of Julian, used as both a masculine and feminine name in the Middle Ages. Both Julian, and the feminine Latinisation Juliana, were colloquially formed into Jelion, Jillian and Gillian, and it is from these vernacular pronunciations that Gell and Gill were derived. Joll, Jull and Jell were also used.
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Gib
Gilbert has been used in Britain since it was brought over by the Normans. Gib/b was an early pet-form, and has given rise to surnames like Gibben, Gibling and Gibson. Gil was also used as a diminutive, and from Gib, we also find the variant Gip/p. From the 14th century we also find the term "gib-cat", seemingly because male cats used to be referred to as Gilbert*.
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Hal
After the Norman Conquest, Henry became a popular import. In English, the name was pronounced as Herry or Harry, and from these sprung the diminutives Hen, Han and, more famously – thanks to Shakespeare's Henry V – Hal.
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Hitch
We may be more familiar with Rich, Rick or Dick, but the Middle Ages gave us many more pet-forms for Richard. Hitch was a diminutive common in the 13th century, particularly in Cheshire. Other forms include Hick, Higg and Digg.
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Hud
Many Huds today are shortened from Hudson, but, of course, Hudson itself takes its origins from a "son of Hud". Although unused now, Hud was once a very common pet-form of Hugh.
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Jep
Jep and Gepp were Medieval nicknames for the popular Geoffrey. It is now more familiar from the surname Jepson.
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Jem
Jem was a popular short form and vernacular pronunciation of James. Reaney believes that feminine examples of Jemme and Gemme dating from the 13th century show that, at this time, James was both a masculine and feminine name*. Jemmett and Jemson are still used as surnames, and attest to its popular usage. Jem is now also used as a shortening of Jemima.
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Kit
In the Middle Ages, Kit was used as a nickname for both Christopher and Katherine. There is some evidence that it was also used for Christiana*.
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Moll
From the 13th century Mall and Moll were used as pet-forms of Mary, which had gained popular usage in Britain in the 12th century. Moll became Poll, and, thus, Molly and Polly.
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Ned
Edward can be found shortened to Ned at least as early as the 14th century. The popular folk story is that the phrase "mine Edward" or "mine Ed" was rendered later to "my Ned." Other examples given include Nan (Anne), Noll (Oliver), Nalle (Alice) and Nell (used as a feminine and masculine pet-name for Ellen and Ellis). However, this theory does not explain the concurrent use of Ted, and, as the other names in this post show, rhyming variations by changing initial letters were common.
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Pip
Pip is a short form of Philip, used as both a masculine and feminine name in the Middle Ages, the feminine of which was often Latinised as Philippa. Phipp was also used as a pet-form. Earlier examples of Pip were most likely from Pepin.
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Tam
Tam was a medieval a variant of Tom, a pet-form of Thomas, used particularly, and for many years, in Scotland. It was also sometimes found as a pet-form of Tamsin, itself a vernacular form of Thomasina.
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Tib
In the 13th century Tib/b was used for both Theobald (commonly pronounced tib-old) and Isabel/la. Tibb for Theobald also became Tebb and Tipp, while Bel, Bibb, Ibb, Nibb, Libb and were also used for Isabel. With time, Theobald began to decrease in usage while Isabel/la remained popular. Tibb, therefore, became more often used on females, and by the 16th century, we find "Tib" also used as a term for a young girl, and used as a counterpart to Tom. Tib-cat was used for female cats, as tom-cat was used for males. Later we also find female cats known as Tabitha, which would explain the use of Tibby as a nickname for Tabitha*. Tibert, a form of Theobald, was also used as a name for a male cat, and seem to have got mixed up with Gilbert*.
Maud Hart Lovelace used Tib as a nickname for Thelma in Betsy-Tacy and Tib (1941).
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Wat
Before there was Walt, Wat was the standard pet-form of Walter. It survives in surnames like Watkins, Watson and Watten.
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Hereditary Scottish surnames developed after the 15th century. Prior to that, patronymics weren't permanent and changed with each succeeding generation, so, Alexander Donaldson, recorded in 1481, is listed as the son of Donald Symonson*. The practice of using the same name down the generations started in the Lowlands and was furthered when it was adapted by the clan system. It was common for a Laird to take his surname from the estate (which itself was often named after the owner). People looking for protection in times of strife would frequently attach themselves to a powerful clan and take on its name. This resulted in large numbers of people who all had the same last name, but no specific surname of their own, and not necessarily with a hereditary link to the family of the clan.
Much like the Welsh map, the Gaelic term for "son" was mac, and was prefixed to many first names. Some Scottish patronymic surnames also adopted the Anglican "son" suffix.
Through the generations various spellings have formed. We find Mackenzie also as MacKenzie, Mckenzie, Makenzie and many more. For continuity, the list below contain lower case letters within the names and the 'Mac' rather than 'Mc' spellings.
| Anderson Davidson Donaldson Eason Farquharson Ferguson Finlayson Grierson Henderson Howison Macaddie Macalister Macallen |
Macalpine Macandrew Macarthur Macartney Macaskill Macauley Macauslan Macbain Maccaffray Maccallum Maccall Maccarthy Maccloy |
Maccomish Macconnall Maccormac Maccorkindale Maccoubrey Maccrindell Maccutchen Macdermot Macdonald Macdonell Macdougal Macdowell Macduff |
Macewan Macilroy Macfadden Macfadyen Macfarlane Macfee Macgee Macgaurie Macgillivray Macgowan Macgregor MacHendry Macinnes
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Maciver Mackay Mackeller Mackenna Mackenzie Mackeown Mackinnon Maclachlan Maclamon Maclaren Maclean Maclaine Maclennan |
Macleod Macnaughton Macneill Macnicol Macpherson Macquarrie Macqueen Macrae Mactavish Manson Matthison Morrison Patterson |
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Dorothy
A name that straddles an interesting divide between
being quaint and homespun and a dignified woman of substance.
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Origin: |
Dorothy is the anglicised form of Dorothea, a Greek name used in Late Antiquity. The name derives from a compound of δωρον (doron) "gift" and θεος (theos) "god". |
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Usage: |
St Dorothea of Caesarea (or St Dorothy, as she became known to medieval Britons) was a Christian martyr in the 4th century. Her cult became widespread in Europe during the 14th century, when virgin saints were much revered, and, consequently, she is often depicted alongside St Barbara, St Catherine and St Margaret. The four of them became known as the "Virgines Capitales", the Main Virgins, and it is her association with them that often has Dorothy listed as a part of the "Fourteen Holy Helpers" who were invoked against the Black Death in 1346 to 1349. During the 15th century in Britain, not only was a great deal of artwork created depicting the saint but the name Dorothy came into popular use. At this time the 'th' was pronounced as a hard 't' (as with other names such as Anthony, Esther and Thomas) which can be seen in the spellings Doritie, Doritye, Dorety and Dorete*. The name was extremely popular throughout the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries and it is estimated that the name stood in the Top 20 most popular female names from at least 1538 to 1700*. In rare circumstances we can find boys in the 16th century called Dorothie or Dorie but this is most likely a form of the masculine name Dorotheus, also borne by a saint of Late Antiquity. The name saw a slight decline in popularity during the 18th century, although we can still find it in consistent use. It was revived to great popularity in the 19th century and in 1904 the name was the 5th most popular name for girls. It was #4 in 1914, #5 in 1924, #11 in 1934, #31 in 1944, and finally ranked at #67 in 1954. The name has not been in the Top 100 since. In the 16th century the name was abbreviated to Doll and Dolly. By the 18th century it was more commonly shortened to Dora, and later, in the 19th century, Dodo, Dot, Dotty and Thea were used. Dorti has been used as a diminutive in Wales while, in Ireland, Dorothy was used to anglicise Doireann / Doirend. In 2010 the name ranked #695 in England and Wales with 53 births. Dolly ranked slightly higher at #664 with 56 births. The name has been steadily rising since 1996 when it ranked #1072 with only 18 births. |
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Variants: |
Dorothea (Original Greek, Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian), Doroteya (Bulgarian, Russian), Doryty (Cornish), Dorota (Czech, Polish), Dorotea (Finnish, Italian, Spanish, Swedish), Dorothée (French), Dorottya (Hungarian), Doroteia (Portuguese), Doroteja (Serbian, Slovene), Dorti (Welsh) |
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Pronunciation: |
DO-rə-thee (modern UK) DO-rə-tee (original English) [key] |
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Combos: |
Dorothy Niamh, Dorothy Junia, Dorothy Fleur, Dorothy Lila, Dorothy Vivienne |
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Possible |
Dee, Dodie, Dodo, Doll, Dolly, Dora, Dorit, Doro, Dorti, Dory, Dot, Dottie, Rory, Teddy, Thea, Theo |
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Sibling Names: |
Millicent Lillian Agatha Mabel Claribel Agnes |
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Name Lists: |
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Much like the Turners of Brymbo and the Coulthursts of Bury, here is another couple with an intriguingly named brood.
Feargus O'Connor Youde, a Hair Dresser by trade, married Ann Bateman Callan in 1849 in Chester.
Feargus himself has a notable name. He was one of the nearly 400 children who were named "Feargus O'Connor" from 1839-1860. Several more children, including many girls, were given "Feargus O'Connor" as middle names, in honour of the famous Chartist. Other Chartists were also namesakes -- a partial list can be seen at this Chartist Ancestors site.
Ann, who is often listed as "Annie" on census records, received her mother's maiden name, Bateman, as a middlename. This may have been a family tradition, as her mother was Ann Powel Bateman.
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The Youde family on the 1881 census.
The couple had 5 daughters:
1. Elizabeth Ann Bateman (b.1870) was registered as "Elizabeth Ann Bateman Youde" but Christened as "Ann Elizabeth Bateman Youde". She was clearly given her mother's first names as her middle names. The 1871and 1901 census lists her as "Elizabeth", but, intriguingly, on both the 1881 (above) and 1891 census she is "Daisy". As Daisy was traditionally used as a diminutive for Margaret, it would be nice to think that there is an interesting story behind why Elizabeth was called Daisy.
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2. Alice Emily (b.1873) seems to have been known as Alice throughout her life.
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3. Beatrice Maud Victoria (b.1875) was called "Beatrice" on the 1891, 1901 and 1911 census. However, on the 1881 census (see above) she is listed, quite clearly, as "Beauty".
The image above is from the enumeration book and not the original household schedules. Forms were distributed to all households a couple of days before census night and were collected the next day. All of the details from the individual forms were later sorted and copied into enumerators' books, which are the images we have available. The original householders schedules from 1841 to 1901 were destroyed.
It is possible that Feargus wrote her name down as "Beatty" and it was misread when being copied into the enumeration book. Personally, I would like to think that Beauty is accurate. It somehow seems an appropriate nickname for the daughter of a Hair Dresser.
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4. Mary Norah Jeanette Alexandra Wilhelmina (b.1876) is listed on all the census records as "Norah".
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5. Stranger Miriam Lucretia Augusta Eurania Gwendoline (b.1878) is listed on the 1881 (above) and 1891 census as "Rainey". A clever nickname for Stranger you might think, but the plot thickens when we find her listed on the 1901 and 1911 census under her fifth name Eurania. She also appears as a witness for Beatrice's marriage as Eurania. So it would seem that Rainey was a nickname for Eurania, not Stranger, though I wonder whether it was a coincidence that it works for both.
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Below is a selection of British siblings with Willoughby, from the last century to modern times. The year relates to the decade of birth for that set.
As a surname-firstname, Willoughby has generally been used for boys in Britain. However it has, in past centuries, also been used for a few girls in Norfolk (including one of my great x4 grandmothers). All the Willoughbys below are male unless indicated with (g), where the Willoughby in the set is female.
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1780s: Montagu
1820s: Luke
1830s: Letitia
Charles
Fanny Ellen
1840s: Emily Anne
Willoughby George 1850s: Joseph William Willoughby James 1860s: Alexander Beaumont
Dawson Edwin
Florence
Georgiana
Eric Manley
1870s: Lucy Ann
Wilfred
Willoughby
Elgiva Louisa
Willoughby Henry
Rosetta Ann
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1880: Eleanor Leah
Eda
Emily
Thomas Herbert 1890: Willoughby
Jessie (g) - dad was Jesse
Oscar Fred
1900s: Margery Frances
Laura Rosalind - sometimes "Rosalind Laura"
Evangeline
Harold
1910s: Henry C
Arthur A 1920s: Arthur J
1940s: Peter
Angela M
Willoughby J
Derwent James
1950s: Willoughby L
Gwyneth A
1960s: Harriet E J 1980s: Crispin William Amy Marie 1990s: Joseph Esme & Willoughby James (twins)
Linus Sebastian
2000s: Willoughby Robert JohnHonor Matilda Alice
Beatrice Isabella May "Bea"
Willoughby Patrick Ernest
Tallulah Dulcie
Orlando Alexander Rainsford Willoughby Frederick Charles Barnaby George & Amelie Tabitha (twins)
Willoughby Jasper Geoffrey |
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