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Rune Names — Eo

Posted in Alternative Names, Baby Names, Druid Names, Heathen Names, Heathenism, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Paganism, Unisex Names, Unusual Names, Wicca, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 21, 2012 | 8 Comments »

From the cycle of the seasons, and the fruition of hope and perseverance of Jera, Eo takes us to the cycle of life and death itself.

For Eo — more formally Ēoh — is yew, a slow-growing, very long-lived tree which has long been symbolic of both eternal life and rebirth.

It is another rune which exists only in the Anglo-Frisian and Eldar Futharks; its Elder Futhark name is known by more than one form: *Iwaz, *Eiwaz, *Ihwaz and *Eihwaz.

The old rune poems emphasizes the solidness of the tree’s wood, its rootedness, and the fact it brings blessings to a person’s land.

And although the Ash is usually regarded as the “World Tree” (Yggdrasil) of Norse mythology, it is sometimes said to be the Yew.

Modern rune interpretations focus on the what is perceived as the yew’s steadfastness and patience; the yew takes a long time to grow, but its growth lasts eons.

It also points the way to spiritual growth, and the importance of experience in gaining wisdom.

As for names, the various forms of the rune name are certainly distinctive. Eo isn’t a million miles in appearance (and possibly not meaning either) from the Greek  Io and is probably the most usable.

But there are numerous other names meaning “yew,” many etymologically related to Eo — including Yew itself.

  • Bërshen — Albanian for yew
  • Cis — Polish for yew
  • Éber — from Irish mythology
  • Eibe, Eiben — German for yew
  • Eoghan — Irish form of OWEN
  • Euan, Ewan, Ewen — Scottish forms of OWEN
  • Hagina — Basque for yew
  • Ia — a Cornish female saint (another name for St Ive)
  • Idho – the Ogham name for the yew
  • Ifor — Welsh name, probably cognate with ÉBER and IOBHAR
  • Iobhar — also from Irish mythology
  • Ìomhar — Scots Gaelic form of IVAR
  • Íomhar — Irish form of IVAR
  • Iona — the Scottish island
  • Ivar — from the Old Norse Ívarr “yew-bow”
  • Ive — a Cornish saint, and a medival form of IVO
  • Ivo — Old German name
  • Jarri — Hittite deity
  • Jura — another Scottish island
  • Milo, Milon — the Greek Milo comes from a Greek word for yew
  • Owain — Welsh form of OWEN
  • Owen
  • Serkhedar — Persian for yew
  • Tasso — Italian for yew
  • Taxus — Latin for yew
  • Teix — Catalan for yew
  • Teixo — Portuguese for yew
  • Tejo — Spanish for yew
  • Tis — Czech, Russian, Slovak and Ukrainian for yew
  • Tisa — Croatian and Slovenian for yew
  • Tisovina — Serbian for yew
  • Tiszafa — Hungarian for yew
  • Yolande — though traditionally linked with Violet, it is probably in fact from the Old German iv “yew” + landa “land”
  • York — use as a name is an adoption of the surname, from York, Yorkshire
  • Ywain, Ywein — medieval forms of OWEN
  • Ywen — Welsh “yew”

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Welsh Flower Names — Part 1

Posted in Alternative Names, Baby Names, Druid Names, Flowers, Heathen Names, Herbs, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, Names, Nature, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Plants and Trees, Unisex Names, Unusual Names, Welsh Names, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 20, 2012 | 6 Comments »

The adoption of “word names” is much more widespread and accepted in Welsh, and are regularly heard within Wales.

Names of flowers and trees are, naturally, a popular choice too.

But there are still many that have been little used so far, names which are accessible to English-speakers too.

So if you have Welsh heritage you want to honor, or simply a love of Celtic lands, here’s a collection of Welsh flowers and trees for you:

(If you want to say ‘em like a native, general pronunciation guidance given at end — unless something is particularly tricky)

  • Aethnen — aspen
  • Afal — apple
  • Afallen — apple-tree
  • Afan — raspberries
  • Afanen — raspberry
  • Alaw — water-lily (also means “melody”)
  • Arian Gwion — yellow rattle (literally Gwion’s silver)
  • Banadl — broom
  • Bedwen — birch
  • Blodyn — flower
  • Bronwerth — borage
  • Brwynen — rush
  • Brythlys — scarlet pimpernel
  • Calon Afal — devil’s bit scabious
  • Camri — camomile
  • Cawnen — reed
  • Ceian — carnation
  • Ceilys — pink
  • Ceirios — cherries
  • Celyn — holly
  • Celyn Mair — butcher’s broom
  • Cenawen — catkins
  • Clais yr hydd — dog’s mercury
  • Clais y moch — clary
  • Clefryn — sheep’s bit scabious
  • Collen — hazel
  • Corsen — reed
  • Crinllys — dog violet
  • Crys y brenin — henbane
  • Cyren — currants
  • Dail Arian — silverweed
  • Danadl — blind nettle
  • Delia — dahlia
  • Derwen — oak
  • Draen — briar
  • Draenen ddu — blackthorn
  • Draenen wen — hawthorn
  • Dringol — common sorrel
  • Drysïen (“DRUH-see-en) — briar
  • Dwyfog (“DOO-ee-vog”) — wood betony
  • Eglyn — golden saxifrage
  • Eirin — plums
  • Eirinen — plum
  • Eirlys — snowdrop
  • Eithen — gorse
  • Elinog — bittersweet
  • Erwain — meadowsweet
  • Eurlys — yellow vetch
  • Fandon — woodruff
  • Fioled — violet
  • Ffarwel haf — Michaelmas daisy
  • Ffion — foxgloves
  • Ffwsia — fuchsia
  • Gellygen — pear-tree
  • Glesyn — borage
  • Greulys — groundsel

Pronunciation notes:

  • “ae,” “ai,” “au,” and “eu” pronounced “eye”
  • “c” always hard, as in “cat”
  • “e” pronounced like “e” in “bet,” “set,” etc
  • “ei” pronounced “ay”
  • “f” pronounced “v”
  • “ff” pronounced “f”
  • “g” always hard, as in “get”
  • “ll” see Extreme Welsh Names
  • “s” always “s,” never “z”; often “sh” before an “i”
  • “th” pronounced like the “th” in “thistle”
  • “y” in the last syllable is pronounced “i” as in “in”, but in most other syllables, is pronounced “uh.”

(In words of two syllables, stress is divided equally. In words of three, stress usually falls on the first syllable, unless otherwise stated.)

Part 2 next week!

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Surnames as First Names: English Surnames — S (Part 1)

Posted in Alternative Names, Baby Names, Druid Names, Heathen Names, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Surnames as First Names, Unisex Names, Unusual Names, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 18, 2012 | 5 Comments »

Scollas

On to letter “s” of English surnames beginning with “s” of Old English, Old Norse and Anglo-French origin, which have never, or have only rarely, featured in the US top 1000.

It’s another letter with a lot of fabulous names, offering that something a bit different. Looking for a more unusual long-form of Sam, or a new twist on Scott? Read On!

  • Saben — from the personal names Sabin and Sabina “a Sabine”; Sabin has never featured in the top 1000 in the last 130 years either, and Sabina only ever managed 596th place in 1889.
  • Sablin — from Sabelina, a diminutive of Sibylla.
  • Sacher — we have Sacha, why not Sacher? From the Old French sachier “sack-maker.”
  • Sacheverell — a name which saw modest use in Victorian Britain (a famous bearer was Sir Sacheverell Sitwell). From Saultchevreuil in Normandy. Old French: sault “waterfall” + chevreuil “roe deer.”
  • Sacker, Saker — not a sacker of cities but a sack-maker, from Old English sacc “sack.”
  • Sackville — an aristocratic English family (they became Dukes of Dorset), whose name derives from Sauqueville in Normandy. Old French: sambuc “elder” (the tree) + ville “villa,” “farmstead,” “village,” “town.”
  • Saddler — Middle English sadelere “saddle-maker.”
  • Saffery, Saffrey — from the Old English personal name Saefrid “sea-peace.”
  • Sager, Seager — from the Old English personal name Saegar “sea-spear.”
  • Sailant — Old French saillant “dancing”; used of a dancer.
  • Saive, Sayve — from the Old English female personal name Saegifu “sea-gift.” Medieval variants included Seiva and Sageve.
  • St John, Sinjin — like Sacheverell, St John has seen more use in the UK than in the US, being the surname of an aristocratic clan; Sinjin is a phonetic variant. The best-known bearer is St John Rivers in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
  • Salby — from Saleby, Lincolnshire. Old Norse Sali (a short form of Salomon, the Old Norse form of Solomon) + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement.”
  • Salinger, Selinger — from one of the places called St Léger in France. Léger is a French form of Leodegar. Borne, of course, by the great J.D. Salinger.
  • Salliss — we have Katniss, why not Salliss? Meaning “(at the) willows,” from Old English sealh “willow.”
  • Salter — Old English sealtere “salt-maker,” or “salt-seller.”
  • Salton — from Salton, Yorkshire. Old English sealh “willow” + tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village.”
  • Salway — from the Old English personal name Saelwig “prosperity-war.”
  • Sambell — a variant of Semple, from one of the places in France called St Paul or St Pol.
  • Samber — a variant of Semper, from one of the places in France called St Pierre (Peter).
  • Sambrook — from Sambrook, Shropshire. Old English sand “sand” + brōc “brook.”
  • Sanby — from Saundby, Nottinghamshire. Old Norse  sandr “sand” or personal name Sandi (a short form of names containing the element sandr) + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement.”
  • Sandall — from one of the places of the name (Old English sand “sand” + halh “nook of land”) or the Old Norse personal name Sandulfr “sand-wolf”).
  • Sander — a medieval pet-form of Alexander.
  • Sandifer — no, not a cross between Sandy and Jennifer. From a lost village in Yorkshire called Sandiford — Old English sandig “sandy” + ford “ford,” “river-crossing.”
  • Sandon — from one of the places of the name. Old English sand “sand” + dūn “hill.”
  • Sandys — Old English sand “sand,” used of someone who lived next to the sands.
  • Sangar, Sanger – Old English sangere “singer.”
  • Sangster — Old English sangestre “(female) singer.”
  • Sangwin — Old French sanguin “sanguine.”
  • Sankin — from a medieval pet-form of Samson.
  • Santon — from one of the places of the name. Old English sand “sand” + tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village.”
  • Sarell — from the Old Norse personal name Sǫrli, a short form of names begining with saro “armor,” “protection.”
  • Sarson — partly “son of SAYER,” and partly Old French Sarrazin “Saracen.”
  • Sauvain, Sauven, Savin — partly from Silvanus, and partly from Old French salvagin “wild.”
  • Savigny — from Savenay, or Savigni-le-Vieux, France. Both may derive from the Roman name Sabinus (see Saben above).
  • Savoner — from Old French savon “soap”; used of a soap-maker.
  • Sawden, Sawdon — from Sawdon, Yorkshire. Old English sealh “willow” + denu “valley.”
  • Sawle — from a medieval form of biblical Saul.
  • Saxby — Partly from one of the places of the name (Old Norse Old Norse personal name Saksi “Saxon” + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement”) and partly French sacqué “drawn” + epée “sword,” used of a man who taught swordsmanship.
  • Saxon — not “a Saxon” as you might think, but from one of the places called Saxton. Old English Seaxe “Saxon” or Old Norse personal name Saksi “Saxon” + Old English tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village,” and Old French secrestein “sexton.”
  • Sayer — from the Old German personal name Sigiheri “victory-army,” which was popular in medieval times in forms such as Sayer and Saer.
  • Saylor — actually nothing to do with “sailor.” Old French sailleor “dancer.”
  • Scafe — from the Old Norse skeifr “crooked,” “awry,” “wild.”
  • Scarborough — from Scarborough, Yorkshire. Old Norse by-name Skarthi “hare-lip” + Old English burh “fortress.”
  • Scarcliff — Lion King meets Wuthering Heights, anyone? From Scarcliffe, Derbyshire. Old English sceard “gap” (the source of my surname, for the record) + clif “cliff,” “slope.”
  • Scholler, Scouler — it looks like it might be the English form of Schuyler — but it’s not. Old Norse skáli “(temporary) hut/shelter” + erg “shieling,” “pasture.”
  • Schorah, Scorah — from Old French escorre “to run out,” “to scout,” “to spy.”
  • Schrieve — Old English scīrgerēfa “sheriff.” Also Shreeve and Shrieve.
  • Scollan — from Scotland — not so much the place as the Norman personal name, though it essentially had exactly the same origin: Norman-French Scot “a Scot” + land “land.” A medieval variant was Scolland.
  • Scollas — from the medieval girl’s name Scolace, a vernacular form of Scholastica, from the Latin scholasticus “teacher,” “scholar,” “person of learning.” St Scholastica was the sister of St Benedict.
  • Scorton — from one of the places of the name. Old Norse skor “ditch,” “ravine” + Old English tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village.”
  • Scotney — from Etocquigny, Normandy, a place-name probably with Celtic roots.
  • Scotto — from Scottow, Norfolk. Old English Scot “a Scot” + hōh “hill-spur.”
  • Scotton — from one of the places of the name. Old English Scot “a Scot” + tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village.”
  • Scriven — Old French escrivain “writer.”
  • Scrivener — essentially a variant of SCRIVEN.
  • Scudder — Middle English scoudere “clothes-seller” from Old English scrūd “clothes.”
  • Scutt — Middle English scut “tail of a hare,” “hare.”

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Witch of the Week — Mildred

Posted in Alternative Names, Baby Names, Druid Names, Fiction, Heathen Names, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Unusual Names, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , , , , , on February 16, 2012 | 2 Comments »

My witch of the week series seems to be turning into more of a witch of the month.

There’s just so much I want to say about names, I guess!

This week/month’s choice is a fictional rather than mythological or historic one.

But she was — is — one of my first literary loves.

Mildred Hubble, heroine of Jill Murphy’s Worst Witch series.

I was about seven when I first read the original Worst Witch.

My primary school had a sort of book club; once each term or half-term, we got to take a catalogue home and choose a book.

There were few things to compare with the excitement I felt when the books arrived; you’d go into the class in the morning and see the books we’d ordered sitting on the teacher’s desk, each with a little slip of paper sticking out. Each absolutely spanking new, with that wonderful new-book smell.

The Worst Witch was one of my first purchases, and I still have the copy — though it’s rather more ragged now.

It tells the story of the hapless Mildred Hubble, a young witch just starting to learn magic at a boarding school for witches.

Sound familiar? For the record, The Worst Witch was first published in 1974, more than twenty years before the first Harry Potter.

Although very earnest, Mildred has the gift of making pretty much anything that can go wrong go very wrong indeed.

She inadvertantly manages to save the day by turning the baddies who are planning to take over the school into snails (she was trying for frogs, but still, it did the trick).

Jill Murphy has since written another five books, the last in 2005. It has been a joy sharing them with my own Small Child.

She loves Mildred as much as I do.

There are also the TV shows — the first based on the Worst Witch series itself, the later ones going off in other directions, such as Weirdsister College and The New Worst Witch. I haven’t watched them though — I have a feeling they could never live up to the original books.

Jill Murphy deliberately chose names that were very old-fashioned for her young witches — in 1974.

As well as Mildred, other characters have names such as Maud, Enid and Ethel — all “great-granny names” names hovering on the edge of revival. Will they, or won’t they?

Mildred itself is Old English, and has been around since at least the seventh century.

Originally Mildthryth, it is composed of the elements milde “mild” + þrȳð “power” and “strength.”

Unlike so many Old English names, Mildred survived the Norman Conquest, thanks to a saint popular in the Middle Ages, and managed to cling on in use until the nineteenth century when she was revived along with many other medieval and Old English classics.

She hasn’t fared so well since, which is a shame, as it is a name with charm, character and history.

It also shortens beautifully to Millie, Milly and Milda.

Yet it was given to only 68 little girls in the USA in 2010, and if any received the name in the UK, it was less than three.

But as witchy names go, they don’t get much better than Mildred!

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Nook of Names Pick of the Week — Vashti

Posted in Alternative Names, Baby Names, Biblical Names, Druid Names, Heathen Names, Historical Names, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Unusual Names, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , on February 15, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Vashti — a name it seems everyone loves, but few actually use!

I’ve met more than one person who have said they set their heart on Vashti, but when it came to crunch time, settled on something else. Something less distinctive.

Why is that?

After all, Vashti’s not exactly a new creation. It’s found in the Bible.

The biblical Vashti was the name of the first wife of the Persian King Ahasuerus — better known to history as Xerxes, though it is unclear which Xerxes he is supposed to be. He is popularly identified with Xerxes I — whose known named wife was called Amestris in Greek sources.

And, actually, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Vashti and Amestris share the same source — just as Ahasuerus and Xerxes do; the one traveling from the original via Hebrew, the other by Greek.

Indeed, according to one theory, it may be that another name closely linked to Vashti’s tale also stem from the name of this queen — none other than Esther.

In the biblical Book of Esther, the story goes that Ahasuerus banised Vashti because she refused to come before him “to show her beauty to the people and nobles.”

He was “in high spirits from wine” at the time.

Reading between the lines, it was considered improper for Vashti to be at the party, and in summoning her in such as way, Ahasuerus would have dishonored her — and himself.

As king, of course, he was used to being obeyed, whether his commands were reasonable or not. He couldn’t be seen to allow her to disobey him.

So Vashti was shown the door, and Ahasuerus married Esther instead.

For standing up to her bully of a husband, Vashti is now regarded as a bit of a feminist icon, though she’s had more than her fair share of flack in past centuries. The Midrash is particularly unflattering.

Which is kind of ironic really, as it is possible that the historic Vashti and Esther were actually the same person, the two emerging from different interpretations of the real name of the wife of King Xerxes.

I’ve mentioned before that Esther might derive from Ishtar, but have only recently come across the interesting theory that both Amestris and Esther come from the Akkadian Ummu-Ishtar “Ishtar is (my) mother” or Ammu-Ishtar.

Ammu is more difficult — it may be the same as the Hammu of Hamurabi, which is thought to be an Amorite name, with (H)ammu a divine name.

That Amestris and Esther might come from either of these is perfectly plausible; and the same is true of Vashti, with the loss of the initial vowel and mutation of the “m” to a “v.”

Other theories keep it simpler, and suggest Vashti derives directly from an Old Persian word meaning “beautiful” or “best.”

Another plausible option is a derivation from the Old Persian vas “to desire.”

Like many biblical names, Vashti came into use after the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century; it appealed particularly to the Romani, and by the nineteenth century had come to be regarded as very much a Gypsy name.

Augusta Jane Evans used it in her 1869 novel Vashti.

Nowadays, its best known bearer is the English singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan, whose 1970 album Just Another Diamond Day is a cult classic.

A bit like the name Vashti!

In 2010, only 29 little girls were called Vashti in America, and less than three in Britain.

Isn’t it time this diamond of a name got to sparkle?

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Surnames as First Names: English Surnames — R

Posted in Alternative Names, Baby Names, Druid Names, Heathen Names, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Surnames as First Names, Unisex Names, Unusual Names, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 11, 2012 | 3 Comments »

Rimer

Today it’s R’s turn in the exploration of little used English surnames of Old English, Norse and Anglo-French origin. It’s a letter rich in promising, contemporary choices!

  • Radcliff — from one of the places of the name. Old English rēad “red” + clif “cliff.”
  • Raddon — from one of the places of the name. Old English rēad “red” + dūn “hill,” or denu “valley.”
  • Radford — from one of the places of the name. Old English rēad “red” + ford “ford.”
  • Radley — from one of the places of the name. Old English rēad “red” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.” Also Radleigh.
  • Raglan, Ragland — from Ragland, Wiltshire. Middle English ragge “stony” + land “land.”
  • Ragley — from Ragley Hall, Warwickshire. Middle English ragge “stony” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Raimes — from Rames, France. Probably Old French rames “sticks,” “posts”; probably referring to a palisade.
  • Ramsden — from one of the places of the name. Old English ramsa “ramsons” + denu “valley.”
  • Rawley — a form of Raleigh, from Raleigh in Devon, or Rayleigh, Essex. Old English rǣge “roe-deer” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Rawnsley — from a lost village in Yorkshire. Old English hræfn “raven” (probably used here as a personal name) + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Rayden, Raydon — Rayden appeared for the first time ever in 2010, in 928th place, but that still counts as rare enough for a mention here. From Raydon, Suffolk. Old English ryge “rye” + dūn “hill.”
  • Rayer — from the Old German personal name Radhari “counsel-army”; medieval forms included Rathar and Rather.
  • Rayner, Reyner — from the Old German personal name Reginhari “counsel-army” (yes, again!). Introduced by the Normans in the Norman-French form Rainer.
  • Redd — a form of Read, from Old English rēad “counsel,” the source also of Reed, Red and Reid.
  • Reaney — often pronounced “rainy” in its home-town of Sheffield. From Ranah Stones, Yorkshire. Old Norse hrafn “raven” + haugr “hill.”
  • Redvers — from Reviers, Calvados. Old French: riviere “river.”
  • Redwin — from the Old English personal name Rædwine “counsel-friend.”
  • Remfrey — from the Old German personal name Raganfrid “might-peace.” Introduced by the Normans in the Norman-French form Rainfrid.
  • Renham — from the Rainham in Kent or Essex. Old English Roegingas (a tribal name) + hām “homestead,” “village,” “estate,” “manor.”
  • Renner — from Old English rennan “to run.”
  • Renter — Middle English renter “one who owns and lets land.”
  • Renton — from one of the places called Rainton. Old English personal name Rægen “might” + tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village.”
  • Revis — from Rievaulx, Yorkshire. River name Rye + Old French val(s) “valley.”
  • Rew — Middle English rew “row (of houses).”
  • Richmay — from the Old English female name Ricmæge “rule-maiden.” Occurs as Richemaya in medieval documents.
  • Rickerby — from Rickerby, Cumbria. Old Norse personal name Rikard (the Old Norse form of Richard) + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement.”
  • Ridley, Redley — from one of the places called Ridley. Old English rēad “red” or hrēod “reed” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Rimer, Rymer — Anglo-French rimour “rimer,” “poet.”
  • Risby — from one of the places called Risby. Old Norse hrís “brushwood” + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement.”
  • Risden, Risdon — Old English hrís “brushwood” + denu “valley” or dūn “hill.”
  • Risley — from one of the places of the name. Old English hrīs + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Rixon — Middle English atte rixen “among the rushes.”
  • Roaf, Rowe — A form of Rolf, and thus Rudolph.
  • Robey, Roby — partly from Robbie, partly from the places called Robey and Roby. Old Norse rá “boundary” + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement.” Roby appeared a few times in the eight and nine hundreds in the late nineteenth century, but not enough to write home about.
  • Rocker — Middle English: rok, rocke “distaff,” used of someone who made them, or perhaps a spinner. Also Rokker.
  • Rockley — from Rockley, Wiltshire. Old English hrōc “rook” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Rodley — Old English: hrēod “reed”+ lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Roke — Middle English: atter oke  “(dweller) at the oak.”
  • Rokeby — from one of the places of the name. Old Norse hrókr “rook” + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement.”
  • Romer — Middle English: romere “one who has made a pilgrimage to Rome.”
  • Romilly — in the top 1000 in the UK, but not in the US. From Remilly or Romilly in France, or Romiley, Cheshire. The French derive from the Latin Romulus, the English is Old English rūm “spacious” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Romney — from Romney, Kent. The town takes its name from a river. Possibly Old English rūmen “broad” + ēa “river.”
  • Roper — Middle English ropere “a rope-maker.”
  • Rothwell — from one of the places of the name. Old English +roth “clearing” + wella “spring,” “stream.”
  • Routh — from Routh, Yorkshire. Old Norse: hrúthr “rough ground.”
  • Rowat, Rowet, Rowett — from the Old Norse name Hróaldr “fame-ruler,” or from Roet, a medieval pet-form Rolf, or from Old English *rūwet “rough ground.”
  • Rowden, Rowdon — from one of the places of the name. Old English hrēod “reed” + denu “valley” or dūn “hill.”
  • Rowell – from ROTHWELL, or Old English rūh “rough” + hyll “hill.”
  • Rower, Royer — Old French: roier “wheel-wright.”
  • Rowley — from one of the places of the name. Old English: rūh “rough” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Rowney — Old English: rūh “rough” + (ge)hæg “enclosure.”
  • Rowton — Old English: rūh “rough”  + + tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village.”
  • Roxby — From Roxby, Lincolnshire. Old Norse personal name Hrókr (meaning “rook”) + bý “farmstead,” “village” and “settlement.”
  • Royden, Roydon — from one of the places of the name. Old English: ryge “rye” + dūn “hill.”
  • Rudd — Old English: *rud- “ruddy.”
  • Rugeley — from Rugeley, Staffordshire. Old English: hrycg “ridge” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Rusher — Old English rysc used of someone who cut or sold rushes.
  • Ryton — from one of the places of the name. Old English ryge “rye” + tūn “enclosure,” “farmstead,” “estate,” “manor,” “village.”

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Surnames or Word Names? (C)

Posted in Baby Names, Druid Names, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Surnames as First Names, Unusual Names, Wiccan Names, Witch Names on February 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Two weeks ago, I took a look at surnames which are identical to “word names,” and are responsible for the appearance of many early word name curios in past centuries.

Here are some more. Some are familiar now as first names; some would make great some first names — and some are awful, but really did get used (mostly as middle names) in the nineteenth century.

I feel particularly sorry for Daniel Coffin Pitt, Hilda Coffin Stainer and Kate Coffin Dash!

Cable Cauldron Children Coffin Coward
Caddie Cause Chill Cog (Cogg) Cowherd
Cage Cavalier Chiltern Coke Cox
Cager Cave Chimney Collar Coy
Cake Caw Chin Collie Crab (Crabb)
Cakebread Century Chip (Chipp) Collop Crabtree
Cale Chafer Chipper Colt Crackle
Calendar Chaff Chipping Comb (Combe) Craft
Calf Chaffinch Chive Comber Crag (Cragg)
Call Chalice Chose Comfort Crake
Caller Chalk Chow Commander Cramp
Callow Chalker Christmas Common Crampon
Calver Challenge Chuck Condor Crane
Camel Challenger Church Conduit Crank
Camp Chalmers Churchman Cone Crapper
Campaign Chamberlain Churchyard Conner Crass
Camping Chambers Circuit Conqueror Crate
Campion Champion Clack Conquest Crater
Can (Cann) Chance Clap (Clapp) Constable Craven
Candle Chancellor Clapper Constant Cray
Cane Change Claret Cony Craze
Canner Changer Class Coo Crease
Cannon Channel Clay Cook Creed
Canon Chant Clean Cool Creek
Canter Chanter Clear Cooper Creeper
Cape Chantry Cleaver Coot Crew
Capers Chap (Chapp) Clench Cope Crewe
Capon Chapel Clerk Copper Crib (Cribb)
Car (Carr) Chaplain Cliff Coppersmith Crick
Card Charge Clinch Corbel Cricket
Carder Charity Clink Cords Crier
Cardiff Charlock Clinker Cork Crimes
Cardinal Charnel Cloak Corker Crisp
Carding Chart Clod (Clodd) Corn Croaker
Care Charter Clodhammer Corner Croft
Careless Chase Clog (Clogg) Cornet Crofter
Caress Chaser Close Cornish Crook
Carless Chat (Chatt) Clot Cornwall Crop (Cropp)
Carlisle Chatter Clothier Coroner Cropper
Carnal Cheater Cloud Cosier Cross
Carol Checker Clout Cost (Coste) Crouch
Carp Cheddar Clover Cotton Crow
Carpenter Cheek Club Couch Crown
Carrier Cheeper Clue Cough Cruise
Carrot Cheer Coal (Cole) Council Crumb
Cart Cheese Coast Counsel Cuckoo
Carter Cheeseman Coat Count Cuff
Cartwright Cherry Coatman Counter Cull
Carver Cheshire Cobble Countess Culvert
Case Chest Cobbler Coup Curl
Casement Chester Cock Courage Curlew
Cash Chesterfield Cockerell Court Curry
Caster Chevalier Cockle Courtier Curt
Castle Chew Cockney Cousin Cuss
Cat (Catt) Chick Cockspur Cove Custard
Catch Chicken Cod (Codd) Coven Cut (Cutt)
Catcher Chide Codling Cover Cutter
Cattle Child Coffer Covert

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Rune Names — Jera

Posted in Alternative Names, Baby Names, Druid Names, Heathen Names, Heathenism, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, Names, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Paganism, Unisex Names, Unusual Names, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 9, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Jera is one of those runes which features only in a couple of alphabets — the Elder Futhark and the Anglo-Frisian.

The runic alphabet shifts again with Jera, with what at first seems an inexplicable leap from the depths of winter to the other side of the wheel of the year and the harvest.

Or is it?

For after the hardship and difficulties of the last three runes, Hægl, Nyd and Is, Jera represents the fulfillment of hope, the rewards of perseverance against all the odds. With Jera, we reap what we have sown, and reminds us that all things have their season.

Change — for good, for bad — is inevitable. Enjoy the fruits of Jera while you can.

Literally, it means “year” and “harvest” — and carries the sense of “prosperity”. Interestingly, it is etymologyically related to the Slavic words for “the spring,” and the Greek for “hour.”

Jera itself certainly has fairly good name potential, Jeran possibly even more, while Jeraz offers that slightly more exotic edge. With its meanings and associations of prosperity, there are lots of other names in harmony with Jera, such as those I listed under Feoh, and Wynn.

And I’ve already covered some harvest-related names in my post on the Equinox.

Some other names, and name suggestions, which resonate with Jera:

  • Aika — Finnish: “time”
  • Amser — Welsh: “time.”
  • Anna Perenna — Roman Goddess of plenty, who presides over the wheel of the year. Both this Anna and Perenna may have links to the Latin for “year”: annus. It also means “circuit.” Perenna is usually derived from perennis “through the year.”
  • Annona — another Roman Goddess, who personified a year. Also from annus “year.”
  • Berry
  • Calendula — the botanical name for the English marigold. It acquired its name, from the Latin kalends, used of the first day of a month, because it has the ability to flower all year.
  • Carme — Cretan Goddess of the Harvest
  • Chakana — ancient Incan symbol of the Wheel of the Year.
  • Chronos — the Greek God of time.
  • Consus — Roman God of the harvest
  • Crop
  • Denbora – Basque: “time”
  • Ekin — Turkish name: “harvest.”
  • Gather
  • Harvest
  • Hour
  • Idő — Hungarian: “time”
  • Kausi — Finnish: “season”
  • Mimela  – Lakota: “to be round,” “to be circular.”
  • Ona — Hebrew: “season”
  • Pomona — Roman Goddess of fruit.
  • Reap
  • Saison — French, German: “season.”
  • Season
  • Sezona — Latvian: “season”
  • Teamhair — Old Irish: “time,” “season”; this is the Irish name for Tara — Teamhair na Rí, and the name of the Goddess who presides over that place.
  • Tempest  – derives ultimately from Latin tempus “time.”
  • Tempo
  • Tempus — Latin: “time.”
  • Time
  • Tími — Icelandic: “time.”
  • Tymor — Welsh: “season.”
  • Zaman — Persian, Turkish: “time”
  • Zeit — German: “time”

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Nook of Names Pick of the Week — Argent

Posted in Alternative Names, Ancient Paganism, Baby Names, Celtic Mythology, Druid Names, Druidry, Heathen Names, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Magical Names, New Age Names, Pagan Names, Pagan-friendly, Surnames as First Names, Unisex Names, Unusual Names, Welsh Names, Wicca, Wiccan Names, Witch Names, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 8, 2012 | 3 Comments »

It was the full moon last night, which is the inspiration for today’s pick of the week, the little heard Argent.

Argent falls into the categories of both “surnames as first names” and “word names,” though they share the same source: the Old (and Modern) French argent “silver.”

Silver’s association with the moon goes back to ancient times. It has long been believed to enhance the power of the moon, capable of forging a strong link between the the physical and metaphysical worlds.

The surname probably arose as a nickname for someone with silver hair, while the word has been used in the past as a noun (for a silver coin) and an adjective.

Nowadays, it is mostly confined to heraldry, where it is used of both silver and white in coats of arms.

The Old French word came from the Latin for silver argentum, which gives us the chemical symbol for silver — Ag.

It is cognate with the Welsh arian “silver” — which is still used to mean “money” in Welsh — which is found in more than one Welsh name, such as Arianwen, which combines it with gwyn “white,” “pure,” and “blessed,” and Arianell, which combines it with gell “yellow,” and “shining.”

It may also feature in the name of the Goddess Arianrhod — which is popularly interpreted as meaning “silver wheel” and a reference to the moon.

Caer Arianrhod is the Welsh name for the Milky Way.

The Common Celtic word from which arian derived was *arganto-, and the “g” is preserved in the medieval name Argante — used by Layamon in the twelfth century epic poem Brut as the name of the Queen of Avalon.

She is usually identified with Morgan le Fay, and there are those who argue that the name derives from an older form of Arianrhod.

Another old form is Eraint, which features in the epithet of the mythical Welsh figure Lludd Llaw Eraint “Lludd of the Silver Hand.”

This form also happens to demonstrate well the etymological relation between arian and the Modern Welsh Eirian “shining.”

Meanwhile, its Sanskrit cognate is Arjuna, a name borne by a hero of the epic Mahabharata. The modern Hindi form of the name is Arjun.

Argent itself is first found as a given name as early as the sixteenth century, interestingly enough as a girl’s name. This probably represented a simpler form of Argentea, which was taken directly from the Latin argenteus meaning “silvery” and “of silver.”

By the nineteenth century, it is more commonly found as a boy’s name, often as a middle name, indicative that the surname was now the principal source.

Today, Argent is a rarity. It has never reached the top 1000 in America, and only even appears in the data at all on one occasion, in 1926, when five girls were given the name.

Bursting as it is with heritage and meaning, I think it makes for a great unusual and contemporary choice for a boy or a girl. What do you think?

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What the Dickens! — Part II

Posted in Alternative Names, Baby Names, Fiction, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names, Pagan-friendly, Surnames as First Names, Unisex Names, Unusual Names, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 7, 2012 | 2 Comments »

In celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens, here is Part II of the best of the names from Dickens’s works for babies… and cats.

  • Lupin — believe it or not, J.K. wasn’t the first to use this flower name as a surname; Mrs Lupin features in Martin Chuzzlewit.
  • Magwitch — I’d love to name a cat Magwitch after Abel Magwitch in Great Expectations!
  • Magnus — Peter Magnus is another of Pickwick Papers‘s characters. As a first name, Magnus (simply Latin for “great”) has become regarded as particularly characteristic of the Shetlands. It makes the perfect choice for lovers of Felix and Rufus wanting something that is still off the radar…
  • Malta — named after the island, Malta Bagnet appears in Bleak House.
  • Manette — the surname of Dr. Alexandre and Lucie in A Tale of Two Cities.
  • Marley — now most associated with Bob, never forget the other Marley — the ghost of Jacob Marley with his rattling chains in A Christmas Carol… The surname derives from the Old English mearth “pine marten” or “weasel,” or mǣre “boundary” + lēah “wood,” “woodland clearing,” “glade,” “pasture,” and “meadow.”
  • Maylie — a cheerful surname borne by Mrs Maylie and her children Harry and Rose in Oliver Twist.
  • Merry — not uncommingly used as a nickname for Mercy, as it is in Martin Chuzzlewit for Merry Pecksniff.
  • Micawber — one of the most likeable of all Dickens’s characters is the perennially optimistic Mr Wilkins Micawber in David Copperfield. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones has a guitar called Micawber.
  • Mulberry — a great name for a not particularly savory character — Sir Mulberry Hawk in Nicholas Nickleby.
  • Nancy — undoubtedly one of Dickens’s best-loved characters, Oliver Twist‘s Nancy is perhaps the best embodiement, in so many ways, of what Dickens’s work was all about. Like Betsy, it’s a Victorian charmer of a name, still falling in America, but reviving in the UK (the oldest daughter of British Prime Minister David Cameron is called Nancy).
  • Nell — another tragic Dickensian character is “Little Nell” — a.ka. Nelly Trent — of  The Old Curiosity Shop. Traditionally, the pet-name for Eleanor, it is also used for Ellen and Helen, and very much falls in that same category as Nancy and Betsy.
  • Nemo — Jules Verne was not the first to have a Captain Nemo — Dickens was; he used Nemo as the pseudonym of Captain James Hawood in Bleak House.
  • Nickleby — surname of the hero of eponymous her of Nicholas Nickleby.
  • Ninetta — the real name of “The Infant Phenomenon” in Nicholas Nickleby.
  • Oliver — the eponymous hero of Oliver Twist. Number One in England and Wales in 2010, and rising rapidly in the US. Usually shortened to Olly or Ollie, there’s always Ol too, and how about the medieval Noll or snappy, modern Liv instead? I’ve even seen Levi suggested…
  • Peggotty — Clara Peggotty, always known as “Peggotty,”  is David’s kind and loving nurse maid in David Copperfield.
  • Pet — the name by which Minnie Meagles is known in Little Dorrit.
  • Phenomenon – “The Infant Phenomenon” is how the Crummles refer to their beloved daughter Ninetta in Nicholas Nickleby. Offers interesting nicknames, such as Phen, Phenie, Nomi, Nomie, Menon, Mena and Minnie.
  • Pip — obliged to legally change his name to Pip, Philip “Pip” Pirrip is the hero of Great Expectations.
  • Pleasant — first used by the Puritans, Dickens used Pleasant  for the character of Pleasant Riderhood in Our Mutual Friend.
  • Plummer — we have Tyler and Mason, so why not Plummer? Caleb Plummer appears in The Cricket in the Hearth.
  • Pumblechook – definitely one for the cats, but too great a creation to leave out. A pompous and somewhat ridiculous character in Great Expectations.
  • Quebec — another of the Bagnet children in Bleak House.
  • Quinion — Mr Quinion, good name, though not a particularly nice character, in David Copperfield.
  • Rogue — Rogue has the halmark of a modern “word name”, but Dickens used it in Our Mutual Friend for Rogue Riderhood. He lives up to his name!
  • Rosa — the charmingly named Rosa Bud features in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Why doesn’t America like the lovely Rosa? She’s 238th in the UK, and rising, but 564th in America — and falling…
  • Seth — another of the Pecksniffs in Martin Chuzzlewit, Seth has been threatining to go stellar for a while, but peaked in 200o in the US in 63rd place and has since slipped back to 165th. Curious, as it ticks the boxes — why Ethan and Noah, but not Seth? The same’s not true in Britain, where it wouldn’t surprise me if Seth enters the top 100 this year.
  • Sophronia — an unusual option for lovers of Sophie and Sophia looking for that something slightly different. Sophronia Lammle is another of Our Mutual Friend‘s characters. From the Greek sôphrôn “sagacious,” “prudent,” and “of sound mind.”
  • Sophy — Although the French-spelling Sophie with an “ie” is the most popular vernacular form of Sophia in Britain at the moment, in the past, Sophy with a “y” was more normal. David Copperfield. Sophy Crewler features in David Copperfield.
  • Sweedlepipe — a particularly good cat name, as Paul “Poll” Sweedlepipe in Martin Chuzzlewit is a bird-fancier!
  • Sydney — Sydney Carton of A Tale of Two Cities is one of my personal favorite characters — I’ve mentioned before my preference for the flawed hero, and Sydney epitomises flawed hero so well. It is he who utters those immortal lines: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” Nowadays, Sidney is the preferred spelling.
  • Tattycoram — the name given to Harriet Beadle by the Meagles when she becomes their servant in Little Dorrit. Tatty is a pet-form of Harriet (via Hattie) and Coram was added because it was the name of the founder of the foundling hospital where Harriet spent the first years of her life. Would make a lovely name for a cat.
  • Tite — Tite Barnacle appears in Little Dorrit.
  • Turveydrop — Prince Turveydrop is a dancing master in Bleak House. Cat.
  • Uriah — Like Ebenezer, Uriah may well have suffered because of a Dickensian character. In Uriah’s case it is the odious, unctious Uriah Heep in David Copperfield. I have seen Uriah mentioned positively in recent times, and he made it to 549th place in America in 2010, but can her really shake Heep off? And his disconcerting similarity to the word urine?
  • Wemmick — John Wemmick is a kind man in Great Expectations, known for caring really well for his elderly father.
  • Wopsle — a minor character in Great Expectations, Wopsle would work well for cat — though perhaps reserve it for an indoor one (unless you fancy the idea of standing on the doorstep yelling “Wopsle, Whiskas!”)
  • Zephyr — “The Zephyr” is the pseudonym of Mr Minvins, a character in Pickwick Papers.

Happy Birthday, Charles!

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