The Beauty of Names

Anya Taylor-Joy Origin: Russian (Possibly Kurdish, Igbo and Amazigh) Gender: Female Meaning: Diminutive of Anna, "Strength, power", "Eye", "Rhythm, Melody" Pronunciation: AHN-ya, ANN-ya Other Forms: Anna, Hannah, Annushka, Ania, Anouk, Anneke, Annika, Anke, Antje Today's name is that of one my favorite actresses -- Anya Taylor-Joy! She's become a sort of go-to "It Girl" for many directors, and I have no doubt her name will start to receive star treatment, too. Anya is most simply a diminutive of Anna, which comes from the Hebrew Channah , meaning "favor, grace", by way of Russia. It is also said to be an old Kurdish name meaning "strength" or "power", and might mean "rhythm, melody" in the Amazigh languages, and "eye" in Igbo. It's been sporadically on and off the top 1000 since 1980, ranking highest in 2009 at #362 and lowest in 1983 at #996. Currently, it sits in that sweet spot betw...

Kaori Sakamoto, who won bronze for her team As I've mentioned before, I absolutely love watching the Olympics, mostly for all the interesting names! Here are some of the ones I liked the best or found the most unusual at this year's winter games. Have you noticed any that aren't on this list that you think should be? Let me know down below! Men: Aoxibofu Dannisi (China) Beat Feuz (Switzerland) Candy Bauer (Germany) Dorian Hauterville (France) Dusty Henricksen (USA) Emilien Jacquelin (France) Enkhtuul Ariunsanaa (Mongolia) Espen Bjoernstad (Norway) Gael Blondeau (France) Irineu Esteve Altimiras (Andorra) Janosch Brugger (Germany) Korbinian Holzer (Germany) Loan Bozzolo (Norway) Nicolae Ciprian Daroczi (Romania) Peppe Femling (Sweden) Pontus Holmberg (Sweden) Romed Baumann (Germany) Sivert Guttorm Bakken (Norway) Szczepan Kupczak (Poland) Teal Harle (Canada) Uvis Janis Balinskis (Latvia) Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen (Norway) Wojciech Chmielewski (Poland) Zbigniew Brodka (Polan...

Miss Vietnam, Tien Thuc Thuy Nguyen Part two! Which ones were your favorites? Marika Nardozi (Italy) Chika Mizuno (Japan) Jiho Lee (Korea) Daomixay Dao Phachansitthy (Laos) Hajamaya Mulbah (Liberia) Lishalliny Kanaran (Malaysia) Naomi Marie Ashley Dolita Buan (Mauritius) Mariana Macias Ornelas (Mexico) Win Lei Lei Naing (Myanmar) Ronali Amatya (Nepal) Nathalie Yasmin Mogbelzada (The Netherlands) Epifania Jacobed Solis Mercado (Nicarauga) Patience Idowochenema Christopher (Nigeria) Shannon McCullagh (Northern Ireland) Ramina Ashfaque (Pakistan) Katie Nairobi Caicedo Richards (Panama) Jimena Andrea Sosa (Paraguay) Samantha Elizabeth Batallanos Cortegana (Peru) Samantha Alexandra Panlilio (The Philippines) Ana Laura Ferreira (Portugual) Vivianie Diaz Arroyo (Puerto Rico) Alesia Igorevna Semerenko (Russia) Kristina Shenknekht (Siberia) Jeanè Van Dam (South Africa) Alba Dunkerbeck Morales (Spain) Anna-Marie Suzette Quint Ondaatje (Sri Lanka) Jennie Karolina Frondell (Sweden) Indy Johnson (T...

Miss Angola, Márcia Marília Menezes I've been seeing the beautiful costumes from the Miss Grand International Pageant all over Twitter and my curiosity was piqued and of course, I had to check out the names! There are fifty-nine contestants so I decided to chop this post up into two parts. Let me know your thoughts on these fascinating monikers! Hygerta Hidri (Albania) Márcia Marília Menezes (Angola) Florencia Melanie de Palo (Argentina) Kristina Goharik Ayanian (Armenia) Angolina Amores (Australia) MJ Chowdhury (Bangladesh) Zomkey Tenzin (Belgium) Eloísa Gutiérrez Rendón (Bolivia) Lorena Gonçalves Rodrigues (Brazil) Sothida Pokimtheng (Cambodia) Olga Bykadorova (Canada) Vanessa Camila Francisca Echevarria Maizares (Chile) Mariana Jaramillo (Colombia) Adriana Moya Alvarado (Costa Rica) Geysel Vaillant (Cuba) Kimberley Fabiola Fernandes (Curacao) Barbora Aglerová (Czech Republic) Stephanie Mercedes Medina (Dominican Republic) Andrea Victoria Aquilera (Ecuador) Shahenaz Alaa Dabous (...

Isabella d'Este by Titian I'm back with one of my favorite series, where I try and come up with more unusual alternatives for lovely (but popular) names! Today we'll be doing the perennial Isabella. Isabella, for me, has a lot of the same qualities as Sophia  -- it's romantic, feminine, and elegant, with a long history of use and a wealth of namesakes, from the many Royal Isabellas to sultry film stars. It is quintessentially female, strong and regal.   Florence - While Florence has long been a favorite among name lovers for its soft elegance, I can really see it taking off even further due to actress Florence Pugh. Florence comes from the Latin Florentia, which itself comes from florens , meaning "prosperous or flourishing". The male form, Florentius, was used by many early Saints, like Florentius of of Peterborough and Florentius of Strasbourg. Of course, Florence is also a city in Italy, adding a hint of romanticism to the name. Currently, Florence ranks #...

Alexandra with her five eldest children Grand Duchess Alexandra Iosifovna of Russia  was born Alexandra Friederike Henriette of Saxe-Altenburg to  Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg  and  Amelie Therese Luise, Duchess of  Württemberg . She married  Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaevich of Russia . Their children were: Nikolai Konstantinovich, " Grand Duke Nicholas Kontantinovich of Russia " Olga Konstantinovna, " Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia ", later " Queen of the Hellenes " Vera Konstantinovna, " Grand Duchess Vera Konstantinovna of Russia " Konstantin Konstantinovich, " Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia " Dmitry Konstantinovich, " Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Russia " Vyacheslav Konstantinovich, " Grand Duke Vyacheslav Konstantinovich of Russia ", or "Slava"

Katherine Langford as Nimue in "Cursed" Nimue - I've been watching and loving Netflix's "Cursed", a new take on Arthurian myth that follows Nimue, a Fey sorceress who comes to own Excalibur. I've always loved Arthurian mythology and Nimue is one of the most beautiful names from it. The origin of this name is unknown, with some conflating it with the Celtic Nemain, the Irish Goddess of war, which means "venomous", and others with the Greek word Mneme , "memory". I've always pronounced it as "NIM-oo-ay" but in the show they pronounce it "NIM-way". If you love mythology and fantasy with the added bonus of a female lead and a diverse cast, you should check it out! Harriet, Called Hal - I recently read "The Death of Mrs. Westaway" by Ruth Ware, one I've been meaning to get to for some time. I loved it (you can read my review for it here ), and I also loved what a big part names played in the mystery. ...

Princess Helen and Prince John's engagement photo Princess Helen of Serbia and Yugoslavia was born Princess Helena Karađorđević to Peter I of Serbia and Yugoslavia and Princess Zorka of Montenegro . She married Prince John Constantinovich of Russia , who was called "Ioanchik". It was a love match and shocked family members because they believed John might become a Russian Orthodox Monk. Their children were: Vsevolod Ivanovich Romanov, " Prince Vsevolod Ivanovich " Yekaterina Ivanovna Romanova, " Princess Catherine of Russia ", later " Catherine, Marchesa Farace di Villaforesta "

Milan Kundera by Václav Chochola Origin: Slavic Gender: Male Meaning: "Gracious, dear" Pronunciation: MI-lahn, mi-LAHN, MEE-lahn Other Forms: Milen,  Milán,  Miloš,  Miłosz; Milena, Mila, Bohumila This name may have Slavic roots but its developed a Pan-European style, placing in the top name charts of Belgium, England and Wales, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, and even the United States. Milan comes from the Slavic element milu which means "gracious" or "dear" and started off life as a short form of names containing that element. This name has been a staple in the Czech Republic since 1935 and hasn't missed placing one year. Milan is also a place name, though the beautiful Italian city got its name from a very different source - the Ancient Latin Milan, which meant "eager, laborious". There are a plethora of namesakes, from Milan Kundera, the Czech born author of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", to several athletes, and more r...

Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna of Russia Grand Duchess Maria Kirillovna of Russia was born Maria Kirillovna to Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna . She was called "Marie" or "Masha". She married Karl, 6th Prince of Leiningen . Their children were: Emich Kirill Ferdinand Hermann, " Prince Emich Kyrill of Leiningen " Karl Vladimir Ernst Heinrich, " Prince Karl of Leiningen " Kira Melita Feodora Marie Victoria Alexandra, " Princess Kira of Leiningen " Margarita Ileana Victoria, " Princess Margarita of Leiningen " Mechtilde Alexandra, " Princess Mechtilde of Leiningen " Friedrich Wilhelm Berthold, " Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Leiningen " Peter Victor, " Prince Peter Victor of Leiningen "

Tamara Karsavina Origin: Russian Gender: Female Meaning: "Date palm" Pronunciation: ta-MARR-ah, TAM-ah-ruh Other forms: Tamar, Tammara, Tamera, Thamar, Tamari This beautiful Russian name has almost worldwide appeal, being used in Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Italian, and Spain, just to name a few, and a rich history that lends it an almost classic appeal. Tamara comes from Biblical Tamar, a Hebrew name meaning "date palm". The fruit of the date palm, also know as the  Phoenix dactylifera,  have been a staple food in the diets of the Middle East and Indus Valley for thousands of years. In Ancient Rome they used the palm fronds from this plant to symbolize victory in triumphal processions, and renderings of these plants can even be seen in frescoes from Pompeii. And for a fun little factoid dates are referenced fifty times in the Bible; twenty times in Qur'an. The story in the Bible is as dramatic as any soap opera, but I'll try to sum it up fairly ...

Poster featuring Svetlana Svetlana, Sveta, and Severija - I've been watching and enjoying Babylon Berlin on Netflix. It's a German TV show following a cop new to Berlin who uncovers much more than he signed up for. One of the characters in the show is Countess Svetlana " Sveta " Sorokina, a white Russian who sings at a cabaret, and who is playing all the sides - she is lover to Trotskyist Alexei Kardakov, right wing industrialist Alfred Nyssen, and is even working for the Soviet secret police. Svetlana (called Sveta by her lover) comes from the Slavic svet, meaning "light, world". Interestingly enough, it is sometimes used as a translation of Photine, most likely because they have the same meanings. The character is played by a Lithuanian actress named Severija  Janušauskaitė. I couldn't find any information on the name, but I assume it's a form of Severa or Severina. Zaida - At work the other day there was a little girl called Zaida . It ...

art by frédéric  bazille 2. Jules - The French are so stylish (especially when it comes to names!) and I was so happy to see something like Jules at number two. Jules is the French form of Julius, which is thought to mean "downy-bearded", and was a Roman family name. It is pronounced "ZHUYL" 95. Marceau - Known to me, and probably to most of the English-speaking world, as the surname of French actress and Bond girl/villainess Sophie Marceau, I was surprised to see this name being used as a first. It is apparently a medieval French form of Marcel. Marcel comes from Marcellus, a Roman family name which started out as a diminutive of Marcus. 113. Lilian - I never knew that Lilian was used as masculine name in France! Count me as pleasantly surprised. 133. Corentin - This gorgeous name possibly means "hurricane" in Breton, and is the name of a 5th-century Saint. 177. Sofiane - A Maghrebi transcript of Sufyan, which could have a meaning relating to ...

Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich was born to Grand Duke Constantine Nikolaevich and Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg. He married Princess Elizabeth of Saxe-Altenburg , or  Elizaveta Mavrikievna ,   who was born Elisabeth Auguste Marie Agnes. Their children were: John Konstantinovich, " Prince John Konstantinovich of Russia ", or "Ioannchik" Gabriel Konstantinovich, " Prince Gabriel Konstantinovich " Tatiana Konstantinovna, " Princess Tatiana Konstantinovna " Konstantine Konstantinovich, " Prince Konstantine Konstantinovich ", or "Kostia" Oleg Konstantinovich, " Prince Oleg Konstantinovich " Igor Konstantinovich, " Prince Igor Konstantinovich " Georgy Konstantinovich, " Prince Georgy Konstantinovich " Natalia Konstantinovna, " Princess Natalia Konstantinovna " (Died at 2 months) Vera Konstantinovna, " Princess Vera...

Nicholas II with his wife and children Tsar Nicholas II of Russia was born Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov to Alexander III of Russia and Marie Feodorovna, or Dagmar of Denmark. He married Alix of Hesse and by Rhine , later known as Alexandra Feodorovna , who was born Victoria Alix Helena Louise Beatrice. The Romanovs are sadly best remembered for being murdered by the Bolsheviks. Their children were: Olga Nikolaevna Romanova, " Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia ", "Olishka", "Olenka", or "Olya" (Killed at age 22) Tatiana Nikolaevna Romanova, " Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russa ", "Tanya", "Tatya", "Tatianochka", or "Tanushka" (Killed at age 21) Maria Nikolaevna Romanova, " Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna of Russia ", "Marie", "Masha", or "Mashka" (Killed at age 19) Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, " Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolae...

Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna and Prince Louis Ferdinand Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia was born to Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia and Grand Duchess Victoria Feodorovna . She married Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia , who was born Louis Ferdinand Viktor Eduard Albert Michael Hubertus. Their children were: Friedrich Wilhelm, " Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia " Michael, " Prince Michael of Prussia " Marie-Cécile Kira Viktoria Luise, " Princess Marie-Cécile of Prussia " Kira Auguste Viktoria Friederike, " Princess Kira of Prussia " Louis Ferdinand Oskar Christian, " Princess Louis Ferdinand of Prussia ", " Louis Ferdinand II ", or "Lulu" Christian-Sigismund, " Prince Christian-Sigismund of Prussia " Xenia, " Princess Xenia of Prussia "

Team Russia Men : Victor An Albert Demchenko Nikita Katsalapov Petr Dron Alexander Glebov Niyaz Nabeev Kirill Antukh Ivan Skobrev Fedor Klimov Semen Elistratov Denis Kornilov Evgeny Plyushchenko Mikhail Maksimochkin Vic Wild Igor Bogolyubsky Valery Kolegov Maxim Trankov Andrey Drozdov Konstantin Glavatskikh Ilia Chernousov Artyom Anisimov Vladimir Grigorev Ilmir Hazetdinov Pavel Kharitonov Yuri Larionov Timofei Slivets Stepan Zuev Women : Ekaterina Bobrova Anastasia Dotsenko Olga Belyakova Margarita Fomina Julia Ivanova Evgenia Shapovalova Nkeiruka Ezekh Regina Rakhimova Inna Dyubanok Galina Skiba Elizavetta Chesnokova Tatyana Burina Victoriya Filyushkina Angelina Golikova Elena Ilinykh Veronika Korsunova Nadezhda Paleeva Assoli Slivets Yulia Lipnitskaya Svetlana Tkachyova

The Grand Duke and Duchess with their children Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia  was the daughter of Alexander III and Dagmar of Denmark. She married her first cousin, once removed  Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia , know as "Sandro". Their children were: Irina Alexandrovna Romanova, " Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia ", "Irene", " Irène", or "Baby Rina" Andrei Alexandrovich Romanov, " Prince Andrei Alexandrovich of Russia " Feodor Alexandrovich Romanov, " Prince Feodor Alexandrovich of Russia " Nikita Alexandrovich Romanov, " Prince Nikita Alexandrovich of Russia " Dmitri Alexandrovich Romanov, " Prince Dmitri Alexandrovich of Russia " Rotislav Alexandrovich Romanov, " Prince Rotislav Alexandrovich of Russia " Vasili Alexandrovich Romanov, " Prince Vasili Alexandrovich of Russia "

Russian stamp from 1951 featuring Sofia Kovalevskaya These are the most popular names for Russia from 2012. Girls: 1. Anastasia 2. Yelena 3. Olga 4. Natalia 5. Yekaterina 6. Anna 7. Tatiana 8. Maria 9. Irina 10. Yulia Boys: 1. Alexander 2. Sergei 3. Dmitry 4. Andrei 5. Alexey 6. Maxim 7. Evgeny 8. Ivan 9. Mikhail 10. Artyom