The Beauty of Names

Prince Henri and Princess Isabelle Henri of Orléans, Count of Paris  was born Henri Robert Ferdinand Marie d'Orléans to Prince Jean, Duke of Guise and Princess Isabelle of Orléans . He married  Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza. Their children were: Isabelle Marie Laure Victoire, " Princess Isabelle of  Orléans ", later " Isabelle, Countess of Schönborn-Buchheim " Henri Philippe Pierre Marie, " Prince   Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France " Hélène Astrid Léopoldine Marie, " Princess Hélène of  Orléans ", later " Hélène, Countess of  Limburg-Stirum " François Gaston Michel Marie, " Prince François, Duke of France " Anne Marguerite Brigitte Marie, " Princess Anne of  Orléans ", later " Princess Anne of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Dowager Duchess of Calabria " Diane Françoise Maria da Gloria, " Princess Diane of  Orléans ", later " Diane, Duchess of Württemberg " Michel Joseph Benoît Ma...

Origin: Welsh Gender: Female Meaning: "River Song" or "Deer River" Pronunciation: ay-LON-wee, eye-LON-we Other Forms: N/A Though I was born in 1996, I had a wealth of movies, especially cartoons, dating back much further. All of it was thanks to my parents, who usually got me movies from their own childhood and teen years. One of those older movies was The Black Cauldron , and I remember it being a favorite (and who knows, it may have sparked my love of all things fantasy!). Little did I know then that the movie was based on a book series called the The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. One of the main characters was a Princess named Eilonwy, a name that I've been deeply enchanted by! While many believed Eilonwy to be an invention by Prydain, it actually has roots dating back at least to the 19th century. In a tale by Owen Wynne Jones, known more commonly by his bardic name of Glasynys, Eilonwy is the name of a mermaid's daughter. Another bard, Talha...

Johnna and one of her daughters ( credit ) Social Media Babies - I've been obsessively scrolling through @emdoodlesandstuff's account on TikTok. She is a name lover like so many of us, and she also makes the most spot-on predictions for celebrities and influencers. It's thanks to her that I came across several interesting influencer baby names! Here are the ones that stood out the most to me: Solveig Heartsong - This is the name chosen by Johnna @foxmeetsbear on Instagram for her fourth daughter! She has a great style, a little cottagecore meets farm-chic, and I think this name is the perfect choice for her. Her other daughters are named Luella, Minoux and Juniper. Zaza Princeton - The Skinny Confidential's founder Lauryn Evarts Bosstick's daughter. She is named after Zsa Zsa Gabor, only based on a mispronunciation of her name. Broederlow Jay - This is JayCee Wall's newest baby. It is her husband's mother's maiden name and they shared they will be calli...

Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad as Elsa of Brabant in Lohengrin , circa 1929 Hello everyone, back again with another of my posts where I suggest alternatives to popular names! Today's choice is Elsa, a name which has always had a bit of popularity, but skyrocketed to fame after Frozen came out in 2013. One of the best qualities of Elsa, in my opinion, is its universality--it's used in Germany, Italy, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, English and many more countries, making it a great choice for a multilingual family. Elsa is soft but strong, and calls to mind snow and Northern lights. Asta - Short, sweet and full of strength, Asta is a perfect alternative to Elsa. Asta is a Swedish, Danish and Norwegian short form of Astrid, which comes from Old Norse elements  áss, meaning "God", and  fríðr, which means "beautiful" or "beloved". While popular in Denmark, where it sits comfortably at #14, Asta is practically unused in other countries, making it ripe for...

  (From L-R) Rosalind Harris as Tzeitel, Neva Small as Chava and Michele Marsh as Hodel from Fiddler on the Roof When I very first saw Fiddler on the Roof , a 1971 film adaption of the musical based on a series of Yiddish stories written by Sholem Aleicham from 1894 to 1914, I fell in love. History has always been my passion, one my family kept stoked through books and movies. My mother always made sure my sister and I were exposed, especially to films, that would widen our cultural horizons. Ever since then, I've had a love and admiration for the Jewish culture, and of course that love connects to my other passion--names! Combining the two has led to this (very fun for me) post, featuring information about the names of Tevye's five strong-willed daughters. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! Here they are, from oldest to youngest: Tzeitel - Origin: Yiddish Gender: Female Pronunciation: SZIGH-tull Meaning: A diminutive of Sarah; "Princess" Other F...

Art by Elsa Beskow Origin: Finnish Gender: Male Meaning: "Bear" Pronunciation: ott-SOH Other Forms: N/A Today's name is a favorite nature name of mine -- Otso! In Finnish mythology, Otso, also sometimes called Ohto, Kontio, mesikämmen (honeypalm), or metsän kuningas (the king of the forest), is a bear spirit that is never given an official name. Some traditions remembered the bear spirit as a relative that fled into the forest and was transfigured by its powers. If a bear was to be killed, a sacred ritual called Peijainen  was performed, wherein a feast was held for a slain animal. It's skull, which was believed to house its spirit, would then be kept in a sacred clearing, where it would bring tributes to it. The bear was the most revered figure in ancient Finnish culture. Throughout history bears have been both worshipped and feared. In several Native American cultures, the bear is a symbol of rebirth because of its long hibernation and eventual re-emergence. I...

Princess Ileana with two of her children ( credit ) HRH Princess Ileana of Romania, Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen  was born to Ferdinand I of Romania and Marie of Edinburgh . She married Archduke Anton of Austria , and later Dr. Stefan Nikolas Issarescu . All six of her children are from her first marriage. They are: Archduke Stefan of Austria Archduchess Maria Ileana of Austria , called "Minola" Archduchess Alexandra of Austria, called "Sandi" Archduke Dominic of Austria, called "Niki" Archduchess Maria Magdalena of Austria, called "Magi" Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, called "Herzi"

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...

Today we're going to be focusing on a style I like to call "plucky heroine"; names for girls who are mystery-solvers, whose favorite toy is a microscope and favorite stories feature Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Think Harriet the Spy, Nancy Drew or Flavia de Luce. What do you think of this sort of style? It's personally one of my favorites, and I love the mix of quirky, studious and vintage! Ada Agatha/Aggie Alice Beatrice/Beatrix Bernadette Cora Cordelia/Cornelia Dorothea/Dorothy/Dora Edith/Edie Esme Esther Frances Frieda Harriet Henrietta Hester Iris Ivy Jerusha Josephine Juno Louise/Louisa Lucille Lucinda Mabel Margot Matilda Maxine Millicent Nora Penelope Perdita Petra Susanna/h Theodora/Thea Thomasina Vivian Winifred Zelda

The mice of Brambly Hedge at the naming ceremony for Poppy's babies Brambly Hedge is a gorgeous series of eight books for children, all written and illustrated by Epping-born Jill Barklem. They feature anthropomorphic animal characters, mostly mice, and they all have such adorable names, so I thought I would list them all here! At the bottom, I added a list of names that I think fall into that Brambly Hedge "style". Bonus question, for fun: if you lived in Brambly Hedge with your mouse family, what would your names be? You can use names I've listed below or from your own imagination! Let me know in the comments. Brambly Hedge Characters: Alf Toadflax Betony Toadflax Clover Toadflax Catkin Toadflax Wilfred Toadflax Teasel Toadflax Lord Quercus Woodmouse Lady Daisy Woodmouse Primrose Woodmouse Dusty Dogwood Poppy Eyebright Rose Dogwood Buttercup Dogwood Pipkin Dogwood Pip Apple Flora "Flo" Apple Basil Brightberry Names inspired by Brambly Hedge: Angelica Aste...

Māori Names - I came across this amazing article in The Guardian  talking about how there has been a resurgence of parents from New Zealand using Māori names, especially within the past ten years. It's a fascinating read and one that will interest anybody with a love for names. Two babies are featured in the article, one is named Ruataupare Te Ropuhina Florence Whiley-Whaipooti and the other is called Hinekōrako. The latter's father had this to say about choosing her name: "Hinekōrako’s name came to Dice as he was navigating a waka, a large traditional Māori sailing vessel, from Rarotonga in the Cook Islands back to Aotearoa. 'It was coming up to midnight. We came into a little storm. The temperature had dropped … there was thunder … Once we got through the storm we all turned around and just behind us there was this massive white rainbow … It was a lunar rainbow.'" “'I told our navigator about it and he goes’ 'oh yeah, that’s a tohu (sign), that’s Hi...

Nara and Lucky Blue Models Lucky Blue Smith and his wife, Nara Pellman, have welcomed their second child together, a boy they named Slim Easy Smith. Their other child is a girl named Rumble Honey. Lucky Blue has another daughter from a previous relationship named Gravity Blue.

Leslie Odom, Jr., Nicolette Robinson and their daughter, Lucille To kick off the new year I thought I'd do something a little different and fun! I'm going to be listing my favorite celebrity baby names of 2021. Which was your favorite and least favorite? Let me know in the comments! Girls: Elsa Hosk + Tom Daly - Tuuliki "Tuuli" Joan Daly Ashley Tisdale + Christopher French - Jupiter Iris French Ace Harper + Matt Sorum - Lou Ellington Sorum Emelie Forsberg + Kilian Jornet - Ylva Jornet, a sister to Maj Jornet Emma Stone + Dave McCary - Louise Jean McCary Teresa Palmer + Mark Webber - Prairie Moon Webber, a sister to Bodhi Rain, Forest Sage and Poet Lake Webber, and a half-sister to Isaac Webber Stephanie Beatriz + Brad Hoss - Rosaline Hoss Zoe Sugg + Alfie Deyes - Ottilie Rue Deyes Hayley Erin + Adam Fergus - Maude and Juno Fergus Jenny Slate + Ben Shattuck - Ida Lupine Shattuck Johanna + Duff Goldman - Josephine Goldman Boys: Ellie Goulding + Caspar Jopling - Arthur E...

Franz Joseph II and Countess von Wilczek with four of their five children Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein was born Franz Josef Maria Aloys Alfred Karl Johannes Heinrich Michael Georg Ignaz Benediktus Gerhardus Majella to  Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein and  Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria . He married Countess Georgina von Wilczek . Their children are: Johannes Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marco d'Aviano Pius, " Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein " Philipp Erasmus Alois Ferdinand Maria Sebaldus, " Prince Philipp Liechtenstein " Nikolaus Ferdinand Maria Josef Raphael, " Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein " Norberta Elisabeth Maria Assunta Josefine Georgine et omnes sancti, " Princess Nora of Liechtenstein " Franz Josef Wenceslaus Georg Maria, " Prince Franz Josef of Liechtenstein ", called "Wenzel"

Noriko Awaya Origin: Japanese Gender: Female Meaning: Several, including "Ceremonial Child" and "Benevolent Child" Pronunciation: NO-REE-KO Other Forms: Nori Does anyone else just love names of certain origins better than the rest? For me, those names are Japanese (and Irish and French!). Today's name is the lovely Noriko. Like with most Asian names, Noriko can have many meanings depending on what characters you use to write it. Most commonly it is written using 典 ( nori ), meaning "rule, ceremony" or 紀 ( nori ), "chronicle", combined with 子 ( ko ), which means "child". To put it in a more poetic fashion would be to say it means "ceremonial child" or "benevolent child" or "noble child". In Japan, it entered the top ten twice, once in 1928 and the other in 1956. In the 1930's, Noriko Awaya, born Nori, was a famous singer of  ryūkōka (popular music), and was called the "Queen of Blues". In J...

Origin: Slavic Gender: Male Meaning: "More Glory" Pronunciation: WEHN-ses-las Other Forms: Wenceslaus, Venceslaus, Veceslav, Václav, Vyacheslav, Więcesław, Wenzel Are you ready to learn the history behind the beloved Christmas song? Today's name is Wenceslas! Wenceslas, or Wenceslaus, is a Medieval Latinized version of the Slavic Veceslav. Veceslav comes from the elements veche , "more" and slava , meaning "glory". The later form may have been influenced by the Czech word  věnec, which means "wreath" or "crown". The eponymous figure from the classic Christmas song is based on Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, sometimes called Václav the Good (921-935). The song tells of a "good king" who travels through the harrowing winter weather to deliver alms to the poor on the feast day of St. Stephen. His page is about to give up, but through following the king's prints, step for step, he makes it through the blizzard. While Wences...

Princess Catharina-Amalia of Orange Catharina-Amalia + Many More - On December 7th, Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange and heir presumptive to the Dutch throne, turned eighteen. Her full name is Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria, and she has two younger sisters, Princess Alexia Juliana Marcela Laurentien and Princess Ariane Wilhelmina Máxima Inés. All of them have meaningful family names. Beatrix honors their grandmother, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, while Juliana does the same with their great-grandmother, Juliana of the Netherlands. Laurentien is for their aunt, Laurentien, who married Prince Constantijn in 2001. Wilhelmina is an often used name in the Dutch royal family, and just so happens to be the name of their great-great grandmother. And finally, Máxima is the name of their mother, Queen Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti, whose own mother was named María del Carmen Cerruti Carricart, showing us just where the Carmen in Catharina-Amalia's name came from. Ice...

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...

Christina and Mark Actress Christina Ricci has welcomed her first child with husband Mark Hampton, a little girl they named Cleopatra. Ricci has a son from a previous relationship named Frederick. He goes by Freddie.