Cordelia

 

Princess Cordelia Abidaoud and Hilary Clinton

Today's headline: "Grab it while it's hot!" If the amount of labels under this post are any indication, Cordelia's a modestly rising, historically rich, beautiful trend-setter. The first time I saw Cordelia (kor-DEEL-ya, kor-DELL-ee-uh) was in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and I'm sure most people in my age bracket can say the same. However, these days I'm seeing the name everywhere online. It's become a very popular option for new parents, and has a long list of namesakes, both in real life, literature and media. From the comic book character Cordelia Swan to the real life Phoenician princess Cordelia Abidaoud, it should be a lot of fun looking through all the various Cordelia's out there, past and present. Nameberry reports that two "Babyberries" named Cordelia were born just recently.

Cordelia is a Latin name most likely meaning "heart," from the names Cordula (as in Saint Cordula) and/or Creiddylad, although Creiddlad supposedly has a meaning that relates to the sea according to this source. Cordelia last ranked in 1950. Our records start in 1880, when it ranked at #204, which was it's highest recorded placing and suggests that she once ranked even higher. The short name Delia comes from Cordelia, as do the longer names Cordelle, Cordella, Cordellia and Cordia. In 2011 the name was given to 177 baby girls, the largest amount ever given. Nicknames do not have to be limited to Cordy - Cora, Corda, Delia, Della, Coco, Lia and Cory can be nicknames as well.

Cordelia dates back to about 1100 AD. From King Lear she was the sympathetic daughter, the youngest, and her father's favorite. The two other daughters have less desirable names - Goneril and Regan, and are also dishonest and greedy. Cordelia is killed at the end of the original play, but has reconciled with her father. Cordelia of Britain was a legendary and brave queen often confused with the character from the play because her father's name is Leir, and although there are bold similarities, the story line is much different, and is the original story Shakespeare and Spencer based their versions of King Lear on. She supposedly ruled around the late 8th century. Early Welsh mythology has their own Cordelia, spelled Creiddylad. In these stories she is a lady in King Arthur's court, and said to be the most beautiful girl in the British isles. Two of Arthur's knights fight for her for eternity. Creiddylad has been compared to Persephone and her story compared to the Holly King myth. I mention Creiddylad also because some scholars believe Geoffrey of Monmouth based his Queen Cordeilla on Creiddylad, and Shakespeare on Monmouth's queen. Other scholars believe he took the name from Hollished's Chronicles, where the name originally came from Monmouth anyway. Supposedly, Cordelia was not used as a given name until Shakespeare's play.

Cordelia also features in Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh and Cordelia by Winston Graham. In real life, the town of Cordele, Georgia was named for Cordelia Hawkins, daughter of the president of SAM railroads, and there was an American suffragist, philanthropist and physician named Cordelia Agnes Greene in the 19th century. In 2005, a woman named Cordelia Scaife May was recognized as "the single most generous person in the United States." One last mention is that Anne of Green Gables wanted to be called Cordelia.

Other than Saint Cordelia, this is also a moon of the planet Uranus, the name of an asteroid, and a genus of butterfly.

Vesper, Vespera, or Vespertine?

 

Vesper is Latin, meaning "evening star," and shares part of its meaning with the religious term evening vespers, meaning "evening prayers." The name's been around a long, long time, but started picking up more interest in 2006 because of Casino Royale, and the Bond girl called Vesper Lynd. Vesper Vivianne Ruck is the daughter of Alan Ruck and Mirielle Enos, there was a character in a Lloyd Alexander adventure series named Vesper, and she also featured in the Batman comic series as a TV and radio newscaster named Vesper Fairchild (pictured above), who had a romantic relationship with Bruce Wayne.

There are about 160 people named Vesper in the U.S. according to White Pages, 33 of which were born in 2011, and 24 in 2010. To be more accurate, Vesper is the masculine and Vespera the feminine, and the religious term came after. (See here.) Vespertine is a lesser known variant meaning "of the evening." Vespertine is more French-chic, similar in looks to Valentine, and further removed from the common "Vespa" comments.

Attention Twilight fans: Is Twyla the baby name for you?

Forget Renesme, forget Bella, and pick Twila or Twyla. Twila is the more obvious spelling when "honoring" Twilight, Twyla less obvious and more Twyla Tharp (American dancer and choreographer). Both are English, meaning (obviously) "twilight." It can also be from Old English, meaning "twill," or "two ply, double thread." The name Twyla was used as a character in Zenna Henderson's novel Pilgrimage. It was most popular in 1964 at #751, and only ranked between 1925 and 1965, so consider this a vintage name. Twyla was used 28 times in 2011, and Twila was used 27 times, so each spelling is equal in usage, legitimacy and popularity.

Andromeda

Perseus and Andromeda by Anton Raphael Mengs

Andromeda is a name that most people admire, but find too unusual or extreme to use in real life, therefore they put it away on their "guilty pleasures" list of names they're not brave enough to use. Which is a shame, really, since it's such a gorgeous mythological gem. But I do agree, it does come on strong, which is why it's on my own GP list. I have thought an easy and accessible nickname would make it more useable, though.

Nickname possibilities: Andie, Anna, Anne, Annie, Andra, Andrea, Dru, Dre, Drama, Mei/Mae, Meda

There were 31 baby girls given the name Andromeda in 2011 (only 5 were given the name of her mother, Cassiopeia) and only 20 named Andromeda in 2010.

The Rock of Doom by Edward Burne-Jones

So many are familiar with Andromeda's tale: her mother, Queen Cassiopeia (another great name, meaning "she whose words excel"), was arrogantly proud of her daughter's beauty and boasted that she and Andromeda were both more beautiful than the Nereids. Poseidon, god of the sea, demanded King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia sacrifice their daughter to a sea monster named Cetus as punishment for Cassiopeia's vanity and arrogance, or else he would destroy their country, Aethiopia (Ethiopia). After hesitating and visiting the Oracle, they eventually tied Andromeda to a rock at the seashore, awaiting her demise to save the country. Perseus, who had just finished killing Medusa, was riding home on his horse Pegasus when he came upon Andromeda chained to the rock. He figured out what was going on and rescued Andromeda by killing the sea monster, supposedly in disguise. Then Perseus married Andromeda, which was the second great thing to happen after he saved her, since she was promised in marriage to her uncle Phineus. In fact, Phineus was so angry about this that he came to the wedding, and as an end result, he was turned to stone by the gorgon Medusa's head (which Perseus either just had lying around or became part of his shield as depicted in the art). They traveled around, Perseus saved more people, and they had seven sons and two daughters, none with names worth mentioning. (Sorry.) They say Perseus is the ancestor of the Persians, since his children (the family of the Perseidae) kept rule over Mycenae for such a long time. As for Andromeda, when she died, Athena turned her into a constellation in the northern sky, next to her mother and husband. Other characters turned constellations include the sea monster Cetus, her father King Cepheus, the winged horse Pegasus, and even the mother of Perseus, Danae.

Perseus and Andromeda by Gustave Moreau

They say there is a place in Jaffa, Tel Aviv where Andromeda was really chained to the rocks. Her story is still the subject of great art to this day, including movies. I also want to comment on the fact that she had a good relationship with her mother despite the horrible outcome of her mother's actions. Cassiopeia was not a bad person, just proud. However, Poseidon made her into a constellation with the specific torment of being tied to a chair, upside down half the time.

Perseus and Andromeda by Joachim Wtewael

Mars

richasi.com

If you were born in late March that means you are an Aries (the ram). I chose Mars to be today's name because Aries is ruled under Mars, and there is a powerful connection between the planet Mars and the month of March. Mars was the Roman god of war, said to be as ruthless as he was handsome, with a gentle side seldom seen (he was the lover of Aphrodite, said to be most beautiful). His celebrations were mainly held in March. The red planet has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. (For you Sailor Moon fans out there, those were the names of Sailor Mars's crows.) Not only was the planet named for the god, but so was the month of March, making this a suitable name for a baby boy born this month. It is also important to note that Ares was the other names for Mars, so what a coincidence that his Greek name is one letter short of March's astrological sign Aries. The ram is also a truly fitting animal for an Aries, its hard-headed, strong-willed character matching that of the god Mars.

This is a truly testosterone driven name, much more so than Hunter or Mason. In 2010 there were only 14 baby boys named Mars. In 2011 it went up  to 23 boys. There were also 97 boys named Aries in 2011.

Columba

Since the last post featured a bird of prey, today's name is Columba, Latin, meaning "dove," the symbol of peace. It is the name of a constellation, three saints, and a term lovingly used for the United States. It is not to be confused with Columbia, the country in South America, although the two names do share a connection.

Columba and its variants have become a symbol of peace beyond the name's meaning. America was the name of the continent, Columbia was the female personification, the name based on the surname of Christopher Columbus, who discovered it. This is also how the country of Columbia got its name. As we all know, the New World was intended to be the "Land of the Free," where everyone could come to be rid of religious persecution. Columbia was intended to mean "Land of Columbus," but Columbus means "dove" just as Columba does. As Columbia represented a sentiment of the Americas, Columba now symbolizes peace in all forms (not simply religious).

6th century St. Columba that converted Scotland to Christianity, and although he was male, there were two other saints of the same name that were female. If you're having a boy and still want to use a peaceful name such as Columba, try Colm, Culver or Callum. Other female names meaning "dove" include Paloma, Aloma, Colombe, Columbia, Columbana, Jemima and Yonina. Also, see this post for names that are peaceful.

In 2010 there were 6 baby girls named Columbia, but none named Columba. There were also 8 boys named Colum.

Year of the Dragon - Drake, Draco

There are two very recognizable names that easily celebrate 2012, the year of the dragon according to the Chinese zodiac. However, these names are not Chinese. Draco, Latin for "dragon," is the name of a constellation (and a popular Harry Potter character), and Drake, Middle English for "dragon," is still widely used today. Drake was originally an occupational name and a surname meant to identify those who were innkeepers of inns with a dragon crest. One very famous namesake was English explorer Sir Francis Drake, and another is a currently famous rapper who goes solely by Drake.

In 2010 there were 30 baby boys named Draco, 7 named Drako, 6 named Drago (the Italian version), 1,850 Drake, 5 Draike, 10 Drayk, and 31 Drayke. But, I can't think of a better name for a 2012 dragon baby.

If Draco and Drake don't appeal to you, perhaps Tarragon would be more to your liking. This herb name  comes from drakontion, meaning "dragonwort." It's botanical name is Artemisia dracunculus, meaning "little dragon."

For girls, try Dracaena (druh-KAY-nuh), which is from Greek drakaina, meaning "female dragon." It is a plant name, and a very beautiful and interesting plant at that.

Baby names that mean Star

We have multiple choices for star names, from the obvious, Star, to the not so obvious, Estreya.

Star
Starlight
Starling
Starla
Starry

Stella
Estelle
Estella
Estreya
Estrella
Estelita
Estrellita
Estee
Esther
Danica
Hester
Maria, Mary and their variants mean "star of the sea"
Vesper & Vespera

Nana
Nova
Sidra
Siria
Tara
Twila
Twyla

Asta
Astra
Astera
Asteria
Asterina
Astraea
Astrea
Astri
Astria

Actual stars:
Altair (Altaira)
Capella
Arcturus
Sirius
Aludra
Nashira
Avior
The Garnet Star (Garnet, January's birth stone)
Mira
Mimosa
Gemma
Rana
Vega
Bellatrix
Mintaka
Meissa
Alcyone
Atlas
Electra
Maia
Tania
Alula
Polaris
Spica
Zaniah

Constellations and galaxies:
Draco
Andromeda
Aquila
Ara
Carina
Cassiopeia
Columba
Delphinus (from which we get the lovely name Delphina)
Leo
Lyra
Norma
Orion
Pegasus
Perseus
Phoenix
Taurus (from which we get the lovely name Tauria)
Ursa (Ursula is acceptable as a full name, Ursa the nickname)
Vela

Luna

Today's name: Luna
Also try Lunabelle, Lunabella, Lunette, Lunetta, Luneth, or even Crescentia

Pronunciation: LOO-nah

Potential nicknames: Luu, Lulu, Una, NaNa

Origin: Latin, meaning "moon." It can be traced back to the word lumen, meaning "light."

Popularity: Luna has always been mildly popular. In 1880 she ranked at #444, while today she ranks at #278 with 1,138 births in 2011. There were 934 baby girls named Luna in 2010, ranking at #343, along with 7 Lunabella's and 5 Lunabelle's. Luna has been popular in Belgium for a while now as a top 10 name.

Fun fact: (1) Luna is associated as the name of the Roman goddess of the moon. It is one of the names of Artemis. The Greeks called her Selene. (2) Luna Lovegood, a character in Harry Potter. (3) Luna can be a special name given to those born as the astrological sign Cancer, whose ruling planet is the moon. (4) Some of you might recognize the name Luna from the Japanese animated TV show, also a manga (Japanese comic) titled "Sailor Moon." Luna was the wise black kitty, with an enchanting side story in the comic version and one of the movies. (5) Luna is where the words lunatic and lunar come from. (6) A little girl named Luna will always have a special connection to the pretty green Lunamoth. (7) Luna Park at Coney Island.

Cosima

Today's name: Cosima

Cosima Wagner

Pronunciation: KO-see-mah, also KO-zee-mah

Potential nicknames: Cosi, Coco, Sima, Cosma, Sisi

Origin: Italian, via the Greek word kosmos, meaning "cosmos," "beauty," and also "order." The name is in reference to the order and beauty of the cosmos, the universe. The male counterpart is Cosimo, and different cultures use Cosmo and Cosma. This name is often heard in Germany, Greece, and upper-class Britain as well. The name is Cosmina in Romanian, which is equally lovely, and possibly more rare.

Popularity: Cosima is a rare name. In 2010 there were 10 baby girls named Cosima, none named Cosmina, and none spelled Kosima or Kosmina. In 2011 there were only 6 girls named Cosima.

Fun fact: (1) Cosima Wagner, wife of composer Richard Wagner, daughter of Franz Liszt. (2) There are four known celebrity babies with this name. The first is chef Nigella Lawson's daughter, Cosima Thomasina, and the second is supermodel Claudia Schiffer's daughter Cosima Violet. Cosima Voilet has siblings named Clementine and Caspar. Next is Sofia Coppola's daughter. Lastly, Beck and Marissa Ribisi's son Cosimo. (3) Lady Cosima Windsor, daughter of Earl and Countess of Ulster, who were formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. This Cosima was born in 2010. (4) Cosima von Buelow, daughter of Claus von Buelow. (5) Saint Cosmo of the 4th century was martyred with his brother Damian, and they are now the patron saints of medical doctors. (6) 644 Cosima is an asteroid. (7) Cosima De Vito is an Australian singer-songwriter. (8) There is a novel titled "Cosima" by Grazia Deledda, an Italian writer who won the nobel prize for literature in 1926.

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Lyra

Today's name: Lyra

Pronunciation: LYE-rah (ly-rah)

Potential nicknames: Lyre (pronounced "leer" or "lyr")

Origin: Greek, meaning "lyre." A lyre is a small harp, and it was a favorite instrument among the ancient Greeks. Lyra is a feminine variant of Lyris.

Popularity: Lyra is not, and has not been, in the U.S. top 1000. There were 216 baby girls named Lyra in 2010, along with 8 spelled Lyrah. In 2011 there were 13 Lyrah and 240 Lyra, just outside of being ranked.

Fun fact: (1) Lyra is the name of a small constellation. According to Greek mythology this constellation resembled the lyre that belonged to the poet Orpheus. Vega is its brightest star. (2) Lyra is the main character in the His Dark Materials novel series by Phillip Pullman, and the first book is now a movie titled "The Golden Compass." (3) Lyra was the chosen baby name by Sophie Dahl and Jamie Cullum.

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Orion

Today's name: Orion

Image from www.astrosurf.com

Pronunciation: or-RY-on

Potential nicknames: Ri/Ry, Rion, Ory/Orrie

Origin: Greek, meaning unknown, but possibly related to the Greek word horion, meaning "boundary," or "limit." Some claim it means "son of fire," or "son of light," others say "dweller on the mountain." Orion was the hunter son of Poseidon, the Greek god. In some myths, Orion loved the goddess Diana but she accidentally killed him, so he was turned into a constellation. In other myths, he was accidentally killed by Artemis, and Zeus placed him in the sky as a constellation. Either way, you can now see his constellation at night. People sometimes simply refer to Orion as "The Hunter." Information is sometimes contested about Orion because there are several different versions of his story.

Popularity: Surprisingly, there were 555 baby boys named Orion in 2010 in the U.S., ranking at #466. There were also 13 boys named Orian, 7 named Orien, 51 named Oryan, and 5 named Oryon. In 2011 there were 8 boys named Orien, 17 Orian and 566 Orion, ranking at #472.

Fun fact: (1) If you are looking for the constellation Orion tonight, start by looking for "Orion's belt," three stars in a row that make a distinct line, as you can see in the picture above. Four bright stars make his body's outline. In the Northern Hemisphere he is easily seen between late fall to late winter.(2) Mark Twain had an older brother named Orion. (3) Orion is a popular named for many artists and writers, gracing the pages of novels and their titles, music soundtracks, and even an alien race in Star Trek. Even the Royal Navy has named ships for Orion.

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