Violetta

Two of the easiest (only?) ways to get Letty as a nickname are Elettra and Violetta. Violetta (vee-oh-let-ta) is a more elegant, romantic and European version of the trending and popular Violet, and while both of them mean "purple," it is a very distinct shade of purple they refer to - the shade violet, as in the flower. It is of Latin origin but used in several countries.

One of the most well known namesakes of Violetta is from Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La Traviata," which was originally titled "Violetta" after the main character. The story in the play was adapted from Alexandre Dumas junior's novel The Lady of the Camellias. (Side note: I had no idea Alexandre Dumas was part Afro-Carribean Creole until I saw "Django Unchained.") In the opera, Violetta is a respected courtesan who abandons her lifestyle when she falls in love with a man named Alfredo. A few events and misunderstandings unfold, Violetta breaks off their relationship, and... well, I won't ruin the ending for you. But I kind of love this play and Violetta's character, because even though she is a courtesan, she is highly respected and loved.

I once read that there was a Saint Violetta of Verona, Italy, but cannot find any record of her.

What's shocking is that Violetta only ranked once - in 1884 at #849. In recent years it has been very rare. 46 girls were given the name in 2011, and no more than 30 since 1884. In most years it was given between 5 and 20 times.

Mercade

Mercade (murr-KAYD) is quite the interesting boy's name. It was used by Shakespeare in "Love's Labour's Lost." The character Mercade is a lord who attends the princess of France, and he has a total of four lines (I believe), but Shakespeare chose his character's names well, so Mercade is not just any afterthought. There is a book called Shakespeare's Comic Commonwealths that tells us his name is no coincidence: "Several critics have noted connections between Mercade and Mercury," the author says, "as the messenger of the gods and the god of oratory, but they have not commented on Mercury as the divine messenger recalling people to their social responsibilities." The similarities between the character Mercade's messenger duties, the importance of his message, and the affect of his message, even being only four lines total, is not a coincidence - Shakespeare most definitely intended him to be a Mercury-like character.

From Latin mercatus, meaning "trade," then Latin mercado, meaning "marketplace," and finally mercader, meaning "merchant," it could have been an ancient occupational name, as I said, used in Shakespeare, that unfortunately never got picked up. It is so rare, and no babies were given this name in 2011 or in recent years.

Bellamy

You might first recall Matt Bellamy, who just welcomed a child with Kate Hudson, when seeing this name. Or maybe actor Ralph Bellamy, the Bellamy Mansion, or The Bellamy Brothers, or Francis Bellamy, who created the Pledge of Allegiance. And it did start as a surname. Bellamy means "beautiful friend" from belle ami in Old French, and originally pronounced BAY-lah-mee in French, but most people in America are more inclined to pronounce it BELL-uh-mee. As a first name it's been picking up a bit of attention as both a substitute for Isabella and as a surname-name, but also for its trendy "ee" ending sound. On the show "9 By Design," one of the children is named Bellamy, chosen for a connection to France, and there is a lesser-known American actress named Bellamy Young. As a surname not defined by either gender in its meaning, the name is unisex, but no boys were given the name in 2011. On the girl's side, the name was given 53 times, and in 2010 just 46 girls were given the name. So for those of you who can't give up Bella, here's a rare option for you.

Jessamine

 

Jessamine (JESS-ah-meen, JESS-uh-min, JESS-uh-myne - take your pick, though the first is most accurate), thankfully, has been getting attention in recent years. I credit that to baby naming websites that have message boards, but who knows. Jessamine is the archaic French, medieval English, and Persian for "jasmine." Variants included Jessamy and Jessamyn. Jessamyn West was an American Quaker and writer best known for The Friendly Persuasion in 1945. Another famous Jessamyn West is a librarian and blogger. Most recently, the name was picked for the main character of the TV show "New Girl." Like Clary, she's also a character in a Cassandra Clare series which is rapidly gaining popularity. Nicknames can range from Jessica's "Jessie" or "Jess," to Jasmine's "Minnie," or "Jessa," or "Mina." The plant has a remarkably nice fragrance and cute star-shaped flowers.

In 2011 there were only 8 girls named Jessamine, 7 named Jessamyn, and none named Jessamy. In 2010 there were only 6 girls named Jessamine. Please, someone, snatch this up and use it!!

Clary

 

There's a lot of fuss over Clare/Claire and Clara/Claira, but Clary (KLAIR-ee) first caught my eye when news came that Adele had a baby, and Clary was the name of the father's ex. I'm still not sure what Adele named her baby, but Clary remains a fascinating name. It is a variant of Claire, meaning "bright, clear, famous" and is the name of the clary sage plant, a member of the mint family known for thriving in adverse conditions. Clary has also been used as a surname, some from the Irish surname McClary, others from being herb-sellers or living near places where clary sage grew. One such namesake was Desiree Clary, the ex-fiancee of Napoleon. She became queen of Sweden and Norway as the consort of King Charles XIV John.

Claire has a good deal of variants that some are not familiar with. Claritza, Claribel, Clarice, and Clarette stand out, as well as Clary, which may have started as a nickname. There is also a possibility Clary was its own name, used since medieval times like other y-ending names, or from the Old English word sclarea. There were no girls named Clary born in the U.S. recently.

Get ready to spot Clary in the near future - it's the name of the heroine in Mortal Instruments, the book series-turned-new movie (February).

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.

Dempsey

Dempsey is an Anglicized Irish surname meaning "proud," from "son of Ó Diomasaigh. The family with this name originated in the Kingdom of Uí Failghe. On occassion, this name was simply given as "Proudman" in English. This is not a unisex name.

The title Viscount Clanmalier was created for Terrance O'Dempsey by King James I, and after him there were only two others to hold the title before it was no longer used - Lewis O'Dempsey and Maximilian O'Dempsey. The O'Dempsey family was strong and powerful until the 17th century, or, until the Williamite wars. Several prominent people have bared this surname, including feminist activist Rosemary Dempsey, but two namesakes spring to mind immediately - the actor Patrick Dempsey, proud father of Sullivan and Darby, and Jack Dempsey, the 20th century boxing champ. There are dozens more, however, listed all over the web. Only a small handful feature Dempsey as a given name. In my opinion, Dempsey would make a fine first name for someone from this family tree, especially if it was the mother's maiden name.

In 2011 Dempsey was only given to 67 boys. It first appeared on the charts in 1880 at #579, which would suggest that if these charts had been up years before, it would show Dempsey gaining or continuing popularity until 1880. However, it was on and off the charts for the entire time it ranked, up until 1949, and it hasn't been back since.

Ismay

I've seen Ismay (iz-may) getting a lot of love online lately, so I thought I'd give you the history. There might be no coincidence that Ismay sounds so close to Esme, meaning "esteemed," although a lot of people like to debate where it came from and how it was used. Some say it's a variant of Ismene, meaning "knowledgeable," or Ismenia, whose origins are equally debatable. Some say it's a Germanic compound name from iron and strength, some say it has Celtic origins, and some say it is a variant (possibly Anglicized) spelling of Esme, which is French. This is evidenced by variant spellings like Esmay. However, the first record of Ismay could be one in Lancashire, England, and the name could predate the Norman conquest in some form.

Ismay can be found as a surname, as is the case with famous British businessman Bruce Ismay, associated with the Titanic, but also as a first name, as in Ismay Thorne, a British children's author, and Ismay Johnston, an New Zealand actress. It was a matronymic surname (the mother's given name passed to the son as his surname) since at least the 16th century, possibly the 13th century (according to K. M. Shear in Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names), and in use in medieval times in England. Variants recorded include Ysmay, Isemay, Isamaya and Ysemay, and it is important to note that different spellings were very common until the English language was standardized. There are records of the name being used in North Wales, and Ismay would mean "lower field" in Welsh. Ismey has also been used in Iceland. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names confirms Ismay and variants were in use in 13th century England. Like Winston, surnames became necessary when the government introduced personal taxation, or the Poll Tax. It can also be found in a couple of books from around the 1980's, such as "What's Bred in the Bone" by Robertson Davies, whose character lived in the 1930's.

White Pages tells us there are 172 people in the U.S. with the first name Ismay, and the most popular decade for the name was 1924. There are also 110 people with Ismay as a last name. In 2011 Ismay was not used, although several similar sounding names were - Ismene, Isatou, Isaura, Islay and of course, Isabella and Esme.

So here's what we know for sure:
Ismay was in use between 1450 and 1650
It has survived until now in both given name and surname form, but is rarely used
It has been used in literature

So, is Ismay an Anglicized  variant of Esme, Ismene, Ismenia, or an original Celtic name? I'm going to guess that a) since it was in use in England, Iceland, and possibly Wales, and b) since I haven't seen records of it in France, and c) since the Poll Tax was in England, that it is not from Ismene (Greek) or Ismagi (Germanic), although names do travel. That leaves two options: from Ismenia, which may or may not be Celtic, or a completely unrelated Celtic name. This post has been updated, since I had to do a little more research.

Palmer

 

The Palm Leaf by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Palmer is an Old English name meaning "palm-bearing pilgrim," which is perfect for babies born around Thanksgiving. Originally a medieval surname, it referred to a Christian pilgrim carrying a palm branch when traveling to a holy shrine, or one who returned with a palm leaf. People still use palm leafs in pilgrimages today. It can still be found as a surname (and city names) today. The meaning has nothing to do with male or female, therefore this can be a unisex name, although Palma, Palmira and Palmina do sound more suitable for girls. Palmer has made appearances in Sense and Sensibility, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and recent movies.

While Parker is currently the #1 P name for boys and Porter has a modest middle-of-the-charts ranking, Palmer was last seen on the top 1000 in 1955, disappearing after 1949 for 6 years, but it did rank every year since 1880 until then. In 2011 there were 93 boys given this name, and 63 girls. Though this name has a very old history, it has a decidedly modern feel, perfect for use today, and still rare!

Topher

Topher is a short form of Christopher, Greek, meaning "bearing Christ," which not many people in the U.S. realized could be used as a given name until "That 70's Show" star Topher Grace came along. It is said he didn't like Chris as a nickname and insisted on Topher. There was also a Joss Whedon character named Topher. It is popular to call Christopher's Topher in Denmark. In 2011 only 7 parents chose to name their boys Topher instead of the full name Christopher. As of now, Topher is just beginning to be recognized as a formal given name, but perhaps he'll have a bright future ahead of him.

Arrietty

Arrietty (ahr-ee-ET-ee) was a name made famous for the first time by author Mary Norton in her 1952 novel The Borrowers, a story of a family of tiny people living in the house of a normal sized family who "borrow" their supplies from the humans to survive. The name was made famous for the second time when Hayao Miyazaki's animation company, Studio Ghibli, turned the story into a Japanese animated motion picture, called "The Secret World of Arrietty," which was released by Walt Disney Pictures in the U.S. Please note that ahr-ee-ET-ee and air-ee-ET-ee are the correct pronunciations of the name.

For those of you not familiar with Ghibli movies, including Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, Totoro and Castle in the Sky (all of which had U.S. releases), these movies are a must see for adults and children alike (says the biggest Ghibli fan ever). There are no American animations that compare when it comes to story and artwork, and you'll find that a recurring theme is protecting the environment - a good lesson for kids to learn. And don't get me started on the music. The songs for Arrietty were written by a Ghibli fan, Cecile Corbel. (I refuse to talk about the American theme song. Refuse.)

Without spoiling too much, the plot of the book and movie is this: Arrietty Clock lives with her mother, Homily, and father, Pod. She meets a human called The Boy, named Sho in the Japanese movie and Shawn, I believe, in the American version. They become friends, but The Boy understands that she should not be seen by others, because it is not safe. Arrietty tells The Boy how there may actually be only a handful of Borrowers left in the world. Both the book and movie have an equal "leave you wanting more" ending.

Arrietty has only experienced a handful of namesakes since the 1952 novel, none born in recent years, and White Pages tells me there are only two living Arrietty's. It seems like Arrietty comes from Arietta, a variant of Arlette, which is a variant of Charlotte, but it is in fact a German variant of Harriet, meaning "home ruler." In other words, Arrietty was not just "made up" by Norton. I definitely see some little Arrietty's being born soon. Especially considering possible nicknames like Ari, Etty and Etta, although Arrietty does feel like a nickname itself.

Topanga

For a fun read elsewhere, read this post on the name Topanga. Someone, please, be brave enough to use it! It's so loud, spunky, quirky and refreshing. As an update, there were 18 baby girls named Topanga in 2011 and 15 in 2010.

Bonnie

Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie is Scottish, meaning "fair," "attractive" and "pretty." From the French word bonne, meaning "good." Often, a child was said to be "bonny" regardless of gender, so long as that child displayed a happy nature, and this term features in some songs and literature (such as Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing). Today, "bonny" is still a word used to mean "pretty," especially in Scotland. It is now considered vintage in the U.S., having been used as an endearing nickname, even as a pet form of Bonita. There is an old nursery rhyme that makes Bonnie appropriate for a child born on Sunday. Bonnie Blue was the daughter of literary characters Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. Then there is the famous bank robber Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie & Clyde fame). And for all you Harry Potter fans out there, this is the name of Bonnie Wright who plays Ginny Weasley. Not a Harry Potter fan? It's the name of the witch in The Vampire Diaries. Some rarely heard variants include Bonnebel/Bonnebell and Bonnibel/Bonnibelle. Bonnie last ranked in 2003, but it appeared regularly since 1880. It hit #33 in 1941 and 1946, the highest ranking. In 2011 it was just outside the top 1000 with 218 births. Bonnie would make an exceptional alternative to other B names in the top 1000 at the moment, such as Bristol, Brooke, Brynlee and Briley. For the record, so would Betty (163 births) and Betsy (129 births).

Rafferty

The Rafferty Coat of Arms

Raffterty is an Irish Gaelic surname meaning "prosperity wielder." What a unique meaning! It was originally O'Raighbheartaigh and Rabhartach. There's also a wide range of potential nicknames, from Raff to Rafe to Teddy. There were only 10 baby boys named Rafferty in 2010, and 12 in 2011, which means not a whole lot of parents have discovered Rafferty's "raffish charm." This is also the name of Jude Law's son, but you're likely to find many more people with Rafferty as a surname than a given name. Other than that, I can't find much more on this potential baby name.

Reeve

No, not Keanu Reeves, just Reeve, which is one of those rare names that sounds appealing, and you have to say it out loud. It is a Middle English occupational name meaning "bailiff." Not the worst I've heard, and better yet, there's no rule that says you need to go around telling everyone what your baby's name means. And if you do, no one's going to say, "Oh, how horrible." There is actually a rich medieval history (including one of the stories in The Canterbury Tales) with a long list of duties a reeve held, and it was in fact a high position. I believe in part they later became sheriffs.

An alternate spelling is Reave, and there are dozens of namesakes with Reeve or Reeves as a surname. Two familiar namesakes other than Keanu Reeves are Reeve Lindbergh and Christopher Reeves (but don't let the associations deter you, it's just one distant recollection). Reeve is very similar to the French word for "dream." It is also similar to other popular names like Reid/Reed, Rhys, and Reese/Reece.

Not on the top 1000, and I don't believe it ever has been. In 2010 there were just 21 baby boys named Reeve, 18 named Reeves, and none spelled with an a (Reave, Reaves). In 2011 there were 12 Reeves and 33 named Reeve.

Tamsin

the astrological twins

Today's name: Tamsin

Pronunciation: TAM-sin

Potential nicknames: Tam, Tams, Tammy, Sinna (like cinnamon)

Origin: Tamsin is the English short form of the name Thomasina, which is the Victorian-era Aramaic feminine variant of Thomas. Tamsin, Thomasina, and Thomas mean "twin." It is really up to you if you want to name a non-twin Tamsin or Thomasina, since people name non-twin boys Thomas regularly.

Popularity: There were only 9 baby girls named Tamsin in 2010, which means it did not rank on the top 1000. In 2011 there were only 8 baby girls named Tamsin and 6 named Thomasina.

Fun fact: (1) Tamsin was used as a given name about a century after the Victorian Era. (2) Tamsin was traditionally used in Cornwall. (3) Tamsin was a 1999 novel by Peter S. Beagle. (4) Actresses Tamsin Egerton and Tamsin Grieg.

Topaz

Today's name: Topaz, November's birthstone

Pronunciation: TOW-paz

Potential nicknames: Topa, Paz (like Paz Vega)
Topaz could potentially be a nickname for Topanga

Origin: Topaz is the Latin name (Latin Topazus from Greek Topazios) of this golden jewel. It does not have a formal meaning. It has been used in England, sparingly, since the 13th century.

Popularity: Never in the top 1000, with zero births in 2010 and 2011. Just in case you were wondering, there were 15 baby girls named Topanga in 2010 and 18 Topanga's in 2011.

Fun fact: (1) Topazios, the original form of the name Topaz, came from the ancient St. John's Island in the Red Sea, where a yellowish gem could be mined. (Today it is believed that gem was actually chrysolite, not topaz.) (2) Topaz comes in an array of colors. Only the golden/orange colored version is November's birthstone, which symbolizes friendship. (3) Topaz is the state gem of Utah. There is also a Topaz Mountain in Utah. (4) Topaz is mentioned in Exodus 28:17 although, like the island, they were probably refering to chrysolite. Back in the day, all golden gemstones were refered to as topaz with no distinction. (5) Leon Uris’ novel Topaz inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s 1969 movie of the same name, although Topaz did not refer to a person, but a spy ring. (6) Topaz War Relocation Center, which was America's vengeful way of detaining Japanese-Americans because of Pearl Harbor. Strangely enough, this camp was located in Utah.

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Beatrix

Today's name: Beatrix, which is classic and fun at the same time

Pronunciation: BEE-ah-trix

Potential nicknames: Bee, Bebe, Bea, Beata, Betty, Beatie, Trixy/Trixie, Trix

Origin: Variant of Latin name Viatrix (the feminine form of Viator), of which Beatrice comes from, meaning "voyager through life" and "blessed," the equivalent translation being "blessed voyager." I believe it is a combination variant of Viatrix and "beatus." It had been ocassionally used in England in the Middle Ages, then again in the 19th century.

Popularity: In 2010 there were 123 baby girls named Beatrix, compared to 319 named Beatrice, 12 named Beatris, and 152 Beatriz. Beatrix only ranked in 1883 at #760. There were also 18 baby girls named Bea, 5 named Beata, and 7 named Bebe. In 2011 there were 135  girls named Beatrix.

Fun fact: (1) Children's book author Beatrix Potter, widely known for "Peter Rabbit." (2) Saint Beatrix was martyred in Rome in the 4th century, along with Saint Faustinus and Saint Simplicius. (3) Beatrice was one of Queen Victoria's daughters. (4) Beatrice was a Shakespeare character in "Much Ado About Nothing." Beatrice is also Dante's ideal woman in the "Divine Comedy." (5) Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands around 1938. (6) Some might see a visual connection to a certain Harry Potter name: Bellatrix, which is NOT related to Beatrice/Beatrix. (7) Beatrix Kiddo from Kill Bill. (8) Author Beverly Cleary named one of her characters Beatrice, who more often goes by Beezus. (9) Beatrix Belden from the "Trixie Belden" series.

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Electra / Elektra

Today's name: Electra
Is Electra too electric for you? Try  Elettra, Elektra, Alectra, Ellectra, Ellektra or Ilectra.
Pronunciation: el-EK-trah, ee-LEK-trah

Potential nicknames: Elle, Ellie, Ella, Lectra, Lex, Lexie

Origin: Greek, meaning "amber." Derived from the Greek word for amber, elektron. Although other sources claim it means "shining," "bright," and "radiant," there is no proof for these meanings.

Popularity: Electra has not ranked in the top 1000. In 2010 there were 18 baby girls named Electra and 36 baby girls spelled Elektra. In 2011 there were 14 Electra, 25 Elektra and no Elettra.

Fun fact: (1) Electra was the daughter of King Agamemnon and his wife Clytemnestra of Mycenae. Agamemnon killed Electra's sister Iphigenia to please the goddess Artemis in hopes that Artemis would let his ships safely sail to Troy during the Trojan war. His wife was angered by this and swore to never forgive him, but when he came back from Troy with a new mistress (Cassandra) Clytemnestra killed both of them with the help of her lover. In turn, this made Electra angry, so she and her brother Orestes exacted revenge upon their mother and her lover Aegisthus. This is where the term "Electra complex" comes from. Electra's story is part of the Greek Tragedies by Sophocles and Euridipes and she has been the inspiration for other literary works. (2) Electra or Elektra Natchios is well known for being a Marvel comic book heroine. Jennifer Garner played this character in a movie of the same title.

Possible siblings for Electra might include:
Oceana, Apollo, Orpheus, Hermes, Aura, Echo, Leander, Athena, Chrysanthe, Rhea, Atlas, Althea, Atalanta, Minerva, Eudora, Hestia, Desdemona, or really any Greek mythology name (excluding the names of her parents, siblings, Cassandra and Artemis). If you really want to get creative, try other names with both color and gemstone meanings, such as Amethyst or Fairuza, which both refer to colors and stones.

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Felix

Today's name: Felix
Depending on where you live, Feliciano, Felicio, Felike, Feliks or Felizio may be more familiar variants.

You know I had to add a picture of Felix the Cat

Pronunciation: FEE-licks

Potential nicknames: Fee, Flick, Lixy, Lixer, Felly/Fellie

Origin: Latin, meaning "happy, fortunate."

Popularity: In 2010 Felix ranked #331 for boys, and the ranking has stayed in the 300s for the past decade. There were a total of 940 baby boys born in 2010 named Felix, 7 spelled Feliks, and 20 named Feliciano. Felix ranked #8 in Quebec and Germany, #11 in Austria, #36 in Sweden, #81 in Norway, and #221 in Scotland, all in 2010. In 2011 it moved up to #311 with 1,023 births.

Fun fact: (1) You may recognize this name from the animated "Felix the Cat," one of the first cartoons of the silent film era, and by far the most popular. Although you can still find Felix around today, his heyday was the 1920s, and connections between Felix the Cat and Felix the baby name are dying down. (2) Less instantly recognizable is Felix Unger from "The Odd Couple." (3) This is the name of more than one saint (67, I believe), and also the name of four different popes. There was also a Felix in the Bible. (4) You can find many more famous Felix namesakes, but most are not instantly recognizable.

Feminine form: Felicity & Felicia

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