Bathory

Happy Halloween! On this spookiest of days I decided to highlight the surname of the most famous family to rule over Transylvania, the noble Bathory family. The most famous member of this family was Elizabeth Bathory who was better known as ‘The Blood Countess’. As the historical figure that Count Dracula was based on, she seems like the perfect person to look at on a name-blog based around historical figures.

Bathory (pronounced: BATH-ohr-ee) is the surname of a group of Hungarian Nobles and is from the word “bator” meaning ‘valiant’. For such a noble meaning, the family in history has not exactly lived up to this meaning. They reached the height of their power in the 16^th and 17^th century and while there were some good members, like King Stephan Bathory of Polland, the more brutal and sadistic are the ones that have been remembered today. Even an uncle of the most famous, Elizabeth, was a Devil worshiper.

Whilst Elizabeth was considered a beauty with raven hair and pale skin, she did have, let’s say, her problems. She was promiscuous, vain, narcissistic and highly sadistic and she was considered a vampire in her own time due to her enjoyment of torturing servants, especially young women. Elizabeth became so fearful of losing her youth and beauty as she got older that according to folklore when a servant girl accidently pulled her hair when styling it, Elizabeth struck the girl drawing blood and when she washed the blood off her hands she thought that her skin had become youthful and supple again.

Long story short, Elizabeth went on to kill hundreds of girls from the lower ranks and got away with it before starting to kill high ranking girls and that would be her undoing. She enjoyed torturing them and it is famously suggested that she bathed in virgin’s blood. Creepy and fit for Halloween? I think so. When she started killing high ranking girls she got caught but was never charged and instead was confined to house arrest in 1611 and died in 1614.

Bathory has never been a popular name and I doubt that it has ever been used as a given name. It does have Rory as a possible nickname, however, and could fit in with other popular three-syllable-names such as Melody and Emily as well as other surname-three-syllable names like Kennedy, Bellamy and Flannery. However, if you know your history, this name might not sit well with you. I think that Elizabeth Bathory is a fascinating person to look at but as someone I would want my daughter to look up to and aspire to be, well, not so much. It might be for someone however and would make for an interesting three syllable choice. 

Picture source: http://pinterest.com/pin/147492956516666419/

Friday

According to the popular nursery rhyme, Monday’s Child it would seem that Friday’s child is ‘loving and giving’ but the name Friday itself is not being used by the modern parent even when other names such as Wednesday, the child full of woe and Sunday are now being used by parents.

Frigg, Norse Goddess of Love that Friday
is named after

Since 2000, in every single year less than five babies were given the name Friday to possibly none at all. I like to think that someone out there has used the name but you can never be completely certain. It’s surprising that not more people are using this name as many people do look forward to Friday, being the end of the typical school/work week and for those macabre folk and Addam’s Family fans such as myself, you will know that Wednesday Addam’s middle name is indeed Friday.

Friday (pronounced: FRY-day) comes from Old English origin meaning ‘the day of Frigg’, which in turn is to honour the Norse Love Goddess, Frigg. In turn, Wednesday Addams is not the only character to bear the name, there is also a Friday (male) in ‘Robinson Crusoe’ and in the ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ series, there is a female Friday who appears in the final book and is the daughter of a man named ‘Thursday’.

However, in many cultures, Friday is seen as un unlucky day of the week. For sailors, they believe it is unlucky to start a voyage on a Friday. Also, Friday the 13^th is seen as an unlucky day in modern times and whenever one of these Friday’s occur, it may be called “Black Friday.” However, Scottish Gaelic culture believes that it is a ‘lucky day for sowing the seed’. Friday is also connected with the planet Venus and the Astrological signs Libra and Taurus. Friday is also important in Christian Religion as ‘Good Friday’ was when Jesus Christ was crucified and for anyone who goes to work in an office setting, Friday is the best day at work as it is Casual Friday!

Overall, Friday is just as plausible for a name as Wednesday, Tuesday and Sunday are but I think the connotation with Friday the 13^th and the doom and gloom brought about by it are turning parents away. It seems like it is fine to be macabre, just not unlucky.

* Note: I have skipped over Wednesday and Thursday but it was not on purpose, life just got in the way, so they will be done next week. 

Photo Source: http://chamakoso.deviantart.com/art/Frigg-118277426

Berlin

Scanning through some names given to babies in 2011, one name caught my attention and that was Berlin. With other cities of the world being used on children including London, Paris and Sydney, the German capital of Berlin seems like a natural choice as a successor to these names.

Marlene Dietrich in 'The Blue Angel',
the epitome of Weimar Germany Style

Berlin (pronounced: BEHR-lyn) is of German origin and means ‘borderline’. I don’t think that place names generally are chosen for their meaning but for what the culturally represent to the parents of the child. In the 1920s, Berlin became an epicenter of culture and was the heart of the Roaring Twenties thanks to the Weimar Republic that was established at the end of WWI. Films such as ‘Metropolis’, ‘Blue Angel’ starring Marlene Dietrich and ‘Pandora’s Box’ starring Louise Brooks where made in Germany at this time and the movie and musical ‘Cabaret’ starring Liza Minnelli is a good look at what Weimar Germany was all about.

Berlin is of course also known for the Berlin Wall that divided Berlin during The Cold War. Of course, I prefer the imagery of 1920’s Berlin but of course, the Berlin Wall was an iconic structure connected to the city for a time.

In 2011, the name was given to 97 baby girls and 5 baby boys. This is compared to other capital names such as London (given to 3145 girls and 448 boys), Paris (given to 927 girls and 74 boys) and Sydney (given to 3942 girls and 66 boys)/Sidney (given to 412 girls and 227 boys) or even the popular non-capital place name of Brooklyn (given to 7115 girls and 77 boys), the name Berlin is a rare and unique choice when it comes to selecting a place name for your child. 

Chenault

As someone who loves to watch movies, as I am sure a lot of you have already worked out by now, I do get excited when I hear a name that I haven’t heard before and that was the case when watching The Rum Diary and it was the lead female character’s name that caught my eye – Chenualt.

Amber Heard as Chenault in The Rum Diary alongside Johnny Depp

Chenault (pronounced: shuh-NOH) is a name of French origin and means ‘one who came from, or lived near Chenal (irrigation chanel)’. It is more commonly found as a surname than as a first name and unfortunately the meaning doesn’t mean ‘radiant sunshine’ or something else really pretty but then that hasn’t stopped me loving names in the past and neither should it let you. I guess the French can make everything sound pretty.

The movie was based on the Hunter S Thompson novel of the same name and it makes me wonder where he found the name because truly it is an inspired choice and not just some run of the mill name from the 60s in which this is set. In any case, the character, well I would definitely describe her as full of life but then if you were to use this name on a child I doubt it would be a case of Veruca where people would instantly attach the name to the character in the story. The movie and book are good, but not as well known as they should be.

The name itself is quite like Chenelle of which it is a variant of, which then ties it back to the name Chanel. So if you are into your high fashion but don’t want to go with the obvious root of Chanel, then Chenault would make an interesting alternative. It looks quite chic and sophisticated as well which is what the Chanel brand is all like.

The name Cheanult was given to less than 5 girls last year though I would tend to guess no children were given the name. On the other hand, Chanel was given to 318 girls and Chenelle was given to 9 girls. So all in all, this is an interesting French name that would make for a wonderful name for any child, and if I do say so myself, this name is on my potentials list. There just seems to be a sort of aura surrounding the name, despite the fact that the name has to do with irrigation. 

Tuesday

For a while now, Wednesday has been one of those guilty pleasure names for me. I love the name, though I doubt I could get it across the board when the time came and yes, I do love the character from ‘The Addams Family’. In any case, I have always seemingly had a sympathetic ear to any ‘day-names’. When Nicole Kidman named her daughter Sunday, I thought it was darling, though the combination with the middle name that I think caused more of the problems.

While those two days are the most commonly, if used, ‘day-names’, this week I am going to write up about the days of the week and since this is a Tuesday, what could be better than starting with this name.

Tuesday Weld (b. 1943)

Tuesday (pronounced: TOOZ-day) is obviously the English word for the day of the week but it derives from the Old English ‘Tiwesdæg’ which literally means ‘Tiw’s Day’. Tiw is the Old English form of the Proto-Germanic god ‘Tiwaz’ or ‘Tyr’ in Norse who was a God of War and Law. The Latin variation of Martis is named after the Roman god of war, Mars and means ‘day of Mars’ and is used in most languages with Latin Origins. In Slavic Languages, the name gains the meaning of ‘the second’, which also symbolizes its place in the week and in Japanese, the translation comes across as ‘fire day’.

While Wednesday is given a bad reputation as the day that is ‘full of woe’, in the Greek and Spanish speaking world, Tuesday is actually seen as an unlucky day and if the 13^th day of the month falls on a Tuesday, well it is unlucky, just like how many Western cultures believe that if the 13^th falls on a Friday, then it is an unlucky day. In the Thai solar calendar the name means ‘ashes of the dead’ and the colour that is associated with the name is pink.

Also, like I mentioned slightly earlier, like Wednesday’s child is full of woe, the folk rhyme states that ‘Tuesday’s child is full of grace’. That is quite a darling meaning especially against all the negativity or darkness that protrudes itself from some of the other meanings. It might also make an interesting way to honour a past family member who has the name Grace.

Tuesday is also associated with the planets Mars and Uranus – and it is the usual day for elections in the USA so it would make an eclectic choice for someone who is really into politics. There are other days associated with a Tuesday as well including Black Tuesday (part of the Great Stock Market Crash of 1929), Shrove Tuesday (precedes the first day of Lent in the Western Calender) and Fat Tuesday (associated with Mardi Gras and is the same day as Shrove Tuesday).

There are Tuesday’s in popular culture as well, though not as notable as Wednesday’s pop culture fixture. The American actress Susan Ker Weld changed her name to Tuesday Weld, the ‘That 70s Show’ spin-off, ‘That 80’s Show’ had a character called Jane Tuesday who went by the name Tuesday and in Jasper Fforde’s Bookworld novels there is a Tuesday Next, daughter of Thursday.

Tuesday is the third most favoured day of the week when it comes to naming children. Sunday comes first and is used on both males and females, and Wednesday is next but Tuesday follows close behind with 22 girls given the name this year. All the other days of the week have none. I do see Tuesday as one of the more viable ‘day-names’ and I think it would be a unique, quirky and lively choice for a daughter, even with all the meanings surrounding ‘ash’ and ‘unluckiness’. 

Picture Source: http://pinterest.com/pin/98586679313563681/

Veruca

In truth, I haven’t watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for years. That was until last night. While watching the movie I had forgotten just how horrid some of those kids are and how my heart breaks every time that Charlie doesn’t get the golden ticket – even though I know he has to get one. It is like watching The Tudors and getting emotionally invested in Anne Boleyn only to know that in the foreseeable future she is going to get to be executed.

In any case, the movie reminded me of the name Veruca – a name that is not heard about often or at all, and with good reason I suppose as well. Veruca (pronounced: ve-ROO-kah) is a Latin name meaning ‘wart’. Right off the bat, the name has a horrible meaning though that hasn’t stopped Courtney and Mallory from gaining popular support from the masses.

Veruca Salt

With all due respect – it is the character that would stop most people who are not turned off from the meaning from this name.

Roald Dahl made up the name for the spoilt and arrogant Miss Salt in his novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and when she introduces herself in the film adaptation and Wonka replies that he thought ‘Veruca was a type of wart’ – I couldn’t help laughing. She is also ‘bad nut’ of the bunch and is spoilt as spoilt can be. I don’t think any parent wishes for their child to be demanding, arrogant and horrid so that would be reason enough for parents to stay clear from the name.

However, the other girl that gets to go inside Willy Wonka’s factory, Violet, has managed to not harm her name at all. Though that probably comes about because Violet was a name used before the novel and has a lovely meaning – and in all honesty, I think she is probably the best kid after Charlie – don’t judge me but what is she other than someone who is a extremely competitive and likes to chew gum. There are redeeming qualities within Violet Beauregard – there are none in Miss Veruca Salt. Plus Violet also has the help of being a main character in the A Series of Unfortunate Events book series and that Violet is quite the good role model.

Now back to Veruca. On the outside, without knowing anything other than just looking at the name, I find that it is a pretty name. I am partial to a name starting with V – but this is one I will not be using – though in reality it would be more to do with the wart connotation then anything else. Kids will surely see the film or read the book so I wouldn’t be surprised if some childhood teasing came if a child was given that name but I don’t believe that should be a reason to not name a child something. Kids will find a way to bully anything – it is just that I would prefer a child to be named after a more satisfactory literary character than one who is spoilt, arrogant – and has a name that means wart. 

Stephanie

There is a new Princess in the World. Over the weekend, the Crown Prince of Luxembourg married Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy and like many people, I love a good royal wedding. There is something magical about it that makes me feel like I have just witnessed a real-life Disney fairytale. So, in honour of the royal marriage, I have decided to profile the name Stephanie today.

Stéphanie de Lannoy, 
Crown Princess of Luxembourg

Stephanie (pronounced: STEFF-a-nee) is a female name of Greek origin meaning ‘crown’. It is the feminine form of Stephen and really, the meaning of the name is quite fitting for someone in royalty. There have been quite a few ‘Stephanie’s in royal history, going back to Stéphanie de Beauharnais who was born in 1789 or Stephanie of Milly who died in 1197 and was an influential figure in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. A favourite historical ‘Stephanie’ Royal, solely on name alone is Stéphanie of Belgium who was born Stéphanie Clotilde Louise Herminie Marie Charlotte of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1864. Along with the new Crown Princess of Luxembourg, there is also a Princess Stéphanie of Monaco who is the youngest child of Prince Rainier of Monaco and Old Hollywood Icon, Grace Kelly.

The name is not only used in royal circles as there a plenty of people that are bearers of the name from Stephanie Rice, the Australian Olympic Swimmer, to Stephanie Seymour, the Supermodel as well as two fictional characters on the American soap, The Bold and the Beautiful and a character within the popular name source, To Kill a Mockingbird and for all the comic fans, there is a Stephanie in the DC Batman universe as well.One of the most common variations of the name is Stefani (pronounced: the same way or SHTE-fah-nee) which is born by two well known musicians. Gwen Stefani is one, but of course this is her surname, not a given name, and is pronounced in the second fashion, and Lady Gaga’s birth name is Stefani Germanotta and is pronounced in the typical ‘Stephanie’ style. Stefani is not the only variation though – here are a few:

• Stephani, Stephania, Stephany (English)
• Stefanie (German)
• Stefanie (Danish & Dutch)
• Stefania (Italian)
• Stéphanie or Étiennette (French)
• Kekepania (Hawaiian)
• Estefanía (Spanish)

Currently, it is only in the USA that the name Stephanie is ranked. Currently sitting at #146, the highest it ever got in the charts was an impressive #6, where it sat between the years of 1984-1987, though it was a top 10 fixture for that a good decade. The name is in a steady decline now. Whilst still obviously used, it has a slight dated feel though that in no way means that you should not use the name. The name has been used on males as well, ranking as high as #844 in 1985 though I would stick to Stephen for a boy. The variant spellings of Stephany was given to 202 girls in 2011, Estefania was given to 123, Estefani was given to 100, Stefanie was given to 78, Stefania was given to 40, Stefani was given to 37, Stephania was given to 32, Estephanie was given to 31, Estephany was given to 25, Stephenie was given to 20, Estefanie was given to 17, Stephani was given to 16, Estephania was given to 11, Stephannie  was given to 7, Stefanny was given to 7, Stephanny was given to 6, Steffi was given to 6, Steffanie was given to 6, Etsefanny was given to 5 and Estephani was given to 5.

The new Crown Princess of Luxembourg will probably not have the ‘Catherine Middleton’ impact but within Luxembourg the name might gain a rise and if you are elsewhere in the world, it is still a lovely name for a child, with a rich history, and might be a great way to honour a Stephen namesake, and if you want something a little more unusual, the variants are all wonderful possibilities. 

Britannia

With names like Brittany/Britney having seen their day and Britton currently on the rise, a possible variation to it all could be Britannia. The thought process behind me profiling this name came from watching the show Quints By Surprise, and one of their quints in called Britton. Long story short, I ended up coming across Britannia as an alternative with a slightly frillier sound, thanks to having more syllables.

Britannia (pronounced: brit-AN-ee-ah or brih-TAN-yah) is of Latin background and means ‘from Brittany or Great Britain’. A pretty self explanatory meaning if I do say so myself but in truth it is quite the patriotic name and in this year of Diamond Jubilees and Olympic Games, the spotlight is on Britain so if you were going to use the name at any time this would have been the perfect year (not saying that you can’t use it any other time, you can).

The name has been around since Ancient times and is not only an Ancient term for Great Britain but also a female personification of the island. The Roman Empire conquered an empire they deemed to be called Britannia (roughly cutting off south of Scotland). It was in the 2^nd century that the name was given to Roman Britannia as a personified Goddess who was armed with a shield, trident and centurion’s helmet. She is a symbol of British Imperial power and strength and is seen on British coinage.

The world is now naming kids after other Goddesses from around the world and while you may or may not be British, the idea of strength and power is a good thing to rally behind your daughter. One of the most famous uses of the name Britannia is in the patriotic song, ‘Rule Britannia!’ from 1740. I may not live in Britain but I do know the song, especially since my history teacher loved to sing it when we learnt about British naval battles when studying WWI. The words come from the poem of the same name by James Thomson.   

Rule Britannia!

Britannia rule the waves

Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.

Rule Britannia!

Britannia rule the waves.

Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.

The name is also commonly used is the naming of naval ships in England, with many called HMS Britannia and was well as a naval training college. Many companies use the name, there was a luxury car made in 1983 and an airline in 1952. The first steam engine liner in 1840 was called RMS Britannia and it is also a popular pub name with 82 of them in the UK (last recorded in 2011).

Alternatives to Britannia are Brittania, Britania and Brittanya though you might also like Brittani or Brittana as well. Really, it just all depends on how many letter ‘T’ and ‘N’ you want to put in.

The name definitely fits into my love of names with numerous syllables and there are a plethora of nicknames that come to mind as well including Britton, Britt, Tanya, Nia and Annie. The Brittania spelling was given to 8 girls in US last year though I prefer the original spelling and I think it is an alternative name to other names on the charts that would definitely be a unique and rare name for your daughter. 

Photo Source: http://pinterest.com/pin/235383517994344668/

Albinia

Years ago, I discovered this wonderful blog The Duchess of Devonshire’s Gossip Guide to the18th Century and one of my favourite series of articles is called ‘Tartof the Week’. When reading about these women there was one name that drew my attention, mainly because I had not heard it before and that was Albinia.

Albinia (pronounced al-BIN-ee-uh or al-BEEN-ya) is a rare Latin name meaning ‘white; fair’. It is rather a safe meaning but has never been popular in the U.S. or anywhere in fact. In 2011, it was given to less than 5 or no girls at all. It does sound quite upper-class but to me it matches equally with names like Georgiana or Vivienne. It has a certain charm about it.

Albinia, Countess of Buckinghamshire

The name Albinia also fits with those other Alb- names that I have taken quite a fancy to, especially when going through the 1880 records for the In Retrospect features. Albinia is a more fanciful approach to those names instead of Alberta (given to #9 in 2011), Albertine, Albertha and Albertha. As a female variation of Alban and Albinius, another female variation is Albina. With one less ‘i’ in the name, it is more popular with 10 girls given the name.

As for the ‘Tart’ that I discovered this name on, her name was Albinia, Countess of Buckinghamshire. She was born the ‘lovechild’ of Lord Bertie and Anne Casey. Her mother was illegitimate as well so really, Albinia was the illegitimate child of an illegitimate child. Not good for someone in those days. She married George Hobart, 3^rd Earl of Buckinghamshire and was famous for her gambling parties and was also a bit of cheater when it came to it as well (taking in a bit more money from running the faro table than she should). Most of the ‘Tarts’ mentioned where known for their infidelity but not her so I guess that is a positive, just unfortunately her other bad attribute was gambling. Though, I don’t think this will affect a child too much. In any case, at least there is a pretty portrait of her.

I think Albinia is a name for those that prefer their Georgiana to their Georgia. I think it is a name that could be used today and while the name is a throwback to even further in the past than Edith, Lavinia or Vera, I think she would fit easily beside them. It also comes with a wide array of nicknames including Alby, Ally, Bina, Binnie, Alba etc.  

Aphrodite

I remember when we studied the Ancient Greeks for History class back in my first year of high school, it started my love of history, though it didn't fully fledge out until we studied the wonderful Tudor Dynasty the following year, but it also started my slight love of this figure - the Greek Goddess, Aprhodite.

The Ancient Greeks did have some marvelous names and many of them are popular today with the Kardashian-endorsed Penelope, Cassandra, Echo, Athena and Persephone (at least in the blogosphere) but Aphrodite (pronounced a-fra-DIE-tee) has never been endorsed as a baby name. I think though that it has more to do with the myth surrounding the iconic figure rather than anything else.

Image Credit:
http://pinterest.com/pin/88172105174721772/

Aphrodite was the Greek Goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation (and the Roman equivalent in Venus). Considered the most beautiful woman of all, it would be a lot for any little girl to, it is true, but I love the name Bathsheba and I think that has equally as much to live up to, and possibly even has a worse stigma attached to it. Aphrodite features in a lot of the myths, including her love affair with Adonis (who she was also surrogate mother to) as well as the infamous judging of Paris which, thanks to her being the chosen one, led to the Battle of Troy.

She is often depicted as vain, ill-tempered and easily offended in later myths and she is actually one of the few Greek Gods and Goddesses to actually be married, though that doesn't stop her having affairs. I wouldn't see this as a deterent to using the name. Plenty of babies are born to the name 'Scarlett' after Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, and though I love the character, she could easily be described as having these attributes as well.

Aphra also makes for an interesting nickname for her (or could even be another choice for a baby name if you don't want to outwardly state your love of Aphrodite) and that name has a positive role-model in the form of 17th century writer, Aphra Behn, the first woman in England to be a published author.

Aphrodite is one of those names that falls into the lines of Bathsheba, Cleopatra and Neferiti I suppose as infamous beauties of their time that need no other name but then all your have to say is Monroe and everyone automatically thinks of Marilyn Monroe and plenty of people are calling their child after her, and that is definately a big thing for little girls to grow up into. It might be seen as famous for one namesake but it isn't until others start to use the name as well that it will be seen as just a name - a rather beautiful name.

Sansa

The names Arya and Theon have reportedly taken a rise in the charts with parents taking inspiration from the wonderful 'A Song of Ice and Fire' book series, better known to TV audiences in its adaptation form, 'Game of Thrones'. While both of these names are lovely, the series is actually filled with excellent real-life potential. One of my favourites happens to be the sister of Arya, Sansa.

Sansa Stark as played by Sophie Turner
in 'Game of Thrones'

Sansa (pronounced SAHN-suh) is not a made-up name like I originally thought when I first read the books but instead is of Sanskrit origin and means 'praise, invocation, charm'. The name is also similar to the Latin name Sancia which means 'sacred'. George R.R. Martin drew a lot of inspiration for the names of his characters from history and it could very well be that he was inspired by a member of the infamous Borgia Family, Sancia of Naples, who was married to Gioffre Borgia (Sansa's first love interest in the fantasy series is named Joffrey, an alternative spelling to Gioffre).

I also happen to find Sansa as an alternative to Sarah. While neither Sansa or Sancia has been popular in the charts, Sarah is currently #39 on the US Charts and #36 in Australia and despite the different meanings (Sarah means 'princess' but considering Sansa is a Princess of the North in the book series) I think that Sansa could make a perfectly good tribute to any Sarah namesake. And for anyone who likes the connotations derived from the name Apple, Sansa is a variety of the fruit.

This happens to be one of my top names and I would very willingly use it on any child. It evokes sweetness and like its meaning, it has a ton of charm. With Arya on the rise, I would very much like to see the same happen to this name.

Ilsa

Ingrid Bergman as 'Ilsa Lund'
in Casablanca

Ilsa (pronounced IL-sah) is a German variant to the No. 11 name in the US, Elizabeth. Other variants of the name include the Hebrew Elsa and the German Ilse. Ilsa means “God’s promise; God is my oath; pledged to God”.


The name has never been popular in the US itself. This may be due to the fact that its most notable namesake was Ilsa Lund in ‘Casablanca’ which was released during WW2 and unlike Scarlett, an earlier counterpart for name recognition from a movie, Ilsa never caught on despite the popularity of the film, most likely due to its German origin.

After watching ‘Casablanca’ for the first time tonight (it was a long time coming), I have to say that Ilsa is quite a charming name and interesting variant to the ever classic Elizabeth. It has never charted in the US nor has it been in the Top 10 Female Names in Germany between 1957-2000. It is easy to say that this classic sounding name has never found popularity but with an interest in Old Hollywood Cinema arising in baby names, it would be a delightful choice that would work on both a little kid and a fully fledged romantic lead.
 
Nicknames: Lissie; Lizzie; Ilsie etc.

Harlean

Jean Harlow, the Original Blonde Bombshell
whose birth name was 'Harlean'

Old Hollywood glamour and vintage name gems are all coming back full steam ahead in the baby name world but one name that is not on people’s radars is Harlean. The name belongs to Jean Harlow whose full name is Harlean Harlow Carpenter. Given to her in 1911 by her parents, the name was seemingly ‘created’ for her by her parents who took her mother’s maiden name, Jean Harlow (which would go on to be her stage name) and amalgamated the two together to get Harlean.

Harlean (pronounced: hahr-LEEN), is similar to the masculine Old English surname, Harlan which means ‘hare land’ but there are actually multiple meanings to the name. If analysed through the way Jean Harlow’s parents created the name for her, it might take its meaning from the two names that help to create it - the female Jean is the medieval English variant of Jehanne meaning ‘God is gracious’ while Harlow is an English surname meaning ‘army’. However the name is also of American origin and means ‘dweller by the boundary wood’. Also, if taken by the Harleen spelling variant, the name is of Punjabi origin and means ‘within the love of God’.

The name was not used commonly before ‘the original blonde bombshell’, and even Jean Harlow was said to have not even known that was her name as everyone, including her mother, always referred to her as ‘The Baby’ . The name has not gone out of popular culture despite its lack of use as it is a name of a character within the DC Comics Batman series, Dr Harleen Quinzel. The character more familiarly goes by the name of ‘Harley Quinn’ and is the girlfriend of Batman’s arch enemy ‘The Joker’. That might mean that little boys are familiar with the name but I doubt that as a reason not to use it. The character is a little ‘unpredictable’ at times and gets in trouble with the law but in recent storylines she has managed to redeem herself in the eyes of Gotham so hopefully this name does the same as well.

The name fits in with the other ‘Ha-‘ names that are popular at the moment like Hadley, Harper and Harlow and it would be a different way of honouring that Old Hollywood Glamour. Harlow made the name not uncommon during her lifetime, with 38 girls given the name Harlean in 1937, the year of her tragic death, though it has never been greatly popular. Five years after her death, the name was not being used at all. In 2011, the variation Harleen was given to 39 girls so the name is in use but it would still be a rarity, especially if you used ‘Jean Harlow’ spelling. Another variant of the name would be Harlene. With Harlow currently sitting at number #621 on the charts, this might be the way to go if you want to honour the Hollywood icon or want a touch of Old Hollywood Glamour.