Should you use the name of a God or Goddess?

This 6th Century BCE dinos (wine-mixing bowl) by Sophilos shows a procession of Greek Gods attending the wedding of Peleus and Thetis

There seems to be a bit of a controversy in Pagan circles about the use of the names of Gods and Goddesses, either for children, or as a new name for oneself.

There are those who argue that it is inappropriate. Even hubristic.

But as with most aspects of Paganism, much of the answer to this question comes down to your own personal beliefs, and how you view the Divine.

And this, of course, will play a big part in whether you think it is acceptable or not to use a God or Goddess’s name.

If you are a polytheist — if you consider the Gods to be distinct, individual entities, completely separate from mortal life — perhaps you might agree that using their names is inappropriate.

In which case, you should, of course, avoid, or choose names which contain a deity’s name, or carry the meaning ‘belonging to such-and-such’, rather than the deity’s name itself.

But if you are a pantheist — if you believe that the Divine is in all things, making us all essentially ‘divine beings’ — then choosing the name of a God or Goddess might be seen as not just acceptable, but suitable and respectful.

Using the actual names of Gods and Goddesses is not a new phenomenon.

Several names from ancient Paganism have long become established as given names in the English-speaking world. These include  Aurora, Branwen, Bridget, Diana, Felicity, Flora, Freya, Irene, Iris, Lilith, Luna, Maia, Phoebe, Rhiannon, Sophia and Victoria.

The names of male divinities used for boys is less common, but there are still some, which have seen varying amounts of use, such as Adonis, Augustus, Dylan, Hercules, Julius, Odin — and Jesus. This last may be principally found in the Spanish community, pronounced ‘he-SOOS’  and used in reference to a Catholic festival, but nevertheless, it’s still the name of a figure considered divine by many, and currently ranking 92nd in the US.

In some religions, such as Hinduism, it has long been considered not just acceptable to use the name of a God or Goddess, but desirable, because it is believed that the child will grow to be like the deity, as well as be protected by them.

And incorporating the name of a divinity within a given name is a tradition as old as writing — take a look at my articles on Sumerian names Part 1 and Part 2 to see some of the earliest.

There’s also the power of the positive. Call it ‘good’, ‘light’, ‘love’, ‘karma’ whatever. It seems common sense to choose names with as much positivity as you can.

And, let’s face it, you can’t get much more positive than the names of the Divine itself!

There are literally tens of thousands of named Gods and Goddesses across the world, and my only caveat when choosing a God or Goddess’ name would be to select one that you not only like the sound of, but also feel an affinity with.

Here is just a small selection from some of the world’s principal mythologies:

Greek: Aphaia, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athene, Atlas, Bia, Chaos, Coeus, Cratus, Cronos, Demeter, Dionysus, Eos, Epimetheus, Erebus, Gaia, Geras, Hades, Harmonia, Hebe, Hecate, Helius, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Hestia, Hyperion, Iapetus, Iris, Leto, Mnemosyne, Morpheus, Nice, Nyx, Oceanus, Pan, Persephone, Phoebe, Phoebus, Poseidon, Prometheus, Proteus, Rhea, Selene, Tethys, Themis, Tyche, Zephyrus, Zeus

Roman: Abundantia, Aesculapius, Anna Perenna, Apollo, Aurora, Bacchus, Bellona, Bona Dea, Caelus, Carmenta, Ceres, Cloacina, Consus, Cupid, Deverra, Diana, Egeria, Fauna, Felicitas, Flora, Fortuna, Fulgora, Hilaritas, Hora, Janus, Juno, Jupiter, Justitia, Larentina, Liber, Libera, Libertas, Lucina, Luna, Lupercus, Mars, Mater Matuta, Mercury, Minerva, Neptune, Ops, Pax, Pietas, Pluto, Pomona, Priapus, Proserpina, Quirinus, Robigus, Saturn, Silvanus, Sol, Tellus, Terminus, Trivia, Vacuna, Venus, Vertumnus, Vesta, Virbius, Volumna, Voluptas, Vulcan

Egyptian: Aken, Aker, Ammit, Amun, Amunet, Anhur, Anubis, Anuket, Apis, Ash, Aten, Bast, Geb, Ha, Hapi, Hathor, Hedetet, Heka, Heqet, Horus, Huh, Iabet, Iah, Imentet, Isis, Kebechet, Khepri, Khnum, Khonsu, Ma’at, Mafdet, Mehen, Menhit, Meret, Min, Mnevis, Monthu, Neith, Nekhbet, Neper, Nephthys, Nut, Osiris, Pakhet, Ptah, Qebui, Rem, Renenutet, Satet, Seker, Sekhmet, Serket, Seth, Tatenen, Taweret, Tefnut, Tenenet, Thoth, Wadjet, Wosret

Hindu: Aditi, Agni, Arjuna, Aruna, Asura, Bhadra, Bharani, Bhavani, Bhudevi, Brahma, Chamundi, Chandra, Daksha, Danu, Dhumavati, Durga, Ganesha, Garuda, Gayatri, Hanuman, Hari, Indra, Kali, Krishna, Lakshman, Lakshmi, Lalitha, Mahavidya, Matangi, Mitra, Mohini, Nandi, Narada, Narayana, Nataraja, Navadurga, Padmavati, Parasiva, Parvati, Prajapati, Rama, Rati, Rudra, Rukmini, Saraswati, Sati, Shakti, Shatarupa, Shiva, Shree, Sita, Soma, Surya, Tara, Uma, Ushas, Varuna, Vasu, Vayu, Vishnu

Celtic: Abellio, Adsullata, Agrona, Alaunus, Alisanos, Andarta, Andraste, Arausio, Arduinna, Artio, Belatucadros, Belenus, Belisama, Bormana, Bormo, Brigantia, Camulos, Cernunnos, Cissionius, Cocidius, Coventina, Damara, Damona, Epona, Esus, Fagus, Grannus, Icovellauna, Lenus, Leucetios, Lugus, Maponus, Moritasgus, Nantosuelta, Nemausus, Nemetona, Nodens, Ogmios, Robor, Rosmerta, Sabrina, Sirona, Smertrios, Sucellos, Sulis, Tamesis, Taranis, Toutatis, Verbeia, Veteris, Vindonnus.

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Surnames as First Names: English Surnames — G

Continuing my series on little used surnames of English, Anglo-French and Norse origins, here are my picks from G:

Gardner

• Gache — Old French gache ‘lock’; originally used for a locksmith.
• Gardner — from Norman-French gardinier ‘gardener’. Gerald Gardner introduced Wicca to the world, and is often called ‘the Father of Wicca.’ Saw a bit of on and off use in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
• Garle — from Middle English girle ‘child of either sex.’
• Garman — from the Old English name Garmund — gār ‘spear’ + mund ‘protection.’
• Garner — a name with a number of sources. 1, from the Old German personal name Warinhari, a combination of the ethnonym Warin + hari ‘army’ and ‘folk.’ 2, from Old French gerner ‘granary.’ 3, variant of Gardner. Popped up now and again in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
• Garrick — a Huguenot surname from French carrigue ‘place covered with oaks’. Floated around between the 1960s and 90s, but never really gained a foothold.
• Garson — from Old French garcon ‘valet’.
• Garvin, Garfin — from the Old English personal name Garwine — gār ‘spear’ + wine ‘friend’. Made an appearance in the top 1000 a grand total of 3 times in the early 20th Century.
• Gaydon — from Gaydon, Warwickshire. Old English personal name Gæda + dūn ‘hill.’
• Gayne — from the Old French engaigne ‘ingenuity’ and ‘trickery.’
• Gazeley — from Gazeley, Suffolk. Old English personal name Gægi + lēah ‘wood,’ ‘woodland clearing.’ ‘glade.’ ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’.
• Geare, Geer — from Middle English gere ‘wild,’ ‘sudden fit of passion.’
• Gellan — originated as a pet-form of Julian/Juliana.
• Gellion — from Gillian.
• Gellner — from Old French gelinier ‘poulterer.’
• Gidney — from Gedney, Leicestershire.  Old English personal name Gæda or Gydda (gæd ‘fellowship’) + ēg ‘island,’ ‘dry land surrounded by water/marsh.’ ‘well-watered land.’
• Gildon — from Old English gylden ‘golden.’
• Gillam — from Guillaume, the French form of William.
• Gilliver — from Old French gilofre ‘clove.’
• Glaston — from Glaston, Rutland. Old Norse personal name Glathr  (glaðr ‘glad’) + tūn ‘enclosure,’ ‘village,’ ‘manor’, ‘estate.’
• Gleave — from Old French gleive ‘lance.’
• Godby — from Goadby, Leicestershire. Old Norse personal name Gautí (gauta ‘to brag) + bý ‘farmstead,’ ‘village,’ ‘settlement.’
• Godin — originated as a pet-form of Old English names beginning with God- such as Godric.
• Gorley — from Gorley, Hampshire. Old English: gāra ‘triangular shaped piece of land’ + lēah ‘wood,’ ‘woodland clearing,’ ‘glade,’ ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow.’
• Graley, Grayley — from Old French greslet ‘marked as though by hail’ — i.e. pock-marked.
• Granger — from Old French grangier ‘farm-bailiff.’
• Graylan, Grayland — from the Norman-French personal name Graelent. Probably originally Norse — grár ‘grey’ + land ‘land’ — though it could also be from a Germanic cognate.
• Gresham — from Gresham, Norfolk. Old English gærs ‘grass’ + hām ‘homestead,’ ‘village,’ ‘estate,’ ‘manor.’
• Gretham — from one of the places called Greetham. Old English grēot ‘gravel’ + hām ‘homestead,’ ‘village,’ ‘estate,’ ‘manor.’
• Grissom — from Old French grison ‘grey.’
• Grosvenor — from Old French gros veneur ‘chief huntsman.’
• Grove, Groves — from Old English grāf ‘grove.’
• Gulliver — from Old French goulafre ‘glutton.’
• Guthrum — from the Old Norse name Guðormr ‘battle-snake.’
• Guyen — from Guienne, an archaic name for Aquitaine in France.
• Guyer — from Old French guyour ‘guide.’
• Guymer — from the Old German name Wigmar ‘battle-famous.’

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Pagan Name of the Month — Summer

Last month I did my first ‘Pagan Name of the Month’ feature, starting the ball rolling with Blake. The premise for Pagan Names of the Month is to feature a name from the top 100 names in the UK or US, and show just how good a ‘Pagan name’ it is.

This month, I have opted for the seasonal Summer.

In 2009, Summer was the 24th most popular girl’s name in the UK, and it’s popular Down Under too, ranking 39th in New South Wales,and 34th in New Zealand.

On the other side of the pond, though, it was only 164th in 2010.

In former times, when life wasn’t made so easy and comfortable by electricity, double glazing, central heating, fresh produce shipped across the globe, etc, etc, the blessings of summer were valued far more highly than today.

Summer in the past was synonymous with the prime of life and plenty. It was the season when fields were full of ripening grain, orchards and hedgrows with ripening fruit. The season of long, warm days, genial, short nights, forgiving winds, soft rain, rustic scenes of shepherds and their lasses out making hay…

But, as the Greeks were fond of pointing out, in Arcadia ego — death and decay lurk even in the heart of paradise, and the wheel of the year is ever-turning.

It is the sting in the tail, which makes each summer’s day so poignant.

The word summer derives directly from its Old English counterpart — sumor. This is exactly cognate with the Welsh haf and Old Irish sam. The name of the Celtic feast of Samhain derives from the latter — the feast of ‘summer’s end’ (and winter’s beginning).

The use of summer as a name, or a part of a name, is not new.

The Scottish Sorley is the Anglicized form of Gaelic Somhairle, itself from the Old Norse Somerled from sumar ‘summer’ + líðr ‘to pass by’, hence ‘summer passer-by’ or ‘summer wayfarer’.

Another summery name of Old Norse origin is Somerilda ‘summer-battle’.

Somerset is also not unheard of as a given name (a well-known bearer was the writer Somerset Maughan). This comes from the Old English cognate sumor ‘summer’ + sǣte ‘dwellers’ and ‘settlers’. It became the surname of a powerful aristocratic family, who are still Dukes of Beaufort today.

Names meaning ‘summer’ can be found in other languages too.

The Welsh Haf (pronounced ‘harv’) is not uncommon as a girl’s name in Wales, especially as a middle name. It also features in the girls’ names Hafwen and Wenhaf ‘blessed summer’, Hafren, and Hafgan — ‘summer song’ — the name of a King of the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. There’s also Hefin ‘of summer’ — specifically, ‘of midsummer’.

Meanwhile, Samhradán is an Irish boy’s name meaning ‘little summer’.

Belisama is a Gaulish Goddess of light, whose name means ‘powerful summer’.

Therina is rare name first encountered in the late 18th Century from the Greek therinos ‘of summer’. Another is Therea, first used in the 19th Century. Rarer still is Euthera — ‘pleasant in summer’. All are from theros ‘summer’. Some argue this is the ultimate source of the better known Theresa.

Others include the Chinese Xia (夏), the Indian girl’s names Grishma and Ushma,  the Finnish girl’s name Suvi, and boy’s name Kesä, the Kurdish girl’s name Hawin, and the Albanian boy’s name Behar.  Also in Albania, the girl’s name Vera can be interpreted as deriving from verë, another Albanian word for summer.

Meanwhile, the Basque girl’s name Udane derives from uda ‘summer’, and the rare French boy’s name Veran may be an adoption of the Galician verán.

A number of Japanese girls’ names  include Japanese word for summer. Natsuko and Natsumi are just two which feature natsu, while Shizuka can be interpreted as meaning ‘quiet summer’.

Hebrew Kayitz and Swahili Majira (strictly, ‘season’) are also attested, and Latvian/Lithuanain Vasara is not unknown.

Summer stands out as an ideal Pagan choice, free of all and any association with any other religion, but not too ‘way out there’, if ‘way out there’ isn’t your thing.

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Extreme Welsh Names

Yesterday, I featured some of my favorite Welsh names. These were mostly those Welsh names which aren’t too difficult for non-Welsh speakers to get their tongues around.

Today, however, I thought I’d take a look at some of Wales’ names which are — how shall we say? — not for the faint-hearted!

They may not be the easiest to pronounce, but they do demonstrate the great richness in myth, history and meaning of Welsh names. Many of them have their roots in the Dark Ages — and some even earlier still.

A few notes on pronunciation to start off with:

• ‘c’ is always hard like ‘k’
• ‘ch’ is like the German ‘ch’ of ‘ich’, and the Scottish ‘ch’ of ‘loch’
• ‘dd’ is like ‘th’ in ‘the’, ‘that’, ‘then’, etc
• ‘g’ is always hard, as in ‘gate’
• to pronounce ‘ll’ properly, you position your tongue as you would for an ‘l’, but then blow along the sides of your tongue. You should end up with a sort of clicky hiss. Probably the closest approximate sound in English is ‘cl’ — this is better than bottling out and just saying ‘l’ anyway!
• ‘ng’ is like the ‘ng’ at the end of ‘sing’, ‘ring’, ‘fling’ etc — same as the Spanish ñ
• ‘r’ is rolled like a Scottish ‘r’
• ‘rh’ is very breathy. Very hard to explain how to say in English; sort of like Welsh ‘r’ followed by an almost audible ‘h’
• ‘s’ always like ‘s’ in ‘soft’, never like a ‘z’ as in ‘his’
• ‘th’ is like ‘th’ in ‘thin, ‘think’, ‘thirst’, etc.

Clear as mud? Brave enough to try some? The worst offenders are flagged up in bold and red to help.

Off you go!

MERCHED (THE GIRLS):

Angharad (‘ang-ha-rad’) — combination of the intensive prefix an- + car ‘loved’, thus meaning ‘my very beloved’. An old and traditional name.

Blodeuwedd (‘blod-EYE-wedd‘) — blodau  ‘flowers’ + gwedd ‘image’. The name in myth of Lleu’s wife after she was turned into an owl; originally a maiden formed from flowers.

Briallen (bree-all-en) — Welsh ‘ll’, remember! Means ‘primrose’ in Welsh.

Buddug (bi-ddig) — Welsh form of Boudicca, and also treated as the Welsh version of Victoria.

Creuddylad (‘cray-DDUH-lad’) — craidd ‘heart’ + dyled ‘debt’. Welsh form of Cordelia, and probably the origin of the name.

Dyddgu (‘deedh-gee’) — dydd ‘day’ + cu ‘beloved’; medieval girl’s name.

Eurddolen (‘ayr-DDOL-en’) — aur ‘gold’ + dolen ‘link’; Welsh form of Goldilocks.

Goleuddydd (‘gol-ay-ddeedd‘) — golau ‘light’ + dydd ‘day’; figure from Welsh myth.

Gwawrddydd (‘gwour-ddeedd‘ — ‘gwour’ rhyming with ‘hour’) — gwawr ‘dawn’ + dydd ‘day’; an early saint.

Gwenllian (‘gwen-LLEE-an’) — trad old name.

Llio (‘llee-oh’) — short form of Gwenllian.

Marchell (‘march-ell‘) — ‘yellow horse’; name from myth.

Morfudd (‘mor-veedh‘) — môr ‘sea’ or mawr ‘great’ + budd ‘profit’ and ‘advantage’; trad old name.

Myfanwy (‘muh-VAN-wee’) — ‘my delicate/rare (one)’; quite well-known outside Wales because of the song.

Siwan (‘shoo-wan’ or ‘see-wan’) — Welsh form of Joan.

Tangwystl (‘tang-OO-ist-ul’) — ‘peace-pledge’; one of Brychan’s legendary daughters.

Undeg (‘een-dayg’) — ‘fair one’.

Ystwyth (‘ust-with‘) — ‘supple’; a Welsh river which gives its name to Aberystwyth.

DYNION (THE BOYS):

Bendigeidfran (‘BEN-di-GAYD-vran’) — translates as ‘Bran the Blessed’, a name by which the Welsh hero/God Bran is often known.

Brychan (‘bruh-chan’) — ‘little speckled one’, borne by a legendary figure of the 5th Century.

Brython (‘bruh-thon’) — ‘Briton’.

Cadwallon (‘kad-WALL-on’) — ‘battle- leader’; Modern Welsh form of the Iron Age tribal name Catuvellaunus.

Cunedda (‘kin-EDD-a’) — ‘good lord’; a legendary hero.

Cynddelw (‘kin-DDEH-loo’) — possibly ‘manner of a lord’; another ancient name, borne by a legendary chieftain.

Dafydd (‘dav-idh‘) — Welsh form of David.

Dyfnwallon (‘duv-en-WALL-on’) — ‘deep lord/lord of the Deep’; trad old name.

Euroswydd (‘ayr-OS-widh‘) — aur ‘gold’ + oswydd ‘enemy’; a figure from mythology.

Fflamddwyn (‘FLAM-ddoo-in’) — ‘flame-bearer’; trad old name.

Gerallt (‘geh-rallt’) — Welsh form of Gerald.

Gwalchmai (‘gwalch-my’) — either ‘May-hawk’ or ‘hawk-field’; the original Gawain (Gavin!).

Gwynllyw (‘gwin-LLEE-oo’) — ‘white/blessed/pure leader’. Name of an early saint and king.

Illtud (‘ill-teed’) — ‘many-people’; an early saint.

Llefelys (‘lleh-VEL-is’) — ‘sweet-voice’; mythological figure.

Llŷr (‘lleer’) — from a very old Celtic root meaning ‘sea’; figure from mythology.

Matholwch (‘math-OH-looch‘) — the name of an Irish king in Welsh mythology.

Meredudd (‘meh-REH-deedh‘) — original form of Meredith. NB: boy’s name :D.

Oswallt (‘os-wallt’) — Welsh form of Oswald.

Pryderi (‘pruh-DEH-ree’) — from a verb meaning ‘to take pains’. Figure from mythology.

Rhiwallon (‘rhee-WALL-on’) – ‘lord-ruler’; trad old name.

Rhydderch (‘rhidd-erch‘) — probably ‘exalted ruler’; trad old name.

Sulien (‘SEEL-ee-en’) — ‘sun-born’; very old name. Sulicena is an earlier feminine form found on a Roman era tombstone.

Wmffre (‘UM-freh’) — Welsh form of Humphrey.

Ynyr (‘un-eer’) — Another Welsh form of Honorius.

All together now, Gwlad, Gwald, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad!

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Dreaming of the Mountains of My Home — Welsh Names

Since moving into the Nook, I’ve been on an odyssey around the world and through the ages, and it occurred to me that it was about time I came home and featured the names of Wales.

Wales belongs to the Celtic fringe — along with Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall and Britany. Of the Celtic lands and regions of the British Isles, Wales has preserved its language more successfully than any of the others; it is actively spoken across the Principality as a first language, and many others speak and understand some Welsh.

If you visit Wales, you are virtually guaranteed to hear some Welsh spoken. The same is sadly not true or Ireland or Scotland, where even in the regions where Irish and Gaelic are spoken, you’ll be lucky to hear the native tongue, unless you actively seek it out.

You might think, then, that the old Welsh names had survived in use along with the language. As far as a handful of names are concerned, you would be right. But by the mid 19th Century, most of the names used in Wales were English — most of the Welsh names had been consigned to history.

Only in the late 19th Century, with the rise of Welsh nationalism, were the old names revived. Since then, they have gone from strength to strength.

The majority of babies in Wales still receive the same names as in the rest of the English-speaking world. But a great many receive Welsh ones as a first or second name — names which have a distinctly foreign, mystical ring to an English ear.

It is my intention to make a big thing of Welsh names here at the Nook over time. They are close to my heart, and there are a lot of extremely beautiful names with great meanings which are surprisingly accessible to non-Welsh speakers. If the Celtic calls to you, why not consider a name from the Land of Song?

These are some of my personal favorites:

Girls:

• Aneira (pronounced ‘an-AY-ra’) — the intensive prefix an-carrying the sense of ‘very’ or ‘much’ + eira ‘snow’. Probably first inspired by the boy’s name Aneirin, and used since the late 19th Century. Eira is also used on its own.
• Annwyl — ‘dear’ and ‘beloved’. In use since the 1930s.
• Anwen— a modern combination of Ann + the –wen ending found in so many Welsh girls’ names, which is the mutated femining form of gwyn ‘white’ and ‘blessed’. Ann here is sometimes interpreted as the intensive prefix an-, like Aneira and Angharad.
• Blodwen — blodyn ‘flower’ + gwyn ‘white’ and ‘blessed’. A traditional Welsh name, found in the Middle Ages and revived at the end of the 19th Century
• Branwen — bran ‘crow’, ‘raven’ + gwyn ‘white’. In Welsh mythology, the name of the sister of Bran the Blessed. It was used as a genuine name in medieval times, and revived in the 19th Century.
• Carys — car ‘love’. Modern name, dating to the early 20th Century. Another variant is Cerys.
• Eilir (pronounced ‘ay-leer’) — ‘butterfly’. First used at the end of the 19th Century.
• Eirian (pronounced ‘AY-ree-an’) — ‘brilliant’, ‘splendid’ and ‘bright’. Another late 19th Century coinage
• Eirlys (pronounced ‘AY-er-lis’) — ‘snowdrop’. Late 19th Century again.
• Enfys (pronounced ‘en-vis’) — ‘rainbow’. Also first used at the end of the 19th Century.
• Ffion (pronounced ‘fee-on’) — ‘foxglove’. A modern name inspired by the unrelated Fiona.
• Fflur (pronounced ‘fleer’) — ‘flower’. Inspired by the use of the French Fleur, Fflur was first used at the end of the 1960s.
• Gwen — ‘white’ and ‘blessed’ – a very traditional and ancient name. Deserves a post all to itself!
• Gwenhwyfar (pronounced ‘gwen-HOO-i-var’) — original Welsh form of Guinevere and Jennifer.
• Hafren – see Fair Sabrina
• Mabli — Welsh form of Mabel
• Mared — one of the Welsh forms of Margaret
• Morwen — ‘maiden’. Welsh equivalent of the Cornish Morwenna
• Seirian  (pronounced ‘SAY-ree-an’) — ‘sparkling’.  First used in the ’60s.
• Seren (pronounced ‘seh-ren’) — ‘star’. A modern Welsh name — i.e. not used in medieval times. First used at the end of the 1930s and now a popular choice for baby girls.
• Tanwen — tan ‘fire’ + gwyn ‘white’. A modern Welsh name, first used in the 1960s.
• Tegeirian (pronounced ‘teg-AY-ree-an’) — ‘orchid’.
• Tirion (pronounced ‘TI-ree-on’) — ‘gentle’ , ‘happy’ and ‘gracious’.

Boys

• Aneirin (pronounced ‘an-AY-rin’) — traditional old Welsh name, borne by an early poet. Probably from the Latin Honorius.
• Arthen — ‘bear-born’.
• Bedwyr (pronounced ‘bed-weer’) — from bedw ‘birch’ + gwyr ‘man’. A character from Welsh myth, who became Bedivere in the Arthurian cycles.
• Berwyn — bar ‘peak’, ‘mound’, ‘head’ + gwyn ‘blessed’ and ‘white’. An ancient name, revived in the late 19th Century.
• Bleddyn (pronounced ‘bleth-in’ — the ‘th’ as in ‘the’) —blaidd ‘wolf’.  Traditional name, revived in the 19th Century.
• Cai (pronounced ‘ky’ – to rhyme with eye) — Welsh form of Gaius — also deserves an entry of its own!
• Einion (pronounced ‘AY-nee-on’) — ‘anvil’; traditional old name.
• Eirian — see girls above.
• Gwern — ‘alder’; a name from mythology
• Gwydion (pronounced ‘gwi-DEE-on’) — gwyddon ‘wizard’ and ‘scientist’. An important figure in Welsh mythology. Used asa genuine name from the early 20th Century.
• Heddwyn (pronounced ‘heth-win’ — the ‘th’ as in ‘the’). Modern name from hedd ‘peace’ + gwyn ‘white’ and ‘blessed’.
• Ianto (pronounced ‘yan-toh’) — a pet form of Ifan, the Welsh form of John.
• Iestyn (pronounced ‘yes-tin’). Welsh form of Justin.
• Iolo (pronounced ‘yol-oh’)
• Lleu (pronounced ‘lleye’ — the best approximation of the notorious Welsh letter ‘ll’ is probably ‘cl’) — important figure in Welsh myth.
• Macsen — Welsh form of Maximus; the name of a legendary hero.
• Morien (pronounced ‘MOH-ree-en’) — very old Welsh name meaning ‘sea-born’.
• Myfyr (pronounce ‘muh-veer’) — Welsh for ‘muse’ and ‘meditation’. Used since the late 19th Century.
• Myrddin (pronounced ‘mur-thin’ — the ‘th’ as in ‘the’) — Welsh form of Merlin. In use in the Middle Ages, and revived in the 19th Century.
• Peredur (pronounced ‘peh-REH-deer’) — peri ‘spear’ + dur ‘hard’. The name of one of King Arthur’s knights — he became Percival in English. Used since the 19th Century.
• Rhodri — rhod ‘wheel’, ‘circle’ + rhi ‘ruler’ and ‘king’; trad old name.
• Rhun (pronounced ‘rheen’) — ‘mystery’ and ‘charm’. The name of a character in Welsh mythology. First used as a real given name in the late 19th Century.
• Rhydian (pronounced ‘RID-ee-an’) — probably from Old Welsh rhudd ‘red’
• Seirian  (pronounced ‘SAY-ree-an’) — ‘sparkling’.  First used in the ’60s.
• Taliesin (pronounced ‘tal-ee-EH-sin’ — although ‘tal-ee-AY-sin’ is often heard) — the name of a legendary bard, to whom a corpus of early medieval poetry is attributed. From tal ‘brow’, ‘forehead’ + iesin ‘fair’, ‘beautiful’ — often translated as ‘shining’.
• Tegid (pronounce ‘teh-gid’) — from Latin tacitus ‘serene’ and ‘quiet’. The name of a character in Welsh mythology, as well as the Welsh name of Bala Lake. First used as a genuine name in the late 19th Century.

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Nook of Names Pick of the Week — Hadrian

Ripe and ready for use is the classic Hadrian.

It is a name which has been in use for centuries in its more familiar form Adrian.

Adrian is currently on the rise on both sides of the Atlantic; in the US it was 56th in 2010. It was down in 190th in the UK, but that’s not bad given that it reached the top 30 in the 1960s — most names in favor in the UK back then are still dwindling.

Hadrian, on the other hand, has always been very rare, which is strange, as not only is it so similar to its offspring Adrian, but it also starts with the popular Hay– sound of Hayden and Hailey.

Perhaps it just needs a spot-light.

Hadrian is the English form of the Latin Hadrianus, a Roman cognomen (sort of like a surname), which was famously borne by the early 2nd Century CE Roman Emperor, who ordered the building of a wall across the north of England.

Hadrian’s Wall, as it is known, is one of the most significant Roman archaeological sites in Europe.

Hadrian’s full name — before he became emperor — was Publius Aelius Hadrianus. His family took their cognomen from Adria, a sea-port in Northern Italy.

The origin of the town’s name is uncertain, but the most likely source is an ancient Illyrian word, adur meaning ‘water’ — a word cognate with both the Greek hudôr and Old Teutonic: watar.

Generally, Hadrian is reserved exclusively for the Pagan emperor, while Adrian is used for the numerous Christian saints and popes, including the only English pope, a man whose birth name was Nicholas Breakspear.

One exception is St Adrian of Canterbury, who is sometimes called Hadrian. He was an early 8th Century scholar of Canterbury, reputedly of North African origin.

Another is the fictional Hadrian VII, hero (of sorts) of Frederick Rolfe’s 1904 novel of the same name.

But apart from a few minor characters scattered here and there, Hadrian hasn’t actually seen much use in fiction except in novels about the Emperor.

Hadrian first started to be used as a given name in its full form in the 17th Century, no doubt in honor of the Emperor.

It offers the short forms Hay, Hady, Hadie and Hade — which does have a certain ring to it.

So, if you like the sound of Hayden and/or Adrian, but fancy something just a bit different and with a more Pagan feel, why not add Hadrian to your list?

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A for Andromeda

Julie Christie played Andromeda in the original BBC production of A for Andromeda.

It’s ten years today since the world lost the British astrophysicist Fred Hoyle, best known for coining the phrase ‘Big Bang’.

As well as being an important 20th Century astrophysicist, Cambridge University Professor Hoyle — born in 1915 — was also a talented novelist and screen-writer. Among his works is the science-fiction TV series A for Andromeda (1961) and its sequel The Andromeda Breakthrough (1962), in which Andromeda was a sort of super-computer built from specifications sent from a distant galaxy.

Most of the original series of A for Andromeda was lost, but it was remade by the BBC in 2006.

To commemorate the anniversary Hoyle’s passing, here’s a closer look at the alluring Andromeda.

The original Andromeda is a character of Greek mythology. The daughter of Cepheus, King of Ethiopia, and his queen, Cassiopeia, Andromeda was a beautiful princess, whose priviledged royal lifestyle took a nasty turn when her mother offended the Gods.

Cassiopeia failed to learn the classic Greek lesson that saying you were in some way better than the Gods was not a good idea. She boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids.

The Nereids got into a huff, and complained to Poseidon. He avenged them by sending a terrible sea-monster to ravage the land.

The chaining of Andromeda to a rock has been a popular theme for artists across the centuries - probably because it gave them an excuse to paint a naked woman tied up. This is English artist Edward Poynter's 1868 interpretation of the myth.

Cepheus and Cassiopeia learned that the only way to stop the monster was to sacrifice their only daughter Andromeda to it. And so they chained the poor girl to a rock and left her to her terrible fate.

Fortunately, the heroic Perseus turned up and saved the day by turning the sea-monster to stone with the head of the Medusa.

Beats a pocket knife.

He and Andromeda lived happily ever after, and when they died, were placed among the stars.

Andromeda is a Greek name, from anêr ‘man’ + medomai ‘to advise’ – i.e. ‘advising like a man’.

When interpreting the exact nuance of this, it is important to remember that in Ancient Greece, women had little status and were treated as chattels.

A comparison of a woman to a man, therefore, might be complimentary or condemnatory, depending on the context.

As the mythological Andromeda is a pretty conventional Greek woman (apart from the sea-monster business, which was hardly her fault), it is probably safe to assume that, in her case, it was complimentary.

The constellation of Andromeda contains a number of bright stars — Sirrah (also known as Alpheratz), Mirach and Almach.

It is also home to the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the most distant object visible to the naked eye. Light from the Andromeda Galaxy takes two and a half million years to reach us on Earth.

A for Andromeda and its sequel aren’t Andromeda’s only forays into popular culture — particularly the realm of science-fiction. Andromeda (2000-05), was another Science Fiction TV show to bear the name, while Andromeda: A Space Age Tale (1957) is a Communist era Russian take on the genre by Ivan Efremov.

Michael Crichton’s The Andromeda Strain (1969), ventured into the slightly different science-fiction territory of superbugs.

Almost inevitably, Andromeda also turns up in Harry Potter. Andromeda Tonks is the mother of Nymphadora Tonks. Born a member of the infamous Black family, Andromeda — called Dromeda by her Muggle-born husband — bears a scary resemblance to her Death Eater sister Bellatrix, but is considerably nicer.

But it’s not all science fiction and fantasy; Andromeda polifolia is the botanical name of the pretty heathland shrub bog-rosemary, so-named by Linnaeus in the 18th Century.

Despite all its fictional use — perhaps over-use — I feel Andromeda still has integrity as a name in its own right. It shortens naturally to the familiar Andi or Andie — or the slightly more exotic Meda.

Although it has only ever been rare, it is found as a given name from the 19th Century; in more recent years occuring in such interesting combinations as Aerial Andromeda, Andromeda Breeze, Andromeda Ursa, Astra Andromeda, Andromeda Hesper, Andromeda Reign and Andromeda Starr.

All in all, a very sparkly name!

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Calypso

I wrote yesterday about the Nereids, the sea-nymph daughters of the Greek sea-God Nereus.

Among them, was Calypso.

Calypso is famous as the nymph who kept Odysseus ‘imprisoned’ on an island for seven years, where she subjected the famous hero to an life of insufferable luxury…

And not a little nooky ;D.

During the day, Odysseus sat on the beach, sighed a lot… and thought about his wife…

Calypso’s name is Greek — from kalos ‘beautiful’ + upsos ‘height’.

In Homer’s Odyssey — in which Calypso features prominently — the adverb upsi was specifically used in the sense of ‘on the high sea’, a fitting nuance for the name of the nymph who kept Odysseus captive on her little island — Ogygia — as her love-slave.

Exactly where Ogygia was (or rather, was supposed to be), isn’t known for certain, but there is a long tradition associating it with the island of Gozo.

Gozo is now a part of the Republic of Malta.

In ancient times, Malta’s name was Melita, which just happens to be the name of one of Calypso’s watery sisters.

Calypso's Cave -- overlooking Ramla Beach, Gozo

But Calypso isn’t considered a Nereid in all ancient accounts. Homer doesn’t actually include her in his list of Nereids, which features in the Iliad.

Elsewhere, she is called one of the Oceanids (the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys), or a daughter of Atlas.

It is possible, though, that the Ancients thought there was more than one Calypso, so they may all be ‘right’.

Recently, Calypso has featured as the name of a sea Goddess in the Pirates of the Caribbean films (2003-), presumably because her name is more familiar than those of any of the major sea Goddesses of Antiquity, and because the name is associated with the Caribbean through Calypso music, a style which originated in Trinidad, in the West Indies.

How Calypso music got its name is very uncertain, and the jury is definitely still out. All that can be said with any conviction is that it is first recorded in the early 1930s.

Calypso has other associations.

In the 18th Century, Linnaeus named a species of orchid Calypso after the nymph.

And in 1983, a newly discovered moon of Saturn was also named Calypso.

The first little girls to be called Calypso were born in the 19th Century, such as a Calypso Sarah Brook, born in London in 1846.

It has always been rare, however, with the name bestowed on only 7 girls in England and Wales in 2009, and 12 in the US in 2010.

Which is a shame, as it really is a stunning name with great potential, shortening comfortably to Cal or Cally.

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Nereid Names

There are a lot of names in Greek Mythology.

An awful lot.

This is bad if you are a student of Classical Civilization, and you can’t tell your Arsinoe from your Elba.

But it is good if you’re looking for a name.

Especially, a Pagan name!

One group of mythological marvels are the Nereids, the sea-nymph daughters of Nereus, a sea-God, and the Oceanid (another type of sea-nymph!) Doris.

Some of the Nereids feature quite prominently in the Greek myths — notably Calypso, Thetis and Galatea, all three of whom deserve articles to themselves (and will get them in the fullness of time!).

Generally, however, the Nereids don’t do terribly much, except spend their days swanning around in the sea, or in meadows, like nymphs do.

But what the Nereids do do, is have wonderful names!

We know these from various ancient sources. Each is slightly different.

The earliest is Homer’s Iliad:

There were Glauce and Thaleia and Cymodoce, Nesaea and Speio and Thoe and ox-eyed Halie, and Cymothoe and Actaea and Limnoreia, and Melite and Iaera and Amphithoe and Agave, Doto and Proto and Pherousa and Dynamene, and Dexamene and Amphinone and Callianeira, Doris and Pynope and glorious Galatea, Nemertes and Apseudes and Callianassa, and there were Clymene and Ianeira and Ianassa, Maera and Orithyia and fair-tressed Amatheia, and other Nereids that were in the deep of the sea.

Next is Hesiod’s Theogony:

And of Nereus and rich-haired Doris, daughter of Ocean the perfect river, were born children, passing lovely amongst goddesses, Ploto, Eucrante, Sao, and Amphitrite, and Eudora, and Thetis, Galene and Glauce, Cymothoe, Speo, Thoe and lovely Halie, and Pasithea, and Erato, and rosy-armed Eunice, and gracious Melite, and Eulimene, and Agaue, Doto, Proto, Pherusa, and Dynamene, and Nisaea, and Actaea, and Protomedea, Doris, Panopea, and comely Galatea, and lovely Hippothoe, and rosy-armed Hipponoe, and Cymodoce who with Cymatolege and Amphitrite easily calms the waves upon the misty sea and the blasts of raging winds, and Cymo, and Eione, and rich-crowned Alimede, and Glauconome, fond of laughter, and Pontoporea, Leagore, Euagore, and Laomedea, and Polynoe, and Autonoe, and Lysianassa, and Euarne, lovely of shape and without blemish of form, and Psamathe of charming figure and divine Menippe, Neso, Eupompe, Themisto, Pronoe, and Nemertes who has the nature of her deathless father.

Then there’s the Homeric Hymn to Demeter:

All we were playing in a lovely meadow, Leucippe and Phaeno and Electra and Ianthe, Melita also and Iache with Rhodea and Callirhoe and Melobosis and Tyche and Ocyrhoe, fair as a flower, Chryseis, Ianeira, Acaste and Admete and Rhodope … and charming Calypso…

And Apollodorus’ Library:

To Nereus and Doris were born the Nereids,whose names are Cymothoe, Spio, Glauconome, Nausithoe, Halie, Erato, Sao, Amphitrite, Eunice, Thetis, Eulimene, Agave, Eudore, Doto, Pherusa, Galatea, Actaea, Pontomedusa, Hippothoe, Lysianassa, Cymo, Eione, Halimede, Plexaure, Eucrante, Proto, Calypso, Panope, Cranto, Neomeris, Hipponoe, Ianira, Polynome, Autonoe, Melite, Dione, Nesaea, Dero, Evagore, Psamathe, Eumolpe, Ione, Dynamene, Ceto, and Limnoria.

Not forgetting Vergil’s Georgics:

Drymo, Xantho, Ligea, Phyllodoce,
Their glossy locks o’er snowy shoulders shed,
Cydippe and Lycorias yellow-haired,
A maiden one, one newly learned even then
To bear Lucina’s birth-pang. Clio, too,
And Beroe, sisters, ocean-children both,
Both zoned with gold and girt with dappled fell,
Ephyre and Opis, and from Asian meads
Deiopea, and, bow at length laid by,
Fleet-footed Arethusa. But in their midst
Fair Clymene…

And lastly, Hyginus in his Fabulae:

From Nereus and Doris fifty Nereids: Glauce, Thalia, Cymodoce, Nesaea, Spio, Thoe, Cymothoe, Actaea, Limnoria, Melite, Iaera, Amphithoe, Agaue, Doto, Proto, Pherusa, Dynamene, Dexamene, Amphnome, Callianassa, Doris, Panope, Galatea, Nemertes, Apseudes, Clymene, Ianira, [Panopea], Ianassa, Maera, Orithyia, Amathia, Drymo, Xantho, Ligea, Phyllodoce, Cydippe, Lycorias, Cleio, Beroe, Ephyre, Opis, Asia, Deiopea, Arethusa, Creneis, Eurydice, Leucothea.

A few things are worth noting when considering these names (and any Greek names) as names:

• The ‘e’ ending (as in names such as Eucrante, Galene, Thoe, Alimede, etc) is always pronounced ‘ee’, just as it is in well-known Greek names like Chloe and Zoe.
• It is perfectly acceptable (the Romans did it frequently) to turn the ‘e’ into an ‘a’.
• The Greek dipthong ‘ei’ can be turned into a plain ‘i’ — so Clio instead of Cleio, etc.
• Where a name begins with an ‘i’ followed by an ‘a’, it can happily become a ‘j’ — so, for instance, Ianassa and Ianeira can be turned into Janassa and Janira.

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Surnames as First Names: English Surnames — F

Our journey through lesser known and used surnames of Old English, Anglo-Norman and Norse origin continues today with a look at F.

Sir Thomas 'Black Tom' Fairfax, an important figure in the English Civil War.

• Faber — actually Latin, this one! faber ‘smith’. There is evidence it was used as a personal name in the Middle Ages.
• Fainer — Old French fenier ‘haymonger’.
• Fairfax — Old English fæger ‘fair’ + feax ‘hair’.
• Fairlock — Old English fæger ‘fair’ + locc ‘lock (of hair)’.
• Fairwyn — from an unattested Old English personal name Fægerwine ‘fair-friend’.
• Fane, Fayne — Old English fægen ‘glad’, ‘well-disposed’. Found as a given name in the Middle Ages as well as a byname.
• Farley — from one of the places of the name. Old English fearn ‘fern’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’.
• Farlow — from Farlow, Shropshire. Old English fearn ‘fearn’ + hlāw ‘tumulus’, ‘mound’, ‘hill’.
• Farndon — from one of the places of the name. Old English fearn ‘fern’ + dūn ‘hill’. Var: Farnden.
• Farnham — from oneo f the places of the name. Old English fearn ‘fern’ + hām ‘homestead’, ‘village’, ‘manor’, ‘estate’, or hamm ‘enclosure’, ‘river-meadow’.
• Farrand, Ference — either the medieval personal name Ferrant, the Old French form of Ferdinand, or Old French ferrant ‘iron-grey’.
• Farrar, Farrer, Faro,, Farrow, Ferrer — from Old French ferreor ‘worker in iron’. Janet Farrar is one of the world’s most influential Wiccans.
• Farren — Old English fægen ‘fair’ or fearr ‘bull’ + hine ‘servant’.
• Fastolf — from the Old Norse personal name Fastúlfr. Old Norse: fastr ‘firm’ and ‘fast’ + úlfr ‘wolf’.
• Faure — A Provencal form of Old French fevre ‘smith’.
• Favelle — Old French fauvel ‘tawny, ‘fallow-colored’. Var: Favel, Favell.
• Fawkes –From the Norman French personal name Falco. Old German: falco ‘falcon’. Famously borne by Gunpowder Plot Guy Fawkes and Fawkes the Phoenix in Harry Potter.
• Fayer, Fayre — Old English fæger ‘fair’.
• Fenby — from Ashby cum Fenby, Lincolnshire. Old English fenn ‘fen’ + Old Norse bý ‘farmstead’, ‘settlement’ and ‘village’.
• Fernley — from one of the places of the name. Old English fearn ‘fern’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’. Also Farnley, Fearnley.
• Feron — Old French feron ‘smith’.
• Finnemore — Old French fin amour ‘dear love’.
• Flaxley — from Flaxley, Gloucestershire. Old English fleax ‘flax’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’.
• Flexer — from Old English fleax ‘flax’, used of someone who dressed or sold flax.
• Flinders — form of Flanders, a historic region which now straddles the France-Belgium border. From the Old German flauma ‘flooded area’. Matilda of Flanders was the wife of King William I, while (William Matthew) Flinders Petrie was a British archaeologist.
• Flory — partly from Fleury in France, and partly from the medieval girl’s name Floria, from Latin flos ‘flower’.  Also Florey, and Fleury.
• Foxley — from one of the places called Foxley. Old English fox ‘fox’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’.
• Foxton — from one of the places called Foxton. Old English fox ‘fox’ + tūn ‘enclosure’, ‘farmstead’, ‘village’, ‘manor’ and ‘estate’.
• Foy — from Old French foi ‘faith’. Foy popped into the top 1000 in the US now and again in the late 19th and early 20th Century, but has been little seen since.
• Frankham — Old French franc ‘free’ + homme ‘man’.
• Frankley — from one of the places called Frankton. Personal name Franca ‘a Frank’ + tūn ‘enclosure’, ‘farmstead’, ‘village’, ‘manor’ and ‘estate’.
• Frayne — from Old French fraisne ‘ash-tree’. Var: Frane, Frayn, Freyne.
• Freer — from Old French frere ‘brother’ and ‘friar’.

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