Happy New Year! Names that bring happiness, hope and blessings

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and may the new year bring you joy and peace. As 2015 approaches, I thought it would be appropriate to post about names for a New Year's baby. 

Aurora
With a meaning of "dawn", the name of the main character in Disney's Sleeping Beauty is very appropriate for a New Year's baby. It's meaning could symbolise new beginnings, as dawn occurs at the start of the day.

Dagny
A Nordic name which has a meaning of "new day", making it very fitting for a baby born on New Year's. 

Esperanza
This is a pretty and exotic variant of Hope, originating from Spain. We often hope for better or new things when it's the New Year. 

January
This unusual month name is also used in France, where it is spelt Janvier. As January is the month that the New Year takes place in, it would be a good choice for a baby born around that time. It's most commonly used for girls, though with the nickname Jan, perhaps a little boy could pull it off too. 

Nadia
This spunky Slavic name also has a meaning of "hope". It has many European variants, including Nadine and Nantia. 

Nova
This unusual name couldn't have a more appropriate meaning than "new", and is of Latin origins.

Roxana
In Persian, this spunky name has a meaning of "dawn" or "bright". It has a famous historical namesake; Alexander the Great's wife.

Zora
A more exotic alternative to Zara, this name is of Slavic meanings, and also means "dawn".

Beatrice
This elegant name has a beautiful meaning of "she who brings happiness". As the New Year brings new happiness, this is a fitting name for a little girl born around that time. 

Felix
With a meaning of "happy", this handsome name would make a good choice for a little boy born on New Year's.

Asher
This Biblical name has a meaning of "happy", or "blessed". As the New Year is a happy time that will bring new blessings, this name is a good choice for a little boy born around that time. 

Merry Christmas! Festive Names

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to everyone! As the festive season is already here, I thought it would be appropriate to do a post about Christmas based names. 

Natalia
A name can't get any more Christmassy than Natalia, as it's original Latin meaning is "Christmas Day", or "Born at Christmas". It's most used in the Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Greek and Polish languages. It has many international variants, including Natalie (Nathalie) and the more exotic Natalija. 

Holly
This fun plant name is most commonly given to baby girls who are born around Christmas Time. It's a popular name in England at the moment, being #24 on the popularity charts, whilst in the United States it's currently at #380. Hollie is it's most common spelling variant, though other spelling variations include Holie and Holli. 

Christabel
Even though the name doesn't have that Christmassy a meaning ("follower of Christ"), it is the middle name of Princess Alexandra, one of the cousins of Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Alexandra received her middle name of Christabel as she was born on Christmas Day. 

Noël 
This is another very Christmassy name as the French word for "Christmas". People in France wish each other a Merry Christmas by saying "Joyeux Noël" to each other. It's variation is Noel, whilst it's feminisation is Noelle. 

Belén
This is the Spanish translation of Bethlehem, Jesus's birthplace in the Bible. It is commonly used as a middle name in Chile.

Balthazar 
Balthazar, or Balthasar, is the name of one of the Three Wise Men (alternatively known as The Three Kings or the Magi) in the Bible. It has a less festive meaning of "Baal protects the King" and has Phoenician origins.

Melchior
Is one of the names of the Three Wise Men in the Bible. It can also be used as a surname.

Gaspar
Is the name of another of the Three Wise Men in the Bible. Even though we don't "officially" know their names, these are the most commonly used or guessed names. Gaspar has Persian origins and has a wonderful meaning of "treasure". Sometimes, The Wise Man called Gaspar in the Bible's name is spelt as Caspar. 

Jesús

Although the name of Jesus himself is rare in most countries, it's very popular amongst Spanish / Hispanic communities, where it is pronounced as "heh-soos". 

Mary

In my opinion, a name can't get more classic than Mary as the name of the Virgin Mary, or Our Lady as she is known as in Catholic communities. Mary has several meanings, though the most common one is the Hebrew "bitter". Other meanings include  "beloved", "rebelliousness", "wished-for child" and "star of the sea". 

Joseph

In the New Testament, Joseph is the name of Jesus's father. It has a meaning of "he will add". The name has also been worn by a number of famous namesakes, including various Austrian Emperors. It's variants include Josef and Yosef; whilst it's feminisations  include Josephine and Josepha.

Gabriel

The name of God's messenger in the Bible, more commonly known as The Angel Gabriel, has a meaning of "able-bodied one of God", or "messenger of God". Some of it's variations include Gabriël and Gavriel, and the feminisations of Gabriel are Gabriella or Gabrielle.

Nicholas

The name of Saint Nicholas is a combination of "victory" and "people". It's variants include Nikolaus and Nikolaos. 

Claus

The name of Santa Claus is rarely used in English speaking countries, though it has it's usage in more Germanic countries, where it can also be spelt Klaus. It was the name of the former Queen Beatrix of the Netherland's husband, Prince Claus, and is now currently being used by her grandson, Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau van Amsberg. It is also the Germanic short form of Nicholas. 

Carol

Although it may have a rather dated feel, this name is the word used for the songs or hymns sung at Christmas Time. It has a meaning of "strong", and in English, it is most commonly used for girls, though in Europe it can also be used for boys. It mostly translates as Charles in English. The Dutch variation of the name is Karel, whilst the Polish variant is Karol. 

Namen aus Österreich: Names from Austria

I visited Austria  last week and was looking out for any interesting names. Most of the names were not really unusual as I'd heard of them before (some are quite popular where I live), though there were some unusual ones there and also some I'd never heard of before. 

Lea
I heard this on a student of secondary (high) school age. Her name is the general European variant of Leah, a Biblical name meaning "weary". It has also been suggested that it's alternative origins are from the ancient Akkadian language, meaning "mistress" or "ruler".

Gerrit
I'm not sure whether is name was spelt with one or two Rs, but this was the name of the owner of my apartment who was middle aged. His name has a strong meaning of "brave with the spear" and is the Dutch and Frisian equivalent of Gerard. 

Evie
I heard this on a toddler, who was from Northern Ireland (I think). It originates from Eve which itself has a beautiful and deep meaning of "life", as the name of the first woman on earth in the Old Testament. It is also used as a nickname for the longer Evangeline. 

Matthew
Evie's older brother, who only looked like he was about a couple of years older than her. It is of Hebrew origins where it means "Gift of Jehovah". Matthew was the name of one of Jesus's Apostles in the Bible. 

Claudia
She was part of an orchestra, though I'm not sure how old she looked as I spotted her name on a programme. Her name has a meaning of "lame" and is a feminisation of Claudius.

Russi
She was also part of the same orchestra, and like Claudia I couldn't tell her age as she was also mentioned in the programme. The meaning of her name is largely unknown, though it can also be used as a surname.

Stanislava
The lead violinist in the orchestra. Her name is the feminisation of the ancient Stanislav, which is of Slavic origins and has a wonderful meaning of "someone who achieves glory or fame". 

Annika
A little girl of primary school age at a Christmas market. Her name was originally used as a Dutch and Swedish pet form of Anna, meaning "grace", though it has since taken off as a standalone given name. In the Netherlands, it can also be spelt as Anneke (pronounced as "ah-neek", or sometimes like Annika). Annika is also suggested to be of Sanskrit origins and is a common name in Hinduism. 

The History and Origins of the Names of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco

Being the monarchist that I am, I thought I would do a post about the latest additions to the Princely Family of Monaco; Prince Jacques, Marquis of Baux and his sister, Princess Gabriella, Countess of  Carladès. 

Gabriella Thérèse Marie

The actual French version of Gabriella is Gabrielle. French is one of the major languages spoken in Monaco (Monégasque, Italian and Occitan are also spoken), therefore in my opinion, it would've made much more sense to use Gabrielle instead. However, Charlene's family, the Wittstocks, are English speaking as they are from South Africa, so perhaps Gabriella was used in an international way. Gabriella is of Italian origins, and means "strong man of God" or "messenger of God". 

Thérèse is a variant of Teresa and in my opinion, fits in wonderfully with Monaco and the French language. It's unclear of where Teresa is derived from, though it's been guessed from the Greek language, where it derives from "θερίζω", meaning "harvest".

Marie is a traditional name in the French speaking world (with Marie Antoinette being amongst the famous namesakes), much like it's English counterpart, Mary, or it's Latino counterpart, Maria (María). It has origins from the Hebrew, Greek and Latin languages; where it can have multiple meanings of either "wished-for child", "beloved", "love", "star of the sea", or "bitter". It is very regal and works well with the little Princess's other names. 

Jacques Honoré Rainier

Jacques is the French variant of the more English James, which itself derives from the Hebrew Jacob. In the French language, it means "supplanter", and is the name of a former French President, Jacques Chirac. It's female counterpart, Jacqueline, has been worn by Jacqueline Kennedy, First Lady of the United States (who was more commonly known as "Jackie"). It often gets mistaken for being the French variant of Jack (which is the name of Princess Grace's father Jack Kelly, who would be the great-grandfather of the twins as their grandmother's father) as they share similar sounds, though Jack is actually originally a nickname for John, but is very popular as a standalone name in Britain at the moment. Jacques has also been used in the Princely Family of Monaco before, on Prince Jacques I of Monaco, who reigned from 1731-1733. 

Honoré is originally a French family name from Medieval times, which itself has a beautiful meaning of "honoured". So far, five Princes of Monaco have worn this name. 

Rainier is the name of Prince Jacques's grandfather, Prince Rainier III of Monaco, husband of Princess Grace. It is a French form of Rainer, which itself derives from the more German Reginar, which was made up of "ragin", and "heri", which mean "advice"  and "army" respectively. 

Weekly Sightings #2

Here's the second round of the Weekly Sightings, even though it's a little late. 

Antonia
I overheard this name on a girl who was possibly in her twenties. Her name is of Roman origins and has a beautiful meaning of "priceless", praiseworthy", or "beautiful".

Leonora
I overheard this name on a girl who was possibly a similar age to Antonia. Her name in French means "from Helen", though it is actually of Italian origins, where it has a gorgeous meaning of "light".

Tione
I overheard this name on a girl who was possibly a similar age to Leonora and Antonia. Her name is very uncommon and is unisex, though is more heard of on girls. Her name means "ruthful", "interesting", "opinionated", "novice", or "emphatic". 

Carson
I overheard this name on a little boy who was about two years old. His name is an American surname, though it has an English meaning of "son who lives in the swamp".

Wilf
I also overheard this name on a little boy who was about two years old. His name is a diminutive of Wilfred, which itself is of Germanic routes. His name has a lovely meaning of "will" and "peace".

Noel
I overheard this name on a little boy who was of a similar age to Wilf and Carson. His name derives from the French word for Christmas, noël. Sometimes, his name is also used as a feminine name, though the more common female variant is Noelle. 

Names With Accents

I have always been a huge fan of names with accents and umlauts. They just look so pretty, elegant, chic and exotic. Below are some of my favourites.

Séverine – This beautiful and feminine name has been popular for a while now in France, though would seem unusual and rare for a British or American baby. However, it has a negative meaning of "stern". Last year, it had a rank of #16099 in the US popularity charts, though in 1914 it ranked at #4112. In France however, it ranked at #74 in 2000.

Athénaïs – This spunky and exotic name has had its use in history. Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montesan was the mistress of Louis XIV of France, and in modern times, there is a little Princess Athénaïs de Ligne de la Trémoïlle, who is the daughter of Italian actress Isabella Orsini and her royal husband, Prince Edouard de Ligne de la Trémoïlle. It is derived from the Greek Athena, whose meaning is largely unknown, though it is thought to mean "sharp" or "praise".  In 2010, it was #496 on the French popularity charts.

Élisabeth – This beautiful and sophisticated French variant of Elizabeth has a meaning of "God is my oath" or "my God is abundance". In America, it ranked at #609, whilst in Austria, it ranked at #53, in its native France at #408 and in the Netherlands at #118. Élisabeth also has a royal namesake, as it is the name of the Duchess of Brabant, the daughter of the new King and Queen of the Belgians.

Adélia – This pretty and delicate French variant of Adelia, who in turn is a variant of Adela, means "noble". In America, it ranked at #966 in 1928 on the popularity charts.

Ildikó – This quirky and spunky Hungarian variant of Hilda has a meaning of "battle". At present it has a royal namesake, Archduchess Ildikó of Austria, a member of the Hungarian branch of the defunct Austrian Imperial Family.

Félicité – This pretty and dainty French form of Felicitas has a charming meaning of "good luck, good fortune". It is not as popular as its English counterpart Felicity, and has never ranked in the popularity charts.

Désirée – This beautiful and dreamy name is from a French word with a beautiful meaning of "desired" or "wished". In America, it ranked at #629 in the popularity charts. It is also the name of the first Queen Consort of the Swedish House of Bernadotte, French born Désirée Clary, whose actual name was Bernadine. At present, it is the middle name of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, as Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée. 

Weekly Sightings

I decided to do posts every Sunday where I record any new names I overhear over the past week. I will also try and mention their meanings and origins, if possible. So, here goes for the first week. 

Sailor
I heard this name on a little girl who was about five or six. She had blonde hair and was very sweet. Her name is originally a word name. 

Mayam
I heard this name on another little girl, though she was a bit older, perhaps of eight or nine years. Her name is a variant of Maya, and can mean "beloved of Amun" in Ancient Egyptian. 

Thevyan
She was another little girl of a similar age to Mayam (or possibly younger). Her name's meaning is generally unknown.

Rosalind
I heard this name on an adult possibly in her thirties or forties. Her name has a gorgeous meaning of "beautiful / pretty rose" and is of Spanish origins.

Rajbant 
I heard this name on an adult who was perhaps a similar age to Rosalind. She prefers to go by "Raj", and the meaning of her name is generally unknown, though Raj means "rule, king, emperor or royalty".

Alexia
I heard this name on an adult who was also a similar age to Raj and Rosalind. Her name is a feminisation of Alexis, meaning "defender" or "helper".

Lis
Another adult, who was also of a similar name to Alexia, Raj and Rosalind. I'm unaware if this was her full name, or a nickname for Elisabeth as it seems like a more European spelling of Liz.

Not so common -ine names

When the average person is asked what sort of names end in -ine, they will probably answer with Madeleine / Madeline, Josephine, Emmeline Adeline and Evangeline. Whilst these names are gorgeous, I love the more unusual or unexpected -ine names, such as:

Séverine

This beautiful and delicate name has always been well known in France, though would seem unusual for a British or American baby. It means "stern" and is also the Latin feminisation of Severus, though another masculine form can be Séverin. 

Aveline

Originating in Norman French as a surname, this soft and feminine name is the modern French for "hazelnut". The Norman surname was originally derived from a given name, and can be a diminutive of the über popular Ava.  A number of famous namesakes use it as a surname, though a Medieval countess, Aveline de Forz, was probably amongst the first to use it as a given name. 

Seraphine

This sweet and sophisticated name is originally a French word name. It can also derive from Seraph, meaning "celestial" or "heavenly" in Hebrew, where the more masculine Seraphim also derives from. It is the feminisation of Séraphin and also is a variant of the more feminine Seraphina / Serafina. Another meaning Seraphine has is "burning ones".

Eveline

This pretty variant of Evelina, Eva or Evelyn has a beautiful meaning of "wished for child". Evelina itself derives from Avelina. Eveline is also a short story written by James Joyce.

Bettine

Bettine is a charming variant of the equally pretty Bettina, meaning "God is my oath", as it can be related to Elizabeth. However, Bettina also originates from Benedetta, meaning "blessed". 

Florestine

This beautiful name has a royal namesake, Princess Florestine of Monaco, the daughter of reigning Prince Florestan I and his wife, Maria Caroline Gilbert de Lametz. It's meaning is generally unknown, though it is of French origins. 

Celestine

This gorgeous name is of French origins and has a beautiful meaning of "heavenly". It is based on the Latin caelestis, and has another variant, Celestina. A baby girl with this name will also share her name with five Popes (two of whom have been canonized). 

Zephyrine

Zephyrine, also spelt Zéphyrine in France, is a pretty and delicate name meaning "west wind", as a feminisation of Zephyrus or Zephyr. A baby girl with this name will share her name with royalty, Princess Marie Zéphyrine of France (who got her name as she was born on 26 August, the feast day of Saint Zephyrinus) and Princess Amalie Zephyrine of Salm-Kyrburg.

Aline

This pretty French variant of Alina has a beautiful meaning of "light". Alina, like Aline, is rather rare and exotic, though Alina is of Greek origins.

Leontine

This beautiful French form of the more Greek Leontios has a meaning of "lion", as a -Leo name. A baby girl with this name will share her name with Léontine Zanta, the first French woman to earn a doctorate.

Ernestine

This is a quirky and unusual feminisation of Ernest, meaning "earnestness" or "vigor" in Old German. A baby girl with this name will share her name with Princess Ernestine of Nassau, as well as Ernestine, Princess de Ligne. 

Ameline

This spunky and exotic French name has a meaning of "hard working", and is a form of Ameline though can also be a combination of Amelie and Emmeline.

Capucine

This beautiful and exotic name means "nasturtium" in French. A baby girl with this name will share her name with Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre, who used Capucine as her stage name.

Beline

This unusual and delicate name has a beautiful and strong meaning of "goddess" in French.

Melusine

In European folklore, Melusine is a spirit of fresh waters, who is often found in sacred springs or rivers. She is usually depicted as a spirit who is a serpent or fish from the waist down, very similar to a mermaid. A baby girl named this will also share her name with Melusine von der Schulenburg, Duchess of Kendal, a mistress of King George I.

Isaline

This beautiful and exotic name is very old, though is just starting to make a comeback in France. The origin is speculated to be from Isabelle, and perhaps Eusébie. 

Hello ... for the third time!

I've been unhappy with the past two layouts of my blog, so have decided to give it a completely new makeover. I thought I would introduce myself again.

My name is Alice, and I've never liked it that much. I've always preferred my middle name (Louise), and have it somewhere on my own list, with Theodora. I was almost a Luisa, which I prefer, but half of me is glad that I'm not a Luisa, as I feel that the spelling may cause some difficulties as it isn't common where I live.

As you have probably guessed, I have an interest in names. However it's a fairly new interest as I only began to start it about two years ago now. I was beginning to go off Elizabeth and began to search for variants of it, and that's how my interest began. I actually love Elizabeth now, though prefer it's French cousin, Élisabeth. My favourite girls name is Adelina Sophia, whilst my favourite boys name is Leo Xavier. Past absolute favourites have been Mary and Persephone. I still love Mary, though I dislike Persephone now. But generally, my lists and taste in names don't really change, and I've had some names, such as Phoebe and Thomas, on my lists since I was younger.

Aside from names, I have a huge interest in royalty. It started when I was younger and only recently have I become more and more fascinated by the world of royalty and how it works. Some of my royal interests include the British Royal Family, the Dutch Royal Family, the Swedish Royal Family and the Danish Royal Family. I also am interested in the non-reigning houses, particularly the French, Serbian, Italian, Austrian and Romanian Royal / Imperial Families.

My main hobby is photography. I enjoy taking photographs of nature and will often try and capture different and more unusual angles. Other hobbies I have are reading, and at the moment I'm reading Paper Towns by John Green. I also enjoy history and music, particularly singing. I can play the piano and the flute, though I only really continue to play the piano.

I adore travelling. I have been to many parts of the world. Some of my favourite destinations are Ibiza // Formentera, Sweden, New York, and Morocco. I am due to travel to Austria this Christmas, where I will go to Vienna. I have been to Austria before, but to Innsbruck and the mountains instead. I also plan to travel to Morocco in Easter and perhaps the French Riviera // Monaco in summer.

My mother tongue is English, though I can also speak French. I have also learnt Latin and Mandarin Chinese, but I can't really remember them. I can also speak a few words in Arabic from North African holidays, and can understand (very) limited Spanish and German.