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.