Lalage

• Origin: Greek Λαλαγή
• Meaning: “to babble.”
• Gender: Female
• Pronunciation: LAL-ə-jee (English), LAH-lah-geh (Classical Greek)

A poetic rarity, it is from the ancient Greek λαλαγέω (lalageo) meaning “to babble; to prattle.”

The most famous bearer of the name appears in Horace’s Odes (Book I, 22), in which it is the name of the poet’s idealized beloved.

Edgar Allan Poe later used Lalage as a tragic heroine in his 1835 play Politian, reinforcing its Romantic aura.

The name experienced some usage in the 19th-century throughout the English-speaking world. A notable bearer is British educator and feminist, Lalage Brown (b. 1927).

Common short forms are Lallie, Lally and Gigi.

Sources

• https://www.behindthename.com/name/lalage
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalage