It is a Russian male given name and noun meaning “raven.” It comes directly from the Old East Slavic воронъ (voronŭ), which in turn derives from Proto-Slavic voronъ — a term shared by many Slavic languages (e.g., Polish wrona, Czech vran, Bulgarian voron), all referring to the raven or crow.
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The name comes directly from the Spanish word for “magpie,” ultimately derived from the Latin furax (thievish).
The name was popular in the early Middle Ages among the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula.
Several medieval queens and princesses bore the name, including Queen Urraca of León and Castile (1079–1126), the powerful daughter of Alfonso VI, who ruled as queen regnant and Infanta Urraca of Portugal (11th century), daughter of King Afonso I.
It’s French form is Urraque. Early records also yield, Hurraca, Hurraqua, Urraka (Basque), Urraqua and Urraquoa.
Its softer Galician form is Orraca.
This beautiful Medieval gem deserves a comeback, especially with the nickname, Rocky.
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Balandis comes directly from the Lithuanian word for both the type of bird (dove, pigeon) or the month of April. The word itself is from the Old Prussian root word balts meaning “white.” Both the month and the bird may have gotten this name due to their associations with the colour white.
A feminine form is Balanda.
The name comes directly from the Welsh word for the linnet or finch bird.
The name came first into use in Wales in the 1880s. It is sometimes listed as a unisex names on other sites, but I have not come across any records of this being used on males in my own research. It was likely a name that came into use when Welsh revivalism became popular in the late 1800s, however, its use could have hypothetically been used in Medieval or pre-Christian Wales, I just cannot locate records indicating such.
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The name comes directly from the Turkish word for “falcon” or “hawk,” but is also a synonym for “rising,” or “born” in the Turkish language.
It appeared in the Top 100 Most Popular Male Names in Turkey between 1987-2002 and peaked at #74 in 1998.
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The name comes directly from the Welsh word for bird. It was first recorded as a female given-name in 1900 when Welsh revivalism came to the fore.
It is most notably the name of a large hill in Wales known as Craig yr Aderyn (bird rock) in Snowdownia national park, where birds are known to nest. It is also the name of several Welsh literary works.
An offshoot is Deryn.
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The name can have a few origins and meanings. It is primarily an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit हंस (hamsa), which originally referred to an aquatic bird of passage. The hamsa is described as a mythical bird with knowledge in the Rig Veda and also as the main means of transport for the gods Brahma, Gayatri, Saraswati, and Vishvakarma in Hinduism. In the Ramayana, the hamsa was the bird that carried love letters between Damayanti and Nala. According to Indian legend, arayanna (heavenly hamsa swans) are said to live in the Himalayas where they eat pearls and are able to separate milk from water.
The hamsa bird is also associated with the concept of soham (that I am), as when it is said fast, hamsa starts to resemble soham. The latter is linked with the Brahman, and thus the bird is often associated with the cycle of samsara.
The hamsa bird has also been a popular motif in Indian art for centuries.
Over the centuries, it has interchangeably been translated as a swan, flamingo, goose or duck. It is ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root word *ǵʰh₂éns, which is also the progenitor of the English word goose, German gans (goose), and the Latin anser (goose).
In India, as a given-name, it is used among all languages groups. The name is primarily used on females but has occasionally been given to males.
The name is also German and Scandinavian female name, being a contracted form of Johanna. Other forms are Hansina and Hansine.
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Job & his 3 Daughters by William Blake
The name is mentioned in Job 43:14 as the name of the eldest daughter of Job after his tribulations. It derives from the Hebrew יְמִימָה, (Yemimah), meaning “dove.”
As a given-name, it came into popular use after the Protestant Reformation, especially in England, though it appears in occasional use by the 19th-century in Finland, Scandinavia & Protestant parts of Germany and the Netherlands.
Among Jews, this name was never used, though the Yiddish Taube and Toybe (dove) does exist. It is not certain if the latter is used in reference to Jemimah, Jonah or an earlier Medieval German female name that fell out of use among Christians but remained common among Ashkenazi Jews. It should be noted that in some German translations of the Bible, Jemimah is merely referred to as Täubchen (turtledove; also a term of endearment).
It is the same case in other languages where the passage in which the name appears is translated literally as Columba (Italian), Touterelle (French), Dies (Vulgate Latin translation) & Täuberl (Bavarian).
The name was quite common in England and Colonial America in the 18th-century. It was borne by the daughter of Daniel Boone, who is famous for being captured by Native Americans in 1776. Other early notable bearers include Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey and Countess of Hardwicke (1723-1797); Scottish painter, Jemima Blackburn (1823-1901); and Irish writer, Baroness Jemima von Tautphoeus (1807-1893). It was the birth name of the non-binary Quaker preacher known as the Public Universal Friend (1752-1819) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Universal_Friend (interesting story).
Today, in the United States the name has somewhat loaded racial connotations, due to its associations with ‘Aunt Jemima’ (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Aunt_Jemima)
However, in England, the name has remained a posh favourite. It is currently borne by British actress, Jemima Kirke (b. 1985).
The name is also a common favorite in many African countries.
Currently, Jemima is 297th Most Popular Female Name in England & Wales.
Common English short forms are Mima, Mimi, Jem, Jemmy.
Other forms include:
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Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: “dove”
Gender: masculine
Ir. (kole-MAHN); Eng. (KOLE-men)
The name comes directly from the Gaelic word colmán (dove). The name was borne by numerous early Irish saints and several Irish kings.
Colman has never appeared in the U.S Top 1000, but its English offshoot, Coleman, has. Coleman has been in the U.S. Top 1000 Most Popular Male Names since 1900. It peaked in 1903, coming in as 360th most popular male name. In 2016, it was the 963rd most popular male name.
Other forms of the name include:
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The name comes directly from the name of a type of bird. Its English name is from the Anglo-Saxon wrenna, which is of uncertain meaning.
The bird was often referred to as the King of Birds in Medieval Folklore and it was considered bad luck to cause any harm to the nests.
In Ireland, Wren’s Day (December 26, St. Stephen’s Day), is celebrated by parading a fake wren on a pole. The Celebration most likely has pagan Celtic roots, but according to Christian legend the wren exposed the hiding spot of St. Stephen before he was stoned to death.
As a female name, it seems to have a modern feel, but records indicate that she has been in use since the 17th-century.
The name is often listed as unisex on many baby name sites, but its usage as a male name throughout history is actually sporadic and was rarely used for males. Its earliest usage as a male name is recorded around the 18th-century, probably used in honour of the surname of the same meaning.
In the United States, Wren first entered the U.S. Top 1000 in 2013 and has risen in popularity each year since then. In 2016, Wren was the 524th most popular female name in the United States. The name has yet to make an entry in the U.S. Top 1000 Most Popular Male Names. In England/Wales the name ranks even higher, coming in as the 334th most popular female name (2016).
Another form is Wrenna. A common affectionate form is Wrenny.
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