Gender: Feminine
Origin: Spanish
Meaning: “star.” (Sp. ey-STREY-yah)
The name comes directly from the Spanish word for star and has been in use since the early Middle Ages. It was used by Spanish Jews as a form of Esther and among Christians, it was used in reference to an epithet of the Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea.
Currently, Estrella is the 420th most popular female name in the United States, (2010).
Izar is the Basque cognate.
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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Persian
The name is found in History and in the Old Testament as the name of one of the most powerful leaders who ever lived, Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC or 576 BC–530 BC). He was a conqueror of the Babylonians and who, according to the Bible, freed the captive Jews, allowing them to return to their homeland. It is also borne by several other Persian kings.
Cyrus, in its Persian form, has always been a popular male name in Iran. In the English-speaking world, it did not catch on until after the Protestant Reformation. Currently, Cyrus is the 488th most popular male name in the United States, (2010). The name is commonly used among Iranian-Americans, due to it being such a classic name in Iran and the fact that it is easily translatable to English.
As for its etymology, general consensus agrees that it may derive from the ancient Persian elements khor (sun) and vash (likeness). However, the noted linguist, Karl Hoffman (1915-1996), argued that it is based on an Indo-European root meaning “to humiliate.”
Other forms of the name include:
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Debated
Meaning: debated
The name is borne in the Old Testament and in the Qu’ran by the a renowned prophet and law giver, who according to tradition was placed in a basket by his Hebrew mother and found by the daughter of Pharaoh (in Judeo-Christian religion) or the wife of Pharaoh (in Islamic tradition) and raised as an Egyptian prince. It is from this tradition that the name is believed to be derived from the Hebrew element משה (mšh) as stated in Exodus 2:10:
“[…] she called his name Moses (משה): and she said, Because I drew him (משיתהו) out of the water.” (KJV).
It has been suggested that the name is in fact of Egyptian origins, being related to the Coptic elements, mo (water) and uses (saved; delivered) hence: “saved from the water.” Another suggestion is the Egyptian element, ms (child; born) as found in such ancient Egyptian male names as Tuth-Mose and Ram-messes.
The name has always been common among Jews, Muslims and Orthodox Christians, but did not catch on in the English-speaking world until after the Protestant Reformation. Medieval Jews of England used the Middle English form of Moss.
It is currently the 509th most popular male name in the United States, (2010).
Other forms of the name include:
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “glory.”
Eng (GLAWR-ee-ə)
The name comes directly from the Latin word for glory and its usage as a given name is relatively recent in naming history. Its first appearance seems to be the name of the protagonist of E.D.E.N. Southworth’s 1891 novel, Gloria: A Novel.
Born Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte, Southworth was a popular novelist of her time, and seems to have had a habit of bestowing interesting names on her female characters, particularly names which come directly from Latin words. Her most famous example being her tomboyish character, Capitola Black in her most famous work, The Hidden Hand (1889).
Gloria was used again by George Bernard Shaw for a character in his 1898 play You Never Can Tell.
Due to its seemingly religious connotations, the name skyrocketed among Catholic families during the Depression Era. In this case, the name may have been used in reference to the Great Doxolgy or hymn sung during Catholic masses Gloria in Excelsis Deo.
Currently, Gloria is the 503rd most popular female name in the United States, (2010).
Other forms of the name include:
An obscure Italian diminutive is Gloriuccia.
There is also a very obscure masculine Italian form: Glorio.
Famous bearers include:
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Gender: Masculine
Origin: English
Eng (CHAD)
The name is a modern English form of the Anglo-Saxon, Ceadda (CHAD-duh). The meaning and origins of the name are somewhat of a mystery, but since St. Chad was believed to have been of Celtic origins it has been suggested that it may be a derivative of the Welsh, cad, meaning “battle.”
The name was borne by a major 7th-century English saint. His cult was very popular in England before the Protestant Reformation and the name seems to have died out with the Reformation as well. Chad was not revived until the mid-20th-century. Between 1972-1973, Chad peaked at its highest coming in as the 23rd most popular male name in the United States. As of 2010, he is the 547th most popular male name.
The designated name-day is March 2nd.
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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Hebrew אֱלִישַׁע
Meaning: “my God is salvation”
Eng (ee-LIE-shah)
The name comes from the Hebrew (Elishu’a) אֱלִישׁוּעַ and is found in the Old Testament and in the Quran as the name of a prophet and successor to Elijah.
In the English-speaking world, the name did not become common until after the Protestant Reformation.
Currently, Elisha is the 656th most popular male name in the United States, (2010).
Other forms of the name include:
Elyasa الْيَسَع (Arabic)
Eliseu (Catalan/Portuguese)
Elíša (Czech)
Elisa (Dutch/Finnish/Swedish: obscure)
Élisée (French)
Elise ელისე (Georgian)
Elischa (German)
Elisäus (German)
Elisaίos Ελισαίος (Greek: modern)
Eliseo (Italian/Spanish)
Eliseus (Latin)
Eliziejus (Lithuanian)
Elisie Елисие (Macedonian)
Elisja (Norwegian)
Elizeusz (Polish)
Elisei (Romanian)
Elisej Елисей (Russian)
Elizeus (Slovene)
Jelisej Јелисеј (Serbian)
Elyesa (Turkish)
Yelyséj Єлисе́й (Ukrainian)
The designated name day is June 14.
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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Spanish
The name is either a contraction of María Soledad or María del Sol, the name was originally used in honour of the Virgin Mary. In recent years, Spanish-speaking parents may have used it due to the fact that it sounds like Mar y Sol (sea and sun).
It is also the name of a 1996 Mexican telenovela.
Currently, Marisol is the 528th most popular female name in the United States, (2010).
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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Aramaic
Meaning: “gazelle.”
(TAB-bih-thuh)
The name is found in the New Testament as the name of a woman brought back to life by the Apostle Peter, she is also referred to as Dorcas which is the Greek equivalent of the name (see Acts 9:36).
As a given name, it seems to have been popular among the Puritans and remained very common among early Americans. It was borne by Tabitha Babbitt (1784-1853) an early American woman tool maker credited for inventing the circular saw. It was also borne by Oregon pioneer Tabitha Brown (1780-1858) credited as the foundress of Pacific University.
The name was again brought to the American public’s attention via the 1960s sitcom, Bewitched, in which the daughter of Samantha and Darren Stephens is named Tabitha. There was also a spin-off of the show entitled Tabitha.
Currently, Tabitha 641st most popular female name in the United States. Its German offshoot of Tabea (tah-BEY-ah) is the 139th most popular female name in Germany (2010).
Other forms of the name include:
Tabita (Czech/Slovak. Diminutive is Tabitka)
Tabea (German)
Tavitha Ταβιθά (Greek: modern)
Tábita (Hungarian)
Gazela (Polish: very unusual)
The default English diminutives are either Tabby or Tibby.
The designated name day is October 25.
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Originally this post was entitled Christmas names, but I decided to change the topic to Holiday season names in general. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Devali, Hanukkah, Yuletide, Kwanzaa or even Yalda, below are a list of names that have a seasonal feel. Enjoy!
Have a Happy Holiday and a Merry Christmas!
Female
Rosemary seems to have been coined in the 19th-century, either being taken from the name of the herb or used as a combination of both Rose and Mary.
In the case of the herb, it is derived from the Latin ros marinus which literally means “dew from the sea.”
The name seems to have been especially common among Irish-Catholic families as the rose is a symbol for the Virgin Mary.
Its popularity peaked in 1946 when it was the 75th most popular female name in the United States. As of 2010, it was 720th most popular female name.
Its Germanic form of Rosemarie has spawned the diminutive of Romy, now commonly used as an independent given name in the Netherlands. As of 2010, Romy was the 55th most popular female name in the Netherlands and the 202nd most popular in France (2008).
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