Category Archives: French Names

Adam

Posted on by
Reply

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: “man”

The name is found in the Old Testament as the name of the first man created by God. Whether Adam is used as a personal name or in a generic sense is up to debate, many Biblical scholars agree that the authors of Genesis were not using Adam as a personal name, but more of a generic term.

Though in modern Semitic languages, the modern word for man is many times Adam, or Ben-Adam (son of Adam), its actual etymology is also debated. Some believe it is ultimately derived from the Hebrew אדם (‘adam) meaning “red” referring either to human skin tone, or to the colour of earth, which in the Bible, is what God created Adam from. Other sources suggest that it may be related to an Akkadian source, Adamu, meaning “to make.”

The name is a popular choice among Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. In Europe, it has been in use since the early Middle Ages. Among Christians, Christ is often given the title of the “New Adam.”

Its designated name-day, along with Eve, is usually December 24.

Currently, Adam is the # 78th most popular male name in the United States. In other countries, his rankings are as follows:

  • # 35 (Australia, 2007)
  • # 28 (Belgium, 2006)
  • # 47 (Canada, BC, 2008)
  • # 8 (Czech Republic, 2008)
  • #32 (England/Wales, 2008)
  • # 34 (France, 2006)
  • # 7 (Hungary, 2008)
  • # 7 (Ireland, 2008)
  • # 10 (Israel, among Muslim boys, 2004)
  • # 1 (Israel, among Druze boys, 2004)
  • # 76 (the Netherlands, 2008)
  • # 6 (Northern Ireland, 2009)
  • # 19 (Scotland, 2008)
  • # 75 (Spain, 2006)
  • # 28 (Sweden, 2007)

In addition, the Adam form is also used in Armenian, Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian/Serbian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, German, Icelandic, Polish, Romanian, Slovakian and Slovenian.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Adami (Albanian)
  • Ādam آدم (Arabic)
  • Adəm (Azeri)
  • Adame (Basque)
  • Adem (Bosnian/Kurdish)
  • Aadam (Estonian)
  • Ádam (Faroese)
  • Aadam/Aatami (Finnish)
  • Adám Αδάμ (Greek)
  • Akamu (Hawaiian)
  • ʼĀḏām אָדָם (Hebrew: Modern)
  • Ádám (Hungarian)
  • Ádhamh/Ádam (Irish)
  • Adamo (Italian)
  • Adamus (Latin)
  • Ādams (Latvian)
  • Adomas (Lithuanian)
  • Adamu (Old Church Slavonic)
  • Adão (Portuguese)
  • Aden/Adom (Romansch)
  • Adam Адам (Russian/Ukrainian)
  • Adàmu (Sardinian)
  • Addamu (Sicilian)
  • Aadam (Somalian)
  • Adán (Spanish, ah-DAHN)
  • Adan (Tagalog)
  • Âdem (Turkish)
  • Odam (Uzbek)
  • Adda (Welsh)

A feminine version is the Spanish and Scotch, Adamina.

A Polish diminutive form is Adaš

Nadezhda

Posted on by
Reply

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Russian/Bulgarian
Meaning: “hope.”
(nah-DYEZH-dah)
Надежда

The name come directly from the Russian, meaning “hope.” Other forms include:

  • Nada (Croatian/Serbian/Slovene)
  • Naděžda (Czech)
  • Nadège (French: nah-DEZH)
  • Nagyezsda (Hungarian)
  • Nadzieja (Polish: nah-JAY-ah)
  • Nadežda (Slovakian)

In modern Russian history, the name was most notably borne by the wife of Josef Stalin, Nadezhda Alliluyeva (1901-1932).

Russian diminutive forms are: Nada and Nadya. Czech diminutive forms is Naďa. Name-days are September 17 (Czech Republic/Russia), September 30 (Bulgaria), December 23 (Slovakia).

Adela, Adele

Posted on by
Reply

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Germanic/Greek
Meaning: “noble; mud; secretive.”
Eng (uh-DEL-uh); (uh-DEL)

The most popular etymology for this name is that it is from the old Germanic word adal meaning “noble” however, other sources have linked it to the Anglo-Saxon word ádela (mud) and the Greek αδελος, (adelos), meaning “hidden; secretive.”

The name was borne by a 7th-century Frankish princess, known as St. Adela, she is noted for her establishment of a monastery in Pfazel, France. It was also borne by a daughter of William the Conqueror. Another notable bearer is British pop singer Adele

Adela has not ranked in the U.S. top 1000 since 1957 and Adele since 1969.

The Adela form is used in Catalan, English, Galician, German, Polish, Romanian, Slovakian and Spanish. Other forms of the name include:

  • Ethel (Anglo-Saxon/English)
  • Adéla/Etela (Czech-Slovak)
  • Della (English contraction)
  • Adèle (French: ah-DEHL)
  • Adele (German/English/Finnish/Italian)
  • Adél (Hungarian)
  • Etela/Etelka (Hungarian)
  • Adelia (Spanish)

The designated name-days are: July 8 (Latvia), June 30/October 20/November 23 (Lithuanian), December 22 (Slovakia), December 24 (France),

Lazarus

Posted on by
Reply

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Aramaic/Greek

Lazarus is Biblical name that has never really caught on in the English speaking world, he has a morbid and Gothic vibe, he has that feel that belongs in an Anne Rice or Stephanie Meyer novel.

The name is derived from the Greek, Lazaros (Λαζαρος), which is a form of the Aramaic, Lazar. Lazar is in turn an Aramaic form of the Hebrew, male name, Eleazar אלעזר, Elʿāzār, meaning “God’s assistance” or “God has helped.”

I shall go into Eleazar in a separate posting, for now, I shall just focus on Lazarus and his variants, since, he seems to have created a persona all of his own.

In the New Testamant, the name Lazarus is mentioned twice, the strongest association has to be with Lazarus of Bethany, who is mentioned in the Gospel of John as a man who was miraculously resurrected from the dead by Jesus. Another Lazarus is the subject of Jesus’ parable Lazarus and Dives, (recounted in the Gospel of Luke).

In Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions, Lazarus of Bethany is revered as a saint, and later apocryphal accounts of his life became popular. Among Eastern Christian traditions, it is believed that Lazarus sailed off to Cyprus to evangelize the inhabitants where he later became the first Bishop Kittim, (Larnaka), other traditions have Lazarus and his sisters relocating to Provence, France, where it is said that he became the first Bishop of Marseilles.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Llàtzer (Catalan)
  • Lazar Лазарь/Лазар (Croatian/Czech/Bulgarian/Serbian/Russian/Ukrainian)
  • Lazarus (English/Danish/Dutch/German/Latin/Norwegian/Swedish)
  • Lasarus (Finnish/Swedish/Norwegian)
  • Lazare (French: lah-ZAHR)
  • Lazaros Λαζαρος (Greek)
  • Lázár (Hungarian)
  • Lazzaro (Italian)
  • Lozorius (Lithuanian)
  • Łazarz/Lazarz (Polish: WAH-zahsh/LAH-zahsh)
  • Lázaro (Portuguese/Spanish: LAH-sah-roh Latin American Spanish; LAH-thah-ro Iberian Spanish)
  • Lazár (Slovak)
  • Lasaros (Swedish)

Spanish feminine forms are Lázara and Lazarina.

The designated name-day is December 17.

Cornelia, Cornelius

Posted on by
2

Origin: Latin
Meaning: “horn.”
Eng (kore-NEE-lee-ah); (kore-NEE-lee-us).

The names are ultimately derived from a Roman clan name, known as the Cornelii, they were one of the most distinguished and influential clans in both the Roman Republic and Empire. Infact, it is believed that over %30 percent of all consulships were held by members of the Cornelii.

The name is believed to be derived from the Latin word cornu meaning “horn.”

The name is found in the New Testament, in the Acts, as the name of the first gentile convert to Christianity. The female counterpart was borne in history by Cornelia Africana, (2nd century B.C.E), the mother of the reformers known as the Gracchi brothers.

Other forms of the names include:

  • Kerneels (Afrikaans)
  • Kornel (Czech/Polish/Slovak)
  • Cornelis/Kornelis (Dutch)
  • Corneel/Korneel (Dutch)
  • Cees/Cor/Corné/Kees/Neel/Nelis (Dutch: diminutive forms that are sometimes used as independent given names)
  • Cornel/Cornelius (English)
  • Corneille (French: more common form)
  • Cornélius (French)
  • Cornelius/Kornelius (German: diminutives include, Corni, Corny, Neli and Nelli).
  • Niels (German/Dutch: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name)
  • Kornél (Hungarian: 59th most popular male name of 2005 in Hungary)
  • Cornelio (Italian: diminutive form is Nello)
  • Korneli/Korneliusz (Polish: diminutive is Kornelek)
  • Cornélio (Portuguese)
  • Cornel/Corneliu (Romanian)
  • Cornel (Romansch)
  • Cornelio (Spanish)

Feminine forms include:

  • Kornelia (Czech/German/Polish: Polish diminutive form is Kornelka)
  • Cornelia (Dutch/English/German/Italian/Romanian/Spanish/Swedish: Dutch diminutive forms are Cokkie. In 2007, Cornelia was the 61st most popular female name in Sweden)
  • Neele (Dutch: originally a diminutive form, used as an independent given name)
  • Cornélie (French)
  • Nele (German: initially a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name, and currently very trendy in German speaking countries NEL-e)
  • Kornélia (Hungarian/Slovakian)

English diminutive forms for males are Corey and Neil, and for females they are usually Corey, Nell or Nellie.

Name-days are September 16/November 16 (Austria/Germany), December 17 (Slovakia)

Albina

Posted on by
4

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “white; bright.”
Eng (al-BYE-nah)

The name has very ancient roots as it was borne by the Etruscan goddess of the dawn, the name is linked to the Latin word albus meaning “white; bright” and it is also linked to the modern French word (aube)meaning “dawn” and Spanish word (alba) “dawn.” The Latin masculine version is Albinus. Interestingly enough, Albina also coincides with the Romanian word for “bee.”

Though it has Latin roots, the name seems to be especially common in Central Asian countries, such as Chechnya and Kyrgyzstan, and is common among the Tartar populations of Russia.

The name is also used in Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, in Spanish-speaking countries and in Portuguese speaking countries.

It is borne by Chechen Human Right’s Activist, Albina Digaeva (b.1978), it is also borne by Russian-Tartar olympic biathlete, Albina Akhatova (b.1976) and Tajik Olympic Archer, Albina Kamaletdinova (b.1969).

It was also borne by a 3rd century Christian martyr.

The designated name-day is usually December 15.

Other forms include:

  • Albína (Czech/Slovak)
  • Albina Альби́на (Russian)

A Russian diminutive form is Alya and Slovenian diminutives are Bina, Binca (BEENT-sah); Albinca.

Masculine forms are:

  • Albin (Czech/English/Polish/German/Norwegian/Swedish)
  • Aubin (French)
  • Albinus (Latin)
  • Albín (Slovakian)

Lucia, Lucille, Lucy, Lucian, Lucius

Posted on by
5

Origin: Latin
Meaning: “light.”

Today is December 13, said to be the darkest night of the year, and also the feast of St. Lucy, whose name appropriately means “light.” Contrary to popular belief, Lucy is the English form of Lucia, and is not a nickname that later became an independent given name, in fact, Lucy was fairly common in Medieval England, particularly after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The latinate form of Lucia, is a feminine version of the Latin, Lucius, which was a Roman praenomen derived from the Latin word lux meaning “light.”

The name was popularized by a 4th-century Sicilian martyr, who, according to legend, was a beautiful Christian woman of noble lineage. She was particularly known for her striking eyes, and when a local pagan suitor tried to force her to marry him, she spent the entire night gouging her own eyes out, presenting them on a platter to the lovelorn nobleman the next day, proclaiming that if he loved her eyes so much, he could marry them instead of her. St. Lucy was immediately tortured and put to death and as a result, she is considered the patron saint of the blind.

Her feast day in Sweden is an especially popular celebration. Each year a girl is chosen to represent the saint, while leading a procession of singing white clad men and women. In older traditions, it was usually the oldest girl in the household who was picked, but since becoming a school or city festival, the title is either given to the prettiest girl or the most popular girl, sometimes done by popular demand of the populace, or school, in which the procession is held. The Sankta Lucia wears a wreath of lit candles upon her head and a red sash around her waist, afterwards, glög and lussekatte, (a type of Saffron biscuit),are served. Its popularity in Scandinavia may be due to some ancient pre-Christian roots, in which the early Germanic tribes would fend off the dark wintery nights with a procession of candles, its true origins have been somewhat lost to history, but there is a Scandinavian legend that claims that Saint Lucy appeared to a band of lost vikings, and lead them back safely to shore. Thereafter, Lucy became a popular saint among the Scandinavians.

The holiday is also celebrated in some parts of the United States, especially in Minnesota, where there are large Scandinavian enclaves, as well as in Norway, and among the Swedish speaking populations of Finland and in Estonia and Latvia.

Lucille is a derivative of the Latin feminine name, Lucilla, which was an old Latin diminutive form of Lucia. It was popularized as an independent given name, early on, due to the popularity of a 3rd century Roman martyr.

A modern famous bearer was Lucille Ball (1911-1989), a famous American actress and comedienne, known for her popular sitcom, I Love Lucy.

Lucille currently ranks in as the 613th most popular female name in the United States, she did experience a peak in popularity a the beginning of the 20th century, ranking in the highest back in 1919, coming in as the 27th most popular female name.

Its masculine form of Lucius, was a fairly common Roman praenomen during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. It was borne by two kings of Etruria, and it was also borne by the Roman statesman, orator and philosopher, Lucius Annaeus Seneca. Lucius is also found in the New Testament, the name of a minor character, an Antiochan Christian. In addition, it was borne by three popes and a 3rd century male saint.

Lucianus, another male praenomen, is related to Lucius, but with slightly different meaning, the meaning refers to one who carries or bears light.

As of 2008, Lucian was the 810th most popular male name in the United States.

Other forms of the names include:

Lucia

  • Drita (Albanian: literally means “light” in Albanian, it is sometimes used as an alternative for Lucia).
  • Luzía (Aragonese)
  • Lusia (Breton)
  • Llúcia (Catalan)
  • Lucija Луција (Croatian/Latvian/Serbian: loot-SEE-yah)
  • Jasna (Croatian/Serbian: literally means “light” occasionally used as an alternative for Lucy. YAHS-nah)
  • Lucie (Czech: LOOT-syeh)
  • Lucia (Danish/Dutch/Corsican/Estonian/Norwegian/Romanian/Slovakian/Slovene/Swedish)
  • Luus (Dutch/Limburgish)
  • Lucy/Lucia (English: older pronunciation of the latter is LOO-shah, and in modern times, often pronounced loo-SEE-ah)
  • Lusia (Faroese)
  • Lukki/Lukka (Finnish)
  • Luusi/Luusia (Finnish)
  • Luce/Lucie (French)
  • Lucette (French: initially a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name, though considered very dated)
  • Luzie (Fruilian)
  • Lucia/Luzei/Luzia/Luzie/Luzi (German)
  • Zeia (German: old Pet form of Luzei, very obscure)
  • Loukia Λουκία (Greek: Modern)
  • Luca/Lúcia (Hungarian: former is pronounced LOOT-sah)
  • Lúcía/Lúsía (Icelandic)
  • Luce (Italian: LOO-chay)
  • Lucetta/Lucietta (Italian: initially diminutive forms, now used as independent given names)
  • Lucia (Italian: loo-CHEE-ah)
  • Luciella (Italian: originally a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name)
  • Lux (Latin: directly from the Latin word for “light” it is occasionally used as a given name in the English speaking world, and it was further popularized by the Eugenides book The Virgin Suicides, in which the lead character is named Lux Lisbon).
  • Liucija (Lithuanian: lyoot-SEE-yah).
  • Luċija (Maltese: loo-CHEE-yah)
  • Ruhia/Ruihi/Ruruhi (Maori)
  • Løssi (Norwegian: dialectical form of Lucy, from the regions of Møre and Romsdal).
  • Lucja (Polish: LOOT-syah)
  • Łucja (Polish: WOOT-syah)
  • Lúcia (Portuguese: LOOS-yah)
  • Luzia (Portuguese: loo-ZEE-uh)
  • Luziya/Svetlana (Russian: the latter is from the Old Slavonic meaning “light” and is sometimes used as an alternative form Lucy)
  • Liùsaidh (Scottish)
  • Lucìa (Sicilian)
  • Lucía (Spanish/Galician: loo-THEE-ah in Iberian Spanish and loo-SEE-ah in Latin American Spanish)
  • Luz (Spanish/Portuguese: literally ” light” in Spanish and Portuguese, it has been used as a variation for the Latin Lucia. LOOTH-Iberian Spanish LOOS-Latin American Spanish, LOOZH-Portuguese)
  • Luci (Swedish/Norwegian)
  • Lussa (Swedish: very old and obscure form of Lucy)
  • Lukia/Lucia (Ukrainian)
  • Lùsia (Venetian)
  • Lleucu (Welsh)

Lucian

  • Luken (Basque)
  • Lukian (Breton/Danish/German/Norwegian/Polish)
  • Lusian (Breton)
  • Llucià (Catalan)
  • Lucian (English: LOO-shen)
  • Lukianos (Finnish)
  • Lucien (French)
  • Lukianosz (Hungarian)
  • Lúkíanos (Icelandic)
  • Luciano (Italian/Galician/Portuguese/Spanish: Italian diminutives are Ciano, Luci and Lucio)
  • Lucianus (Latin/Dutch)
  • Lukiāns (Latvian)
  • Lukianas (Lithuanian)
  • Lucjan/Łucjan (Polish)
  • Luchian/Lucian (Romanian)
  • Lukián/Lucián (Slovakian)

Feminine forms are:

  • Liczenn (Breton)
  • Lucienne (French: luy-SYEN)
  • Luciana (Italian/Latin/Portuguese/Romanian/Spanish: Italian loo-CHAH-nah, Latin loo-KYAH-nah, Portuguese loo-SYAH-nah, Spanish: loo-THYAH-nah or loo-SYAH-nah)
  • Luciane (Brazilian Portuguese: loo-SYAH-nay)

Lucilla

  • Lucille/Lucile (French; English)
  • Lucilla (Italian/Latin: loo-CHEEL-lah in Italian)
  • Lucélia (Portuguese)
  • Lucília (Portuguese)
  • Lucila (Spanish/Portuguese)

An Italian masculine form is Lucilio

Lucius

  • Lucius (English LOO-shus)
  • Luvcie (Estruscan)
  • Lucius/Luzius (German)
  • Lúciusz (Hungarian)
  • Lucietto (Italian: obscure)
  • Lucido/Lucidio (Italian: obscure)
  • Lucio (Italian: loo-CHEE-o)
  • Luciolo (Italian: obscure)
  • Lucione (Italian: obscure)
  • Lugh (Manx)
  • Ruhiu (Maori)
  • Lucjusz/Łucjusz (Polish: LOOT-syoosh)
  • Lúcio (Portuguese)
  • Luci (Romanian)
  • Luzi (Romansch)
  • Lucio (Spanish: loo-THEE-o, loo-SEE-o)

Judah/Jude/Judith

Posted on by
6

Origin: Biblical Hebrew
Meaning: “celebrated; praise.”

Judah is a Greek form of the Hebrew name, Yehuda יְהוּדָה, which is the name of several characters in the Old Testament and at least two figures in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the original Judah was said to be the fourth son of Leah and Jacob, the progenitor of the Judah tribe, and he is also traditionally believed to be a direct ancestor of Jesus. In Biblical Greek, Judah, Judas and Jude were all interchangeable, since in Greek, Yehudah was translated as Ioudas, but for convenience sake, especially in English, Judas is usually used to refer to the ex Apostle, Judas Iscariot, who is known for his betrayal of Christ, and due to these associations, this form of the name has extremely dubious connotations, especially among Christians. However, Jude is used in reference to another apostle, known as St. Jude Thaddeus, who is a very popular saint among Roman Catholics.

In Jewish circles, Judah is usually used in reference to the tribe, or in reference to Judah, the fourth son of Leah and Jacob. It is sometimes bestowed upon boys born around the festival of Hanukkah, which is used in honour of Judah Maccabeus, who is considered to be one of the greatest warriors in Jewish history. He was the son of Mattathias, a Cohen, and was known for his uprising against the Seleucid Empire in 167 BCE-160 BCE. The Jewish feast and holiday, known as Hanukkah, (Hebrew for “dedication”), commemorates the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem after Judah Maccabeus removed Pagan statuary from the Temple.

The name Jude has increased in popularity the last 10 years, as of 2008, he ranked in as the # 224th most popular male name in the United States.

Its feminine form of Judith, Hebrew יְהוּדִית Yehudit, was borne in the Old Testament by a wife of Esau, but is probably most closely associated with the protagonist found in the Book of Judith, which is a deuterocanonical book, included in the Septuagint and in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christian Old Testament of the Bible. The book is rejected by Protestant Christians and Jews since it is mostly apocryphal and believed to be more of a morality tale versus anything based on historical fact, however, though the book is not considered historically accurate by Jews, Judith remained a popular Jewish heroine and symbol. In fact, the name’s popularity among Jews is probably more in association with her than of the wife of Esau. Judith is known for her beheading of the evil, Assyrian invader, Holofernes. She was a popular subject of artists for centuries.

The name experienced some usage in Catholic Europe during the Middle Ages, since Judith was considered as much a heroine among Christians as she was among Jews. The highest Judith ranked in the U.S. popularity charts, was at # 4 in 1940. As of 2008, she ranks in at a measly # 713. In 2006, she was the 6oth most popular female name in Spain.

Other forms of Judah and Jude include:

  • Chudas (Aragonese)
  • Judes (Catalan)
  • Judas (Danish/Dutch/German/Lithuanian/Norwegian/Portuguese/Spanish/Swedish: Portuguese ZHOO-dazh)
  • Jude (English/French)
  • Juudas (Finnish)
  • Juda (German/Czech/Croatian/Slovene)
  • Ioudas Ιουδας (Greek: Modern/Biblical)
  • Yehudah יְהוּדָה (Hebrew)
  • Júdás (Hungarian)
  • Yudas (Indonesian)
  • Iúdás (Irish)
  • Giuda (Italian)
  • Yuda (Kiswahili)
  • Iudas (Late Latin)
  • Juda/Judasz (Polish)
  • Júda (Slovakian)
  • Judá (Spanish/Portuguese: Spanish hoo-DAH, Portuguese zhoo-DAH)
  • Hudas (Tagalog/Filipino)
  • Yudel/Yidel (Yiddish)

Other forms of Judith include:

  • Ioudith Ιουδιθ (Biblical Greek)
  • Iudith (Biblical Latin)
  • Jitka (Czech: originally a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name YEET-kah).
  • Judita (Czech/Romansch/Slovak/Slovene)
  • Júdit (Czech)
  • Judit (Danish/Catalan/Hungarian/Norwegian/Spanish/Swedish)
  • Jytte (Danish)
  • Jutka (Dutch/Hungarian: originally diminutive forms, used as independent given names)
  • Juut (Dutch)
  • Judith (English/Dutch/Icelandic: English nickname is usually Judy)
  • Juudit/Juta (Estonian)
  • Judith/Judithe (French: diminutive is Juju)
  • Xudit (Galician)
  • Juditha (German: Jüdie is a diminutive form)
  • Jutta/Jutte (German/Dutch/Polish: originally a diminutive form, used as an independent given name, now considered dated)
  • Yehudit יְהוּדִית (Hebrew)
  • Yudit (Indonesian)
  • Giuditta (Italian: joo-DEET-tah)
  • Yuditi (Kiswahili)
  • Ita (Polish)
  • Judyta (Polish: yoo-DIH-tah)
  • Judite (Portuguese/Latvian: Portuguese pronunciation: zhoo-DEET, Brazilian Portuguese zhoo-JEE-che )
  • Juditta (Romansch)
  • Yudif/Yudita (Russian)
  • Judetta/Judina (Spanish)
  • Hudes (Yiddish)
  • Yutke (Yiddish)

Other notable bearers of the name include Judah Benjamin (1811-1884), former Attorney General of the Confederacy and the first Jewish American to be seriously considered for the Supreme Court and the first Jewish American to serve as a U.S. Senator. It is also borne by British actor, Jude Law (b.1972).

Notable Judiths include:

Judge Judith Scheindlin (b. 1942) an American judge, TV personality and author, and Judy Jetson of the 1950s cartoon series, The Jetsons.

Designated name-days are: October 28 (France: for Jude), May 5 (France: Judith), December 5th (Czech Republic), December 10 (Estonia, Hungary and Latvia).

Valeria, Valerie

Posted on by
1

Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning: “healthy.”
Eng (VAL-eh-REE); It (vah-LAY-ree-ah); Fre (VAH-lay-RHEE)

Valeria is the feminine form of the Latin Valerius, an ancient Roman clan name that indicated strength, boldness or health. The name was popularized in Europe via the cult of St. Valeria, a 2nd century Roman martyr, and the cult of St. Valérie of Limoges.

In the United States, Valerie currently ranks in as the 135th most popular female name (2008). The highest it ranked was in 1959 at # 60. In the Netherlands, she is the 136th most popular female name (2008). Its latinate form of Valeria currently stands as the 73rd most popular female name in the United States. In 2006, she was the 69th most popular female name in Chile and the 55th most popular in Spain.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Valeria (Albanian/Italian/Latin/Norwegian/Romanian/Spanish/Swedish)
  • Valèria (Catalan)
  • Valérie (Czech: vah-LEHR-yeh)
  • Valerie (Dutch/German/English/Swedish)
  • Valériane (French)
  • Valérie (French: VAH-lay-RHEE)
  • Valérine (French)
  • Valeska (German: an old diminutive form, short form is Leska, fairly common in Brazil, perhaps introduced via German immigrants).
  • Valéria (Hungarian/Portuguese/Slovak)
  • Valeriana (Latin/Italian/Spanish)
  • Waleria (Polish: vah-LEHR-yah)
  • Waleriana (Polish)
  • Valeriya Валерия (Russian)
  • Valerija (Slovene/Croatian/Latvian/Lithuanian/Serbian)
  • Valerijana (Slovene)
  • Valerina (Slovene/Italian)

A Slovakian diminutives is Valika, Russian diminutives are Valya and Lera, an English diminutive is Val, German diminutives are Vali and Lilli, Slovene diminutives are, Valči, Valčika andValčka. A French diminutives is Valé.

Masculine forms are

  • Valery (English)
  • Valerian (English)
  • Valère/Valérien/Valéry (French)
  • Vallier (French)
  • Valeriano (Italian/Spanish)
  • Valerino (Italian)
  • Valerio (Italian/Spanish)
  • Valiero (Italian)
  • Valerianus (Latin)
  • Walerian/Waleriusz/Walery (Polish)
  • Valeriu (Romanian)
  • Valeri Валерий (Russian)
  • Valerij/Valerijan/Valerijano/Valerijo/Valerin/Valerjan (Slovene)

A Romanian diminutive form is Vali.

The designated name-days are: April 18 (Czech Republic), April 28, (France, Hungary), June 20 (Slovakia), June 7 (Bulgaria), June 20 (Russia) and December 9 (Lithuania and Croatia).

Javier, Xavier

Posted on by
7

Gender: Masculine
Origin: Basque
Meaning: “the new house.”

The name is derived from a Basque surname Extaberri meaning “the new house” and has been in use as a given name for centuries. It was popularized by St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552), and was also the family name of the Lords of Javier. After the popularity of the saint, the name spread throughout the Spanish speaking world as a popular male given name, its usage was followed in due course by other Catholic countries.

The name has experienced a sudden surge of popularity in the United States, ranking in as the  71st most popular male name for 2008.

In Australia he ranks in at # 56 (2007), and # 90 in Spain for 2005. Its designated name-day is December 3rd.

Other forms of the name include:

  • Chabier (Aragonese)
  • Xabel (Asturian)
  • Xabier/Xabi (Basque)
  • Xavier (Catalan/French/Galician/Portuguese/Valencian: Catalan diminutives are Xavi and Xevi)
  • Saveriu (Corsican)
  • Xaver (German/Czech)
  • Savy (Irish)
  • Saverio/Zaverio (Italian)
  • Xaverius (Latin)
  • Xabiere (Leonese)
  • Xavêio (Piedmontese)
  • Ksawery/Xawery (Polish: latter form is archaic, diminutive form is Ksawerek)
  • Ksaber Ксавьер (Russian)
  • Xavér (Slovakian/Hungarian)
  • Javier (Spanish)

Feminine forms

  • Xavière (French)
  • Saveria/Saverina/Zaveria (Italian)
  • Ksawera/Ksaweryna (Polish: diminutive forms are Ksawerka or Ksawerynka)
  • Xavéria (Slovakian)
  • Javiera/Xaviera (Spanish)

A popular compound name, used among Catholics, is Francis Xavier (English: common in Ireland); Franz Xaver (German: used in the Catholic areas of German speaking countries); Francisco Xavier (Portuguese) Francisco Javier; (Spanish) and Francois-Xavier (French).

In Portugal, Xavier is sometimes used in conjunction with Maria or Francisca as a feminine name, but is never used on females as a stand alone name. Its conjunction with names like Maria or Francisca are usually used in a religious context, in reference to the saint.