Category Archives: Frisian name

Frederick

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: German
Meaning: “peaceful ruler.”
Eng (FRED-eh-rick; FRED-rick)

The name is composed of the Germanic elements, frid (peace) and rich (ruler). The name has been popular in the Germanic world since the 10th century. It was borne by three dukes of Austria, including Frederick the Fair (1289-1330), the first king of Austria. It was extremely popular among minor German royalty and was eventually borne by Frederick II, King of Prussia, also known as Frederick the Great (1712-1786)

Among Danish Royalty, it has been tradition to alternate naming the eldest son either Christian or Frederick each generation. Frederick, so far, has been borne by nine Danish kings and is currently borne by the Danish Crown Prince (b.1968).

In the Middle Ages, it was borne by three Holy Roman Emperors, including the illustrious Crusader, Frederick I Barberossa (the Red Beard).

The name was introduced into England by the Normans, but became popular in the 18th-century when the German Hanovers inherited the British Throne, which has issued at least one Frederick thus far: Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707–1751), eldest son of King George II of England.

As of 2010, its Danish form of Frederik was the 7th most popular male name in Denmark. His rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 11 (Federico, Italy, 2010)
  • # 16 (Federico, Argentina, 2009)
  • # 35 (Fredrik, Norway, 2010)
  • # 95 (England/Wales, 2010)
  • # 393 (Frederik, Netherlands, 2010)
  • # 496 (United States, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

  • Ferry (Alsatian)
  • Frederig (Breton)
  • Frederic (Catalan)
  • Bedřich (Czech)
  • Frederick (English)
  • Fríðrikur (Faroese)
  • Fredrik (Finnish/Scandinavian)
  • Frédéric (French)
  • Freark (Frisian)
  • Fridric (Frisian)
  • Frerich (German)
  • Friedrich (German)
  • Frigyes (Hungarian)
  • Friðrik (Icelandic)
  • Feardorcha (Irish)
  • Federico (Italian/Spanish)
  • Federigo (Italian)
  • Fredo (Italian)
  • Fricis (Latvian)
  • Frīdrihs (Latvian)
  • Frydrichas (Lithuanian)
  • Friduric (Old High German)
  • Friðrikr (Old Norse)
  • Freerk (Plattdeustch)
  • Fryderyk (Polish)
  • Frédéri (Poitvin)
  • Frederico (Portuguese)
  • Frederi (Provançal)
  • Fadri (Romansch)
  • Frideric (Romansch)
  • Riet (Romansch)
  • Riget (Romansch)
  • Friderik (Slovene)
Common diminutives include:
  • Bedřišek (Czech)
  • Béďa (Czech)
  • Béďánek (Czech)
  • Bédísek (Czech)
  • Fedder (Danish)
  • Fred (English/Scandinavian)
  • Freddy (English/Scandinavian)
  • Frits (Faroese)
  • Fiete (Frisian)
  • Fiddy (German)
  • Freidi (German)
  • Freidl (German)
  • Fre(r)k (German)
  • Fritz (German)
Its feminine form of Federica is currently the 21st most popular female name in Italy, (2009), while Frederikke is currently the 38th most popular female name in Denmark, (2010) and Frédérique is the 150th most popular female name in the Netherlands, (2010).
Other feminine forms include:
  • Bedřiška (Czech)
  • Frederikke (Danish/Norwegian)
  • Frédérique (Dutch/French)
  • Frederica (English/Portuguese)
  • Friðrika (Faroese/Icelandic)
  • Fredrika (Finnish/Swedish)
  • Friederike (German)
  • Federica (Italian)
  • Fryderyka (Polish)
  • Fadrica (Romansch)
  • Fadrina (Romansch)

Cecilia, Cecily

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin
Meaning “blind”
Eng (seh-SEE-lee-yuh); Lat (kay-KEE-lyah); Italian (chay-CHEEL-yah).

This four syllable, melodic name has been in usage throughout the Western World since the early Middle Ages. Thanks to the cult of Saint Cecilia, an early Christian martyr, considered to be the patron saint of music and musicians.

Geoffrey Chaucer made the saint a subject of his writings and refers to the name as meaning “lily of heaven”; “the way for the blind”; “contemplation of heaven and an active life”; “as if lacking in blindness”; “a heaven for people to gaze upon.”

However, these were only epithets used by the early English writer describing the wondrous attributes and virtues of the saint, and should not be confused for its real meaning.

The name is a feminine form of the Latin Caecilius which comes from the word caecus meaning blind.

The name was introduced into England after the Norman conquest in the form of Cecily (SES-ih-LEE). The name was very popular in England until the Protestant Reformation where it fell out of usage.

Its Latin counterpart of Cecilia was not introduced into the English speaking world until the 18th-century, afterwards, its early English form of Cecily became quite popular during Victorian England.

As of 2010, its Danish form of Cecilie was the 30th most popular female name in Denmark. Her rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 39 (Silje, Denmark, 2010)
  • # 65 (Silje, Norway, 2010)
  • # 277 (Cecilia, United States, 2010)
  • # 385 (Cécile, France, 2009)
  • # 486 (Cecilia, France, 2009)
  • # 741 (Cecelia, United States, 2010)

There is the masculine English form of Cecil. Other forms of the name include:

  • Aziliz (Breton)
  • Cicilia (Corsican)
  • Cecilija (Croatian)
  • Cila (Croatian)
  • Cecílie (Czech: tset-TSEEL-yeh)
  • Cecilie (Danish/Norwegian)
  • Cille (Danish)
  • Sille (Danish)
  • Cecile/Ceciel (Dutch)
  • Cecilia (Dutch/Finnish/German/Italian/Romanian/Spanish/Swedish)
  • Cilla (Dutch/Swedish)
  • Cecelia (English)
  • Säsil (Estonian)
  • Sesilia (Faroese)
  • Selja/Silja (Finnish)
  • Cécile (French)
  • Silke (Frisian/German: ZIL-kə)
  • Síle (Gaelic)
  • Kek’ik’ilia კიკილია (Georgia)
  • Cäcilia/Caecilia (German: tsay-TSEEL-yah or tsay-TSEE-lee-yah)
  • Cäcilie (German: tsay-TSEEL-yə or tsay-TSEE-lee-yə)
  • Zilla (German: originally a diminutive form sometimes used as an independent given name, another diminutive is Zilly)
  • Kekilia (Greek Modern)
  • Sissiilia/Sissii (Greenlandic)
  • Kikilia (Hawaiian)
  • Cecília (Hungarian/Portuguese/Slovak)
  • Cili (Hungarian/Slovene)
  • Szöszill (Hungarian)
  • Seselía, Sesilía, Sesselía, Sessilía (Icelandic)
  • Sisilia (Indonesian)
  • Sheila (Irish)
  • Caecilia (Latin)
  • Cecilė/Cilė(Lithuanian)
  • Cissolt (Manx: SIS-solt)
  • Sidsel (Norwegian/Danish)
  • Silje (Norwegian/Danish)
  • Sissel (Norwegian/Danish)
  • Cilgia (Romansch)
  • Tsetsiliya (Russian)
  • Sìleas (Scottish)
  • Cecília (Slovakian)
  • Šejla (Slovakian)
  • Cecilija (Slovenian)
  • Cilika (Slovenian)
  • Cilka (Slovenian)
  • Sisel (Yiddish)
  • Zisel (Yiddish)

Male forms include

  • Cecil (English)
  • Cecilio (Italian/Spanish)
  • Caecilius (Latin)
  • Cecilijus (Lithuanian)
  • Cecilián (Slovakian)

Czech diminutive forms are: Cecilka, Celia, Cilia, Cilka and Cilinka.

English diminutive forms are: Cece, Celia and Sissy.

The designated name-day is November 22nd.

Silke

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: German
(ZIL-keh)

The name was originally a Frisian or German short form of Celia or Cecilia, but has been used as an independent given name since at least the 19th-century.

The name’s usage has trickled over to the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

As of 2010, Silke was the 41st most popular female name in Denmark and the 114th most popular in the Netherlands.

Irma

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: German
Meaning: “world; whole; universal”
Germ (AIR-mah); Eng (ER-muh)

The name is ultimately from the Old German word, irmin meaning, “world; whole; universal.” She shares the same etymology with Emma.

This element has appeared in several other Germanic female names such as Irmengarde, Irmela and Irmentraud.

In 1911, Irma was the 136th most popular female name, as of 2009, she does not even appear in the top 1000. In the anglophone world, the name has come to be associated as a very dated name.

In Sweden, the name has ranked as high as the 94th most popular female name (2008), as of 2009, she fell out of the Swedish top 100.

As of 2010, Irma was the 68th most popular female name in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Other forms of the name include:

Erma (English/German)
Imma (Frisian)
Imke (Frisian/German)
Irmela (German/Swedish)
Irmeli (German/Swedish)
Irmelin (German/Swedish)
Irmine (German)
Irmuska (Hungarian)
Irmina (Polish/Italian)

Irma itself is used in English-speaking, German-speaking and Spanish speaking countries. She has also had a history of usage in Scandinavia, the Baltic, Central Europe and Eastern Europe.

The name was borne by a German singer, Irma Baltuttis (1920-1958) and is borne by American soul singer, Irma Thomas (b.1941).

The designated name-days are: March 20 (Lithuania); March 31 (Estonia/Finland); April 7 (Sweden); May 3 (Hungary); September 10 (Czech Republic); September 18 (Poland); October 13 (Latvia); November 14 (Slovakia); December 24 (Poland).

Source

  1. http://www.behindthename.com/name/irma

Arthur

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Debated
Meaning: Debated
Eng (ARE-ther)

The name is of debated origin and meaning. Several theories have been attributed to the name’s origins, one is that it is derived from an obscure Roman cognomen, Artorius, which is believed to be of Etruscan origins of unknown meaning. Another theory is that it is derived from an ancient Brittonic name, *Arto-rīg-ios , meaning “bear-king.” An even less likely alternative is that it is connected with Welsh Artgwr (bear-man). A newer and yet unlikely suggestion is that it is related to the Greek Arcturus,  that is, the name of the brightest star in the Constellation Boötes, meaning “bear guardian.”

The name was borne by a mythical British king who is the topic of several medieval romances. His existence has never been proven, yet his legacy has left an indelible mark in Western Europe, especially in England and France. The name’s usage among the general populous can be traced all the way Medieval England. It surged in popularity in the 19th-century when English Romanticism had become popular.

As of 2008, Arthur was the 6th most popular male name in Belgium. His rankings in other countries are as follows:

  • # 4 (Brazil, 2010)
  • # 10 (Arturs, Latvia, 2010)
  • # 15 (France, 2009)
  • # 23 (Arttu, Finland, 2010)
  • # 82 (England/Wales, 2010)
  • # 99 (Arturo, Spain, 2010)
  • # 288 (Netherlands, 2010)
  • # 389 (United States, 2010)
  • # 420 (Arturo, United States, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

  • Artur Артур Արթուր (Albanian/Armenian/Basque/Belarusian/Bosnian/Bulgarian/Catalan/Croatian/Czech/Estonian/Galician/German/Kazakh/Picard/Polish/Portuguese/Romanian/Romansch/Russian/Serbian/Slovak/Slovene/Ukrainian)
  • Dury (Alsatian)
  • Arturu (Asturian/Maltese)
  • Artús (Asturian/Catalan)
  • Artza (Basque)
  • Arzhur (Breton)
  • Artuš (Czech/Slovak)
  • Arthur (Dutch/English/Flemish/French/German/Scandinavian/Welsh)
  • Arto (Finnish)
  • Arttu (Finnish)
  • Artturi (Finnish)
  • Atte (Frisian)
  • Arturo (Galician/Italian/Spanish)
  • Arthoúros Αρθούρος (Greek)
  • Artúr (Hungarian/Icelandic/Irish)
  • Artù (Italian)
  • Arturi ართური (Georgian)
  • Arturs (Latvian)
  • Artūras (Lithuanian)
  • Turu (Maltese)
  • Èrthu (Norman)
  • Artús (Occitanian)
  • Artair (Scottish)
Diminutives include:
  • Arturek (Czech/Polish)
  • Tuur (Dutch)
  • Art (English)
  • Artie (English)

Feminine forms include the Italian: Artura and Arturina

Seppe

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Gender: Masculine
Origin: Frisian
(SEP-peh)

The name is a Frisian diminutive form of any name beginning with the sieg element (victory).

It is now used exclusively as an independent given name.

As of 2008, it was the 34th most popular male name in Belgium.

Another form of Siebe was the 64th most popular male name in Belgium, (2008).

 

Sabina

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latin Сабина
Meaning: “Sabine.”
Eng (suh-BEE-nah; suh-BYE-nah).

The name comes from a Roman cognomen, Sabinus, which was usually carried by people of Sabine origins. The Sabines were an ancient Italic people who lived in Central Italy and whose culture was eventually absorbed by the Romans.

The name was borne by an early Christian saint and martyr. It is also the name of a region in Italy which takes its name from the tribe.

It is also the name of a genus of tree, which has probably further popularized the name.

The name could also be from the Arabic, sometimes transliterated as Sabeen, meaning “follower of another religion” and was said to be a name given to the Prophet Mohammed by non-Muslims.

Currently, Sabina is the 13th most popular female name in Kazakhstan, (2010), while Sabine is the 392nd most popular in the Netherlands, (2010).

The name is used throughout Europe and Central Asia.

Other forms include:

  • Sabien (Dutch)
  • Sabine (German/French)
  • Szabina (Hungarian)
  • Sabeena (Indian)
  • Savina (Italian)

Masculine forms include:

  • Sabino (Italian)
  • Savino (Italian)
  • Sabinus (Latin)
  • Sabin (Romanian)

A Czech and Polish diminutive is Sabinka.