Gender: Feminine
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Welsh/Cornish
(SEL-if)
The name is a Welsh and Cornish form of Solomon.
It is borne by two historical figures. One a saint who was a hermit in Cornwall. His feast is celebrated on June 25.
Another was a Welsh king known as Selyf Sarffgaudau, (Selyf the Battle-Serpent) (d. 616). He died at the Battle of Chester against the Northumbrian king, Aethelfrith. He was sometimes recorded as Selim.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: English
Meaning: “noble strength.”
(AW-dree)
Audrey, an Anglo-Norman form of Etheldreda, has been popular since the beginning of the 20th century.
The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Aethelthryth or Ethelreda.
It was borne by an early English saint who had been the princess of East Anglia. She chose to become a nun and founded an Abbey in Ely. She suffered from an unsightly tumor on her neck, which, she understood as being divine retribution for all the expensive jewels she wore on her neck in her youth.
Her feast is held on June 23, and each year, a huge festival was held at her former Abbey, in Ely, where cheap trinkets were sold. This is where the English word tawdry comes from, a corruption of the way the locals would pronounce Saint Audrey.
The name went out of usage around the Reformation, though William Shakespeare bestowed it on a character in his As You Like It (1599). It went through a revival around the 1920s. The name is still very popular, it was the 51st most popular female name in 2007. It is also ranked among the top 100 most popular female names in France, Belgium and Quebec.
The name was borne by actress Audrey Hepburn.
Other forms include: Aldreda, Dreda, Etheldreda, Etheldred, Etheldra & Audrina are variations.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: English/Latin
Meaning: “from Alba; white one.”
(AL-ben)
The name is derived from the Latin Albanus, either meaning , “one from Alba,” or “one who is white.”
The name was borne by the first Britain’s first Christian martyr; killed in the 4th century.
Alban himself was not a Christian, and during the persecution of the Christians that were raging throughout the Roman empire, Alban agreed to hide a priest. When the authorities came to his door and tried to search his house, Alban dressed himself as the priest he was hiding and volunteered to be executed in the priest’s stead. During his imprisonment, Alban proclaimed himself a Christian and was beheaded.
His feast is celebrated on June 22.
Though a popular saint, even before the Reformation, the name never became widely used in England.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Icelandic
Meaning: “June”
(YOO-nee-AH-nah)
The name is derived from the Icelandic júnímeaning “June.”
The name is not too common, as of July 2007, only one girl bore this as a first name on the entire island, while 3 had it as a middle name.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: German/Polish/Czech/Slovak
(Adal-bert) (VOY-chehk); (VOY-tyek).
The name, Adalbert, is derived from the Germanic elements adal meaning “noble” and behrt meaning “bright; shining; illustrious.”
The name was borne by a 9th century saint, who was known as the apostle of the Slavs.
He was a German Bishop of the town of Madgeburg who was assigned under the Pope as a missionary to Russia, upon the request of Queen Olga. Olga’s son oppossed Adalbert’s visit, and had his companions slain while Adalbert himself barely escaped alive. He returned to Germany where he established several archbishopric’s and trained missionaries for the Slavic tribes.
His feast day is commemorated on June 20.
One of his students was St. Adalbert of Prague, also known as Vojtech, in Czech, (or Slovakian), and as Wojciech, in Polish.
He was born into a noble Czech family in Bohemia and studied in Madgeburg under Adalbert of Madgeburg. He returned to Prague and entered the priesthood, eventually becoming the Bishop of Prague.
He was noted for his rejection of wealth and insisted to live a life of poverty. As a result, he gave up his Bishop’s position and decided to become a hermit instead. However, the pope had other plans for him in mind. The pope talked him back into becoming a bishop and was sent on a mission to convert the neighboring Slavs and Prussians in Poland.
He was succesful in coverting the Polish King Boleslaw the Brave, but met resistance in the west of Poland.
He was beheaded by the locals when he attempted to cut down an oak tree. He was martyred in what is now Elblag, Poland.
King Boleslaw retrieved his body and consecrated a church, in his honour, in Gniezno, Poland, where his body is still interned. His cult is still very popular in Poland, where he is known as Wojchiech (VOY-chehk).
Other forms of the name include:
Feminine forms are Adalberta and Adalbertina.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: German
Meaning: “to reign with glory.”
(ROM-wald)
The name is derived from the Old Germanic elements, hrom, meaning, “fame” or “glory” and valdan, meaning, “to reign.”
The name was borne by a 10th-century, Italian saint from Ravenna. He was born into nobility and was rather cavalier in his youth. After participating in a dual in which he killed a man. He felt so guilty about his actions that he decided to repent of his sins by living in a Benedictine monastery for 40 days, after which, he decided to stay on, and eventually became the abbott.
He went on to found several other monasteries and eventually found the austere monastery of Camaldolo Tuscany.
His feast is held on June 19th.
The name used in Poland, where it has a feminine counterpart of Romualda. Its Italian and Spanish form is Romualdo. There is also a latinate form of Romualdus.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: French
Meaning: “longing; desire.”
(DEE-dyay)
The name is an old French form of Desiderius, which is from the Latin desiderium, meaning, “longing; desire.”
The name was borne by a 6th century French Bishop, who later resigned his seat and lived a life of poverty as a hermit. He founded a monastery in Vosges and his feast day is celebrated on June 19th.
Popular French nicknames include Die and Didi.
Other forms include:
Feminine forms include:
The name Desirée is related but has a slightly different etymology, hence, I shall have a separate entry.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Czech/Slovak
Meaning: “return of the famous” or “return of glory.”
(VRAH-tee-SLAHV)
The name is composed of the Slavonic elements, votiti, meaning, “return” and slav, meaning, “fame; glory.”
The name is rather unusual in Slovakia and the Czech Republic these days.
The names feast day is usually held on June 18th. Nicknames include Vratko and Vrato.
Other forms of the name include:
Gender: Feminine
Origin: unknown
(mah-TOO-tuh)
The name is possibly of Etruscan origin and its meaning has been lost to history.
Mater Matuta was a pre-Roman (Etruscan) goddess of grain who later became associated with Aurora, the goddess of the dawn. She was the patron goddess of newborn babies, the sea and of harbors.
Her festival was held on June 11th. Known as the Matralia only women who were in their first marriage were allowed to attend the festival.
