Gender: Masculine
Origin: Armenian Սեւան
(seh-VAHN)
The name is taken from the name of a lake and city in Armenia. The name is technically unisex but is far more common on males than females.
Lake Sevan is one of the largest lake in Armenia and in the Caucauses.
As of 2010, Sevan was the 493rd most popular male name in France.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: English
Are you loving Lily? Maybe the popularity has gotten to you. There is this spunky floral moniker that has already reached outrageous popularity in Great Britain. Poppy is a sweet little floral that has been in usage since at least the 19th century. The name may seem a bit too insubstantial for some, hence is why it is sometimes listed as a nickname for such names as Parthenope, Penelope, Persephone, Pippilotta, Philippa, Pomeline and Perpetua.
The associations with the flower are beautiful! Who wouldn’t want to be named for a deep red, eye popping flower (no pun intended). Then again, its symbolisms with death and sleep can be a bit of a turn off for others.
In Ancient Rome and Greece, the poppy was a funerary flower, they were usually placed on graves. The poppy got the association of death and sleep, since opium, (which is extracted from poppy seeds), was such a strong barbiturate. In fact, it was so strong, that the ancients used it as an anesthetic while conducting surgeries. However, Poppy does have the redeeming qualities of being associated with resurrection, since after being put under a death like sleep from opium during an operation, the patients always seemed to awaken as if they had come back to life. Its symbolism for dead soldiers comes from a poem written by John McCrae, entitled in Flanders Fields (1915). McCrae writes how he witnessed his friend perish amidst a field of poppies during WWI, and he compares the field of poppies to all the fallen dead soldiers. The name could be a nice way to honour a relative that has perished in a war.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: English
(SUM-mer)
The name comes directly from the English word for the season. Though a more modern introduction into the lexicon of English given names, the word summer in various languages has been used as a traditional female name for centuries in other cultures. Examples include Vasare, Verë, Suvi and a host of other names.
Summer seems to have first appeared in 1949, albeit rare, it was given to at least 5 girls born in the United States that year. She really started to soar in 1971, the year she first entered the top 1000 coming in as the 869th most popular female name and she has remained in the U.S. top 1000 since.
As of 2010, Summer was the 30th most popular female name in England/Wales. Her rankings in other countries are as follows:
Its German form of Sommer just recently came into usage in German-speaking countries.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Finnish
Meaning: “mint.”
The name comes directly from the Finnish word for mint.
Its designated name-day is October 6.
The name is borne by Finnish actress Minttu Mustakaillo (b.1973). It is also the name of a popular Finnish peppermint-flavored liqueur, despite the liqueur associations, the name seems to be fairly common in Finland.
The Holidays aren’t too far off and if you due around that time and are considering a Holiday-themed name with a bit of an edge, this might be just what you are looking for.
Update: As of 2011, Minttu is the 43rd most popular female name in Finland.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Finnish
Meaning: “cloudberry.”
(HEEL-lah)
The name was initially used as a form of Hilda or Hilja, but became even more popular in Finland due to the fact that it translates as, “cloudberry.”
As of 2011, Hilla was the 42nd most popular female name in Finland.
Other forms of the name include:
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Finnish/Estonian
Meaning: “pearl”
(HEL-mee)
The name was originally a diminutive form of the name Vilhelmiina, but later became an independent name in Finland due to its coincidental meaning of “pearl,” in Finnish. The pronunciation could be heard here: http://www.forvo.com/word/helmi/
As of 2011, Helmi was the 11th most popular female name among Finnish speakers in Finland.
The designated name-day in Finland and Estonia is May 7th. In Sweden, it is April 6th.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Faroese/Icelandic
Meaning: “buttercup.”
(SOLE-yah); (SOO-lay).
Both names are derived from the Norse word sol meaning “sun.” In modern vernacular both names are used to refer to the buttercup flower in their own respective languages. Sólja is the Faroese form and Sóley the Icelandic. Though Sóley is used as a given name in the Faroe Islands as well.
As of 2010 Sólja was the 8th most popular female name in the Faroe Islands.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Faroese
Meaning: “beautiful sun.”
(soon-FREE-thah)
The name may be composed of the Old High German element, sun (sun) and the Old Norse fríðr (beautiful).
As of 2010, this was the 8th most popular female name in the Faroe Islands.
Another form of the name is Súnfríð.
Gender: Feminine
Origin: Faroese
Meaning: “sun wealth.”
(SOLE-ithe)
The name is composed of the Faroese elements, sól (sun) and eyð (riches; wealth).
As of 2010, this was the 8th most popular female name in the Faroe Islands.
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Old Norse
Meaning: “to frighten; sea; ocean.”
(I-geer)