Job & his 3 Daughters by William Blake
The name is mentioned in Job 43:14 as the name of the eldest daughter of Job after his tribulations. It derives from the Hebrew יְמִימָה, (Yemimah), meaning “dove.”
As a given-name, it came into popular use after the Protestant Reformation, especially in England, though it appears in occasional use by the 19th-century in Finland, Scandinavia & Protestant parts of Germany and the Netherlands.
Among Jews, this name was never used, though the Yiddish Taube and Toybe (dove) does exist. It is not certain if the latter is used in reference to Jemimah, Jonah or an earlier Medieval German female name that fell out of use among Christians but remained common among Ashkenazi Jews. It should be noted that in some German translations of the Bible, Jemimah is merely referred to as Täubchen (turtledove; also a term of endearment).
It is the same case in other languages where the passage in which the name appears is translated literally as Columba (Italian), Touterelle (French), Dies (Vulgate Latin translation) & Täuberl (Bavarian).
The name was quite common in England and Colonial America in the 18th-century. It was borne by the daughter of Daniel Boone, who is famous for being captured by Native Americans in 1776. Other early notable bearers include Jemima Yorke, 2nd Marchioness Grey and Countess of Hardwicke (1723-1797); Scottish painter, Jemima Blackburn (1823-1901); and Irish writer, Baroness Jemima von Tautphoeus (1807-1893). It was the birth name of the non-binary Quaker preacher known as the Public Universal Friend (1752-1819) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Universal_Friend (interesting story).
Today, in the United States the name has somewhat loaded racial connotations, due to its associations with ‘Aunt Jemima’ (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Aunt_Jemima)
However, in England, the name has remained a posh favourite. It is currently borne by British actress, Jemima Kirke (b. 1985).
The name is also a common favorite in many African countries.
Currently, Jemima is 297th Most Popular Female Name in England & Wales.
Common English short forms are Mima, Mimi, Jem, Jemmy.
Other forms include:
- Emima Емима (Bulgarian, Russian)
- Jemima (Czech, Dutch, English, German, Scandinavian)
- Jemimah (English)
- Mima (English)
- Jemina (German, Finnish, Polish, Scandinavian, Spanish)
- Jémina (French)
- Gemima (Italian)
- Jémima (Hungarian, Icelandic)
- Jamima (Lithuanian)
- Hemaima (Maori)
- Yemima יְמִימָה (Modern Hebrew)
- Iemima (Romanian)
- Jamina (Scandinavian)
- Jemine (Scandinavian)
- Jemi (Scandinavian)
Sources
Its feminine form of Rufina was borne by a couple of early saints, one of whom was from Seville, she was a pottery maker who refused to sell her wares for a pagan festival.
