Tag Archives: Autumnal Names

Zīle, Zīlīte

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acorn in close up photography
Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com
  • Origin: Latvian
  • Meaning: “acorn; titmouse; pupil of the eye.”
  • Gender: female
  • Pron: ZEE-leh; zee-LEE-teh

Zīle and Zīlīte are speculated to be ancient Latvian females names that survived Christianization.

Zīle is from the Latvian word for acorn or the name of a type of passerine bird known as the titmouse in English. It is first recorded in Riga as early as 1544 (1).

Zīlīte is also a Latvian word, derived from Zīle, with a diminutive suffix attached, also mean “titmouse” or “pupil.” Its usage is recorded as early as 1499 in Riga (2).

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Swyn

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  • Origin: Welsh
  • Meaning: “magic, spell, enchantment.”
  • Gender: Feminine
  • Pron: (sʊɨn /swiːn)

From the Welsh vocabulary word, swyn (magic, spell, enchantment). In the 20th-century, it has been adopted by Welsh parents as a female given name, usually 5 girls per year have been given this name in Wales. since 2001.

The perfect name for a Halloween baby.

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Erlis, Erlisa

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  • Origin: Albanian
  • Meaning: “scent of the oak.”
  • Pron (AIR-lees; air-LEE-sah)

Erlis is an Albanian male name which is composed of the Albanian words, erë (wind, scent) and lis (oak).

Erlis is also used as a male name in Kyrgyzstan, being a borrowing from the Albanian from Soviet times.

Its feminine form is Erlisa.

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Sariyah – meaning, origin & history of the first name

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  • Origin: Arabic سارية
  • Urdu: سریا
  • Hindi:  सरिया
  • Bengla: সারিয়া
  • Meaning: “clouds at night.”
  • Gender: Female

Sariyah سارية is from an Arabic word that means “clouds at night.”

It is derived from the Arabic root S-R-A, and can be associated with “night rain” or “night travel.”

Saria and Sarya is the Urdu transliteration and is popular in Pakistan and India among Muslims.

Other forms include:

  • Sarija Сария (Abkhazian, Albanian, Azeri, Bashkir, Bosnian, Chechen, Circassian, Dagestani, Kazakh, Ossetian, Tajik)
  • Sәrija Сәрия (Tatar)

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Santos

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Photo by Thgusstavo Santana on Pexels.com
  • Origin: Galician Spanish, Portuguese
  • Meaning: “saints.”
  • Gender: unisex
  • Pronunciation: SAHN-tose (Sp)

The name comes directly from the Iberian word for “saints,” since Medieval times, it was originally bestowed on children born on November 1st, the Feast of All Saints, it’s French equivalent being Toussaint. For females, the name was often used in conjunction with Maria, i.e. Maria de los Santos.

While its singular form of Santo is also used, I felt Santos deserved it’s own entry since it’s usage is specific to a Catholic Holiday.

For males, Santos has been in the U.S. Top 1000 Male Names since 1920, peaking at #539 in 1937, in 2019, he ranked in as the 966th most popular male name in the United States.

In the U.S, its use on females peaked in the 1920s, appearing in the U.S. Top 1000 Female Names between 1920-1929, peaking at #742 in 1924.

The name was borne by Confederate Colonel, Santos Benavides (1823-1891) & Mexican artist, Santos Balmori Picazo (1899-1992).

Santos is also the name of a municipality in São Paulo, Brazil.

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Aranya

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  • Origin: Sanskrit अरण्य
  • Thai: อรัญญา; Bengali: অরণ্য
  • Meaning: “forest.”
  • Gender: unisex

The name comes directly from the Sanskrit word अरण्य (forest), but is also used in some classical Indian literature to describe a wilderness or dessert. It is the name of the 3rd episode in the 16th-century (CE) epic poem, Rāmcaritmānas by Tulsidas.

The name is exclusively feminine in Thailand but is considered unisex in India.

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Kimia, Kimiya

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  • Origin: Persian کیمیا
  • Meaning: “alchemy; rare; unique; elixir.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pronunciation: KEEM-yaw

The name comes directly from the Farsi word کیمیا (kimia), which originally had a connotation of something rare or unique but later came to form the base word and concept of alchemy. It appears in Persian literature, starting in the 10th-century (CE).

Another spelling is Kimya.

Among the Persian diaspora in Western countries, the name is often shortened to Kim.

Alternately, Kimiya can also be a Japanese male name that changes meaning, depending on the kanji used.

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Plamen, Plamena

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Plamen Пламен (Bulgarian & Serbian) is primarily South Slavic in the contemporary world, but comes from a pan-Slavic word meaning, “flame.” The feminine form is Plamena.

It was potentially Płomień in Medieval Polish. Płamen (male) and Płamena (female) are also modern Polish transliterations of the Bulgarian.

In Bulgaria, the designated name-day is November 8th.

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Megha

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  • Origin: Sanskrit मेघ, Hindi मेघपुंज
  • Meaning: “cloud.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • MAY-gah

The name comes directly from the Sanskrit word for “cloud.”

It is also the name of a raga in the Hindustani classical music tradition.

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Miglė

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  • Origin: Lithuanian
  • Meaning: “mist; fog;” also “bluegrass.”
  • Gender: feminine
  • Pronunciation: MIG-lay

The name comes directly from the Lithuanian word migla, meaning “fog; mist.” This is also the word for the plant, “bluegrass.”

It has been in the Top Most Popular Female Names in Lithuania since 1999, and peaked at #10 in 2010. As of 2019, it ranks in as the 21st most popular female name in Lithuania.

A notable bearer is Lithuanian Track Cyclist, Miglė Marozaitė (b. 1996).

The designated nameday in Lithuania is May 11th.

Other forms include: Migla, Miglena, Migleta, Miglija, Miglutė, Migle & Miglita.

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