The name is from the South African languages, Tswana & Sotho, meaning, “lion.” It was a popular name among the chiefs of the Rolong tribe in what is now Botswana.
It should also be noted that Tau is the 19th letter in the Greek alphabet.
Completely unrelated, but perhaps should be considered is that this is the name of an evil spirit in Guarani mythology
Sources
Gender: Masculine
Origin: French
Meaning: “wood; wide.”
Eng (GIE); Fre (GEE)
The name is derived from the early Germanic name Wido which is possibly derived from the Germanic element, widu, either meaning, “wood” or “wide.”
The name was introduced into England after the Norman Conquest, but after the infamy of 16th-century Guy Fawkes the name went out fashion. It was, however, always a very common name among French-Americans, especially among the French Acadians of Louisiana.
The Italian form is Guido, which has been a fairly common name among Italian-Americans but is now associated with a controversial term describing a middle class Italian-American from the East Coast of the United States. This was especially brought to attention after the 2009 reality tv show, Jersey Shore. However, it is uncertain if the term used to describe a particular class of people within the Italian community is related to the given name or to a different etymological source.
The name was borne by a Sicilian saint and martyr.
The designated name-day in France is June 12.
Other forms of the name include:
French masculine diminutives include: Guitou, Guiton, GuiGui & Guy-Guy
Feminine offshoots include:
Sources
Sort of an offshoot of the Viking Baby Names, I have decided to further explore another group of Scandinavian names: Swedish Names.
Sweden is a country that lies on the Baltic and is the third physically largest country in the EU, although only boasting a population of 9.5 million people.
In the 17th-century, Sweden was one of the most powerful empires in the Western world, encompassing nations such as Finland, Estonia and Latvia, thus influencing the culture of the surrounding regions and also borrowing from the surrounding cultures.
During the 18th-19th centuries, approximately 1.3 million Swedes immigrated to the United States, with this incredibly large influx of Swedish immigrants came certain contributions to American culture that are often taken for granted, influences such as the red barn which speckles the country side of the Midwest, the distinct accents of Minnesota and North Dakota, Swedish meatballs and….. baby names.
It was during the first peak of Swedish immigration that we see such names as Erik, Greta and Kristin appear in the U.S. top 1000. In fact, in areas of the United States where there are still substantial Scandinavian-American communities, it is still not unusual to see hard-core Norse names bestowed upon children.
Look at the top 100 most popular given names in Minnesota for example. Classic Swedish monikers such as Ella, Emma, Anna, Annika, Ellie, Eva, Josephine, Greta and Christian abound.
In fact, if one compares the top 100 names of the top 4 states with the highest percentage of Swedish Americans, one will notice a definite trend of Scandinavian names in these particular areas.
Minnesota
California
Illinois
Washington
Michigan
Though many online resources and name books will pretty much clump all Scandinavian names into one group, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic and even Frisian names are all rather slightly different. For instance, it is more likely that a Laerke is Danish, a Moa Swedish, Svanhildur Icelandic and Ingeborg Norwegian. All Northern Germanic languages are closely tied, but their naming trends are slightly different.
However, there are quite a few names that are interchangeably used among the Scandinavians, these include: Linnea (though originally Swedish it is now a popular female name in Norway), Ingrid, Hans and Erik, just to name a few.
Names that are specifically Swedish and rarely found in other Scandinavian countries are: Hampus, Ingela, Madicken, Tindra and Vendela.
Like Anglophone parents, many Swedes are turning to word names to bestow upon their children. Tindra and Linnea both appear in the Swedish top 100, and as of 2009, approximately 71 girls were given the name Månstråle (moonbeam). Björn (bear) has been used on males for centuries, while Varg (wolf) may be a bit newer.
Similar to American and British trends, many old Swedish classics appear in their top 10, names like Ella, Emma, Elsa, Alva, Wilma and Ebba.
The current trend in female names is overwhelmingly in favor of two-syllable antique Nordic names. The types of names that perhaps a Swedish-American parent from Minnesota might see in their family tree, Mormor Elsa and Morfar Oscar.
Not only are two-syllable antiques popular, but there seems to be a gravitational pull toward female names that end in the suffix of –ma and male names that end in the suffix of-mer or –win. Names like Alma, Irma, Wilma and Elmer, Vilmer, Melvin, Alvin etc.
Top 10 Female Names in Sweden (2009)
Alice
Maja
Ella
Emma
Elsa
Alva
Julia
Linnea
Wilma
Ebba
Top 10 Male Names in Sweden, (2009)
Lucas
Elias
Oscar
William
Hugo
Alexander
Oliver
Viktor
Erik
Axel
Cool Swedish Alternatives for Common English Names
Instead of Alexander==============Axel
Instead of Ava==============Alva
Instead of Brittany===========Britt/Britta
Instead of Brody==================Brodde
Instead of Carson============Karsten
Instead of Christopher/Christian========Christer/Krister
Instead of Ella==============Elsa
Instead of Emma============Ebba
Instead of Evan=============Evert
Instead of Grace============Greta
Instead of Hannah===========Hedda/Johanna
Instead of Henry=================Henrik
Instead of Jordan=================Joar
Instead of Lily=============Lillemor
Instead of Logan===============Loke
Instead of Matthew===========Mattias
Instead of Matilda==========Hilda
Instead of Nevaeh==========Nea
Instead of Sidney==========Signe
Like many Anglophone parents, Swedes have turned to words from their own vocabulary to bestow upon their children, either floral, names of months or pretty words, the list below might make an interesting reference point for someone looking for a nature-y name without being too obvious, or perhaps you are just one with Swedish heritage looking to bestow a cool Swedish name on your child.
Swedish Nature/Word Names
Female
Male
Smushes & Doubles
Swedes have often used double names or smush names throughout the centuries. Below is a list of common Swedish smush and compound names that would be easy to carry in an English-speaking society. Note, some of these, such as Solbritt and Majbritt are considered rather dated in their home country, but it does not mean it won’t sound cool and fresh in the Suburbs of Minneapolis or St. Paul!
Female
Male
Perhaps you are a the ancestor of one of the many Swedes who immigrated throughout the world in the late 19th early 20th centuries, rather you live in Queensland, Minnesota or Ontario, these Swedish names would be perfectly compatible in any English-speaking areas
Names Compatible in English
Female
Male
Swedish Equivalents to common English Names
And finally, if you are one of those that does not give a hoot to popularity and originalit but are looking for a Swedish name that is easily compatible in English, then here is a list for you:
Common Swedish/English Names
Male
Sources
And finally, to get a feel as to what Swedes are naming their babies these days, here is a little sample of Swedish birth announcements from all over the country.
What I found particularly fascinating is that names that Americans would never dream of naming their children, such as Agnes, Hedvig, Helga, Hilda, Elmar & Vilmer are extremely trendy. In the United States, these names have the reputation of being too old and stodgy to use on a child. Personally, I have always thought of names like Emma, Abigail and Matilda to be on par with the above.
Another interesting trend, albeit not that common, but worth mentioning is the usage of place names such as Havannah (a popular vacation destination for many Scandinavians, perhaps its beaches are the inspiration), Savannah, Sienna and Texas! I have not even seen Texas used in the States.
Smush names ending in -lie like Novalie, Tuvalie have become exceedingly trendier.
British names also seem to be leaving an impact, names like William, Liam, Colin and James.
And of course the revival of Old Norse mythological names that have not really seen wide usage since the Middle Ages (Freja & Loke)
Note that middle names are quite optional in Sweden, it is most likely that the majority of Swedish children are not given middle names, but when they are, the parents usually go all out.
Enjoy!
Siblings are in parenthesis
Flickor (girls)
Agnes
Agnes Sigrid Lovisa
Aila Isobel
Aimee (Anton & Petter)
Alba
Alma
Almy
Althea
Angelina Alma (Davilito)
Anna Linnea (Iris)
Astrid
Belle
Bianca (Ambra)
Bianca (Wilhelm)
Blomma
Bonnie
Celine (Elias)
Cornelia (Hugo & Oliver)
Ebba
Eden (Ida & Julia)
Edie (Elvis)
Edith (Elina)
Elina (Jesper)
Eline
Ellie (Robin, Matilda, Hampus, Heidi & Lova)
Elsa
Elvira
Emma-Ida
Emma-Lisa (Wilma)
Emmie (Erika & Elise)
Enya (Isabell & Nathalia)
Esmeralda
Estelle (Elvira & Emmie)
Esther
Evelina (Joel)
Fanny (Fabian & Felix)
Felicia (Alexander)
Filippa (Petronella)
Freja
Frida
Gabriella (Samuel)
Hanna-Freja (Esbjörn)
Harriet (Lydia)
Havannah
Hedda (Erik & Emil)
Hedvig
Helena
Helga (Beata)
Hilda (Linnea)
Hilla (Karl)
Hilma
Holly (Lucas)
Ida (Maja)
Idde (Meja)
Ika
Indra
Ines (Signe)
Ingrid (Märtha)
Iris
Irma (Kerstin & Ture)
Isa (Altea)
Isabella
Jill (Tindra & Kevin)
Jolene
Joline
Josefine (Jacob)
Juni
Karin (Viktor)
Karolina (Leonard, Ludvig & Esmeralda)
Keila
Klara
Lee
Lilith
Lilly (Filippa & Noah)
Lina (Olov)
Linn (Liam)
Liv Alde (Evert)
Liv Bridget (Erik, Arthur & Ossian)
Liv Edit Maria
Livia
Lo (Arvid)
Louize (Morgan, Gizela, Caspar & Izabel)
Lova (Lilly)
Lovisa Marianne Margareta
Lovis
Luna
Madicken (Oscar)
Malí (Liam)
Malva Emalia
Maria (William & Elias)
Matilda
Maud Evelina (Liv)
Medelen (Dennis & Lina)
Meja (Alexander)
Mikaela (Simone)
Milla Elisabeth
Millea (Julius)
Minna
Minó
Miranda (Hampus & Embla)
Mirjam (Amanda)
Moa
My
Nellie (Maja)
Nora (Nils)
Norah Anna Sofia (Theo)
Nova
Novalie
Ottilia (Ossian)
Polly
Rut (Tyra)
Saga Ada
Saga Gullveig Moa
Sally (Molly)
Sanna (Emmy)
Selma
Signe (Agnes)
Sigrid Martha (Linnea, Joseph, David, Magnus & Tobias)
Sigrid Matilda
Siri
Smilla (Embla, Idun, Loke & Eira)
Stella (Saga)
Svea Hilda Maria (Frans Oskar & Alva Linnea)
Tilde Cornelia
Timja
Tindra (Wilma)
Tuva (Isak & Albin)
Tuvali (Joel)
Vera (Julius & Jennifer)
Vilda (Tuva)
Vilma (Anton)
Viola (Alice)
Wilja (Tilly & Lucas)
Willa
Wilma
Pojkar (boys)
Albin
Alfred
Algot (Caisa, Alwin & Alma)
Almer
Alve (Pax)
Armand (Ingrid)
Aron (Bastian)
Arvid
Axel (Arvid)
Backa Sven Anton (Joel)
Birk (Embla)
Björn
Bosse
Brodde
Cain (Liam, Liza, Noel & Colin)
Carl (Klara, Julia & Patrik)
Carl Martti “Calle”
Casper (Alvin)
Colin
Conrad
Devin
Dexter
Ebbe (Majken)
Elliot Bo August
Elis (Tuva)
Elmer (Algot)
Elton (Johanna)
Emmet (Malte)
Eston
Evert (Josefin & Carolin)
Fabian
Folke
Frans
Freddy-Lo (Melker-Maximus)
Gunnar
Gustav (Elvira & Siri)
Gusten (Vilgot & Vera)
Hampus (Ida)
Hannes (Ellen & Joel)
Harry (Kajsa & Klara)
Heike
Helmer (Maja)
Henning
Herman
Hjalmar
Ivar (Arvid)
James (Elin & Leo)
Jens (Jonathan)
Knut
Kristoffer (Kimberly & Katelinn)
Linus
Loke (Lova)
Ludvig (Emelie)
Malte
Manfred (Micke, Issa & Danne)
Marius (Petrus & Julie)
Marwin (Ronja, Isabella, Felicia, Julia & Yana)
Mattis
Melwin
Milton (Melvin)
Mio
Nataniel
Neo
Nikodemus
Nilas (Adrian)
Nils
Nino Angelo
Noel
Oliver (Thea-Lies)
Ossian
Otto
Petter (Olivia)
Pontus
Rio
Sigge (Julia, Gustav & Vilmer)
Sixten
Texas
Theo
Theodor (Stephanie, Emilia & Adrian)
Tigris (Naemi)
Timo (Irja)
Torbjörn “Tobban” (Anton, Arvid, Alma & Ingemar)
Tore (Signe, Alvar, Astrid & Einar)
Ture (Sixten)
Truls
Valter (Alf)
Vide
Viggo
Vilgot
Vilmer (Klara)
Wille (Maja)
Wilton (Eliza)
Zackarias
Zack (Zebban & Zoë)
Zeldon
There is a fairly large Swedish minority in Finland. Swedo-Finns speak Swedish as their first language, below is a list of birth announcements as found in the Swedish Newspapers in Finland.
Flickor
Pojkar
Twins
This week’s entry, we shall explore the names of the vikings!
The language of the Vikings was Old Norse, a Northern Germanic language which boasted its own alphabet: runes!
The most closely related modern languages are Icelandic and Faroese, followed by Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Frisian and even English.
There really was not much to Old Norse naming conventions, names were either composed of compounds referencing warfare or the gods, or were names taken directly from religion and nature. The Norse did have an interesting surname system, where every child was known by their father’s (and sometimes even their mother’s) first name followed by the suffix of -son or -dóttir (depending on their gender of course). Hence Eiríkr son of Ðorir might be known as Eiríkr Ðorirsson.
When you think of the Vikings, you will probably evoque names like Brynhilda, Hagar, Helga and Bertha. These names might be completely unrevivable, lacking any redeeming qualities whatsoever. However, many Anglophone take for granted how much of an impact Old Norse has had on our language and yes even baby names. In fact, in the U.S. top 1000, Viking names abound! Examples include:
Females:
This is even more evident in the British top 100:
Female
Of course, in the Scandinavian countries, the influence 0f their earliest ancestors is especially striking. Their top names for example:
Denmark
Female
Male
Faroe Islands
Female
Iceland
Female
Males
Norway
Female
Males
Sweden
Females
Male
The Norse often used names from religion, e.g. (children could be named for gods), from relatives (a son may be named for a father or grandfather) or sometimes even attributes characteristic of an animal (Hrafn-Raven).
Below is a list of Viking names compatible in modern society, note, many of these names are still in usage in Iceland and even in some Scandinavian countries.
Cool Norse Alternatives to Popular Names
Instead of Addison==============Adis
Instead of Bailey===============Beyla
Instead of Brynn/Brianna============Brynja
Instead of Delaney================Daney
Instead of Elizabeth==============Ellisif
Instead of Emma================Edda
Instead of Freya================Frigga
Instead of Harper===============Harpa
Instead of Hayden===============Hedin
Instead of Hayley===============Halla
Instead of Katherine/Kate/Caitlin====================Katla
Instead of Matilda===========================Hilda
Instead of Owen=======================Odin
Instead of Regan===================Ragna
Instead of Sydney=================Signy
Female Names Compatible with English
Cool Old Norse Nature Names
Male
Female
Male Names Compatible with English
Cool Mythological Names Compatible for Modern Society
Female
Sources
Gender: Masculine
Origin: Bulgarian/Serbian
Meaning: “to stand; to stay.”
Стоян
The name is derived from the Slavic element, стоя (stoya) meaning, “to stand; to stay.”
Other forms of the name include:
Feminine forms are the Bulgarian Stoyanka Стоянка and the Macedonian/Serbian/Slovene Stojana.
The designated name-day in Bulgaria is May 21.
Sources
This weeks International Name Over View will focus on Basque Names.
The Basque are an ethnic group that inhabit the Pyrenees of Northwestern Spain and the bordering region of Southern France. Their language has yet to be categorized, often a topic of hot debate among Linguists. While some theorists have connected Basque from Georgian to Etruscan, the most widely accepted consensus is that Basque is closely related to the now extinct Aquitanian (spoken in France). It is in fact an indigenous European language. That is, it is not related to any of the Indo-European languages. It is considered an Isolate Language and it was most likely spoken in Europe long before the mass migration of the Indos.
Though either French or Spanish citizens, the Basque are fiercely proud of their language and culture. In the last century, there has been a strong push for autonomy. The Basque have fought hard to keep their language alive, most recently fighting oppression during the Franco regime, and are currently experiencing a revival. The Basque language is spoken by approximately 665,800 people. Not a lot, but believe it or not, the Basque and their language have actually left an impact in Spanish and even English.
Some of the more common Spanish surnames seen among Spanish-speakers are actually of Basque and not of Spanish origin. For example: Aldana, Loyola and Zuñiga.
Since the Basque were valuable in shepherding, fishing and mercantilism, a vast population of them immigrated to the Americas, leaving their imprint on modern Hispanic culture.
The country of Chile boasts Basque as their largest European ethnic group. The largest Basque-American population resides in Boise, Idaho. A fair amount of the Mexican population can claim Basque heritage to some extent.
As a result, several place names throughout the Americas are Basque, like Durango (Mexico), Nuevo Santander, (Mexico), Jalapa (Guatemala) and it is even argued that Arizona is derived from the Basque elements, aritz ona meaning “good oak.”
Our very own Xavier, which appears in the U.S. top 100 most popular male names was inspired by a Basque surname. Its usage as a given name was popularized by the notoriety of the Basque saint, Francis Xavier. Another notable Basque Saint is Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus.
One of the ways that the Basque people have expressed their culture is through their first names. The Basque have a unique array of names, one feature that seems unique among them is their usage of place names. Unlike Anglo-phone parents who tend to use place names because of “cuteness” or sonority, the Basque use place names due to religious significance. Basque culture has a strong emphasis on Catholicism, so any place or thing associated with the Virgin Mary is often used as a given name.
For a good idea of what the Basque in Spain are currently naming their children, check out the Top 10 listed below:
Top 10 Male Names in Basque Country, Spain 2008
Mikel
Pablo
Iker
Aimar
Asier
Unai
Iñigo
Javier
Aitor
Adrián
Top 10 Female Names in the Basque Country, Spain 2008
Lucía
Paula
Irati
Nahia
Uxue
Leyre
Sara
María
Ane
Ainhoa/Aitana
Mikel, Pablo, Adrián, Iñaki, Sara, María, Ane, Lucía and Paula are all derived from Biblical or saints names.
Aitor (good fathers) is a name taken from Basque folklore, he is believed to have been the first man and the progenitor of the Basque people.
Iker is the vernacular form of Visitación, an unusual Spanish name used in reference to the Virgin Mary (Our Lady of the Visitation). This is the same case with the female Irati, which is a place-name associated with a shrine to the Virgin Mary, which literally means “fern field”; and Uxue taken from the name of a Catholic shrine, but is also associated with the Basque word for dove. Ainhoa is a religious place-name name and even appears in the Spanish Top 100, coming in as the 31st most popular female name in all of Spain. Aitana is a Spanish place-name of unknown meaning. Leyre is the Spanish form of Leire, the name of a place in the Basque country associated with a Catholic monastery.
Nahia is from a Basque word meaning, “wish; desire.”
Unai is an indigenous Basque name with no Spanish or English equivalent, meaning “cowherd.”
Asier is from the Basque hasiera meaning “beginning.”
I have yet to find any information on Aimar, but subsequent searches led me to several notable Basque bearers, so I am assuming that he is Basque too. If anyone has anymore info on him, please step forward 🙂
You might be one of the many Latinas or Americans who claim Basque heritage, or perhaps you are just looking for a cool and different name that is actually legitimate. Below are a list of names I have compiled for the Anglo-phone parent. Basque names that would be easy for an English-speaking child to wear. Enjoy 🙂
Easy to say Basque alternatives to common English names
Instead of Caitlin try Catalin
Instead of Emma try out Ama
Instead of Madison or Madelyn, you might like Maialen or Malen
Like Olivia, try Olaria
Loving Ella, then you might like Elaia (swallow)
Considering Hannah well you just might like Oihana (forest)
Like Nevaeh check out Nerea
Here is a selection of Basque names compatible with English:
Female
Male
Basque Equivalents to Common English Given Names
Female
Male
What are your favorite Basque names? Would you use any of the above?
Sources