Tag Archives: Colour Names

Griselda

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The_Story_of_Patient_Griselda_circa_1490Origin: German/Italian/Portuguese/Spanish
Gender: Feminine
Meaning: “grey battle; grey gravel.”
(grih-ZEL-dah)

The name is either derived from the Germanic gris meaning “grey” and hild meaning “battle” or the Germanic gries meaning “gravel, stone.” The name was used in folklore as a sort of euphemism for a patient and obedient woman. In the dark tale written by Italian poet Boccaccio, it is the name of the wife of a nobleman who is told by husband that her children must die. She obeys, but does not realize that she is being tested by her husband, who has taken the children away and hid them in another town, rather than kill them. Griselda’s husband then tells her that he must divorce her and marry another woman, when he introduces her to the “new wife” (a twelve year old little girl who is actually her daughter), Griselda wishes them well and at this her husband reveals that all he had put her through had been a test. The same tale is retold in Chaucer’s The Clerk’s Tale, in which case, Griselda is treated as an allegory for the Biblical Job. Charles Perrault took the same tale and wrote Patient Griselda. There was a play based off of the French version entitled Patient Grissel (1599). There are several Italian opera’s based off the story including La Griselda by Alessandro Scarlatti (1721). The name is used in Italy, Spain and was common in German speaking countries but is now considered dated. Other forms of the name include:

  • Grizelda (Czech/Slovak/Hungarian)
  • Selda (Dutch contraction)
  • Grissel (English)
  • Griselde/Grisold (German)
  • Zelda (German/English contraction)
  • Grizeldisz (Hungarian)
  • Grizel (Scottish)

Satineh

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amberGender: Feminine
Origin: Armenian
Meaning: “amber.”
(sah-TEE-neh).

The name is derived from the Armenian word sat meaning “amber” with the feminine suffix-ineh. Other forms include Satenik and Satik. Diminutive forms are Sato, Satin and Saten.

Taidi

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Estonian
Meaning: “snow white.”
(TYE-dee)

Cutsy and quirky, the name sounds more like a nickname than a full fledged formal name. The name is a legitimate Estonian feminine name, it comes directly from the Estonian word meaning “snow white.” I don’t believe its reference to the fairy tale, its more a descriptive name, describing the fairness of one’s skin. Its designated name day is September 9th.

Ombeline

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: French
Meaning: from the name of a type of gem “dark.”
(OHN-be-leen)

The name is derived from the name of a type of gem stone known as ombria in Latin. The word ombria itself means “dark” and shares an etymological relation with the place name, Umbria. Also known as toadstones, the ancients believed they could be found inside the bodies of toads and they were often used as an antidote against poison. In reality, ombria was formed from fossilized ray-finned type fish. I couldn’t find a picture of the stone. However, this is a sweet, dainty sounding name. It reminds me of Thumbelina, but not as ridiculous, and of Opal, but a bit more elaborate; with a touch of French class. The name is not unheard of in France, though not popular either. Its designated name-day is August 21st, and as of 2006, she stood as the 500th most popular female name in France.

Dzintars, Dzintra

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Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “amber.”
(dZEEN-tahrs); (dZEEN-trah)

Dzintars and Dzintra are both indigenous Latvian names that were revived during the Latvian National Awakening of the 19th century. Dzintars comes directly from the Latvian word for amber and its feminine counterpart is Dzintra along with the more unusual feminine form of Dzintara. The Baltic sea and the surrounding countries are known for their very large natural amber resources. According to the Latvian Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, there were approximately 4,000 men in Latvia who bore the name Dzintars, while about 5,000 women bore the name Dzintra. Meanwhile, only 20 women bore the name Dzintara. Dzintars and Dzintra’s designated name day is September 4th. Dzintars is borne by Latvian football players Dzintars Sprogis (b. 1971) and Dzintars Zirnis (b. 1977) and is borne by Latvian pop singer Dzintars Cica (b. 1993). Due to its deep rich brown, green and yellow colours, amber is often associated with the autumn months.

Rudīte

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Latvian
Meaning: “red.”
(roo-DEE-teh)

Though its the name of a sedimentary rock in the scientific world, usually pronounced (roo-DITE), Rudite is a traditional Latvian given name derived from ruds meaning “red” or “gingery” with the feminine suffix of -ite added on. Its designated name day in Latvia is August 22nd. The name is borne by approximately 1, 610 women in Latvia.

Jasna

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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Serbo-Croat
Meaning:”light; bright; clear.”
(YAHS-nah)

The name comes directly from the Serbo-Croatian word for light, bright or clear. Its designated name day is August 11. In other Slavic speaking countries such as Poland and the Czech Republic, this element appears in several place names, most notably the village of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa Poland. There is a famous monastery and an icon which is also a Polish national symbol attributed to the area. This could be a nice choice for Catholic or Orthodox Christian families who are looking for a way to honour the Virgin Mary but find the other Mary alternatives overused or plain. Likewise, it could also be used as an alternative for Claire or Clara. Another place which bears this appellation is a ski resort in Slovakia. Despite it being a word and place name in other Slavonic countries, it is a legitimate given name in the former Republic of Yugoslavia.