Guess The Name

I've been watching this older British mystery series where the main detective Inspector Morse won't ever say his first name because he doesn't like it. Well it came down to the last few episodes and he finally gives a clue to what his first name is. I thought it was so neat I wanted to share it with you and see if any of my readers could figure out what his first name is.

His Clue: 

Inspector Morse loves crossword puzzles so he gave the clue to his name in the form of a crossword puzzle clue: "My whole life's effort has revolved around -eve-. 9 letters."

Name Associations: 

His mother was from a Quaker background and his father loved reading about the explorer Captain James Cook. 

This might be tricky but all the information is there if you care to try and figure it out. If there's interest shown then I'll post the answer!

Your Resident Name Enthusiast,

Miss Laurie :)


Edited August 12, 2011: Since no one hazarded a guess I decided to post the answer here. His first name was Endeavour which is a Virtue name that Quakers sometimes used and Captain James Cook's ship was called The Endeavour. Spelled the British way with the extra "u" in it makes 9 letters. I thought the clues were rather clever when you remember that the word effort is often used synonymously with the word endeavor. 

Exotic Pronunciations

Recently I've encountered some interesting names while watching a few interior design and cooking shows.  Most of these are girls names and a lot of these just have interesting pronunciations. Enjoy!

Girls:

• Aarti - a Hindi name pronounced ARH-tee (a bit like Artie, to rhyme with party). I probably wouldn't have liked it but the name was on a lovely young chef who infuses her Indian upbringing and warm caring nature into every dish! And her accent has a slight British clearness to it which makes her name almost sound like she's saying the letters R T together.
• Adela - on an older BBC TV show I watched a while ago there was a lady with this name but they pronounced it uh-DAY-luh. I was very surprised but like the name a bit more now because this pronunciation reminds me of Helena (heh-LAY-nuh) and Elena (eh-LAY-nuh) which I love!
• Alicia - alot of people where I'm from pronounce this name uh-LEESH-uh (or uh-LEESH-er depending on their costal Maine accent) even if they spell it with a variant like Alisha or Alecia. Recently on a TV show there was a model turned chef who's name was pronounced uh-LISH-uh. I still think I like the British uh-LEESH-ee-uh best of all these pronunciations. How do you pronounce Alicia?
• Aria - this name has always had such music to my ear (hee hee :D) but when I recently heard it used on a beautiful young chef it added a bit of sparkle to the name as well.
• Celie - I encountered this name while playing name games at Behind the Name and kind of fell in like with it! I've always like Celia, Cecilia and Cecily so to find Celie and it's cute pronunciation of SEE-lee I just loved it!
• Dzintra - this was the name of another chef (and in fact her last name was Dzenis - zehn-is!) and being the name enthusiast that I am my interest at how this name is pronounce was piqued! Dzintra is pronounced ZIHN-truh. It sounds so exotic, but all the information I got pointed to it being a Polish name.
• Ellis - as the name of a young teenager. I love it for a boy but had never heard it used for a girl!
• Orchid - the name of a Philippine chef, she was petite and sweet and I thought her name was gorgeous on her! I don't think it would work as well on an American girl.
• Peach - the name of a 50-year-old fashion designer who looked very distinguished. I thought the name was a bit funny of her at first but it turns out she's just a southern Georgia Peach!  
• Serena - I really like this name and knew that it was popular in Italy and some Spanish speaking countries as well. The young lady this name was on was a petite, spunky, beautiful Italian chef who talked too fast when she got excited. Her name was pronounced seh-RAY-nuh with the rolled Rrrr sound. So beautiful! She was anything but serene though! :)
• Tamsin - Although I don't like a lot of T names for girls, I've been liking this name a lot more lately, I just think it's so cute and sweet! Actress Tamzin Merchant is definitely all of those things. And I've also heard the name Thomasine (or Thomasyn) pronounced like Tamsin.

Boys:

• Juba - one African-American chef with a boyish look. His name is pronounced ju-BAH which reminds me of the Biblical names Judah and Jubal which I love!

What do you think of these names and especially their pronunciations?

Have you seen or heard these names used before reading my post?
What interesting names have you encountered lately?

Two Sibsets of Interest

I just loved this photo of a sweet girl with darling curly pigtails! 

Now just a few sibsets that I hear while watching the old British TV show "Nanny". Time period is the 1930's.

Frederick & Dorinda "Dolly" Sackville have:

• Artemis
• Dorothy "Dottie" (mother says "It's an ugly name but daddy chose it so we just have to live with it, don't we Dottie?")
• Emerald (sometimes "Em")
• Sophia "Nancy" (pronounced so-FYE-uh, always called "Nancy" except when her father is in the room)
• Caroline "Caro" (always called Caro except by her grandmother)
• Peregrine George Alexander Gordon (only boy and since he's a baby they just call him "Boy")

Robert & Olivia Lamerton have:

• James "Jaime" (always called Jaime)
• Lalage "Lally" (pronounced LA-luh-gee, her brother calls her "Lally" LAL-ee)

I'm absolutely delighted to find this charming old-fashioned families and their wonderful names!

With the first sibset the mother introduces her children to the Nanny with explanations on which names she chose and which names her husband chose. I now love the name Artemis! I'd never heard it before and actually I would never have guessed it was a girl's name. It is rather lovely! And I do love "Caro" as a nickname for Caroline and the way they pronounce Sophia has always interested me (Maria is often pronounced mah-RYE-uh as well). The boy's long extravagant name is also interesting!

I've always like Jaime on a boy and as a nickname for James or Jamison is best. I've never heard Lalage pronounced that way before and I thought it was very interesting! Also I like the nickname "Lally", it's similar to "Lollie" which is what my dad calls me sometimes for fun.

What do you think of the names individually?
What do you think of the names when used for siblings?
Would you pronounce these names differently than they did in this particular program?

Your resident name enthusiast,
Miss Laurie :)  

Zebidah or Beulah?

So you all know I'm a name enthusiast, but even so I don't often name objects (I know my dear laptop should have a name but usually it just goes by "Satellite" which is the type of Toshiba it is). But my parents have always named their vehicles - currently they have a gemstone theme based on the paint color "Emerald" and "Beryl".

My car is similar to this one

So when I was very blessed by a lady in my church giving me her old white Suburu I knew that I had to choose a special name! I wanted a name that means "blessing" or "gift" and because I know her through church I decided that a Biblical name would be best. I had so much fun researching Biblical names and found a few interesting names that I wanted to share!

The first Biblical name that came to my attention was Beulah, and it immediately seemed to suit my new car because she is older but has a distinguished air about her. But although Beulah means "blessed, favored" and has a lovely Biblical uses, it wasn't quite what I was looking for. 

In my searching I stumbled upon the site Biblical-Baby-Names.com, a wonderful resource that has detailed info on so many great names used in the Old and New Testament in their Database. I highly recommend you check out their page!

It was through their webpage that I found the Old Testament female name Zebidah. It not only has the lovely meaning "gift" but was also the name of the wife of good King Josiah. I had fun looking up the verses and finding the various forms which are: Zebudah (used in King James Version), Zebida, Zabia.

Zebidah is the feminine form of the masculine Hebrew name Zabad (other forms: Zabbud, Zabud) which also means "gift".  

"Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left." - 2 Kings 22: 1-2 KJV

"And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah." - 2 Chronicles 25: 34, 36 KJV

Again, similar to my car

So I really like the idea of naming my car Zebidah (maybe with nickname Zeb or Zebbie) but I also love Beulah and think it sort of fits a bit better. Of course the more I talk about Zebidah more I like it! 

What do you think? Which one should I choose?

Don't forget to check out Biblical-Baby-Names.com! 


Your Resident Name Enthusiast,
Miss Laurie :)

Edmund

After dear Mel asked below my opinion of the name Edmund my thoughts overtook me and I decided that I needed a separate post all about the name Edmund! So this is for you Mel, enjoy! 

 

EDMUND Gender: MasculineUsage: English, German, PolishPronounced: ED-mənd (English), ED-muwnt (German, Polish)  [key]Means "rich protector" from Old English ead "rich, blessed" and mund "protector". This was the name of two Anglo-Saxon kings of England. It was also borne by twosaints, including a 9th-century king of East Anglia who, according to tradition, was shot to death with arrows after refusing to divide his Christian kingdom with an invading pagan Danish leader. This Old English name remained in use after theNorman conquest (even being used by king Henry III for one of his sons), though it became less common after the 15th century. Famous bearers of the name include the English poet Edmund Spenser (1552-1599), the German-Czech philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) and New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the first person to climb Mount Everest. -Behind the Name database entry.

First, you need to know that I absolutely love the name Edmund and it is currently at the top of my favorite boys names list! I've always like the name but recently it has soared to the top for several reasons. 

Here are a few:

Reason One: Jane Austen's Edmund Bertram

Although he's not my favorite of Jane Austen's heroes, he is a truly kind good-hearted gentleman and very worthy of dear Fanny Price. There is a lovely passage from Mansfield Park in which Fanny Price and Mary Crawford give their opinion of Edmund's name. 

'Fanny was silent, and Miss Crawford relapsed into thoughtfulness, till suddenly looking up at the end of a few minutes, she exclaimed, “Ah! here he is.” It was not Mr. Rushworth, however, but Edmund, who then appeared walking towards them with Mrs. Grant. “My sister and Mr. Bertram. I am so glad your eldest cousin is gone, that he may be Mr. Bertram again. There is something in the sound of Mr. Edmund Bertram so formal, so pitiful, so younger–brother–like, that I detest it.”

“How differently we feel!” cried Fanny. “To me, the sound of Mr. Bertram is so cold and nothing–meaning, so entirely without warmth or character! It just stands for a gentleman, and that’s all. But there is nobleness in the name of Edmund. It is a name of heroism and renown; of kings, princes, and knights; and seems to breathe the spirit of chivalry and warm affections.”

“I grant you the name is good in itself, and Lord Edmund or Sir Edmund sound delightfully; but sink it under the chill, the annihilation of a Mr., and Mr. Edmund is no more than Mr. John or Mr. Thomas. Well, shall we join and disappoint them of half their lecture upon sitting down out of doors at this time of year, by being up before they can begin?”'  - Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Chapter 22

I definitely take Fanny's point of view! That's why I put my favorite lines in bold. Jane Austen chose well, the name's meaning fits the character, Edmund Bertram is Fanny's "blessed protector"!

Reason Two: C.S. Lewis' Edmund Pevensie

Edmund Pevensie has always been one of my favorite Narnia characters. He does (like Eustace Scrubb, who is my favorite) start out as a fairly nasty character but he undergoes a transformation that is a picture of salvation. Edmund after his encounter with Aslan is an amazing character who bravely tries to make amends for all the wrong he's done earlier. 

Reason Three: Actor Edmund Gwenn (1877-1959)

If you've ever seen the black & white film Miracle On 34th Street then you'll recognize that he played Kris Kringle, the man who was Santa Claus. He was born Edmund Kellaway in London, England. Mr. Gwenn added charm and class to every film he acted in whether playing a lovable character or a villain. One of my favorites is his role as Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (1940), he brought such humor and thoughtfulness to the role!

Reason Four: This Photo

I can't even remember which blog I found this photo on but the thing that struck me is that this adorable little boy's name is Edmund! I'd never seen or met anyone named Edmund before so the little boy in this photo just brought fresh life to the name and helped me to see that the name Edmund could be so fresh and charming on a little boy. It is an old-fashioned name, fit for a king, but by no means old-man sounding. 

If you felt Edmund needed a nickname I would suggest "Ned" as apposed to the more natural "Ed", "Eddy" or "Eddie" which I think are boring and overused. 

Names that are related to EDMUND:

EADMUND   m   Anglo-Saxon

EAMON   m   Irish

ÉAMONN   m   Irish

ED   m   English, Dutch

EDDIE   m & f   English

EDDY   m   English

EDMAO   m   Limburgish

EDMÉ   m   French (Archaic)

EDMÉE   f   French (Rare)

EDMOND   m   French

EDMONDA   f   Italian

EDMONDO   m   Italian

EDMUND   m   English, German, Polish

EDMUNDO   m   Spanish, Portuguese

MAO (2)   m   Limburgish

MONET   f & m   Various

NED   m   English

ÖDI   m   Hungarian

ÖDÖN   m   Hungarian

I love the name Eamon / Eamonn and also think Edmee would be a nice name to use for a girl, especially if you wanted to honor a father or grandfather named Edmund. 

My favorite combo now is Edmund Laurence which I just think is so strong handsome! Laurence honors my paternal grandfather who I was named after and I've really felt the need to use it and the feeling that the name is "mine" lately. 

Edmund is such a handsome name!

Your Resident Name Enthusiast,

Miss Laurie :)

I've Been Thinking About These Recently

There's been several names on my mind lately. I've encountered these name several times recently while playing name games and watching British mystery TV shows (Inspector Lynley, Inspector Lewis, Inspector Morse, Miss Marple, listening to Agatha Christie audiobooks).

I'm noticing a theme in my liking names that are very old-fashioned in sound. I'd be interested in your opinions on these names.

Girls

• Barbara - I've never really liked this name, it sounds so old to me and usually gets shortened to "Barb" or "Barbie", but hearing it used on a British TV policewoman gave it a bit of new life to me. I definitely have a softer spot for Barbara now.
• Camilla - I've always though this name sounded so stuck-up like Prince Charles' wife Camilla. But lately my opinion has changed a bit and thinking that if it was used on a little girl it could be beautiful and very sweet.
• Clarissa - Again this has always sounded terribly old and stuck-up to me but I've been liking it more and more, especially with the nickname "Clare / Claire" or "Clarey". But I don't think I'll ever like it as much as I love Clara! 
• Elettra - Isn't this Italian name beautiful! I'm not quite sure why but this just sound so feminine and beautiful to me!
• Evadne - Pronounced "ee-VAD-nee", I think I like it because it reminds me of Evelyn and Evangeline.  
• Helena - I've always liked this name and I prefer it pronounced heh-LAY-nuh but the helen-uh pronunciation is also lovely. I just think it's so feminine and beautiful and regal sounding!
• Hester - I've always rather liked this name especially because it's like Esther only different and much less used. It also has an old-fashioned Puritan or Quaker feel to me. The name is used for a character in an Agatha Christie audiobook I listened to recently and I just liked the name and the way her sweetheart called her "Hes". 
• Jeanette - This is actually a family name, my mom had two aunts named Genevieve and Jeanette. I liked the name before but once I found it was in the family I felt free to even consider using the name. I also like the Jeannette spelling, the double letters are interesting.
• Laura - Although I like Laura Ingalls Wilder (and a few other Lauras I've known) I've never really considered using this name because it's so close to my own name. But I've been liking it a lot more lately and seeing it now so much as a trendy 1980's favorite as an older name that should be brought back. 
• Ligeia - I heard this name used in a British mystery recently and rather liked the sound of lye-GEE-uh. What do you think? It sort of reminds me of Nigella in sound. 
• Morag - I've always loved this name because it's Irish and means 'princess' but I've never known how to pronounce it properly. The other day I heard it used in a British TV mystery and they pronounced it MOHR-ag and I just loved the sound so much! This pronounciation makes more sense than MOH-rag because Morag is a form of the Irish name Mor. Isn't it lovely!
• Nicola - Another name I heard used on a British TV mystery and loved the sound. I'd be worried it would be shortened to "Nicky" or "Nicki" but I might consider using it if I wanted to honor someone named Nicholas or Nicole.
• Persephone - I've always rather liked this but it's been used on the name site I visit more often recently and I've been really liking it! I also love the nickname "Persey" for a girl!
• Una - This is Irish and I've always rather liked it but now I'm just loving it! I like this spelling as opposed to the Gaelic Oona or Oonagh spellings. 
• Undine - I'm not huge on U names but this is rather interesting and old sounding.

Boys:

• Bartholomew - I've only like this name in the last two years or so and I keep being reminded how much I do like it. I prefer it as a middle name but if I was to use it as a first name I'd use the nickname "Ollie" and never "Bart". 
• Chester - This name has always sounded so like an old man to me but once I heard the nickname "Chet" it really makes the name more interesting and rather nice. 
• Clarence - This is another name that was rather old man sounding to me but I still think it's strong and handsome and I like the nickname "Clare". 
• Cornelius - Another older name but I really like it anyway because of the Ancient Roman sound and "-ius" ending. I really don't like the nickname "Corney" so probably wouldn't actually use this name.
• Dennis & Dexter - Again, these are both extremely old sounding names which I've never liked before. But lately I've been a bit softer toward them, especially Dennis. I still wouldn't use then except maybe as middle name to honor someone very special. But they are interesting.
• Feardorcha - I've seen this in various Irish name books but never knew how to pronounce it until I heard it used in a British mystery TV show. I just loved the sound and when I looked it up and saw it spelled it dawned on me "that's that name that I never know how to pronounce!" It's so funny when this type of thing happens. I think it's rather a handsome name!
• Gerald & Gerard - I've always rather liked both of these name, they are so handsome sounding. I don't like Jerry (usually a nickname for Jerome which I also dislike) but I do like Gerry as a nickname for both of these names, maybe because of Scottish actor Gerard Butler who likes to be called Gerry because most people mispronounce Gerard. This probably sounds strange but that's the way it is. What do you think? 
• Gethin - I can't remember if I've posted about this before so bear with me. I was watching an interview with Welsh soprano Katherine Jenkins and she was talking about her fiance and then she said his name "Gethin" in her heavenly accent! I fell in love with the name on the spot, instantly adding it to my favorites list. It's of course a Welsh name and means "dark-skinned, swarthy". I just think it's so handsome!
• Idris - I saw this recently as the name of an actor and I just really love the look and sound of this name, it's so mystical sounding.
• Jocelyn & Josslyn - My parents love the name Jocelyn for a girl but I can't help finding it rather masculine. I love the nickname "Joss" used with this name for a boy. I've been finding my tastes to be rather British lately (not just in names, but I guess this happens when you watch too many British TV shows) and feel that Jocelyn would be used more for a boy in the UK. Here in the USA the name Jocelyn is strictly feminine and getting more popular.  
• Xander - I read a book recently which was excellent and one of the main characters was named Alexander King but he's always called "Xander". This is another case of I wasn't that interested in the name before but now I really like it! If I did ever name a son Alexander then I would love to call him "Alec" or "Xander". 

So, enough of my rambling about names. These are just a few of the names I've been thinking about recently.  Sorry this post has turned out much longer than I expected. But when I get going on names I can ramble on for hours! 

What are your thoughts on these names and the comments I've made?

Which of these names do you like? 

Are there any of these that you think are too old sounding to be given to a baby?

Your Resident Name Enthusiast,

Miss Laurie

This or That Game

I love these little girls with their curls, their cute dresses and their ice cream!

This or that with combos and surnames I've used recently in various name games recently. I've enjoyed using different name combinations and especially Irish and Scottish names.

A few of these names I've really been liking lately, but some I just used in the game because they fit with the other family members names. And I'm always interested in surnames and their origins. I pray that my future husband has an interesting surname like one of these!


Girls Combos:
Primrose Helena or Morag Devorgille?
Zinnia Nicoline or Iris Sylvia?
Athena Violet or Ayelet Janessa?
Dervla Queenie or Orla Bronte?
Tawny Mariel or Cateline Nora?
Raffaela Clemence or Saskia Ingrid?
Finola Elspeth or Nicola Avril?
Aileas Kirstin or Maisie Eilidh (eye-lee)?
Saorla Lynette (sare-lah) or Sìneag Rhosyn (sheh-nayd)?

Boys Combos:
Sholto Taliesin or Reeve Alaric?
Walter Gareth "Walt" or Kentigern Gerald "Kent"?
Seamus Emmett or Stewart Jocelyn?
Quinlan Oxford or Rainer Ethanjames?
Beckham Dermot or Beckett Ridley?
Eoin Douglas or Hamish Alasdair?
Joachim Reuel or Willoughby Zeke "Will"?
Meallan Winston (mell-awn) or Baolach Nigel (bay-lock)?
Eachin Bruce or Lachlan Wilber?
Struan Oswald or Iain Jennings?

Surnames:
Farquhar or McFadden?
Mallon or Midwinter?
McCracken or McKinney?
Cavendish or Kinnaird?
Upchurch or Ashford?
O'Byrne or Hughes?
Merchant or Gosselin?


Which do you like? Why?
Are there any of these names you'd seriously consider using for a future child?

Your Resident Name Enthusiast,
Miss Laurie :)

An Interesting Name & Some Questions

Today at a graduation party I met the cutest little girl!

She was about two years old, with pale blue eyes, and her curly blond hair was tied in a pompom like pony tail on the top of her head.

She has the cutest smile and within a very little time this social butterfly had everyone in the room wrapped around her little finger!

I had a delightful time playing cards with her (using Skip-bo or UNO cards) and getting her to learn colors, numbers and to count with me. Her mommy must be teaching her because she already knows how to count to 8 and can name the colors "geen" (green) and "boo" (blue). I taught her the color purple and she knows the color "lellow" (yellow) but we didn't have any yellow cards.

And this little girl's name was the most interesting, unique and suited her rather well. 

Her name is: 

Rain Amethyst

I've never met anyone named Rain before and I've never really liked the name but it fit her perfectly.

I do like Amethyst as a name and have liked it since I first read The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye. In that fairy tale book all seven of the king and queen's daughters are golden haired beauties with gemstone names, except the last daughter Princess Amethyst who is ordinary looking with mouse brown hair and so they call her just plain "Amy". One of my favorite quotes comes from this book as well.

I've loved the name Amy for a long time, not only because of this book and this quote but also it's a family name that I'd really like to use one day for my daughter. 

I think I would have liked her name more if it had been switched around, Amethyst Rain instead. But almost any name would have been made adorable just by being associated with this sweet little girl! 

I've found that over the years my opinions of names have often changed (sometimes drastically) based on people I meet who have a certain name. For example, I wasn't too keen on the name Margaux until I met a cute little girl with that name and now I really like it. I might have to do a post about some of those names...that's an idea! 

Questions for you:

1. What do you think of the name Rain Amethyst? 
2. Do you think Amethyst Rain would have been better? Do you like the names?
3. Have you ever started liking a name after meeting someone you really like who had that name? 
4. Have you ever stopped liking a name because you met someone you didn't like who had that name?

Name This Baby Boy

This is another game I enjoy playing. Name the baby boy in this photo using his real initials C.I.G.

The last letter G is a name that can be used as a last name or a first name. 

You don't have to limit yourself to one name, you can come up with a whole list of possible names for him using the initials C.I.G.

Enjoy!

Your Resident Name Enthusiast,

Miss Laurie :) 

Name Trivia Game

As promised, here's a little Name Trivia Game for your enjoyment.

How is works:
--Answer the 10 Name Trivia Questions to the best of your ability without looking up the answers. All questions are multiple choice so just choose one answer.
--After you comment with your answers I will respond and tell you which questions you answered correctly.

Have fun! :)

Name Trivia Questions

1. What does the Biblical name Hannah mean?
"peaceful" / "favour" or "grace" / "covenant" / "my father is joy"

2. Which of these masculine names mean "dog"?
James / Noah / Luke / Caleb

3. Which of these names is not a form of John?
Hugh / Evan / Sean / Johannes

4. What does the Virtue name Verity mean?
"hope" / "friendship" / "truth" / "constance"

5. Which of these is not traditionally used as a nickname for Margaret?
Molly / Meg / Midge / Peggy

6. What do the initials C.S. stand for in author C.S. Lewis's name?
Colin Stone / Clarence Stanton / Clyde Stanley / Clive Staples

7. Which of these masculine Irish names means "little king"?
Riley / Ryan / Ronan / Reagan

8. Which of these girls names was more popular than the others in the USA in 2010?
Jocelyn / Emma / Claire / Bailey

9. Which of these French feminine names means "beloved"?
Amelie / Ariane / Adele / Aimee

10. Which of these boys names was more popular than the others in the USA in 2010?
Eric / Luis / Carter / Jacob


I look forward to seeing your answers!

Your Resident Name Enthusiast,
Miss Laurie