The-Dream's and Christina Milian's Baby Name is Violet, and other Botanical Names for Spring
In much of the country there's still snow, so when we heard (via MTV news) the name-to-be of The-Dream's and Christina Milian's baby-to-be it was like huffing spring: Violet.
Violet, from the French for the flower, was very popular at the turn of the century, in the top 100 for two-and-half decades. After a mid-century fall from the charts, Violet made its second debut in 1998 and by ten years later was #184. (We've written about this name before.) Interestingly, Violet is most popular (see NameMapper) in Alaska and North Dakota, two cold states where we bet they could use some hints of spring.
No longer the province of name cognoscenti, this name's profile has been raised by two well-publicized celebrity babies: Violet Affleck and Violet Grohl. Heightening the spring-effect of their names, each little Violet has a little sister with a botanical middle name (Seraphina Rose Elizabeth and Harper Willow).
Where else on the charts do we find botanical names? We hunted for spring among the names of the Social Security Administration name charts for 2008 (another thing spring will bring -- updated data), and discovered 18 botanical names for girls, and 3 for boys. Here they are:
GIRLS:
- Lily (#24)
- Jasmine (#43)
- Lilly (#125)
- Daisy (#161)
- Violet (#189)
- Jasmin (#224)
- Ivy (#298)
- Iris (#341)
- Hazel (#343)
- Rose (#344)
- Holly (#365)
- Talia (#398)
- Willow (#408)
- Rosa (#457)
- Rowan (#469)
- Aspen (#700)
- Meadow (#859) -- Okay, maybe not precisely botanical, but doesn't it sound springy?
- Thalia (#879)
BOYS
Seeking a little spring for your little one but want something not on the charts? You could go with Iolanthe, which means violet. Or how about Marigold, Hyacinth, Zinnia, Dahlia, Lilac, or Fern? Anemone is lyrical. For boys, Ash, Cosmos or -- a name that appeared on the boy's charts in 1943 and 1947 -- Linden?
What do you think of Violet? What is your favorite botanical name?
--L.R.
Comments
Chrysanthemum, of course (the heroine of the Kevin Henkes book)
I like" Lily Rose".
Johnny Depp's daughter is Lily-Rose.
I have a friend who has shotgunned "Trillium."
(ha! one of the captcha words is "kale" -- sounds like a little boy in the context of this post ...)
I've always loved botanical names, but picking one I like the best is a bit difficult for me.
I really like the flow of Anemone, though. It's also the name of one of France's Olympians, this year.
Magnolia is my daughter's name..... which was in the top 1000 around 1900 but hasn't been since.
What about Heather? I know it sounds a bit dated, but it's definitely botonical, and it's gotta still be in the top 1000, no?
Good eye, anon! It is still, in fact, #487.
One of my favorite botanical names is Bryony, but there are many pretty botanical names in Bulgarian (my DH's native language):
Nevena (Neh-veh-nah) = marigold
Nevyana = marigold
Malina = raspberry
Kalin(m. kah-leen)/Kalina = rowan
Tsvetanka = flower
Iva = willow
Lilya = lily
Cheresha = cherry
Nezabravka = forget-me-not
I know a sister & brother named Betony & Yarrow...both very unique botanical names
Violet is my favorite girl name, I just hope it doesn't become too popular before I have a baby girl of my own! For a botanical boy name I have always enjoyed Briar, which was the name of a character in a Tamara Peirce book I read as a kid.
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