Like Cedar, Chloe boasts a little Biblical history as well as having ties to the goddess Demeter in Greek mythology.Ĭhrysanta: This shortened form of the word chrysanthemum takes its meaning, “golden flower,” from the Greek.Ĭicely: While Cicely, Cecily, and Cecilia all have roots in the Roman Caecilius, which means “blind,” Cicely has a plant connection as well. The name derives from the Greek κεδρος ( kedros).Ĭerise: This delicate-sounding name is French for “cherry.”Ĭhloe: With roots in Greek, Chloe means “green shoot” and evokes springtime and new growth. You could even say Cedar has Biblical roots, considering the references to the cedars of Lebanon. In this case, Cedar is a coniferous tree native to the Mediterranean and Himalayan regions. This English name comes from a flowering shrub named for botanist and missionary Georg Josef Kamel.Ĭedar: Like Birch, Aspen, and Ash, Cedar is a strong name that comes from a tree. The name may also have roots in the Greek kallos meaning “beauty.”Ĭamellia: While it’s similar to Camille and Camilla, Camellia has an entirely different origin with a nice floral twist. This type of lily is native to South Africa and known for its beautiful, showy flowers. Calendula has been used for centuries in medicine and dyes, not just in our gardens.Ĭalla: If you love Lily, but want something just a little different, try Calla. It comes from a climbing plant that produces greenish-white flowers.Ĭalendula: When Marigold just won’t do, try its scientific name. The story of Sleeping Beauty is based on the Brothers Grimm tale in which the sleeping beauty’s name is Briar Rose.īryn: A bit less plant-centric and more nature-based, Bryn means “hill” or “mound” in Welsh.īryony: If you’ve read or seen Atonement, you may recognize this name and its variant, Briony. In Celtic mythology, the birch is thought to ward off evil and bolster courage – definitely good qualities to have! Birk is a Scandinavian variant.īramble: From the Old English bræmel or bremel, this name may have originally indicated that the person lived near a thicket of brambles, such as blackberry or any other thorny shrub.īramwell: Another surname that can cross over into given name territory, Bramwell has roots in the Old English for “broom” or “bramble well.” Literary buffs may recognize the variant Branwell, used by the only brother of the Brontë family.īriar: This English name refers to thorny or prickly plants, such as roses or blackberries. Bentley is a surname that came from a place name and actually derives from the Old English beonet or “bent grass” and leah meaning “woodland or clearing.”īirch/Birk: The distinctive birch tree can be silver, white, black, yellow, or grey. It’s possible that the source of Bay is more nautical, form the Latin baia and the French baie, meaning inlet or – you guessed it – bay.īentley: No, not the cars. The leaves of the Sweet Bay Tree may be something you’ve used in the kitchen before. It derives from the Latin balsamum (“gum of the balsam tree”), as well as the Aramaic busma, the Arabic basham, and the Hebrew basam meaning “spice” or “perfume.”īasil: While basil is a common kitchen herb, Basil has the double distinction of being plant-related and noble – it comes from the Greek word for “king.”īay: Bay can refer to several different types of trees. This question was first answered in the November 2015 issue of BBC History Revealed magazineīy the end of Chetwood’s period of study, the way in which the people of England used personal names had been completely transformed.Aster: From the Greek ἀστήρ meaning “star,” the aster is a daisy-like flower common to Europe and Asia.Īzalea: The Azalea plant takes its name from the Greek αζαλεος, or “dry.” Native to Asia, Europe, and North America, their spring blooms can last for several weeks.īalsam: This name refers to several species of trees that produce resin, or balsam. So it is possible our names are likely to tell us something about one of our distant ancestors. From around the 1200s, a person’s adopted name was commonly passed on to the next generation and so the inherited surname was born. Others, now common, came from a child taking their father’s name – including Johnson (the son of John) and Macdonald (son of Donald).Īs travel began to grow and communities met with more strangers, the practice became more general. They were selected by making some reference to either their occupation (‘Taylor’ or ‘Smith’ for example), personal characteristics (such as ‘Strong’ or ‘Brown’), or location of their residence (like ‘Wood’ or ‘Marsh’). Surnames came into common use around the early Middle Ages so that people could distinguish between persons of the same given name.
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