Skip to main content

Blossom

blossom


Blossom as a baby name is not a new idea - many will recall the TV show "Blossom" that ran from 1990 - 1995, with main character Blossom Russo and her best friend Six (Six created some buzz when it was recently used in the movie "Syrup," and in name evolution, Seven is now trendy). As sticky-sweet or silly as Blossom might seem to some, she fits right in with popular Lily, is as ordinary as Fern, and stands out just as much as Petal. For those still unwilling to consider Blossom, German Bluma might seem more substantial.

Blossom is an Old English word that ultimately came from a Germanic word taken from Proto-Indo-European, about as far back as it gets. As a name, Blossom was always rare in both the U.S. and U.K., but it gained a little momentum in the 1920's, making it onto the bottom of the SSA chart. It likely started as a pet name for young girls. Surprisingly, the 90's TV show didn't make a dent, nor did the character from the "Powderpuff Girls" animated show and an appearance on "Dawson's Creek." In 2013 Blossom ranked at #430 in England and Wales, though it is unclear why.

Other Blossom's in history include Edith Marie Blossom Macdonald from "The Addams Family," known as Blossom Rock; jazz singer Blossom Dearie; vaudeville performer Blossom Seeley; novelist Clare "Blossom" Elfman; Blossom Nnodim, born Ozurumba Roseblossom Ogechi, from Nigeria.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Galician Baby Names

I grew up on a street that was named an Italian variant of Roger. When I got married and we bought our first house, it turned out to be on Roger Street. Once noting that coincidence, I started searching for other variants of the name. However, female variants turned out to be pretty nonexistent. Save for Roxeria, which I later discovered was the Galician female form, possibly pronounced rohz-AIR-ee-uh. That led me to a few lists of female Galician names, ranging from common to rare. Here is a sampling of names not often heard here in the states... Albina Alda Alma Alodia Aloia Amada Amadora Amalia Amparo Anisia Antia Araceli Aranzazu Artemisa Avelina Azucena Baia Balbina Baltasara Beatriz Benvida Berenice Bieita Branca Braulia Caetana Carola Casilda Casimira Ceferina Celsa Cipriana Cira Clorinda Coralia Cornelia Cosima Davinia Delfina Desideria Dionisia Dominga Dorinda Dorotea Dositea Edelmira Edenia Elba Elvira Emiliana Etelvina ...
2 comments
Read more

Elowen

Elowen is a recent Cornish baby name meaning "elm." It may not take off in America like the last Cornish hit, Jennifer, but it's certainly pretty. She's part of a "linguistic revival," as Appellation Mountain puts it  here . Her nickname could be Ellie, Elle or Ella, or a more unusual choice, Wendy. The pronunciation of Elowen is "ell-LOH-en," though most Americans will probably stick with "ELL-oh-wen." Please note that it is not spelled Elowyn. There is a similar name, Eowyn, but if you spell it Elowyn it will no longer be the Cornish name meaning elm tree, just some creative name. Other great Cornish names include Penrose, Chesten (the Cornish form of Christine), Demelza, Denzel, Hammitt, Kerensa/Kerenza, Meraud (very similar to French gem name Emeraude, both meaning emerald, but Meraud is pronounced "meh-row"), Merryn, Morwenna, Tremain, Emblyn, Jory, Massen, Treeve and Cotton. Here's 's a link to a post on Cornish n...
2 comments
Read more

Ancient Germanic Female Deities

Loki and Idun by John Bauer Here is a list of ancient Germanic goddess and personifications. There is some overlap with the goddesses of the Norse pantheon, and I've limited it to those names that I think would wear well today on modern babies. Of the following names, only the following were used in 2016. Sol was given to 91 girls, Ran to 5 girls, Saga to 9 girls, and Beyla to 6 girls. Beyla - as a possible agricultural personification, her name could mean "cow," "bean," or "bee," but she has been associated with bees and mead, so my guess is "bee." However, there's been a proposed connection to the reconstructed Proto-Norse name Baunila, which means "little bean." This is also a Spanish and Italian girls name. Fulla - possibly means "bountiful." Her other name is Volla, which I think is equally accessible as a name. She is a virgin goddess in Old Norse mythology. Gersemi - means "treasure." Sh...
Post a Comment
Read more