Once Upon a Time Baby Names

Desdemona by Theodore Chasseriau Desdemona (dez-deh-MOH-nah) is an English literary name meaning "ill-fated." William Shakespeare used the name in Othello, but the play was based on the story Un Capitano Moro which was in Giovanni Battista Giraldi's Gli Hecatommithi, where the name was spelled Disdemona, from the Greek word dysdaimonia . It has never been a terribly popular name because of the character, who is murdered by her husband, and the name's meaning. However, Desdemona has been a character name in several other works of fiction since, including the Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, the book Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, and Jimmy Buffet's Where is Joe Merchant? Desdemona also features in two other plays - Toni Morrison's Desdemona , and Paula Vogel's Desdemona: A Play about a Handkerchief . It's also been used for four songs, is a moon of Uranus, and an asteroid demonically named 666 Desdemona. Desdemona Mazza was an Italian s...

We all know the planets, and some are brave enough to use Venus, Mercury, Mars, and even Jupiter or Neptune on their bundle of joy. Some get creative and use names from other languages, such as Sol or Soleil. Some parents use different names associated with the moon - Selene, Luna, Phoebe. Let's look at the other starry baby name options; names used for the moons of other planets, dwarf planets, stars or constellations can be just as celestially appealing. Many things in space were named after characters in Shakespeare, Pope, Spencer and other literature, named after real people (especially those that discovered the object in space), and Greek and Roman mythology (sometimes other, older mythology as well). Stars with proper names that have been or could be used as baby names : Alcyone, Capella, Altair, Aludra, Alula, Ascella, Alya, Atlas, Bellatrix, Castor, Chara, Electra, Eltanin, Izar, Fafnir, Lesath, Maia, Meissa, Merope, Mimosa, Mintaka, Mira, Mizar, Nashira, Pleione, Polar...

Vermeer, Saint Praxedis Also seen in the form of Praxedis (Latin), Praxede (18th and/or 19th century France), and Prassede (Italian), this unusual saint name is extremely rare and interesting. She comes from Greek praxis , "an accomplishment." PRA-shed-yees and PRAHK-say-dahs are accepted pronunciations in Spanish and Portuguese, while prak-SAY-deez for the Praxedes spelling (like Mercedes) and PRAK-sed-iss for the Praxedis spelling are accepted in English. PRAK-seh-deh is commonly accepted elsewhere. The Roman female Christian saint died in the year 165, and little is known about her. According to Jacobus de Voragine, her sister was Saint Pudentiana and her brothers were Saint Timothy and Saint Donatus. Sabine Baring-Gould claims she was the daughter of Saint Pudens, also the sister of Saint Pudentiana, but that her brothers were Saint Timothy and Saint Novatus. Some think because her  name  is not a feminine form of Pudens, she must have been a slave. According to...

Eternity graffiti, Arthur Stace Eternity is an intriguing option as a girls baby name. While word names are always popular, those with grand meanings are favorites. Serenity, for example, has been climbing the charts steadily and now sits high at #71. Eternity, however, remains rare. In 2015 there were only 84 baby girls given the name, which is about the same amount for the past decade. It has only been used since about 1990, which is when Calvin Klein introduced the perfume Eternity. However, the universal concept of eternity (mathematical, philosophical, religious or otherwise) has been around for, pun intended , eternity, and there is no off-putting association for it. From old Latin aeturnus , Eternity means "without beginning or end." Synonym: forever. It is easy to see as a name - just like Destiny or Trinity. It has a modern, feminine sound, like Eve, Lily (currently ranking at #25) or Emily (currently ranking at #8). Nicknames could be Etty, Teri, or Terny, ...

Polaris from the X-Men comics Polaris (po-LAR-iss or po-LAIR-iss - to each his own) is known as the North Star in the night sky, the Lodestar, traditionally also known as the "guiding star" or "pole star." The name means "of the [north] pole" in Latin, while the Greek name for it meant "dog's tail" in mistaken reference to the constellation Ursa Minor in which Polaris resides. Many believe it is the brightest star in the sky, but it is actually the 45th brightest. It does, however, play an important role in navigation because it remains nearly motionless. Polaris has been used in some fiction, although nothing very recognizable. It was used three times in the DC Comics universe for the fictional Polaris star system or Polaris Galaxy, on a Super Mario Galaxy character, in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and for three computer games. Polaris aka Lorna Dane was an X-Men character with the power of magnetism (fun fact: Magneto is...

Disney kind of did it wrong. When picking a name for a sea-witch, a name that means "little she-bear" seems a bit ridiculous for a character that lives underwater. Like the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, which mean "she-bear," these are the feminine Latin diminutives of Ursus, "bear." Both Ursa Major and Ursa minor have unique stories from several different cultures. Ursula (Ursa too) is a girl's name most do not consider using today, but one that is rich with history and culture. Saint Ursula of the 4th century was a virgin princess of Britain whose popularity during the Middle Ages may have increased the name's usage. Her [now accepted as fictional] tale says that she sailed with 11,000 virgin handmaidens to meet her future husband, but when a storm brought them to their destination in just a day she decided to on a pilgrimage around Europe with the pope and bishop. They soon arrived in Cologne, all 11,003 of them, where the to...

Dianora (DEE-ah-NOR-ah) is an Italian name found in the opera La Spinalba . The author of the libretto is unknown, but the music was written by Francisco Antonio de Almeida. The character named Dianora is not the main character, she is instead the step mother who is confused by her step-daughter's actions. While her step daughter Spinalba and niece Elisa are trying to fall in love and avoid certain suitors, Dianora's husband goes mad that his daughter (Spinalba) is running around town dressed as a man to thwart Elisa's potential love-match with Spinalba's betrothed. Throw in a few more suitors and the whole thing becomes even more comedic, but eventually Dianora figures out what's going on and decides on a plan of action, setting everyone straight. As a variant of Diana, Dianora means "divine." Many Italians currently have this name, and it can be traced back to the mid-1400s. However, it is unused in the U.S. and exceedingly rare.

Celia (SEEL-yah) is from Latin caelum , meaning "heaven," from the name Caelia, a feminine form of the Roman family name Caelius. It is not to be mistaken for Cecelia /Cecilia, although it is used as a nickname or short form for both. Shakespeare introduced Celia to the world via As You Like It in 1599. In the 1940's actress Celia Johnson popularized it once more. In 2016 Celia ranked at #837, with 339 girls given the name that year. That is much lower than its 2001 rank of #594, but it has always been used, and always been mildly popular, since 1880. It is very popular in France and Spain, but the French form Celie has ranked twice as well - once in 1880 and once in 1887. Since Shakespeare's use of Celia there have been many more appearances in literature, including works by Ben Johnson, George Eliot, T.S. Eliot, Lionel Shriver, and more recently as the heroine of The Night Circus . Many real-life Celia's have made their way through history as well, including ...

  [source] Mirabella, along with Mirabelle, Mirabel, and Mirabeau, comes from the Latin root word mirabilis . The meaning of these names is "wonderful." Mira is the standard version, and with -bella at the end it creates the meaning "wonderful beauty." Used as far back as the Crusades and medieval times, Mirabel & co. fit rit in with today's feminissima names, such as Miranda, Arabella, and Annabella. Mirabeau, unlike the others, is a surname and title, and that of a few famous Frenchmen - marquis de Mirabeau, comte de Mirabeau and vicomte de Mirabeau. It is also a French place name. Sometimes Mirabel- names can be linked or confused with similar names, such as Maribella and Miabella. Mirabella was a women's magazine in the 1990's, taken from the last name of it's creator, Grace. In the fruit world, the Mirabelle plum grows gorgeous blossoms. The Baroque-style Mirabell Palace in Austria, built around 1606 by a prince, was a site used for ...

  Pygmalion and Galatea by Jean Leon Gerome In tribute to the pure white color of snow, Galatea (gah-lah-TEE-uh) will be the first post of 2014. Meaning "milky white (she who is milk-white)" in Greek, this name is famous for being used in mythology as the statue of ivory Pygmalion carved that came to life. Yet the statue Pygmalion loved did not have a name until well after the story came to life. Galatea was supposedly first recognized as her name when used by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his Pygmalion from 1762, and he could have been inspired by another mythological Galatea found in the story of Acis and Galatea, in which she was a sea-nymph, or from Honore d'Urfe's L'Astree . It can later be found in "Galatea of the Spheres," a painting by Salvador Dali, depicting Gala Dali, his wife. Be sure to check out the painting by Gustave Moreau entitled "Galatea." Galatea is also a moon of Neptune, Mount Galatea is in the Canadian Rockies, and ...

Canacee and the Falcon by Warwick Goble Canacee (KAN-uh-see) is a beautiful princess in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene , and in the Squire's Tale in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales . She is the daughter of King Cambyuskan and Queen Elpheta of Sarai in Tartary, and Chaucer leaves her story unfinished. Apparently the squire wants to tell that her own brother has been fighting in tournaments to win his sister's hand, possibly a nod to Heroides XI by Ovid. Some critics suggest it is not in fact her brother, but a knight with the same name as her brother, and that this would have been mentioned had Chaucer finished the story, and that the shock and confusion was intentional. In her story, Canacee is given gifts by an Arabian king's messenger - a magical mirror, magical ring, and the gift of herbal wisdom. In The Faerie Queene, Canacee is one of four characters that represent friendship, the other three being her brother, sister in law and husband. Canacee...

  Apollo and His Muses (single with Apollo & Urania) by Charles Meynier  Ourania is a Greek baby name meaning "heavenly," pronounced OOR-an-ya / Awr-AN-ee-ah. It is a variant of Urania, great-granddaughter of the god Uranus, and in Greek mythology Urania (yur-AHN-ee-ah) was one of the muses, known  for inspiring arts and sciences. She was also a deity of astronomy and astrology. The Athenians sometimes used this name for Aphrodite, and thought she was one of the Fates. She has been associated with Universal Love, the Holy Spirit, poets and music. She is said to wear a cloak embroidered with stars, carries a celestial globe, and can foretell the future. Ouranos, from which we get Uranus, means "sky, heavens." Ourania was a novel written by French Laureate J. M. G. Le Clezio, in which the title is the name of a country. Catholic.org lists Saint Urania with no more information than "Kemet martyrs with Archelaus, Nov 7." Ourania was last seen...

  Princess Cordelia Abidaoud and Hilary Clinton Today's headline: "Grab it while it's hot!" If the amount of labels under this post are any indication, Cordelia's a modestly rising, historically rich, beautiful trend-setter. The first time I saw Cordelia (kor-DEEL-ya, kor-DELL-ee-uh) was in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and I'm sure most people in my age bracket can say the same. However, these days I'm seeing the name everywhere online. It's become a very popular option for new parents, and has a long list of namesakes, both in real life, literature and media. From the comic book character Cordelia Swan to the real life Phoenician princess Cordelia Abidaoud, it should be a lot of fun looking through all the various Cordelia's out there, past and present. Nameberry reports that two "Babyberries" named Cordelia were born just recently. Cordelia is a Latin name most likely meaning "heart," from the names Cordula (as in Sai...

  Vesper is Latin, meaning "evening star," and shares part of its meaning with the religious term evening vespers , meaning "evening prayers." The name's been around a long, long time, but started picking up more interest in 2006 because of Casino Royale, and the Bond girl called Vesper Lynd. Vesper Vivianne Ruck is the daughter of Alan Ruck and Mirielle Enos, there was a character in a Lloyd Alexander adventure series named Vesper, and she also featured in the Batman comic series as a TV and radio newscaster named Vesper Fairchild (pictured above), who had a romantic relationship with Bruce Wayne. There are about 160 people named Vesper in the U.S. according to White Pages, 33 of which were born in 2011, and 24 in 2010. To be more accurate, Vesper is the unisex and Vespera the feminine, and the religious term came after. (See  here .) Vespertine is a lesser known variant meaning "of the evening." Vespertine is more French-chic, similar in looks...

Forget Renesme, forget Bella, and consider Twila or Twyla. Twila is the more obvious spelling when "honoring" Twilight , Twyla less obvious and more Twyla Tharp (American dancer and choreographer). Both are English, meaning (obviously) "twilight." The Twyla can also be from Old English, meaning "twill," or "two ply, double thread." The name Twyla was used as a character in Zenna Henderson's novel  Pilgrimage , and more recently on a character in the TV show "Schitt's Creek." It was most popular in 1964 at #751, and only ranked between 1925 and 1965, so consider this a vintage name. Twyla was used 28 times in 2011, and Twila was used 27 times, so each spelling is equal in usage, legitimacy and popularity.

Perseus and Andromeda by Anton Raphael Mengs Andromeda is a name that most people admire, but find too unusual or extreme to use in real life, therefore they put it away on their "guilty pleasures" list of names they're not brave enough to use. Which is a shame, really, since it's such a gorgeous mythological gem. But I do agree, it does come on strong, which is why it's on my own GP list. I have thought an easy and accessible nickname would make it more useable, though. Nickname possibilities: Andie, Anna, Anne, Annie, Andra, Andrea, Dru, Dre, Drama, Mei/Mae, Meda There were 31 baby girls given the name Andromeda in 2011 (only 5 were given the name of her mother, Cassiopeia) and only 20 named Andromeda in 2010. In 2016 there were 64. So many are familiar with Andromeda's tale: her mother, Queen Cassiopeia (another great name, meaning "she whose words excel"), was arrogantly proud of her daughter's beauty and boasted that she and Andro...

richasi.com If you were born in late March or early April that means you are an Aries (the ram). I chose Mars to be today's name because Aries is ruled under Mars, and there is a powerful connection between the planet Mars and the month of March. Mars was the Roman god of war, said to be as ruthless as he was handsome, with a gentle side seldom seen (he was the lover of Aphrodite, said to be most beautiful). His celebrations were mainly held in March. The red planet has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. (For you Sailor Moon fans out there, those were the names of Sailor Mars's crows.) Not only was the planet named for the god, but so was the month of March, making this a suitable name for a baby boy born this month. It is also important to note that Ares was the other name for Mars, so what a coincidence that his Greek name is one letter short of March's astrological sign Aries. The ram is also a truly fitting animal for an Aries, its hard-headed, strong-willed character ...

Since the last post featured a bird of prey, today's name is Columba, Latin, meaning "dove," the symbol of peace. It is the name of a constellation, three saints, and a term lovingly used for the United States. It is not to be confused with Columbia, the country in South America, although the two names do share a connection. Columba and its variants have become a symbol of peace beyond the name's meaning. America was the name of the continent, Columbia was the female personification, the name based on the surname of Christopher Columbus, who discovered it. This is also how the country of Columbia got its name. As we all know, the New World was intended to be the "Land of the Free," where everyone could come to be rid of religious persecution. Columbia was intended to mean "Land of Columbus," but Columbus means "dove" just as Columba does. As Columbia represented a sentiment of the Americas, Columba now symbolizes peace in all forms (not s...

Cressida was the name Shakespeare chose to use in his play Troilus and Cressida , although she was also known by Criseyde, Cresseid, Criseida and Briseida, all derived from Chryseis and Briseis, whose names appear in the Iliad but have no real connection to Cressida or Briseida. In fact Cressida's real first form was Briseida, whose story was invented by French poet Benoit de Sainte-Maure for his Roman de Troie . As Briseida, the daughter of Calchas, her story is told numerous times in medieval and Renaissance literature as part of the Trojan War. She falls in love with Troilus, son of King Priam, but there is a love triangle with a Greek man named Diomedes. Some authors chose to use names similar to Briseida, and others, such as Boccacio, Chaucer, and Shakespeare, chose to use names beginning with a C. To this day there is still no definite spelling, although Cressida is the most recognizable. Breakdown: Benoit Sainte-Maure - Briseida Azalais d'Altier - Brizeida ...

There are two very recognizable names that easily celebrate 2012, the year of the dragon according to the Chinese zodiac. However, these names are not Chinese. Draco, Latin for "dragon," is the name of a constellation (and a popular Harry Potter character), and Drake, Middle English for "dragon," is still widely used today. Drake was originally an occupational name and a surname meant to identify those who were innkeepers of inns with a dragon crest. One very famous namesake was English explorer Sir Francis Drake, and another is a currently famous rapper who goes solely by Drake. In 2010 there were 30 baby boys named Draco, 7 named Drako, 6 named Drago (the Italian version), 1,850 Drake, 5 Draike, 10 Drayk, and 31 Drayke. But, I can't think of a better name for a 2012 dragon baby. If Draco and Drake don't appeal to you, perhaps Tarragon would be more to your liking. This herb name  comes from  drakontion , meaning "dragonwort." It's botanical n...