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ArchivesA bunch of odd name questions...
I know that Sjöfn is an Old Norse name meaning "love". Is it still used in Iceland?
Is Saffi a real variant of Sofie or is it just "made up" (saw it on one of those bad "baby name" sites)?
Is the name Carina used in Estonia?
Is the name Karen used in Latvia?
What does the name Fosetta mean? Is it Italian? Where is it used?
Is Eunice used in German-speaking countries?
What does Jozica mean and is it Croatian?
Is Nadira only used among Muslims?
Is the name Iliana used in Greece?
Where does the name Astrik (sic!) come from? Is it male or female?
Is Lilith used among Muslims?
Could Moselle be used as a first name or is it only the name of a river?
Are names like Keshawna and Keisha used somewhere in Africa or only among African-Americans?
Where does the name Caimile come from? Is it just a variant of Camille?
Do Australian Aboriginal families still give their children names from their own languages?
What does the name Samyukta mean? I've read that it's (East) Indian, but I've also read that it could be an Inka name. Is this really true or just a misunderstanding of the word "Indian"?
Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the lights
~Albus Dumbledore
We have to invade Aghan...Afagahn...Afganh...Afghna...Affg...Iraq ~ Dubya
Is Saffi a real variant of Sofie or is it just "made up" (saw it on one of those bad "baby name" sites)?
Is the name Carina used in Estonia?
Is the name Karen used in Latvia?
What does the name Fosetta mean? Is it Italian? Where is it used?
Is Eunice used in German-speaking countries?
What does Jozica mean and is it Croatian?
Is Nadira only used among Muslims?
Is the name Iliana used in Greece?
Where does the name Astrik (sic!) come from? Is it male or female?
Is Lilith used among Muslims?
Could Moselle be used as a first name or is it only the name of a river?
Are names like Keshawna and Keisha used somewhere in Africa or only among African-Americans?
Where does the name Caimile come from? Is it just a variant of Camille?
Do Australian Aboriginal families still give their children names from their own languages?
What does the name Samyukta mean? I've read that it's (East) Indian, but I've also read that it could be an Inka name. Is this really true or just a misunderstanding of the word "Indian"?
Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the lights
~Albus Dumbledore
We have to invade Aghan...Afagahn...Afganh...Afghna...Affg...Iraq ~ Dubya
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Replies
Fosetta is not listed in my Italian name dictionary (Santi e Fanti by Enzo La Stella T.).
In my experience Moselle has sometimes been used as a feminine form of Moses in Jewish American families, so I don't think it's always a working class name.
Although I don't know for sure, I would strongly suspect that Nadira is used by Christians in Arabic-speaking countries as well as Muslims, and it is certainly used by non-Muslim African-Americans in the USA.
I have yet to see any name from an African language that seems to me to be a candidate for the origin of Keisha. "Kisa" is a name meaning "kindness" in the Ganda language of Uganda, but that is probably a coincidence. Keshawna is almost certainly a recent creation because it fits in with Lashawna, Rashawnda, Tyshawn, etc. and other African-American creations based on Shawn.
From a quick bit of Googling, the main references to a woman named Saffi are to Saffi Crawford, a writer of books on astrology and numerology who lives in London. My guess (though it's only a guess) is that Saffi is more likely to be a pet form of Saffron than a form of Sophie in her case. Saffi is also an alternate spelling for the city of Safi in Morrocco, is used as a surname in Arabic speaking countries, and turns up as the name of a male Jewish singer, though that may just be a stage name. It certainly could be a pet form of several Arabic girls' names such as Saffanah, Safa, and Safiyah. The Arabic name Safiyah is not a form of Sophia but goes back to words that meant "sincere friend", according to Digest of Muslim Names by Fatimah Suzanne Al Ja'fari.
In my experience Moselle has sometimes been used as a feminine form of Moses in Jewish American families, so I don't think it's always a working class name.
Although I don't know for sure, I would strongly suspect that Nadira is used by Christians in Arabic-speaking countries as well as Muslims, and it is certainly used by non-Muslim African-Americans in the USA.
I have yet to see any name from an African language that seems to me to be a candidate for the origin of Keisha. "Kisa" is a name meaning "kindness" in the Ganda language of Uganda, but that is probably a coincidence. Keshawna is almost certainly a recent creation because it fits in with Lashawna, Rashawnda, Tyshawn, etc. and other African-American creations based on Shawn.
From a quick bit of Googling, the main references to a woman named Saffi are to Saffi Crawford, a writer of books on astrology and numerology who lives in London. My guess (though it's only a guess) is that Saffi is more likely to be a pet form of Saffron than a form of Sophie in her case. Saffi is also an alternate spelling for the city of Safi in Morrocco, is used as a surname in Arabic speaking countries, and turns up as the name of a male Jewish singer, though that may just be a stage name. It certainly could be a pet form of several Arabic girls' names such as Saffanah, Safa, and Safiyah. The Arabic name Safiyah is not a form of Sophia but goes back to words that meant "sincere friend", according to Digest of Muslim Names by Fatimah Suzanne Al Ja'fari.
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saMyuktA is definitely an Indian female name with clear Sanskrit origin. The M there is, however, rarely pronounced M: most often it will be like the English sound at the end of sing.
I do not know if it is also an Inca name.
I do not know if it is also an Inca name.
1
Thanks! Do you know what Samyukta means? n/m
Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the lights
~Albus Dumbledore
We have to invade Aghan...Afagahn...Afganh...Afghna...Affg...Iraq ~ Dubya
Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the lights
~Albus Dumbledore
We have to invade Aghan...Afagahn...Afganh...Afghna...Affg...Iraq ~ Dubya
1
sam is a prefix which is cognate with the English same and means something like together or union. yuj is the root to join, cognate with English yoke. saMyuktA is the feminine past participle form, meaning united (or married or fixed or complex number or ...) It is an ancient word, and an old name. Quite common in the east of India, where it is pronounced sanjuktA where the n is the soft palatal n (somewhat like spanish gn), for example, it is the name of the most famous dancer of a particular Indian dance form.
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Thanks, Kassios, Satu and Chrisell! :)
Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the lights
~Albus Dumbledore
We have to invade Aghan...Afagahn...Afganh...Afghna...Affg...Iraq ~ Dubya
Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if only one remembers to turn on the lights
~Albus Dumbledore
We have to invade Aghan...Afagahn...Afganh...Afghna...Affg...Iraq ~ Dubya
1
Illiana is used in Greece, although it's rare.
The name "Astrik" could possibly derive from the Ancient Greek word "ASTRIKOS" (fem:"ASTRIKE", neut:"ASTRIKON"),
"of or concerning the stars", from "ASTRON", "star".
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/resolveform?lookup=Astr&type=begin&lang=greek&searchText=&options=Sort+Results+Alphabetically&.submit=Submit+Query&formentry=1&lang=greek)
"Until the day that an ancient inscription is found with the name "Alexandrovski" (or "Alexandrev" or "Alexandrov") written on it instead of "Alexander", true Macedonia and true Macedonians will remain Greek, as they always were."
The name "Astrik" could possibly derive from the Ancient Greek word "ASTRIKOS" (fem:"ASTRIKE", neut:"ASTRIKON"),
"of or concerning the stars", from "ASTRON", "star".
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/resolveform?lookup=Astr&type=begin&lang=greek&searchText=&options=Sort+Results+Alphabetically&.submit=Submit+Query&formentry=1&lang=greek)
"Until the day that an ancient inscription is found with the name "Alexandrovski" (or "Alexandrev" or "Alexandrov") written on it instead of "Alexander", true Macedonia and true Macedonians will remain Greek, as they always were."
This message was edited 3/18/2006, 1:03 AM
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Hej Caprice,
The name Sjöfn is still used in Iceland.
From Icelandic statistics:
Sjöfn as a first name: 190 persons
Sjöfn as a second name: 213 persons
I've never met any Eunice in a German speaking country and you won't find the name in a German "Baby Name Book". The German form of that name is Eunike (different pronunciation) but it is not used, either.
Astrik is an Armenian name (female) meaning "Little Star"
I haven't ever heard the name Fosetta, but "fossetta" (two 's') is the Italian word for "dimple".
/ Satu
http://www.nordicnames.de/
The name Sjöfn is still used in Iceland.
From Icelandic statistics:
Sjöfn as a first name: 190 persons
Sjöfn as a second name: 213 persons
I've never met any Eunice in a German speaking country and you won't find the name in a German "Baby Name Book". The German form of that name is Eunike (different pronunciation) but it is not used, either.
Astrik is an Armenian name (female) meaning "Little Star"
I haven't ever heard the name Fosetta, but "fossetta" (two 's') is the Italian word for "dimple".
/ Satu
http://www.nordicnames.de/
1
I can answer a few:
Moselle, as well as being a river, is the name of a variety of cheap white wine. It *does* get used as a name occasionally (I've seen a number of female Negro characters named Moselle in both US and UK television shows) but it's a very low-class name.
Is 'Astrik' from a comic book series? If so, in English it's Asterix, which is a pun on 'asterisk' (ie, one of these: *).
Australian Aboriginal families vary widely across the continent. In the cities and towns it's rare for children to be named from their original language, either because the parents have lost the language or because they want their children to fit in. It's common for children in Aboriginal families to be named in a way that seems 'random' to European-origin families; you might have children named Edgar, Jaidyn, Charlotte and Brieghanna all in the same family.
In the outback areas, where the Aboriginal groups still live traditional or semi-traditional lifestyles, it's more common for children to have Aboriginal names, although I think a majority might still have English names, or at least have an English name as well as a tribal name.
Older Aboriginal people, wherever they live, may choose to take a tribal name as a sign of their pride in their Aboriginal heritage.
♦ Chrisell ♦
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
Moselle, as well as being a river, is the name of a variety of cheap white wine. It *does* get used as a name occasionally (I've seen a number of female Negro characters named Moselle in both US and UK television shows) but it's a very low-class name.
Is 'Astrik' from a comic book series? If so, in English it's Asterix, which is a pun on 'asterisk' (ie, one of these: *).
Australian Aboriginal families vary widely across the continent. In the cities and towns it's rare for children to be named from their original language, either because the parents have lost the language or because they want their children to fit in. It's common for children in Aboriginal families to be named in a way that seems 'random' to European-origin families; you might have children named Edgar, Jaidyn, Charlotte and Brieghanna all in the same family.
In the outback areas, where the Aboriginal groups still live traditional or semi-traditional lifestyles, it's more common for children to have Aboriginal names, although I think a majority might still have English names, or at least have an English name as well as a tribal name.
Older Aboriginal people, wherever they live, may choose to take a tribal name as a sign of their pride in their Aboriginal heritage.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.
1