Phyllida
My mother toured Canada with the Chataqua circuit in the 20s and 30s. Her British roommate was named Phyllida Lane: she returned to England and became Sir Laurence Olivier's diction coach. From various sources I have found that--supposedly--Phyllida also means, love of country, love in the country, a minor sea goddess,and a minor goddess of youth, and "leafy green bough" I can't cite specific sources because they were looked at long, long ago, or, in one case, a scholar of ancient languages, now deceased.
Replies
Taking the letter y and the double l seriously as a reflex of original Greek would pin down the meaning to "green leaf".
I cannot confirm the minor goddesses, and any meaning containing "love" requires some alternations to the name (i instead of y to get Phil as first part) but I still do not see a second part matching any Greek word I know for country or countryside here.
I cannot confirm the minor goddesses, and any meaning containing "love" requires some alternations to the name (i instead of y to get Phil as first part) but I still do not see a second part matching any Greek word I know for country or countryside here.
It's in the database
https://www.behindthename.com/name/phyllida
https://www.behindthename.com/name/phyllida
If ancient Greek is anything like Latin, might Phyllida not be an inflected form of Phyllis? Which matches the 'green leaf' meaning very neatly.
Yes, it is.