This gem is partly inspired by a kick-ass Australian guitarist, and partly by my husband. In that he saw a television interview with Richie Sambora about a new project with his girlfriend Orianthi, and thought I'd really like her name but either mis-heard it or wrote it down wrong as Oriantha. To be honest, I love it whether it's Orianthi, Oriantha or even Orianthe. But since he wrote down Oriantha, let's go with that.
Orianthi is actually the only version that has charted in the U.S to date, debuting in 2015 in position 14,408 after being given to just 7 girls. I'm guessing these were probably inspired by the guitarist. Australian born Orianthi has played with the likes of Michael Jackson and Alice Cooper, so already had quite the name for herself in the music world before starting their current project - named RSO - with Sambora in 2013.
Being the rarity that it is, it's actually quite hard to find reliable information on the origin of the name Oriantha. Orianthi (the guitarist) is of Greek descent, so that gives us a decent clue as to where to start. The Greek "Anthos" means flower, and is the basis of many "flowery" names such as Anthea (meaning 'like a flower'); Calantha (meaning 'lovely flower'); or Evanthe (meaning 'fair flower'). The Ori part is a little less clear. One source claims it comes from the Greek "Oraios" meaning 'beautiful', and hence Oriantha likely means 'beautiful flower'. Or there is the Latin name Oriana, which means 'dawn', or the Greek name Oria which means 'from the mountains'. So you could conjecture that Oriantha possibly means 'flower of dawn' or perhaps 'mountain flower'. Which makes me think that Oriantha is not a name for those who like a concrete, definitive meaning, but is perfect for those that like to take a bit of poetic license with their name meanings, or simply don't mind what the meaning of a name is at all as long as it sounds appealing.
For Oriantha certainly has an appealing ring to it. It has a nice melodic flow, but enough of an exotic edge to stop it from blending into the background. And the O sound is oh-so-hot right now, whether it be at the start of your name (think Olivia); in the middle (like Cora); or the end (as with Willow). Oriantha is a great option if you are after something rare, pretty and cool-but-not-too-trendy.
Oh MY! On my way to your text, I very nearly lost myself in that astonishing photo. Yours? Someone certainly has a doll baby & captured her bewitchingly.
ReplyDeleteI am curious to know how you might pronounce the primary name,
Oriantha: oar-ee-ON-thah ? [I can not help but envision Hermione when I say this aloud.]
as well as the other versions referenced. In your mind's ?...ear☺, I suppose, do you
hear:
ORIANTHI as
oar-ee-ON-tee (1 hard T) or
oar-ee-ONT-tee (2 hard Ts)
ORIANTHE:do you suppose the E is
silent = oar-ee-ONT
or subtle...oar-ee-ONth
I suspect you would come down firmly on the inclusive side of the fence = or "go with what speaks to you." Yet a pronunciation suggestion could be most helpful, particularly for the very unusual and / or those derived from tribal or extrinsic cultures. Our family has a strong Welch lineage. I love 'em all but Holy Buckets, you are likely all too aware that linguistically, they live in a parallel universe. The words we see and the words we soon hear are as different as chalk and cheese.
We've our last grandbaby girl on the way. Though already named, the whole process of naming has always been endlessly intriguing to me. I believe our given [and to a lesser degree] our surname's matter! How parents explain (or fail to) why names were chosen, how others respond to them, and ultimately how we interpret and internalize this information can play a strong role in influencing who we become as people. As a writer, the provenance
a name and it's ongoing evolution prove a continual, irresistible draw for me.
I may have at least a fair grasp of the effort involved in creating and sustaining an endeavor like yours. For all those who stop by, enjoy (and happily partake of !) your work but fail to note their appreciation, I will say thank you. Though in the defense of these parents, there may never a busier time than the approaching birth of a baby...oh, well of course, other than that "entirety of her life" bit, coming around the corner at them like a freight train with spent breaks. But other than that, easy peazy, right?
Warm thanks from me as well. I'll be back!
I wish I could take credit for the photo, but no, I found it on Tumblr. Unfortunately there was no link to it's original source - I'd love to thank whoever took it :)
DeleteAnd you are right about the pronunciation! I usually try to include it but overlooked it this time. The guitarist pronounces it Oar-ee-AHN-thee, so I would say Oar-ee-AHN-tha. It would be good to know how other people would pronounce it :)