A Song of Ice and Fire

Photo Courtesy of Beloved Photography

Firstly, apologies if you're reading this hoping for a list of names used in the books by George R.R. Martin. Since I'm doing nature names this month, I wanted to do a post on snow inspired names in honour of the Winter Olympics that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. But it's a little hard to think of snow and ice at the moment when we are currently experiencing a very hot summer here in Australia, and bush fires are raging across much of the state Victoria which I live in. So I thought why not have a look at my favourite picks from both sides.

Icy Names
Ice and snow means Winter, and for half of the globe it also means many happy holidays such as Christmas, New Years and Valentines Day. There's something special about the image of pure white snow and ice crystals blanketing the land. Like the title of the song 'Winter Wonderland' suggests, it's magical and enchanting, a feeling that many are trying to capture when they choose a wintry name. My personal favourites are:

For a Girl -Eirwen
Pronounced AYR-wen, this Welsh gem literally means 'snow white'. It comes from the words eira meaning 'snow' and gwen meaning 'white, blessed'. The pronunciation is not very intuitive for non Welsh speakers, which is probably why it has never charted in the U.S. I love the look of it though - it reminds me very much of a fairy princess.
Close Contenders - Eira, Frostine,  Neve, Nivea, Tuhina.

For a Boy - Frost
There's something about this sharp one syllable boys name that feels masculine and cool - both figuratively and literally. Not just a word name, Frost also means 'white haired' or 'born in a cold spell'. Although I've heard it mentioned a bit lately, and wintry names seem to be on the rise, this surname turned first name has only appeared on the SSA charts once - in 1916.
Close Contenders - Himesh, Neige, Pyry, Snowden, Tuhin.

Unisex Pick - Winter
It's the ultimate wintry name. It feels like a natural progression from long time popular seasonal names Summer and Autumn, yet feels the most wearable on boys. Possibly because the -er ending puts in in league with occupational names such as Carter, Hunter and Cooper. Currently it's more popular for girls (ranked #772 in 2012 as opposed to #3338 for boys) but given time that may change. It also makes for a great unexpected middle.
Close Contenders - Hima, Nevada, Snow.


Fiery Names
For some, fire can be comforting, conjuring images of snuggling up beside a warm fire with a cup of hot chocolate when it's cold outside. For others it's all about passion and spice - the things we love that make life interesting, fun and exciting. Either way, ever since the cavemen first discovered fire it gets our heart racing and helps to keep us alive. And like ice and snow it can be magical and wondrous. Some great names for your little firecracker include:

For a Girl - Edana
A Gaelic name that is pronounced ee-DAH-na, she's a feminine form of the extremely popular boys name Aiden and means 'fire'. She's rare in the U.S, and feels kind of like a smoosh between Eden and Alana but somehow a little more mysterious and noir feeling. She'll be a great option one day when people are looking to honour dads named Aiden, too.
Close Contenders - Aithne, Celosia, Edana, Fiametta, Lehava, Nandalia, Seraphina.

For a Boy - Brando
There are some great boys names with fire related meanings, but this one has real pizzazz. As an Italian variant of the Old English/Old Norse name Brand it means 'fiery torch' or 'beacon'. This name immediately conjures up thoughts of legendary movie sex symbol Marlon Brando, but that what makes it a handsome,  spunky choice. Brando was given to just 58 boys in the U.S in 2012.
Close Contenders - Aidan, Ashbel, Brando, Egan, Inigo, Kenneth, Keegan, Vulcan.

Unisex Pick -Ash
I have to admit I personally prefer Ash as a nickname on girls and as a given name on boys (thanks for that, Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi). I guess I'm not alone in this as it has consistently charted for boys every year since 1996, but only three times in that same time frame for girls.
I also love that it has dual nature meanings, also being a tree name. Maybe when Willow and Rowan have had their run, and the juggernaut that was Ashley has faded, people will rediscover the sleek simplicity that is Ash.
Close Contenders - Ash, Blaze, Ember, Flame, Kenna, Kimba, MacKenzie, Phoenix.


What are your favourites? Do you prefer the pure enchantment of ice and snow names, or the feisty passion of fire names? And could you make a sibset with these names?

Snow

Here is Australia, it is currently the middle of winter, and this year it feels like it's been a long one. But Winter can be very beautiful, and some of the names inspired by this season are some of the coolest (sorry the pun) around. Frost and Winter both have their charms. But my favourite - and perhaps the most fun - is Snow.

Snow is one that has been getting a lot of attention lately, most often as a middle name but also occasionally as a first. There are a few TV shows and movies using this name recently that have contributed to the recent popularity of Snow as a sweet and interesting nature name. Not one but two Snow White movies were released this year - "Mirror, Mirror" and "Snow White and the Huntsman". Both had very beautiful Snow Whites, and superstar powers playing the evil queen in the form of Julia Roberts and Charlize Theron, respectively. As a side note, Charlizes character has the gorgeous name Ravenna, one I may look into in more depth at another time. And it's Charlizes birthday today - Happy Birthday Charlize Theron!

On TV, Ginnifer Goodwin portrays yet another Snow White in "Once Upon A Time". It's arguably Ginnifer's Snow White character that is doing the most to raise the profile of Snow as a name. Ginnifer's Snow is delicate, caring and sweet, but brave, independent and strong. She is one of the most pivotal characters of the show, with the love between her and Prince Charming and the acute feeling of her loss as she is trapped in the 'real' world providing one of the most compelling story lines of the show.

With the strong connection to Snow White, many could be forgiven for thinking that Snow could only work as a girls name. But Snow could work equally well for a boy. One character waving the flag for a boy Snow is Jon Snow from "Game Of Thrones". Jon is a pivotal character throughout the show and the books. The bastard son of one of the most noble houses of the land, Jon has been raised to respect and uphold the values of his father, the great Eddard Stark. He has grown learning how to be a member of the nobility, while forever being denied the benefits and position that being a Stark would bring. Yet he remains steadfast and loyal to his brothers, and shows many qualities befitting a good and noble leader. His quiet strength lends a great deal to the appeal of being a Snow.

These great examples on the screen help to imbue the name Snow with highly valued characteristics such as tenacity, strength, honour and compassion in many people's minds. Combine these perceived qualities with a word used to describe one of the most beautiful and magical things nature has to offer and you have one special name. No wonder Snow is starting to become a name favoured by parents looking for a sweet but strong, crisp and beautiful nature name.