Aquilina

We've been having a nostalgia fest in our house lately, and one of my old favourites that I revisited was the movie 'Troop Beverly Hills'. It stars Shelley Long as privileged Beverly Hills housewife Phyllis, who takes over as leader of her daughters Wilderness Girls Troop. Of course, they do things a little differently in Beverly Hills, and along the way Phyllis discovers a resourcefulness, courage and leadership that she didn't realise she had.

There are just eight girls in the troop, bearing the names of Hannah, Claire, Tiffany, Lily, Chica, Jasmine, Tessa and Emily. But what caught my attention was the name of the young Philippino actress playing Lily - Aquilina.

Sounds alluring and glamorous, doesn't it? I wonder why there aren't more actresses with this name.

Aquilina is a Spanish version of the Latin name Aquila, meaning 'eagle'. Hence it is said to either mean 'eagle' or 'sharp-eyed'. Like Aquila it can be used for both boys and girls. But unlike Aquila it has never charted in the U.S. This makes it quite rare.

If it sounds a little familiar, you may have heard it as a surname, particularly an Italian surname. Apparently this surname was adopted by people who either:

• Owned eagles
• Had great eyesight (eagle eyed)
• Lived near a place populated by eagles; or
• Lived in or near the city of L'Aquila, the capital of the Italian region of Abruzzi.

There was also a child saint by this name who lived from 281-293 BC. Her story is quite grisly, as she was a martyr saint who is honoured by the Roman Catholic Church. This does lend a sense of history and gravity to the name Aquilina, and likely helped to establish it's use as a girls name rather than a boys.

I'm not 100% sure on what the "proper" pronunciation of Aquilina is, although it seems that both ah-kwi-LEE-nuh and ah-kwi-LIE-nuh are acceptable. Personally I much prefer the first. I also prefer it as a girls name - the more likely nicknames of Lina or Aqua make it seem more feminine to me.

Another one of the things I like about this name is that it has a unique look to it. Names containing Q are still very rare on the whole, and therefore generally stand out for that very reason. This may make it seem like Aquilina would be slightly harder to wear if your child happens to be the shy type. But I think it is still soft enough to wear well no matter what your personality. I could see this one on a headstrong princess just as easily as on a tomboy or a quiet bookworm.

Aquilina stands out in a subtle way - graceful, almost whimsical; energetic and sparkling.  If you like names that are rare and tasteful, then Aquilina would be a worthy addition to your shortlist.

Laurel

Photo Courtesy of Mali Workman Photography

Laurel is one of those names it seems like I've always admired. Unlike some names though, I can't quite pinpoint where I first heard it, or even when I first started liking it.

Possibly I've just always liked names with the "Lor" sound. As a child, I had a Barbie name Laura and another doll named Lori. Lorelei is another long time love - elaborate and "fancy" but not too delicate.

But Laurel remains my favourite. As down to earth and friendly feeling as Laura and Lori, not quite as elaborate as Lorelei but reminiscent of her charm. In my eyes she's preppy but not snobby, not too popular, but not at all weird. A nature name with enough history as a name that you almost forget it's also a nature word. In many ways she reminds me of Ivy, and with Ivy on the rise in much of the Western World (it rose in Australia, the UK and the US in 2013), could it be possible that Laurel may not be far behind?

Laurel herself has enjoyed some modest popularity over the years. In the US she has was a fixture in the top 1000 from 1917 to 2008, peaking at 241 in 1956. In 2013 she was #873. This steadiness is one of the appealing points about this name. It means that Laurel doesn't feel tied to a particular age group, whereas these days a Laurie is most likely to be a grandma while a Lauren is probably becoming a mother herself.

Pronounced LAWR-el or LORE-el, Laurel is a Latin nature name, given to many different plants. By far the most recognisable is the Grecian or Bay Laurel, the tree whose shiny green leaves were used to make the wreaths awarded to winners in the ancient Olympic Games. This symbol of victory is behind the saying "to rest on one's laurels", meaning that one stops trying because they are so satisfied with their past achievements.

It doesn't hurt that my favourite
artist - Alphonse Mucha -
created this beautiful piece
titled 'Laurel' in 1901

But Laurel is not just a nature name - in many parts of the U.S she is also a place name. There is also a class of ships with this name, a 17th century English coin; and a car made by Nissan. Plenty of famous faces also bear this name, both as a first name and a surname. Examples include:

• Comedian Stan Laurel (of comedy duo Laurel and Hardy)
• Author Laurell K Hamilton
• Former Philippine President Jose P Laurel
• Astronaut and Doctor Laurel Clark
• Character Laurel Lance in TV show 'Arrow', played by Katie Cassidy; and 
• DC comics superhero Laurel Gand, a.k.a. Andromeda.

It's worth noting at this point that I do keep referring to Laurel as a girls name. It doesn't have to be used exclusively for girls - there are male Laurels out there. Not many, so if it's a unique boys name you want Laurel could be a great choice. It's not too far removed from Laurence, and of course Lauren and Loren were originally male names which have since become "stolen" by the girls. This is another case where the fact that Laurel has never been a chart topper is a benefit, as it doesn't mean it's overwhelmingly entrenched as a girls name.

Saying that though, I personally have always loved it as a girls name.

One of the things I did notice about this name is that quite a few (female) Laurels have added their endorsement of the name on the Baby Name Wizard entry for this name. Often on popular names you'll find a couple (sometimes a few) replies under "Personal Experiences with this name". I think the fact that this has so many responses means that people have real affection for this name. As one Laurel puts it, "if you are attracted to flower names but don't want your daughter to sound too dainty, this is a nice choice".

But of course Laurel is not without it's problems. The fact that Laura and Lauren are much more popular means that many Laurels often have their name confused for one of these options. Rhyming words include Oral, Moral and Immoral, which could possibly be used for teasing. Or people receive a lot of Laurel and Hardy jokes. But generally Laurels seem happy to overlook this, and appreciate having a different, "unique" and pretty name.

Love it or hate it, it's hard to deny that the stylish Laurel is a subtly dignified name that still hints at a fun personality. She's a name that wears well in many walks of life and would delight many a girl.