Fiora

Musical Artist Fiora

Like Fiona or Flora, but want something a little different and a lot rarer? Then how about Fiora.

Fiora (pronounced fee-OR-ah) is one of those names that no one is 100% sure where it came from, but there seem to be two main theories. The first - which seems to be the correct one - is that Fiora comes from the Latin fiore, meaning 'flower'. Fiore was used as a unisex name in Medieval Italian, and related names include Fiorella (feminine form) and Fiorello (masculine form), both meaning 'little flower'.

Another often quoted theory is that Fiora is a variant of the Gaelic name Fiona, which means 'fair' or 'pale'. From what I can find though, this seems to be entirely based on a character called Fiora Flynn, from a mystery series written by A.E Maxwell (husband and wife team Ann and Evan). In this series, main character Fiora receives her name after a nurse at the hospital where she is born mistakenly writes Fiora rather than her intended name, Fiona. As the first book in the series was published in 1985, I'd go with the Medieval Italian source if you want a "legitimate" origin.

Fiora suddenly popped up on the American charts quite recently in 2003. That year it was given to just 5 girls, ranking it at #16566. In 2012 it had risen to position #6917, so this is one name on the move. Besides character Fiora Finn, there are a few examples out there that people may be taking their inspiration from:

• Tasmanian born singer & musician Fiora, best known for dance music collaborations with other prominent dance artists
• Italian charm bracelet and jewellery brand Fiora
• Italian river the Fiora
• Fiora Laurent, a.k.a. The Grand Duellist, champion in the online video game 'League of Legends'
• Playable character Fiora in video game 'Xenoblade Chronicles', whose skills are courage, daring, zeal, rashness and innocence.

The thing I like about Fiora is that the image I get in my mind when I think of a Fiora is so at odds with the meaning of the name. It's a pretty, feminine name, and when you think of flowers you tend to think soft and delicate. Yet when I think of Fiora it makes me think of fire, of someone who is confident, assertive and strong, and I love a girls name that could mean any or all of those things to anyone who hears it. I also like that you could use the spunky nickname Fia, although Fifi or just Fi would also be perfectly cute options.

A Fiora may often get confused for a Fiona or Flora, but if you don't mind that then this is one beautiful, exotic rarity. It could be a way to honour an Italian heritage, or a floral name from your family tree such as Lily or Rose. It would be a surprising name, but one that I think you'll find others will like more than you think.

Reuven

Photo by Elena Karneeva

A few months ago I featured the name Zared, which I first came across in a fantasy novel. Today's name reminds me quite a bit of Zared. By that I means at first glance it looks like a well known name - i.e. Reuben - that has been "jazzed up" a bit with the addition of a lesser used, futuristic sounding letter. But just like Zared, this is not the case with Reuven, and it is actually an old Hebrew name with Biblical connections.

Pronounced ROO-ven, it is actually a variant of Reuben (or Ruben) and like Reuben means 'behold! a son'. He appears in the Old Testament as the eldest son of Jacob and Leah, making him the grandson of Isaac. He was the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This puts him in the company of other sons of Jacob  Asher and Levi, both of which are fairly popular currently.

Unlike Asher (positioned #108 for boys in America in 2012) and Levi (number #55) though, Reuven is very rarely used, positioned at just #4321 in 2012 in America. The better known Reuben is also nowhere near as popular as Asher and Levi, hovering around the bottom end of the top 1000 at #973 in 2012. Reuven is also the only one of these four names that has never charted for girls.

Reuven is also a suburb in Johannesburg, South Africa, but I first came across Reuven in a discussion about favourite literary characters. One poster wrote that their top two picks are Atticus (from Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird') and Reuven Malter from Chaim Potok's 'The Chosen'. Having not read 'The Chosen' myself it's hard to comment on the character, except to say that being mentioned in the same breath as Atticus is fairly high praise for most literary fans.

There are two main arguments (that I've seen) against using Reuven as a name. One is that it may seem out of place on a child without any Jewish heritage, although the common feeling is that it isn't too much different from using any Biblical name. The second is one is that you would be constantly correcting people that it's like Reuben, but with a V. However, this slight spelling difference does also come with some advantages.

For many, Reuven is a great alternative to Reuben because it avoids the "rube" nickname. Admittedly, this may only be a concern in America, as I saw this point made in a forum discussion, but being Australian I was not aware of the association. If you're just as in the dark as I was, it's a term for a country bumpkin. You also avoid associations with the sandwich. Again not a huge problem in Australia anyway. And you also avoid your son being given the nickname Ruby, which is currently #106 in America for girls and the #2 girls name in Australia.

I do really like the nickname possibility of Ven, which I feel has a kind of chilled out and zen vibe. I also really like that it is a futuristic/fantasy sounding name that is actually an old, rarely heard name. It's surprising how many names used in fantasy are just that. And it could be a surprisingly good fit with many other names, whether you want a sibset of biblical names or modern sounding names.

Dale

Mike Vogel plays Dale "Barbie" Barbara
in the CBS TV adaptation of Stephen King's 'Under The Dome'

There may not be anything particularly dazzling about the name Dale, but this little name certainly packs a lot of punch. Dale (pronounced dayl) is an Old English nature word name meaning 'valley'. It first came into use as a surname, but has long been accepted as a given name for both males and females. This places it among other one syllable unisex nature names such as Brook/e, Bay, Glen, Lake, Rain, Sage, Sky and Wren. However, while some of these names (Bay, Sage, Wren) have enjoyed a burst of popularity in recent years, and others remain perennial favourites (Brooke, Rain, Sky), Dale has been losing ground quickly.

Looking back 100 years to 1912, Dale was positioned at #847 for girls and #159 for boys in America. By 1962, Dale had peaked for girls at #237 ten years earlier, and positioned at #497 was on the decline. For boys however, it was positioned at #62, in the midst of it's 48 year long run in the American top 100. But in 2012 Dale didn't even register on the charts for girls, and for the boys has it's 11th consecutive drop, positioned at just #1122.

So why the massive drop? Well, it probably doesn't help that there aren't currently any "trendy" Dales in the global spotlight.

For girls, Dale was at it's most popular when actress and singer Dale Evans was at the height of her fame. The years immediately following her marriage to high profile singing cowboy Roy Rogers were the years that this name ranked the highest for girls. Flash Gordon's love interest and "fellow adventurer" Dale Arden also helped add a feminine image to this name. She was described as beautiful, capable and independent, qualities that are often appreciated when looking for a girls name.

But for many Dale is considered to be solely a boys name. It has always felt like a bit of a cowboy name, and NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt (and subsequently his son) likely helped keep Dale a more masculine name in most peoples minds. Unfortunately Dale has also come to be seen as somewhat of a redneck or hillbilly, largely helped by a redneck character called Dale in the cartoon 'King of the Hill'. This is also the way the writers of the 2010 movie 'Tucker and Dale vs Evil' must see the name, as they gave this name to one of the two hillbilly lead characters.

And then of course there were those lovable Disney chipmunks Chip and Dale, stars of the 1989 TV series and movie 'Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers'. Dale was the goofy one. Real life Dales could expect to be asked "Where's Chip?" regularly. I can see how it would be fairly off putting. Anecdotes from people named Dale also lament the fact that their name rhymes with so many other (and not always flattering) words, such as whale, snail, pale, stale and fail, to name a few.

As I see it, Dale currently suffers from one major problem. It's seen as an outdated, almost boring name, but is not quite in the same league as other "vintage" revival names that are currently finding a new appreciation amongst new parents. Instead, I prefer to think of it as more of a retro name.

I possibly think of it this way because most of my associations with Dale are from TV shows and movies from the 80's and 90's. Yes, 'Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers' is one. But my favourite is Andie MacDowell's alluring, sophisticated Dale Biberman in 'St Elmo's Fire'. She's that charming Doctor that Emilio Estevez's character Kirby spends his time trying to impress. Then there's the role that made Kyle MacLachlan a household name in the 90's - Special Agent Dale Cooper, lead investigator into the death of Laura Palmer in 'Twin Peaks'.

In fact, there have always been plenty of great Dales on our screens. Recently we've seen character Dale Hovarth in AMC's 'The Walking Dead', who was often the voice of reason and compassion within their group of survivors. Or if you are looking for a younger example, the lead character in the TV adaptation of Stephen King's 'Under The Dome' is named Dale "Barbie" Barbara. Maybe this young hero will see people reconsidering Dale.

Dale remains a sleek, understated but potentially stately choice. For a girl, it has a similar feel to preppy choices Greer and Sloane. On a boy, it can be likened to modern classics Reed, Blake and Logan. It would be a shame to see Dale fall further into disuse.