Tauriel

It's difficult to talk about newly created names without mentioning one of the most recent ones to grace the movie screens - Tauriel.

She's a modern addition to a much beloved franchise already rich with invented names and words, and has caused plenty of controversy in recent months. Tauriel is a Silvan Elf who makes her first appearance in the recently released sequel to "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"; "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug". Played by Evangeline Lilly, upon first hearing about her addition to the movie many derided it as being unfaithful to the original vision of the book, and her presence as simply being an unnecessary love interest for Legolas.

Since watching the movie, many have since changed their tune though. She is a carefully crafted character - her creators Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh wanted to add some feminine balance to a very male heavy story, but didn't want her to simply be eye candy. Tauriel has a back story of her own, and is a talented warrior who becomes caught in a love triangle which sees her making the tough decision between hunting Orcs with Legolas and Dragon hunting with the charismatic Kili.

And her name is both meaningful and in keeping with the spirit of Tolkiens works. Created from the Quenya Elvish language, Tauriel means 'daughter of the forest' - from the words taurë meaning 'forest' and the ending  -iel which means 'daughter of'.

When I first saw Tauriel in writing, it didn't strike me as the most visually attractive girls name. Generally I think of words and names such as Taurus and Taurean to be more masculine, especially with the association with bulls. But it's pronunciation of tow-riel helps diminish this and show it in a more delicate light. The L ending is also a nice alternative to the very popular A ending for girls.

But it's not the look, sound or meaning of this name that I think will cause this name to make a few ripples.

One thing people love in girls names these days is an intelligent, strong and brave female. It doesn't matter if she is a killer either. In 2012, three names in particular had a big impact on the SSA charts - Arya, Cataleya and Khaleesi. One is a sword wielding tomboy, one an assassin and the third a dragon wielding warrior queen.

Tauriel would be good company for these women. Evangeline Lilly herself describes Tauriel:

"Shes's a little more...gritty. A little more spontaneous, passionate perhaps.

To play this character I need to have a certain amount of grace. But I'm also supposed to be an absolutely ruthless, deadly killer."; and

"It was actually great to have that little bit of freedom to play with her and not have my performance from beginning to end be stoic and ethereal."

Granted, a strong female character who can kick ass is not a fool-proof formula for an overnight naming sensation, otherwise Katniss would have made more of an impact than it has. But being an underdog, passionate and having a pretty and distinctive but not too out-there name definitely helps. Tauriel ticks a lot of the right boxes.

Die-hard Tolkien fans may not agree, but I think Tauriel has a sound and style that many will find appealing, with a cool and inspiring on-screen example. She'll be one to watch.

Topher

Photo courtesy of Alison Griffiths

He feels like a somewhat old world, somewhat aristocratic name. I can just picture boys named Topher - or Christopher nicknamed Topher - right at home in an Edwardian castle, or even working the fields outside of one. Yet it's hard to find any evidence that this was ever the case. Seems that this has only become a nickname or given name in fairly modern times.

Topher first came to wider attention via actor Topher Grace. In 1998 a show called "That 70's Show" first aired in the U.S. The show was a hit, and made stars of some of it's main cast members - in particular, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace. Born Christopher John Grace in 1978, he spent a lot of his younger years as a Chris until deciding he wanted something more distinctive. Apparently it's not unusual for boys named Kristoffer (international variant of Christopher) to go by Toffer in Denmark either. But it seems that Topher Graces' fame prompted other Christophers to do the same, as most of the Tophers I can find online are about the same age or younger that Topher Grace. 

Topher may have stayed as simply a quirky nickname alternative to the traditional Chris or even Kip or Kit, but in 2007 Topher first appeared on the U.S SSA charts. It was the year Topher Grace left "That 70's Show" and appeared as villain Venom in the blockbuster "Spider-man 3", and it was given to 13 boys that year. It has appeared again in 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2012, possibly assisted by the appearance of a character by the name of Topher Brink in Joss Whedons' short-lived "Dollhouse". Like many Joss Whedon shows, "Dollhouse" has a somewhat cult-like following, and eccentric-young-genius-with-questionable-morals Topher Brink has struck a chord with many fans, giving this name a bit of geek cred. 

However, it may be a little simplistic to assume that Topher is just a nickname that has managed to make the transition to given name. While it's hard to find records of it as a given name, it does have a history as a surname. Reportedly originating from the area of Thuringia in Germany in early medieval times, spelling variations include Toepfer, Topfer, Toeffer, Toffer, Topper and Topfer. 

This additional aspect makes it slightly harder to determine the exact origin and meaning of this name. As a derivation of Christopher, it would have Greek/Latin origins and mean 'bearer of Christ'. As a surname it is an occupational name, coming from the German Töpfer meaning 'potter'. Chances are you may even have a Potter or variation of Töpfer in your family tree.

I like both Topher Grace and the character Topher Brink, so I can see the attraction of this name. It's currently fresh and "new" feeling, and those who like it think of it as suiting someone who is clever, sweet and gentle but a little off beat and quirky. It may sound similar to tofu or gopher for some, but at least these are not overtly negative or offensive associations. Topher is interesting and current. It's possible that this name is just at the start of a long climb to popularity.

Stellaluna and Soluna

This post was inspired by the credits of a movie I watched the other day. The name I spotted was Soluna, the artist of one of the songs used in the movie. At least I thought it was an artist, as I assumed that it must be a persons name that I just hadn't heard before.

Turns out though that I was on the wrong path. Soluna (pronounced SOL-une-ah) was a group of female Hispanic singers that were together from 1998 to 2004. I hadn't heard of them before so they mustn't have had much success in Australia, but it seems they were relatively successful in the US.

But back to their name. They invented Soluna by combining the Spanish words for sun (sol) and moon (luna). So simple yet such a romantic result. Which made me think about another Luna smoosh name that I first heard sometime over the past year - Stellaluna. Meaning 'stars and the moon'. But how can one decide between the sun and the moon or the stars and the moon?

Almost surprisingly, neither has ever charted. Luna itself has been experiencing an upsurge in recent years, yet it doesn't seem to have transferred to any other Luna names yet. It seems a little strange - a name that is heaven spelled backwards is a top 100 name, but these two pretty names with their lovely meanings and current sound haven't even gotten a foot in the door. What's with that?

Well, both have a less than flattering association with them. And when a name is rare, there's a higher chance that it will only be associated with the one other thing people have heard it for.

Apart from being a girl group, car manufacturer Toyota released a model in the 1990's called the Soluna in Asia. It was a great seller, but marketed as a family car or taxi, which aren't generally considered to be sexy. It also can sound a little like saloon, and no-one wants their child confused with a bar.

Stellaluna on the other hand is most closely associated with the childrens book of the same name. Written by Janell Cannon in 1993, 'Stellaluna' is is the story of a cute baby fruit bat who learns to recognise that her and her friends differences doesn't mean they can't still be great friends. It was featured in the 2001 movie 'I Am Sam' and released as an animation on DVD in 2004. But again, people don't generally find bats very attractive.

I think there's hope for these names yet though. Maybe the children who grow up loving the book 'Stellaluna' will one day give it to their daughters with fond memories and messages of coming together to embrace our differences. Maybe 2012 Eurovision contestant Soluna Somay will bring more attention to the name Soluna, showing that it is one that would work in many countries.

Then again, if these feel a little too frilly as one name for you, they could always be broken up and used as first and middle combinations. Sol (or even the attractive Soleil) Luna or Stella Luna are lovely too. 'Grey's Anatomy' star Ellen Pompeo agrees - she named her daughter Stella Luna in 2009.

For something just a touch exotic, just a touch soft and dreamy; with an almost heavenly meaning, why not consider Soluna or Stellaluna?