Orchid

Last year it was Emerald, but this year Pantone have declared Radiant Orchid to be the colour of 2014. Pantone describe this colour as being "captivating, magical and enigmatic", which I think would also be a good description for the name Orchid.

It's definitely one of the more exotic blooms, which has perhaps made it feel a little too distinctive and elaborate to use as a name. Particularly when it tends to be the more common, cheerful blooms such as Rose, Lily or Daisy that people think of for flower inspired names. Orchid saw some rare use in the U.S in the 20's, 30's and 40's. However since 1997 it has started appearing regularly on the SSA charts, just in very small numbers. This may have been influenced by American group 'Wild Orchid', which featured Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson before she became a member of 'The Black Eyed Peas'. They released their debut single in 1996 and first album in 1997.

The orchid family is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, and includes vanilla. They can be found pretty much everywhere except glaciers. The name comes from the Greek word Orchis, which has neither a flattering meaning or tale behind it. The Greek myth of Orchis tells us that he was the son of a nymph and a satyr who came upon a festival of Dionysus (also known as Bacchus) in the forest. He drank too much and tried to rape a priestess, so was torn apart as punishment. His father prayed for him to be restored but the gods instead changed him into a flower. The word Orchis literally means 'testicles' so named for the shape of their root.

If you can overlook this, take comfort in the fact that orchids are some of the most beautiful, intricate blooms to be found. Cattleya is a particularly pretty South American variety, thought to be the inspiration behind the name Cataleya made popular by Zoe Saldana in the movie 'Colombiana'. Local varieties are the national symbols of Venezuala, Colombia and Singapore; and the Chinese city of Shaoxing. In ancient Greece orchids were associated with fertility and virility, but after the rise of their popularity in Victorian England they became symbolic of luxury and rare and delicate beauty. Purple orchids, such as the ones that inspired the Pantone colour Radiant Orchid, are thought to be the true queen of flowers, symbolising royalty, admiration and respect.

Of their choice of Radiant Orchid, Pantone have said that:

"Radiant Orchid reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination"

"An invitation to innovation, Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today's society"

"Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm".

Exotic, rare, beautiful, intriguing, captivating, joyful, beguiling and charming. All could be used to describe the name Orchid. A girl with this name would be just as special as this name suggests.

Fenris and Leander

For something a little different, I thought I'd share a birth announcement I saw in Melbourne's 'Herald Sun' newspaper today. It's such a cool and funky way to announce a birth - it definitely hints at the fun personality that the family that chose Fenris Leander for their son must have!

Both Fenris and Leander are animal related names. Fenris is a Norse name, from the mythological giant wolf who is also known as Fenrir. The eldest child of Loki, it was prophesied that he and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction of the world. The Norse gods commissioned a magic chain be made and chained him to a rock, the legend being that on the day of Ragnarok (the end of the world) he will break his chains and take revenge against the gods.

Fenris has only charted in the U.S as a first name in the last two years (2011 & 2012). It's been popularly used in games though, appearing as an elven warrior in 'Dragon Age' and as the homeworld of the Space Wolf Space Marines in 'World of Warcraft' just to name a couple. There is also a Commander Fenris in the 'Star Wars' world - he's an officer in the Rebel Alliance. Something tells me this may have been the inspiration for the birth notice.

Leander (pronounced lee-AN-der) is a Greek name meaning 'lion man'. He also has a mythological connection - legend is that he would swim across the Hellespont to visit his beloved, a priestess of Venus named Hero. Alas, he drowned on one of his swims when overpowered by a storm, which incited Hero to fling herself in the water too.

Unlike Fenris, Leander has seen steady use as a name in the U.S and has charted every year (except one) since 1880, peaking at #326 in 1882. He;s particularly popular in Norway. You'll see this name on warships, towns and cities, a steam locomotive and even an ape on 'Planet of the Apes'. He's a seventh century Spanish saint, a young detective on TV show 'The Wire', a character in video game 'Red Dead Redemption' and many more things.

Admittedly, my previous impressions of these names were that Fenris is cool but hard to wear, and Leander felt a little "soft" for a boy (mainly because it reminds me of the flower oleander and occasionally charts as a girls name too). But I'm adoring them together! This combination flows wonderfully and has just enough fierce edge, but not too much. The wolf and the lion together is quite a powerful image, and 'The Wolf and the Lion' is actually the title of an episode of 'Game of Thrones' if you're a fan of the TV show. Fenris Leander is spunky and cool and rich with meaning.

Welcome to the world, Fenris Leander!

Photo Courtesy of Kimberly G Photography

The Nature of Nature Names

If you're a regular reader here, you've probably heard me say before that I love nature names. People often talk about choosing a name with "meaning", and I feel that nature names have meaning for everyone. They can help to give us a spiritual connection to the world around us, a respect for the power and beauty that surrounds us.

I was watching a show recently about what would happen to the planet if humans just disappeared from Earth tomorrow. The thing that struck me the most was that even with the massive amounts of pollution humans have already generated, and even though the nuclear power plants would meltdown and throw tons of radiation into the atmosphere, given just decades the trees and oceans would clean the atmosphere and plant and animal life would continue. The power of nature is awe-inspiring sometimes.

Normally, when we talk of nature names people think of names like River, Willow and Lily - nature words that are also used as names. But nature names can be so much subtler and more diverse than that. So instead of breaking them down by the usual categories such as trees, flowers, animals, gemstones etc, I thought I'd look at them in a slightly different way.

1. "Straightforward" Nature Word Names
These are the types of names I mentioned above - the names you'll find on any nature names list.

It's great to see how people's opinions of these names have changed over time. Compare for example the names Rose and River. Rose is an enduring classic. Since the first SSA records of 1880 Rose has been a top 500 name in the U.S. You almost forget it's actually a flower name, it's so established as a given name. River however would have been almost unthinkable as a given name in 1880. When it first charted for boys in the 1970's it was a rarity and considered to be a "hippy" name, as many other nature names also were at that time. This opinion would be the popular one for a couple of decades. By 2012 River is far from a rare novelty, charting at #407 for boys and #686 for girls.

In recent years we've seen female characters named both Rose and River on the popular TV show 'Doctor Who', and no one blinks an eye. Our attitudes as to what constitutes a "name" are relaxing, and even the most exotic nature word names are now fair game.


2. Nature Words with Dual Meanings
One of my favourite examples of this is Sage. Yes, it's a herbal nature name, but it also means wise. In addition to those that have "official" second meanings, many plants and stones have a history of associated meanings. For example, Alyssum is a flower name, means 'noble', and symbolises beauty. Ruby symbolises vitality and royalty. The extra meanings and symbolism traditionally attributed to these add an extra depth of meaning to a name. Just like the people they are naming, they have many facets to their personality.


3. "Normal" Names with Nature Meanings
It's like a sneaky little surprise. While people were busy deriding "hippy" names, they were overlooking plenty of "normal" names with nature meanings, such as Daphne (meaning 'laurel'), Paloma (meaning 'dove') or Audra (meaning 'storm'). If you desire a connection to nature but aren't so keen on word names, this might be the path for you.


4. Place and Surnames Derived from Nature
Lots of surnames were taken from the towns where people lived, and many towns were given their names based on the characteristics of the surrounding land. Aren't names with meanings such as 'east meadow', 'people of the riverside forest', 'place on the riverbank' or 'where birches grow' every bit as nature oriented as Meadow, Forest, River or Birch? Then meet Astley, Dresden, Reminton and Berkeley.

This style of nature name opens a lot of possibilities. It also offers more versatility, as they usually combine two or more elements into one. It could be the solution to honouring two loved ones with nature names of their own without necessarily creating a "new"smoosh-hybrid. Plus, they tend to be a bit preppier or "proper" sounding if you want a nature name with a bit more panache.


Whether you like your nature names to be boldly forthright or subtly surprising, the world of nature names is just as rich with choice and variety as nature itself is. In our ever changing world, nature is a constant all powerful force. I can only see them growing more popular. This month I'm all about nature names, so if there's one that you would like to see profiled this February, just let me know in the comments below!