Lisiantha

Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Wright Photography

Here's another pretty name from the floral world that is rare as hen's teeth. So rare she's never been given to more than 5 girls in any one year in the U.S, and is pretty much unheard of. Yet if blooms with exotic sounding names such as Wisteria, Amaryllis and Amarantha are seen as attractive possibilities, why not Lisiantha?

Lisiantha (pronounced LIZ-ee-an-thah or LISS-ee-an-thah) is a variant spelling of lisianthus. I have to admit to being a bit biased when it comes to this flower - I had lisianthus in my bridal bouquet when I got married, so it has a very sentimental place in my heart. I used two different shades of purple blooms (mixed with ivory roses), but the lisianthus also comes in pink, white and blue. It's also known by its' genus name Eustoma (meaning 'beautiful mouth'), Texas Bluebell, Prairie Gentian or Tulip Gentian.

The word Lisianthus comes from the Greek words lysis, meaning 'dissolution', and anthos, meaning 'flower'. Which seems somewhat ambiguous as a meaning, although popular thought is that this translates as symbolic of an outgoing and divisive nature. Other opinions are that the lisianthus symbolises appreciation; or deeply felt romantic attachment; or even old fashioned values and sentimentality because it often grows wild as a prairie flower.

So why has this pretty bloom been largely overlooked as a name option? It's possibly because the flower itself has not enjoyed the widespread popularity that many other flowers such as the rose has had. Word among growers and florists though is that demand for this flower has been increasing over the past decade, so looks like it may be just a matter of time before lovers of this flower start putting this flower name on birth certificates.

While technically the flower name is Lisianthus, I have a feeling that variants Lisiantha/Lysiantha and Lisianthe/Lysianthe (pronounced LIZ-ee-an-thee) will be the ones to watch. Names ending in "us" tend to be mostly masculine, whereas "a" endings are popularly feminine. They feel like a fresher update of Lisandra, while or the "the" ending makes it feel like an elaboration of names like Ianthe or Xanthe. Both could make great nickname options, with other possibilities being Anthe, Antha, Liss, Lissa, Liz, Lizzie, Ann or the less obvious Sia.

Sia is actually the nickname used by the character Lisianthus in the Japanese series 'Shuffle!' 'Shuffle!' started as a visual novel, and has been adapted into video games, manga and anime. It's a great source for floral naming inspiration, as "all of the characters' names are references to flowers in some way".

Lisiantha would be a charming, different but not weird floral option for a girl today. It feels pretty and feminine; soft and lacy; with just enough spunk to be interesting and refreshing. It's the kind of name that would receive plenty of compliments, and leave people wondering why they haven't heard this name used more often. What do you think - is Lisiantha bursting with unfulfilled potential, or has she remained overlooked and largely ignored for a reason?

My beautiful wedding bouquets with purple lisianthus
Made with love by my mum ☺

Hadley

A few years ago, I came across this name when watching 'True Blood'. Hadley Hale is main character Sookie's cousin and is also a fairy herself. The name felt so cute and bubbly, yet so intelligent at the same time, I was hooked. I could see her as the introverted bookworm, an outgoing peppy popular girl, a sporty tomboy or a preppy socialite. Is it just me, or does that sound like a description for characters for a new CW show in the vein of 'Pretty Little Liars'?

Hadley is a nature name meaning 'heather field', yet feels quite far removed from 80's darling Heather or even popular 90's girl Hayley.

For some strange, unexplainable reason I always associate Hadley with Harper. And I honestly feel surprised that Harper is the more popular of the two (not that Harper doesn't have it's own brand of fresh, perkiness). Both however appeal to a lot of people - in 2012 Harper was ranked #24 in the U.S and Hadley a not-too-shabby #130. This puts Hadley in a good position of being well liked and popular without feeling over-used.

For some Hadley feels more like a surname or boys name, and they're not wrong. It is Ernest Hemingway's wife Hadley Richardson (born Elizabeth Hadley Richardson) that first put this name on the radar for women. In 1964 Hemingway's memoir 'A Moveable Feast' - capturing his and Hadley's time together in Paris in the 1920's - was published. That was the first year that Hadley appeared on the U.S charts for girls. Prior to that it had only been charting as a boys name, since the early 1900's. Today it still sees use for both genders, but it is overwhelmingly more popular for girls, with only 49 boys receiving this name in the U.S in 2012. This all just adds to the chameleon like versatility of Hadley.

Whether you're inspired by a Heather you want to honour, Hemingway's first wife, a bubbly fairy, or another Hadley (maybe Tony Hadley from 80's New Romantic group Spandau Ballet?), it's hard to go wrong with the charming Hadley. Or maybe you just straight out love the sound of it. I know I do.

Alyssum

This is one of those sneaky names that has recently popped up in a couple of places. First, I saw it as a minor, blink-and-you'll-miss-them character in the book I'm currently reading, and then I saw it mentioned on a forum. I generally take it as sign that a name is worth a second look when I see such a rare name this way.

The green thumbs out there will be able to tell you right away that Alyssum (pronounced a-LISS-um) is a floral, nature name. Although this name covers over 100 variants of this plant, when I think of alyssum I always remember the "carpet of snow" variety that we had in the front garden when I was a child. I used to love putting it in tiny little posies and selling them for 5c each. Very enterprising for a 6 year old ☺.

This early association makes me think of Alyssum as a delicate, pretty, and cheerful name, yet also vintage feeling. I could imagine an Alyssum just as at home in a county kitchen as a Viennese ball.

There are a couple of different theories as to where the name originated. As a plant name, Alyssum comes from the Greek alyssos, meaning 'curing madness', as it was once used as a remedy for dogs with rabies. As a name for a person, it has also been denoted to mean 'noble', coming from the same roots as Alice, Alicia and Alyssa. Or if you prefer to take it's meaning from the symbolism behind this flower, the flower is said to mean 'beauty'.

The Sweet Alyssum variant is also said to have some magical properties - planted around the house it will deflect spells, or worn on your lapel it will prevent angry encounters. It's scent promotes peaceful energy and spiritual and emotional balance. Which I guess goes with it's charming and cheerful image.

The main objection I've heard to this name is that it reminds people of the word asylum, as in lunatic asylum. Which is a little sad, as the word asylum means shelter and protection from danger so should have a positive connotation, rather than the negative vibe we feel because it is so often paired with lunatic. But if people are OK with Luna, then there is no reason Alyssum should suffer from any problems with this occasional association. Plus, the enduring popularity of Alice, Alicia and Alyssa shows us that other similar sounding names are actually quite well liked, which would be to its advantage.

Alyssum has only seen rare use in the U.S. - since 1880 it has only charted twice, each time given to just 5 girls and the most recent appearance being in 2007. This makes it a perfect alternative if you love floral names but want something a world away from Lily and Rose yet not so exuberant as options like Amaryllis or Magnolia. Alyssum is definitely one pretty name that I could imagine people complimenting often.

'Carpet of Snow' Alyssum

Enid Blyton Characters

After writing about Enid and her famous namesake author Enid Blyton, I thought it might be fun to look at some of the names that she used in her stories.

Keeping in mind that Enid Blyton was writing (approximately) from 1922 to 1967, her stories are reflective of a different time and society, often containing views that are now unacceptably racist and sexist. This has led to some of her books being banned at times, and heavily edited and revised in other cases. But the names remain something of a time capsule, a glimpse into a time when the given names Dick and Fanny or nicknames Fats and Podge wouldn't automatically lead to bullying by your peers.

Here's a list of as many of them as I could dig up, although I'm sure there's plenty more. I've tried to stick to just children's names - the names of the pets alone would be enough for another post! Nicknames or the name the character most often went by are in brackets, although there are a few that are quite probably nicknames that I couldn't see a full name for. At least, not without trying to re-read every Enid Blyton book! With that in mind, here is a list of some of the gorgeous vintage gems that can be found within the pages of her well-loved stories.

The Boys

Andy Barnabas (Barney)     Benjy Bill Bob Bobby Bonaparte (Bony) Brock Claude (Podge) Colin Cyril

Dan David x2 Dick Edgar Ernest (Ern) Francis Fred Frederick (Fatty) Fric Gareth George Henry (Harry)

Jack Jeffery Jimmy Jocko John Jo Julian Ken Kenneth Kit Lawrence (Larry) Len

Leonard Michael Mickey Mike Nick Nicky Richard Robert Robin Roderick (Roddy) Roger Rory

Patrick (Pat) Paul Percy (Perce) Peter (Snubby) Peter Philip Philip (Pip) Sam Sidney (Sid) Tom Tony William

The Girls

Alicia Alison Alma Amanda Amelia Jane Amy Angela Anna Anne Anne-Marie Annette Antoinette April Arabella Barbara Belinda Bessie Betty Biddy Bonnie Bridget Carlotta Catherine Christine Clare

Clarissa Claudine Connie Daphne Darrell Deirdre Delia Diana Dimity (Dimmy) Dinah Dora Doris Edith Eileen Ellen Elsie Elizabeth (Bets) Elizabeth (Lizzie) Elizabeth Emily Erica Esme Eunice Fanny Fay

Felicity Fenella Georgina (George) Gillian Gladys Gwendoline (Gwen) Gwyneth Hannah Harriet (Harry) Henrietta (Henry) Hilary Hilda Irene Isobel Ivy Jane Janet Jean Jennifer Jill Joan Josephine (Jo) Joy June Katherine

Kathleen Katie Laura Lotta Louella Lucy Lucy-Ann Margaret (Daisy) Margery Marilyn Mary Mary-Lou Maureen Mavis Melisande Millicent Mirabel Moira Mollie Molly Nora Olive Pam Pamela Patricia (Pat)

Pauline Peggy Penelope Penny Prudence Rachel Rita Roberta (Bobby) Ruth Sadie Sally Sheila Sophie Susan Susie Suzanne Sylvia Tessa (Tessie) Vera Veronica Violet Wilhelmina (Bill) Winnie Yolande Zerelda

There are so many interesting things about the names here, but here are a few fast facts for you:

• Peter and Jack were the boys names Enid Blyton used the most
• And Pam/Pamela was the most popular girls name, closely followed by Susan and Rita 
• In case you're wondering, the girls list is much longer mainly due to the number of books Enid Blyton wrote that were based in girl's boarding schools. But it seems a lot of them preferred to go by quite boyish nicknames, such as George, Bill, Henry and Bobby.
• Enid also named a few sets of twins in her stories. A couple of notables were David and Delia (I love this combination!) and "The Harry's" - twins Henry who went by Harry and Harriet who also went by Harry.

What are your favourite Enid Blyton names? Are any of these names on your list because of an Enid Blyton character? Or have you perhaps used one already?

Inspiring Names - "Hart of Dixie"

Stuck for a Name?

"Hart of Dixie" has to be my favourite show of 2011- it's so uplifting and quirky. I guess I also like to think that there are towns like that out there, and I'm still a fan of Rachel Bilson from her days on "The O.C.". But one of the other things I love so much about this show are the refreshing names many of the characters have.

The main character Dr Zoe Hart alone offers some great naming possibilities. Zoe - meaning life - has long been a favourite of mine. Unfortunately I'd hesitate to use it now because it is so popular. Last year Zoe was ranked 16th most popular girls name in both my state and for the whole of Australia.

However Hart.....well that throws up a few new, fresher possibilities! Hart is an English boys name, meaning stag. I like that this is technically an animal/nature name, without obviously being so. It's also a strong, short name which I find I prefer for boys names. But there is no denying that it obviously sounds like 'heart', which most people associate with girly things like flowers and rainbows. Makes Hart sound a little (O.K., a lot) less masculine,  so if you're stuck on this name for a boy I think it'd be strictly middle name material. Even as a girls name it doesn't quite work, as people would likely always spell it incorrectly and think you were trying to use a word name (a huge trend at the moment).

I feel that the winning choice here is Hartley. This is also an established English name, meaning stag meadow, and fits right in with the other unisex -ley names such as Riley and Bailey. Hartley was chosen by Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath for his daughter Hartley Grace in 2010, most likely inspired by the name of the town where he was born, Hartford. I think if I was to use this name it would also most likely be for a girl, although I'd opt for the variant Hartlee (as my husband's middle name is Lee). Other usable versions include Hartleigh, Hartlea and Hartlie, depending on your personal style.

Some other great "Hart of Dixie" names to inspire you are:

Girls
Addy
Annabeth
Clora
Delia
Didi
Dixie
Emmeline
Joelle
Lemon (short for Clementine - love this!!)
Magnolia
Rose
Shelley
Shula
Tancy (pron. Tansy)

Boys
Brick
Dash
Earl
Ethan
George
Judson (first time I had heard this handsome one)
Lavon
Tom
Wade
Wilson (actually one of the actors, not a character, but I thought it fits right in)