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

Axis

Photo courtesy of Tammy B Photography

Have you ever come across a name in a book that just feels so perfect as a name that you wonder why it isn't actually used as a name? This is how I feel about Axis.

I first saw Axis as the main male character in the aptly named Sara Douglass fantasy series 'The Axis Trilogy'. He also appears in 'The Wayfarer Redemption' series. Axis starts as a talented soldier, but soon learns that he has a greater destiny to fulfill, and becomes a legendary hero who saves his world.

I like the idea of Axis (pronounced ax-ISS) as a heroic, inspirational name. It is of course a word, which means any line used as a fixed reference for determining the position of a point or series of points, or about which a rotating body such as the Earth turns; or an alliance of two or more nations to coordinate their foreign and military policies. Both are reflective of the characters' role in the series. And if you look at Axis is the light of it being a central line or an anchor of sorts for other points, it could also be said that Axis is somewhat of an inspirational name in a similar way to the name North is an inspirational name.

Axis feels a little bit Axel, a little bit Atlas. But unlike both of those he is not a name steeped in mythology or meaning. Or if you like the idea of Axis but prefer it as a nickname for a more substantial name, it could be a fun option for a young Abraxas/Abraxis, or even Alexis.

Axis would be a very cool, strong and modern-but-not-made-up name. It also has that great "X" factor that is so hot right now. Due to my association with the character I immediately think of this as a boys name, but this could also be a funky spunky girls name. This is possibly because there is also a type of deer known as the axis deer (or the chital deer or spotted deer), and the imagery of the deer always makes me think of strength, grace and agility. It's the grace and agility part that makes deer related names feel well suited to girls (for me, at least).

If you are after a truly rare name, it's hard to find one rarer than Axis - this one has never appeared on the U.S. SSA lists. This could be one fantastic name for the parents willing to take a chance on it.

A Month of "A" Names

I was thinking about what name I wanted to blog about next, when I found that overwhelmingly I kept thinking of names that started with "A". But the last name I profiled was "A" name Astley, and recent names Cavalia and Malta are also quite heavy on the "A"'s. Would it be too much?

Then I read this week's 'Nameberry Nine' post by Abby. Seems I'm not the only one who has been noticing "A" names everywhere recently. And since August also starts with the letter "A", I thought it would be the perfect time to go the whole hog (so to speak) and devote the entire month to "A" themed names.

"A" names are perennial favourites amongst today's parents. For the girls they are a clear winner. Of the 19,380 girls names that appeared on the 2012 SSA list, a massive 3,048 of them - or 15.7% - started with the letter "A". The next popular letter was "M", which started 1,761 (9.1%) of girls names. That's a fairly big lead. Again, if you look at popularity by number of births 18.1% of baby girls were given an "A" name - that adds up to 315,445 girls!

The boys have a similar story, although "A" names are still a second favourite for American boys, behind the number one letter of choice, "J". Newborn boys with a name starting with "A" totaled 194,6788 in 2012, representing 10.4% of boys. This was made up of 1,449 different names, just 20 fewer than the number of different "J" names used by parents in 2012, or 10.2% or boys names.

So why are "A" names so popular? It's hard to say as every individual name has it's own special charms. Maybe because the letter "A" can give a name a gentle softness, a lilting lyrical feel, or a subtle strength depending on how it is used. Maybe you like the idea of being called first if a group is going alphabetically. Or maybe you've seen the study that found that people with names starting with "A" are more likely to receive "A" grades at school.

Do you have any "A" names on your list? What is it that you like about them? And what names are you hoping to see me profile this month?