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Showing posts from 2018

On My Mind: 12-5-18

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"Lorelei" Lots of Name Sightings - I've heard so many great names lately at work. Annabelle Ruth, siblings named Viola, Coco, Savannah, and Reed, and a little boy named Thor. Lorelei - A friend of mine became an Uncle a while back and I just finally got to meet her. Her name is Lorelei, which I think is gorgeous. Lorelei is German and means "luring rock". In German folklore a Lorelei was a sort of mermaid or siren who would lure fishermen to their deaths. Lorelei is also the name of a rock headland on the Rhine River. Edna - I've been watching "SS-GB" which is set in an alternate history Great Britain where the Germans won WWII. One of the main characters is played by German actor Lars Eidinger, who in real life has a daughter named Edna. I just thought it was so refreshing to see. Edna in Hebrew means "pleasure", and it is also an anglicized version of Irish Eithne, which means "kernel" or "grain".

The Children of Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe

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Princess Bathildis Princess Bathildis of Schaumburg-Lippe was born Bathildis Marie Leopoldine Anna Auguste to Prince William of Schaumburg-Lippe and Princess Bathildis of Anhalt-Dessau . She married Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont.  Their children were: Josias Georg Wilhelm Adolf, "Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont" - He later became a General in the SS. Maximilian William Gustav Herman, "Prince Maximilian of Waldeck and Pyrmont" Helene Bathildis Charlotte Maria Friederike, "Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont" Georg Wilhelm Karl Viktor, "Prince Georg of Waldeck and Pyrmont"

Cardi B and Offset Welcome First Child Together

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Offset and Cardi B Rapper Cardi B and her husband Offset, who is a part of the music group "Migos", have welcomed their first child, a little girl who they've called Kulture Kiari. Kiari happens to be Offset's real first name. He has three other children not with Cardi, while this is her first child.

The Children of Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este

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Princess Margherita on the cover of "Epoca" magazine, 1953 Margherita, Archduchess of Austria-Este was born Princess Margherita Isabella Maria Vittoria Emanuela Elena Gennara of Savoy-Aosta to Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta  and Princess Anne of  Orléans . She married Robert, Archduke of Austria-Este . Their children are: Maria Beatrice Anna Felicitas Zita Charlotte Adelheid Christina Elisabeth Gennara, "Archduchess Maria Beatrice of Austria-Este" Lorenz Otto Carl Amadeus Thadeus Maria Pius Andreas Marcus d'Aviano, "Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este" , later "Prince Lorenz of Belgium" Gerhard  Thaddäus Anton Marcus d'Aviano Maria Umberto Otto Carl Amadeus, "Archduke Gerhard of Austria-Este" Martin Carl Amadeo Maria, "Archduke Martin of Austria-Este" Isabella Maria Laura Helena Antonia Zita Anna Gennara, "Archduchess Isabella of Austria-Este"

On My Mind: 7-2-18

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Carmel and Carmella - I've been really interested in Biblical names lately, and this one is one I actually like a lot, though it's actually the name of a place in the Bible, instead of a person. Carmel comes from the title for the Virgin Mary, "Our Lady of Carmel", carmel being a mountain in Israel. I love it's meaning as well - "garden". If it's a little too abrupt for you, there's also the more romantic  Carmella . Carina - I've never given Carina a second glance until hearing it on Kaia Scodelario's character in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales". She's an astronomer, and a big plot point revolves around her and the fact that Carina is the name of a constellation which contains two stars with an combined luminosity five million times greater than the sun. Carina has a dual meaning in Latin - "dear, beloved" and "keel" as in the keel of a ship. The Carina constellation used to be

Tyrone

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Tyrone Power Origin: Irish Gender: Male Meaning: "Land of Eoghan" Pronunciation: tye-ROAN, ter-ROAN, teh-RON Other forms: Tyron If you're a Old Hollywood nerd like me, your first association with this name is probably quite different than most people's - that of devilishly handsome Tyrone Power. Tyrone Power was born Tyrone Edmund Power III in Cincinnati, Ohio to Helen Emma "Patia" Reaume and Tyrone Power Sr., who was called "Fred". Tyrone was a name that went way back in the family, his father was named after his great-grandfather, an Irish actor and comedian born in 1795 - and that Tyrone came from a Tyrone as well. Power also pronounced his name similar to "teh-RON", instead of the now more common "tye-ROAN". And I don't think it's a huge jump to conclude that their name came from County Tyrone, Ireland, one of the six historic counties in the country. Tyrone comes from  Tír Eoghain, which means "l

The Queen Becomes a Great-Grandmother Again!

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Mike and Zara The Queen's granddaughter, equestrienne Zara Tindall, has given birth to another little girl, Lena Elizabeth Tindall, a sister to Mia Grace, with her husband rugby player Mike Tindall. And they have also confirmed they are pronouncing it "LAY-na" instead of "LEE-na".

On My Mind: 6-27-18

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Edwige Feuillère La Révolution française - I've been watching the two part film (" La Révolution française: les Années lumière" and " La Révolution française: les Années terribles")  about the French revolution that came out in 1989 on Youtube (first part here ) and greatly enjoying it. It is so far historically accurate and very educational while also being entertaining, something most films and books fail to do when dealing with such content matter.  The cast is very pan-European and have some very interesting names. History + historically accurate costumes + interesting names = a winner for me! Below are some of the ones I like the most (I put who they played in parenthesis, as many of those are beautiful as well, or more unusual than the actor's names). Andrezj Seweryn (Maximilien  François Marie Isidore de   Robespierre ) Vittorio Mezzogiorno (Jean-Paul Marat) Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (Charlotte Corday) Liliane  Rovère (A woman) Klaus Ma

Brigitte Nielsen Welcomes Baby Girl!

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Brigitte Danish actress and model, best known for playing the title role in "Red Sonja" and "Rocky IV", has given birth at age fifty-four to a girl with her husband, Mattia Dessi. They have called her Frida. She has four other children, Julian Winding, Killian Marcus Gastineau, and Douglas Aaron and Raoul, Jr. Meyer.

Tamara

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Tamara Karsavina Origin: Russian Gender: Female Meaning: "Date palm" Pronunciation: ta-MARR-ah, TAM-ah-ruh Other forms: Tamar, Tammara, Tamera, Thamar, Tamari This beautiful Russian name has almost worldwide appeal, being used in Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Italian, and Spain, just to name a few, and a rich history that lends it an almost classic appeal. Tamara comes from Biblical Tamar, a Hebrew name meaning "date palm". The fruit of the date palm, also know as the  Phoenix dactylifera,  have been a staple food in the diets of the Middle East and Indus Valley for thousands of years. In Ancient Rome they used the palm fronds from this plant to symbolize victory in triumphal processions, and renderings of these plants can even be seen in frescoes from Pompeii. And for a fun little factoid dates are referenced fifty times in the Bible; twenty times in Qur'an. The story in the Bible is as dramatic as any soap opera, but I'll try to sum it up fairly

Free to a Good Home: Boys, pt. 1

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"Ferdinand lured by Ariel" by John Everett Millais Ferdinand -  Origin: Germanic Gender: Male Meaning: "Brave voyager" Pronunciation: FUR-di-nand Other forms: Fernand, Ferran, Ferdinando, Ferdynand, Hernando,  Nándor/ Ferdinanda, Fernande Combos: Percy Ferdinand, Jasper Ferdinand, Ferdinand Xavier, Ferdinand Poe I think this name is regal and handsome, and has a wonderful meaning along with a great history, having been used by both Shakespeare and royalty alike. Ferdinand came from Ferdinando , an old Spanish form of a Germanic name made up of the elements fardi , "journey", and nand , which meant "brave" or "daring". Put together more poetically it's "brave voyager". Ferdinand hasn't ranked in the US since 1971, when it was way at the bottom at #984.  This name first truly struck me when I saw actor Sir Ben Kingsley used it for one of his sons (the other two are named Thomas Alexis and Edmund), who is al

On My Mind: 6-20-18

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"Summer" by Henrietta R. Rae Harpa - Summer is my least favorite season. Here in Texas it's oppressively hot -just stepping outside makes me break into a full blown sweat - and because of that I want to stay constantly indoors in the vicinity of the nearest fan. But I've always thought the name Summer was pretty, ever since I was little and I met an older girl with the name. Unfortunately nowadays it reads more 90's than fresh - but that doesn't mean you're out of options. I stumbled across an interesting one - Harpa - which was ranked #12 in Iceland in 2015. Harpa was the name given to the first summer month in the old Icelandic calendar, which divided the year into winter and summer, both of which have six months. Where the name Harpa comes from exactly is debated; some believe it's the name of a pre-Christian Goddess, though there's not much to confirm that theory. If you're interested in more summery names check out my previous post

Yael Stone Welcomes Baby Girl

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Yael Stone Australian Actress Yael Stone has given birth to her first child, a girl, with husband, actor Dan Spielman. They've named her Pemau, and in a statement said this about the name:  "She was named after her great great great grandmother who provides a powerful link to the past, the Bancrofts' oldest link to the Djanbun clan of the Bunjalung nation."   The Bunjalung people are a tribe of Aboriginal Australians.

On My Mind: 5-30-18

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"Miriam" by Anselm Feuerbach I'm currently enjoying my first day off since the 21st so I thought I'd try and post a little bit! We've been having tons of huge school groups at work so every time before when I had a day off I just wanted rest and quiet, so blogging wasn't on the forefront of my mind. But I finally got a little bit of rest and am back in the swing of things. My Name, 2017 Style - Time Magazine has this great little gadget where if you enter your name and birth year, it will tell you what your name would have been in 2017 going on what your name was ranked the year you were born. My name, Bree , was ranked 713th in the year I was born, making my new name Dalia . In 2016 I would have been Akira , in the 1920's I would have been called Rosebud , and in the 1900's I would have been the zippy Zara . What would you have been? Salem - I've gotten a new cat - a kitten from a litter at my grandmother's house, which is currently b

The Children of Karl Friedrich, Prince Hohenzollern

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Karl Friedrich and Alexandra Karl Friedrich, Prince Hohenzollern was born Karl Friedrich Emich Meinrad Benedikt Fidelis Maria Michael Gerold to Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern and Princess Margarita of Leiningen . He married Countess Alexandra Shenck von Stauffenberg . Their children are: Alexander Friedrich Antonius Johannes, " Alexander, Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern " Philippa Marie Carolina Isabelle, " Princess Philippa " Flaminia Pia Eilika Stephane, " Princess Flaminia " Antonia Elisabeth Georgina Tatiana, " Princess Antonia "

The Child of Géraldine of Albania

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Géraldine of Albania Queen  Géraldine of Albania was born Countess  Géraldine Margit Virginia Olga  Mária Apponyi de Nagy-Appony to Count Gyula Apponyi de Nagy-Appony   and Gladys Virginia Stewart , an American woman from Virginia. She married King Zog I of Albania , who was born Ahmet Muhtar Zogolli. They had one child: Leka, " Leka, Crown Prince of Albania "; at birth he was called Prince Skander

Prince William and Duchess Kate Reveal Name of New Prince

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William, Kate, and Louis Prince William and Duchess Kate have revealed the name of their third child, another boy. His name is Louis Arthur Charles, and he joins elder siblings Prince George Alexander Louis and Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. It is pronounced "lou-EE".

On My Mind: 4-20-18

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"Guinevere" by Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale Guinevere - At work I overheard a girl - she was probably around four years old - being called Guinevere. I was so pleasantly surprised and it's probably one of the most unusual names I've heard being used in real life. I've always loved the name Guinevere, it's mystical and beautifully feminine without being too saccharine, and lends itself to the very usable Gwen. Millicent - I recently saw "A Quiet Place" with a group of friends and loved it! The eldest child in the film is played by actress Millicent "Milly" Simmonds, who was excellent in the role. It was refreshing to see Millicent being used, and I think it could really make a comeback. Family Names - I've written a few times about names of my ancestors here  and here , but I've found a few more I find interesting. First is my great-grandfather and his siblings - they were children of German immigrants: Serna Adeline/Ade

Noel Fielding Welcomes First Child

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Lliana and Noel English comedian Noel Fielding has had his first child with his girlfriend, radio presenter Lliana Bird. They haven't revealed the gender of their baby, but they have revealed the name - Dali, after artist Salvador  Dalí.

The Children of Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, duchesse de Barry

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Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, duchesse de Barry Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicile, duchesse de Barry was born Maria Carolina Ferdinanda Luise to  Francis I of the Two Sicilies and Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria . She first married  Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry who was born Charles Ferdinand d'Artois, duc de Berry. Their children were: Louise  Élisabeth, " Princess Louise  Élisabeth ", died in infancy Louis, " Prince Louis ", died in infancy Louise Marie  Thérèse d'Artois, later " Princess Louise Marie  Thérèse, Duchess of Parma " Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie  Dieudonné d'Artois, " Prince Henri, duc de Bourdeaux " and later " Henri, comte de Chambord "; he was regarded as a "miracle child", because his father was assassinated seven months before his birth, and it was feared that the senior line of the House of Bourbon would soon cease to exist. This was why he was given one of his name

On My Mind: 4-13-18

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Well, I turned twenty-two on the seventh, and I have mixed feelings about it. I'm anxious about my future. It's still so undecided, while my peers, even people younger than me, seem to know exactly what they want. I feel both old and young. It's confusing. And here I am again, trying to make myself post here more often but procrastinating as I do on everything. I feel like I'm running out of ideas (something I never thought I'd say!) regarding this blog, so if anyone has suggestions on something they'd like to see, please let me know! Thyme - There's a new male model on the circuit, and his name is Thyme Stidworthy. I haven't been able to find much information on him or his origins, though. I think it's fascinating to see a name like this on a guy, and very refreshing. Hetta, Merripen, and Jolyon - I recently finished an excellent novel by Laura Purcell called "The Silent Companions". If you love Gothic horror like I do,

Olympic Names 2018: Part Two

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Yuzuru Hanyu On to the men now! Asa Miller (Filipino-American) Blaise Giezendanner (French) Casper Dyrbye Næsted (Danish) Charles "Chay" Genoway (Canadian) Dorian Hauterville (French) Florent Claude (Belgian) Gilmore Junio (Canadian) Ilkka Herola (Finnish) Irineu Esteve Altimiras (Andorran) Jan Vrba (Czech) Jules Lapierre (French) Lascelles Brown (Canadian - born and raised in Jamaica) Lennard "Len" Väljas (Canadian - is of Estonian descent) Linden Vey (Canadian) MacKenzie Boyd-Clowes (Canadian) Maxence Parrot (Canadian) Neville Wright (Canadian) Odirlei Pessoni (Brazilian) Pekka Koskela (Finnish) Pita Taufatofua (Tongan) Rhys Thornbury (New Zealand) Ristomatti Hakola (Finnish) Stanislau Hladchenko (Belarusian) Teal Harle (Canadian) Ted-Jan Bloemen (Canadian - was raised in the Netherlands but has a Canadian father) Tormis Laine (Estonian) Veselin Tzinov (Bulgarian) Willis Feasey (New Zealand) Yuzuru Hanyu (Japane

Princess Madeleine of Sweden Welcomes Baby Girl

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Leonore and Nicolas with baby Adrienne Princess Madeleine of Sweden and her husband Christopher O'Neill have welcomed their third child, a girl they have called Adrienne Josephine Alice. Their other children are four-year-old Leonore Lilian Maria and two-year-old Nicolas Paul Gustaf.

On My Mind: 2-22-18

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Poster featuring Svetlana Svetlana, Sveta, and Severija - I've been watching and enjoying Babylon Berlin on Netflix. It's a German TV show following a cop new to Berlin who uncovers much more than he signed up for. One of the characters in the show is Countess Svetlana " Sveta " Sorokina, a white Russian who sings at a cabaret, and who is playing all the sides - she is lover to Trotskyist Alexei Kardakov, right wing industrialist Alfred Nyssen, and is even working for the Soviet secret police. Svetlana (called Sveta by her lover) comes from the Slavic svet, meaning "light, world". Interestingly enough, it is sometimes used as a translation of Photine, most likely because they have the same meanings. The character is played by a Lithuanian actress named Severija  Janušauskaitė. I couldn't find any information on the name, but I assume it's a form of Severa or Severina. Zaida - At work the other day there was a little girl called Zaida . It

Medieval Italian Names - Boys

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Self portrait by artist Bartolommeo "Baccio" Bandinelli Balsamo Bartolommeo Bonanno - Means "good year" Brancaleone - Means either "a lion's paw" or "he who captures the lion" Franchino Galasso Grifo - Means "griffin" Jacobello Lancillotto - Italian form of Lancelot Lenuzo Mercuzio Oliverotto Saraceno Scarletto Torchitorio - The name of several "Giudices" of Caligari - Giudices, which translates into "judges", were rulers of their local places Zanobi - Tuscan form of Zenobio

Medieval Italian Names - Girls

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"Belcolore" by Rossetti I have a great love for Italian names - to me they represent some of the most gorgeous, romantic names in the world, so I was head over heels for most of the names on this list! I can't verify the authenticity of these being used during the Medieval era, so take that with a grain of salt, but I couldn't not post about some of them. Please let me know your favorites and thoughts! Agnola Altapasqua Amellina Belcolore - Means "beautiful color", used by Boccaccio in "The Decameron" Cherubina Corelia Ermellina Ghisolabella - A real life Ghisolabella was the sister of Venedico Caccianemico, a 13th-century politician; both were mentioned in Dante's "Inferno" Junipera Pantasilea - Italian form of Penthesilea Pomellina Smeralda - Means "emerald" - this was the name of Botticelli's mother Vannozza - Vannozza dei Cattanei was the mistress of Pope Alexander VI and the mother of Cesare, Lucr

Olympic Names 2018: Part One

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Maé-Bérénice Méité I love watching the Olypmics, and one of the major reasons is to see all the wonderful names. I've done quite a few posts on them before (click here to view them!), so I knew I had to do some more this year! Here are a few of the names I found most interesting. Akuoma Omeoga (Nigerian) Blayre Turnbull (Canadian) Breanna "Breezy" Johnson (American) Brita Sigourney (American) Cendrine Browne (Canadian) Cornelia Hütter (Austrian) Desislava Stoyanova (Bulgarian) Dorothea Wierer (Italian) Dunja Zdouc (Austrian) Ebba Andersson (Swedish) Emőke Szőcs (Hungarian) Esmee Visser (Dutch) Estelle Alphand (Swedish) Ewa Kuls-Kusyk (Polish) Fanuza Kadirova (Russian) Federica Brignone (Italian) Freydís-Halla Einarsdóttir (Icelandic) Frida Hansdotter (Swedish) Gaia Vuerich (Italian) Galina Arsenkina (Russian) Gigi Marvin (American) Ingvild Flugstad Østberg (Norwegian) Keaton McCargo (American) Kerttu

The Children of Knud, Hereditary Prince of Denmark

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Prince Knud with his wife (center) and three children I've really missed doing these, and after a very long break I'm hoping to get back into them! If you have any suggestions of royals you'd like to see featured, please let me know! Knud, Hereditary Prince of Denmark was born Knud Christian Frederik Michael to Christian X of Denmark and Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin . He married Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark , who's full name was Caroline-Mathilde Louise Dagmar Christine Maud Augusta Ingeborg Thyra Adelheid. She was named after her grandmother, and was called " Calma " by her family. Their children were: Elisabeth Caroline-Mathilde Alexandrine Helena Olga Thyra Feodora Estrid Margarethe Désirée, " Princess Elisabeth of Denmark " Ingolf Christian Frederik Knud Harald Gorm Gustav Viggo Valdemar Aage, " Prince Ingolf of Denmark "; he lost his title when he married someone without his parents consent he is now "

On My Mind: 2-14-2018

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L-R: Aud Johansen, Enid Smeedon, and Audrey Hepburn Aud - I stumbled upon some photos of Audrey Hepburn during her days as a chorus girl - she was posing on top of a building with some other chorus girls and some ice in a bid to stay cool during a summer day. The other girls were Enid Smeedon and Aud Johansen. I thought Aud's name was especially interesting. Aud is the modern form of Auðr, an old Norse name meaning "wealth, prosperity". Dulcinea - A gorgeous name, especially for those who like longer, more dramatic options. Dulcinea would be a lovely name for a Valentine's baby - it comes from the Spanish dulce , meaning "sweet", and was invented by Miguel de Cervantes for the love interest of Don Quixote. Pollux - I was surprised by this name's meaning - "very sweet" - because I don't think I've ever seen a boy's name with a meaning like it. In Greek mythology, Pollux is the twin of Castor, sons of Zeus, and the constell

Romantic: Boys

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"Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" by Caspar David Friedrich For boys I imagine men in fancy suits or cravats, walking together on a misty moor, or a little boy lost in the library of a crumbling estate. Smells are leather, grass, plain white candles, and books. Sounds are a bird's call from somewhere far away, the ocean, feet crunching on gravel. Isidore Graeme Victor Dorian Soren Fitzgerald Laurence Ulysses Penrose Ephraim Julius and Julian Francis Sterling Dashiell Percival Octave Alistair Robin Devereux Rory Ignatius Montague Sebastian Noel Adrian Brighton Vaughn Augustine Casper Peregrine Christian Anthony

Names from Ogden's St. Julien Cigarette Cards - Pt. 2

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Here's the second and last part to the previous post. Hope everyone who read enjoyed! Madge Lessing Margaret Halston Marie George Marie Studholme Miss Flopp Miss Forster Miss Fortescue Miss Kerin Miss M. Morris Miss M. Sayre Miss Marie Shields Miss McNaughton Miss R. Maitland Mrs. Brown Potter Mrs. Patrick Campbell Muriel Beaumont Nina Sevening Nora Lancaster Olga Nethersole Phyllis Rankin Ruby Verdi Sarah Brooke Vera Beringer Winifred Emery

Names from Ogden's St. Julien Cigarette Cards - Pt. 1

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Starting in 1875 in the US by the Allen and Ginter tobacco company, cigarette cards, which were sold in packs of cigarettes to not only stiffen the cigarette package, but also as a bit of clever advertising. They would feature anything from boxers, actresses, nature, military heroes, and sportsmen. They went extinct during WWII, being discontinued to save paper, and never really picked back up, however one company, Doral, started trying to do so in 2000. I came upon the Ogden's St. Julien collection called "beauty series" featuring actresses some time in the 1900's, and thought it would rather interesting to list their names! Tell me what you think of this post, and which names were your favorites, of course! Blanche Thorpe Cissie Loftus Clara Butt Dora Barton Dorothea Baird Esme Beringer Ethel Barrymore Ethel Irving Ethel Matthews Evelyn Millard Frances Earle Helen Macbeth Hilda Gunn Isabel Jay Jane May Jessie Mooney Julia Arthur Kate Cove

On My Mind: 1-10-18

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Happy New Year! Timothée - The first time this name really caught my attention was on actor Timothée Chalamet, a breakout star of the coming of age film "Call Me by Your Name". It is simply the French form of Timothy, pronounced vaguely like TEE-MAW-TAE. Chalamet, who was raised primarily in Hell's Kitchen, is the son of a Jewish mother and French father, and has a sister who lives in Paris named Pauline. He is fluent in French, and spent summers in "a little village about two hours outside of Lyon". Mauricio/Maurizio/Maurício - At work there was a large foreign family, and I overheard the youngest member being called one of these names. I originally thought they were Spanish, but their pronunciation makes me lean towards the second option listed above, which is Italian. The name was really beautiful to hear, and I've taken quite a shine to it since hearing it. Caleb - I've always liked this classic, Biblical option, and 2018 is t