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Sunday, September 11, 2016

Girls's Names

Recently I did a breakdown on which letters were "feminine" vs. "masculine", and there were a couple surprises. Specifically, I expected -s names to sway overwhelmingly male, thanks to all the Latin & Greek us/os names, and the impact Latin has had on naming in general. But in fact, -s names only lean masculine by a 6:1 ratio ("only" being relative--it was #15 on my "most masculine endings" analysis, the others being -ch, k, b, o, p, c, f, sh, d, m, x, v, j, & g).
It turns out that while the boys do have -as, es, os, and us names, girls get -ss and ys, and split about even with boys on the -is.

A good number of -is/ys names for girls turn out to be Welsh and ancient Greek, and far be it from me to turn down an opportunity for those!
  • Aleidis (ah-LYE-dis, Germanic)--older form of Adelaide/Alice. Other forms include Adelais (AH-del-ah-is, Germanic), Alis (AL-is, Welsh), Alys (AL-is, English, Welsh), and Azalais (ah-zah-LAH-ees, Occitan).
  • Alkestis (AHL-kays-tis, [ancient] Greek)--"courageous". Latinized form is Alcestis (al-SES-tis). 
  • Amaryllis (am-ah-RIL-lis, English)--from ancient Greek, "sparkling". Spanish and Portuguese form is Amarilis (ah-mah-REE-lees). 
  • Anaïs (ah-nah-EES, Occitan, Catalan, French)--form of Anna
  • Anaitis (ah-nah-EE-tis, an-EYE-tis, AH-nye-tis, [ancient] Greek)--form of Anahita
  • Annis (AN-nis, [medieval] English)--form of Agnes
  • Ardis (AR-dis, English, Scandinavian)--from Old Norse, "eagle goddess"
  • Artemis (AR-teh-mis, [ancient] Greek)--origin unknown, poss. "bear", "thrower", "great", or "safe".
  • Astris (AS-tris, [ancient] Greek)--"starry"
  • Athenais (ath-AY-nah-ees, ah-thay-ah-EES, [ancient] Greek)--"of Athena". French form is Athénaïs/Aténaïs (ah-tay-nah-EES). 
  • Avis (AY-vis, English)--prob. from Latin "bird"; or from Germanic Aveza, poss. "desired", or Hadewidis (HAH-deh-vee-dis), "wide battle"
  • Belkis (BEL-kees, Spanish)--from Bilqis (BIL-kees), the traditional Arabic name for the legendary Queen of Sheba, origin unknown. Turkish form is Belkıs (BEL-kis). 
  • Betrys (BET-ris, Welsh)--form of Beatrice
  • Briseis (bris-AY-is, bree-say-EES, [ancient] Greek)
  • Britomartis (brit-oh-MAR-tis, bree-TOH-mar-tees, [ancient] Greek)--"blessed maiden"
  • Bryndis (BRIN-dis, Scandinavian)--from Germanic, "armored goddess"
  • Carys (KAH-ris, Welsh)--"love". Another form is Cerys (KEHR-is). 
  • Charis (KEHR-is, KAHR-is, [ancient] Greek)--"grace". Modern Greek form is Haris (KHAH-rees). 
  • Chloris (KLOR-is, KLOR-ees, [ancient] Greek)--"green bud"
  • Chryseis (kree-SAY-is,  [ancient] Greek)--"golden"
  • Clematis (klem-AT-is, KLEM-ah-tis, English)
  • Damaris (DAM-ah-ris, dah-MEHR-is, English; DAH-mah-rees, Greek)--from ancient Greek, poss. "wife" or "girl"
  • Danais (dah-nah-EES, DAN-ah-ees, [ancient] Greek)
  • Daphnis (DAHF-nees, DAF-nis, [ancient] Greek)--form of Daphne [unisex]
  • Doris (DOHR-is, English, German, Italian, Scandinavian)--from ancient Greek, poss. "spear", "gift", or "forest"
  • Dysis (DYE-sis, [ancient] Greek)--"sunset"
  • Eirlys (AYR-lis, IRE-lis, Welsh)--"snowdrop" [the flower]
  • Elewys (EL-eh-wis, [medieval] English)--form of Eloise
  • Endeis (en-DAY-is, en-day-EES, [ancient] Greek)--"at home, native" 
  • Gerdis (YEHR-dis, Swedish)--from Germanic, "spear goddess"
  • Glenys (GLEN-is, Welsh)--"pure"
  • Glynis (GLIN-is, Welsh)--prob. "pure" or "valley"
  • Hawys (HOW-is, Welsh)--from Germanic, "wide battle"
  • Hesperis (HES-per-is, [ancient] Greek)--"evening"
  • Hjördis (YOR-dis, Swedish, Finnish)--from Old Norse, "sword goddess". Also spelled Hjørdis (Danish, Norwegian) or Jördis (German).
  • Iraís (ee-rah-EES, Spanish)--prob. from ancient Greek Herais (HEHR-ah-ees), "of Hera"
  • Iris (EYE-ris, English; EE-ris, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Scandinavian, Italian, Slovenian, Turkish)--from Greek, "rainbow". Other forms include Íris (EE-rees, Portuguese) and Eirys (AY-ris, EYE-ris, Welsh). 
  • Iseldis (ee-SEL-dis, [medieval] English)--form of Isolde
  • Isis (EYE-sis, English, EE-zeez, Italian, EE-sees, Spanish)--from Hellenized Egyptian, prob. "throne". Portuguese form is Ísis (EE-zis). 
  • Karis (KEHR-is, English)--anglicized form of Carys/Cerys or Charis.
  • Laís (lah-EES, Portuguese)--from ancient Greek Lais (LAH-ees), prob. "left-handed", "thrush" [bird], or "of the people"
  • Lamis (lam-EES, Arabic)
  • Lindis (LIN-dis, Scandinavian)--from Germanic, "gentle"
  • Lois (LOH-is, English, Dutch)--from Biblical Greek, poss. "better" [masculine in other languages]
  • Maëlys (mah-eh-LEES, French)--from Breton, "chief"
  • Maïlys (mye-LEES, French)--form of Maëlys or Maylis.
  • Maris (MEHR-is, MAHR-is, English)--from Latin, "of the sea"
  • Marlis (MAHR-lis, German)--combination of Maria & Liese. Another combination is Majlis/Mailis (MYE-lis, Scandinavian).
  • Marlys (MAHR-lis, English, MAHR-lees, Spanish)--poss. a form of Marlene
  • Maylis (may-LEES, French)--from the French town, poss from Germanic, "strength", or from Occitan mair, "mother", + French lys, "lily".  
  • Melis (meh-LEES, Turkish)--form of Melissa
  • Memphis (MEM-fis, [Hellenized] Egyptian)--prob. "enduring beauty" [unisex in modern English]
  • Myrtis (MUR-tis, English, [ancient] Greek)--"myrtle"
  • Nais (nah-EES, French, NAH-ees, [ancient] Greek)--"water nymph"
  • Nephthys (NEF-this, [Hellenized] Egyptian)--prob. "lady of the temple/sky"
  • Nerys (NEHR-is, Welsh)--"lordly"
  • Odalis (oh-DAH-lees, Spanish)--form of Odette/Ottilie. Also spelled Odalys
  • Orseis (or-SAY-is, or-say-EES, [ancient] Greek)--prob. "stirred up, excited"
  • Persis (PUR-sis, [Biblical] Greek)
  • Phyllis (FIL-lis, English)--from ancient Greek, "leafy"
  • Ptolemais (tol-EM-ah-ees, ptol-em-ah-EES, [ancient] Greek)--prob. "warlike"
  • Rhanis (RAH-nees, RAN-is, [ancient] Greek)--"rain drop"
  • Roslindis (roz-LIN-dis, Germanic)--older form of Rosalind
  • Tanis (TAH-nis, Cree)--"daughter". Another form is Danis (DAH-nis). 
  • Tethys (TEE-this, TETH-is, [ancient] Greek)
  • Thaïs (THAH-is, [ancient] Greek; tah-ees, French)--from ancient Greek, poss. "bandage". Other forms include Thaís (tah-EES, Portuguese, Spanish) and Taís (tah-EES, Portuguese, Spanish).
  • Themis (THEM-is, THEE-mis, [ancient] Greek)--"divine law". 
  • Valdis (VAHL-dis, Scandinavian)--from Old Norse, prob. "foreign goddess" or "goddess of the slain" [masculine in other languages]
  • Viridis (VEER-id-is, [medieval] Italian)--from Latin "verdant, lively"
  • Zenais (ZAY-nah-ees, zay-nah-EES, [ancient] Greek)--"of Zeus"

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