Usual Nickname, Unexpected Name--Jo/Joe

Joe has been such a common name for so long that it's even spawned idioms--"Joe Blow", "Average Joe", "Joe Public", etc. While Joseph is still an extremely popular name, just plain Joe has been steadily declining since the 40s. The feminine form, Jo, followed, while its usual given names--Joanna & Josephine--have had their ups and downs.

Boys:

• Jericho (JEHR-ih-koh, Hebrew)
• Jethro (JETH-roh, Hebrew)
  
• Joab (JOH-ab, Hebrew)
• Joachim (JOH-a-kim, English)--form of Biblical Jehoiakim
• Joash (JOH-ash, Hebrew)
• Jolyon (JOH-lee-on, JOL-ee-on, English)--form of Julian
• Jonas (JOH-nas, Greek)--form of Jonah
• Joram (JOR-am, Hebrew)--form of Jehoram
• Josiah (joh-SYE-ah, Hebrew)--alternate transcription is Josias

Girls:

• Adjoa (ahd-JOH-ah, Akan)
• Georgette (jor-jet, French)
• Jocasta (joh-KAS-tah, Greek)
• Jocosa (joh-KOH-sah, English)
• Josette (zho-SET, French)
• Josiane (zho-see-AHN, French)
• Marjolaine (mar-zho-lehn, French)
  

Calendar Names

It appears that the holiday shopping season is upon us again (and getting earlier every year, it seems), which got me thinking about Christmas-type names, which of course, got me thinking of all sorts of name things. Names like Noelle and Natalie are fairly well known for their Christmas connections, but what about other holidays? So, here are some names with holiday or other calendar meanings.

Boys:

• Dominic (DOM-in-ik, English)--traditionally given to boys born on a Sunday
• Ekain (eh-kine, Basque)--"June"
• Lenz (LENTS, German)--"springtime"
• Noel (NOLE, NO-el, English)--from French, "Christmas". French form is Noël.
• Palmiro (pahl-MEER-oh, Italian)--traditionally given to boys born on Palm Sunday
• Pascal (pas-KAHL, Dutch, French, & German)--"Easter" or "Passover". Other forms include Pascual (Spanish) and Pasco (Cornish).

Girls:

• Abena (a-BEHN-ah, Akan)--"born on Tuesday"
• Afia (AH-fee-ah, Akan)--"born on Friday"
• Akiko (ah-kee-ko, Japanese)--"summer child"
• Calan (CAL-an, Welsh)--"New Year's Day"
• Candela (cahn-DEHL-ah, Spanish)--"Candlemas" (Feb. 2)
• Hazan (hah-ZAHN, Turkish)--"autumn"
• Iona (ee-OH-nah, Welsh)--from Ionor, "January"
• Medeni (med-AY-nee, Welsh)--"born in September"
• Natalie (NAT-ah-lee, French & German)--"Christmas". Other forms include Natalia (Italian) and Natalya/Natasha (Russian).
• Nedelya (ned-EHL-yah, Bulgarian)--"Sunday" 
• Noelle (no-EL, English, French)--feminine of Noel
• Suvi (SOO-vee, Finnish)--"summer"
• Tiffany (TIF-fan-ee, English)--traditionally given to girls born on Epiphany (Jan. 6). Original form is Theophania.
• Tola (toh-LAH, Khmer)--"October"
• Vera (VEHR-ah, Albanian)--"summer"
• Vesna (VEHS-nah, Slavic)--"spring"

Unisex:

• Sivan (see-VAHN, Hebrew)--9th month of the Hebrew calendar, usually May-June.
• Tammuz (tahm-MOOZ, Hebrew)--10 month of the Hebrew calendar, usually June-July.