April Showers Bring....

May flowers! Happy, uh, May Day? We'll go with that.
On the heels of my bird-themed post, a flower-themed post also seemed like a fun idea. So, here're various flower-names from other languages. Unless otherwise noted, these are female.

• Aoi (ah-oh-ee, Japanese)--"hollyhock"
• Aravind (ahr-ah-vind, Hindi)--"lotus" [masculine]
• Amaranta (ah-mah-RAHN-tah, Spanish & Italian)--"amaranth"
• Ayame (ah-yah-may, Japanese)--"iris"
• Azucena (ah-soo-SEH-nah, Spanish)--"madonna lily"
• Brânduṣa (brahn-DOO-shah, Romanian)--"crocus"
• Briallen (bree-AHL-len, Welsh)--"primrose"
• Capucine (kah-poo-SEEN, French)--"nasturtium"
• Crina (KREE-nah, Romanian)--"lily"
• Cullen (KUL-len, Irish)--"holly" [masculine]. Variant is Quillan.
• Celyn (KEL-in, Welsh)--"holly" [masculine]
• Daphne (DAF-nee, Greek)--"laurel"
• Đurđica (joor-JITS-ah, Croatian)--"lily of the valley" [also the Croatian form of Georgia]
• Eirlys (IRE-lis or AYR-lis, Welsh)--"snowdrop"
• Endzela (end-ZEL-ah, Georgian)--"snowdrop"
• Ffion (FEE-on, Welsh)--"rose" or "foxglove"
• Hollis (HOL-lis, English)--"holly tree" [usually masculine]
• Ianthe (ee-AN-thee or eye-AN-thee, Greek)--"violet"
• Ibolya (ee-boy-ah, Hungarian)--"violet"
• Ivančica (ee-vahn-CHEE-tsah, Croatian)--"daisy"
• Irit (ee-reet, Hebrew)--"asphodel"
• Jessamine (JES-sah-min, English)--"jasmine"
• Kamala (kah-mah-lah, Hindi)--"lotus"
• Kielo (KEE-eh-loh, Finnish)--"lily of the valley"
• Kiku (kee-koo, Japanese)--"chrysanthemum"
• Laleh (lah-LAY, Persian)--"tulip"
• Lan (LAHN, Chinese & Vietnamese)--"orchid"
• Liên (LEE-en, Vietnamese)--"lotus"
• Madara (mah-DAH-rah, Latvian)--"galium"
• Madelief (mah-deh-LEEF, Dutch)--"daisy"
• Marganita (mahr-gah-nee-tah, Hebrew)--"scarlet pimpernel"
• Margarita (mahr-gah-REE-tah, Spanish)--"daisy" [also the Spanish form of Margaret]
• Marguerite (mahr-ge-REET, French)--"daisy" [also the French form of Margaret]
• Mawar (MAH-wahr, Indonesian)--"rose"
• Melati (mel-AH-tee, Indonesian)--"jasmine"
• Nasrin (nahs-REEN, Persian)--"wild rose"
• Nóinín (NOH-neen, Irish)--"daisy"
• Nurit (noo-REET, Hebrew)--"buttercup"
• Orvokki (OHR-voh-kee, Finnish)--"pansy"
• Raisa (rye-sah or rye-zah, Yiddish)--"rose"
• Ren (ren, Japanese)--"lotus" [can also mean "love"]
• Rhoda (ROH-dah, English)--from Greek, "rose"
• Rotem (roh-TEM, Hebrew)--"retama" [unisex, more often masculine]
• Rozenn (ROH-zen, Breton)--"rose"
• Růžena (roo-ZHEN-ah, Czech)--"rose"
• Sakura (sah-koo-rah, Japanese)--"cherry blossom"
• Sayuri (sah-yoo-ree, Japanese)--"small lily"
• Spomenka (spoh-MEHN-kah, Croatian)--"forget-me-not"
• Vartan (VAHR-tahn, Armenian)--"rose" [masculine]
• Vered (veh-REHD, Hebrew)--"rose"
• Vuokko (VOO-oh-ko, Finnish)--"anemone"
• Yolanda (yoh-LAHN-dah, Spanish)--from Latin, "violet"
• Yuri (yoo-ree, Japanese)--"lily"

The 'I's Have It.

It occurred to me the other day that I is a most underused vowel. If you're watching the final round of Wheel of Fortune, no one ever picks I as their vowel. If you ask someone to start listing names that start with I, they'll probably go though Isaac, Ian, Isaiah, Isabel/Isabella, Irene, Iris, maybe even Imogen, Ivan, Ivy, or Isla. The popular list pretty much stops there, though. Admittedly, O & U are even rarer as name-starters, but from some reason, I feel I-names should be more common.

Boys:

• Iago (ee-AH-goh, Galician & Welsh)--from Hebrew James/Jacob
• Idan (ee-dahn, Hebrew)--"era"
• Idris (ID-ris, Welsh)
• Ignatius (ig-NAY-shus, English)--from Latin/Etruscan. Other forms include Ignacio (ig-NAH-cee-oh, Spanish), Iñaki (een-YAH-kee, Basque), and Ignace (IN-yahs, French)
• Iker (EE-ker, Basque)
• Ikram (ik-rahm, Arabic)--"honor"
• Imre (EEM-reh, Hungarian)--form of Emmerich
• Ingo (ING-oh, German)
• Ingram (ING-ram, English)
• Iokua (ee-oh-KOO-ah, Hawaiian)--form of Joshua
• Isamu (ih-sah-moo, Japanese)--"courage"
• Ishmael (ISH-may-el, English)--from Hebrew, "God will hear".
• Isidore (IZ-ih-dor or ees-ih-DOR, English & French)--from Greek. Also spelled Isadore, Isador, Isidor, or Izidor.
• Iskandar (is-KAN-dar, Arabic & Indonesian)--from Greek Alexander.
• Ivailo (ee-VYE-loh, Bulgarian)--"wolf". Also spelled Ivaylo.
• Ivor (EE-vor or EYE-vor, English)--from Norse, "bow warrior"

Girls:

• Ianthe (ee-AN-thee or eye-AN-thee, Greek)
• Idonea (id-OH-nee-ah, English)--from Norse Iðunn. Other versions include Idony (ID-oh-nee) and Idun (ee-DUN).
• Idoya (ee-DOY-ah, Spanish)--Also spelled Idoia.
• Idriya (ee-dree-ah, Hebrew)
• Ilana (ee-lah-nah, Hebrew)
• Ilaria (ee-LAR-ee-ah, Italian)--form of Hilary.
• Ilkay (il-KYE, Turkish)--"new moon"
• Ilona (EE-lon-ah or ee-LOH-nah, Hungarian)--from of Helen.
• Imelda (ee-MEL-dah, Spanish)--from German Irmhild.
• Indira (in-THEER-ah, Indian [Hindi])--"beauty"
• Iolana (ee-oh-LAH-nah, Hawaiian)--"to soar"
• Iro (EER-oh, Greek)--modern form of Hero.
• Ismene (IS-men or ees-MAY-nay)--Greek, "knowledge"
• Isolde (ee-ZOL-deh, German & English)--poss. from Celtic "fair to behold". Variants include Eseld, Esyllt, Iseult, Isotta, and Yseult.
• Izumi (iz-oo-mee, Japanese)--"fountain"

Hurricane Baby Names

A recent post on another board got me wondering just how many little surprises are going to be due about 40 weeks after Hurricane Irene. So, in honor of those future little ones, names inspired by one big storm:

Boy:

• Anan (AY-nan, Hebrew)--"cloud"
• Corentin (koh-REN-tin, Breton)--"hurricane"
• Esmond (ES-mond, English)--"grace and protection". Older form is Eastmund.
• Guntur (GOON-toor, Indonesian)--"thunder"
• Ireneus (eye-REN-eh-us, Greek)--The male form of Irene,  ironically, meaning "peaceful".
• Mazin (MAZ-in, Arabic)--"rain clouds"
• Meriwether (MEHR-ee-we-ther, English)--"happy weather"
• Noah (NOH-ah, Hebrew)
• Perun (PEHR-uhn, Slavic)--"thunder"
• Raijin (rye-jin, Japanese)--the Japanese thunder god. Also transliterated as Raiden.
• Salman (SAL-man, Arabic)--"safe"
• Shemer (SHEH-mer,  Hebrew)--"preserved"
• Tollak (TOL-lak, Norwegian)--"Thor's play" [Thor was the Norse god of, among other things, thunder.]
• Zephyr (ZEF-er, Greek)--the Greek god of the west wind

Girls:

• Arina (ah-REE-nah, Russian)--form of Irene
• Arke (AR-kay, Greek)--Greek rainbow and messenger goddess; twin sister to Iris.
• Anila (ah-nee-lah, Indian [Hindi])--"wind"
• Audra (AW-drah, Lithuanian)--"storm"
• Enfys (EN-vis, Welsh)--"rainbow"
• Era (EHR-ah, Albanian)--"wind"
• Esen (EH-sen, Turkish)--"the wind"
• Gabija (gah-bee-YAH, Lithuanian)--"to cover". The Lithuanian goddess of the home.
• Gale (GAYL, English)--"strong wind". Also a short form of the unrelated Abigail.
• Haven (HAY-ven, English)--"safe place"
• Iria (EE-ree-ah, Portuguese)--form of Irene.
• Iris (EYE-ris, Greek)--Greek rainbow and messenger goddess.
• Keshet (KESH-et, Hebrew)--"rainbow"
• Maya (mah-yah, Hebrew)--"water"
• Mealla (mee-AHL-la, Irish)--"lightning"
• Nephele (NEF-el-ee, Greek)--"cloudy"
• Nerissa (nehr-IS-sah, English)--from Greek, "sea sprite"
• Salma (SAL-mah, Arabic)--"safe"
• Tempest (TEM-pest, English)--"storm"
• Thora (THOHR-ah, Scandinavian)--feminine of Thor.