Comments on: Name of the Day: Iris

By: Lemon

Lemon — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:24:53 +0000

I just stumbled upon this write-up, Abby, and I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, especially in the comments. To me, Iris fits with all of the perky, peppy, pretty flower names (read – Daisy, Poppy, Lily), but she also has an almost sobering quality to her that lends an ethereal, yet sophisticated edge to the name. She sounds all at once smart and quirky and whimsical and bold, and that’s what I like in a name.

My grandmother Irene recently passed away, and though I am about five years out from having any children (and I’ve already “chosen” Eliza Wren for my imagined first daughter), I’ve struggled with how to appropriately honor Irene, a woman so dear to my heart, in a daughter’s name. Using her own name, though I know she’d be delighted, isn’t right for me. Thus, I’ve landed on Iris, and the fit couldn’t be better. I love the goddess connection, particularly the image of Iris linking the realms of heaven and earth along her rainbow – it’s how I envision my grandma will act on my life now, I suppose. I like that the name has this strong but soothing quality to it, because that is very much my grandma’s spirit.

And so, I feel I have put together the ideal name in Phoebe Iris, my imagined sister for Eliza Wren. If only I could jump six or so years into the future…

By: Reader Baby Name Story: Dad Weighs In | Appellation Mountain

Reader Baby Name Story: Dad Weighs In | Appellation Mountain — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:03:04 +0000

[...] I drifted into Greek names, and I found a treasure trove of names I adored, from Zoe to Irene, Iris to Helen. The one name that jumped out at both me and my wife was Penelope. I loved the story of [...]

By: Sunday Summary: 9/4/11 | Appellation Mountain

Sunday Summary: 9/4/11 | Appellation Mountain — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 17:02:40 +0000

[...] Mel and husband Stephen Belafonte, they already have three girls: Phoenix, Giselle, and Angel Iris. Apparently, Phoenix has been given the green light to choose her sister’s name. I cannot [...]

By: Sunday Summary: 6/19/11 | Appellation Mountain

Sunday Summary: 6/19/11 | Appellation Mountain — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:12:46 +0000

[...] name from Waltzing More Than Matilda’s 1930s list would be quite stylish in 2011: Iris, Alma, [...]

By: Name of the Day: Zephyr « Appellation Mountain

Name of the Day: Zephyr « Appellation Mountain — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:58:22 +0000

[...] spring breeze, responsible for ushering in fair weather. He was the husband, brother or both of Iris, goddess of the rainbow. Another famous tale involving the deity pits him against Apollo for the [...]

By: appellationmountain

appellationmountain — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:31:57 +0000

Katharine, I do quite like the letter for I for baby names. If I were ranking the 26, I’d have to say I’m partial to H and I … and so over the letter K, it’s krazy.

And Lilybet is darling! Lily as a nickname for Elizabeth is far more appealing than Lilianna, which strikes me as WAY too “flouncy, flimsy, girly and out-growable,” to steal your fabulous turn of phrase, Katharine.

Thanks for the tip on Lilly, Lola. It gives me an idea of where to start looking.

By: Katharine

Katharine — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:07:35 +0000

Im not a huge fan of flower names as a rule, on the whole, they are adorably cute, but seem altogether too flouncy, flimsy, girly and out-growable. However Iris has a more grown up, understated power which makes it one of the strongest floral choices. Also, ‘I’ is quite a classy letter littered with stylish, often slightly left of field monikers (think Imogen, Isobel, Isla, Ines, Iona, India and Ivy). Thinking on it, I do know of one baby Iris, she was named after her grandmother (and for anyone interested, she has siblings called Holly and Ruby)…

Ps. I’m in love with the idea of Lillybet on a child as a nickname for Elizabeth!

By: Lola

Lola — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:52:05 +0000

EEK.. clicked submit when I was trying to flip windows. Yes, there’s a Madame Eglantine in Canterbury Tales. Not a pleasant woman but still she’s there. The most recent Eglantine in my family tree lived in the 18th century and was the mother of my Great Grandfather.

By: Lola

Lola — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:45:20 +0000

Forgot.. Yep there’s an

By: Lola

Lola — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:44:56 +0000

I know Lily is another one of Elizabeth’s many nicknames. Even the Current Queen Elizabeth II was nicknamed Lilybet when she was younger! (Wikipedia has this blurb: On 29 April 1929, the young “P’incess Lilybet” appeared on the cover of TIME magazine, in an article that described her third birthday). My Grandmother Lilian was Lilian Elisabeth and called “double Lil” by her sisters. She called me Lily exclusively until her death. She refused to call me by my name. I should have been named for her, she always insisted. I wouldn’t be surprised to find Lilly might have been used in the 16th century. As a surname Lilly is the oldest of the “Lily” names. But Lilies weren’t widespread until the begininning of the 19th century (i think), so I doubt Lily would be widespread as a name until the beginning of the Victorian era. Maybe in the Orient, where Lilies prliferated first? I have no real clue.