Merry Christmas! Today’s pick is one of those names that’s perfect for a December baby, but just as charming if your darling daughter arrives in June.
Our winner of the Name of the Day poll is Ivy.
It’s not “Rudolph” or “Silent Night.” ”The Holly and the Ivy” is the kind of carol that will send everyone scrambling for a song sheet. Holly and ivy have been used to decorate churches for centuries and just like many a Christmas tradition, their use in winter celebrations predates Christianity.
Ivy is an evergreen, also known as hedera, found throughout Europe as well as Africa, Asia and Japan. They creep and climb, covering the walls of old buildings. Besides the winter theme, Ivy conjures up two other images: a certain air of privilege and accomplishment; and, of course, poison.
Privilege first. Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton and Yale are referred to as the Ivy League – an octet of highly selective American universities. Some claim the ivy is a reference to the vines climbing up their august academic buildings, but officially, it’s a sports league. In fact, the first reference comes from sportswriter Stanley Woodward in 1933.
As for poison ivy, it’s actually an unrelated plant – toxicodendron radicans. But that’s a botanical nicety that’s up against pop culture’s use of the name:
- Poison Ivy is Batman’s eco-terrorist enemy. She’s been around since 1966 and has appeared on the television series as well as the big screen, where Uma Thurman played the role;
- Punk rock innovators The Cramps is fronted by husband and wife duo Lux Interior and Kristy Wallace – better known as Poison Ivy Rorschach;
- Drew Barrymore played infamous bad girl Ivy in 1992′s Poison Ivy. Ivy destroys the life of her so-called BFF Sylvie. It’s a cult classic boasting plenty of sequels, each with a flower-powered bad girl – Lily, Violet and Daisy. They could keep going until they get to Philodendron.
There’s also the Operation Ivy nuclear tests from the 1950s, and the punk band who took the name. On a different note, The Ivy is a landmark restaurant in both London and Los Angeles.
With all this backstory, it’s easy to forget that Ivy has also been in steady use as a personal name since the Victorian era, when botanical names were all the rage.
It’s sometimes a surname, and occasionally a masculine name, too. Ivy Ledbetter Lee was John D. Rockefeller’s publicist. He’s known for his encouraging the magnate to lend his family name to Rockefeller Center. We’ve also known a Frederick IV. With Fredericks Senior, Junior and III having used up the obvious nicknames, the boy was dubbed IV – Ivy.
Back in 1881, Ivy peaked at #264 in the US. She’s on the rise again, and might present an alternative to parents in love with white hot Ava. Ivy came in at #301 last year, and we bet she’ll rank higher yet in 2008.
While Rose and Lily are simply sweet, Ivy has an edge. If you can overlook the bad girl vibe, Ivy could be a great choice – old-fashioned and fashion-forward at once.
Merry Xmas Verity! I’vy’s sweet and I thoroughly like her. Because of the “poison Ivy” remarks I hear so often (Other half’s a Batman freak), I generally consider her middle material but still lovely, even there.
I find Ivy charming as well as a bit edgy. An Ivy’s got attitude to spare!
She gets a huge :thumbsup: from me!
Ivy is my favorite girl’s name. Probably I’ll never get to use it because I am getting too old to have more kids. I would use it despite the poison ivy connection. I think it’s getting more popular? Not too popular, I hope.
Never say never. My baby brother came along eleven years after I was born – and seven years after my mother thought she was done.
Bek, Fern is really growing on me – pun intended! – but she’s not nearly as fashionable as Ivy. Maybe I’ll put her on the calendar and see what others think.
I love Ivy. It’s one of my favorites, but my other half won’t usually consider it, along with my long time true love Fern… He finds botanical names too weird. Bummer. I’ll constantly try to foist her on others though
I met an Ivy last winter and it was the first time, outside of Batman, that I’d heard the name on an actual baby – it surprise me and I thought, “wow, I really like that!” I totally agree with Lola – it has a bit of edge to it, which also appeals. Ivy is definitely one I’d consider, but more likely as a middle… Not because I don’t like it as a first, but my girl already has an “i” name and it might be a little too much to go with another “i” up front.
I agree with everyone else, Ivy is simple yet edgy which makes her very appealing but (and I don’t know why) the poison ivy reference ruins her for me. Logically, I know that if I was to search hard enough I could find something negative about practically every name and that the ‘poison ivy’ thing could be gotten over; but in this instance I just can’t quite get past it. I still like the name Ivy and would love it if a friend chose Ivy but she’s not for me.
Ivy is at the top of my list right now.
I think the poison connotations give this name attitide and edge, thats what I like so much about it.
I love Ivy. It’s pretty high on my list, but my family doesn’t care for it so I don’t know if I’ll ever get to use it. I love the simplicity, but at the same time, it has alot more spark than the overused and overexposed Isabella or Ava.
I knew twins named Holly and Ivy. M-A-T-C-H-Y! But I like Ivy!
Wow – super matchy! But I do adore Ivy. Holly’s fine, too.
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My 12 year old daughter loves Ivy, but as my brother had a liver transplant last year, I can’t get past the sound of “I.V.” for it, and it sounds medical to me. Just my 2 cents!
That’s a fair point, Amy. I imagine nurses and other medical professionals have the same reaction! Here’s hoping your brother is on the mend.
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