Name of the Day: Blaise
It’s a bird … it’s a plane … it’s a …
Completely valid saint’s name with Latin roots.
Thanks to Mariuccia for suggesting the Name of the Day: Blaise.
In Latin, blaesus means to stutter or stammer, to lisp. From this unfortunate root came the given name Blasius.
Like many an ancient name, Blaise endures thanks to a saint.
Saint Blaise was born in Sebastia, part of modern day Turkey and would serve as bishop of his city until martyred in the 300s. His family was probably affluent, and Blaise may have had formal training as a physician. Legend has it that he healed the sick – sick people, sick livestock, sick animals from the wild – and famously saved a boy from choking to death on a fishbone.
Because of that last story, Blaise became patron saint of throats. In the 14th century, when the Black Death sent frightened believers into churches all over Europe, Blaise was considered one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers – a litany of saints invoked to protect against illness.
Between the 300s and the fourteenth century, Blaise is tough to find in the historical record as a given name. Around the 1500s, however, Blaise starts to pop up – in France, Switzerland and England. He’s also heard in parts of Germany, where the Fourteen Holy Helpers were especially popular and often depicted in artwork.
As he was invoked by priests throughout Europe, Blaise started to catch on. He was never common, but appears to have been in steady use since the 1500s.
At least a half dozen place names in France honor Blaise; an ancient city gate in Basel, Switzerland is known as The Gate of Blasius; in Bristol, England, you can visit Blaise Castle, which took its name from nearby Blaise Hill.
There are plenty of famous Blaises, too, including a stock car racer called Blaise Alexander, a college track star known as Blaise Rewaka and a French racing cyclist named Blaise Sonnery.
But not all Blaises have been zippy. The best known Blaise is the seventeenth century philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascale. His reputation lends the name a certain scholarly air.
The named fared reasonably well in France, especially in the early 1900s. In the US, Blaise first ranked in 1953 and quickly disappeared.
The 21st century could prove to be Blaise’s heyday. Blaise has been ranked every year since 1996, reaching as high as #801 in 2001, 2002 and 2003. As of last year he was #992. That’s more than 1500 baby boys called Blaise born in the 21 century alone.
Some are opting to respell Blaise in a more flammable fashion: Blaze. This takes an obscure saints’ name and repackages it in a superhero cape and tights. As of 2007, Blaze was more popular than this authentic cousin – he ranked #876 last year.
With many parents searching for an edgy baby name, Blaise presents an appealing compromise. He’s just as cool as Cash or Cade, but has a long history of use and a backstory that gives this name strength. Blaze sacrifices much of that substance – but may prove more popular.
Filed under: Ancient World, Medieval Monikers, Names for Boys, Names of the Day, Saints | 12 Comments
Tags: Blaise, Blaze
Blogroll
- Baby Name Brainstorm
- Chanara\’s Blog
- Legit Baby Names
- Lola\’s Onomastic Fits
- Moniker Madness!
- Much Ado About Naming
- Nameberry
- Naming across the pond
- Onomastics Shamastics
- Onomastitrix
- Paige\’s Page O\’ Names!
- The #7 Question
- Voornamelijk (Emma's site – in Dutch!)
- Xanthe Linnea: a name blog
- You Can’t Call It It
- Ysabeau\’s Naming Persuits
And if you’re a Roger Zelazny fan, there’s Bleys, too. .
I’ve liked Blaise since I was a kid. (yes, i was raised Roman Ctholic, you get exposed to all sorts of odd Saints names then). Blaze is too horsey for me but I am charmed by Blaise & Bleys, in turns. In fact, I have Linus Willem Bleys floating around somewhere.
Ii like his strong sound but soft feel. he strikes me as creative or artsy, in turns and yes, I like Blaise, very much indeed. I really dig that he’s one syllable, even with all those letters! I keep trying to fit him in somwhere. I think he’s a snazzy answer to my pattern of multiple syllable, multiple syllable one syllable pattern I seem to have going. He’s very cool, indeed. Sadly, Ken says it’s a ‘poofta” name. and keeps taking it off the list. I have a fight on my hands.
Thanks for sure to Mariuccia for suggesting Blaise and Thanks to you, Verity, for covering it! Can’t wait to see what sort of reception Blaise gets!
A friend of mine had two friends, twins actually, named Blaze and Beau. They were girls. ‘Nuff said, I think.
NO! Blaise and Beau boys would be daring – and with the B/B thing, a bit too cute. But overall, it would strike me as a good pair, especially if the parents were of French heritage.
But Blaze and Beau for girls?! YIKES!
Blaise is a name I’m not sure about – I like and and I don’t at the same time. I like it’s zesty, snappy, one syllable with the z sound. It’s fiery and fun. Blaze is a little to literal for me and I picture roller derby or something with that spelling. Blaise works, it’s not like it’s difficult to figure out how to say it from that spelling. At the same time, it kind of sounds too super-hero for me. It also reminds me of Blaine – the name of a close friend’s brother in law who was just awful. And although the sound isn’t similar, the look on paper is so much so that my first reaction was ick. But that’s very personal. So, in all I think I’m landing on the like it side of things, as long as it’s Blaise (or even Bleys) and not Blaze.
Unfortunately, most of the parents that choose “Blaise” aren’t going for an antique saint’s name. They’re going for a rootin’-tootin’, over-the-top cowboy, tough guy name.
Blarf.
Here’s more info on the Blaze and Beau thing:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0073418/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0073417/
Turns out it’s Blaze Autumn and Beau Dakota. They were both born around 1980 and apparently they also have a BROTHER named Sky Ashley.
I guess the parents were very forward thinking for the early ’80s.
My sister dated a Blaise in high school. His parents were of French ancestry, so he said. I like it, but I probably wouldn’t use it for fear of the hypermasculine, superhero-ish associations many would have with it. Like Fuss said, many people wouldn’t be thinking of the saint or the scholar…although they are cool links to the name!
I rather like Blaise – never Blaze though.. he’s just TOO ‘nouny’ for my liking! He just seems very carefree, whilst still rather subtle; very airy.
As Lola expresses, I’d fit him into the end of a combo if I have another boy and the first 2 names suit – it’d go in seemlessly, as Rae, Finn & Belle have with my kids names!
What a difference a spelling can make. Blaise seems old and Blaze appears new. I really don’t like Blaze at all.. makes me think of the fire department coming to put out a blaze.. I do agree that the Western image rather than the saintly one is what most parents today would be going for with this name. I’m not sure how I feel about Blaise… I know I wouldn’t use it myself. Not certain how Blaise is pronounced in France, I don’t think it’s like Blaze.. (just remembering my high school French here, maybe it’s more like Blez… )
Fuss, you’re right – most parents aren’t consulting their Lives of the Saints to find Blaise. Still, if my husband were the type to suggest Gunnar or Slade, I can imagine arriving at Blaise as one we could both like.
Photoquilty, at least Blaze and Beau are lovely – and if they’re acting, I assume they’re not shy. Isn’t it true that attractive people get away with more ridiculous names? Sky Ashley, though – that must have been tough for a boy to wear in junior high.
Bizzy, I went to college with a Blaise. I think he was French Canadian. Shannon, it did sound better when he said it in French!
I know this post is a little old, however I had to comment because my son’s name is Blaise. My mom hated the name at first but it really grew on her as it did for a lot of people. And now his name is “cool.” He’s pretty popular at school-everyone seems to know him if only by his name a lone and in a good way. So there’s my two cents. BTW my husband has a great french name as well….
CM, it is always good to hear that a name like Blaise is wearing well on a real kid! And I think you’ve just landed on one of the advantages of unusual choices. It might take longer for our kids’ names to be remembered – and spelled correctly – but once others have them, their names really stand out. I’m pretty confident that Clio will never be “Clio S.” or “Tall Clio.”