Take one medieval saint, transport her to Paris and what do you get?
Thanks to Mariuccia and JNE for suggesting today’s Name of the Day: Elodie.
In the age of Ella, plenty of parents are searching for creative ways to arrive at that nickname, or the equally appealing and slightly sassy Ellie. Factor in the fashionable allure of French appellations for girls, and it comes as no surprise that Elodie is attracting quite a bit of attention.
She sounds like modern noun name Melody, but traces her roots back to the ninth century. Sisters Alodia and Nunilo lived in Huesca, Spain in the 850s. Their Christian mother remarried a Muslim man. (Remember that much of Spain was under Muslim rule throughout the Middle Ages.) The girls refused to deny their faith and eventually lost their heads over the matter. Both are considered martyrs and saints.
The name’s meaning is usually given as abundance, but her origins are unclear. Most suggest that Alodia emerged from the Gothic – an early Germanic language that died out by the 9th century. If that’s true, then od probably means riches or wealth and brings to mind the Otto- names, with similar meanings.
Alodia is also a place name. Part of Southern Egypt and Sudan was called Alodia while under Christian rule during the Middle Ages. It was well-established by the time the girl known as Alodia was born, and would last for several centuries after her death. It’s impossible to say whether the kingdom influenced the personal name.
Most saints’ names were translated into other languages, and so Alodia travelled from Spain to France, eventually becoming Élodie. All the likely variants – Elodia, Alodie – are maddeningly absent from the historical record. I can only assume that she was used quite sparingly between the 900s and more recent times, though the story of the saintly sisters seems to have been well known through the ages.
Today, Elodie is at her most popular – she’s among the Top 100 names for French newborns and ranks in the Top 50 in French-speaking Canada.
Many Americans first heard the name when French actress Elodie Bouchez appeared in the final season of television sensation Alias, playing a secret CIA assassin. There’s also Elodie Lauten, a modern composer. In the late 19th century, British citizen Elodie Lawton married a Serbian diplomat, learned his language and translated many classic Serbian works.
Elodie charted in the US in the late 19th century, ranking in 1881, 1883 and 1886. That’s not much use, but it is more history than some names can offer.
The most common American English pronunciation is EH lo dee. Head to Montreal or Paris, and the emphasis shifts to the third syllable – ay lo DEE.
Elodie is startlingly pretty, even delicate. Many three-syllable, ends in “ee” names sound heartier – think Dorothy, Delaney or Kimberly. This choice is more likely to appeal to parents considering Ariel or Lorelei than Alice or Frances.
Overall, she’d wear well on a modern girl. Elodie is historic, in step with current trends and still nicely uncommon.
Thanks for the history – that is very interesting, indeed. I love the sound of this name. (And for the record, I’ve probably been mangling it somewhat, since I pronounce it eh loh DEE – half way between the two pronunciations you mention.) While I like all the pronunciations, I like the emphasis on the ending, like the French Canadian way you mention, a little more. I know the “El-” names are kind of over-done in general, but I can’t help but like Elodie… not as much as Eleanor, but I very much like it. For now, I’m keeping her around to see if she sticks.
Elodie is so pretty! It makes me happy, I can hardly say it without singing it. So lyrical and lovely. I like Melody too, but this is so much more distinctive. Alodia is also gorgeous, totally different feel for me, but equally nice. Mmm, I hadn’t really considered Elodie before, but she’s going on my list!
I knew an Elodia back in the 60s when her family moved briefly from Texas to California. The next time I heard/saw the name was last year when I discovered baby naming boards. Thanks for the write-up!
Interesting that you’ve met an Elodia!
Elodie is pretty. I’m still tired of the Ellies for the most part but this one I don’t mind as much as most. Only Elinor ranks higher. Elodie’s *very* pretty, sweet, charming and ladylike. Not for me but I would be pleased as punch to meet someone elses. Elodie’s got the makings of a real winner these days!
She sounds so quintessentially French – pretty, stylish and elegant. I met an Elodie once whilst on holiday in France years ago, she encapsulated everything that we have just described an Elodie to be. I can still remember my shock/horror when I learnt that her sister was called Gregory(!) Even at my young age and with my limited knowledge of French names I found this a most bizarre choice/combination!
Elodie and Gregory – what a wild pairing! I wonder if they were family names?!
I like Elodie; it’s pretty and feminine without being frilly. I’d add her to my list if I had a drop of French blood running through my veins, but I, unforunately, do not. If I were to name my child Elodie, I’d feel like some Polish person who’s second cousin’s half sister’s ex-husband is 1/3 Irish and feels as if that gives her the right to name her child Aidan. If it were more established as an English name, it would be on my list, but as it is, it feels too French to me. I’d love it on someone else’s kid, though!
Alodia is what really intrigues me. I know of the saint, but never gave her name a second thought before. It’s definitely going on my list now!
Thank you for giving the background on this light and pretty name. Elodie is an unusual name that I’ve liked for awhile, and all that I seem to know about it is that it rhymes with Melody!
It feels authentically French (and it should; it is) unlike some Gallic standards like Danielle and Nicole, which are very nice, but sound rather English/American to me now.
As far as nns go, I’m a fan of Ello (though it sort of sounds like you’re saying ” ‘ello!” with an exaggerated Cockney accent) instead of sort-of-boring Ellie.
Final word: an airy choice that I would love to see on someone (I’ve never met an Elodie). Elodie’s got my vote!
Elodie is lovely. She was on my list for a while, before being replaced by Eloise (which got replaced by Eliza which got replaced by Eleanor). I don’t mind “Ellie” as a nickname, though it might not be my first choice, and it seems I always have at least one “El-” name floating around in my top 10.
I think what first drew me to the name is that she sounds SO straightforward and workable and yet she is SO rarely heard. Perhaps I was also drawn to it since it feels like a combination of mine and my sister’s names. I’m Emily and she’s Melody. It’s certainly better than Memily!
I am putting Elodie on my list. I like the French pronunciation better but I can go for the English one. I’d just call her that, no nn. Don’t really like Ellie, Ella’s nice but there are so many of them around now.
We’ve named our 4 week old beautiful baby girl Elodie Rose and we call her Elie for short. We love the name, it’s melodic, pretty, feminine and unusual too.
We are finding a lot of people don’t know what we’re saying when asked her name. We’re having to repeat it and say it rhymes with melody and that it is an old old name. They usually say that they like it but i don’t know if they’re just sayin’ they like it when really they are thinking ‘ Oh My God’!!!
We think the name Elodie flows really well, especially with Rose (which is one of my middle names) and with our surname. So all in all we feel that we lucked out with this very pretty name which in my opinion is only going to become more and more popular with some time and recognition. Hopefully Elodie agrees even after years of confused faces and when she’s had to repeat her name yet again!
GO ELODIE!!!
Congratulations, Phoenix! What a lovely, lovely name.
Hi there,
I was just browsing the web, finding out what my name means when i came across this. My name is Elodie and my middle name is Rosiena. Such a coincidence! Anywyas, you will have to repeat the rhyme – i say it so often, ‘elodie, like melodie, without the m. but it works!
My 2 year old daughter’s name is Elodie Katherine. We met an Elodie from Canada in 2000, and an Elodie from France in 2005. We then decided that was going to be our future daughter’s name (thank goodness we had a girl)! Our last name is french, so we thought it flowed well. Since then, we’ve met two Elodies, both ladies are in the 60′s. Last week I learned of a newborn (friend of a friend, etc) named Elodie. I wonder if there is a recent hype about the name because one of the girls on the TV show The Hills is named Elodie (she is in her early 20′s). I was told by one of the ladys we met (in her 60′s) that the name was popular in France prior to her being born. She told me my daughter was the first Elodie she had met.
We do get a lot of people that ask us a million times “what did you say” and I keep repeating it, sometimes having to spell it for them. My husband immediately tells them it rhymes with Melody, but I’ve never said that and don’t ever plan to. Well I love my daughter’s beautiful and unique name (at least so far in the US) and I hope that it doesn’t get popular.
Elodie is 10 months old today and becoming evermore a little sweetheart. All who meet her seem to agree that she’s beautiful and sweet but i’m not to sure they think the same of her name, however!
In fairness it is a REALLY uncommon name here in Ireland and because of that most people new to her name (approx 95% !) believe it to be ‘a made up name’. SERIOUSLY, they have NEVER heard of someone called it before or of ‘Elodie’ even being mentioned somewhere, sometime about somebody previously!
But we still LOVE Elodie’s name despite the confused reactions. Usually we try and explain that it’s a really old French name still popular there and that Nadine, Danielle, Noemi, Stephanie, Amy and many more beautiful, feminine names are commonplace here now but are not even considered as typically ‘French’ girl’s names anymore!
We also call her Elie, so as she’s growing up she’s got the choice of using both or specifically only one of either name and lately i’ve noticed two out of four of us have made the switch from mostly calling her Elie to using Elodie more so. Us other two call her by both Elodie and her nickname equally. She also is starting to recognise her own ‘name’ herself now, more and more.
Believe it or not, 15 years ago we named our first daughter Caitlin and we had the EXACT same reaction as Elodie’s name gets now, as that was a rare name here in Ireland back then! But now you can buy stuff like keyrings and moneyboxes in many shops and stores with Caitlin monogrammed on them as standard! And we definately have NEVER regretted naming her Caitlin so nothing has or will change for our little Elodie!
Our daughter, due in December, will be named Elodie (middle name Iris). We actually decided on it because we loved the nickname Ellie but wanted something more modern and unique than Eleanor to be her full name.
I knew an Elodie growing up, she was French, her mother’s name was Joelle. But other than that one girl, I never knew any other Elodie’s… until we chose the name for our daughter. Now it seems to be popping up here and there. Maybe we’re just noticing it more.
I also am constantly saying, “it’s like Melody without the M” but I don’t mind. I get quite positive reactions from people, even if they’ve never heard it before.
It’s a name that really grows on you over time.
I love Elodie, and Elodie Iris is a gorgeous combination!
Heh, my name is Joelle and I’m thinking of calling my daughter, due this December, Elodie!
Thanks! We love it too.
My Canadian-French great grand mother was named Elodie and i always thought it was such a beautiful, and underused name with such history! When I found out I was having a girl, there was no other name that I even considered. Elodie Lilette is 14 months old and I love her name more and more every day! It is a beautiful name for a girl to grow into.
Thank you for publishing this – I stumbled across it whilst trying to ascertain the origin of our beautiful daughter’s name. I felt compelled to comment in response to Phoenix as our little girl, born in May 2010, is an Élodie Rose too! I think it’s a stunning combination and I must say her name suits her very well, as she most certainly is “startlingly pretty, even delicate”!
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This was my great aunts name- she lived in Durango, mexico and so if we have a daughter she will be Alodia Margaurite, after her mexican great great aunt and her palestinian grandmother (Margaret). I always figured it was an arabic name since Saint Elodia was alive during Muslim rule and was a child of a Muslim-Christian marriage (Her real father was muslim and let her be raised christian contrary to tradition. When he passed away and her mother remarried, the new husband was not so open minded and had her beheaded). Most spanish words that start with AL are derrived from arabic, and I don’t see why anyone would think that the name of a half arabic child would be Anglo-saxon as many websites claim. To me, it represents my husband’s mix of arabic blood and the thousand years his family has been Christian. Plus, it is a family name from my father’s side. And as previously pointed out, a dainty feminine name too. We always pronounced it “ah-LO-dee-ah”, but it may just be a regional thing.
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wow, I’m very surprised to see that Elodie is known in America! (I’m French)
I know this topic is old, but I wanted to say, in France, this name is too much popular and that’s why I don’t really like my name (Yes, I’m an Elodie!), I love the meaning, the pronouciation, but it’s too popular and that’s why I don’t like it, when people call me Elodie.
That’s why I want to go back in the pass, just when my mom and my dad have decided my name ,to say ” Pick Melodie Dad, pick Melodie!! ( My parents had different choices for my name, they wanted to call me Melodie or Emilie, but my dad didn’t like Melodie!).
But I have to say, when I read all your messages, it makes me proud to be an Elodie, because this name is charming, in greek it means ” Flower of the fields ” which is very cute! & because I’m very proud of Alodia, she refused to deny her faith, and it’s a quality that you will find in every Elodies.
The good part in America it’s there’s not a lot of Elodie, which means it wont became popular, it’ll be a rare, mysterious and frenchy firstname, and it’s actually like this, that I want my name to be.