Zona Gale; Image via Wikipedia

She’s a blast from the past, a once common name worn by a famous writer.  Today, she’s all but unknown – and not likely to return.

Thanks to Beth one from her family tree for our Baby Name of the Day: Zona.

Zona literally translates to girdle in Greek.  Plenty of ancient mythologies considered them garments of great power – Aphrodite’s could ignite love and passion.  Ishtar’s girdle kept the world fruitful and multiplying.  They could be borrowed and stolen, and men wore them, too – Odysseus had a magic one that was part-life vest, and Thor stored his weapons in one.  They’re little more than a belt.

Since then, girdles evolved to a sort of women’s foundation garment, something to cinch in the waist, and then changed once more, to something also as obsolete as a petticoat.

Zona is also the source of our word zone – a geographic belt.  The sense has expanded until zone is synonymous with area.

I’m not clear if the given name is related to the Greek word.  But here’s what I do know: Zona ranked in the US Top 1000 from 1880 through 1941.  A few possible origins include:

• Other -ona names were big in the era – Nona, Ona, Lona, Leona, Dona, Mona, Iona, Arizona, Winona, Ramona, Verona, and Frona all ranked in the Top 1000.  And short, seemingly invented Z-names were in favor, too, including Zella, Zula, Zora, Zelma, Zola, Zetta, Zilpha, Zada, Zettie, Zelda, Zoa, Zelia, and Zana.
• Zona has Serbian roots, too, though I can’t pin down a specific origin.  A 1906 novel was titled Zona Zamfirova, and it was successfully adapted for the big screen in 2002.  In the story, a rich man’s daughter – Zona – falls for an ordinary Joe.  All ends happily.

Speaking of literature, Zona Gale was born in Wisconsin in 1874, became a writer, and eventually the first woman to the win the Pulitzer Prize for drama.  Gale was well-educated – she earned a master’s degree – and worked as a journalist in New York before returning home to devote herself to fiction.  Her stage adaptation of her bestseller Miss Lulu Bett would win her the Pulitzer in 1921.  In the story, Lulu strikes out on her own, leaving an unappreciative family and a failed marriage.  Besides her literary triumphs, Gale was a suffragette and activist.

There’s another nineteenth Zona, and her story is very sad.  Zona Heaster was murdered by her husband in 1897.  The crime might have gone undiscovered, but shortly after Zona’s funeral, her mother claimed that her daughter’s ghost appeared and explained that her death was no mere accidental fall, but murder.  Her mother successfully campaigned to have her daughter’s body exhumed, and an autopsy performed.  Sure enough, Zona had met a bad end, and her husband spent the remainder of his days in prison.

All of this makes Zona feel like an intriguing forgotten name with a modern sound.  And yet there is one almost insurmountable problem.  In Hebrew, Zona translates to prostitute – and that’s a gentle translation.  In our ever-so-connected world, this fact would be readily discovered by a daughter.

If you have Zona on your family tree, she’s a lovely choice for the middle spot, with her subtle connection to mythology and her literary pedigree.  But as a given name, it seems likely to prove challenging.  There are many other Zo- names from the same era without baggage.  Then again, I’m not certain how widely known zona is as an insult in the US.  Have you heard it?  And is it a deal-breaker?

Nico Buwalda; Image via Wikipedia

Today’s pick is a fascinating gender neutral name with a certain sparky, international vibe.

Thanks to Findley for suggesting Nico as our Baby Name of the Day.

Originally, Nico is a Dutch version of Nicholas.  Or maybe he’s related to Nicodemus, a separate name with the same meaning, or Dominic, a saintly appellation.  Regardless, Nico is a logical short form of any name containing the nic sound – as is Nick or Nicky – and he’s also heard in German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and other European languages.

Nicholas was a wildly popular fourth century saint whose name has seen steady use over the years.  Royals and popes have answered to the name.

There are bunches of early 20th century Nicos, guys like Nico Buwalda, the Dutch footballer pictured above, or Italian crooner Nico Fidenco.  Over the course of the twentieth century, we find more and more Nicos.

Some of it may simply be better recording of personal biographies.  That’s how we know, for example, that youngest Llewelyn-Davies brother Nicholas answered to Nico.  (Along with George, John, Peter, and Michael, the brothers and their family were friends of J.M. Barrie, and the inspiration for Peter Pan.)

Llewelyn-Davis is the first English Nico I find.  But then, despite Nicholas’ steady use, he wasn’t wildly popular in English until recent decades.  In 1900, Nicholas ranked #200.  Feminine form Nicole is even more of a new arrival.  She first appears in the US Top 1000 in 1942, and stayed at the fringes until the 1960s.

All of the Nick names were on top of the world in the 1980s.  In the midst of this, in 1988, Nico debuted as a boys’ name.  He reached #591 in 2010.

Nico in La Dolce Vita; Image via Wikipedia

Nico has never charted as a girls’ name, and was given to just 39 girls last year.  But she has had some use for girls, thanks to a German singer.  Born Christa Päffgen, the lingering rumor is that her stage name was borrowed from Greek director Nikos Papatakis, also nicknamed Nico.

In recent years, Nico has been catching on :

• Actress Thandie Newton has daughters called Ripley and Nico, and Nico is said to be named after singer.
• Coldplay’s Guy Berryman has a daughter called Nico, as does the lead singer of Blind Melon, the late Shannon Hoon.
• Short-lived television series Lipstick Jungle included a character named Nico, a high-powered magazine editor.
• Then there’s singer-songwriter Neko Case.  It appears to be her given name.

In Germany and Austria, Nico is big for boys, and it is also the name of a male character in the Percy Jackson series.

She’s a single-syllable name borrowed from mythology, with a definite edge.

Thanks to Amanda for suggesting Nyx as our Baby Name of the Day.

In Greek mythology, Nyx – night – is the child of Chaos, though Chaos is more of a state than a person.  Chaos literally means abyss, emptiness.  (We’d layer on the meaning of confusion centuries later.)

Chaos also gives rise to Erebus - shadows.  Sometimes with Erebus, and more often without, Nyx is the mother of day, sleep, death, dreams, prudence, doom, strife, friendship, deception, the Fates, and occasionally the Hesperides, among others.

Most of these figures are, like Nyx herself, minor deities and rarely seen.  When she is pictured, Nyx is usually a dark-haired stunner, a lovely woman.

(Incidentally, the image above is borrowed from a tenth century illuminated manuscript, created during a high point in Byzantine arts and culture.  It fascinates me because the gods of antiquity are pictured with Christian saints.  In this case, Nyx stands with the prophet Isaiah.)

Nyx is also a poetic word for night itself.  The modern world has borrowed her for any number of uses, most with a dark and shadowy vibe.  She appears as a cornerstone of vampire religion in the House of Night series – young adult novels about a boarding school for bloodsuckers.

There’s also a comic book character, a sidekick of Spawn, known as Nyx – though her birth name was Carrie Ann.

While they’re not related, there are also water sprites in Germanic folklore called nixies, nix, or nixe.  With Lorelei attracting so much attention, can other mermaid names make waves?  Figures from myth and folklore have been a great well of inspiration for modern parents, especially those seeking to find names that are little worn but aren’t invented.

But Nyx has another strength – her sound.

• She’s close to Nicole – a mom name these days.  Add in Nicholas and all of their various variant forms, and Nyx could be an offbeat way to honor a loved one.
• It is tempting to think of Nicks – as in American singer Stevie and English shopping staple Harvey.  Both associations have some appeal.
• Other short ends-in-x names, like the Jolie-Pitt’s Pax and Knox, are quite stylish.  While they tend to be masculine, that’s not exclusively true.  Lux - of The Virgin Suicides and Life Unexpected – has been worn by girls.

As for her meaning, while she leans a bit Goth in pop culture, the same could be said of many names that mean night – think of Layla – and that hasn’t necessarily hurt them.  Add in names that refer to the night sky, whether they are stars, moons or constellations, and suddenly the list is chock full of fashionable choices.

Nyx is also a mountain on Venus, an asteroid, and a moon of Pluto, though the last one is spelled Nix.  All three honor the original Greek goddess.

This would be a daring choice for a daughter.  Still she’s not so different from the familiar Nicole, and she’s short and easy to spell – both qualities that temper her extreme qualities.  And, of course, Nicky is an incognito nickname possibility.  In the middle spot, she’d be a real find.

Yvonne DeCarlo; Image via Wikipedia

Over 15,000 little girls were christened Ava, with another 6,600 plus called Avery, and nearly as many answering to Evelyn in 2010 alone.  What ever happened to this vowels-plus-v choice?

Thanks to Ashley for suggesting Yvonne as our Baby Name of the Day.

The trouble with Yvonne is that she peaked in the 1930s.  If the one hundred year rule applies, that’s still a decade or so shy of sounding prime for revival.  No one is naming their girls Barbara or Shirley, either.

On the other hand, a number of 1930s staples have already started to catch the attention of parents looking for something fresh.  Don’t Dorothy, Ruth, Helen, Joan, and June all sound like names you’d find short-listed on a Nameberry forum?

Like Natalie and Audrey, there’s a Hollywood tie to this name.  Yvonne DeCarlo had a long career, attaining true leading lady status after her turn as Sephora in the Biblical epic The Ten Commandments.  The only trouble?  Today’s parents remember the lovely Ms. DeCarlo for another role – Mrs. Lily Munster in television sitcom The Munsters.

Or maybe the name conjures up the flirtatious Miss Yvonne on Pee-wee’s Playhouse.  Either way, Yvonne takes on a sort of campy, cult status that lingers.

It shouldn’t be that way, though.  She’s a medieval appellation brought to England by the Normans.  Yvonne has long been the most common feminine form of the saintly, high-fashion français Yves, a name ultimately derived from the yew tree.

Yew is not one you’re likely to hear, even as tailored tree names like Linden and Rowan find favor.  Yew wood was traditionally used for making bows, and has ties to Norse mythology and well as a reputation as a tree of sadness and mourning, customarily planted in churchyards, even in pre-Christian England.  Yvonne is a few steps removed from that backstory, though.

Variants abound.  There’s Ivo and and Yvon for men; Yvette and Ivetta for women.  If you remember 1980s Australian tennis sensation Evonne Goolagong, that’s one that might come to mind.

Madame Charles DeGaulle also wore the name, as did a number of singers and dancers and athletes and actors.  The most prominent Yvonne of our day is probably Polish-Australian actress Yvonne Strahovski, mostly recently seen on Chuck.

But back to the question of how Yvonne would fare today.  It may be that the 1930s were prime time for the letter V.  Alvin and Vivian, Vincent and Eva, Harvey and Vera were all popular.  If the vibrant v is having another moment – and she’s definitely back for girls, from Olivia to Nevaeh – then why not Yvonne?

She’s elegant, restrained, and shortens to the kid-friendly Evie.  Naming a daughter Yvonne in 2011 or 2012 could be one of those ahead-of-the-curve comebacks.  It’s the kind of name you announce and everyone says, “Huh.  You don’t hear that one much these days.”  They’d be right, too – Yvonne last charted in the US Top 1000 in 2002.

If you’re looking for the new old lady names, Yvonne could be the next Evelyn – though maybe in a dozen more years.

z6 by TooFarNorth via Flickr

There’s something fascinating about the letter Z.  It’s the slashing mark of Zorro, the end of the line.  A name that starts there seems exotic, daring, a tiny bit more interesting than one that starts with C or J or R. 

Zachary is far and away the most popular, but he’s been in the US Top 100 since 19

Plenty of Z names have been profiled here over the past four years, and it seems like a good moment to stop and review those zippy – and fetching – Z names.

Cruz - The Beckhams put this name on the map.  Great for the hero of a romance novel, possibly tough to see on a small boy.  But Cruz does have a long history of use, long before the celebrity couple considered the name.

Ezekiel - Possibly the name to watch from this list, Ezekiel has been the preferred formal name for parents who want to call their boy Zeke.  Some, of course, are just opting for Zeke on the birth certificate.

Fritz – He’s German and vaguely feline, but if Frederick makes a comeback, he could become an unexpected go-to short form.

Xavier – Sometimes respelled Zavier, he’s a saintly surname with a very modern vibe.  Indecisive?  Xzavier has been seen, too – though the Xz feels excessive.

Zane – With little cowboys answering to Gage and Cade, no wonder Zane has seen steady use in the last few years.  He’s also a possible short form of the oh-so popular Alexander.  Alexander’s last two syllables have also given us Xander and Zander in recent years.

Zarek – A Slavic diminutive with a sci-fi vibe, Zarek seems unlikely to catch on – but with his similarity to Derek, he might still be wearable.

Zebedee – A New Testament fisherman, this name is wildly different.  And yet, with Elijah and Isaiah in the US Top 1000, he no longer feels outlandish.  Short form Zeb feels very cool, too.

Zebulon – Not quite as rare as Zebedee, and just as valid a way to get to Zeb, Zebulon Pike lends this name some mountain-climbing cool.  There are a handful of colonial Zebulons, too, making this name right at home with Nathaniel.

Zenas – A New Testament lawyer turned evangelist and eventually a saint, Zenas surfaces from time to time, but seems likely to remain the rarest of the Z names.

Zephyr – A nature name thanks to the Greek god of the west wind, Zephyr shortens to Zef - Jeff with a Z.  He’s most often use as a name for a train or a car or a motorcycle, but between his zippy z and his -r ending, Zephyr might suit a twenty-first century boy just fine.

Zedekiah – Another Zed name, at home in the colonial era or our modern-day, very Biblical moment.

Zoltan – A Hungarian appellation sometimes worn by animatronic fortune tellers in amusement park machines, Zoltan is one of those names – eye-poppingly strange at first glance, but quickly blending in to the current group of ends-in-n boys’ names.

Are there other Z names that you would consider?

M by Mary Hockenbery via Flickr

Matthew was a Top Ten staple from 1974 through 2007, a Biblical boy with a long history of use.

Today parents are borrowing the Italian form for a name that’s fresher and more interesting, but every bit as enduring.  Our Baby Name of the Day is Matteo.

Call out Matteo on a Hollywood playground, and you’d expect to see little heads swivel.  In recent years:

• Colin Firth welcomed a son called Matteo in 2003, a big brother for Luca.
• Benjamin Bratt called his son Mateo Bravery in 2005, a brother for Sophia Rosalinda.
• Ricky Martin named one of his twins Matteo, a brother to Valentino in 2008.
• Tom Colicchio is the most recent member of the club, with son Mateo Lev born in 2009.  Mateo’s brothers are Dante and Luka.

Strictly speaking, the single t spelling is Spanish – and common throughout the Spanish-speaking world – while the double t is Italian, and a Top Ten choice in Italy today.  But Ricky Martin used Matteo, and Tom Colicchio opted for Mateo, so in the US, that’s not necessarily a meaningful distinction.

It is no surprise he’s so very international.  Saint Matthew was one of the twelve apostles, a witness to the Resurrection, the presumed author of the New Testament’s Gospel of Matthew.  You would expect to find a version of Matthew in every European language, and so there is – from Mads in Danish to Matvei in Russian.  Mathias and Matthias are very common, too.

But parents are embracing Matteo for another reason – his ends-in-o sound.  As boys’ names have become softer, vowel endings like Joshua and Noah have become far more common.  Ends in -o options are especially stylish, with Leo (ranked #193 in 2010) and Theo (Theodore ranked #263, with Theo at #915) at the top of the pack, followed by Milo, Marco, Arlo, and Rocco.

Factor in names popular with Spanish-speakers but very wearable in the English-speaking world, like Diego, Antonio, and Santiago, and it is easy to see Matteo’s appeal.

Mateo is more popular in the US, charting at 221 in 2010, with Matteo more than two hundred spaces back at #428.  Doubtless Mateo is boosted by Spanish-speaking parents seeking a crossover name.

But despite Matteo’s lesser use, he seems like the spelling to watch – a good choice for parents seeking a name that embraces their Italian heritage, or even just a name for parents who want something only a little bit different.  Matteo can still answer to every-guy short form Matt, but his overall sound is distinctive.

Today’s parents grew up with Matthew.  We all knew at least one, and actors like Matt Dillon, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon, and Matthew Broderick keep the name visible.  That’s without counting historical figures like nineteenth century sailor Commodore Matthew Perry, part of the first Western mission to Japan.

Matteo has history aplenty, too.  Matteo Visconti ruled Milan in the 1300s; in the sixteenth century, Matteo Ricci was one of the first Jesuit priests in China.   Field Marshal Mateo de Toro Zambrano, was a major figure in Chile under the Spanish Empire, and was the fledgling independent state’s first president in 1810.

Matteo bridges a gap between the familiar, boy-next-door name and a modern, international one.  He’s a great choice for parents seeking a culture-spanning name, and an equally good option for families intent on finding a not-too-familiar, but not-too-out there option for a son.

Image via Wikipedia

Apple, Clementine, Plum … how ’bout this one from the orchard?

Thanks to Racheli for suggesting Peach as our Baby Name of the Day.

If you named your daughter Peach, she wouldn’t really be the first.  High-profile starbaby turned model/television personality Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof got there first.  Peaches and sibs Fifi and Pixie often pop up on lists of crazy baby names, but that’s been happening for so long that all three names feel less daffy than they did once upon a time.

Other notables include:

• Fashion designer Peach Carr, a Season Eight Project Runway alum.  Her Etsy shop is empty, but it sounds like she’s doing well;
• If you happened to see the 2003 Amanda Bynes vehicle What a Girl Wants, you might recall aristocratic debutante twin sisters called Peach and Pear, played by real-life twin sisters Connie and Cassie.  (The actresses also played twins Sophie and Mel on Hollyoaks.)
• Another fictional figure is Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom in the Mario video game universe.  In recent years, she’s graduated from the predictable damsel requiring rescue to a playable headline character in Super Princess Peach.

But let’s get back to the fruit.

We’ve been calling them peaches for ages, since the 1100s.  The word was pesche in Old French; that ultimately derives from the Latin pessica and persica, words borrowed from the phrase Persian apple.

Peaches originally come from China, but the first ones arrived in Europe via Persia – Persis.  Persis pops up in the New Testament, and appears in Colonial America, too.  There are plenty of types to choose from, available all over the world.

Other meanings have attached over the years:

• Here’s my favorite quirky peach fact: the Middle English peche meant sin.  In French, péché still means sin, while the fruit is pêche.  So the surname probably implied something between all-out-roguishness and a certain tendency towards less-than-choirboy behavior;
• That’s not a well-known reference these days, but you might hear a woman described as a peach, and a “peaches and cream” complexion is another compliment.

Despite their exotic origins, today it is tough to hear peach and not think of the American South – specifically Georgia.  The state is home to Peach County.  In the days before corporate sponsorship, the big football game was The Peach Bowl.  On New Year’s Eve, New York City drops a ball, but Atlanta counts down with a peach.  There’s a Georgia Peach Festival, and, naturally, a Miss Georgia Peach.  But peaches flourish in many parts of the US.  Thomas Jefferson planted dozens of varieties in the orchards at his Virginia home, Monticello.

The name has some history of use, too.  While she’s never cracked the US Top 1000, there are plenty of Peaches in US Census records.  More of them are female, but there’s a healthy helping of men who answered to Peach, too, likely inspired by the surname.

All of this makes Peach a sweet name, the kind of wacky, unconventional choice that can grow on you over time.  There’s an innocence to her, and a certain blending of the exotic and the familiar.  Be prepared for questions aplenty if you put Peach in the first spot, but she’s a fun, unexpected middle name choice.

Image via Wikipedia

She’s a lovely Spanish appellation that works well in English.

Thanks to Joanna for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day: Paloma.

I’ve long thought that pigeons need better PR.  Those urban dwelling survivors, often dismissed as rats with wings, are also known as rock doves.  Rock Dove – that’s a whole other vibe, much classier, don’t you think?

Because if you’re going to be technical about things, Paloma comes from the Latin palumba – wood pigeon.  But if you’re naming a child, you’re likely to prefer the bird’s other identity – dove, same bird, but from the Old Norse.

The bird isn’t just a bird, at least not when it is a dove.  White doves symbolize peace.  The dove is also a Christian symbol of the Holy Spirit.  In the Old Testament, Noah released a dove; when it returned carrying an olive branch, he knew there was land – somewhere.  Hinds and Sikhs attach importance to pigeons, too.  It is quite a bit of weight for a small bird.

Then there’s the folk song, “La Paloma.”  Sebastian Yradier penned the song in the 1860s.  I suspect this is the bridge between the bird and the name.  The ballad is clearly about the dove, but the lyrics are all about romance.  It’s been much translated and performed in many languages.

Maybe that was part of Pablo Picasso’s inspiration when he named his youngest child Anne Paloma in 1949.  She was born in April; that same month, the World Peace Congress adopted Picasso’s image of a dove, La Colombe, as their symbol.  It was no mere coincidence, either.  A year later, Picasso addressed the conference, noting that his father – also a painter and professor of art – had taught him to draw doves.  His works are famous for their anti-war themes, like his staggering accomplishment Guernica.

I assume the name Anne was required by French authorities, or perhaps the church – to the best of my knowledge, she was always called Paloma.  Even without the backstory to her name, she was the subject of several of dad’s paintings, lending Paloma some real artistic style.  Plus the youngest Picasso is no slouch herself.  She’s designed jewelry, including a collection for Tiffany & Co., and perfume, among other ventures.

Paloma also has that oh-so-current o sound – a logical way to get to Lola.  Actress Ana Ortiz has a toddler called Paloma Louise, and she’s not alone.  Paloma first cracked the US Top 1000 in 1993.  By 2010 she’d reached #698.  That’s not exactly Isabella, but she probably appeals to many parents seeking a cultural-spanning feminine name that sounds pretty without being in any way lightweight.

With her ties to nature and the arts, her meaningful associations, and her cultural-spanning sound, it is hard to find a name as appealing as Paloma.

Maya glyph for Pax; Image via Wikipedia

He’s a logical successor to Max, with a meaning that will appeal to many parents.

Thanks to Virginia for suggesting Pax as our Baby Name of the Day.

Pax is one of those Latin words that many of us translate without thinking about it – peace, as in the Pax Romana, the long period in the first and second centuries free of warfare after Rome had conquered the world as they knew it.

The Emperor Augustus was the ruler responsible for the peace, as well as the propaganda machine that convinced the Roman people to embrace the unfamiliar condition.  Around this time, peace was personified as the goddess Pax.

Yes, that’s right – goddess.  The Greeks had a goddess of peace, too – Irene.  But while Irene has always been feminine, Pax has simply been overlooked, at least as a given name.

There are two other places Pax surfaces:

• The Mayan solar calendar lists Pax as one of 18 months, the month for planting;
• Pre-Norman England knew the personal name Pæcc.  It is tough to pin down, and while I think it is likely Saxon, there are other theories.  Pæcc is the source of Paxton, the place name and surname.

The parents to put Pax on the map as a stylish baby name are, of course, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.  Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt is the second oldest of their international brood, but was the fourth to join the family, in 2007.

Even if Pax Jolie-Pitt had been named Bob, the name would likely attract some attention.  In fact, it isn’t Pax but Paxton that’s really on fire these days.  Pax has yet to appear in the US Top 1000.  Paxton debuted in 1997 at #938, climbed to #563 the year the Jolie-Pitts adopted, and as of 2010, was up to #295.

That’s a fast climb, fueled by the fact that Paxton hits all the right notes:

• His meaning appeals – at least if you stick with the Latin peace;
• Like Alex and Max and Xavier and Jaxon, he has the x factor;
• Paxton picks up some starbaby glimmer without being too obvious;
• Surnames remain a popular category;
• Paxton is a shape-shifter – you can describe him as old-fashioned or modern.  Either way, you’re right.

Unlike some invented surname-sounding names, Paxton is the real deal.  A small town in Massachusetts was founded in 1749, and named after Charles Paxton, an early civic leader.

But Paxton also fits with a bunch of starts-with-Pax options that are nouveau: Paxon, Paxtin, and Paxson all feel vaguely pharmaceutical, but they’re in use.  Unlike Payton and Presley, all of the Pax- variants are solidly masculine options.

If you’re looking for something short, but you find Max and Gus too common, Pax emerges as an option, along with a few other brief, modern names with appealing meaning like Lux and Kai.  He’s also an interesting pick in the middle spot.  And if you fret that Pax sounds too much like pox, there’s always Paxton.

White Jasmine Flower; Image via Wikipedia

Jasmine was a Disney princess, but this one is the real thing.

Thanks to Heather for suggesting Yasmin as our Baby Name of the Day.

Hollywood star Rita Hayworth married Prince Aly Khan in 1948.  The marriage didn’t last long, but the couple did have a daughter, and her name is appropriate for a Middle Eastern princess: the lovely Yasmin.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t certain what, precisely, Aly Khan was busy ruling.  Turns out that he was descended from the Qajars, the Shahs of Persia from the eighteenth century into 1925.  The family has held on to the royal title long after they lost their domain.  Aly Khan’s family also holds a second title – Aga Khan – indicating their role as religious leaders of the Ismaili Muslims – but Aly was skipped over, and the title passed directly to his firstborn son, Karim.  When Rita met the prince, he was busy jet-setting.

All of this makes Yasmin a princess of the rather glamorous variety, but she’s grown up to be heavily involved with charitable causes.

You might also think of Yasmine Bleeth, the actress best known as Caroline on Baywatch, or maybe French writer Yasmina Reza.

Yasmin is also one of the more exotic botanical options – the Persian name for jasmine, ultimately derived from the Greek iasme.  Equally at home in gardens or in arrangements, jasmine blooms at night.

Perhaps that’s what inspired Disney to use the name for their princess in 1992′s Aladdin.  There is, in fact, a princess in The Arabian Nights, the tales that inspired the film.  But her name was Badroulbadour, or Badoura in some of the adaptations.

You might attribute Jasmine’s popularity to the animated princess, but the name was already ranked in the 20s when the movie debuted.  She’d been in the Top 100 since 1986.

In fact, Yasmin and company have fared well in the 20th century:

• In Turkey, Yasemin has held the #1 spot in recent years;
• Yasmine is a popular choice for Muslim parents in France;
• Yasmin currently ranks in Brazil’s Top Ten;
• Jazmin is big in Argentina and Hungary.

Add in Jasmine’s success throughout the English-speaking world, and she becomes less of a pop culture phenomenon and far more culture-spanning classic.  Her pronunciation varies, too – from YAZ mihn to yahs MEEN.

Today Jasmine remains at #62 in the US, and she’s inspired spin-offs, like Jazlyn (#407), Jazlynn (#625), and Jaslene (#976).  Combined with her Disney affiliation, it makes Jasmine feel trendy and fleeting, despite her roots as a nature name.

Yasmin, on the other hand, retains a certain sophisticated, culture-spanning vibe.  She’s also relatively uncommon, ranking just #584 in 2010.  If you’re seeking a Persian heritage choice that wears well in the US, Yasmin is certainly one to consider.