Casimir II; Image via Wikipedia

He’s a Slavic import with a certain dashing style.

Thanks to Larkin for suggesting Casimir as our Baby Name of the Day.

Casimir comes from two apparently contradictory elements.  Mir means peace, but kazic means to destroy.  The original sense is probably something like “one who destroys the peace of his enemy,” but modern parents could focus on the peaceful part.

You can hear both French and Polish pronunciations here.  In English, kaz EH meer is probably closest.

Polish kings, nobles, and a saint have answered to the original form of the name, Kazimierz.  Neighbors in Pomerania had adopted it by the twelfth century, but it would be centuries until he reached Western Europe.

The quartet of Polish rulers make for a relatively admirable bunch.  Casimir III established the Jagiellonian University in Cracow in the 1300s, the oldest university in Poland and among the oldest in the world.

But perhaps Casimir IV’s son – the future saint – is the one that helped the name spread.  He was expected to inherit the Polish throne, and even served as vice-regent in his father’s absence.  But Casimir wasn’t willing to marry, and spent much of his time fasting.  He died in 1484, while visiting Lithuania.  He’s the patron saint of Poland, Lithuania, and youth.

A German prince is called Johann Casimir in the late 1500s, and over the next few hundred years, the name goes global:

• Spanish-born Casimiro Diaz evangelized the Philippines in the early eighteenth century.
• He’s also found in France by the eighteenth century, where Casimir, Comte de Montrond, was involved in various diplomatic affairs.
• Born Louis-Casimir Escoffer and known as Casimir Ney, the nineteenth century French composer was a master at viola.
• Casimir Dudevant was the French nobleman best known for marrying Aurore Dupin – the future George Sand.
• Count Kasimir Felix Badeni was a Polish aristocrat, who played a key role in administering the Austro-Hungarian Empire administration, though he was not particularly adept at his work.
• Casimiro de Abreu was a Brazilian-born poet who flourished in Portugal in the mid-nineteenth century.
• Casimiro is also in use in Italy around the same time, with a powerful Italian-born cardinal called Casimiro Gennari.
• Jean Casimir Guyon was a French surgeon and pioneer in urology in the early years of the twentieth century.

Casimir had a good run in France, peaking in the 1930s.  But in the 1970s, an orange dinosaur called Casimir dominated children’s television.  Just like Barney struggles to overcome his associations with a purple T-Rex in the US, I suspect it has put a damper on the name.

In the US, Casimir appeared at the fringes of the Top 1000 into the 1930s, but today is simply unknown.

Short form Cass leans a little girlish, though Cas, pronounced Kaz, is almost cowboy.  And if you think you’re likely to use all three syllables, just like so many kids called Sebastian and Isabelle do, then there’s no barrier to Casimir.  It’s a great Slavic option with plenty of history and style.

e61 by Too Far North via Flickr

Take the -ia from Olivia and Sophia, borrow the El- from Ella and Elizabeth, and you’ll arrive at a terribly pretty possibility for a daughter, one that just might have ancient roots.

Thanks to Cindy for suggesting her daughter’s name, Ellia as our Baby Name of the Day.

Ellia has multiple possible origins, from the simple assemblage of popular sounds to ties to a traditional Old Testament name.

• Ellia may simply have emerged as a variant, and perhaps even a feminine form, of Elijah and Elias.  Elijah was slimmed down to Elia in Italian and several other European tongues – think of legendary director Elia Kazan.  Census records suggest that plenty of men answered to Ellia, too, at least in the US, and almost certainly as a twist on the Biblical name.
• In more modern moments, I’ve heard Ellia connected to the French elle - she.  But since Elle is also a given name with ties to the popular Ella family, this one is probably on the fanciful side.

But here’s the most intriguing of them all.  The Roman gens Aelia was prominent for centuries in the ancient world.  The Emperor Hadrian was among their members, as were many distinguished figures well into the fourth century.  Aelia Paetina was the second wife of Emperor Claudius, so we know that Aelia was the preferred feminine form for family members.

The origins of Aelia and company are debated, but one suggestion is that it connects to the Greek helios - sun.

Plenty of names have come down to us from ancient days, and while Aelia is poorly represented on the map today, it was once common, bestowed by Hadrian and others to places where they constructed bridges or settlements.  Aelia Capitolina once stood on the site of modern-day Jerusalem.  Aelia survived in the Byzantine Empire even longer, worn by a few more empresses.

Could the personal name have trickled down over the years?  Cindy found it on her husband’s Italian family tree, traced back over several centuries.  This tracks with the census records – while some nineteenth century American Ellias were men, an equal number were women – suggesting that two separate origins for the name might be perfectly plausible.

With the exception of Cindy’s report, I can’t confirm another medieval Ellia.  Still, Italian was such a fragmented language, and written records were so slim that it means little.  It also strikes me that Ellia might have been recorded differently in Latin – could she be hiding as Elisabetta?

Two pop culture references might put Ellia on a 21st century parents’ radar:

• Actress Ellia English has had a long career, from the television adaptation of Fame in the 1980s to the present-day Disney Channel series Good Luck, Charlie.
• There was also a minor – but important – character on sci-fi series Stargate Atlantis.  Jewel Staite of Firefly fame, played Ellia.

But is Ellia the kind of name that a modern parent would consider?  Look no further than Project Nursery.

Ellia has all the markings of a stylish moniker.  Her sound fits right in with Amelia, Stella and Eleanor - strong, smart, creative names for a daughter that wear well throughout life.  And while she might strike some as invented, her roots run deep.  If you’re looking for something just a little bit different, Ellia is one to consider.

Artemis was a goddess, eternally young.  Today’s choice honors the huntress, but has been worn by some rather extraordinary women.

Thanks to Christina for suggesting Artemisia as our Baby Name of the Day.

The meaning of Artemis is debated, with speculation linking her to everything from artemes - safe – to artamos - butcher to arte – great.  In any case, she was Apollo’s twin sister, a huntress and moon goddess, and a major member of the Greek pantheon.  It is no surprise to find personal names that honor Artemis.

The masculine version is Artemisios, and there are a few.  But it is the women answering to Artemisia who have been such a fascinating bunch.

First there’s the fifth century BC Ionian ruler Artemisia I of Caria.  She took the throne after her husband’s death and rode into battle with her army.

A few generations later, in the 350s BC, Artemisia II followed a similar path, succeeding her late husband.  The death of her departed husband hit her hard, and she truly mourned for Mausolus.  She lived just two years longer than her beloved, long enough to commission one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.

Artemisia remained in use, at least in Italian:

• Florence’s exclusive Academy of Arts first female member was Artmeisia Gentileschi, a seventeenth century Baroque painter known for depicting famous women from myth and the Bible.  Her most noted work is Judith Beheading Holofernes.  Holofernes was the head of an invading army.  Judith slips into his tent and cuts off his head.  Most artists show her spiriting away his head, but Gentileschi painted the actual murder, complete with gory details.
• You’d expect one of these women to inspire an opera, but the seventeenth-century work by Cavalli called Artemisia follows a conventional romantic plot about star-crossed lovers.

Artemisia appears in the US Census records, often paired with an Italian surname, but not always.  In the era of Homer and Virgil, parents rediscovering a name associated with the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is plausible.  In the mid-1800s, archeologist Charles Thomas Newton was excavating the site and brought statues of Mausolus and Artemisia back to the British Museum, where they remain on display.

She’s never cracked the US Top 1000, but here’s something to consider: Artie was a Top 1000 choice from the 1880s into the 1930s.  A feminine form of Arthur, or an adaptation of the frilly and foreign Artemisia?  At least some of the census records conflate Artie and Artemisia, so it is possible – though still very much speculation.

Elaborate choices are popular for girls today – Savannah, Alexandra, Isabella.  Artemisia is slightly clunkier than those choices – among the vintage Hermiones.  She fits in the category of elaborate A- names with tomboy nicknames, too – think of Arcadia and Astoria.

As for specific nicknames?  Artemisia could answer to Artie, Ari, Mimi, Tem, or, for an Eastern European twist, Mishka.

There’s also the French version, Arthemise, which could be gorgeous in the middle spot.

It’s also rumored that a prequel to 2007′s 300 is in the works, one that will feature Artemisia I prominently – possibly reviving this name for a new generation.

If you’re looking for an unusual ancient name worn by strong, creative women, Artemisia is one that could work.

We tend to file her with botanical names, but her origins are a little bit different.

Thanks to Fran for suggesting Rosamund as our Baby Name of the Day.

Rosamund didn’t initially have much to do with roses.  She comes from the Germanic elements hros – horse and mund - protection.  Think Edmund or Rosalind.

The earliest record of a Rosamund dates back to the sixth century, a princess born to a kingdom at war.  She was eventually kidnapped and married to her family’s rival, the King of the Lombards.  Accounts tell us that his cruelty was extraordinary, and Rosamund plotted his death.  While she was successful, the plot would be her downfall, too.  The tale of the ill-fated Rosamund became a popular one in songs and storytelling.

It might also help explain why Rosamund remained in steady use.  Six centuries later, she’s still in use. 

The lovely Rosamund Clifford would keep the name in the public eye, and would also change our ideas about the meaning.  The mistress of English monarch Henry II, she was referred to as “rose of the world” – a play on her given name and the Latin phrase rosa mundi.

We do this today, too, of course – you’ll find all sorts of indefensible meanings scattered across baby name message boards.  And it is hard to separate Rosamund from the many other Rose names in use.  Rosalind, another Germanic appellation, underwent a similar transformation, only this time in Spanish.  Thanks to Linda – pretty – we assumed that Rosalind means “pretty as a rose.”  It wasn’t true, but now maybe it is.

In any event, the ill-fated princess and the royal mistress meant that the name has been big in music and literature and other forms of storytelling over the centuries.  She’s spelled Rosamunde and Rosamond and even Rosamonde, but she’s a fairly steady presence over the centuries.

Several early tellings of Sleeping Beauty, including the ones originally recorded by the Brothers Grimm, gave the somnolent princess’ name as Rosamond – though today Disney has cemented her name as Aurora.

More modern Rosamunds include:

• Poet Rosamund Watson wrote poetry under the nom de plume Graham R. Tomson in the late nineteenth century.
• In 1877, a town in California’s Mojave Desert was named Rosamond after the daughter of a railroad official.
• Writer Rosamunde Pilcher penned romance novel for decades, including the 1987 bestseller The Shell Seekers.
• Actress Rosamund Pike, who has played everything from a Bond Girl to a character in a Jane Austen flick.
• The young adult detective series Nate the Great features a dark-haired, cat-collecting character called Rosamond, said by many to be the inspiration for Emily the Strange.

Spelled with a u, the name has never cracked the US Top 1000.  Rosamond charted from the 1880s into the 1930s, but never higher than the 500s.

All of this makes her a recognizable rarity with history and style.  Sweet nicknames range from Rosie to Romy to Roz.  If you’re disappointed that Beatrice is back, Rosamund might be one to consider.

The evergreen Elizabeth has given rise to plenty of short forms.  Would this one stand on its own?

Thanks to BC for suggesting Bess as our Baby Name of the Day.

You will meet women named just Eliza and Beth, but chances are that if you meet a Bess, she’s really Elizabeth or Elisabeth.  Bess last charted in the US Top 1000 as an independent given name in 1927.  Bessie fared slightly better – she hung on until 1975.

But In 2012, short forms like Tess and Millie feel fresh, and decidedly separate from longer forms like Theresa or Mildred.  Mad Men has boosted Betty.  And with all these boys wearing names last fashionable in the Colonial era, even Betsy feels at home with Nate and Sam.  Does Bess fit in their company, too?

She has more history than most.  The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth’s childhood was tumultuous.  Dad had mom executed when Elizabeth was a few months shy of her third birthday.  Elizabeth was declared illegitimate.  But despite these trials, she still received an outstanding education, and survived the reigns of her half-brother Edward and half-sister Mary.

If Bess was a nickname used in her household, it isn’t recorded.  Instead, Good Queen Bess was a popular way to refer to the monarch, whose rule is often characterized as a golden age, capped by the English defeat of the Spanish Armada.

But it was also a nickname in use at the time:

• Bess of Hardwick, also christened Elizabeth, was a few years older than the queen.  The much-married noblewoman ended her days as Countess of Shrewsberry, but she’s best known for the stately homes she built with the fortune she amassed, as well as the extraordinary collection of textiles she helped create during her life.

Other women at court during the Elizabethan era shared the name.  It was very common to be named after a godparent, parent, or other close relation.  This narrowed the name pool – and surely must have increased the reliance on diminutive forms.

It’s tough to know for certain which Elizabeths answered to Bess, but here are a few:

• The future Duchess of Devonshire, Elizabeth Cavendish – known as Bess – was part of a scandalous love triangle with William and Georgiana - the Duke and his first wife.  Hayley Atwell played Bess in the 2008 movie about Georgiana, The Duchess.
• George Gershwin, his brother Ira, and husband-and-wife team DuBose and Dorothy Heyward get credit for the enduring Porgy & Bess.  The folk opera first debuted in 1935.  The Heywards had titled the original novel and play just Porgy.  But Bess, his love interest, has been part of the title for years.
• Another Elizabeth-called-Bess would marry Harry Truman, and so become the First Lady of the United States in 1945.
• One of Nancy Drew’s BFFs is Bess Marvin, usually described as soft-hearted and easily frightened – the opposite of Nancy and the other member of their trio, tomboy George.

This takes us to 2012, when Bess sounds like a throwback.  But a throwback to what era, precisely?  She was most popular as an independent name in the 1880s and 1890s, along with Emma and Clara, Alice and Grace - but also Ethel and Bertha, Minnie and Ruth.  Just because some made a comeback doesn’t mean that all of them will.

The safe path is, of course, to pen Elizabeth or Elisabeth on the birth certificate, and just call your girl Bess.  But with all this history behind her, Bess could stand on her own.

He’s a saintly Irish appellation and a sci fi warrior.

Thanks to Violet for suggesting Conan as our Baby Name of the Day.

It is tempting to add “the Barbarian” to this name auotmatically, but Conan has oodles of history before he was re-invented by a 1930s writer.

In Old Irish, cú referred to a dog or maybe a wolf.  The -an is that ever familiar diminutive form, so Conan is a pup or a little wolf.  Animal names have a long history of use, making Conan pretty ordinary.

Except the first Conan was extraordinary – a semi-legendary figure who gets credit for founding Brittany.  Geoffrey of Monmouth references him, but he’s not the only source.  Several Breton families trace their roots to Conan, including the powerful Rohan family.  He also features in medieval politics, as a claim to such an ancient ruler would’ve helped with machinations as leaders tried to claim rights to various thrones.

There’s also a warrior in Irish myth called Conan mac Morna, a friend and ally of Finn McCool.

Then along came:

• Saint Conan, an Irish missionary and early Bishop of the Isle of Man from the sixth century or so.  At least two other minor saints share the name.
• In the tenth century, Conan became Count of Rennes and later Duke of Brittany.  At least three of his descendants wore name into the 12th century.

This takes us into the modern era.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is remembered as the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, another enduring character.  Conan is sometimes mistaken as part of his surname – Conan Doyle – but it appears to be one of his three given names, Arthur Ignatius Conan, and a nod to his godfather’s surname.

Then in the 1930s everything changed.  Robert E. Howard invented the character Conan the Cimmerian, a hero from a fictional world not unlike ours, but rich with magic.  Conan had strength aplenty, brains, and a serious way with the sword.  He started out in pulp fiction.  After Howard’s death others wrote Conan tales, and over the years the character appeared in books, comics, video games, television series, and, of course, movies.

The big moment for Conan was 1982, when the future governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, starred in the title role.  Conan the Barbarian was a hit, combining elements from different Conan tales.  A 1984 sequel followed, and a trilogy planned, but the third movie was never made.  In 2011, Jason Momoa hefted the sword as a new Conan, but the reboot was not successful.

The very Irish Conan O’Brien emerged in the same time, helping return the name to its roots.  The Harvard alum worked as a writer for Saturday Night Light and The Simpsons before getting his first late night talk show in 1993.  He’s been on television ever since, with the exception of a contract dispute with NBC for a few months.  Unlike many a high-profile controversy, the comedian came away with his integrity intact, and proof of a devoted fan base.  O’Brien can now be seen on TBS.

Overall, this makes Conan a weirdly perfect name.  He’s never been in the US Top 1000, even as Irish names from Ryan to Aidan have caught fire.  Conan is familiar to all and easy to spell.  He’ll fit with aggressive boy names like Slade and Cannon, but he also blends in with literary, legendary picks like Arthur.  If you can live with the occasional question about whether you’re big fans of the Governator, this might be one to short list for a son.

Captain James Tiberius Kirk; Image via Wikipedia

He puts the T. in Captain James T. Kirk, and before we went boldly where no man had gone before, he was a Roman Emperor.

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting Tiberius as our Baby Name of the Day.

If you think about Rome for a minute, you’ll find Tiberius among the most appropriate appellations to ever come from the eternal city.  Legend tells us that Rome was founded on the banks of the Tiber River eight centuries BC; the river’s name has roots older than the city.  Some speculate that it comes from the Etruscan Thefarie, which appears as a given name in inscriptions.  Others suggest it could be from the Celtic language Italic, also spoken in the region.  Or maybe it honors a king called Tiberinus who drowned in its waters.  The city of Tivoli was known as Tibur in the ancient world, suggesting other possibilities.

In any case, Tiberius is almost certainly linked to the river’s name, and conjures up visions of the ancient capital at its finest.  The second emperor of Rome, and a renowned military general, Tiberius reigned for two decades before suddenly stepping down.  The historian Tacitus paints a scathing picture of his rule, and Tiberius was wildly unpopular by the time of his death.  However, modern historians have suggested this might just be bad PR.  Tiberius left the empire on sound financial footing and made wise foreign policy choices.

Happily, he wasn’t the only Tiberius.  The name was a reasonably popular personal name over the centuries, lasting longer than the Roman Empire.  The name appears in the Byzantine Empire, too, and Geoffrey of Monmouth called a fictional – or perhaps patchwork – Roman Emperor Lucius Tiberias in his History of the Kings of Britain.

This makes Tiberius the kind of ancient appellation that’s always out there, but seldom used for a child.  Tiberius has never cracked the US Top 1000, even as Julius and Atticus have gone mainstream.

Then along came a little show called Star Trek, Gene Rodenberry’s enduring creation.  The USS Enterprise first sailed across our tiny television screens in 1966 under the command of Captain James T. Kirk.  His backstory was all-American with a twist: born in Iowa in 2233, a standout student at Starfleet Academy, and a capable leader.

Some fan sites attribute his middle name to a fictional grandfather called Tiberius; apparently it was actually inspired by a grandfather named Samuel who was interested in Roman history.  In early days of the series Kirk’s middle initial was given at least once as R.  One of the writers claims that it started as a joke that stuck.

All of this makes Tiberius an ancient appellation with a serious sci fi twist.  As a given name, Tiberius feels like a fierce growl of a choice.  Unlike Leonidas, he lacks an easy short form.  Tib?  Berry?  One possibility is Ty – but that’s as unsatisfying as reducing Alexander to Al.

In the middle spot, he’s clever.  Almost too clever, though he’s still more original than Danger.

Tiberius has never cracked the US Top 1000, but he’s not an all-out rarity.  He surfaces in US Census records, and Nancy reports that 53 boys received the name in 2010.  You’re more likely to meet a little Felix or Marcus, but with the popularity of really old school names on the rise, Tiberius won’t raise any more eyebrows than, say, Moses.

Image by mag3737 via Flickr

Thanks to Alia for suggesting Aaliyah as our Baby Name of the Day.

Aaliyah’s double a seems inauthentic, especially when coupled with her y and h, hallmarks of kreativ respellings.  But she’s a valid transcription of an Arabic name, from the masculine moniker Aali or Ali, meaning lofty.

Aliyah is also seen, and it is the preferred spelling for a Hebrew word meaning ascent.  Arabic and Hebrew are both Semitic languages, and the similarities are many.  But in Hebrew, aliyah refers to the right of Jews to return Israel as a fulfillment of God’s promise.  To immigrate to Israel is “to make aliyah.”  While aliyah is a Hebrew word, Aliyah does not seem to be a given name.

But what about the spare Alia? This was the spelling preferred by Alia al-Hussein, the former Queen of Jordan.  A native Jordanian with a globe-trotting resume thanks to her diplomat dad, Alia married King Hussein of Jordan in 1972.  She was high profile from the moment she took on the role of queen consort, working with charities and pressing for voting rights for women.  She died in a tragic helicopter crash in 1977, but a number of her initiatives live on.

Alia starts to surface almost immediately.  There’s a character called Alia on a 1973 episode of Hawaii 5-0.  The 1984 big screen adaptation of Frank Hebert’s Dune introduced Alia Atreides, little sister of main character Paul.  By 1995, Alia appeared at the fringes of the US Top 1000.

Dune fans will quickly recognize one thing more: the original novel debuted in 1965, and was a quick success.  There are plenty of Arabic words and Islamic references in the work, suggesting that Alia was an intentional choice by an author familiar with not only the language, but the more subtle meanings attached to the name.

And yet Alia is an almost inevitable construction, as tough to pin down as Allie, Alisa, or Alina.  There are simply some sounds that work as given names in English.  If you’ve ever heard Donny Iris‘ 1980 pop hit Ah! Leah!, it is easy to hear the refrain as Aleah.

Speaking of popular music, the key to the success of Aaliyah is undeniably a singer, one who rose to prominence before she had her driver’s license.  Born Aaliyah Haughton in 1979, she signed with Jive Records at the age of 12.  Her first album went double platinum.

It wasn’t a fluke, either.  Aaliyah continued to record hit singles, and also tried her hand at acting.  She racked up a Grammy nomination before dying in a plane crash in the Bahamas.  She was just 22.

Variant spellings abound, but the songstress has propelled her version to the top spot.  Aaliyah debuted in 1994 at a sky-high #202, and she’s been in the Top 100 since 2001.  In 2010, the various spellings charted like this:

• Aaliyah #56
• Aliyah #143
• Aleah #455
• Aliya #654
• Alia #730
• Aleigha #994

Factor in the success of nouveau coinage Alivia and a desire for names representing a perspective that isn’t exclusively Western European, and choices like Alia and company are inevitable.  Jean M. Auel called the heroine of her 1980 novel Clan of the Cave Bear Ayla.  But certainly the extraordinary tale of a talented performer is part of this story, too.  She also makes the most elaborate version of the name the most familiar.

If you’re looking for an Arabic name that imports into English flawlessly, Aaliyah is an option – as long as you don’t mind the potential spelling hassles.

Inca period tunic; Image via Wikipedia

He’s a legendary poet, a ruler, a revolutionary.

Thanks to Frank for suggesting one of the names that inspired his new son’s names.  Our Baby Name of the Day is Amaru.

Amaru instantly makes me think 2Pac – the rapper-turned-actor whose 1996 murder remains unsolved.  But Tupac Amaru Shakur – his mother was an 1960s and 1970s activist and member of the Black Panther Party – was named after the historical figures.

But first came the poet, sometime in the seventh or eighth century.  His Hundred Stanzas, the Amarusataka, are considered a triumph of Sanskrit literature.  Amaru wrote about passion and love, longing and sorrow.

The meaning typically given for Amaru is immortal.  In Sanskrit, amare means without death, so that appears to be accurate.

But there’s another figure, two men, actually, who share the same name.

First came Tupac Amaru, the sixteenth century leader of the Inca state in Peru.  The Spanish conquered the Inca Empire in the 1530s, but some members of the royal family established a stronghold in the Upper Amazon.  After several of his kinsmen died, Tupac Amaru inherited the throne.

Things went sour almost immediately.  Two Spanish ambassadors were killed, and the Spanish Viceroy declared war.  Outarmed and outmanned, Tupac Amaru and his followers sought refuge in the jungle.  He was eventually captured and ordered executed.  It is an order that remains controversial – a Spanish governor ordering the death of a head of state, formerly acknowledged by the authorities.  It is said that Tupac Amaru’s last words were “Mother Earth, witness how my enemies shed my blood.”

There were still plenty of members of the Inca royal family scattered about.  Some were banished to other Spanish colonies, but they survived.  Then along came José Gabriel Condorcanqui, a descendant of the last Inca rule.  He styled himself Tupac Amaru II and led a 1780 uprising against the Spanish.  His rebellion failed, and he met his death by execution a year later, but he became a legendary figure in both the Peruvian struggle for independence, and the movement to grant rights to indigenous peoples.

He’s clearly the Tupac Amaru to inspire others to embrace the names,  but what does Amaru mean?  A few possibilities:

• A few sources suggest that Amaru means strong in the Aymara language.  Along with Quechua, Aymara is one of the native languages of Peru, so that isn’t implausible, but I couldn’t confirm it in a dictionary.
• Most sources seem to link Amaru to a Quechua word for serpent or snake.  Tupac Amaru together is often translated as “royal serpent.”
• It is easy to see a similarity to the Latin amor - love – though it is a coincidence.

All of the meanings are pleasing in their own ways and he’s distinctive without being bizarre.  Two dozen boys received the name in 2010, and I can imagine more in years to come.

I like Amaru, with his upbeat sound.  His Indian-Incan legacy makes him especially appropriate for parents seeking name that span cultural identities.  And his connection to 2Pac?  That makes him more familiar, even if you might struggle to answer “Oh, like the rapper?” in playgroup.

Princess Charlotte of Belgium; Image via Wikipedia

She’s a regal appellation dressed in pearls and a twin set.

Thanks to Lem for suggesting Charlotte as our Baby Name of the Day.

From 1880 into the 1950s, Charlotte was in steady use, usually in the US Top 100 and never far outside.  If you were set on classic names for girls and had already used Elizabeth and Margaret, Charlotte was a logical choice for daughter #3.

She’s also a feminine form of the evergreen Charles.  There’s Caroline, too, traditionally the more popular of the options.

All of the names trace their roots to the Germanic Karl – man.  In Latin, Karl became Carolus.  Carolus gives us Carol, Carolina, and Caroline.  In French, Carolus became Charles.  Charles led to the French diminutive Charlot - the t is silent, as in Margot – which led to feminine form Charlotte.

The Normans brought Charles to England, but it would be centuries before the feminine forms surfaced.  An early Charlotte was born in Cyprus, making her one of those quirky medieval crusader state names.  Charlotte’s little sister was Cleopha.  The names are an eclectic mix of romance languages – French and Italian – with Eastern influence.

Charlotte slowly became a staple amongst the ruling families of Europe:

• Charlotte of Savoy became Queen of France in the 1400s, probably named after her grandmother, a Queen of Cyprus;
• Another French princess was Charlotte Aglaé d’Orléans;
• A German-born princess Charlotte married the heir to the Russian throne, Alexei, but she and tsarevich both died young.  Their son, Peter, would eventually become tsar.
• German princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz married King George III and brought the name to England;
• Charlotte Augusta Matilda was the eldest daughter of English King George III and Queen Charlotte.  The princess later married a German king;
• Charlotte’s brother, the future King George IV, also had a Charlotte.  She could’ve become queen, but she predeceased her father;
• Belgian-born princess Marie Charlotte Amélie Augustine Victoire Clémentine Léopoldine – pictured above – would become Empress Carlota of Mexico in the nineteenth century;
• From 1919 through 1964, Luxembourg was ruled by a Grand Duchess named Charlotte.

I’m overlooking tons of royal Charlottes.  And then there’s Charlotte Corday.  In 1793, she assassinated Jean-Paul Marat.  Both Corday and Marat were revolutionaries – Marat was more extreme; Corday sided with the moderates.  Her efforts backfired, and she and other members of her faction went to the guillotine.

Modern parents may be looking for a literary reference, as in Charlotte Brontë.  Throw in a few Jane Austen characters, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Charlotte’s Web, and she’s perfectly at home in the library.

Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte sounds like a lullaby, but it is actually a 1964 Southern gothic horror flick starring Bette Davis.

By the 1990s, Charlotte hovered in the high 200s and low 300s – until HBO original series, Sex and the City introduced us to Carrie Bradshaw’s BFF.  Charlotte is the most conservative of the characters, a Park Avenue denizen with a usually positive outlook.  All of a sudden, Charlotte was modern once more.  She’s been gaining ever since the show became a sensation, and at #45 last year, is at her most popular ever.

Today Charlotte appeals to parents seeking a classic that feels fresher than Margaret, and offers nicknames from boyish Charlie to retro Lottie.  The only drawback is that you may have to share this lovely classic!