Image by violscraper via Flickr

Are you watching Once Upon a Time?  How ’bout Grimm?  Fairy tale figures are the new vampires on the small screen this season – romantic, full of possibilities, seen on multiple networks.

One thing that strikes me about the shows so far is that the names are … fine.  They’re good names, appropriate for the plot lines.  If you were the Evil Queen’s alter ego, living in Storybook, Maine, it seems sensible that your name would be Regina.

But they’re not exciting names, and if we’ve learned anying from Disney it should be this: naming a princess is a huge opportunity.  So here’s my list of names for a possible fairy tale princess.  Most of them have yet to don a glass slipper or sing with animated birds in the forest, but I think any of them would be smashing choices for a fictional maiden of the royal variety.

Belsante - A medieval variant of Elizabeth and Isabella, Belsante is right at home with Beauty and the Beast’s Belle, but her more elaborate form feels regal and throwback.  Along the same lines, Isabeau seems like a name I’d expect to find in a medieval woodcut illustration.

Briar- Before Disney dubbed Sleeping Beauty Aurora, she often answered to Briar Rose in tellings of her tale.  Briar has that edgy, modern feel of unexpected nature names like Winter or Bay, but her long history of use in stories argues that she’s no nouveau pick.

Clarimond - Her first syllable probably comes from the Latin clarus, clear.  Since fairy tale princesses are always noble and clear of purpose, any name related to Claire and company feels like a good fit.

Image via Wikipedia

Dulcinea - Don Quixote’s fictional maiden fair, derived from the Spanish dulce - sweet.  Similar names were in use in medieval England, and 90s indie rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket gave the name to their hit 1994 album.  She’d be a logical pick for a princess.  A similar sounding option is the ancient Drusilla, but since she’s been worn by a villainous vampiress in Joss Whedon’s universe, it seemed taken.

Everild – The Latin version of a name worn by a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon saint, also written as Everilda and Averil.  If you’re anticipating a happy ending, what’s better than having the word “ever” in your given name?

Ghislaine – The masculine form of this name was born by another seventh-century saint.  Ghislaine shares the same roots as Giselle, worn by Amy Adams in Happily Ever After.  The pronunciation would be something like jheez LANE – tough, but in our era of Genevieve, not unthinkable.  Another G-name that comes to mind?  The saintly Godlieve.

Jessamy - Jasmine found a whole new world with Aladdin.  Why not this more elaborate variant form?  It sounds both modern and old school at once, as does related name Jessamine.

Katrin - Not every fairy tale name is frilly, and this Northern European short form of Katherine feels like one you’d find in a Swedish fairy tale.  The elaboration  Katrinka also feels at home in an other-worldly story.

Svetlana - Only for a Slavic character, of course, but there’s no shortage of those.  Like a few other names on this list, she’s a relatively modern innovation, coined for an 1813 poem.  But her meaning – from svet, light – is princess-perfect.

Thalassa – She’s the tiniest bit on the clunky side, suggesting that she might be for the evil stepsister or faithful servant instead of the romantic lead.  But she’s also a primordial Greek goddess of the oceans, making her every bit as seaworthy as the red-headed Ariel.

Tourmaline  - Most gemstone names are fairly mainstream, from Ruby to Pearl.  But Tourmaline – first brought to Europe by the Dutch East India Company – is seldom heard.  She’s also challenging because the word wasn’t used in English until the mid-1700s, so she’s not quite right for a story with roots in the Middle Ages.

Vivienne – One of the Jolie-Pitt twins and a name sometimes used in Arthurian legend for the Lady of the Lake, Vivienne is probably the most popular name on this list.  But there’s something powerful about names derived from the Latin vivus – alive.

Those are my dozen picks for a princess.  What would you name a fictional character destined for a crown?  And do any of these work for a real girl, too?

The flag of Wales; Image via Wikipedia

She’s another obscure saint’s name, and an impeccable Welsh heritage choice.  If you’re looking for something less obvious than Gwendolen, here’s one to consider.

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

Let’s tackle the pronunciation first: is it el u NED or EL in ed?  Forvo’s pronunciation sounds more like el EE ned.  Say that in American English, and it might be interpreted as Ellie Ned.  Attractive alternative spelling Eiluned muddies the waters further, suggesting ay lu NED.  Variant Elined might help – or not.  As with many an import, this is only an option for parents willing to pronounce, correct, explain, and pronounce again.  And again.

But if you can clear that hurdle, this is an intriguing option.  Eluned was sister to Endellion, one of King Brychan’s two dozen kids, most of who carried on dad’s work of converting others to Christianity.  Eluned earned her halo for rejecting the advances of a pagan prince.  He pursued her, and it ended in her death – but where she fell, a spring arose.  (Okay, where her severed head fell, the spring arose.  You might tell your daughter the first version.)

Most sources agree that her name is derived from the Welsh word eilun, for image.  She’s been exported in an astonishing number of forms:

• In the collection of Welsh myth known as the Mabinogion, Luned is a handmaiden to the Lady of the Lake.  Luned has been interpreted as the celestial Lunette;
• Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s Idylls of the King retold the stories of King Arthur for a nineteenth century audience.  In his work, the knight Gareth falls in love with the difficult Lynette.  Tennyson didn’t reinterpret her name himself – he was borrowing from Sir Thomas Mallory’s 15th century Le Morte d’Arthur.  It was Mallory who converted Luned to Lynette;
• Some suggest she’s also the source of Enid, which could easily be a contracted form of the longer name.  Enid also appears in Tennyson’s Idylls.  But Enid is probably a separate Welsh name, derived from their word for purity.

Eluned has never appeared in the US Top 1000.  While she’s rare on my native shores, two notable Welsh women have answered to the name:

• Born aboard the ship Myfanwy en route to Patagonia, writer Eluned Morgan was known for her early twentieth century accounts of life in the Welsh settlement;
• Also known for her writing, Eluned Phillips won the bardic crown at the National Eisteddfod of Wales twice – the only woman to do so.  Her triumphs were relatively recent – 1967 and 1983 – but aren’t quite enough to make Eluned familiar outside of Wales.

I can’t tell if she’d fallen out of use in Wales for generations, or if she’s simply always been sparingly bestowed.

An American girl could answer to Ella or Ellie as a short form, keeping Eluned right side of wearable.  (There’s also Luna, depending on the pronunciation you prefer.)

Imports with little history of use in English can be tricky, but Eluned might strike the right balance.  Her El- links to Elizabeth and a host of other familiar choices, but her overall sound is distinctive.  File her with other obscure saints’ names like Everild – if you don’t mind explaining, she can be a lovely option.

And what’s not to love? It’s simple, it’s glamorous, it’s feminine without being frilly. Ava pairs well with a variety of last names, too.

But now that it is well installed in the Top Ten, plenty of parents are looking for an alternative to naming their daughter Ava, too. Read on for a few ideas.

The first option is to simply elaborate on Ava. There is the pitfall of creating an ersatz princess name like Aviella if you go this route, of course. But there are a few choices worth consideration:

• Avery – Borrowed from the boys, this name is familiar to anyone who’s ever ordered office supplies. It’s appealing, frills-free and wears well for a child or an adult. However, it was also the 52nd most popular choice for girls born in 2006 – so while it isn’t quite as hot as Ava, it’s not far behind.
• Avril - While April seems stuck in the 70s with macrame wall hangings, the French version makes for an appealing nature name. Pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne lends the name some familiarity. Toulouse-Lautrec immortalized Moulin Rouge dancer Jane Avril in his paintings, giving the name a certain ooh la la. Avril has never appeared in the Top 1000 names in the US.
• Averil - At first glance, Averil looks like an elaboration of Avril, but its origins are completely distinct. A seventh-century English nun who helped found a religious community, her name is sometimes listed as Everildis, Everilda, Everild or Averil. The latter two versions seem best for the 21st century. Averil has never appeared in the Top 1000 names in the US.
• Avalon – One of our favorites here at ApMtn, Avalon was a paradise in Arthurian legend. The name may translate to island of the apples, making it something of a nature name, as well, and a place name – Avalon, California and New Jersey are both appealing waterfront communities. A choice both unusual and familiar, Avalon has never appeared in the Top 1000 names in the US.

But if it is Ava’s simplicity that draws you, adding an extra few letters might not quite suit. Instead, you might consider other equally simple, two-syllable, ends-in-a choices like:

• Anya - It’s the Russian form of Anna and a Sanskrit name, too. In fact, it’s easy to imagine Anya blending gracefully into almost any language. But its simplicity also makes it a stand out. Perhaps that’s why it is climbing the popularity charts, ranking #405 in 2006. While that’s not obscure, it’s not common, either.
• The -ora family: Cora, Dora, Nora and Zora – While each havs distinct origins, they have a similar appeal. Dora and Nora emerged as nicknames for Dorothea/Theadora and Eleanor, but are comfortably bestowed as independent names. Cora is from the Greek for hill; Zora from the Slovak for sunrise. They’re a nice set of throwback names due for a resurgence in popularity. Circa 1880, Cora was the 15th most popular name for girls in 1880. Along with Nora and Dora, this trio spent the late 19th and early 20th centuries in frequent use – all three charted in the Top 100. Zora might sound like a modern innovation, but in fact, was the 304th most popular name given to girls in 1880. All four have possibilities today, with Dora the most obscure (it has not been in the Top 1000 since 1992), followed by Zora (#960 in 2006) and Cora (#384). Nora is the most common -ora variant, ranking at #245, with the related Norah standing at #513.
• Zara – While this seems like a twist on Sara, Zara is an Arabic name that means shining. It gained worldwide attention in 1981, when Princess Anne chose the name for her daughter. Fashionistas know that Zara is a Spanish clothing chain akin to the Limited, now making inroads in the US. It’s a simple choice, and one that is familiar but still quite rare. In 2006, it was the 858th most popular name in the US.
• Lila/Lilah – Without the final h, this name appears in Sanskrit, Swahili and Persian; with the final h, it is used in Hebrew. The result is an appealingly international name with considerable flair. Lila was #329 and Lilah #867 in 2006.

And if it is Ava’s glamour-girl image that draws you, consider these other choices drawn from Hollywood’s Walk of Fame: Stella, Lauren, Veronica, Tallulah, Natalie or Esther.

At the time, I nodded. I knew what she meant – they weren’t going for anything outlandish, and the name they chose for their son – Matthew – was as straightforward and practical as my friend and her husband.But limiting yourself to the names of Roman Catholic saints is not, well, limiting.

First, a quick note on sainthood, for the non-Catholics among us. For the first thousand years or so, a person became a Saint through local custom. Not so today – Rome has slowly codified the process. The result is over 10,000 saints and beati, some of doubtful historical veracity.

So, yeah, there are gonna be a few humdingers in there.

You can search the index over at www.catholic.org yourself. But you know I’ve already whiled away a few hours musing over some very underused, very interesting saints’ names.

Nestled among the myriad Mary and abundant Annes, here are a few gems:

• Endellion – Like many early female saints, she was a virgin and a recluse. But your Endellion might live up to this Gaelic name’s meaning: fire soul. With the pretty nickname Della or the boyish Lio, it’s an interesting choice.
• Leocadia – I first noticed this name on a painting in the Prado Museum in Madrid. While the woman in the portrait was no saint – she was believed to be Francisco Goya’s lover, and mother of his child – she bears the interesting name of a fifth century Spanish martyr. If Leo is hot for boys, then Leocadia seems like a valid choice for girls. It could also be freshened up as Leocadie or Leacadie. In French, it’s Locaie – perhaps a bit too like “location” to work in English.
• Marina - She’s another virgin, this time from the eighth century. Marina lived near the Black Sea and the name has a wonderful sea-faring quality. Unlike most of these choices, its also somewhat familiar. It was #406 on the 2006 Social Security baby names’ list.
• Aurelia is one of those names that isn’t just old school; it is positively BC. The Roman patrician clan even had a road named after their family – the Via Aurelia. Saint Aurelia was a princess, too, but a tenth-century Austrian one. She earned sainthood as a recluse. The name’s meaning – golden – is quite appealing. This seems like a better choice that modern inventions like Aubrianna and Ariella.
• Everild - If you like the sound of the noun name Ever, this unusual Old English name might appeal. A seventy-century noblewoman and abbess, she is sometimes called Averil, perhaps a less extreme option. It’s one of the few Old English choices that might work in the 21st century – certainly the names of Everild’s companions, Saint Bega and Saint Wulfreda, are best left to obscurity.
• Hermione - It will, of course, bring to mind the clever witch from the Harry Potter series.  but Hermione is an ancient martyr mentioned in the Bible.
• Thais - If you’re looking for a simple name like Brooke or Paige, but want something a little less common, Thais might fit the bill.  The temptation is to say “Tice,” but this is actually two syllables:  TAH ees.  It’s a fourth-century name, but sounds just right in the 21st.

Sunday School dismissed, but check back for the boys’ edition, coming soon.