Temperance appears steadily in the US Census records, but never in the US Top 1000. But the virtue figures even larger in American history. Back in 1874, a handful of reform-minded women formed the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in Cleveland, Ohio. The group wasn’t exactly after a complete ban on booze, at least not early days. But the group’s membership varied widely. Some chapters did, indeed, march into saloons singing hymns. Others were more interested in social work, aiding new immigrants and working on a wide range of causes. They’re still around, too.
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We are about to have a baby girl and are going to call her Temperance. I am a massive Ella Fitzgerald fan and while I was reading a book about her learnt that her mum was called Tempie (short for Temperance). I have loved the name ever since and was fortunate that my husband also really likes it. Can’t wait to meet her! I know that the reaction to the name is sometimes not great but it is only because it is unusual.
i named my daughter Temperance. We call her Tempie. No one liked or agreed with the name while i was pregnant but now that she’s almost two, it is the only name that would ever suit her. I love the history and meaning. It is very unique and powerful. And i like that it is a very old name, and yet, uncommon. My daughter needs a name that not many others will ever own.
I named my baby Temperance- At first lots of people hated it but now they couldnt imagine a different name for my daughter. Temperance was the only name that my husband and I could agree with and was the first name we had picked even before we were expecting! Temperance is original and beautiful!!!
Myself being named named after Elizabeth the 1st – and falling in love with the name Temperance – I felt it would be 100% appropriate to be naming my daughter Temperance – My husband argued about it a little – until I kept saying the name – and it finally stuck -:)
I love the name Temperance! I have been arguing with my husband that we should name our baby (if we find out it’s a girl next month) Temperance and call her Tempe for short. He thinks it’s just a little “too wierd.” Glad to know I’m not the only one out there we likes the name so much.
*weird not wierd…. gosh I can’t type, I also said “out there we”, should be “out there who”
I really like Temperance. She is so quirky yet cool.
I actually really like the sound of Temperance — I tend to be a fan of the somewhat despised “er” syllable in names (Ernest, Gertrude, etc.). But the word temperance itself has waaaaaay too loaded a meaning for me to ever consider using. Not that I think the meaning is bad, I just think that, like Chastity, it could become somewhat burdensome to bear.
I LOVE Temperance! I don’t watch Bones, but my parents have read the series so I’m familiar with the character. I fell in love with this name awhile back, around the time I started loving Prudence. My hubby hates Prudence but I think I could get him on board with Temperance because it doesn’t sound quite so old-fashioned to him. I even like Tempe despite my general dislike of nn names.
I think it’s a great underused virtue name, so much fresher than Grace and Faith. I’m also drawn to the meaning of the virtue itself, as moderation is important in Islam. Temperance gets all thumbs up from me!
I didn’t know that the character on Bones was born as Joy…cool!
we watch the tv show “bones” on a regular basis, and strangely enough, my in-laws live in temperance, michigan, which is a suburb of toledo, ohio. i love the name. the husband doesn’t really… to him, it would be like naming your child after any other suburban community. i tried to tell him that plenty of people name their kids brooklyn, but he wasn’t having any of it, lol.
still though, i carry my secret torch for temeperance. 🙂
I love it. 🙂
Temperance sounds like a strong, cool girl! I’d love to name my eventual daughter that (though I don’t know if she would make a good sibset with Daria…)
I love it. I’m also drawn to a variation I heard a while back: Temperly
While I have never watched an episode of Bones, Temperance caught my imagination as soon as I heard it. There is something about it, the history, the different sound, that makes it a winner for me. Unfortunately, my husband is not a fan and I find it is not well received by those I tell it too!
We’re big fans of the t.v. series Bones and I admit to having advocated for the name Temperance for this baby. I think it’s really pretty and I love the nickname Tempe. DH didn’t go for it though… oh well….
I love the nn Tempe, too. And while I wouldn’t name my daughter after, say, a contestant on The Bachelor, Temperance Brennan is admirable.