Aurora (given name)

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Aurora
Mucha Morning star.jpg
Morning Star, part of a 1902 Art Nouveau decorative panel by Alfons Mucha.
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/name Latin
Meaning Dawn
Other names
Related names Aurore, Rory

Aurora is a feminine given name, originating from the name of the ancient Roman goddess of dawn Aurora. [1] [2] Her tears were said to turn into the morning dew. Each morning she traveled in her chariot across the sky from east to west, proclaiming renewal with the rising of the sun. [3] The Romans also associated the Northern Lights, or the Aurora borealis, with the goddess. [4] Aurora is also traditionally the name of the princess in the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty and the many works of art it has inspired. [5] The tale of a cursed princess who slept for one hundred years and was awakenened by the kiss of a prince might be considered a modern retelling of the ancient story of Aurora the dawn goddess, whose myths also include stories of a long sleep and an awakening at dawn. [6]

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It was not in use in the Middle Ages [7] but came into general use in Europe in the 17th century in Sweden, Spain and the Spanish-speaking world and Italy. It was used in the English-speaking world by the 18th century, but was rare until the 20th century. The name has been increasing in popularity in the United Kingdom and across Europe in recent years. [6] [8] The name entered the list of 100 most popular names for newborn girls in the United Kingdom in 2018. The increase in usage was attributed to a trend for “dreamy space names” among British parents who were influenced by social media. [9] Aurora has also grown in popularity for girls in the United States in recent years. Names taken from mythology and those that had positive meanings or associations also increased in use for children born during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has ranked among the 100 most popular names for newborn girls since 2015 and was the 31st most popular name for American girls in 2022. [10] [11] [12] It also ranked among the top 100 names for newborn girls in Canada, ranking 53rd on that country's popularity chart in 2021. [13] It was also among the 10 most popular names for girls in Brazil in 2023. [14] Rory is a modern English nickname for the name.

Aurore is the French form of the name. Aurore was most popular in France in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was among the 100 most popular names for girls. It is still among the 250 most popular names for French girls in the early 2020s. [15]

The variant used in the Russian language is "Авро́ра" (Avrora). [1] While in use before the 20th century, it became more common after the Russian Revolution of 1917, due to the role cruiser Aurora played in the events. [1] In 1924–1930, the name was included into various Soviet calendars, [16] which included the new and often artificially created names promoting the new Soviet realities and encouraging the break with the tradition of using the names in the Synodal Menologia. [17] Diminutives of this name include "Авро́рка" (Avrorka), "А́ва" (Ava), "А́ра" (Ara), and "Ро́ра" (Rora). [1] Avrora is also the Ukrainian form of the name.

Brightness of Day, 1899, by Alfons Mucha. Mucha girl 2.jpg
Brightness of Day, 1899, by Alfons Mucha.
Aurora by Edward Burne-Jones. AURORA burne-jones.jpg
Aurora by Edward Burne-Jones.
Sleeping Beauty by Henry Meynell Rheam, 1899. Henry Meynell Rheam - Sleeping Beauty.jpg
Sleeping Beauty by Henry Meynell Rheam, 1899.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agatha (given name)</span> Name list

Agatha, also Agata, is a feminine given name derived from the Greek feminine name Ἀγάθη, which is a nominalized form of ἀγαθή (agathḗ), i.e. the feminine form of the adjective ἀγαθός (agathós) "good".

Abram is a male given name of Akkadian origin, meaning exalted father in much later languages. In the Bible, it was originally the name of the first of the three Biblical patriarchs, who later became known as Abraham.

Ava is a feminine given name in English and in other languages. Its recent popularity may be linked to a number of celebrity babies of the 1990s, some of whom were ultimately named after American actress Ava Gardner (1922–1990).

Abid, also Abed, literally meaning worshipper, adorer, devout may be either a surname or given name.

Abagor, and its colloquial form Bagor (Баго́р), is an old and rare Russian male first name. Included into various, often handwritten, church calendars throughout the 17th–19th centuries, it was omitted from the official Synodal Menologium at the end of the 19th century. It is possibly derived from Biblical Hebrew where it meant father of Gor. The patronymics derived from this first name are "Абаго́рович" and "Абаго́ровна".

Avsey is a Russian male first name. There are several theories as to its origins. According to one, it is simply a colloquial variant of the name Yevsey. Another possibility is that "Avsey", as well as Asey (Асе́й) and Osey (Осе́й), are colloquial variants of the name Absey (Абсе́й), alternatively spelled Apsey (Апсей), which until the end of the 19th century was included into the official Synodal Menologium. Finally, it is possible that "Avsey" derives from the Old East Slavic word авсень or овсень, meaning New Year's Eve, which in ancient times corresponded to the first day of spring.

Avvakir is an old and uncommon Russian Christian male first name. It derives from the Biblical Hebrew word abba, meaning father, combined with the first name Kir.

Avdiyes is an old and uncommon Russian Christian male first name. Its form Avdiisus (Авдиису́с) was included into various, often handwritten, church calendars throughout the 17th–19th centuries, but was omitted from the official Synodal Menologium at the end of the 19th century.

Avdon is an old and uncommon Russian Christian male first name. Its colloquial variant is Ovdon (Овдо́н). It is possibly derived from the Biblical Hebrew word abdōn, meaning god's slave, god's servant.

Averky is a Russian Christian male first name. The name is possibly derived from the Latin word averto, meaning to rout, to hold, to turn away, or to attract, but it is more likely that the name is a Russified version of Abercius, a well-known saint venerated by Orthodox Christians. Its colloquial variants are Averyan (Аверья́н), Avery (Аве́рий), and Overky (Ове́ркий).

Avrely is an old and rare Russian male first name. Its feminine version is Avreliya. The name is derived from Latin Aurelius, itself derived from either the Latin word aurum (gold), or the combination of the Latin words aureus or aureoeus (golden) and the Greek word hēlios, meaning sun.

Avreliya is a Russian non-canonical female first name. Its masculine version is Avrely.

Avundy is an old and rare Russian Christian male first name. It is derived from the Latin word abundo, meaning to be in abundance.

Agav is an old and uncommon Russian Christian male first name. There are several theories about the origins of this first name. According to one, the name is possibly derived from the Greek word agauos, meaning famous, celebrated. It is also possible that the name is of Biblical Hebrew origins and derives from the word hāgāb, meaning locust. Finally, it could have been derived from the name of an Ethiopian tribe.

Agavva is an old and rare Russian Christian male first name. It is supposedly derived from the Biblical Hebrew word hāgāb, meaning locust.

Agap is a Russian male first name. The name is derived from the Greek name Agapios, which in turn derives from the verb agapaō, meaning "to love". The name's old form, as well as the form used by the Russian Orthodox Church, is Agapy (Ага́пий). The nonstandard colloquial form Agapey (Агапе́й) was also used.

Agapy is a Russian Christian male first name. Its feminine version is Agapiya. The name is derived from the Greek word meaning loved one. Its colloquial forms are Agafy (Ага́фий), Agafey (Ага́фей), Ogafey (Ога́фей), and Ogafy (Ога́фий).

Agafodor is an old and uncommon Russian Christian male first name. The name is derived from the Greek words agathos—meaning kind, good—and dōron—meaning gift.

Agafokliya is an old and uncommon Russian Christian female first name. It is derived from the Greek name Agathocles, itself derived from the Greek words agathos—meaning good, kind—and kleos—meaning glory.

Agafonik is an old and uncommon Russian Christian male first name. Its feminine version is Agafonika. The name is derived from the Greek name Agathonikos, which in turn derives from words agathos—meaning kind—and nikē—meaning victory.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Petrovsky, p. 36
  2. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 24. ISBN   0-19-861060-2.
  3. ↑ "Aurora - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity".
  4. ↑ "Mythology of the Northern Lights".
  5. ↑ "Baby Name Aurora: Romantic and Strong". 14 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Name of the Week".
  7. ↑ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 24. ISBN   9780198610601.
  8. ↑ "Meaning, origin and history of the name Aurora".
  9. ↑ Wainwright, Daniel (21 September 2018). "Baby names: Hunter and Aurora join top 100". bbc.com. BBC News. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "Popular Baby Names". Archived from the original on 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  11. ↑ Dunn, Jancee (19 January 2021). "From 'Alma' to 'Zuri,' Parents Are Looking for Positive Baby Names: They're searching the heavens, and through family history, for strong monikers in a pandemic". The New York Times . Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "Names that increased in popularity from 2021 to 2022". ssa.gov. United States Social Security Administration. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Statistics Canada. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  14. ↑ https://g1.globo.com/google/amp/es/espirito-santo/noticia/2023/12/18/miguel-ravi-e-cecilia-confira-os-nomes-dos-bebes-mais-populares-no-es-em-2023.ghtml
  15. ↑ "Popularity for the name Aurore - Behind the Name".
  16. ↑ Superanskaya, pp. 22 and 278
  17. ↑ Toronto Slavic Quarterly. Елена Душечкина. "Мессианские тенденции в советской антропонимической практике 1920-х - 1930-х годов" (in Russian)

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