 Emerald, an Art Nouveau illustration by Alfons Mucha. | |
| Gender | Primarily feminine |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | English |
| Meaning | emerald |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Esmeralda, Esméralda, Esmé, Esme, Zümra |
Emerald is a modern, primarily feminine given name of English origin given in reference to the gemstone. [1] [2]
It has seen regular use in the United States and other English-speaking countries. It ranked among the top 1,000 names given to newborn girls in the United States between 1991 and 2002, peaking at No. 765 during that period. The popularity of other gemstone names for girls such as Ruby and of names with an Em- sound such as Emily and Emma might have influenced the increased use of the name for girls. [3] It was the 768th most popular name in 2022 for girls in the United States, with 371 girls given the name that year. Seventeen American boys were also given the name that year. [4]
Aurora is a feminine given name, originating from the name of the ancient Roman goddess of dawn Aurora. 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. The Romans also associated the Northern Lights, or the Aurora borealis, with the goddess. Aurora is also traditionally the name of the princess in the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty and the many works of art it has inspired. 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.
Lily is a feminine given name usually derived from lily, the flower. The name became particularly popular along with other flower names for girls during the 1800s and early 1900s. The lily also has associations with and has been symbolic of innocence and purity in Christian art. Names beginning with or containing the letter L have also been particularly fashionable for girls. It is also occasionally used as a diminutive for other names such as Elizabeth.
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).
Scarlett is a feminine given name. The color scarlet symbolizes courage, passion, force, joy and heat. The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church wear scarlet as a color of the blood of Christ and the Christian martyrs. It gained popularity due to the character Scarlett O'Hara in Margaret Mitchell's best-selling novel Gone with the Wind and the film adaptation. The name has been well used in recent years for girls in the United Kingdom and in the United States.
Amber is a feminine given name taken from amber, the fossilized tree resin that is often used in the making of jewelry. The word can also refer to a yellowish-orange color.
Pearl is a primarily feminine given name derived from the English word pearl, a hard, roundish object produced within the soft tissue of a living, shelled mollusk. Pearls are commonly used in jewelry-making. The pearl is the birthstone for the month of June. Pearls have been associated with innocence and modesty. Because it comes from the sea, it also has associations with the moon and with water. Pearls are also traditionally considered appropriate jewelry for debutantes and brides.
Opal is a primarily feminine given name derived from the name of the gemstone opal. The gemstone is the birthstone for October. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit upala, which means 'jewel'. It came into use along with other gemstone names during the late Victorian era. The iridescent, many-colored gem was called the “queen of gems” in Ancient Rome. The name has recently increased in usage, a trend that has been attributed to a renewed interest in “cottagecore names” with a vintage sensibility that are rooted in the natural world. Author Laura Wattenberg calls the sound of the name unique.
Crystal is a common English language female given name. Variant forms of the name include Kristal, Krystal, Cristal, Kristel, Krystle and Kristol.
Alethea is an English-language female first name derived from the Ancient Greek feminine noun ἀλήθεια, alḗtheia, 'truth'. Aletheia was the personification of truth in Greek philosophy. Alethea was not in use as a name prior to the 1500s, and likely originated when Puritans started using it as a virtue name.
Cassandra, also spelt Kassandra, is a feminine given name of Greek origin. Cassander is the masculine form of Cassandra. In Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. She had the gift of prophecy, but was cursed so that none would believe her prophecies. The name has been in occasional use since the Middle Ages. The usual English nickname is Cassie. Cassandre is the French version of the name.
Goldie is a given name used in reference to an informal English diminutive word for gold or an English version of the Yiddish name Golda or Golde, also meaning gold. It is also used as a nickname for formal names such as Marigold. It has a “vintage vibe” for some parents who have considered it. Other commentators note that the name has risen in use for girls along with other names of a similar style that all exude cuteness and promote enjoyment, perhaps in reaction to serious times. It was among the one thousand most used names for girls in the United States between 1880 and 1940, then declined in use. It has increased in usage in recent years and has been among the one thousand most used names for newborn American girls since 2021. It was also among the top 1,000 names for newborn girls in Canada, where it ranked in 871st position on the popularity chart in 2021 with 31 uses.
Palmer is a given name of English origin that is a transferred use of a surname meaning palm bearer or pilgrim. Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land traditionally carried the palms.
Reina, which is also spelled Raina, Rayna, or Reyna in English, is a feminine given name with multiple, unrelated origins from a number of different languages and cultures. All of these unrelated names are pronounced and written similarly in English.
Marigold is an English name taken from the common name used for flowers from different genuses such as Calendula or Tagetes, among others.
Magnolia is an English name taken from the flower name.
Leilani is a Hawaiian given name meaning "heavenly garland of flowers" or "royal child". The Hawaiian word lei refers to flowers and lani to the sky or heavens, with an association to royalty.
Esmeralda is a feminine given name of Portuguese and Spanish origin meaning emerald. The name was used for a Roma character in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, an 1831 novel by Victor Hugo that has been dramatized on film and screen and also brought the name to the attention of people in the English-speaking world. Esméralda is a French version of the name.
Mya is a primarily feminine given name of uncertain origins. One source considers it to be a 20th-century phonetic spelling of the name Maya or Mia, names that have multiple, different meanings and origins in different languages. The American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, born Marguerite, is said to have acquired her nickname as a child when her brother referred to her as "mya sister". Mya is also a Burmese name of a different origin, said by one source to mean emerald, in use for both sexes.
Collins is a given name, a transferred use of an English surname ultimately derived from multiple sources. It could be derived from Coll or Colin, an English diminutive of the Greek name Nicholas, or from the Irish word cuilein, meaning darling, from the Welsh collen, referring to a grove of hazel trees, or of the French Colline, meaning hill.
Raya is a given name with multiple, unrelated origins in different cultures.