Origin | |
---|---|
Word/name | English, Irish |
Meaning | location name, reference to the holly tree |
Holly is an English-language surname and given name.
Holly is known as an English or Irish surname (variant Holley) it is either locational, ultimately derived from the Old English hol lēah "[dwelling by] the clearing by the hollow", or descriptive, from hol-ēage "hollow-eyed". In Ireland, it was also used as a translation of the name Mac Cuilinn, which is derived from cuileann , the Gaelic name of the holly tree, and by extension sometimes of the similar-sounding McQuillan surname of Ulster. [1] The masculine names Holly, Hollie were derived from the surname, but have mostly fallen out of use since the mid 20th century due to the rise in popularity of the feminine name. Hollis is an English surname derived from a Middle English holis "[dwelling by] holly trees"; it was also used as a masculine given name.
Holly (variants Hollie, Holley) was first used as a feminine given name in the 20th century, as a "botanical" name given to girls, in reference to, or at least secondarily associated with, the holly tree. While the feminine name is on record in the United States since the 1930s, its surge in popularity was due to Holly Golightly, the socialite protagonist in Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958), which was made into a film starring Audrey Hepburn in 1961. The name of this character is stated to be short for Holiday (rather than a reference to the plant). [2] The name peaked in popularity in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, and has declined since, ranking at No. 449th place in the United States as of 2023. [3] It was popularly given in England and Wales during the 2000s, staying in the top 30 girls' names throughout 1996 to 2012, with a peak at rank No. 12 in 2002 (and dropping to rank No. 135 as of 2023). [4] A tendency to give the name to girls born on or near Christmas has also been observed. [5] It has been the most popular name given to girls in Ireland who were born on Christmas Day and has also been more popular for girls there born in December than at other times of the year. [6] More recent eccentric spellings of the feminine name include Holli (1970s), Holleigh, Hollee, and Hollye. [7]
Gender | Feminine |
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Origin | |
Word/name | plant name |
Gender | Masculine |
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Origin | |
Word/name | from the surname |
Sharon, also spelled Saron, is a given name as well as a Hebrew name.
Holly is a genus of about 400 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae.
Hilary, Hilarie or Hillary is a given name and surname, derived from the Latin hilarius meaning "cheerful", from hilaris, "cheerful, merry", which comes from the Greek ἱλαρός (hilaros), "cheerful, merry", which in turn comes from ἵλαος (hilaos), "propitious, gracious". Ilaria is the popular Italian feminine form, while Ilario is the Italian masculine one. Other male forms are Hilarion, Ilarion, and Illarion.
Noel or Noël is a given name, often given to both girls and boys born over the Christmas period.
Eileen is an Irish feminine given name anglicised from Eibhlín, an Irish form of the Norman French name Aveline, which is derived from the Germanic Avi, possibly meaning desire in combination with the diminutive suffix el and -in.. It is related to the English name Evelyn and the variant name Aileen. The name Eileen has been featured in classic Irish songs.
Noelle or Noëlle is the feminine form of the unisex name Noel. It derives from the old French Noël, "Christmas," a variant of nael, which itself derives from the Latin natalis, "birthday". Other nicknames and variations for girls named Noelle include Noèle, Noële, Noelia, Noeline, Noela, Noell, Noella, Noelene, and Noeleen.
Elspeth or Elspet is a feminine given name, which is the Scottish form of Elizabeth. It means "chosen by God" or "consecrated by God".
Breakfast at Tiffany's is a novella by Truman Capote published in 1958. In it, a contemporary writer recalls his early days in New York City, when he makes the acquaintance of his remarkable neighbor, Holly Golightly, who is one of Capote's best-known creations. In 1961 it was adapted into a major motion picture of the same name.
Hollister is an English family name from the Gloucestershire region of England, now most numerous in the United States. In 1992, it was estimated there were 2204 households in the US, 94 in Canada, 81 in Australia, 21 in New Zealand, 3 in Denmark and 371 in Great Britain.
Ashley is a given name which was originally an Old English surname. It is derived from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) words æsċ (ash) and lēah and translates to "Dweller near the ash tree meadow".
Lindsay is both a Scottish surname and a given name. The given name comes from the Scottish surname and clan name, which comes from the toponym Lindsey, which in turn comes from the Old English toponym Lindesege for the city of Lincoln, in which Lind is the original Brittonic form of the name of Lincoln and island refers to Lincoln being an island in the surrounding fenland. Lindum Colonia was the Roman name of the settlement which is now the City of Lincoln in Lincolnshire. Lindum was a Latinized form of a native Brittonic name which has been reconstructed as *Lindon, which means "pool" or "lake" and refers to the Brayford Pool.
Angela is a female given name. It is derived from the Greek word ángelos (ἄγγελος), meaning angel from Greek belief systems. In the United States, the name "Angela" was at its most popular between 1965 and 1979, when it was ranked among the top 10 names for girls. Between 1922 and 2021, in the United States, the name was ranked in the top 35 names for girls.
MurielMURE-ee-əl is a feminine given name in the English language.
Flora is a feminine given name of Latin origin meaning flower, ultimately derived from the Latin word flos, which had the genitive florus. Flora was a fertility goddess of flowers and springtime in Ancient Rome.
Golightly is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
The name Queenie is an affectionate, or pet use, of the term "queen", and is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cwen", meaning 'woman' rather than a reference to the monarch or his wife.
Camilla or Camila is a feminine given name. It originates as the feminine of camillus, a term for a youth serving as acolyte in the ritual of ancient Roman religion, which may be of Etruscan origin. Hypocorisms of the name include Milly, Millie, and Milla.
Holly Golightly may refer to:
Holley is an English surname. It is either locational, ultimately derived an Old English hol lēah "[dwelling by] the clearing by the hollow", or descriptive, from hol-ēage "hollow-eyed".
Char is a French feminine given name that is a variation of Chardonnay, Charlene, and Charlotte and a feminine form of Charles. Char is also used as a variation of Charmaine. Notable people with this name include the following: