Who Knew???

Thanks Hanne - now I now how to think of your name!!

Would you have preferred Madgalena, Magda? I don't think Mary of Magdalene was any more of a sinner than the rest of the human race though... but it's the name of a place rather than a person - if your parents were thinking of the same person I am!!

It's like "e" in "the", I really would have liked it to be Hanna(h)!! Anna, Anne, Ann, Anni(e) are other short names belonging to the original one!!

How can someone want t be called Magda. Apparently it was my father who wanted me called Magdalena, but my mother did not want me to be called after a sinner, so Magda it was. As I said, we can not choose!

Thanks Katie, I'm chuckling that you chose my name, albeit before you knew me, for a cat. If I could chose to come to earth as an animal, I would chose a cat!!

Thanks PJ, I'm pleased you found it interesting.

A very interesting day/week Mandy! My name, Katherine, means pure. Your full name is one I gave to a wonderful cat that came into my life unexpectedly and it means beloved.

Goodness - Mandy, how interesting ....
PJ

Thanks Barb, I've been very interested in reading everyones' comments too. Thanks for the thanks for the thanks!!! LOL!!

Thanks for the update Edie, what a good way of encouraging children to learn about their Saint.

Just want to add, Mandy, that as well as a great puzzle, it's been interesting reading the comments about the origins and meanings of names ... so an extra thanks in addition to the one I gave you earlier. :-) Also, a thanks to those who posted comments here!

This was in Germany Mandy, not the UK and that's how everyone in the family that was born there had their names decided. However, only the one middle name shows up on documents. I did choose a saint. At the time when I was 12 my only uncle was dating a woman by the name of Anne who I liked very much and to this day they are still happily married. We also had to find out about the Saint we chose and write about her for a school project. I was in grade 7 at the time, I believe.

Sally/Princess Sarah... by Edie's method your middle name should have been Sarah!! Your sister's choice of name is lovely too! My brother never used his given name, but was and remains known by his middle name at all times! Thanks for taking part in the comments BTW. Mandy :~)

Wendy - even though I have a middle name I've only ever used it on official documents, so it's been a bit pointless and a chore to write on everything!! My offspring both have middle names which they do use, by taking the first name initial and the middle name initial to make a separate name! It sounds like you got it right with your offspring :~)

Edie, I don't know how it's done in the UK - I've never heard that about taking the name of your Godmother - both my Godmothers were friends of my Mum... one was called Minnie... I'm not sure that Mandy Minnie would have worked for me!!! Did you ever take a Saint's name?

Well, my parents named me Sally - just becasue they liked the name. I wasn't fond of it so took as a nick name the root name Sarah (princess!) My paternal grandmother was very happy with that move as her favorite aunt was named Sarah! My sister was named Anita. Only because once my mother finally sat my father down to choose names a fire truck went by and he wanted to follow it- they had only progressed as far as the As. He said he loved that name and well, that was what she was named. She has since changed her name to Skye. As you can see, our family doesn't hold to the once named you have to stick to it.

Mandy, my husband and I had such different taste when naming our two kids/newborns (young adults now), that we decided not to give them middle names. We figured that when they got older they could pick their own. Well, I guess we did well when we gave them their names because they don't have the desire to get middle names.

It's actually German and when you get baptized your second name is that of your Godmother. In my case my paternal grandmother Josephine. Which I dislike more than Edith. Then when you get confirmed at 13 you take the name of a saint. That's how we did it, not sure if it's the same everywhere.

How funny Magda.... I wanted to be called Magda when I was little... I preferred it to Mandy, which is actually a shortened form of Amanda. You can legally change your name if you want to... I actually was reading stuff on a website recently about the importance of balanced names and how your name can affect all of your life... and changing it can make a different. So much so that some people change their names for that reason. Apparently when a woman gets married and changes her surname that can also affect her... I don't know if I changed when I changed my surname... but its an interesting thought. The website was called:
http://www.kabalarians.com/

You're very welcome Pat :~)

Thanks Hanne - I know a couple of Hannah's, and knew of it's biblical links, I think it's often also shortened to Anna. Do you pronounce the final E of Hanne, or is it silent??

Thanks Ardy - I had wondered if your name was a shortened form of something else, Ardyce is really pretty but I've never heard of it before - I'm pleased you enjoy being called Ardy though.

Rosie, what a wonderful story and how lovely that you've always enjoyed your name. It's a shame your cousin died so young though. It sounds like you both grew up with 2 Moms! Thanks for sharing :~)

Thanks Edie - Namenstag sounds Scandinavian? I know some of my school friends who were Catholic and they used to have Saints names in addition to the first name, and they would celebrate on their Saint's Day. Having a name that means Joyous is lovely... I'd forget the Anglo Saxon meaning ! LOL!

Thank you Mandy. Food for thought. I will go to the website, as I never liked my name, but we cannt choose, can we?

Love it thanks Mandy .... Hugs

My name, Hanne, is a modern form of Johanna and goes back to the hebrew name Hannah which means "grace"! I'm not sure that my parents knew that but they knew about Hannah being an old hebrew name. This is wonderful Mandy, thanks so very much!!

Thanks, Mandy. I don't know where my name came from. My mother was named for the mother, Addie, and her father, Marion. She went by her middle name but retained the masculine spelling. When she was young she discovered that name, Ardyce, and loved it. She asked her mother if she could change it. It was never done legally but all her records are Ardyce Marion and that's what she named me. I've never liked my first name but within the last few years almost everyone calls me Ardy and I love that.

Interesting day. My given name, Rosemary, means mist of the sea which is appropriate for a Pisces, one born in March, as I am. And almost all of the characteristics associated with the name do apply to me which is a little scary. It is of English origin and I was given that name because my mother and my aunt were pregnant and due close to the same date. My mom wanted a boy and had the name Eugene picked out, my aunt wanted a girl and had Rosemary picked out. They each got what the other wanted so agreed to name their child the others picked name and be godmother to that child. I luckily got Rosemary and a great women, whom I admired and loved all her life as my godmother. My poor cousin got stuck with Eugene but we called him Dave, his middle name, and he loved my mom like I loved his and he and I were very, very close until he died at 30. So now, all of you know how I got my name and that I never wanted to change it. I only wish I had been given a middle name. My parents thought Rosemary was enough but I've always had to contend with "What, your parents didn't love you enough to give you a middle name?" NO THEY DIDN'T.

I remember that as a child we would celebrate 'Namenstag'. This might still be practised. It is the day that everyone with the same first name celebrates, often the death of a saint that died on that date. My grandmother knew everyone's and would always make sure it was remembered. I think mine was in September. I looked up my name and the English meaning is Joyous, while the Anglo Saxon one is Riches of War. I've hated it all my life and warned my kids that if they ever named a grandchild after me they would be cut from my will. I think they were happy to hear that.

Yes, that's what Barbara means. It would be interesting if people posted what their names means here. :-))

Yes Barb, it is interesting doing research on names, is that what yours means? Nice to see you shiny star at the top of the board this morning! Thanks :~)

Another fascinating day to celebrate, Mandy. And I wonder who among us has not wanted to change their name at one time or another? Especially when one's name comes from the Greek meaning strange, foreign or alien. LOL!
Thanks again for posting these celebratory days and the history behind them. :-)