My daughter Daisy’s second baby is due in the next few days and it got me thinking about baby names. Being a Lincolnshire wedding florist, it is not a surprise that many of my favourite names for girls are flower based ones! I love the meanings behind names too. Flower names have been in use since the Middle Ages but became more popular in the mid nineteenth century.
Daisy, the flower name comes from the Old English word meaning ‘day’s eye’ and reflects the way the flower opens in the day and closes at night. Daisies denote friendship, freshness and energy. A fresh daisy resembles the sun and my daughter definitely shines and brightens up my day!
Lily is another simple flower name I love. Lily of the valley is one of my favourite flowers due to its dainty simplicity, fragrance and pure white colour and is a symbol of purity. I love all types of lily and we often use alstroemerias, also known as the Peruvian lily or lily of the Incas in our arrangements. They are hardy, perennial and grow well in this country.
Violet is of course another favourite of mine - hence the name of our business. Violets were one of my dad’s favourite flowers. Their scent is beautiful. Again such a small, dainty flower the name of which is derived from the Latin name for viola. Violet is the colour of imagination and spirituality and represents the future, creativity and dreams.
The name Rose is derived from the Latin ‘rosa’. Such a lovely name from a beautiful, fragrant flower. There are many meanings associated with the rose, depending on the colour. White for purity, red for passion, pink for peace and yellow for joy for example but in general roses denote love. We love using roses for weddings and I find it fascinating that there lies a message within the colour of the rose.
Iris means ‘rainbow’ in Greek. Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and also served as a messenger to the gods. I absolutely loved learning about all the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses at school. My favourite flowers are either white or blue and the blue of an iris is so beautiful.
We usually associate flower names with girls but there are a number of boys’ and unisex names associated with flowers. I’ve just discovered that Trevor is a Persian word for a flower and that Roosevelt is a Dutch name meaning field of flowers. And of course there is Basil, the fragrant herb we all love with tomatoes.
I love the name William, my Dad’s name. And I love Sweet Williams, another humble, lovely fragrant flower. The sweet william is considered a flower of the gods. It symbolises admiration, passion, love, and gratitude. In Victorian times, the sweet william symbolized gallantry. Kate Middleton included sweet williams in her bridal bouquet as a tribute to Prince William.
My maternal grandfather was called Eric which is derived from the Latin word for heather, Erica.
Other boys’ flower associated names I hadn’t heard of but really like are Bud, Rue, Clem and Ren.
So girl or boy? Flower associated name? We’ll let you know…..
Julie