I'm so sorry for the delay in posts! I've been run off my feet lately with college assignments, but there is a break approaching, and I have a few posts waiting to be added to the site. Hopefully I'll be able to finish them and post a lot more within the next few weeks!
If there are any requests for posts, please feel free to email me at downtonandbabynames@outlook.com. I'll be checking the emails periodically until I can find a better method for post requesting!
- Haley xoxo
Tuesday 13 October 2015
Monday 7 September 2015
Second Star to The Right - Paying Homage to the Boy Who Never Grew Up.
As my first blog post, I thought I'd start with a thread I recently started on Nameberry, that has led me to discover quite a few hidden links between names, and Peter Pan, but first, a little bit of background...
One of my favourite stories of all time is Peter Pan - I love just about everything about it, and the story has a lot of meaning to me, and in a way, so does J.M. Barrie. Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved the story of Peter and Wendy and Tinkerbell, and have always been in love with the idea of fairies and magic and everything else ("Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust."), but the story and connections run deeper than that for me.
I'll start from the beginning - my grandmother was born in England, in 1936, and was born without hip sockets, and as a result, spent the majority of her childhood in Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). She was often getting into mischief, despite being in a full body cast until she was 6, and despite being told she would never walk - she did eventually walk, was able to play lacrosse as a schoolgirl, married, and had 4 daughters and 7 grandchildren. Her story is absolutely amazing in my eyes, but J.M. Barrie plays a big part in this too.
In 1929, J.M. Barrie gave the rights to Peter Pan to GOSH, so that they would continuously be able to collect funds via royalties, which has 'provided significant income to the hospital'. In short, that hospital provided a safe home and protection for my grandmother during the war, and gave her the necessary surgeries and treatments to allow her to walk, have children, etc.
Because of his donations to GOSH, my grandmother, and millions of other children have been able to receive care from GOSH, and have been able to make recoveries from various illnesses and disabilities. Honestly, I feel as though honouring the story of Peter Pan in a name (as a first or middle) would be a brilliant tribute to the story that I love, and the children's hospital that has really, made it possible for my family to exist.
Ok, so that aside, following some research and helpful suggestions on my thread, I have compiled a list of names that connect to the beloved story.
Ladies, first;
Wendy - the name of the famous heroine (of sorts) of the play, Wendy is said to have originated with Barrie, due to a nickname that the child of a friend used to call him. The character is thought to be based off of her, following the idea that Peter Pan is based off of deceased children who never grow up, in spirit. An alternative to Wendy, would be the longer, Welsh name, Gwendolyn (or Gwendolen), meaning "white ring" or "white circle".
Margaret - The little girl who many believe Wendy was based off of, is Margaret Emma Henley, the daughter of William Ernest Henley, an English poet. William Henley was a friend of Barrie's, and through that, Barrie became acquainted with young Margaret, who often referred to him as 'fwendy". Tragically, Margaret passed away in 1894, at the age of 5, ten years before Barrie's play would be published.
Pixie - While Tinkerbell may not be the ideal baby name choice, Pixie is swiftly moving up the charts in England and Wales, jumping from fewer than three babies in 2005, to 113 babies in 2014. Pixies are mythical creatures, thought to have originated in Celtic folklore. Pixies are often seen as mischievous, playful, and childlike - which proves fitting for Tinkerbell's character. In modern day, the term pixie is used interchangeably with fairy and sprite, however, historically in mythology, the three have traditionally been at war with each other.
Faye - Tinkerbell is often referred to as a fairy, as well as a pixie, because the two terms are considered to be the same in the modern age. Faye, an old English name meaning 'fairy' works as another tribute to the character, though, some records from the 1800s actually show parents bestowing the name Fairy/Faerie upon their daughters.
Faith - The first of the three components needed to fly, Faith is also a virtue name with a long, steady history of usage, dating back to the 17th century. Some may think that Faith is not a strong enough connection, but, I personally think that the saying 'faith, trust and pixie dust' is more than famous enough to provide a strong relation.
Verity - The second component needed to fly, is trust. While trust does have some usage as a name, Verity, a subtle virtue name, meaning 'truth' is a lovely alternative, that appears rather familiar across the pond in Britain.
Darling - Darling, the surname of Wendy, Michael and John in the story, is a rather different name choice, but, with Johannah Deakin (the mother of Louis Tomlinson)'s use of Doris Poppet, and Katie Price's use of Princess and Bunny, why not Darling? It could make for a very, darling, middle name option.
Jane - In the 2002 Disney sequel, Return to Neverland, it is revealed that Wendy has a 12 year old daughter named Jane, and a 5 year old son named Danny. Jane dismisses all of her mother's stories about Peter Pan and Tinkerbell as nonsense, until Peter arrives, assuming that Jane would like to follow in her mother's footsteps to find adventures in Neverland. Jane was also briefly mentioned in the final chapter of Barrie's novel, "Peter Pan and Wendy", in Barrie's work, Jane is willing to step into her mother's shoes as the 'mother' of Peter and the lost boys, the opposite of her attitude in the film. Jane has long been a classic, but has recently been written of as 'plain Jane',
Tigerlily - The name of the Native American princess in the film - Tigerlily is a rather unusual choice, rarely heard outside of celebrity nurseries. Paula Yates (mother of Pixie, Peaches and Fifi Geldof) and Michael Hutchence of INXS (both deceased) bestowed the name upon their daughter as a middle, but she is primarily known as Tiger Lily or Tiger. With the help of Lily as a potential nn, it could very well work, but, I can't predict it to take off any time soon.
Stella - Finally, Stella. Peter Pan's directions to Neverland are "second star to the right, and straight on till morning', so, it seems only appropriate to include a star name. If Stella is too popular, or not a viable option, other choices could be Seren, Estelle/Estella, Hester, Asteria, Esther, Estee, Yvaine, or Svetlana.
I am hoping to compile a boys list sometime in the near future, but with college assignments, it's hard to keep on top of this as often as I'd like to.
What are your favourite Peter Pan related names for girls?
One of my favourite stories of all time is Peter Pan - I love just about everything about it, and the story has a lot of meaning to me, and in a way, so does J.M. Barrie. Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved the story of Peter and Wendy and Tinkerbell, and have always been in love with the idea of fairies and magic and everything else ("Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust."), but the story and connections run deeper than that for me.
I'll start from the beginning - my grandmother was born in England, in 1936, and was born without hip sockets, and as a result, spent the majority of her childhood in Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). She was often getting into mischief, despite being in a full body cast until she was 6, and despite being told she would never walk - she did eventually walk, was able to play lacrosse as a schoolgirl, married, and had 4 daughters and 7 grandchildren. Her story is absolutely amazing in my eyes, but J.M. Barrie plays a big part in this too.
In 1929, J.M. Barrie gave the rights to Peter Pan to GOSH, so that they would continuously be able to collect funds via royalties, which has 'provided significant income to the hospital'. In short, that hospital provided a safe home and protection for my grandmother during the war, and gave her the necessary surgeries and treatments to allow her to walk, have children, etc.
Because of his donations to GOSH, my grandmother, and millions of other children have been able to receive care from GOSH, and have been able to make recoveries from various illnesses and disabilities. Honestly, I feel as though honouring the story of Peter Pan in a name (as a first or middle) would be a brilliant tribute to the story that I love, and the children's hospital that has really, made it possible for my family to exist.
Ok, so that aside, following some research and helpful suggestions on my thread, I have compiled a list of names that connect to the beloved story.
Ladies, first;
Wendy - the name of the famous heroine (of sorts) of the play, Wendy is said to have originated with Barrie, due to a nickname that the child of a friend used to call him. The character is thought to be based off of her, following the idea that Peter Pan is based off of deceased children who never grow up, in spirit. An alternative to Wendy, would be the longer, Welsh name, Gwendolyn (or Gwendolen), meaning "white ring" or "white circle".
Margaret - The little girl who many believe Wendy was based off of, is Margaret Emma Henley, the daughter of William Ernest Henley, an English poet. William Henley was a friend of Barrie's, and through that, Barrie became acquainted with young Margaret, who often referred to him as 'fwendy". Tragically, Margaret passed away in 1894, at the age of 5, ten years before Barrie's play would be published.
Pixie - While Tinkerbell may not be the ideal baby name choice, Pixie is swiftly moving up the charts in England and Wales, jumping from fewer than three babies in 2005, to 113 babies in 2014. Pixies are mythical creatures, thought to have originated in Celtic folklore. Pixies are often seen as mischievous, playful, and childlike - which proves fitting for Tinkerbell's character. In modern day, the term pixie is used interchangeably with fairy and sprite, however, historically in mythology, the three have traditionally been at war with each other.
Faye - Tinkerbell is often referred to as a fairy, as well as a pixie, because the two terms are considered to be the same in the modern age. Faye, an old English name meaning 'fairy' works as another tribute to the character, though, some records from the 1800s actually show parents bestowing the name Fairy/Faerie upon their daughters.
Faith - The first of the three components needed to fly, Faith is also a virtue name with a long, steady history of usage, dating back to the 17th century. Some may think that Faith is not a strong enough connection, but, I personally think that the saying 'faith, trust and pixie dust' is more than famous enough to provide a strong relation.
Verity - The second component needed to fly, is trust. While trust does have some usage as a name, Verity, a subtle virtue name, meaning 'truth' is a lovely alternative, that appears rather familiar across the pond in Britain.
Darling - Darling, the surname of Wendy, Michael and John in the story, is a rather different name choice, but, with Johannah Deakin (the mother of Louis Tomlinson)'s use of Doris Poppet, and Katie Price's use of Princess and Bunny, why not Darling? It could make for a very, darling, middle name option.
Jane - In the 2002 Disney sequel, Return to Neverland, it is revealed that Wendy has a 12 year old daughter named Jane, and a 5 year old son named Danny. Jane dismisses all of her mother's stories about Peter Pan and Tinkerbell as nonsense, until Peter arrives, assuming that Jane would like to follow in her mother's footsteps to find adventures in Neverland. Jane was also briefly mentioned in the final chapter of Barrie's novel, "Peter Pan and Wendy", in Barrie's work, Jane is willing to step into her mother's shoes as the 'mother' of Peter and the lost boys, the opposite of her attitude in the film. Jane has long been a classic, but has recently been written of as 'plain Jane',
Tigerlily - The name of the Native American princess in the film - Tigerlily is a rather unusual choice, rarely heard outside of celebrity nurseries. Paula Yates (mother of Pixie, Peaches and Fifi Geldof) and Michael Hutchence of INXS (both deceased) bestowed the name upon their daughter as a middle, but she is primarily known as Tiger Lily or Tiger. With the help of Lily as a potential nn, it could very well work, but, I can't predict it to take off any time soon.
Stella - Finally, Stella. Peter Pan's directions to Neverland are "second star to the right, and straight on till morning', so, it seems only appropriate to include a star name. If Stella is too popular, or not a viable option, other choices could be Seren, Estelle/Estella, Hester, Asteria, Esther, Estee, Yvaine, or Svetlana.
I am hoping to compile a boys list sometime in the near future, but with college assignments, it's hard to keep on top of this as often as I'd like to.
What are your favourite Peter Pan related names for girls?
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