The many forms of Martin

To mark Martin Luther King Day, I thought it’d be fitting to do a post spotlighting this incredible hero’s name.

Martin comes from the Latin Martinus, which in turn derives from Martis, the genitive case of Mars. The Roman god Mars was copied from the Greek god Ares, the god of war. Mars may derive from the Latin word mas (male). Very fitting, given that the astrological glyph for Mars is the same as the symbol for male!

St. Martin of Tours, a fourth century bishop, is France’s patron saint. One of many legends about him depicts him as ripping his cloak in half to warm a freezing beggar during winter. Because he was such a beloved saint during the Middle Ages, his name became popular across Christendom. Theologian Martin Luther later added to the name’s popularity.

Statue of Mars at Rome’s Capitoline Museums, Copyright Andrea Puggioni

Martin is used in English, French, German, the Scandinavian languages, Finnish, Macedonian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Estonian, and Croatian. The variant Martín is Spanish, and Martîn is Norman.

In the U.S., Martin was Top 100 from 1880–1970. To date, its highest rank was #44 in 1880. In 2018, it was #272. It also enjoys popularity in Galicia (#2), Spain (#3), the Czech Republic (#13 in 2016), France (#24), Norway (#25), Slovenia (#36), Hungary (#38), Catalonia (#41), Belgium (#73), Ireland (#79), and Switzerland (#82).

Polish historian, diplomat, and cartographer Marcin Kromer (1512–89), painted by unknown 1688–1703

Other forms of Martin include:

1. Martim is Portuguese.

2. Martyn is Welsh, Ukrainian, and Manx. This is also a Russian variation.

3. Marcin is Polish.

4. Márton is Hungarian.

5. Martti is Finnish.

6. Máirtín is Irish. Without accents, Mairtin is Scottish.

7. Martynas is Lithuanian.

8. Martino is Italian.

9. Mattin is Basque. The nickname is Matxin.

10. Morten is Danish and Norwegian.

Self-portrait (1553) of Dutch painter Maarten van Heemskerck, 1498–1574

11. Martí is Catalan.

12. Maarten is Dutch.

13. Martijn is also Dutch.

14. Mārtiņš is Latvian.

15. Mārcis is also Latvian. It started as a nickname for Mārtiņš, but is now used as a given name in its own right.

16. Mårten is Swedish. The variant Marten is Dutch.

17. Màrtainn is Scottish Gaelic.

18. Martèin is Emilian-Romagnol, a Gallo-Italic language spoken in northern Italy.

19. Martiño is Galician.

20. Martinos is a rare Greek form.

Hungarian actor Márton Rátkai, 1881–1951

21. Martinu is Corsican.

22. Marttiin is Finnish.

23. Marzhin is Breton.

24. Mātene is Maori.

25. Měrćin is Sorbian.

26. Mieta is Vilamovian.

27. Môrcën is Kashubian.

28. Martinian is an English, Russian, and Ukrainian form of Latin name Martinianus, which derives from Martinus, the original Latin form of the name. Martinus is also the official Dutch form, though almost no Dutch people use Latin forms of their names outside of legal documents.

29. Martiniano is Spanish and Italian.

30. Martinien is French.

Roman Emperor Martinian (Sextus Marcius Martinianus), ?–325

31. Martinijan is Serbian and Croatian.

32. Martynian is Polish.

Female forms:

1. Martina is English, German, Italian, Catalan, Spanish, Dutch, Hungarian, Slovenian, Swedish, Czech, Slovak, Aragonese, Gascon, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Russian, and Croatian. The name is #2 in Catalonia, #3 in Spain, and #4 in Galicia. In Icelandic, it’s Martína.

2. Martine is French, Dutch, Danish, and Norwegian.

3. Martyna is Polish.

4. Martinha is Portuguese.

5. Martixa is Basque.

6. Martyne is Québecois.

7. Martien is Dutch. This can also be a male name.

All about Howard

Today, 18 January, is the 68th Jahrzeit (death anniversary) of the great comedian Curly Howard, né Jerome Lester Horwitz. I had a post about the name Jerome three years ago, so now it’s time for Curly’s adopted surname to shine. There’s really not much to say about his middle name Lester.

The English name Howard started its life as a surname, and eventually became a forename as well. There are at least four known etymologies:

Hughard, an Ancient Germanic name derived from roots hug (mind, heart) and hard (brave, hardy). It evolved into Anglo–Norman Huard.

Ewehirde, a Middle English word meaning “ewe-herder.”

Haward, an Anglo–Scandinavian name derived from Anglo–Saxon roots hæg (fence, enclosure) and weard (guard).

Hávarðr, an Old Norse name derived from roots há (high) and varðr (defender, guardian). The modern Norwegian form is Håvard, which entered Norway’s Top 100 in 1962 at #90, then briefly fell off and returned in 1964 at #86. Håvard was in the Top 100 till 2010. Its highest rank was #33, from 1994–96.

In the U.S., Howard was #44 when records began being kept in 1880, and stayed in the Top 100 till 1958. Its highest rank was #24 in 1919 and 1920. In 2018, it was #965, up from #999 in 2017. Surprisingly, Howard made the Top 1000 for girls twice, at #959 in 1888 and #994 in 1928.

In British Columbia, Canada, Howard was in the Top 100 from 1918–48, and again from 1950–60. Its highest rank there to date was #38 in 1923 and 1925.

Hovard is a rare Swedish and German form, and Jovardo is a rare Spanish form.

Slavic names of love

Though Slavic names formed from the root lyuby, “love,” aren’t as common as names formed from the roots milu (dear, gracious), miru (world, peace), or slava (glory), there are more than just a few of them. Though there are exceptions, like the almost exclusively Polish names formed from the root gnyevu/gnev (anger), many Slavic names have meanings invoking happy, beautiful concepts. This stands in stark contrast to how many names of Germanic and Old Norse origin invoke war and fighting.

These names include:

Female:

Liběna is Czech. The first root, libý, means “pleasant.”

Libuše is also Czech, and formed from the same roots. This was the name of the legendary founder of Prague.

Ljuba means “love” in Serbian, Macedonian, Slovenian, Czech, and Croatian.

Ljubina is Serbian.

Ljubomira means “love of peace/the world” in Serbian and Croatian. Other forms include Ľubomíra (Slovak), Lubomíra (Czech), and Lyubomira (Bulgarian)

Lubina is Sorbian.

Lubosława means “love of glory” in Polish.

Lyuboǔ is Belarusian.

Lyubava is Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian.

Lyubov is Russian, Bulgarian, and Ukrainian. This is the name of the female protagonist of my Russian historical novels. Though most of the main characters move to America halfway through the first book, I call them my Russian novels because that’s where most of my very large ensemble cast originated. Lyuba’s name was originally Amy, and I obviously needed to change it to a real, equivalent Russian name.

Male:

Bogoljub means “love of God” in Serbian and Croatian.

Bratoljub means “love of brother” in Serbian and Croatian.

Dragoljub means “precious love” in Serbian, Slovenian, and Croatian. This is also their name for the nasturtium flower.

Lubomír is Czech, and means “love of peace/the world.” Other forms include Ľubomír (Slovak), Ljubomir (Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian), Lyubomir (Bulgarian), Lubomierz (Polish), and Lyubomyr (Ukrainian).

Ľubomír means “to think of love” or “thoughts of love” in Polish.

Ľuboslav is a newer Slovak name meaning “love of glory.” The Polish form is Lubosław, and the Bulgarian and Russian form is Lyuboslav.

Lyuben is Bulgarian.

Lyublen means “Love Lenin!” in Russian. This is one of the invented names which were rather popular in the early decades of the USSR.

Slavoljub means “love of glory” or “glory of love” in Serbian and Croatian.

Srboljub means “to love a Serb” in Serbian, and seems like a rather rare name.

Veroljub means “lover of faith” in Serbian.

Živoljub means “living/vivacious love” in Serbian.

A name that fathered multitudes

Last known photo of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln alive

Abraham, a name many consider extremely old-fashioned, stodgy, geriatric, and/or religious, has never been quite as unpopular as its image suggests. While it’s never been Top 100 in the U.S. since records began being kept in 1880, it’s never sunk below #499 in 1967 either. Its highest rank to date was #124 in 1911. Abraham is currently on a surprising, gradual up-and-up, ranking at #164 in 2018.

The name is used in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, and the Scandinavian languages. The alternate form Ábrahám is Hungarian, and Ábraham is Faroese.. Its original form is the Hebrew Avraham (father of many/multitudes). While it’s long been popular in the Jewish world, it didn’t become common in Christendom till the Protestant Reformation.

Because Avraham and his wife Sarah were the founders of the Jewish nation, all converts’ Hebrew names end in bat/ben Avraham v’Sarah. Since we don’t have Jewish parents, the original parents of our nation become our symbolic parents.

Kurdish writer and politician Ibrahim Ahmad, 1914–2000

Other forms of the name include:

1. Avrum is Yiddish.

2. Aabraham is Finnish.

3. Aapo is another Finnish form.

4. Abram is Russian and Georgian.

5. Abraam is Georgian.

6. Abraão is Portuguese.

7. Ibrahim is Arabic, Albanian, Bosnian, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Dhivehi (a language spoken in the Maldives). The alternate form İbrahim is Azeri and Turkish, and Îbrahîm is Kurdish.

8. Ebrahim is Persian and Arabic.

9. Ibragim is Chechen and Ossetian.

10. Abramo is Italian.

U.S. General Abram Duryée (1815–90), who served in the Union Army in the Civil War

11. Bram is Dutch and English. Like many modern Dutch names, this too began as a nickname.

12. Braam is Limburgish and Dutch.

13. Ebrima is Western African.

14. Ibrahima is also Western African.

15. Brahim is Maghrebi Arabic, a dialect spoken in North Africa.

16. Aaprahami, or Aaprahammi, is Finnish.

17. Abrahán is Spanish.

18. Abraomas is Lithuanian.

19. Abreham is Ethiopian.

20. Âbréhan is Jèrriais.

Israeli soldier Avraham Avigdorov (1929–2012), recipient of the Hero of Israel award (now the Medal of Valour), in 1949

21. Âparâme is Greenlandic.

22. Ápparan is Sami.

23. Avraam is Romanian and modern Greek.

24. Avrom is Yiddish.

25. Brāhēm is Balochi, a language spoken in Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

26. Ebәrham is Abkhaz.

27. Ibraahiim, or Ibraahim, is Somali.

28. Ibrahimu is Hausa, a language spoken in northern Nigeria.

29. Iprakhim is Chuvash.

30. Obran is Mordvin.

Irish writer Bram Stoker (1847–1912), best-known as the author of Dracula

31. Ôbróm is Kashubian.

32. Habraham is a rare Latin American–Spanish and French–African form.

Female forms:

1. Abra is English. This is also the Latin word for “maid.”

2. Avra is Hebrew. I’ve always really liked this name.

3. Abrahamina is Swedish. I’m not a fan of this one!

4. Abrahamine is Norwegian. I don’t like this one either.

5. Abarrane may be an obscure feminine form of Abraham. Its etymology is unknown.

Theodora in reverse

U.S. social reformer Dorothea Dix (1802–87), painted 1868 by Samuel Bell Waugh

Dorothea is a palindrome of sorts of Theodora. They both have the same meaning, “gift of God,” and are formed from the same Greek roots, doron (gift) and Theos (God). The only difference is that each name puts the roots in a different order.

Dorothea is used in Greek, English, the Scandinavian languages, German, and Dutch. It gained popularity thanks to two early saints, particularly fourth century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. This was also the name of Prussia’s patron saint, the 14th century Dorothea of Montau.

U.S. actor Dorothy Gish (1898–1968), younger sister of legendary Lillian Gish

Much more common in the Anglophone world is Dorothy, which was coined in the 16th century. Probably everyone associates this name with the protagonist of The Wizard of Oz. The name entered the U.S. Top 100 in 1890, at #93, and leapt up the chart till entering the Top 10 at #10 in 1904.

Dorothy entered the Top 5 in 1909, and peaked at #2 in 1920, a position it held till 1927. It remained in the Top 10 till 1939, and in the Top 20 till 1945. Dorothy’s final year in the Top 100 was 1961. In 2018, it was #586.

Other forms of this once-ubiquitous name include:

1. Dorotea is Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Galician, and Croatian.

2. Doroteja is Slovenian, Macedonian, Serbian, Latvian, Sorbian, and Croatian. The alternate form Dorotėja is Lithuanian. Nicknames include Dora, Tea, and Teja.

3. Dorottya is Hungarian. Nicknames include Dora, Dorka, and Dorina.

4. Dorothée is French. The nickname is Théa.

5. Doroteia is Portuguese. The Brazilian–Portuguese variant is Dorotéia.

6. Dārta is Latvian.

7. Dörthe is Low German.

8. Darafeya is Belarusian.

9. Dorofeya is Russian.

10. Darata is Lithuanian.

French aristocrat Dorothée de Talleyrand-Périgord (1862–1948), painted 1905 by Philip de László

11. Dorota is Polish, Czech, Slovak, Kashubian, and Lithuanian.

12. Dorote is Georgian.

13. Doroteya is Russian and Bulgarian.

14. Dóróthea, also rendered as Dórothea, is Icelandic.

15. Tiia is Estonian and Finnish.

16. Kōleka is Hawaiian.

17. Dorata is Albanian.

Male forms:

1. Dorotheos is Greek.

2. Dorofey is Russian.

3. Dorotheus is Latin.

4. Doroteo is Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

5. Darafey is Belarusian.