Message: "England" - Behind the Name

[Opinions] England

by Violet Serene (heron)

6/23/2009, 11:21 PM

I just had an idea for a story with sisters/siblings named after the British Isles and Ireland. So far I have:
Erin (Ireland)
Cambria (Wales)
Scotia/Scott (Scotland)

WDYT?

But I can't think of one for England. I thought Anglia but my mind goes straight to Ford Anglia. I used the search engine to look up 'England' as a meaning but can't find anything. Can you think of one? Can be an existing name or something made up to fit the theme. Would prefer a girls' name to go with the others but boys' names are fine too.

TIA :)

#England

Replies

- Anneza

6/25/2009, 12:40 AM

Albina, as in Albion?

- Vek (Kalvin) +3

6/24/2009, 9:30 AM

How about Caledonia/Alba, Eire, Cambria & Britainia?

- Violet Serene (heron) +2

6/24/2009, 6:44 PM

Yeah that's pretty much what I'm going with, but I can't decide between Eire and Erin for the Ireland one, since the others mean the country rather than the nationality. I like Eire more I think so will probably end up going with that.
Plus all the other names are sort of poetic and Latin, but Eire and Erin are the actual Irish words for Ireland and Irish, but I'm not really too fussed about that.

Thanks for the suggestion of Eire :)

- telfalathiel +1

6/24/2009, 9:00 PM

If you're looking for a Latin name for Ireland, you could use Hibernia.

- Violet Serene (heron)

6/25/2009, 1:30 AM

Oh thanks, that's a good one. I think I like Eire/Erin better though, even if it doesn't quite fit the theme!

Cheers :-)

- Mackenzie (kenzieiscool) +1

6/24/2009, 12:30 AM

"Rule Brittania" Can't go wrong with that one.

- Violet Serene (heron)

6/24/2009, 6:47 PM

Thanks, I think I will go with that, unless I decide to make number 4 a boy.

Cheers :-)

- Jonquil +3

6/23/2009, 11:30 PM

Albion or Avalon

Albion strikes me as ideal. Conjures up Dover's "white cliffs" and they are in England!
Anglia also ... but you've ruled that out
Britannia is not specific enough to England
Avalon and Camelot, perhaps?

This message was edited 6/23/2009, 11:45 PM

- Murasaki (lady murasaki)

6/24/2009, 12:21 AM

Albion makes me think of the expression "perfidous Albion" used to designate the British Empire. It strikes me as a rather unfortunate name for a person, honestly.

I'm not a huge fan of Avalon, but I think it's the most usable of the bunch.

- Violet Serene (heron) +1

6/23/2009, 11:52 PM

Albion is awesome! I'd never heard that term for England before.
Thank you!
:D

- Jonquil

6/24/2009, 1:59 AM

By coincidence, when trawling through Ancestry.com yesterday I noticed an Albion Somebody-or-Other but didn't check the gender. It's true, as Murasaki says, that there is the phrase "Perfidious Albion", but I take that as a badge of honour - it was a French term of opprobrium for good old traditional enemy England!
It's used poetically by Brits too, as in the phrase "Albion's shore".
Albion refers to the "whiteness" of southern England's chalky cliffs (the first thing seen from the Channel when crossing from France) so it's appropriate. The saint's name Alban is related.

This message was edited 6/24/2009, 2:02 AM

- Sabrina Fair (tigerlilly) +1

6/23/2009, 11:27 PM

London?

- Violet Serene (heron)

6/24/2009, 6:46 PM

I do like London, but it doesn't really fit with the others in that it's a city rather than the country. I don't think I could work the theme around London, either - London, Glasgow, Dublin, and Cardiff don't quite make as nice a sibset IMO :P

Thanks for the suggestion, though :)

- telfalathiel +2

6/23/2009, 11:27 PM

Brittania / Britannia...

and might I also suggest Caledonia for Scotland.

This message was edited 6/23/2009, 11:29 PM

- Speranza

6/24/2009, 2:47 AM

Seconded

- Violet Serene (heron)

6/23/2009, 11:50 PM

Ooh good idea! I found Brittany but Britannia is much nicer. Caledonia is better than Scotia too.
Thanks! :D

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