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Help[Opinions] Rikka
It was the name of my maternal grandfather's first wife, mother of my mother's two half-sisters. I've heard the name Rikka since I was a child, but only in reference to this one specific person. Some Googling shows me it's a variant of Rica / Erica (and that it is apparently quite rare). I don't know what year she was born, but her two daughters were born in 1936 and 1938.
Thoughts on the name? Ever encountered it as a standalone name or a short form of something else?
Thoughts on the name? Ever encountered it as a standalone name or a short form of something else?
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I like it, especially as short for Erica/Ericka/Erika. It's cute and sweet, but could also work on an older woman. I've never heard in real life before.
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It does have more of a mature feel to it than a lot of nicknames, doesn't it? :)
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It does sound more like a nn to me, but as far as I can tell it was her given name. Her full name (I have recently discovered) was Rikka Manetla Sandbeck.
I think I like Rika as a nn for Fredrika. Far more feminine than Freddy / Fred! :) I think I prefer it with just one K, though; it feels less harsh and jarring.
I think I like Rika as a nn for Fredrika. Far more feminine than Freddy / Fred! :) I think I prefer it with just one K, though; it feels less harsh and jarring.
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Chances are she was at least 20 years older than her daughters, so she was probably born about 1910-1915.
There's a Finnish Riikka. Rica and Erica were not typical names for that point in history. If you could find out from your mom or her sisters what their ancestry is, it might help you pin down where and how she came to be named Rikka.
There's a Finnish Riikka. Rica and Erica were not typical names for that point in history. If you could find out from your mom or her sisters what their ancestry is, it might help you pin down where and how she came to be named Rikka.
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Yes, I was thinking she was probably about 20 years older than her oldest daughter. So 1910-1915 sounds about right.
I've only very briefly met my aunts, Gladys Marie and Marguerette Caroline, but one of my mother's cousins has done quite a lot of research into the family tree, so I suppose I could ask him if he knows anything about Rikka's ancestry (it's currently blank on the family tree he's got set up, though, so I imagine he probably knows very little). Rikka's maiden name, however, was Sandbeck (which is apparently English).
I'm thinking Rikka is probably a variation on Riikka, since it's only one letter off, though why an English girl would end up with the name is a bit of a mystery. Maybe she had an English father and a Finnish mother.
I don't know if she was born in Canada, but her daughters were - maybe she was named for a friend of the family?
Edited to add: I didn't notice until I posted that Marguerette isn't the "expected" spelling of that name either. At least according to BtN, it's generally Marguerite. My mom used to call her "Marge" sometimes.
Edited again to add: Through a connecting family tree, I have discovered Rikka's middle name was Manetla. Google really isn't giving me any help on that one! I think maybe I should hop over to the Name Facts message board...I had originally meant this thread to be about opinions on the name, but not I'm really curious.
I've only very briefly met my aunts, Gladys Marie and Marguerette Caroline, but one of my mother's cousins has done quite a lot of research into the family tree, so I suppose I could ask him if he knows anything about Rikka's ancestry (it's currently blank on the family tree he's got set up, though, so I imagine he probably knows very little). Rikka's maiden name, however, was Sandbeck (which is apparently English).
I'm thinking Rikka is probably a variation on Riikka, since it's only one letter off, though why an English girl would end up with the name is a bit of a mystery. Maybe she had an English father and a Finnish mother.
I don't know if she was born in Canada, but her daughters were - maybe she was named for a friend of the family?
Edited to add: I didn't notice until I posted that Marguerette isn't the "expected" spelling of that name either. At least according to BtN, it's generally Marguerite. My mom used to call her "Marge" sometimes.
Edited again to add: Through a connecting family tree, I have discovered Rikka's middle name was Manetla. Google really isn't giving me any help on that one! I think maybe I should hop over to the Name Facts message board...I had originally meant this thread to be about opinions on the name, but not I'm really curious.
This message was edited 7/11/2015, 3:07 AM
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It can be really difficult to pin point names. Manetla seems very unusual to me. Try to find her in census record. It might tell you where she's from and thus maybe another clue about the name Rikka. Who knows, maybe her parents just heard the name somewhere and liked it. It really could be that simple. Or they may have thought they made it up.
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