Namemas: Georgette

Happy Namemas day 3! Today's name is a great name if you are looking for something that has the least connection to Christmas. Because of today's song lyrics I had the hardest rime finding  name to fit into the category. After much playing around I found Georgette and it just fits! Read on to find out some interesting facts and history on the name. 

History
The name Georgette comes from the male name George. George originates from the Greek name Georgios based on the Greek word georgos meaning farmer. Georgos is a combination of 2 Greek words ge meaning earth, soil and ergon meaning work. Somewhere down the line the name George transformed into Georgette and many other George names.

Fabric 
Georgette is a lightweight crepe fabric named after the French dressmaker Georgette de la Plante. It was originally made from silk. The fabric is used for everything from dresses to trims. The fabric is closely related to chiffon yet less shiny and stretchy.

Popularity
Georgette was a popular name back in the 1940s and hasn't ranked in the top 1000 since 1977. Her sister, Georgia, is currently ranked at #223. This name makes a nice alternative to a name growing increasingly more popular each year.

Christmas Association

On the third day of Christmas

my true love sent to me:

3 French Hens

2 Turtle Doves

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

I have to say that today's name was the hardest name to pick out of the whole 12 days. There are not many names that fit with the 3 french hens theme. I toyed with a few ideas in my head but none seemed right. The was until I had the idea to use the French girls version of George. George means farmer and hens live on a farm so it only made sense! So that is the long version of how we got to the name Georgette for the 12 days of Christmas. 

Namemas: Jonah

For parents looking for a Christmas name that can be used at any time of year Jonah is the way to go! It doubles also a nice less popular biblical name to names like Noah and Jacob without being too uncommon. The name ranks at #145 in 2018.

Biblical Jonah

In the Old Testament, Jonah was told to preach in Nineveh but ran away on a boat out of fear. When a storm hit the crew threw Jonah overboard where he was swallowed up by a whale. He was able to survive and spent 3 days repenting. His story was popular in the Middle Ages but the name didn't become popular until after the Protestant Reformation. 

Famous Wearers

Jonah Hill is an American actor from comedies like Superbad, 21 Jump Street, and Knocked Up. Other famous Jonahs out there include Rugby player Jonah Tali Lomu, American columnist and author, Jonah Jacob Goldberg, and American tv personality Jonah Cardeli Falcon. Prince of Hawaii in the 1870s was Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole. I think my favorite famous Jonah is the prince, so cool and unexpected! 

Sleepless in Seattle had Jonah Baldwin and the tv shows Hart of Dixie and Veep have characters Jonah Breeland and Jonah Ryan. 

Christmas Association 

Jonah means dove. There are many names that mean dove but I went with Jonah because of its biblical association, It almost has a dual Christmas meaning even though Jonah is from the Old Testament before Jesus was born.

Namemas: Perry

Happy first day of Namemas! I am going to be bringing you 12 great names over the next 12 days. They are all centered around the song 12 days of Christmas. Be sure to check out yesterdays blog post for more details and the last 3 years themes and names.

Surname 

Perry is both a given name and a surname name. The surname has 7 distinct origins. Starting in England, the surname Perry was given to people who lived near the pear trees. In Wales, Perry and Parry came about as a short form meaning son of Herry/Harry. The Norman French name Perrieur (quarry) possibly refers to a quarryman. Perry is sometimes associated with the Portuguese surname Pereira, which means pear tree in Portuguese. When they would immigrate to the United States families would often "Americanize" the name to Perry. The Italian surname Perri is related to Peter and also Americanized too Perry. 

Possible Full Names

Perry is an unisex name that can work as both a given name or nickname. The most common full name for Perry as a nickname has to be Peregrine with Percival being second. 

Boys: Percival, Pierre, Peregrine, Perkin, Perez, Parker, Pernell, Pierce

Girls: Perla, Perrine, Perrin, Persis, Pearl, Perenelle, Priscilla, Peridot, Persephone, Perita 

Alcoholic Drink

In the bar world, Perry is an alcoholic drink made from fermented pears similar to the way cinder is made with apples. In modern times some people call Perry a pear cider. It has a history started in what is now France today. It eventually made its way to England where you can find it as a popular beverage. 

Perry Products

The Perry brothers, James and Stephen, made their first car in 1899 with a three wheeler. They then went on to make two more cars. Their Perry 8hp is a cyclecar made on 1911 and only 800 were produced. 

Before the Perry brothers made cars they made dip pens in 1824 with their company Perry & Co. They would go on to produce pens for 58 years. They most likely lost business when ballpoint pens became popular. 

Famous Wearers 

You can find Perry on a few famous men. Perry Como is an American singer with a career that lasted more than half a century. He was known for his cardigan sweaters. Perry Ellis, a fashion designer of the 1970s was another famous Perry. The founder of Lollapalooza was named Perry Farrell. There are countless other Perrys from athletes to actors. 

Fictional Perry's include Perry the platypus from Disney's Phineas and Ferb and Perry Cox from the TV show Scrubs. If you've ever read the series The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants you know that one of the main characters, Bridget, has a twin brother named Perry. 

Popularity 

Perry is equally unpopular for both genders. In 2018, the spelling Perry was not ranked for either gender. 133 boys received the name and only 79 girls in 2018. It last ranked in the top 1000 for boys in 2006 at #971 and has never ranked in the top 1000 for girls. For girls the only time a spelling of Perry ranked in the top 1000 was in 1958 with the Perri spelling. 

Christmas Association

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The name Perry means pear tree and is perfect for the first day of Christmas! Perry can also mean son of Herry but the pear meaning is the most common.