We’ve talked about a Tongan baby named Leicester after a rugby win in Leicester, and a Samoan baby named Wales after a rugby win against Wales. Today we have a third baby from the Pacific Islands whose rugby-inspired name is both a location and a reference to Wales.
On November 16, 2012, a rugby match between Samoa and Wales was held at Millennium Stadium in the Welsh capital of Cardiff.
The same day, a baby boy was born in Samoa to parents Tala’i Jr. Lene and Falute Va’auli-Lene (who was Miss Samoa 2005, incidentally).
Samoa ended up winning the match, beating Wales with a score of 26-19.
Tala’i and Falute, both devoted rugby fans, decided to mark the occasion by naming their fourth son Cardiff Va’auli Asotoelau Lene. (Their older sons are named Jeremiah, Sam, and Christian.)
The name of the city was likely derived from the settlement’s original Welsh name, Caer-Taff, meaning “fort on the (river) Taff.”
Sources:
- Jackson, Cherelle. “Samoan baby named Cardiff after rugby victory.” New Zealand Herald 21 Nov. 2012.
- Malone, Sam. “How Wales v Samoa inspired one couple to call their newborn ‘Cardiff’.” Wales Online 23 Nov. 2012.
- Cardiff – Britannica
Image: Adapted from Rugby socks by Steven Lilley under CC BY-SA 2.0.
