How popular is the baby name Georg in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Georg.

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Popularity of the baby name Georg


Posts that mention the name Georg

Baby names associated with red: Ruby, Carmine, Scarlett, Mars

red cherries

Looking for baby names that are associated with the color red — including baby names that mean “red”?

If so, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve collected dozens of options for you in this post.

Before we get to the names, though, let’s take a quick look at what red represents…

Symbolism of red

What does the color red signify?

In Western cultures in particular, red can be symbolic of:

  • Love
  • Passion
  • Strength
  • Power
  • Danger
  • Excitement
  • Energy

The link between the color red and emotionally-charged situations may be attributable to the fact that we blush involuntarily when we experience intense feelings (such as anger, lust, or embarrassment).

red bricks

Baby names associated with red

All of the names below have an association with the color red. The names range from traditional to unusual, and their associations range from strong to slight.

Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.

Ahmar
Ahmar is an Arabic masculine name meaning “red.” Here’s the popularity graph for Ahmar.

Akane
Akane is a Japanese feminine name that — depending upon the kanji being used to write the name — can refer to the madder plant (genus Rubia), the dye made from the root of the madder plant, or the purplish-red color of that dye. Here’s the popularity graph for Akane.

Amaranth
Amaranth flowers are frequently red. The genus name Amaranthus is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words amarantos, meaning “unfading,” and anthos, meaning “flower.” Here’s the popularity graph for Amaranth.

Amaryllis
Amaryllis flowers are often red. The genus name Amaryllis is derived from the Ancient Greek word amarysso, meaning “to sparkle.” Here’s the popularity graph for Amaryllis.

Anara
Anara is a Kazakh and Kyrgyz feminine name based on the word anar, meaning “pomegranate.” Here’s the popularity graph for Anara.

Azalea
Azalea (pronounced uh-ZAY-lee-uh) flowers are sometimes red. The (obsolete) genus name Azalea is derived from the Ancient Greek word azaleos, meaning “dry.” Here’s the popularity graph for Azalea.

Berry
Berry fruits are frequently red. The Old English word for “berry” was berie. Here’s the popularity graph for Berry.

Brick
Brick is commonly red. In fact, the term “brick red” refers to the brownish-red color of red clay bricks. Here’s the popularity graph for Brick.

Burgundy
Burgundy is a purplish-red color. The name of the shade was inspired by red wine from the region of Burgundy in France. Here’s the popularity graph for Burgundy.

Camellia
Camellia flowers are often red. The genus Camellia is was named in honor of Moravian botanist Georg Joseph Kamel. Here’s the popularity graph for Camellia.

Canna
Canna flowers are sometimes red. The genus name Canna is derived from the Latin word canna, meaning “reed.” Here’s the popularity graph for Canna.

Cardinal
Cardinal is a type of bird, the males of which have red plumage. Cardinals (birds of the genus Cardinalis) were named with the red robes of Roman Catholic cardinals in mind. The common name is ultimately derived from the Latin word cardinalis, meaning “principal, chief.” Here’s the popularity graph for Cardinal.

Carmine
The vocabulary word carmine (pronounced KAHR-mien) refers to the pigment made from the cochineal insect, which lives on prickly pear cacti. By extension, it also refers to the purplish-red color of this pigment. Spanish explorers, who learned of the pigment through the Nahuas (Aztecs), began exporting it to Europe in the early 16th century. Its name (in Europe) is based on the Medieval Latin word carminium — a form of the Arabic word qirmiz, meaning “crimson,” influenced by the Latin word minium, meaning “cinnabar.” The word also happens to be a homograph of the personal name Carmine (pronounced KAHR-mee-neh), which is the Italian masculine form of Carmen. Here’s the popularity graph for Carmine.

Carnelian
Carnelian, a variety of the mineral chalcedony, is often red. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the Latin word cornus, which refers to a type of berry, altered by the influence of the Latin word carneus, meaning “flesh-colored.”

Cerise
Cerise (pronounced su-reez) is the French word for “cherry.” Here’s the popularity graph for Cerise.

Cherry
Cherry fruits are typically red. Cherry trees are part of the genus Prunus. Here’s the popularity graph for Cherry.

Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum flowers are sometimes red. The genus name Chrysanthemum is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words khrysos, meaning “gold,” and anthemon, meaning “blossom, flower.” Here’s the popularity graph for Chrysanthemum.

Coral
Coral is a pink-orange shade of red. The name of the shade refers to the color of precious coral, which was first discovered in the Mediterranean Sea. Here’s the popularity graph for Coral.

Crimson
Crimson is a deep shade of red. Crimson pigment was originally made from the kermes insect, which lives on evergreen oaks. (The pigment fell out of favor in Europe after the introduction of carmine from the New World in the early 1500s.) Here’s the popularity graph for Crimson.

Dahlia
Dahlia flowers are sometimes red. The genus Dahlia was named in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. Here’s the popularity graph for Dahlia.

Delima
Delima is an Indonesian feminine name meaning “pomegranate.” Here’s the popularity graph for Delima.

Edom
Edom is a Biblical masculine name based on the Hebrew word ‘adom, meaning “red.” Here’s the popularity graph for Edom.

Erythia
Erythia, based on the Ancient Greek word eruthrós, meaning “red,” was the name of several figures in Greek mythology.

Eztli
Eztli is the Nahuatl word for blood. (Fun fact: The red pigment made from cochineal that Europeans called carmine was called nocheztli, or “prickly pear blood,” by the Nahuas.) Here’s the popularity graph for Eztli.

Flann
Flann is an Irish masculine name meaning “blood red.”

Flannán
Flannán is a diminutive form of Flann.

Garnet
Garnet is a gemstone that is typically dark red. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the Latin word granatum, meaning “pomegranate” (literally, “having many seeds”) — a reference to the resemblance between garnets and pomegranate seeds. Here’s the popularity graph for Garnet.

Garance
Garance is a French feminine name that refers to the madder plant (genus Rubia), the dye made from the root of the madder plant, or the purplish-red color of that dye.

Gladiola
Gladiola refers to Gladiolus, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes red. The genus name, meaning “little sword” (a diminutive of the Latin word gladius, “sword”) refers to the shape of the leaves. Here’s the popularity graph for Gladiola.

Gül
Gül (pronounced gool) is a Turkish feminine name meaning “rose.” Here’s the popularity graph for Gül.

Helen
Helen is part of Helenium, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes red. The genus was named in honor of Helen of Troy. Here’s the popularity graph for Helen.

Jagoda
Jagoda (pronounced YAH-goh-dah) is a feminine name meaning “strawberry” in Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene, and other South Slavic languages.

Jasper
Jasper, an opaque type of microcrystalline quartz, is commonly red. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the Ancient Greek word iaspis. Here’s the popularity graph for Jasper.

Kamala
Kamala is a Hindi feminine name based on the Sanskrit word kamala, meaning “pale red.” Here’s the popularity graph for Kamala.

Kimmernaq
Kimmernaq is a Greenlandic feminine name meaning “lingonberry.”

Kiraz
Kiraz is the Turkish word for “cherry.”

Kirsikka
Kirsikka is the Finnish word for “cherry.”

Lali
Lali is a Georgian feminine name meaning “ruby.” Here’s the popularity graph for Lali.

Lohit
Lohit is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word lóhita, meaning “red.”

Mars
The pronoun Mars initially referred to the Roman god of war. Later, when the Ancient Romans chose names for the five visible planets of the solar system, they named the one with the reddish color — which is reminiscent of blood — after the god of war. (The surface of Mars appears reddish due to the presence of iron oxide in the planet’s soil.) Here’s the popularity graph for Mars.

Orchid
Orchid flowers are sometimes red. Orchids are all members of the Orchidaceae family of plants. Here’s the popularity graph for Orchid.

Phoenix
Phoenix refers to the mythical bird, but the name of that bird was based on the Ancient Greek word phoinix, meaning “purple” or “crimson.” Here’s the popularity graph for Phoenix.

Poinsettia
Poinsettia bracts are usually red. “Poinsettia” is the common name of the plant species Euphorbia pulcherrima. The common name commemorates U.S. politician Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant to the U.S. (from Mexico) in the 1820s.

Poppy
Poppy flowers are commonly red. The Old English word for “poppy” was popig. Here’s the popularity graph for Poppy.

Raktima
Raktima is the Sanskrit word for “redness.”

Red
Red, of course, refers to the color red. :) Here’s the popularity graph for Red.

Reed and Reid
Reed, also spelled Reid, comes from an English and Scottish surname that can be traced back to the Middle English word for “red.” Here are the popularity graphs for Reed and Reid.

Rimmon
Rimmon is a Hebrew gender-neutral name meaning “pomegranate.”

Rohit
Rohit is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word róhita, meaning “red.” Here’s the popularity graph for Rohit.

Rose
The word rose refers to any flowering plant of the genus Rosa, the name of which ultimately derives from the Greek word for the plant, rhodon. Roses come in various colors, but shades of red have long been favored — so much so that the word rose, by extension, has also referred to a pinkish-red or purplish-red color since the early 16th century. Here’s the popularity graph for Rose.

Roth
Roth comes from a German surname that can be traced back to the Middle High German word rot, meaning “red.” It was originally a nickname for a red-haired person. Here’s the popularity graph for Roth.

Rowan
Rowan is an Anglicized form of Ruadhán. Here’s the popularity graph for Rowan.

Roy
Roy is an Anglicized form of Ruadh. Here’s the popularity graph for Roy.

Ruadh
Ruadh (pronounced roo-ah) means “red” or “red-haired” in Irish and Scottish Gaelic.

Ruadhán
Ruadhán is a diminutive form of Ruadh.

Rubina
Rubina is a Portuguese and Italian and feminine name meaning “ruby.” Here’s the popularity graph for Rubina.

Ruby
The word ruby refers to the red variety of the mineral corundum. By extension, it also refers to the red color of these crystals. The name of the stone can be traced back to the Medieval Latin term lapis rubinus, meaning “red stone” (from rubeus, meaning “red,” and lapis, meaning “stone”). Here’s the popularity graph for Ruby.

Rufus
Rufus derives from the Latin word rufus, meaning “red” or “red-haired.” Here’s the popularity graph for Rufus.

Rufina and Rufino
Rufina (feminine) and Rufino (masculine) are the modern Spanish forms of the Roman family name Rufinus, which was based on Rufus. Here are the popularity graphs for Rufina and Rufino.

Russell
Russell comes from a surname that can be traced back to the Old French word rous, meaning “red.” Here’s the popularity graph for Russell.

Scarlet and Scarlett
Scarlet is a bright shade of red. The name of the color comes from the Medieval Latin word scarlata (or scarlatum), which referred to a type of woolen cloth that was often, though not always, dyed red. The more popular spelling of the name, Scarlett, represents transferred usage of the English surname. The surname Scarlett originally referred to a person who sold or worked with the cloth. Here are the popularity graphs for Scarlet and Scarlett.

Shani
Shani is a Hebrew gender-neutral name meaning “scarlet, red.” Here’s the popularity graph for Shani.

Strawberry
Strawberry fruits are red. Strawberry plants are part of the genus Fragaria. Here’s the popularity graph for Strawberry.

Tulip
Tulip flowers are often red. The name of the flower can be traced back to the Ottoman Turkish word tülbent, meaning “turban.” Here’s the popularity graph for Tulip.

Ulaan
Ulaan is a Mongolian gender-neutral name meaning “red.”

Vadelma
Vadelma is a Finnish feminine name meaning “raspberry.”

Vardan
Vardan is an Albanian masculine name meaning “rose.” Here’s the popularity graph for Vardan.

Verbena
Verbena flowers are sometimes red. The genus name Verbena is derived from the Latin word verbena, which referred to the leaves, twigs, and branches of specific plants (like laurel, olive, and myrtle) that were used during religious ceremonies. Here’s the popularity graph for Verbena.

Vered
Vered is a Hebrew feminine name meaning “rose.” Here’s the popularity graph for Vered.

Vermilion
Vermilion is an orange-red color. Vermilion pigment was originally made from the mineral cinnabar.

Warda
Warda is an Arabic feminine name meaning “rose.” Here’s the popularity graph for Warda.

Zinnia
Zinnia flowers are sometimes red. The genus Zinnia was named in honor of German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn. Here’s the popularity graph for Zinnia.


Can you think of any other names that have a connection to the color red?

P.S. Want to see more color-related baby names? Here are lists of orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple names.

Sources:

Images:

[Latest update: Nov. 2023]

Where did the baby name Liesl come from in 1965?

The character Liesl von Trapp from the movie "The Sound of Music" (1965)
Liesl von Trapp from “The Sound of Music

The German name Liesl (pronounced LEE-zl), which is related to Elizabeth, first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1965:

  • 1967: 96 baby girls named Liesl
  • 1966: 100 baby girls named Liesl
  • 1965: 24 baby girls named Liesl [debut]
  • 1964: unlisted
  • 1963: unlisted

This was the year the Oscar-winning movie musical The Sound of Music was released. Set in Austria in the late 1930s, the film told the story of singing governess Maria (played by Julie Andrews) and featured the seven children of the von Trapp family: Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl.

Eldest child Liesl (played by Charmian Carr) was “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” as she explains in the song:

The movie was modeled after the Tony award-winning musical of the same name, which was ultimately based upon the 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta von Trapp. (Maria ended up marrying the children’s widowed father, Georg, and thereby becoming a von Trapp herself.)

In real life, the seven von Trapp children were named Rupert, Agathe, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna, and Martina. Later, Georg and Maria welcomed three more: Rosmarie, Eleonore (nn “Lorli”), and Johannes.

Sources: The Sound of Music – Wikipedia, SSA

Baby names for tea lovers: Camellia, Thomas, Jasmine, Grey

chai

We haven’t done a baby name brainstorm in a long time! The last one we did was for coffee lovers, so let’s follow that up with one for tea lovers.

Here are some tea-inspired baby names for all the tea lovers out there:

Camellia
The Camellia sinensis plant is our primary source of tea. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of Czech missionary and botanist Georg Joseph Kamel (1661-1706). Here’s the popularity graph for Camellia.

Catherine, Catarina
Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza (originally Catarina de Bragança) popularized tea-drinking among the British nobility in the mid-1600s upon her marriage to England’s King Charles II in 1662. (Fun fact: The borough of Queens in New York City was named during Catherine’s tenure, so it was presumably named for her.) Here are the popularity graphs for Catherine and Catarina.

Thomas
Multiple people named Thomas are associated with the history of tea:

  • Thomas Garway was the first person sell tea in London, in 1657.
  • Thomas Twining founded Twinings of London in the early 1700s.
  • Thomas Lipton founded Lipton Tea in the 1890s.
  • Thomas Sullivan of New York inadvertently invented teabags in 1907 when he distributed tea samples in loosely woven silk bags — and people started using the bags to brew the tea.

Here’s the popularity graph for Thomas.

Robert, Fortune
Britain was obsessed with tea by the 1800s, but China controlled the tea trade. So in the late 1840s, the British East India Company sent Scottish botanist Robert Fortune to China to learn the secrets of Chinese tea production, and to smuggle tea plants and seedlings out of the country (and take them to India). Here are the popularity graphs for Robert and Fortune.

Chai
Chai is the word for “tea” in various languages. It’s also used to refer specifically to masala chai, a type of spiced tea that originated in India. Here’s the popularity graph for Chai.

Jasmine
Jasmine tea is a blend made with green tea and jasmine blossoms. Here’s the popularity graph for Jasmine.

Grey, Earl
Earl Grey tea is a blend made with black tea and oil of bergamot (a type of citrus fruit). It existed as far back as the 1880s and is thought to be named after former British Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey. Here are the popularity graphs for Earl and Grey.

Nanette
The famous song “Tea for Two” comes from the 1925 musical No, No, Nanette. It’s a duet sung during Act II by characters Nanette and Tom. Here’s the popularity graph for Nanette.

Dorotea, Mattea, Timotea, Teague (and others)
While these names aren’t strongly associated with the beverage, they do happen to feature the letter sequence “t-e-a.” Here are the popularity graphs for Dorotea, Mattea, Timotea, and Teague.


What other baby names with a tea association can you come up with?

Image: Adapted from Chai in Sakora by Dadhichbittu007 under CC BY-SA 4.0.

20 Baby names from flowers: Kalmia, Magnolia, Plumeria, Zinnia

plumeria

Spring is here! Let’s celebrate with some flower names.

But let’s do something a little different. Instead of the same old suggestions, like Lily and Rose, let’s check out some relatively modern flower names that ultimately come from Latinized surnames (via genus names).

Here’s a list of 20. Most of these are rarely used for humans, so if you’re looking for an unexpected nature name for a baby girl, this could be a good place to start.

Abelia

Pronunciation: ah-BEEL-ee-uh

Abelia flowers are white or pink, and usually scented. The genus Abelia is part of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae). Abelia was named for British surgeon and naturalist Clarke Abel (1780-1826). Clarke’s version of the surname Abel is likely based on the Hebrew name Abel, meaning “breath.” An identical German surname is based on a pet form of Albrecht, made up of elements meaning “noble” and “bright.”

Allamanda

Pronunciation: ah-lah-MAHN-duh

Allamanda flowers are typically yellow, though some are pink. The genus Allamanda is part of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). Allamanda was named for Swiss botanist Frédéric-Louis Allamand (1736-1803). This French surname is based on the Middle French word meaning “German.”

Begonia

Pronunciation: beh-GOHN-yuh

Begonia flowers come in a wide range of colors: white, pink, peach, salmon, red, orange, yellow, etc. With close to 1,500 species, Begonia is the 6th-largest genus of flowering plants. Begonia was named for French office-holder and plant collector Michel Bégon (1638-1710).

Camellia

Pronunciation: kah-MEEL-ee-uh

Camellia flowers are white, pink, red, and sometimes yellow. The genus Camellia is part of the Theaceae family. Leaves of the species Camellia sinensis are used to produce tea. Camellia was named for Czech Jesuit missionary and botanist Georg Joseph Kamel (1661-1706). The surname Kamel is derived from a word meaning “camel.” Camels are not endemic to Europe, but they were commonly used on house signs in central Europe during the later Middle Ages.

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Camellia.

Cattleya

Pronunciation: KAT-lee-uh

Cattleya flowers come in a range of colors: purple, orange, white, yellow, etc. The genus Cattleya is part of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Cattleya was named for English merchant and horticulturist William Cattley (1788-1835). The first element of the English surname Cattley is based on either Catta, a personal name, or a word meaning “(wild) cat.” The second comes from the Old English word leah, meaning “woodland; clearing.”

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Cattleya. (It was very rare until a character named Cataleya was featured in the 2011 movie Columbiana. The character’s name was based on the genus name.)

Clintonia

Pronunciation: klin-TOHN-ee-uh

Clintonia flowers are white, red, or green-yellow. The genus Clintonia is part of the lily family (Liliaceae). Clintonia was named for U.S. politician and botanist De Witt Clinton (1769-1828). The English surname Clinton is based on one of two different place names. One place name was derived from Old English words meaning “enclosure, fence” + “settlement,” while the other means “Glyme (river)” + “settlement.”

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Clintonia.

Dahlia

Pronunciation: DAL-yuh (first syllable can rhyme with “gal”, “doll,” or “dale”)

Dahlia flowers come in a wide range of colors. The genus Dahlia is part of the daisy family (Asteraceae).

Dahlia was named for Swedish botanist Anders Dahl (1751-1789). The Swedish surname Dahl is based on the Old Norse word dalr, meaning “dale, valley.”

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Dahlia.

Forsythia

Pronunciation: for-SITH-ee-uh (or for-SIETH-ee-uh, chiefly in British English)

Forsythia flowers are bright yellow. The genus Forsythia is part of the olive family (Oleaceae). Forsythia was named for Scottish botanist William Forsyth (1737-1804). The surname Forsyth is based on Fearsithe, a Gaelic personal name made up of the Gaelic words fear, meaning “man,” and sith, meaning “peace.”

Freesia

Pronunciation: FREE-zhuh, FREE-zhee-uh

Fragrant freesia flowers are white, yellow, pink, red, or blue-mauve. The genus Freesia is part of the iris family (Iridaceae). Freesia was named for German botanist and doctor Friedrich Freese (1794-1878). The German surname Freese is based on an ethnic name for someone from Friesland.

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Freesia.

Gardenia

Pronunciation: gar-DEEN-yuh

Gardenia flowers are white or pale yellow and strongly scented. The genus Gardenia is part of the coffee family (Rubiaceae).

Gardenia was named for Scottish-born American naturalist Alexander Garden (1730-1791). The English surname Garden is based on an occupational name for a gardener. It ultimately comes from the Old Norman French word gardin, meaning “garden.”

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Gardenia.

Gazania

Pronunciation: gah-ZAY-nee-uh

Gazania flowers are shades of yellow and orange. The genus Gazania is part of the daisy family (Asteraceae), like Dahlia. Gazania was named for Greek humanist Theodorus Gaza (1398-1475).

Gloxinia

Pronunciation: glok-SIN-ee-uh

Gloxinia flowers are white, pink, red, blue or purple. The genus Gloxinia is part of the Gesneriaceae family. Gloxinia was named for German physician and botanical writer Benjamin Peter Gloxin (1765–1794).

Here’s a post about the name Gloxinia.

Kalmia

Pronunciation: KAHL-mee-uh

Kalmia flowers are white, pink or purple. The genus Kalmia is part of the heather family (Ericaceae). Kalmia was named for Swedish-Finnish botanist Pehr Kalm (1716-1779).

Years ago, one of my readers mentioned that he’d named his daughter Kalmia.

Kerria

Pronunciation: KER-ee-uh

Kerria flowers are bright yellow. The genus Kerria is part of the rose family (Rosaceae). Kerria was named for Scottish gardener and plant hunter William Kerr (d. 1814). The Scottish surname Kerr is a topographic name referring to a patch of wet ground overgrown with brushwood. It ultimately comes from the Old Norse word kjarr, meaning “copsewood, brushwood, thicket.”

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Kerria.

Lobelia

Pronunciation: loh-BEEL-ee-uh

Lobelia flowers are purple, pink, white or blue. The genus Lobelia is part of the bellflower family (Campanulaceae). Lobelia was named for Flemsih botanist Matthias de L’Obel (1538-1616).

Magnolia

Pronunciation: mag-NOHL-ee-uh

Magnolia flowers are fragrant and come in white, pink, red, purple or yellow. Because they predate bees and butterflies, they’re typically pollinated by beetles. The genus Magnolia was named for French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638-1715). The French surname Magnol may be based on either the Latin word magnus, meaning “great,” or on a French place name of uncertain derivation.

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Magnolia.

Monarda

Pronunciation: moh-NAR-duh

Monarda flowers are various shades of red, pink, and purple, and highly scented. The genus Monarda is part of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Monarda was named for Spanish physician and botanist Nicolás Monardes (1493-1588).

Plumeria

Pronunciation: ploo-MEER-ee-uh

Plumeria flowers (also known as frangipani) are very fragrant and come in several colors. The genus Plumeria is part of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), like Allamanda. Plumeria was named for French botanist Charles Plumier (1646-1704). The French surname Plumier is based on an occupational name for either a feather dresser or a plumber. The former occupational name ultimately comes from the Latin word plumarius, meaning “embroidered with feathers,” while the latter comes from the Latin word plumbum, meaning “lead.”

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Plumeria.

Wisteria

Pronunciation: wis-TEER-ee-uh

Wisteria flowers are are purple, violet, pink or white, and often scented. The genus Wisteria is part of the bean family (Fabaceae). Wisteria was named for American physician and anatomist Caspar Wistar (1761–1818). Caspar’s surname is a modified form of the German surname Wüster.

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Wisteria.

Zinnia

Pronunciation: ZIN-ee-uh

Zinnia flowers come in a wide range of colors (red, purple, orange, buff, yellow, etc.) and shapes. The genus Zinnia is part of the daisy family (Asteraceae), like Dahlia and Gazania. Zinnia was named for German anatomist and botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn (1727-1759). The German/Jewish surname Zinn is based on an occupational name for a pewter worker or tinsmith. It ultimately comes from the Germanic word zin, meaning “tin, pewter.”

Here’s the popularity graph for the baby name Zinnia.

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What other surname-derived flower names would you add to this list?

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Source: Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Image by Ariana Kaminski from Unsplash