How popular is the baby name Ravi in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, check out all the blog posts that mention the name Ravi.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Ravi


Posts that Mention the Name Ravi

Popular baby names in Toledo (Brazil), 2022

Toledo, Parana, Brazil

Last year, the most popular baby names in the Brazilian city of Toledo (located in the southern state of Paraná) were Alice and Miguel.

According to local newspaper Gazeta de Toledo — which published a single, provisional set of rankings for Toledo in late December — these were the city’s top 50 baby names overall in 2022:

  1. Miguel, 32 babies
  2. Alice, 29 – pronounced ah-lee-see in Brazilian Portuguese.
  3. Helena, 25
  4. Maria Alice, 21
  5. Cecilia, 21
  6. Arthur, 18
  7. Laura, 17
  8. Davi, 15 – a form of David.
  9. Theo, 15
  10. Samuel, 15
  11. Maria Julia, 15
  12. Bernardo, 13
  13. Gael, 12
  14. Aurora, 12
  15. Lara, 12
  16. Heitor, 11
  17. Ravi, 10 – a form of Rafael.
  18. Julia, 10
  19. Maria Clara, 9
  20. Arthur Miguel, 9
  21. Joaquim, 9
  22. Gabriel, 9
  23. Vicente, 9
  24. Lorenzo, 9
  25. Isabelly, 8
  26. Sofia, 8
  27. Livia, 8
  28. Augusto, 8
  29. Heloisa, 8
  30. Eloa, 8
  31. Nicolas, 8
  32. Noah, 8
  33. Rafael, 8
  34. Benicio, 7
  35. Maria Eduarda, 7
  36. Emanuel, 7
  37. Valentina, 7
  38. Lucas, 7
  39. Maria Cecilia, 6
  40. Isaac, 6
  41. Anthony, 6
  42. Catarina, 6
  43. Agatha, 6
  44. Murilo, 6 – (pronounced moo-ree-loh) based on the Spanish surname Murillo, which is derived from the Spanish word muro, meaning “wall.”
  45. Pedro, 6
  46. Guilherme, 6
  47. Rebeca, 6
  48. Eloah, 6
  49. Antonella, 6
  50. Felipe, 6

The newspaper mentioned that Maria Alice has been on the rise in Brazil since the mid-2020 birth of celebrity baby Maria Alice, firstborn daughter of Brazilian singer Zé Felipe and Brazilian influencer Virginia Fonseca. (The couple’s second daughter, Maria Flor, was born in late 2022 — making “Maria Flor” a combo to look out for in future Brazilian rankings.)

The name Rebeca also rose in 2022 following the success of Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were held in mid-2021 due to COVID-19. Andrade won a gold medal in the vault and a silver medal in the individual all-around (placing second to Sunisa Lee of Team USA).

I’ve never posted rankings for Toledo before, but I did post Brazil’s 2021 rankings a few months back, if you’d like to compare this list to that one.

Sources:

Name needed: Baby girl, initially named Lumi, needs to be renamed

light bulbs

I was contacted recently by a reader who needs to find a new name for a baby girl. The baby was formerly called Lumi.

The reader sent me a lot of helpful information about the situation, so I’m simply going to quote the bulk of what was written below. I’ve boldfaced all the first names mentioned, for easier scanning.

Here’s the request:

Basically, without getting into too much detail, we are going to be renaming our child. What happened is that we chose the name Lumi, which I have loved since the moment I heard it, since I think the sound is beautiful and uplifting, it’s unique, but not so out there as to be hard to understand, and we also thought of it as short for luminescent or luminous–something that brings light, which I love. Also, we often call her Lulu, and liked that Lumi seemed a bit more interesting and maybe even more formal (at least to us!) for when she is in school or at a job. But, after choosing that name, we were informed that the word lumi actually is slang for prostitute in Spanish. If Spanish were a very uncommon language, we might have just accepted it, but seeing as we have some Spanish speaking family and both of us already speak some Spanish and live in a place with a lot of Spanish speakers, it seemed impossible to keep the name. So we changed it. The change was awful for me, since I was not happy with the new name, but couldn’t think of another and thought I would grow to like it. But I haven’t. I will not tell you the “new” name or how long it has been, since I don’t think it matters as we will be changing it no matter what. What matters most to me is that we find another name that suits her, doesn’t mean prostitute (or anything like it) in any language, and isn’t tied to so much negativity and stress. And, just to say, we do currently still call her Lulu, so variations on that (so long as they fit other criteria) are welcome! 

Ideally, we would like the name to be unique, but also easy to relate to an existing word so that we can easily anchor people when we introduce her, since we know how complicated having a “unique” name can be for introductions, spellings, pronunciation, etc. So, for example, one name I also really liked was Deli, since I like that someone could say, “Deli, like delight.” Or even “Deli, like delicatessen.” The problem there, of course, is that when you say “Deli,” people will hear the city in India, so that was off the list, since neither of us have any connection to that place. We also liked the name Euphie, as in euphoria, but I found out that that’s the name of a vacuum, so I wasn’t sure if that might be a mistake to choose that one. We also like Jovie (for jovial?), but this is also a bit too popular at the moment. But, if this makes sense, we’d like something unique that can even sound like a nickname, but it would be a short version of an existing word that is easy to understand and helps people quickly make the connection and has a positive meaning–or relates in some way to food (for example, Romy, for rosemary). I hope this is clear, isn’t too much to ask, and also gives you some ideas of the kind of thing we are after.
 
We really want a name that has a positive meaning or is related to food or cooking in some way. The best name in terms of meanings that I can think of is Beatrice, which, as you know, means brings joy, since that’s how we feel about our sweet girl. She is an absolute ray of sunshine, always smiling, and brings us all joy. Of course, Beatrice itself is too popular for our tastes, but if you can think of another name that means brings joy (or peace or some such) but that is much less common or a “made up” name that seems to fit this, we’d love to hear it! Otherwise, names that mean things that are positive, uplifting, or peaceful are all great. Also, we are a food-loving family, so something that has a relationship to food or cooking would also be great, especially something like an edible plant or something on the healthier or more natural side. Another name that was at the top of our lists at some point was Romy (which, again, works as short for rosemary and easy to say/spell, but it is currently much too popular for our liking).

And, finally, the name must not translate to something negative or offensive in another language (especially Spanish!). 

As for last names, to protect our privacy, I will just say her last name is Rose, which is almost exactly her actual last name and will help with those looking to create alliterations, which are fine with us. We actually considered Rosie and, as I mentioned, Romy, but they’re both a bit too popular.

I’ll start with a few quick thoughts, then move on to the names.

First, I can’t imagine the stress of trying to re-name a baby a second time. I’m so sorry that the first two names didn’t work out.

Second, regarding baby names that happen to be brand names (like Euphie/Eufy): I think this is just the new norm. So many start-ups are being given human names (e.g., Casper, Cora, Oscar, Clio, Albert, Roman, Dave) that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a name that is not also a brand. So this doesn’t necessarily have to be a deal-breaker.

Third, for those who want to comment with name suggestions, here are the names that were mentioned as being “too popular” above and where they currently sit in the girls’ rankings, just for reference:

  • Jovie ranks 763rd
  • Beatrice ranks 565th
  • Romy ranks 1,452nd (given to 147 baby girls in 2021)
  • Rosie ranks 461st

Name Ideas

Saffy

  • Saffy is a nickname for Saffron, a noun-name inspired by the name of the spice (which is made from crocus flowers).
  • Recent usage: Saffy has never appeared in the data.

Tashi (tah-shee)

  • Tashi is a Tibetan word (and personal name) meaning “auspicious.” Tashi delek, often translated as “blessings and good luck,” is a common greeting in Tibet. Tashi could also be a nickname for Natasha.
  • Recent usage: Tashi is given to a handful of babies (both genders) per year.

Meli (meh-lee)

  • Meli corresponds to the ancient Greek word méli, meaning “honey” — and, by extension, anything sweet. It could also be a nickname for the related name Melissa (“honeybee”).
  • Recent usage: Meli is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Revi

  • Revi is reminiscent of the words revelry (“merrymaking”) and reverie (“daydream”). It also corresponds to the Esperanto verb revi, which similarly means “to daydream.”
  • Recent usage: Revi has appeared in the data just twice so far.

Ceres (see-reez)

  • Ceres was the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain crops (e.g., wheat, barley). Her name is the root of the word cereal. Ceres is a homophone of series, and also sounds similar to Siri (which could be a pro or a con, depending).
  • Recent usage: Ceres has appeared in the data five times so far.

Hebe (hee-bee)

  • Hebe was the Greek goddess of youth (hebe meant “youth” in ancient Greek). More importantly, she was the cup-bearer for the gods of Mount Olympus. She served them both nectar and ambrosia — so, food as well as drink. Hebe rhymes with Phoebe.
  • Recent usage: Hebe is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Minta

  • Minta is a nickname for Araminta, an English name of obscure origin. Minta sounds similar to the word mint (which refers to edible plants in the genus Mentha).
  • Recent usage: Minta hasn’t appeared in the data since the 1990s.

Rilla

  • Speaking of mint…Rilla could be short for Perilla, a genus of edible plants also in the mint family (Lamiaceae).
  • Recent usage: Rilla is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Liati

  • Liati is a vaguely Italian-sounding acronym that stands for the phrase: “Love is all there is.” (I discovered Liati in a news article several years ago.)
  • Recent usage: Liati has never appeared in the data.

Ovi

  • Ovi is reminiscent of two food-related Latin words: ovum, meaning “egg,” and ovis, meaning “sheep.”
  • Recent usage: Ovi is given to a handful of babies, mostly girls, per year.

Ridi (ree-dee)

  • Ridi corresponds to the Esperanto verb ridi, meaning “to laugh.” (The idea of the baby “always smiling” made me want to include at least one option linked to smiling/laughing.) Ridi rhymes with reedy.
  • Recent usage: Ridi has never appeared in the data.

Pomi

  • Pomi is a form of the Latin word pomus, meaning “fruit” or “fruit tree.” Pomona was the Roman goddess of fruit trees.
  • Recent usage: Pomi has never appeared in the data.

Suvi (soo-vee)

  • Suvi is a Finnish word (and personal name) meaning “summer.” It sounds a lot like the French term sous vide (“under vacuum”), which refers to a cooking technique. That said, a start-up with a similar name (Suvie) does exist.
  • Recent usage: Suvi is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Kezi

  • Kezi is a short form of the Hebrew name Keziah, meaning “cassia tree.” The bark of the cassia tree (Cinnamomum cassia) is one of the sources of cinnamon.
  • Recent usage: Kezi has never appeared in the data.

Ravi

  • Ravi corresponds to both the Esperanto verb ravi, meaning “to delight,” and the French adjective ravi, meaning “thrilled, ravished.” It’s also a Hindi male name meaning “sun” (which reminded me of the baby being a “ray of sunshine”).
  • Recent usage: Ravi is given to a moderate number of baby boys per year, but has appeared in the data as a girl name just once so far.

Rava

  • Rava corresponds to the Esperanto word rava, meaning “delightful, ravishing.” It’s the adjectival form of ravi.
  • Recent usage: Rava has appeared in the data just twice so far.

Libi (lee-bee)

  • Libi is a modern Hebrew name based on the word libbi, meaning “my heart.” It also happens to be a form of the Latin word libum, which referred to a type of cake in ancient Rome.
  • Recent usage: Libi is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Pemma

  • Pemma corresponds to the ancient Greek word pemma, which referred to a type of cake in ancient Greece. It’s similar to both Emma and Pema (the Tibetan form of Padma, meaning “lotus”).
  • Recent usage: Pemma has never appeared in the data.

(Just wanted to note: Ancient cakes were made with ingredients like fruits, nuts, eggs, cheese, honey, flour, and olive oil. They were often prepared as offerings to the gods.)

Juni

  • Juni is a nickname for Juniper, a noun-name inspired by the coniferous plant, which produces “berries” (actually seed cones) that are used as a spice. It also means “June” in several European languages, and corresponds to the Esperanto verb juni (yoo-nee), meaning “to be young.”
  • Recent usage: Juni is given to a couple dozen babies, mostly girls, per year.

Rafi (rah-fee)

  • Rafi corresponds to the Sámi word ráfi, meaning “peace.” It’s also a nickname for the Spanish name Rafaela.
  • Recent usage: Rafi is given to a couple dozen baby boys per year, but has appeared in the data as a girl name just once so far.

Baya (bay-uh)

  • Baya is reminiscent of the word bay, as in the bay leaf (which comes from the bay laurel and is used in cooking). It also happens to correspond to the Spanish noun baya (pronounced bah-yah), meaning “berry.”
  • Recent usage: Baya is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Tilia (til-ee-uh)

  • Tilia corresponds to the Latin word tilia, meaning “linden tree.” Most linden trees (genus Tilia) have multiple edible parts (e.g., leaves, flowers). Tilia is also a short form of Ottilia.
  • Recent usage: Tilia is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Yumi (yoo-mee)

  • Yumi is a Japanese name that rhymes with Lumi and happens to contain the word yum. :) It has various potential definitions, including “archery bow.”
  • Recent usage: Yumi is given to a moderate number of baby girls per year.

Because so many of these are informal/invented, the spellings aren’t set in stone. Saffy could be Saffi, Juni could be Junie, Revi could be Revy, etc. Likewise, the names themselves are malleable: Pomi could be changed to Poma, Tilia could be shortened to Tili, Ovi could be lengthened Ovia (almost like a condensed Olivia?).

(Also, in case anyone was wondering: Esperanto is a man-made language that dates back to the 1880s.)

Now it’s your turn. Do you like any of the above suggestions? What other baby names would you suggest to this reader?

Baby names associated with yellow: Sunny, Flavio, Ketut

lemons, yellow

Looking for baby names that are associated with yellow — including baby names that mean “yellow”?

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 the color yellow represents…

Symbolism of yellow

What does the color yellow signify?

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

  • Optimism
  • Cheer
  • Happiness
  • Warmth
  • Caution
  • Energy
  • Intellect

The color is primarily identified with the sun, which is the most important source of energy for life on Earth.

Interestingly, the sun’s light is actually white. It only appears yellow (or, sometimes, orange) from our perspective because particles in the Earth’s atmosphere scatter short-wavelength (e.g., blue) light more efficiently than long-wavelength (e.g., red) light.

Top baby names associated with yellow

Determining the top names in a category isn’t difficult when you’re working with an easily definable category, like gender-neutral names. When it comes to names that have a connection to the color yellow, however, we need to account for the fact that certain names have a stronger connection than others.

With that in mind, here are the top baby names that have an obvious association with the color yellow:

  1. Sunny
  2. Soleil
  3. Sol
  4. Sunshine
  5. Lemon

Unsurprisingly, four out of the five were inspired by the sun.


Here are the same five names again, but this time around I’ve added some details (including definitions, rankings, and popularity graphs).

Sunny

The word sunny simply means “having plenty of bright sunlight.” In Middle English, it was spelled sonni. Sunny is also a homophone of the name Sonny, which is based on the English word son.

Sunny is currently the 650th most popular girl name in the U.S.

Graph of the usage of the baby name Sunny in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Sunny

Soleil

The word soleil (pronounced soh-lay, roughly) means “sun” in French.

Soleil is currently the 999th most popular girl name in the nation.

Graph of the usage of the baby name Soleil in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Soleil

Sol

The word sol means “sun” in Latin and in several of the languages that descend from Latin, including Spanish and Portuguese. Sol is also a short form of the name Solomon, which explains why it was a popular choice for baby boys in the early 20th century.

Sol is currently the 1,054th most popular girl name in the U.S.

Graph of the usage of the baby name Sol in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Sol

Sunshine

The word sunshine refers to the light (and warmth) of the sun. In Middle English, it was spelled sonne-shin.

Sunshine was given to 69 baby girls in 2021.

Graph of the usage of the baby name Sunshine in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Sunshine

Lemon

The word lemon — which can be traced back (via Old French limon and Arabic limun) to the Persian word limu — refers to the citrus fruit of the lemon tree (Citrus limon). By extension, it also refers to the yellow color of this fruit.

That said…most of the U.S. babies named Lemon during the 20th century (and earlier) were not named after the fruit. Instead, their names were inspired by the surname Lemon, which was derived from the Middle English word leman, meaning “sweetheart, lover” (from the Old English elements leof, “dear, beloved,” and mann, “person, man”).

Lemon was given to 50 baby girls in 2021.

Graph of the usage of the baby name Lemon in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Lemon

More names associated with yellow

Ready for the rest?

All the names below are associated with the color yellow. The names range from common to uncommon, 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.

aspen trees in autumn, yellow leaves
Aspen trees in autumn
  • Antu, the Mapuche word for “sun,” is the name of the Mapuche god of the sun.
  • Arevik is an Armenian feminine name based on the word arev, meaning “sun.”
  • Aspen trees (in particular the North America species Populus tremuloides) are famous for their golden-yellow autumn foliage. The word aspen is derived from the Old English word for the tree, æspe.
  • Beryl is a mineral that can be yellow. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the ancient Greek word beryllos.
  • Blaine comes from a Scottish surname that can be traced back to the Old Irish word blá, meaning “yellow.”
  • Bowie comes from a Scottish surname that can be traced back to the Gaelic word buidhe, meaning “yellow.”
  • Buff is a light brownish-yellow color — the hue of buff leather, which was often obtained from the European buffalo.
  • Buttercup flowers are yellow. “Buttercup” is the common name of several species of flowering plants in the genus Ranunculus.
    • Boglárka is the Hungarian word for “buttercup.”
  • Canna flowers are sometimes yellow. The genus name Canna is derived from the Latin word canna, meaning “reed.”
  • Chrysanthemum flowers are commonly yellow. The genus name Chrysanthemum is derived from a combination of the ancient Greek words khrysos, meaning “gold,” and anthemon, meaning “blossom, flower.”
  • Citrine, a variety of the mineral quartz, is often yellow. The adjective citrine can be traced back to the Latin word citrus.
  • Daffodil flowers are frequently yellow. “Daffodil” is the common name of plants in the genus Narcissus.
  • Dahlia flowers are sometimes yellow. The genus Dahlia was named in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.
  • Dandelion flowers are yellow. “Dandelion” is the common name of the plant species Taraxacum officinale. The common name is derived from the Latin phrase dens leonis, meaning “lion’s tooth” — a reference to the shape of the leaves.
    • Fífill is the Icelandic word for “dandelion.”
  • Diell is an Albanian masculine name based on the word diell, meaning “sun.”
    • Diellza is the feminine form of Diell.
daffodils, yellow
  • Flavius was an ancient Roman name derived from the Latin word flavus, meaning “yellow, golden.”
    • Flavian was an ancient Roman name based on Flavius.
    • Flavia was the feminine form of Flavius.
    • Flavio is the modern Spanish and Italian form of Flavius.
  • Forsythia (commonly pronounced for-SITH-ee-uh) flowers are yellow. The genus Forsythia was named in honor of Scottish botanist William Forsyth.
  • Fulvio (masculine) and Fulvia (feminine) are the modern Italian forms of the Roman family name Fulvius, which was based on the Latin word fulvus, meaning “deep yellow, reddish-yellow, gold-colored, tawny.”
  • Ginger root (Zingiber officinale) often has yellowish flesh. The word ginger is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word sringavera.
  • Gladiola refers to Gladiolus, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes yellow. The genus name, meaning “little sword” (a diminutive of the Latin word gladius, “sword”) refers to the shape of the leaves.
  • Günes (pronounced goo-NESH) is a Turkish feminine name meaning “sun.”
  • Haetbit is a Korean feminine name meaning “sunlight.”
  • Haru is a Japanese gender-neutral name that can mean “sun,” or “sunny,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name.
    • Haruki is a Japanese name that can include the element Haru.
    • Haruna is another Japanese name that can include the element Haru.
  • Helios, the ancient Greek word for “sun,” was the name of the Greek god of the sun.
    • Helius is the Latinized form of Helios.
    • Helio (masculine) and Helia (feminine) are the modern Spanish forms of Helios.
  • Helen is part of Helenium, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes yellow. The genus was named in honor of Helen of Troy.
  • Heulwen is the Welsh word for “sunshine.”
  • Honey can be yellow. The Old English word for “honey” was hunig.
    • Meli is the ancient Greek word for “honey.”
  • Inti, the Quechua word for “sun,” was the name of the Incan god of the sun.
  • Jonquil flowers (which, like daffodils, are part of the genus Narcissus) are frequently yellow. The species name, jonquilla, means “little rush” (ultimately derived from the Latin word iuncus, meaning “rush, reed”) and refers to the shape of the leaves.
  • Ketut is a Balinese gender-neutral name associated with the word kitut, which refers to a small banana.
  • Khurshid (also spelled Khorshid) is a Persian gender-neutral name derived from the word xorshid, which means “sun.”
  • Lillesol is a Swedish feminine name meaning “little sun.”
  • Marigold flowers are sometimes yellow. “Marigold” is the common name of plants in the genera Tagetes and Calendula.
  • Mehr is a Persian gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
  • Meyer lemons are a cross between citron and hybridized mandarin/pomelo. They were named after Dutch-American agricultural explorer Frank N. Meyer (born Frans N. Meijer), who discovered the cultivar while in China in 1907. The occupational surnames Meyer and Meijer are both derived from the Middle High German word meier, meaning “administrator, steward.”
  • Mzia is a Georgian feminine name meaning “sun.”
  • Naran is a Mongolian gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
  • Nou is a Hmong feminine name meaning “sun.”
  • Nurit (pronounced noo-REET) is a Hebrew feminine name meaning “buttercup.”
  • Nyima is a Tibetan gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
  • Orchid flowers are sometimes yellow. Orchids are all members of the Orchidaceae family of plants.
  • Oriole is a type of bird that often has yellow plumage. “Oriole” is the common name of birds in the genera Icterus and Oriolidae. The common name is derived from the Latin word aureolus, meaning “golden.”
  • Ra, the ancient Egyptian word for “sun,” was the name of the Egyptian god of the sun.
sun, yellow
  • Seqineq is a Greenlandic gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
  • Sequssuna is a Greenlandic masculine name meaning “egg yolk.”
  • Shams is an Arabic gender-neutral name meaning “sun.”
  • Shimshon is a Hebrew masculine name meaning “sun.”
    • Samson is the Biblical (Late Latin) form of Shimshon.
  • Solaris comes from the Latin word solaris, meaning “of the sun” or “pertaining to the sun.”
    • Solar is a modern word (used in English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and other languages) based on solaris.
    • Solara is an elaboration of Solar.
    • Solaria is another elaboration of Solar.
  • Sunflower petals are usually yellow. “Sunflower” is the common name of plants in the genus Helianthus, particularly the species Helianthus annuus. The common name is a reference to the sun-like flower heads.
  • Surya, a Sanskrit word for “sun,” is the name of the Hindu god of the sun.
    • Ravi, another Sanskrit word for “sun,” is one of Surya’s alternate names.
  • Susan is part of “black-eyed Susan” — the common name of the plant species Rudbeckia hirta, which has flowers that are typically yellow.
  • Taeyang is a Korean masculine name meaning “sun.”
  • Tonatiuh, the Nahuatl word for “sun,” is the name of the Aztec god of the sun.
  • Topaz is a mineral that comes in several different colors, most notably golden-yellow. Its name is based on the Middle English word topas, which referred to any yellow-colored gemstone (not just topaz). The earliest known form of the word, the ancient Greek topazion, referred to a specific yellow gemstone (possibly yellowish olivine).
  • Tulip flowers are sometimes yellow. The name of the flower can be traced back to the Ottoman Turkish word tülbent, meaning “turban.”
  • Xanthos was an ancient Greek name derived from the word xanthos, meaning “yellow.”
    • Xanthus is the Latinized form of Xanthos.
    • Xanthe (pronounced ZAN-thee) is a feminine form of Xanthus.
    • Xanthia is an elaboration of Xanthe.
  • Zinnia flowers are sometimes yellow. The genus Zinnia was named in honor of German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn.

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

Sources:

Images by Richard John from Pixabay, Intricate Explorer from Unsplash, RitaE from Pixabay, and xuuxuu from Pixabay

Where did the baby name Turiya come from in 1974?

The collaborative album "Illuminations" (1974) by Turiya Alice Coltrane and Devadip Carlos Santana.
Turiya Alice Coltrane album

The rare name Turiya has appeared in the SSA’s baby name data just twice so far, in 1974 and 1975:

  • 1976: unlisted
  • 1975: 7 baby girls named Turiya
  • 1974: 6 baby girls named Turiya [debut]
  • 1973: unlisted
  • 1972: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Signs point to Alice Coltrane, who wasn’t just the widow of famous jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, but also an accomplished jazz musician in her own right. She played piano and organ professionally starting in the early 1960s, and later learned to play the harp as well.

Following the death of her husband in 1967, Alice did two things: she “devoted herself to Vedic practice,” and she began recording albums as a bandleader (instead of as a sideman).

In the ten years that followed, she released about a dozen albums on Impulse! and Warner Bros., many of them masterpieces that imagine a meeting point between jazz and psychedelic rock, gospel traditions and Indian devotional music.

So how does “Turiya” fit into all this?

At some point in the early ’70s, Alice adopted the name Turiyasangitananda, which she translated as “the Transcendental Lord’s highest song of bliss.” The Sanskrit components of the name are: turiya, meaning “the fourth (state of the soul),” sangita, meaning “music,” and ananda, meaning “bliss.”

The shortened version, Turiya, soon started appearing in song titles: “Turiya & Ramakrishna” (1970) and “Galaxy In Turiya” (1972).

But its most prominent appearance came in 1974 with the album Illuminations, which was co-created by “Turiya Alice Coltrane” and “Devadip Carlos Santana.” (In Sanskrit, deva means “god,” dip means “lamp” or “light.” Like Narada Michael Walden, Carlos Santana was a follower of Sri Chinmoy.)

Though Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda eventually left her professional music career to head a spiritual community — not to mention raise four children (Michelle, John Jr., Ravi and Oranyan) as a single mother — she never stopped making music.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Turiya?

Sources: Alice Coltrane – Wikipedia, Alice Coltrane’s Devotional Music, Alice Coltrane – Discogs