Magnolia

Magnolia

Latin · “From the genus name Magnolia, the flowering tree named by the botanist Charles Plumier in honour of the French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638–1715). The word Magnolia is thus a Latinised form of the French surname Magnol, from the Occitan magno, related to the Latin magnus, "great." As a feminine given name, Magnolia is a floral name in the tradition of Violet, Lily, and Rose, used primarily in the American South, where the magnolia is the state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana.”

Caligola

“The Italian form of Caligula, a Latin nickname meaning "little boot" (diminutive of caliga, the heavy military sandal worn by Roman soldiers). The nickname was given to the future emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus as a child, when he was dressed in miniature military costume in the legionary camp. His given name was Gaius; Caligula was never a formal name.”

Libbie

“A diminutive of Elizabeth or Libby, from the Hebrew Elisheba meaning "my God is an oath" or "my God is abundance". The nickname Libbie was popular in the Victorian era, associated with the familiar American diminutive tradition. It was the nickname of Elizabeth Bacon Custer, wife of General George Custer, through whose memoirs the name acquired historical associations.”

Viola

“Viola is a feminine given name derived from the Latin "viola", the word for the violet flower. It entered widespread use in medieval Italy and gained international fame through Shakespeare's heroine in "Twelfth Night", a witty noblewoman who disguises herself as a young man named Cesario.”

Gaylord

“From the Old French gaillard meaning "lively, merry, bold" — a complimentary medieval adjective for a vigorously cheerful person. The word entered Middle English as a surname and eventually became a given name in America, primarily in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The medieval French root connects it to a tradition of courtly names praising physical and temperamental vitality.”

Danuta

“A Polish feminine name, possibly a diminutive of Dana or Daniela, from the Hebrew Daniel meaning "God is my judge", composed of din (judgment) and El (God). Alternatively it may derive from a Slavic root. The name is distinctively Polish and became internationally known through Danuta Wałęsa, wife of Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa.”

Genziana

“From the Italian genziana, the name for the gentian flower, which in turn derives from the Latin Gentiana, named after Gentius, the second-century BC king of Illyria (modern Albania) who was said to have discovered the plant's medicinal properties. The gentian is prized in Alpine herbal medicine for its intensely bitter root, used as a digestive tonic.”