I had to go with at least one traditional winter-inspired name for our Baby Name Advent, one of my personal all-time favourites – Ivy! Short, simple, and very sweet, this classic name has been given to many a baby girl born around the winter holidays. The bright green leaves of the ivy plant were used to bring brightness and life into homes at Christmastime and remain a stallwart of decorations today.
The ivy plant has been steeped in cultural meaning for thousands of years, dating back even to ancient Greece when young couples were presented with ivy bouquets representing everlasting life, devotion, fidelity and loyalty. The use of ivy as a Christmas decoration in European homes dates back even to the middle ages and was much-loved in Victorian times too.
A simple name but one with an abundance of history and meaning!
For more winter-inspired baby names, please visit the Baby Name Advent page!
meaning
Ivy; botanical name
pronunciation
AI-vee
origin
Old English
popularity
The popularity of the name Ivy has grown again in recent years after many of the floral-inspired names fell out of favour for some time. In England in 2020, Ivy took spot #6; in Australia #14, Canada #51 and the US #58.
nicknames
Ive, Ives, Vee
NOTABLE PEOPLE & CHARACTERS
Ivy Williams (1877–1966) – first woman to be called to the English bar in 1922
Ivy Wallace (1915–2006) – British artist, actress and author, best known for writing the Pookie series of illustrated children’s stories
Ivy Frances Klein (1895–1972) -British composer
Ivy Campany (1901–2008) – at age 107, the second from last World War I female army veteran of any country
Ivy Compton-Burnett (1884–1969) – English writer
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