Name of the day: Daisy
An eclectic mix of profound literacy and timeless simplicity. This sunny botanical bloom well known for the spring has become one of the fastest rising baby names we’ve ever seen.
Floral and nature names are always on trend and Daisy is no exception. Daisies showcase a timeless simplicity of innocence, purity and even true love. Due to this representation they are often used in bridal bouquets.
The flower later became a popular first name reaching the top 100 in the 1900’s and the low 600’s in the 70’s. Yet today, it is a beloved blossom you can’t escape from.
From botanical bloom to personal name, here is all about our name of the day: Daisy
By The Numbers
As of 2020 the name Daisy is in the top 200 in all major countries. Daisy ranks #24 in England, #38 in Scotland, #47 in Australia, #49 in New Zealand, #77 in Ireland, and #143 in the United State respectfully. Here in the U.S. there were 1,877 baby girls named Daisy born in 2020. A number that is only expected to rise. While America does not have the most popular representation of the name, it is still an impressive feat. It is only second to Delilah among the most popular girl names starting with the letter ‘D’. In the U.S. Daisy was actually found to be the most popular in the year 1900 coming in at #81 with 931 births in total.
The Flower in History
The history of the flower dates back all the way to 2200 B.C when Ancient Egyptians grew the first known daisies in their temple gardens and used them for herbal medicine. Daisies have been continuously used as a holistic remedy by taking their crushed leaves to smooth and heal bruised skin; giving this flower the name Bruisewort in England. The flower is also considered to be beneficial as an added ingredient in herbal teas and honey.
In 1792, German botanist Paul Dietrich Giseke first classified daisies as a part of the compositae family, meaning to have little clusters of flowers forming into a larger flower or having two flowers in one. Other flowers in this family include Aster’s, Black-eyed Susan’s, and Sunflowers.
In 1943, at Hook Lighthouse in Wexford, Ireland began an annual tradition of hunting for daisies to ring in the New Year. It is said that any child who finds a daisy would receive pennies or chocolate pennies from the families in the area. The tradition had stopped for six decades, but is currently being revived.
On September 7, 1964 a sixty second political advertisement was aired on television as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidential campaign. The program featured President Johnson in an open pasture picking daisies with a three year old girl. This advertisement is credited as giving Johnson a landslide victory in the election.
Flower Child
It is obvious the name Daisy immediately evokes floral imagery as does Rose and Poppy making her an everlasting flower child. This botanical bloom has been known by a variety of names other than common Daisy.
Medieval Latin - Solis Oculus - Sun’s Eye - as they have a yellow center synonymous with the sun
Old English - daegesege - Day’s Eye - as they open their petals at dawn
Scientific name - bellis perennis - translates to everlasting beauty
In the language of flowers daisies symbolize deep love, hope, and childlike innocence.
The flower didn’t translate to an official personal name until the 19th century.
Calendar Reflection
Daisies seem to be featured in all four seasons when looking at a calendar adding to the appeal of this being a name suited for more than the springtime. Not only is January 1st a special floral hunting day but January 28th is National Daisy Day. This national day is celebrated by making floral headbands and by using food coloring to dye white daisies.
Daisies are known to be the birth flower of April symbolizing the cheerful emotions met with the beginnings of spring. However daisies aren’t just for spring, they’re peak bloom is in the summer and continue to bloom until early autumn. In fact, in certain regions of the world they’re known as “the thunder flower” as peak season is in the summertime when thundershowers occur often. They are also thought to keep lightning away.
A Classic Connection
Daisy is a full name in it’s own right, however this April birth flower shares a connection to four other names.
Daisies became harmonious to the French game Effeuiller la Marguerite becoming the original “he loves me, he loves me not” flower. Which also connects this flower to the classic name Margaret as Marguerite is the French variation of the name.
Daisies were also known to be the “pearls of the field” so they became known as marguerites for this reason too, which is how Margaret received the meaning “pearl”. Just like Maggie, Peggy, Margo, Meghan and Maisie have all be used as nicknames for this timeless classic, Daisy hasn’t been left out of the nickname options. Take Margrethe II for example, the Queen of Denmark is affectionately known as Daisy.
Similar to Marguerite, the Dutch version of Daisy is Madelief which has been used as a formal name as well. A upbeat approach to Maddie compared to Madelyn or Madeleine.
Believe it or not, Daisy isn’t just used as a nickname for Margaret but for Candace as well.
Daisies are also ties to the name Freya as they are the Norse goddesses sacred flower symbolic of childbirth, motherhood, true love and new beginnings.
Profound Literacy
The name Daisy has been used in a wide variety of novels, poems and even lyrical literacy dating back to the 14th century.
14th century poet Chaucer best known for The Canterbury Tales also wrote a poem called The Daisy describing the flower as the “eye of the day”
Charlottes Yonge’s 1856 The Daisy Chain, and Louisa May Alcott’s character Meg in Little Women gave birth to a daughter “Daisy” too but these two Daisies were formally named Margaret
July of 1878 novelist Henry James published Daisy Miller
In 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby featured character Daisy Buchman
In 1892 British songwriter Henry Dacre penned the song Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)
In 1980 Judith Krantz’s romance novel Princess Daisy was published becoming a New York Times Best Seller
In the 80’s and 90’s Sesame Street introduced Elmo’s older sister Daisy in a few of their storybooks but she has never been featured on the show
Young adult author John Green wrote the novel Turtles All The Way Down in 2017 featuring supporting character Daisy Ramirez
In 2019 author Margaret Atwood released a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) titled The Testaments which featured one of the Narrators named Daisy
Mid Century to Modern Day
On March 12, 1912 Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low held the first Girl Scouts of America meeting in Savannah, Georgia, a youth organization she founded. She remained very active in the organization up until her death on January 17, 1927.
Come the 1940’s there was the introduction of Daisy Duck created by the Walt Disney Company. Al Capp both wrote and drew the 43 years ran comic strip Li’L Abner featuring character Daisy Mae Yokum.
As we rolled into the 70’s and 80’s we were introduced to the seven season comedic sitcom The Dukes of Hazard featuring character Daisy Duke which in turn popularized the denim attire. The show is even credited for giving Daisy a boost up on the name charts.
Driving Miss Daisy was another comedic release following the point of view of character Daisy Werthan. In 1989, the same year as release of Driving Miss Daisy, the world was introduced to another Daisy; Princess Daisy in the Mario video game series.
In 2010 debuted Daisy Mason as one of the main characters in the TV series Downton Abbey. Actress Daisy Ridley joined the Star Wars series as Rey in 2015. Lastly, singer-songwriter and rapper Ashnikko released her second single ‘Daisy” in 2020 becoming a record hit.
2020 - Of Love and Loss
The year 2020 was a monumental year that showcased the name Daisy through both love and loss. On August 26th Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom welcomed their first child, a daughter named Daisy Dove Bloom. Perry also released a song titled ‘Daisies” three months prior to her birth, hinting at the name.
Also in August the world was shocked and devastated by the news of Daisy Coleman’s passing. Coleman was an activist, tattoo artist and co-founder of SafeBAE, a non-profit organization aiming to end sexual assaults in schools.
Daisy is more than just a botanical bloom, it is a name deeply rooted in literacy history and pop culture classics. Sharing a similar vibe to Sadie, Hazel and Daphne she has the capabilities to age well with time while still illuminating a soulful childlike wonder. It’s no wonder Daisy has become a favorite choice among many.