Name of the day: Diana
In loving memory of the late Princess Diana. Today’s we celebrate her name.
Darling Diana
As a given name, Diana has by regularly used since the Renaissance. Becoming more recognizable thanks to author Walter Scott’s and his novel Rob Roy (1817).
Overtime Diana and her variety of pronunciations become usable worldwide.
Here in the U.S. we pronounce it Die-An-a
The Spanish, Italian, German and Polish pronunciation is DYA-na
The Dutch pronounce it Dee-AH-na
And let’s not forget the French form, Diane. She became quite popular in the 19th century. Beating out Diana in ranking in the 40s 50s and 60s. But massively declined from then on.
While Diane departed from the top 1000 indefinitely in 2004, Diana held on tight.
Still to this day, Diana remained one of the classics that has never faltered from the top 1,000 (with the exception of 1888) In fact, she has never departed from the top 400s since 1925 and yet is still classified as an underused gem.
By 1946, Diana was ranked the highest she’s ever been at 42 with 7,544 births in the U.S alone.
Unfortunately by the 60 while star Diana Ross was on top, the name itself began to decline. The name received a mini boost in the 80s but has been on a steady decline since. That is until 2015. While not a drastic uprising, the name did see an increase after the birth announcement of the Duke and Duchess oldest child, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.
Today the name sits comfortably at 225 with 1,321 births in 2021.
Moon Goddess
The Roman equivalent to Artemis, Diana was the goddess of the moon, hunting, forests, childbirth and the protector of wild animals. With the uprise of Freya, Mars and Luna, Diana is an elegant choice.
A Pagan Penname
A given name in Ancient Rome but was exclusively connected to the neopagan religion. This is in part of the connection to Dianic Tradition, which was in fact named after the Goddess herself as it is centered on the worship of female deities.
However, the name Diana is also mentioned in the Bible via Act 19:27.
The peoples princess
The name became recognizable British royalty when Princess Diana Frances Spencer married Sir Charles, The Prince of Wales in July of 1981.
The royal mother of two (Prince William and Prince Harry) was adorned by many. Her activism made her an international icon.
Princess Di, as she was notably known as, tragically passed away on this day 25 years ago in a paparazzi fled car accident.
Name relation
It is believed that the both zâna, the Romanian word for “fairy” and xana, the Asturian word for "water nymph”, may be related to the name of Diana.
Also the names Aidan and Nadia are both anagrams of the name Diana.
Diana even has a floral connection to the Caryophyllaceae family. The Dianthus genus is a 340 species floral family that includes Carnations and Sweet Williams. Perhaps that was the inspiration behind Prince Williams name? It certainly adds to a sweet mother-son name relation (no pun intended).
Last but not least, the name Sloane is also has a connection to the name Diana via the royal herself. Prior to her fame, Lady Di lived in an area for well-born londoners called Sloane Square. This later led to the American slang term Sloanie, meaning “preppy”. We have to agree, Sloane does feel preppy.
Modern maiden
Diana has been seen repeatedly throughout pop culture characters, musical and literature led connections as well as notable actresses from the 1600s to present day.
Shakespeare character in All’s Well That Ends Well (1623)
Diana Rivers - character in Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte (1847)
Diana Spencer - daughter of Former UK primer minister - Winston Churchill (not to be confused with Princess Diana, however they are related)
Actress Diana Doors
Diana Rigg played Emma Peel on The Avengers
Diana the acrobat - main character in Dungeons and Dragons
Dirty Diana - song by Michael Jackson
Diana, the daughter of Artemis and Luna in Sailor Moon
Criminal Minds character Diana Reid
Diana - song by the band One Direction
Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman
Anne With An E character Diana Barry based on the Anne of Green Gables novels written by L. M. Montgomery
Diana, Scorn of the Moon - League of Legends song
All in all, Diana is a undeniable classic with a in-depth history of nobility and mythology behind her. Diana is recognizable by many but used by few. And underrated option and a vintage gift all in one. She is most definitely a classic contender you must consider.