It’s strange how, as writers, we sometimes unconsciously fall into patterns and don’t even notice it. It only just hit me that I have a habit of naming my female characters after gemstones. There’s Ruby in Crazy For You—and she wasn’t even the first girl I named Ruby! I’ve also had a Coral and a Jewel (you’ll find them both in Irresistible You), as well as a Pearl, a Crystal and a Cordelia.
It got me to thinking about other gemstone-related names, where they came from and what they mean. Here’s what I learned:
People have always believed that the name they give a baby caries with it a magical, spiritual significance, and, of course, wishing the best for their children, they try to choose names that will speak good things into their babies’ lives.
Parents name their children after gems because they believe it will bring them good fortune and prosperity. You’re probably familiar with popular names like Amber and Jade, but have you heard of these rarer gemstone names?
- Ametrine: A purplish type of quartz.
- Eirian: Not really a ‘stone’, but it’s Welsh and means ‘silver’, ‘splendid’ or ‘bright’.
- Esme: Made popular by Twilight, it means ‘emerald’.
- Farida: Love this one. It means ‘precious pearl’ in Arabic.
- Giada: ‘Jade’ in Italian.
- Maisie: This one’s Scottish, and it means ‘pearl’.
- Manika: ‘Jewel’ in Sanskrit.
- Rumi: Japanese for ‘lapis lazuli’.
Okay, okay! I need to stop! It’s like falling down a rabbit hole; the more I research, the more I find names to love. I won’t add to the list; I’ll leave you to read up on them on your own. But one thing’s for sure: I’m going to be naming my characters after gems for a long time!
This article is an excerpt from my fortnightly newsletter, Simona’s Bookworms. Want to read more? Sign up and get a copy of Crazy For You free!