Many are or have recently finished harvesting their honey for the year. Who doesn't love honey? Or the magic and interconnectedness that bees readily display for us? Bees and honey have a rich history in human myth, symbolizing the highest of virtues, the mystical and the divine, making this harvest time abuzz with naming inspiration.
If you haven't already seen this Kinfolk "Honey Harvest" video, or the documentary on Colony Collapse Disorder, Vanishing of the Bees, now is a great time of year to experience (or reexperience) them.
Here is my list of bee and honey inspired names for those of you moved by the history, process or symbolism of one of nature's most symbiotic and rewarding relationships.
Bee related:
Bee (and all the ways to get to her: Beatrix, Willabee, Phoebe, Elisabeth, Roberta, Tabitha, really any name with a B and E sound)
Buzz (so many great B names to get here: Barnaby, Bellamy, Balthazar)
Queenie (from Jaqueline maybe? I bet there are lots more names that could lead to Queenie, as well.)
Deborah
Delphi (the priestess at Delphi was often referred to as the "Delphic Bee")
Demeter ('queen bee' of the Milissae goddesses - latin word for 'bee')
Rhea (part of the Milissae goddesses - latin word for 'bee')
Cyble (part of the Milissae goddesses - latin word for 'bee')
Abelard ('Bee' or 'Abe') (meaning)
Ambrose (patron saint of beekeepers)
Beckett (beehive)
Beebe (bee keeper)
Honey related:
Honey (or names that yield the nickname, such as Heloise, Henriette, and Harriet)
Honeydew
Melisande
Melina
Jarah (boy) (meaning)
Madhu (Hindu "honey")
Hachi (Japanese "honey")
Miel (French "honey")
Harvest related:
Anonna
Demeter (she's also a goddess of the harvest)
Harvest
Flower related (some of you may know exactly what type of honey you have, but here are some of the most common sources of nectar for our winged friends):
Acacia
Aster
Bloom
Blossom
Blueberry
Clover
Dandelion
Lavender
Linden
Margosa (or Neem)
Meadowbloom
Nectar
Pine
Sage
Tupelo
Wildflower (I love this for a middle name)
Wild
What else am I missing? I know some of you bee/harvest/moon/myth/sacred geometry loving readers have more insight!
My nickname, Lissa, (derived from Elisabeth) means honey bee!
ReplyDeletelove it.
DeleteThere's Melissa, which is always the first bee name I think of. And Honora, which is probably my favorite way to get to the nick name Honey.
ReplyDeleteHoney from Honora is brilliant!
DeleteThis whole post just feels wonderfully rich. I miss these types of posts from you.
ReplyDeletethank you. I've missed doing these, too. Hopefully time will permit more!
DeleteFabulous post. All hail to the bees!
ReplyDeleteMormons have the word deseret (deh zur EHT)which means 'beehive', they believe an ancient people used the word this way. My friend's mother named her daughter this, Deseret (but then pronounced it like Desiree, go figure). But I think it makes a pretty name with the first pronunciation.
ReplyDeleterelated to Melissa would be Melinda and Melina and Millicent.
Amber also seems appropriate for honoring honey. and Polly (for pollen).
Amrit is sanskrit (boy or girl I suppose) and means nectar or ambrosia, I've also met a girl named Amrita (ahm ree ta). Madira is also sanskrit and means nectar and I wonder if Madeira is related? This would lend itself to the nickname Maddie or Ira, if you like that.
the beehive is the state symbol here in Utah and is supposed to symbolize industry, so any name that means hardworking would fit, such as Amelia.
For harvests and moons I love Phoebe, Selene or Selena, Cynthia, and Diana. I think Maia fits as she is the goddess associated with the cornucopia, which here in the us is associated with harvest and the fall.
with the cornucopia, I think you could also do Cornelia or Cornelius.
ReplyDeletewow! All of these suggestions are amazing. And I think that with all of the Mel- names translating so directly to "bee" that 'Bee' makes sense as a nickname for them, too!
Deleteit does, but Aunt Bea from the Andy Griffith Show makes me like that spelling, though spelling it Bee is a different sort of sweet.
DeleteIn French, Avette is either a type of bee or a synonym for abeille (bee).
ReplyDeleteBoth are beautiful words! I could really see Avette appealing to lots of people here for so many reasons.
DeleteOh I love this post so much -- you've uncovered so many of my favorites! I'm studying herbs as part of my holistic nutrition course here in the Netherlands, and I've fallen in love with a few of the lovely Dutch names I'm encountering:
ReplyDeleteMadelief (daisy)
Marjolein (oregano)
Salie (sage)
Bloem (flower, pronounced bloom)
Rozemarijn (rosemary)
Dille (dill)
Kamille (chamomile)
so much goodness here! thank you.
DeleteWhen I read Wildflower my heart kind of... stopped.
ReplyDelete<3
I love this post and just remembered my that one of my favourite names, Esti/Ezti means honey in Basque. It sounds zippy and bee-like to me.
ReplyDeleteEste is a fave of mine, so Esti, with it's meaning kind of blows be away.
DeleteThe Arabic name Malala means "sweet as honey" - I saw that at The Name Station.
ReplyDeleteMeadowbloom is stunning!
Oh man, if I were to have another this would be an awful strong middle name contender! LOVE Malala.
DeleteMeadowbloom is def. stunning.
ReplyDeleteChamomile totally rates high for me as it reminds me of where I use my honey the most :)
Madelief rocks, look at the spelling...=Made life almost, which works with the bee/honey/harvest thing
Miel, Tupelo, Dandelion and Linden are lovely.
Willabee! Goin' on the official list...
RW
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