Hello everyone, and welcome to my first official name post! Today I am going to discuss the name Araminta, a rarely used feminine name of unknown meaning but certain origin. Let’s get started!
There are few things we know for certain about Araminta. We are certain that this name is of English origin, and that the name first appeared in 1693 in William Congreve’s play The Old Bachelor. In the play, Araminta is the assumed identity of a lady named Silvia; a foolish Knight, Sir Joseph Wittol, apparently marries Silvia under the impression that she is the wealthy lady Araminta. Beyond this appearance in the play, things get hazy. Where Congreve first encountered this name is a mystery. Was it already in existence when Congreve used it? Did he know a lady with this name and base the character Araminta on her? Because we know that this play is where the name first appeared, my theory is that Congreve came up with it on his own. After all, the name element “Ara” already existed in other names-perhaps Congreve was inspired by these.
In the world of literature, Araminta has been used two other times of note (that I am aware of, anyway). Sir John Vanbrugh utilized the name for his book, published in 1705, The Confederacy. Because the publishing dates for both The Confederacy and The Old Bachelor are so close together, it is quite possible that Vanbrugh simply borrowed the name from Congreve. Or, perhaps, it was already in the public conscience by the early 1700s. Araminta has also been used in Harry Potter, albeit only as a brief side character. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Araminta Meliflua Black appears on the Black family tree. According to Rowling, she tried to “…force through a Ministry bill to make Muggle-hunting legal…”(Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, pg. 113 ).
In everyday life, the most famous Araminta is not known to the world as such: Araminta Ross was the birth name of famous abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Born in either 1820 or 1821 to Benjamin Ross and Harriet Greene, historical sources indicate that she was known to everyone as Minty most of the time. By the time she was an adult, however, she was going by the name Harriet, most likely after her mother. After escaping from the plantation on which she had grown up in 1849, Harriet began her slave-freeing missions, ultimately undertaking twenty of them. In addition to abolitionism, during the Civil War she worked for the Union army as a nurse, scout, and spy, often spying behind Confederate lines. The rest, as they say, is history.
Araminta, despite her very feminine, romantic sound, four syllables, and “starts-with-A-ends-with-A” qualities, has never been highly popular. It only made the Social Security database charts twice, once in 1880, at position #836, and once again in 1884, at position #851. It has not charted since. It is probably the “mint” part that is throwing people off. I feel that this shouldn’t dissuade people, but hey, Araminta is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. I love Araminta because she reminds me of a great Victorian lady-romantic, yes, but also with a great deal of strength. The “mint” part of Araminta, for me, significantly cuts down on the frilliness that other “Ara” names tend to have (e.g. Arabella). If you feel that Araminta is too much for everyday use, nickname options include: Ara, Minty, Minta, Mint, and even Minnie! It’s time to dust off this rare gem and wear her again.
Resources:
Behind the Name
http://behindthename.com/name/araminta
Behind the Name: Popularity chart for Araminta http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/araminta/us?viewing=graph
Harriet Tubman biography http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/tubm-har.htm/
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2003.
The Old Bachelor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Bachelor
Pictures courtesy of:
www.harriettubman.com
Blessed Wild Apple Girl http://blessedwildapplegirl.tumblr.com
