Malvina

Malvina
Gender Female
Origin
Language(s) Gaelic
Derivation mala mhinn
Meaning "smooth brow"

Malvina is a feminine given name derived from the Gaelic mala mhinn, meaning "smooth brow". It was created by the 18th century Scottish poet James Macpherson. The name became popular in Scandinavia on account of Napoleon, an admirer of Macpherson's Ossianic poetry, who was the godfather of several children of Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, an officer of his who ruled Norway and Sweden in the early 19th century.[1] Other names popularised by Macpherson became popular in Scandinavia on account of Napoleon.

The Argentinian name for the Falkland Islands, Las Malvinas, is not etymologically related to Malvina, but is instead derived from the name of St Malo, a seaport in Brittany.[1]

People

Fictional characters

References

  1. 1 2 Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A dictionary of first names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 180, 406, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
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