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Diana (name)

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Diana
Diana was the Roman goddess of the hunt.
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/namemythological
Meaningheavenly, divinity, deity, shine, bright light, like diamond
Other names
Related namesDeanna, Diane, Dianna, Kiana, Dana

Diana is a feminine given name of Latin and Greek origins, referring to the Roman goddess Diana. It came into use in the Anglosphere in the 1600s by classically educated parents as an English language version of the French version of the name, Diane.[1] [2][3]

Variants[edit]

Female[edit]

Male[edit]

There are no traditional male variants of the name Diana [citation needed], although there are some names that share the same sound, such as:

  • Dion
  • Dean
  • Dorian
  • Dylan
  • Damon
  • Dana

Unisex[edit]

In other languages[edit]

Origin and diffusion[edit]

Diana recalls the Greek and Roman goddess Diana. Diana translates to the Latin form Artemis.[5][6] The name can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *dyeu or *dyeus and *div- meaning "to shine" (diya-) or "sky", dius, deus and diwio, "deity, god, godlike" and [5] dium meaning Universe.[6] The meanings are therefore "heavenly", "holy", "divine", "demonic", "celestial", "cosmic", "nebulous", "chaotic", "abyssal", "void", "luminous", "shining",[5] and in a broader sense "which brings the day", "which has light", "which has divine power", "which belongs to the void/abyss/chaos" and "which comes from the Universe/outer space". The word “Diamond”, or “Diamante” in French, is also brought from the Proto-Indo-European word “diya-“, which means bright light.

Diana was already in use as a given name in ancient Rome, but exclusively outside Christian circles, in which it was seen as a pagan name.[5] In Italy, the variant "Daiana", an adaptation based on the English pronunciation, is also common.[4] The French variant "Diane" gained popularity during the 19th century.[3]

People[edit]

Fictional characters[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 76. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  2. ^ a b c d e Crusca 1830, p. 627.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Llewellyn 2011, p. 172.
  4. ^ a b Galgani 2005, p. 215.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Galgani 2005, p. 223.
  6. ^ a b c Albaigès 1993, p. 88.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Accademia della Crusca (1830). Dizionario della lingua italiana – Volume VII. Padua: Tipografia della Minerva.
  • Albaigès i Olivart, Josep M. (1993). Diccionario de nombres de personas. Edicions Universitat Barcelona. ISBN 84-475-0264-3.
  • Galgani, Fabio (2005). Onomastica Maremmana. Centro Studi Storici "A. Gabrielli".
  • Sheard, K. M. (2011). Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names. Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 978-0-7387-2368-6.
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