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Felicity (given name)

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Felicity
Saint Felicity of Rome, a 2nd-century saint, inspired use of the name Felicity.
GenderFeminine
Origin
Word/nameLatin and English
Meaning"happiness, good luck"
Other names
Nickname(s)Fee, Flick, Flicka, Fliss, Flissa, Flossie, Flossy, Liccy, Liss, Lissa, Lissie, Lissy
Related namesFelice, Felicia, Feliciana, Félicie, Félicienne, Felix, Felicitas

Felicity is a feminine given name of English origin meaning "happiness". It is derived from the Latin word felicitas meaning "luck, good fortune".[1] It is also used as a form of the Latin name Felicitas, taken from the name of the Ancient Roman goddess Fortuna.[2] It was also the name of Saint Felicity of Rome, a 2nd-century saint venerated by the Roman Catholic Church. The Latin Felicia, a related name, is a feminine form of the name Felix, which is derived from an Ancient Roman cognomen meaning "lucky," or "successful." Traditional English diminutives include Fee, Flick, Flicka, Fliss, Flissy, Flossie, Flossy, Liccy, Liss, Lissa, Lissie, and Lissy, among others.[3] [4]

Usage

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Prior to the Victorian era, Felicia and its vernacular form Felice were the most commonly used forms of the name in English-speaking countries.[5] Some forms of the name such as Philicia became associated with the etymologically unrelated name Phyllis. The name Felicity was used by English Puritans from the late 16th century but was less commonly used by them than other virtue names.[6] The name Felicity has been in regular use in the United Kingdom since the late 19th century and, as of the 2020s, remained among the top 200 names in use for British girls.

The name was also among the top 100 names for girls born in Australia at different times from the mid 1970s to early 1980s. Felicity has also been in regular use in New Zealand.

Felicity also has been in occasional use in North America since the Colonial era, though Felice and Felicia and variations of the name in other languages were much more common.[7] Felicity first ranked among the top 1,000 names for newborn girls in the United States in 1998, the year the American television show Felicity debuted. Felicity was the 390th most popular name for American girls in 1999, rising from 818th place the previous year. The name has also been among the 1,000 most popular names in use for girls in Canada since the late 1990s.[8] Usage of the name has also been influenced by other media. Felicity Merriman is a red-headed American Colonial doll produced by the American Girl company. The doll, which has a tie-in book series, movies, and a number of accessories, was introduced in the United States in 1991.[9] [10] [11] [12] American actress Felicity Huffman has also increased awareness of the name. The character Felicity Smoak was introduced on the American television series Arrow in 2012.

In other languages

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Women

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Fictional characters

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References

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  1. ^ MFnames.com - Origin and Meaning of Felicity
  2. ^ Behind the Name - Origin and History of the Name Felicity
  3. ^ "Spotlight on: Felicity". 24 February 2017.
  4. ^ "SAG Awards 2015: Williams H. Macy Explains Felicity Huffman as Flicka".
  5. ^ "Felicia".
  6. ^ "Name of the Week".
  7. ^ Charbonneau, Karen (March 17, 2023). American Baby Girl Names: 1587-1920s. Post Falls, Idaho: A Ship's Cat Book. p. 368. ASIN B0BYTTGH3L.
  8. ^ "Table 17-10-0147-01 First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators (Number)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2013-04-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ Fowers, Alyssa; Van Dam, Andrew (13 December 2024). "Puritan baby names are back. Is '90s culture responsible?". Washington Post. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  11. ^ Popularity for Felicity
  12. ^ "Felicia".
  13. ^ Charbonneau, Karen (March 17, 2023). American Baby Girl Names: 1587-1920s. Post Falls, Idaho: A Ship's Cat Book. p. 368. ASIN B0BYTTGH3L.
  14. ^ "Meaning, origin and history of the name Felicia".
  15. ^ "Felicia".
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