Ivy

A stone wall in late October, the leaves turning glossy and stubborn as winter sets in — ivy is the plant that refuses to quit, the climbing evergreen that wraps churches and ruins and the trunks of old oaks across the British Isles, and in medieval symbolism it stood for fidelity, enduring love, and unbroken attachment. The plant's botanical name is Hedera helix, but English speakers have always called it ivy, from the Old English ifig.

The name as a first name stayed almost dormant in English use until the Victorian nature-name revival of the late nineteenth century, when parents began choosing flower and plant names for their daughters (Lily, Daisy, Rose, Iris, and Ivy entered fashion together), then disappeared again for most of the twentieth century before returning with a Gothic, cottagecore glamour in the 2010s. Ivy entered the SSA top 200 in 2010 and the top 100 by 2017, currently at rank thirty-six. The modern revival has many tributaries: Beyoncé and Jay-Z's daughter Blue Ivy Carter, born in 2012; the Batman villain Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley); the Ivy League's faintly aspirational shine; and the broader vintage-witchy aesthetic that lifted Hazel and Wren.

Famous Ivys also include Ivy Compton-Burnett (the British novelist) and Ivy Latimer (the Australian actress). Two syllables, spare and a little witchy — EYE-vee — with a long opening vowel that feels almost sung. Pairs beautifully with floral or vintage middles (Ivy Rose, Ivy Wren, Ivy Mae, Ivy June) and lends itself to short, sturdy siblings (Ivy and Wren, Ivy and Sage, Ivy and Wolf). Nicknames are scarce; the name is already a contraction. A short name that reads tall on the page, suited to a child with serious eyes.