Renesmee (given name)
.jpg) Actress Mackenzie Foy portrayed Renesmee Cullen in the 2012 film Breaking Dawn - Part 2. | |
| Pronunciation | /rəˈnɛzmeɪ/ Ruh-NEZ-may |
|---|---|
| Gender | female |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | created, literary name, derived from a combination of Renee and Esmé, meaning reborn and loved respectively. |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Renesme, Renée, Esmé |
Renesmee is a feminine given name created by author Stephenie Meyer for a character in Breaking Dawn, the fourth novel in the Twilight series, who also appeared in the films based on the novels. It is a combination of the names Renee and Esmé. The name, along with others used in the series, came into regular use due to the popularity of the books and movies. Alternate spellings of the name are also in regular use.[1][2]
History
In 2012, Meyer said "I would never name a real child Renesmee."[3] Meyer later explained on her website that she wanted a unique name for the one of a kind half human, half vampire child character she created in 2003, and no existing name seemed quite right. "Well, I couldn't call her Jennifer or Ashley," she wrote. She is now so accustomed to the name that she is only reminded it is unusual when people comment upon it.[4]
Usage
While use of the name has sometimes proven controversial, it is in regular use in English-speaking countries.[5] While the name has never ranked among the top one thousand names used for newborn girls in the United States, the name has seen steady usage for American girls since 2009, the year it was first given to five or more girls born that year. There were 165 newborn American girls given the name in 2022. Other spellings of the name in regular use in the United States include Renesmae, Renesme, Renezmae, Renesmay, Renezmay, and Ranezmae.[6] It tripled in use in the United Kingdom between 2011, the year five newborn girls in England and Wales were given the name, and 2013, when 18 newborn girls there were given the name.[7] The name continued to increase in usage and ranked among the top 1,000 names given to newborn girls in the United Kingdom between 2017 and 2020.[8] It has also been in occasional use for newborn girls in Canada since at least 2013.[9] Increased usage of the name in 2013 coincided with the 2012 release of the film Breaking Dawn - Part 2.[10]
Notes
- ^ 'Renesme' a popular baby name? Really, fangs a lot, 'Twilight'
- ^ Schoenberg, Nara (27 July 2010). "Baby names with some bite". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ Vilkomerson, Sara (2012-08-10). "Q & A: Stephenie Meyer". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2015-08-23. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
- ^ Meyer, Stephenie. "Why the Name Renesmee". stepheniemeyer.com. stepheniemeyer.com (author website). Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Cox, Madeline (30 July 2021). "People Think I Hate My Daughter As I Named Her After Twilight". kidspot.com.au. KidSpot. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Beyond the Top 1,000". ssa.gov. United States Social Security Administration. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Ridley, Louise (15 August 2014). "Most Popular Baby Names List Taken Over By Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and Twilight". huffingtonpost.co.uk. Huffington Post UK. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ Campbell, Mike. "Popularity in England and Wales". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Baby Names". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ Man, Nancy (4 January 2010). "Where Did The Baby Name Renesmee Come From in 2009?". nancy.cc. Nancy's Baby Names (blog). Retrieved 22 October 2023.