Rose

Rose (f) This name has long been identified with the
flower. It became popular in Scotland as elsewhere in the
English-speaking world when flower names were fashion-
able at the end of the nineteenth century. In ancient times it was probably a shortened form of names like Rosalind and Rosamund, where the first element is Old German hros, ‘horse.’

A great many diminutive and foreign forms of Rose have been used in Scotland, amongst which one may include Rosaleen, Rosalie, Rosalin, Rosalina, Rosaline, Rosalyn, Rosalynn, Roseanna, Rosanne, Rosealine, Roseann, Roseanna, Roseanne, Rose!, Rose!ane, Roseleen, Roselinda, Rose!ine, Roselle, Rosellen, Rose!yn, Rose!ynn, Rosetta, Rosette, Rosey, Rosina, Rosita, Roslyn, Roslynn, Ross!yn. The Latinised Rosa also occurs. Helena Swan (Girls’ Christian Names) mentions Rosaura, which she says means ‘breath of a rose,’ but this seems to derive from her poetic inventiveness rather than actual usage of the name. In a Scottish context it must not be forgotten that Rose is the name of a small Nairnshire clan. This fact may at times have influenced the name’s usage.

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