Here's a Scottish name to conjure with. Aonach eagach ridge scotland. here's a picture to inspire you:

Language is a strange thing. Do you ever wonder if poems which have been translated lose much in the translation?  Take one of the most famous Scottish Poets, Robert Burns. take oen of his most famosu poems An a that. original Scots:

Is there for honest poverty
That hings his head, an' a' that?
The coward slave, we pass him by --
We dare be poor for a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Our toils obscure, an' a' that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The man's the gowd for a' that.
2.
What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an' a' that?
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine --
A man's a man for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their tinsel show, an' a' that,
The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor,
Is king o' men for a' that.
3.
Ye see yon birkie ca'd 'a lord,'
Wha struts, an' stares, an' a' that?
Tho' hundreds worship at his word,
He's but a cuif for a' that.
For a' that, an' a' that,
His ribband, star, an' a' that,
The man o' independent mind,
He looks an' laughs at a' that.
4.
A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an' a' that!
But an honest man's aboon his might --
Guid faith, he mauna fa' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
Their dignities, an' a' that,
The pith o' sense an' pride o' worth
Are higher rank than a' that.
5.
Then let us pray that come it may
(As come it will for a' that)
That Sense and Worth o'er a' the earth
Shall bear the gree an' a' that!
For a' that, an' a' that,
It's comin yet for a' that,
That man to man the world o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that.

English Translation:

Is there for honest poverty
That hangs his head, and all that?
The coward slave, we pass him by -
We dare be poor for all that!
For all that, and all that,
Our toils obscure, and all that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The man's the gold for all that.

What though on homely fare we dine,
Wear course grey woolen, and all that?
Give fools their silks, and knaves their wine -
A man is a man for all that.
For all that, and all that,
Their tinsel show, and all that,
The honest man, though ever so poor,
Is king of men for all that.

You see yonder fellow called 'a lord,'
Who struts, and stares, and all that?
Though hundreds worship at his word,
He is but a dolt for all that.
For all that, and all that,
His ribboned, star, and all that,
The man of independent mind,
He looks and laughs at all that.

A prince can make a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, and all that!
But an honest man is above his might -
Good faith, he must not fault that
For all that, and all that,
Their dignities, and all that,
The pith of sense and pride of worth
Are higher rank than all that.

Then let us pray that come it may
(As come it will for a' that)
That Sense and Worth over all the earth
Shall have the first place and all that!
For all that, and all that,
It is coming yet for all that,
That man to man the world over
Shall brothers be for all that.

Much lost?

One of those strange questions that suddenly pop into your head. What are the origins of my names? A quick search for Karen, surprisingly didn't produce an awful lot other than it was a Danish short form of "Katherine". A bit of digging further found that (certainly according to a Biblical names site) that it was in fact a name whose origins were very unclear. One thing I did like(according to the site) was that my name is associated with someone who could foretell their own death. Would that be good or bad?

Reflecting on the article below, I was reading an article on the BBC website today about the popularity that game of Thrones now has when naming babies, or newborns in Scotland. One thing that struck me was the name Jon Snow (one of the main characters). An unusual name and indeed spelling who also happens to be a famous UK newsreader-wonder if any inspiration was taken?

Viking baby names are now more famous than ever due to the recent popularity of Game of Thrones TV series an adaption of the novel by the same name by George RR Martin.  More and more people from England and Wales are choosing their baby names from these hit TV series. But before we dwell in these names that have become more popular, you should know who the Vikings were originally before you select a name for your baby.

Who were the Vikings?

They were Germanic Norse seafarers. Old Norse was their language. Scandinavia was their homeland and they fearlessly and ruthlessly raided and traded from the Norwegian and Baltic Sea across Northern and Central Europe as well as parts of European Russia during the late 8^th to 11^th centuries. They established themselves as settlements  across North-western Europe, European Russia, North Atlantic Islands and reached till the North – Eastern coast of North America.  Many myths predict these Vikings as violent, piratical heathens and intrepid adventurers. They have a fascinating history and have influenced many books and TV series including the popular Game of Thrones Series.

Craze over Game of Throne baby names:

Always one was fascinated by the Viking mythology. Just the name will bring images of fierce, strong warriors which include not only men, but also women to our minds. But the trend of choosing their names for babies is a recent one.  Earlier, people thought they would sound awkward in English. But all those perceptions changed with the Game of Throne series. People fell in love with those characters and started naming their kids after them.

Arya for girls and Theon for boys has been a popular name chosen for babies from the series. Arya belongs to the House of Stark, and is the youngest daughter of Lord Eddak Stark and Lady Catelyn Stark. She is characterized as being a headstrong girl who is fiercely independent. She is often mistaken for a boy and disdains traditional women’s pursuits. She has a friendly nature and is a brave warrior who hates to behave like a woman and stands by her word when she feels it is the right thing to do.

Theon is one of the most popular names being given to boys. This was actually a French name with the meaning ‘untamed’. In the Game of Thrones, he is one of the major characters in the first six seasons. He is the youngest son of Lord Balon and Lady Alannys Greyjoy. His father was the head of House Greyjoy and Lord of the Iron Islands. He is held hostage by the House of Stark after his father’s failed uprising. His war of his loyalty between his father and Robb Stark with whom he grew up like a brother makes him a favourite among many. He is viewed as someone who is arrogant, narcissistic and vain but not malicious.

Khaleesi is another popular name chosen by many. It is not a name, but actually a Dothraki title which is bestowed upon the wife of Khal or Daenerys Targaryen. She is famous by the name Khaleesi, rather than her real name. She is a very determined woman and a strong fighter who does not let setbacks deter her and she always lives up to her moral code.

People also choose to name their child after Tyrion, Bran, Sandor, Sansa and Brienne from the series.

Game of Thrones, even though it is a fictional work has an extremely lethal ‘realistic’ world which people can relate to even in their real life. Follow the trend and name your child from one of these characters and let him/her live their fantasy.