Congratulations to Frederik and Mary of Denmark! Their beautiful three-month-old twins were christened this morning:
Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda. They join older siblings Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe and Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John.
Minik and Ivalo are traditional Greenlandic names. According to Nordic Names, Minik means ‘viscid train oil which is being used as sealing for skin boats’, and Ivalo is related to sinew (ew!). Greenland is also presided over by the Danish throne, where they have a different idea of what makes a great name. Still, all the names are lovely and perfectly befitting to a royal. I’m considering adding HRH to precede my own name as well. What do you think?
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Lovely names! I’ve been curious since I heard about them. They also have another son, the eldest, Christian Valdemar Henri John. All great names…
‘viscid train oil which is being used as sealing for skin boats’,
I guess meanings aren’t always everything….
I have a Danish grandfather Waldemar. Is it related to Walter, I wonder?
The “wald” part of both names comes from the German for “rule”, so yes, related!
First of all, what a beautiful picture! Completely sweet.
And wow! Thinking of only the first names, wow.
I am charmed! Lovely names! Intense, but wonderful.
As an Australian (where there is great interest in this couple, due to Mary being from Tasmania), I have been eagerly awaiting this announcement. Although neither name is really my style, I do agree that they are very fitting royal names, and I don’t think wither Josephine or Vincent were among the names that people were anticipating. I originally heard that Josephine was spelt Josefine, which I actually prefer. I like the look of their Greenlandic names, but am less inspired after reading what the names mean!! I do have to say whenever I see long names like this I wish I’d given my son one or two more middle names!!
Oh, I meant to add that in Australia, a Vincent would always be referred to as Vince (in the grand tradition of giving everyone a nickname), so I think a few Australians have had a bit of a chuckle that he’s Prince Vince!
I’m Australian and wouldn’t shorten Vincent!
Doesn’t anyone say Vinny any more?
Congrats to the royal couple with a lovely addition to their family. I agree with Siobhan that the announcement of their names has been eagerly awaited in Australia, and not at all what people were expecting (Prince Vince, ha!).
They did manage to get an Australian touch in there with Mathilda!
I’ll be doing an article on the royal couple and royal twins as a Mother’s Day special, so stay tuned.
PS I notice that their godmother is a friend of Mary’s called Josephine – can anyone confirm if baby Josephine is named after her???!
Siobhan and Waltzingmorethanmatilda are right.. the Australian media have been buzzing for at least a week abaout this, and I’m pretty sure the event is televised.
Vincent and Josephine are lovely; not my favourite names in the world, but truly fitting for royals, without feeling boring. I actually like the names as a whole too.. To me, these most recent recent monikers feel much more dynamic and charismatic than the other two, for some odd reason.
Well I like three of their four names, so that’s pretty good I think! I suspect my unfamiliarity with Minik and Ivalo are to blame for that.
Thank you for keeping us informed. And what an adorable picture.
Gorgeous names! And for Gorgeous babies too.
The middle ones are a little unusual. The only suggestion I can offer is that perhaps they don’t mean those things, if you are actually from Greenland.
This happens more often than you would think with names. A name site or book will through up one meaning, when culturally it will mean something COMPLETELY differant.
I know a few people who have got into to trouble with greek derived names that way!
That’s so true, Emily! A friend’s mother, who is from Israel and a linguistics professor here, told me that my son’s name, Benjamin, means “son of the right hand” or “son of the south” in all the naming books, but that is just the literal meaning and doesn’t convey the intended meaning at all – she said that the right hand and the south are Hebrew synonyms for strength, so that Benjamin actually means “son of strength”. I bet those Greenland names have deeper meanings than their literal translation, too!
I totally adore both Vincent and Josephine as names. A 10/10 from me. Personally I would only ever use them as middle names though, as I am not a fan of the inevitable Vince/Vinnie and Jo/Jos/Josie.
I love Josephine. Such a great name.