Chastity is a feminine given name meaning chastity, referring to the virtue of exercising self-control over one's sexual behavior, which might mean practicing celibacy for a person who is unmarried, or monogamy for a person who is married. The name comes from the Late Latin word castitas. According to some sources, it was one of many virtue names in use by Puritans in the Colonial United States.[1] However, other sources state that the name was not actually in use by the Puritans.[2]
._Oil_painting_by_a_followe_Wellcome_L0000174.jpg) Chastity, a painting by a follower of
Timoteo Viti, depicting a maiden with a unicorn, both traditional symbols of chastity. | |
| Gender | Feminine |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | English via Late Latin |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | Chastity |
| Other names | |
| Nickname(s) | Chas, Chaz |
| Related names | Chasity |
Other modern spelling variants and name variants in use include Chasidy, Chassidy, Chassiti, Chassity, Chastady, Chastidy, Chastitea, Chastitee, Chastitey, Chastiti, and Chastitie.[3] Some other variations of the name in use in the United States during the 19th century were Chassie, Chasta, Chasteen, Chastin, Chastina, Chastine, and Chasty.[4] Some sources note that a girl named Chastity might not resemble the meaning of the name.[5]
Usage
editThe name increased in usage in the United States in the early 1970s after it was used by Sonny Bono and Cher for their child Chaz Bono, who was originally named Chastity Bono, in 1969. Chasity is a modern variant.[1] Cher portrayed a character called Chastity in the 1969 film Chastity that was released the same year Cher named her child.[6][7]
Chastity was among the 1,000 most popular given names for girls in the United States between 1972 and 1993. It peaked in usage in 1974, when it was the 311th most popular name and used for 0.048 percent of all American girls born that year.[8] Variant Chasity was among the 1,000 most popular names for American girls between 1972 and 2008. Both names remain in occasional use in the United States.[9][10]
People
edit- Chaz Bono, (born Chastity Sun Bono; born 1969), American writer, musician and actor
- Chastity Brown (born 1982), American singer-songwriter and musician
- Chastity Daniels (born 1978), American rapper who performs under the stage name La Chat
- Chastity Dotson (born 1986), American actress
- Chastity Reed (born 1989), American professional women's basketball player
Stage name
edit- Chastity, the ring name of Denise Riffle, who performed as a valet in ECW and WCW
- Chastity Butterworth, a comedy character assumed by Gemma Whelan for various shows
Fictional characters
edit- Chastity (character), a comic book character
- Chastity, a character played by Cher in the 1969 romantic drama film Chastity
- Chastity Barebone, a character in the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Chastity "Chas" Dingle, a character on the British soap opera Emmerdale
- Chastity Detroit, a character in the TimeSplitters video game trilogy
- Chastity-Claire "C.C." Babcock, a character in the American TV sitcom The Nanny
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 53. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
- ^ "Virtue Names". namenerds.com. Name Nerds (blog). Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Lansky, Bruce (2019). 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book. Da Capo Lifelong Books. p. 235. ISBN 978-0306845246.
- ^ Charbonneau, Karen (17 March 2023). American Baby Girl Names: 1587-1920s. Post Falls, Idaho: A Ship's Cat Book. p. 171. ASIN B0BYTTGH3L.
- ^ "Ten of the most ridiculous celebrity baby names". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ Munden, Kenneth White. The American Film Institute Catalog of Feature Films 1961-1970. Univ. of California Press, 1976, p. 987. ISBN 0-520-20970-2.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard. Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide. Penguin Books (Plume), 2008, p. 235. ISBN 978-0-452-28978-9.
- ^ Campbell, Mike. "Popularity of the name Chastity in the United States". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ Campbell, Mike. "Popularity of the name Chasity in the United States". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "Popular Baby Names". ssa.gov. United States Social Security Administration. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
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