Posy or Posey or Posie is an English given name derived from the English term for a small flower bouquet.[1] A posy is also a word for a single flower.[2] It can also be derived from an English nickname, sometimes used independently, for a formal name such as Josephine.[3][4] The name came into use along with other botanical names for girls in the 1800s.[5] It has also been associated with poesy, referring to a collection of verses.[6] A posie ring is a gold ring with a meaningful verse on its surface. They were exchanged by lovers as a symbol of commitment from the 1500s.[7] Other spelling variants in use include Posee and Posi.[8]
 Making posies by Helen McNiccoll, 1910. One meaning of the name Posy is nosegay. | |
| Gender | Unisex |
|---|---|
| Language(s) | English |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | Single flower or nosegay or diminutive of Josephine. |
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Posey is also a surname with various possible English, French, and German etymological origins.[9]
Notable people and characters with the name include:
Women
edit- Posie Graeme-Evans, Australian novelist, television and film producer, editor, screenwriter and director.
- Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, British anti-transgender rights activist and founder of the group Standing for Women
- Posy Miller (died 2002), British actress
- Rosamund “Posy” Musgrave (born 1986), British former cross-country skier
- Posy Simmonds (born 1945), British newspaper cartoonist, writer and illustrator
Men
edit- Posey G. Lester (1850–1929), American politician
- Posey Rorer (1891–1936), American old-time fiddler
Fictional characters
edit- Posy Fossil, a character in the children's novel Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
- Posey, a character in BBC children's television programme The Flumps
See also
edit- Pusai (died 344), Christian martyr also known as Posi
Notes
edit- ^ Lansky, Bruce (2019). 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book. Da Capo Lifelong Books. p. 252. ISBN 978-0306845246.
- ^ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition. Merriam-Webster. 2009. ASIN B000SEGJ5S.
- ^ "Meaning, origin and history of the name Posy".
- ^ "Posy - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity".
- ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 222. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
- ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 222. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
- ^ "Gold 'posy' ring found in County Antrim field". bbc.com. BBC. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ Lansky, Bruce (2019). 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book. Da Capo Lifelong Books. p. 199. ISBN 978-0306845246.
- ^ Hanks, Patrick; Lenarčič, Simon; McClure, Peter (November 2022). Dictionary of American Family Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0190245115.
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