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[hotchpot.livejournal.com]

What do you think about the name Jessamine as an alternative to Jasmine?

I read this name in a Sweet Valley Saga book when I was younger and always thought it looked way more fresh than Jasmine. Jasmine screams Disney movie/porno to me, while Jessamine seems sweet. I think its pronounced almost like how it looks: JESS-a-min.

Comments

[hotchpot.livejournal.com]

That's the way its spelt in the book, too, I think! Oops!

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

Jessamine is a real noun, and it actually means 'jasmin' in the dictionary, so it's not just a baby name.
I personally don't like because I'm a Jessica and love my name (:P), but I find it a pretty name.

[minga13.livejournal.com]

I would pronounce Jessamine as Jez-ah-meen, probably because there is a girl in my class called Jesame (jez-ah-may). I don't particularly like Jessamine

[ohsarahrose.livejournal.com]

Hmm ... I'm not entirely sold on it as a name. I prefer Jasmine.

But! did you find that in the "history" of the wakefield twins sweet valley high book? I loved that one as a kid.

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

Okay, before I read your explanation I was already thinking the same thing! :)

I don't really see it for a alternative to Jasmine, though; I always made the connection more with Jessica. I think it is very pretty and a nice alternative to either of those names-- Jasmine being too popular and Jessica being too 80s and just rather blech in my book. It also kind fits in with the trend of older names that we've been seeing and as I recall, Jessamine was the name of their ancestor who was around at the turn of the 20th century; I got the impression the author was going for an old-timey feel with the name. She might've been the one who joined the circus, can't remember, but she was the one who was in the great Chicago fire (I think, or some other big city fire). Okay, wow, it's seriously been at least 1 years since I read that book. I can remember this, but not calculus?

Okay, I looked it up(just happen to have my big book o baby names right next to me) and it's derived from the middle French Jessamin and does mean Jasmine. An alternative is Jessamina.

Jessica, however, is "of uncertain derivation, Jessica can be an elaboration of Jessie, which was originally a pet form of Janet and Jean. Alternatively, it can be interpreted as an elaborated feminine form of Jesse, which is derived from the Hebrew yishai (gift).

So, I guess you're right about the Jessamine-Jasmine connection; I just always associated it with Jessica since, well, SVH was about her and her sister. ;)

I find it interesting that Jessica is thought to be an elaboration of Jessie/Jesse, not Jessie/Jess being short for it.

Okay.. /me being weird and looking stuff up.

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

1 years = 15 years

[jordle.livejournal.com]

I think Jessamine is really pretty although I's spell it Jessamyn.

[monalyssasmile.livejournal.com]

I generally hate all Jess- names I don't like the sound.

[neroli.livejournal.com]

I worked with a Jessamine a few years back. We all loved her name, and admired the way that she could use it either to blend in ("Jessie") or stand out ("Jessamine").

I don't know if this existed as a personal name before the 19th century, but flower names were really popular during that era... so it's always had a lovely Victorian image for me.

[wingedvixen.livejournal.com]

I knew a girl in college names Jessamine. At the time I'd never heard it before, and thought it was both pretty and unique. I've seen it a few times since... I still like it, but as much as I think "Disney" when I hear Jasmine, I think I like it better.

[oreocrackers.livejournal.com]

jessamyn is an actual name. it's my friend's middle name, after i think part of beatrix potter's name or one of her characters, i forget.

[easter.livejournal.com]

I knew a Jessamyn, and I think I like that better.