Idolene...?

[home-to-me.livejournal.com]

Has anyone ever heard of the name Idolene? My father sent me a genealogy chart, and I'm shocked to find out that my grandmother's real name was Idolene (I always knew her to be Lillian). I never met this grandmother, and she died when my dad was like 5 or 6, so he didn't really get to know her either. I'm just curious how you'd SAY this name, what it means, etc. I looked it up on babynames.com, with no luck. Don't know where else to try. I'm guessing it's Italian, as her parents were from Italy. Any ideas?

Comments

[in_excelsis_dea.livejournal.com]

I didn't find it on BehindTheName.Com, but here (http://www.kabalarians.com/Female/idolene.htm) is the entry at Kabalarians. I tried Googling it and got a lot of sites in what I think is Norwegian, though I could be wrong. But maybe it has a Norwegian origin?

[in_excelsis_dea.livejournal.com]

Whoops, posted by accident.

Then again, if she was from Italy... I have no clue. I think it's a kind of pretty name though.

[home-to-me.livejournal.com]

If it's pronounced how I think, I think it's pretty, too. Eye-Do-Leen. (with an emphasis on the first syllable). Hmm. I'd always wanted to name a daughter Lillian after her, and then my brother and sister-in-law named my niece Lilliana. Ha, now that I realize it's not even her real name, I'm not as mad at them for stealing the name. ;)

[in_excelsis_dea.livejournal.com]

That's how I'd pronounce it as well. *grins* Hey, now you can name a daughter after her and still have a different name.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

'idolene' in Norwegian/Danish is just the plural of 'idol' ;)
My guess is that it's an anglicized version of Idolina/Idolena.

[in_excelsis_dea.livejournal.com]

*laughs* That'd explain it. And that does make sense. Actually, since words that end on "e" in Latin are pronounced as if they end in "a", it very well could be the Italian version of Idolena.

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

I'd say eye doh LEEN.

[kitten-wrangler.livejournal.com]

If it's an Italian name, it'd be ee-doh-LEH-neh

[missinfinity.livejournal.com]

I found Idolena, as Spanish, "Derived from the Latin term idolum meaning likeness or idol." on babynamesworld (I think that's the right plural). So maybe it is the Italian?