Tiffany

Tiffany is derived from Theophania, a Late Greek and Latin name composed of theos meaning God and phainein meaning to show or appear, giving the overall sense of manifestation of God or God appearing. The feast of Theophania, better known in the Western church as Epiphany, commemorates the revelation of Christ to the Magi and was celebrated on the 6th of January. In medieval England it was customary to give children names connected to the feast day on which they were born, and girls born on or near Epiphany were often named Tiffany or Tephania, anglicised forms of Theophania. The name subsequently fell out of regular use and became associated with the medieval period, regarded as archaic by later centuries. Its remarkable revival began in the mid-19th century through the association with Charles Lewis Tiffany's luxury goods company in New York, whose distinctive blue boxes and refined aesthetic gave the name a new connotation of elegance and aspiration. By the time Audrey Hepburn starred in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's, the name had acquired a thoroughly glamorous identity far removed from its ancient ecclesiastical origins, paving the way for its explosive popularity in the decades that followed.

Few names illustrate the curious paths of linguistic revival quite as vividly as Tiffany. Its medieval origins were so thoroughly forgotten that when historical romance novelists began setting stories in the Middle Ages, they reportedly avoided the name for fear of anachronism, unaware that records show it was genuinely in use during the period. This irony speaks volumes about how completely the name was reinvented through 20th-century commerce and culture. The Tiffany and Co. brand, with its unmistakable robin's-egg-blue packaging and association with diamonds and fine silver, lent the name an air of aspirational luxury that proved irresistible to parents in the post-war era. Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's deepened the name's connection to a particular kind of wistful glamour. The result was a naming phenomenon in the 1980s, when Tiffany sat at or near the top of the popularity charts in the United States and the United Kingdom. American pop singer Tiffany's chart-topping success in the same decade reinforced the name's contemporary credentials. Today Tiffany reads as a period piece of the 1980s whilst retaining its elegance, and is beginning to feel fresh again as parents look to that era for inspiration.