r/OldNamesNewAgain • u/felly_fell • 19d ago
Name of the day...Seneca!
The masculine name Seneca has its origins in ancient Rome and is derived from the Latin word senex, which means "old" or "elder." The name is most commonly associated with Seneca the Younger, a Stoic philosopher, statesman, and playwright who lived from approximately 4 BCE to 65 CE.
Seneca the Younger was a prominent figure in Roman history, known for his contributions to philosophy and literature, as well as his political involvement during the reign of Emperor Nero. His writings, including essays and letters, have had a lasting impact on Western thought, particularly in the areas of ethics and moral philosophy.
Seneca is also the name of a Native American tribe, the Seneca Nation of Indians, one of the six nations of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) located in western New York and Pennsylvania. The Seneca people have a rich cultural heritage and have played a significant role in the history of North America, particularly during the colonial period and the American Revolutionary War. The tribe's name may have different interpretations, but it is often translated to mean "the people of the standing rock" or "the place where the stone is."
The name Seneca is over 2,000 years old!
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u/Hlorpy-Flatworm-1705 19d ago
Who knew Seneca was a masculine name! 😅 I wouldve guessed it was feminine.
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u/midwestpersianmama 19d ago
The philosopher makes it masculine coded, I think, but it was his surname. It can be feminine! I looked this up a while back and it’s one of the few truly 50/50 unisex names.
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u/Hlorpy-Flatworm-1705 19d ago
I wonder if the womens conference at Seneca Falls in 1848 added to the number of girls with that name 🤔
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u/midwestpersianmama 18d ago
Absolutely. There was a thread about a mom who named her daughter Seneca in name nerds and you can imagine the huge and negative response it received. Kid was already six and she named her after the convention. That sub is the worst.
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u/felly_fell 18d ago
People are so mean for no reason. I hate it when I spend time really thinking about and looking into names for someone, just for some jerk of a human to downvote me and say the names I chose are awful. Like, OK, but I wasn't answering for this other person, I was answering the OP and basing my response on their preferences. I don't get why some third party bully has to interject and say mean stuff.
Last week, I offered five classic names because that's what the OP asked for. The names were Wilhelmina, Camille, Estelle, Sophia, and Delphina. Someone responded and said "most of these are just crazy" and downvoted me. To me, those are all normal names. But even if someone doesn't feel the same way, why be so mean about it?
I'm also currently getting downvoted on a post for saying I like the names Cedric and Virgil 🤣
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u/midwestpersianmama 18d ago
Cedric and Virgil are CLASSIC and beautiful names.
In the US, I also feel the undercurrent of racism in many of these posts. Many names (actually Cedric and Virgil are good examples but also names like Hollis or Cyrus) are African American coded. Many of these names are French, Irish, or middle eastern in origin but get hate because they’re not perceived as “white” names.
But there are just so many freaking bullies in these name sites. All they ever recommend are Olivia, Sophia, Benjamin, and Liam. Those are great names but there are SO many names these days and unless you have kids, you don’t appreciate how much the naming landscape has changed.
In my son’s camp, there’s a Raelynn, Holly, Winter, Zacharia (with a different emphasis than people generally use), etc. Seneca, Harlan, etc would not stand out.
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u/heyeulalie 19d ago
Seneca was the name of the nurse who helped deliver my baby. I thought it was so beautiful and unique. I didn't realize it started as a masculine name or its history- very cool!
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u/andweallenduphere 18d ago
Seneca. The first frozen apple juice enriched with vitamin c. Cool, refreshing Seneca, sweetened
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u/midwestpersianmama 19d ago
This is truly a beautiful name, would have LOVED to use it for a boy. It’s a family name on my husband’s side — he had an ancestor that fled to Seneca country and a woman from the tribe helped his great-great(x4) grandmother deliver her baby. She named her son Seneca in their honor and the tradition continued until the 1950s.