You can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't judge a name by its history.
These baby names are absolutely gorgeous, but they have some pretty ugly stories behind
them.
Here are some beautiful baby names, each with its own ugly history.
Jezebel
The name Jezebel rolls off the tongue, similar to the more popular "Isabel."
But this one isn't so popular.
Why?
According to the Bible, Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab of Israel.
An evil temptress, she brought foreign gods and goddesses to Israel, turned the country
to idol worship, and had those who opposed her killed.
She was so awful that someone eventually had her thrown out of a window where her body
was devoured by wild dogs.
For centuries, Jezebel has represented wicked women.
The name was also used to vilify black women prior to the Civil Rights era.
According to The Jim Crow Museum,
"...black women were often portrayed as innately promiscuous, even predatory."
Lorelai
Fans of Gilmore Girls no doubt were struck by the beauty of the name Lorelei.
Despite the show's popularity, the name never really caught on — probably because its
dark history overshadowed its loveliness.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, German legend says a jilted woman threw her herself
from the Lorelai rock, which sits along the Rhine River.
Transformed into a siren, she remained there, luring fishermen to their deaths.
Achilles
This name is starting to gain some traction, despite its association with the Trojan War.
Many are familiar with the tale of the Greek soldier Achilles who was nearly indestructible.
To make him invulnerable, his mother dipped him in the River Styx, holding him tightly
by the heel.
This gave him the power of invulnerability, but left his heel weak.
In battle against the Trojans, no one could slay him until an arrow aimed at his heel
— his one weakness — killed him.
Cassandra
Cassandra was one of the most tragic figures of the Trojan war.
A princess of Troy, she had the power to see into the future, but was cursed so that no
one would believe her visions.
Even as the battle raged on, no one listened to her warnings of how to avert the coming
tragedy.
After Troy was defeated, Cassandra was given to one of the victorious Greeks as a concubine,
and she was later murdered by his wife.
Talk about bad luck.
Tansy
This lovely flower is beautiful on the outside, but has many potent uses.
The name is derived from the Greek word athanasía meaning "immortality."
It was once thought to actually bestow immortality and was therefore used in embalming practices.
The plant has also been used throughout history to induce miscarriage.
Perhaps these uses are why we haven't seen the name gain any notable popularity in the
past century.
Lucrezia
A beautiful name with a not-so-beautiful history, Lucrezia has become infamous as the name of
Renaissance Italian noblewoman Lucrezia Borgia.
The power-hungry Borgias are now remembered as one of the most scandalous families in
history.
While many historians view Lucrezia as a victim of her family's machinations, her reputation
has forever been tarnished by the bloodthirsty ambition of the Borgias.
Rumors still abound as to just how large of a role Lucretia played in her family's plots.
Some think she was in an incestuous relationship with her brother.
Others believe that she was involved in the death of her second husband.
Delilah
The name Delilah means "delicate, weak, and languishing" in Hebrew.
The name of a figure in the Old Testament, Delilah is a villainess, remembered for seducing
the superhumanly strong Samson into revealing the source of his strength.
After she learned that Samson's strength was linked to his hair and that if it were cut
he would become weak, the wily Delilah had it shorn.
Without his strength, Samson was weakened and soon captured by his enemies.
Lilith
Described as "the most notorious demon in Jewish tradition" by My Jewish Learning, Lilith's
name “means ‘the night,’ and she embodies the emotional and spiritual aspects of darkness:
terror, sensuality, and unbridled freedom."
Lilith is considered to be, quote, "a spirit of darkness" as well as "a figure of uncontrolled
sexuality."
Jewish folk tales also portray her "as a stealer of babies," so feared that some people use
amulets to this day to ward her away from pregnant women and infants.
Griffin
Mythological stories describe the griffin as a terrifying and fierce creature.
A staple of ancient Greek literature, griffins are said to have the body and hind legs of
a lion, with the rest of its body being that of a hawk or an eagle.
While the creatures could be vicious, they were also considered to be highly intelligent.
Don't let the history ruin the name
These names might have some horrible histories, but that doesn't mean that you should avoid
using them!
It's fascinating to see the paths these names have taken, but you don't have to let their
legacies taint them for you.
Ultimately, a name is what you make of it.
If you like the sound of one of these names, go ahead and use it for your precious bundle
of joy.
After all, the person makes the name.
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