Unusual First name

[bates]

My Nana's mother's name was
Tryphena Elizabeth Maude Templeman.

The generations of her Templeman family before her were mainly from Chinnock in Somerset.

Her parents Caius and Elizabeth were married in Merthry Tydil although Elizabeth was born in Malldraeth.

Tryphena and all of her sisters were also born in Merthry Tydil between 1888-1905.

BUT my long standing question has been

What does Tryphena mean?  Is it a flower, a place or another famous person???

Living in Australia it seems a very unusual name, so any suggestions would be very greatly appreciated.

tanya

[Elizabeth Revel]

From Google:

From the Latin - dainty

Beth

[bates]

Thanks

I also know that it is a girl in Romans 16:12.

But I guess what I was curious about was whether it was a popular name in wales?

tanya

[PrueM]

Hi Tanya 

A quick search of the 1891 census for Wales shows 100 females with the given name Tryphena.  In England that year there were 1207 girls by that name. 

And that's using the exact spelling - there may have been more that have been misspelled/mistranscribed.

Not sure whether that helps, but there you go 

Prue

[bates]

Thanks Prue

Well that does go to show that what one person thinks is unusual probably isn't afterall.

Mind you I have never met a Tryphena although I am said to be much like mine - in terms of russet hair and general medium build

tanya