Bloganuary 21 – Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.

I was born in May, not June. I wasn’t named after the month. One of the reasons my parents chose my name was because they thought it fitted well with our surname. The other reason was because they imagined it wouldn’t be shortened. This has been the case, but people tend to lengthen it instead! I have been called Juniper, Junsey, Jundie…

When I tell French people my name is June, they are surprised. I have never met a French woman named June. This doesn’t mean that they don’t exist!

I already knew that June came from the Latin ‘Junius’, meaning young and was linked to the goddess Juno. This led me to research further, and I was amazed at how much information, some valid, some mythical, there is to read. I could compose a whole blog post about her. Here are some highlights about Juno:

• Chief Roman goddess
•  The female counterpart of Jupiter
•  Goddess of marriage and childbirth
•  Protectress of the community
•  Her sacred animal is the peacock.

The painting below is called ‘Flaming June’, painted by Sir Frederic Leighton, in 1895.

I love this image!