Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Amber

The name Amber ultimately comes from the Arabic word “ambar” denoting the yellowish-brown, fossilized tree resin mainly found on pines in the Baltic Sea area. This “tree sap” is basically turned into the gemstone Amber after a process of sustained heat and pressure. Often referred to as “The Happy Stone” Amber is said to bring a light-hearted freedom, good luck and happiness. As such, this is the stone that most helps with depression and dissolving oppositions. As a given name for females, Amber has been in use since the 19th century when jewel names came into vogue (Ruby, Pearl, Jade). The name again enjoyed a surge in popularity following the 1944 publication of “Forever Amber” by Kathleen Winsor, and again in the 1980s and 90s.

All About the Baby Name – Amber

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME AMBER

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME AMBER

The name Amber was in use in the late 1800s and early 1900s, although at very low levels of popularity. In fact, the name completely disappeared from the U.S. naming charts in 1915 when it took a 30 year hiatus from usage. Amber would return triumphantly in 1945, the year after the scandalous novel “Forever Amber” was published. The books tells of Amber St. Clare, an orphan from 17th century England, who makes her way up through the ranks of society by sleeping with and/or marrying successively richer and more important men (all the while keeping her love for the one man she could never have). Fourteen U.S. states banned the book for its “pornographic” contents of “sexual intercourse” (hey, this was the 40s). Of course, all of this uproar only served to popularize the novel and its industrious heroine. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, right? So the name Amber got a little push onto the charts in the mid-1940s, only to languish until the 1960s when she really starts to show serious growth. 1974 marks the year that Amber finally achieved a Top 100 spot, a position she would hold for the next 30 years. Not only that, but Amber reached her peak popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The name got as high as the 13th most popular girl’s name in the United States (1986). A remarkable achievement for a once rarely used name. Amber did fall off the Top 100 list in 2005 and then the Top 200 list in 2010. Not as popular as the other “gemstone” names (Ruby and Jade), Amber is still a gem of a name. A “happy” stone for a “happy” little girl.

Quick Facts

ON AMBER

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Arabic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

288

PRONUNCIATION:

AM-ber

SIMPLE MEANING:

Fossilized tree resin; The Happy Stone

Characteristics

OF AMBER

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Amber

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME AMBER

Amber St. Clare is the heroine of Kathleen Windsor’s 1944 novel, Forever Amber, which was also made into a movie starring Linda Darnell in 1947. The book, which was a best-seller, caused a huge commotion for its sexual explicitness and was banned in several states. Set in Restoration England, it tells the story of Amber St. Clare, the illegitimate issue of nobility, who is raised by adoptive parents in the countryside. She is an adventurous, glamorous lass, beautiful and intelligent, and determined to make her way against all odds, and odds there are a-plenty. She survives an early pregnancy, desertion, a prison term , the bubonic plague and the Great Fire of London, and becomes along the way an actress and courtesan, a duchess, and one of the mistresses of Charles II. Steadfast in the face of the plague, she stands by her one true love, Carlton and nurses him through sickness, only to be spurned by him due to her inferior social status. Amber ultimately embarks upon a journey that we know will bring more deception and heartbreak, but we cannot help but cheer her on, always hoping that she’ll rise above it all just one more time.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME AMBER

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Amber


Popular Songs

ON AMBER

Amber Waves
a song by Tori Amos

Amber Jean
a song by Neil Young

Amber Girl
a song by Lacrimas Profundere

Amber Cascades
a song by America

Amber
a song by The Cooper Temple Clause

Sweet Amber
a song by Metallica

Stuck on Amber
a song by The Boo Radleys

Famous People

NAMED AMBER

Amber Benson (actress)
Amber Corwin (figure skater)
Amber Frey (mistress of convicted murderer Scott Peterson)
Amber Hagerman (after whom the AMBER Alert was named)
Amber Heard (actress)
Amber Tamblyn (actress)
Amber Valletta (supermodel)
Amber Lee Ettinger (Internet star/Obama Girl)

Children of Famous People

NAMED AMBER

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Amber

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME AMBER

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Amber