Aubrianna

Aubrianna is a fanciful, ultra-feminized elaboration of Aubrey, a name with masculine beginnings. Aubrey made his way over to England in the 11th century originally by way of the Norman-French “Auberi”. The Franks derived Auberi from the Old High German “Alberic” meaning “ruler of the elves” from the Germanic elements “alb(e)” (elf, supernatural being) and “rīc” (power, rule). Testament to the name’s etymology, Alberic was the name of the fair-haired King of the Elves in Germanic mythology. Elves (sometimes interchangeable with dwarfs and fairies) featured prominently in early Germanic/Nordic mythology; they possessed certain magical powers. The elf could use his supernatural powers to either benefit or hinder human progress depending on his mood (although the little devils evolved with more sinister powers in later folklore). After the Norman Conquest of England (1066), the name Aubrey was common in the latter part of the Middle Ages but eventually diminished in usage. Aubrey was always considered a boy’s name among English-speakers until the 1970’s when Americans hijacked the name for their baby girls. Once Aubrey hit a certain level of popularity for girls, it became less appealing to parents of boys. Aubrey is mostly considered female these days. Aubrianna makes certain of that fact.