Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Eunice

Eunice is the English version of an ancient Greek name, Eunike (Εὐνίκη), from the Greek elements “eu” meaning “good” and “nikē” meaning “victory, win”. It was a name given to one of the fifty sea nymphs in Greek mythology (known as the Nereids who guided sailors through dangerous seafaring conditions). However, the reason why Eunice found crossover appeal among English-speakers is owed to the Puritans. Why? Well, naming practices adopted by the Puritans after the Protestant Reformation favored lesser-known Biblical figures (it was they who dug up names like Chloe, Priscilla, Hester, Hannah and Jerusha). Naming one’s daughter Eunice, for instance, was seen as an act of modesty and probably the austere Puritan’s way of demonstrating their thorough reading of the Bible. In the case of Eunice, she is named in the Bible as St. Timothy’s mother (2 Timothy 1:5) – Timothy being a well-known disciple of St. Paul in spreading Christianity during the first century A.D. In Acts 16:1 Eunice is referred to as a Jewess, but also described as one who “believed”. This is further supported in 2 Timothy 3:15 when we are told that Timothy “from a child…hast known the holy scriptures” (suggesting religion was emphasized in the family’s household). Indeed, St. Paul describes Eunice’s “unfeigned faith” as a way of reminding us of her devout piety. Case in point: the woman named her son “Timothy” which is Greek for “Honor God”; you don’t get more straight-forward than that. It’s no wonder the Puritans found the name Eunice appealing; she was seen as a good and holy woman! The name became quite popular by the 19th century on up through the 1920s. Today, however, Eunice is seriously out of style.

All About the Baby Name – Eunice

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME EUNICE

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 EUNICE

The height of Eunice’s success as a female given name in the United States was right around the turn of the 20th century over 100 years ago. Her best year ever was 1908 when the name almost reached Top 100 status (coming in on the charts at position #106). Eunice continued to enjoy a measure of success up until the 1940s at which time her fall from fashion became self-evident. Drops in usage became more pronounced during the 1950s and 60s as parents began to consider old Eunice much too passé by the latter half of the century. In fact, the name dropped into obscurity and off the charts in 1995 – yet to reclaim a position on the Top 1000 list. Even though there is a revival interest in antique turn-of-the-century names, poor, frumpy Eunice isn’t making the cut. Often selected as the perfect “old-lady” moniker, Eunice is a character name shared by Eunice “Lovey” Howell of the 1960s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island” and Eunice Harper Higgins from Carol Burnett’s “Mama’s Family” (which aired in the 1980s). But before you write-off this forgotten name, let us remind you of a little known fact. Eunice Kathleen Waymon is the birth name of jazz musician Nina Simone (1933-2003).

Quick Facts

ON EUNICE

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

YOO-niss

SIMPLE MEANING:

Good victory

Characteristics

OF EUNICE

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Eunice

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME EUNICE

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Eunice

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME EUNICE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Eunice


Popular Songs

ON EUNICE

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Eunice


Famous People

NAMED EUNICE

Eunice (mother of Saint Timothy)
Eunice Kennedy Shriver (sister of JFK, founder of the Special Olympics)
Eunice Kathleen Waymon (aka Nina Simone, jazz/blues artist)
Eunice Murray (Marilyn Monroe's housekeeper)
Eunice Norton (pianist)
Eunice Gayson (actress)
Eunice Barber (athlete)
Eunice Jepkorir (athlete)
Eunice de Souza (author)
Eunice Olsen (former Miss Singapore)

Children of Famous People

NAMED EUNICE

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME EUNICE

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