Jasmine

Jasmine is a transcription of the Arabic Yasmīn (يسمين), ultimately derived from the Old Persian “yasamen” meaning “Jasmine” (as in the flowering plant of the olive genus). Jasmine originally referred to a perfume produced from the flower – a climbing flower native to the warm temperate regions of the Old World around the Mediterranean (i.e., Afro-Eurasia). Jasmine – especially in the form of Yasmīn – has long been a popular female name in the Arab and Persian worlds. In the United States, the English equivalent Jasmine has been in use since the turn of the 20th century when naming girls after flowering plants and trees became a fashionable trend (like Lily, Rose, Iris, Violet). However, Jasmine’s increasing popularity in the last couple of decades owes much to the Disney character Princess Jasmine from the movie “Aladdin” (1992). The jasmine flower symbolizes sweetness, elegance and grace, and is known for its intoxicating fragrance. Today the name Jasmine is a Top 50 favorite in England and Australia. It’s on the Top 100 lists in the United States, Canada, Scotland and Sweden.