Myra

Myra is a poetic invention, first coined in the 17th century by Elizabethan poet and dramatist Fulke Greville (1554-1628). Most known for his collection of poetry called “Caelica” (published posthumously in 1633), Greville deals with the subject of love in the form of three female symbols who represent varying incarnations of the same woman: Caelica, Myra and Cynthia. Caelica is the Latin word for “the heavens” and Cynthia is another epithet given to Artemis, goddess of the hunt in Greek mythology, but why Myra? There has been some conjecture as to the inspiration behind Greville’s name selection. Most people believe Myra was used as an anagram of Mary (merely by switching the letters around). Of course Mary from the Bible represents the pure virginal woman. Others surmise Myra was a respelling of “myrrh”, a perfumy substance extracted from small trees and bushes, highly valuable in ancient times for its scent and medicinal properties. Lastly, Myra may have been influenced by the name Miranda, from the Latin “mirari” meaning “to wonder at, to admire”. Whatever inspired Fulke Greville to coin the name Myra, the name stuck. Aside from Myra’s literary connection to the poetry of Greville, Myra is sometimes considered a female form of Myron which also comes from the Greek word for myrrh (μυρον) meaning “sweet perfume”. Lastly, Myra is also an ancient place name once part of the Eastern Roman Empire (present day location is Demre, Turkey). The patron saint of children, St. Nicholas, was its bishop in the 4th century. Among English speakers it was mainly the poet Greville who influenced the usage of Myra; a name most fashionable in the 19th century. Today Myra is mostly forgotten and rarely used. It’s especially loathed in the United Kingdom thanks to a murderess named Myra Hindley (1942-2002) of the “Moor Murders” notoriety; although this unfortunate association is likely to fade over time. You might also be interested to hear that singer/songwriter Tori Amos was born Myra Ellen Amos in 1963.