Roselyn

Roselyn is a name with two possible etymologies. The first, and most obvious, is the simple combination of Rose and Lynn. The second etymology suggests that Roselyn is ultimately derived from Rosalind (by way of Rosaline and Rosalyn). The name Rosalind was brought to England by way of the Norman-French after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The French adapted the name from the ancient Germanic Roslindis, from the Old High German elements “hros” meaning “horse” and “lindi” meaning “soft, mild, tender, gentle”. Rosalind is a name loaded with literary cachet thanks to William Shakespeare’s comedy “As You Like It (c. 1600) which features a memorable heroine of the same name. Even before Shakespeare, English poet Edmund Spenser used the name in his 1579 volume of contemporary poetry called “Shepheardes Calender” which follows an unrequited love story between Colin and Rosalind. Rosalind has also been ascribed the folk etymology “lovely rose” or “pretty rose” from the Latin phrase “rosa linda”. Rosalind eventually morphed into names like Rosaline, Rosalyn and Roselyn.