Posy (given name)

Posy

Making posies by Helen McNiccoll, 1910. One meaning of the name Posy is nosegay.
Gender	Unisex
Language(s)	English
Origin
Meaning	Single flower or nosegay or diminutive of Josephine.

A post-medieval gold posie ring found in Leicestershire, England. Dated between 1600 and 1800, it is inscribed "God above keep us in love."

Posy or Posey or Posie is an English given name derived from the English term for a small flower bouquet.[1] A posy is also a word for a single flower.[2] It can also be derived from an English nickname, sometimes used independently, for a formal name such as Josephine.[3][4] The name came into use along with other botanical names for girls in the 1800s.[5] It has also been associated with poesy, referring to a collection of verses.[6] A posie ring is a gold ring with a meaningful verse on its surface. They were exchanged by lovers as a symbol of commitment from the 1500s.[7] Other spelling variants in use include Posee and Posi.[8]

Posey is also a surname with various possible English, French, and German etymological origins.[9]

Notable people and characters with the name include:

Women

• Posie Graeme-Evans, Australian novelist, television and film producer, editor, screenwriter and director.
• Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, British anti-transgender rights activist and founder of the group Standing for Women
• Posy Miller (died 2002), British actress
• Rosamund “Posy” Musgrave (born 1986), British former cross-country skier
• Posy Simmonds (born 1945), British newspaper cartoonist, writer and illustrator

Men

• Posey G. Lester (1850–1929), American politician
• Posey Rorer (1891–1936), American old-time fiddler

Fictional characters

• Posy Fossil, a character in the children's novel Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
• Posey, a character in BBC children's television programme The Flumps

See also

• Pusai (died 344), Christian martyr also known as Posi

Notes

1. Lansky, Bruce (2019). 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book. Da Capo Lifelong Books. p. 252. ISBN 978-0306845246.
2. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition. Merriam-Webster. 2009. ASIN B000SEGJ5S.
3. "Meaning, origin and history of the name Posy".
4. "Posy - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity".
5. Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 222. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
6. Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 222. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
7. "Gold 'posy' ring found in County Antrim field". bbc.com. BBC. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
8. Lansky, Bruce (2019). 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book. Da Capo Lifelong Books. p. 199. ISBN 978-0306845246.
9. Hanks, Patrick; Lenarčič, Simon; McClure, Peter (November 2022). Dictionary of American Family Names (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0190245115.