Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas: The meaning behind Carrie’ Symonds and Boris Johnson’s son’s name
The couple, who welcomed their first child in April 2020, have married in a secret ceremony
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Boris Johnson has married his partner, Carrie Symonds, in a secret ceremony at Westminster Cathedral.
The small ceremony, which was attended by less than 30 guests, took place on Saturday, 29 May, No 10 confirmed on Sunday.
The wedding was planned six months ago but friends and family were not informed until the “last minute”.
The news means that 55-year-old Mr Johnson is the first UK prime minister in 250 years to marry while in office.
It comes just over a year after the couple welcomed the birth of their first child, a son named Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson.
On 29 April 2020, Ms Symonds announced the name on Instagram alongside a photo of herself holding the newborn.
“Introducing Wilfred Lawrie Nicholas Johnson born on 29.04.20 at 9am,” she wrote.
“Thank you so, so much to the incredible NHS maternity team at UCLH that looked after us so well. I couldn't be happier. My heart is full.”
So what is the meaning behind the child's newly announced moniker?
The 32-year-old also revealed that each of the names were of particular significance to the couple.
The baby's first two names were selected in memory of both Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds' grandfathers, while the name Nicholas had been chosen as a tribute to the NHS doctors who saved the prime minister's life while he was undergoing treatment for coronavirus, Dr Nick Price and Dr Nick Hart.
The name Wilfred was the frontrunner among bookmakers with Ladbrokes offering customers odds of 5/1.
According to baby names resource Nameberry, the moniker means “desires peace” and is often shortened to Will or Fred. In. 2018, the name ranked at number 146 among the most popular names in the UK.
Elsewhere, parenting website Baby Centre states that the first element of the name derives from the German name, Willahelm, from wil, meaning “will, desire” and helm, meaning “helmet, protector”. The name in total means “resolute protector”.
The baby’s second name, Lawrie, is a variation of Lawrence, which has various meanings including “fierce” and “crafty”, Baby Centre explains.
The moniker also has Latin origins meaning “from Laurentium” and was most likely derived from the Latin word laurus “bay laurel tree.”
In ancient Greece and Rome, the leaves of the bay laurel were made into crowns and placed upon the head of a victor in a competition. Thus, the laurel became associated as an emblem of victory.
The baby’s third name, Nicholas, is also of Greek origin from the word Nikolaos, which is a combination of the elements nike “victory” and laos “people”.
The moniker proved particularly popular between 1993 and 2002, when it remained in the top 10 baby names for boys, and, while it has lost some ground in recent years it is still a popular classic.
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