Rosemary

Rosemary is an English given name with two overlapping origins: it was adopted from the name of the fragrant herb rosemary, whose Latin botanical name ros marinus means dew of the sea, and it was also understood as a combination of the names Rose and Mary, both long-established in the English-speaking world. The herb itself carried strong symbolic associations with remembrance, fidelity, and love, making the name appealing to parents seeking both a botanical and a devotional connotation. The name came into widespread use in the English-speaking world during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Related forms include Rosemarie, the French and German variant, as well as the shortened pet forms Rosie and Romy.