A Rose By Any Other Name

Ever wonder how ETSY gots its name? It remains an unsolved mystery, as explained recently by The Name Inspector. While we may never know the true inspiration behind that name, we do know why some {NewNew} NY Etsy Team members chose the unique and original shop names that they did.





ABSYNTHE JEWELRY
Absinthe, also known as "the green fairy" has a mysterious and intriguing history. Shop Owner Ruby chose it for a shop name because it was used by artists and writers in the late 1800s. "It was thought to make you more creative" she says, then adds: "It was also thought to eat holes in the brain and make you crazy." Though she personally hates the taste of it (anise), she liked the way the word looked after she changed the spelling.



MY ZOETROPE
This shop owner chose her shop name because in Greek "zoe" means life and "trope" means turn-- it may be taken to mean "wheel of life" or "living wheel". Michelle feels her shop is an ever-evolving circle of silliness, craziness, prettiness, and the absurd.



SANS MAP
Corey explains why she chose this shop name: " Sans is the French word for 'without', so my shop name means 'without a map.' I didn't always sew, or create and I never really used to make anything--but it was always in me, hiding somewhere. Just over a year ago, a switch clicked: I now lead a life that is true to me, my inner creative-gal was unleashed. We never know how or where our lives will lead us- I don't have mine mapped out, scheduled or all figured out because no matter where I am today, or where I'm going in the future--it's always a journey. I live without a map, fly free, and explore. "


JOYELLA
Jennifer describes how she chose her shop name: "I was trying for ages to think of a good name for my brand when someone suggested that I use the word for jewel in Italian, which they said was Gioiella. This sounded pretty, but I was planning to sell online and there were just too many vowels in a row for English speakers to ever figure out how to spell, so I kept the sound but changed the spelling to Joyella. I affectionately refer to my shop's name as a bastardization of the word that means jewel in Italian.



GRACENOTESPAPERS
Laura named her shop after her sister, Grace - who encouraged her to share her cards and invitations with a larger audience. Also, a grace note in music is a small additional embellishment which she always thought were fun and added some creative flair to the musical pieces.


ROSIROUGE
This shop owner says she was nicknamed Rosi Rouge at a younger age because she blushed A LOT. While she says her cheeks rarely get that red anymore, she hopes the sense of innocence that first garnered her the nickname remains in her creations for baby.


MCFLASHPANTS
Jen explains: "my shop name came courtesy of a telemarketer who we suspect was attempting to get herself fired. She called my dad during dinner (naturally) asking not for Thomas McGlashan, but Thannis McFlashpants. He got offended, and naturally, we all laughed until we peed. It still makes me laugh. Nobody ever forgets it. And most importantly, it constantly reminds me not to take things too seriously.

Here are some other {NewNew} shop names and their origins:

OVERALL BABY makes Overalls. For babies.
WEBBEDWARE products of art or craft (wares) plus Courtney Webb's name. In times passed, it meant clothweaver and while this shop owner doesn't weave, she does design jewelry and accessories with fabric, cloth and textiles.
HEARTFELT4KIDSmakes clothing out of Felt. With lots of Heart.
APERATURE AGOG The aperture is the part of the camera that determines how much light is let in and also means an opening. Agog means intense excitement. Together they reflect how this shop owner's work is all about being open to the world and having great enthusiasm in creating.
ANGEL IN STITCHES Hand stitched cards that will leave you in stitches.
GROUNDSEL is a ubiquitous weed with a pretty little yellow flower..which may be poisonous.
A STUDIO BY THE SEA A shop owner who loves the ocean and everything to do with the sea and wanted a shop name that encompassed many artistic disciplines including her ocean themed beads and jewelry.
WABISABIBROOKLYN This unusual shop name roughly translates into "beauty that is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" and the materials this artist uses, which include copper and paper, change into things unexpected through her processes.
METALICIOUS Jewelry that is better than chocolate!
OWLIDAY INN This shop name combines a love of owls and puns (the shop owner is a fan of the Bunnicula series of books by James Howe. )
METROPOLIS SOAP
This shop name comes from Fritz Lang's 1927 silent movie "Metropolis" and a love of The Big Apple.
WARPE DESIGN This shop owner loves all things warped - from the action of twisting and bending, to looking at life in a unique way, to weaving, to the speed at which a Star Trek ship moves!
TAKE ME HOMEWARE This shop offers fantastic ceramics that the owner would like people to TAKE HOME...preferably after paying.

Some shop names incorporate all or part of the names people were given at birth. Please visit these other great Etsy shops with shop names based on real life monikers:
Alton Weekes (fine stationary), Mulry Jewels (beautiful jewelry), JTopolski (beautiful ceramics and jewelry), Lola Falk (amazing accessories), Loella Medina (stunning jewelry), Nordea Soaperie (awesome handmade soaps and scrubs), Lu Crafts (fun filled candles and magnets), Laigrai (amazing fiber art), PriaVanda (beautiful stationary products), Kimm Chi silkscreened apparel, and Peppersprouts (incredible home goods.)

And finally, there is me--who named her shop after a cat that used to live there and now has to spend the rest of my Etsy life letting people know my real name isn't Lenny, and I'm a woman.
Lennymud