Rarity of the Name "Angelique" - O.T.

[Philippe Cordier]

The name "Angelique" would seem to be very rare in French.  I wonder how the DS writers came up with it?  It would be impossible for me to separate DS associations from the name itself, but it is a beautiful name.

On Thursday this name came up in a surprising context that I wanted to share - I was meeting my friend at a coffeehouse.  We both have an interest in family history, and, rather surprisingly, we both have exactly the same countries of origin, which happens to be a rather unusual mixture whether in this part of the country or elsewhere.  Both of us have a great grandfather from France.  Anyway, my friend was showing me the results of his recent genealogical research, and I probably startled half the patrons near me (not to mention my friend) when I shouted "Angelique!  You have an Angelique?!"  One of his great-great grandmothers bore that name.

Although my friend has a favorable opinion of DS, he hasn't seen much of it and didn't know the significance of the name until I explained.  I was a little embarrassed by my outburst, but I remain somewhat envious, I can't help it.  As I told my friend, I would give anything to have an "Angelique" in my ancestry!

(The closest I can come, though, now that I think of it, is a great-great grandmother in the French line who was named "Marguerite."  Now if I should discover that she practiced witchcraft, that would be very interesting!)

[Luciaphile]

It's funny you mention this. I was watching something from Starz on Demand yesterday. It was a French film with Audrey Tatou called He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not and that was her name, lol. I won't spoil it for you, but I thought the name was apt.

[Gerard]

When I was a kid back in elementary school, we learned a song named "Angelique-O" (pronounced An-GEL-ee-ko).  It was of French Carribean folk music.  The song concerned a man who serenaded a young girl, named Angelique, who was too young to tie the knot.  The lyrics went something like this (hum it best you can to a Carribean beat):

Angelique-O!  Angelique-O!
Go home to your mama!
Angelique-O!  Angelique-O!
Go home to your papa!
Angelique-O!  Angelique-O!
Listen to what I said!
Angelique-O!  Angelique-o!
You are too young to wed!

Little girls should know
How to cook and sew!
Go home to your mama!
Little girls should know
How to iron clothes!
Go home to your papa!


Gerard

[Maybellique]

I saw a movie once with Ben Cross (the 91's Barnabas) that featured a girl named Angelique AND was about vampires, if I remember correctly. I thought that was too bold to be a coincidence. But, i think this was before Ben Cross starred in DS: Revisted.

Incidentally, I've only known 1 Angelique in my lifetime. It's an extreeemely rare name, but beautiful. ~DJ

[PennyDreadful]

I was recently introduced to a girl named Angelique.  She was in her early 20s.  I asked, "Were you named after the witch from Dark Shadows?"  She said, "Yes!"  and was somewhat surprised that I knew that.

~Penny Dreadful~

[Patti Feinberg]

Vlad, my maternal Grandmother, from Belgium, was named Angele (that's the correct spelling).

Patti

[Philippe Cordier]

Interesting, everyone! 

And Gerard, in your case, very funny!  

Maybellique, though you don't mention her age, I'd probably put money on the woman you knew having been named after DS's Angelique.

Again, if anyone knows how DS's Angelique was named, it would be interesting to know.

[Maybellique]

  I wouldn't doubt it. The gal was only 13 at the time and this was in the early 90's. ~DJ

[Cassandra Blair]

I went to college (back in the late 80's/early 90's) with a girl named Angelique who was also named after the character on Dark Shadows.   She was a sorta butch punk rock chick, and didn't know anything about her ficitional namesake except that she was a witch.

And there's also a singer who's called Angelique Kidjo, she's originally from Benin, and is rather well-known on the world music scene; she has a great voice.

[Raineypark]

One of my nieces came within a hair's breath of being named Angelique, after you-know-who.

Then someone talked some sense into her mother.....

[Maybellique]

   It's a beautiful name, but I don't think I'd ever be fixing to name any of my future kids that. Quentin, however, is a different story. It's a gorgeous name for a boy. One I hope I can use one day.

   We named our baby Deirdre Victoria, and ever since then, there've been some friends of ours who thought we labeled her with a middle name from one of the ds characters. lol. Victoria is a beautiful name, but we didn't name her after her. I, however, was almost named Victoria b/c my mom was so in love with Dark Shadows. That and she always bore a slight resemblance to her. ~DJ

[bluefielder]

A few years ago I typed a birth certificate for a young lady who was named Angelique.  She was born in either 68 or 69.  I remarked that her mother must have been a DS fan.  She just nodded her head and rolled her eyes.  I haven't run across anyone with that name since.

[Lydia]

I thought I remembered seeing a series of paperback novels several decades ago with Angelique in the title and with cover pictures that didn't appeal to me, so I checked www.LibraryThing.com and found them, originally written by Sergeanne Golon, and categorized by the LibraryThing members as, among other things, "historical romance", "bodice busters", and "guilty pleasure".  Titles include: Angelique in Love, Angelique and the Demon, and Angelique: The Road To Versailles.  I'm betting that Bob Hope and Bing Crosby never made a Road To Versailles movie in which they met Angelique - what a shame!  And, continuing along the train of thought, I suspect that the Collinsport Players have never done a Road To Collinwood skit.

In Flashman by George MacDonald Fraser (the first of a great series of novels), a woman of easy virtue named Josette makes a brief appearance.

[Uncle Roger]

Damn! I remember those books, even took a couple out of the library. I also recall there was a stripper who worked in the New England area around the same time. Never caught her act, I'm sorry to say. It was difficult enough getting into R-rated movies.