Jemima

English edit

Etymology edit

From the name of a minor biblical character, from Hebrew יְמִימָה (“dove”). By folk etymology also used as a feminine form of James.

Proper noun edit

Jemima

A female given name from Hebrew.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 42:13-15:
  He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
- 1853, Elizabeth Gaskell, chapter XVII, in Ruth:
  -- and at last Jemima was fixed upon, because it would do either for a Scripture name or for a heroine out of a book."
  "I did not know Jemima was a Scripture name," said Ruth.
  "Oh yes, it is. One of Job's daughters; Jemima, Kezia, and Keren-Happuch. There are a good many Jemimas in the world, and some Kezias, but I never heard of a Keren-Happuch; and yet we know just as much of one as of another. People really like a pretty name, whether Scripture or out of it."
- 2005, Zadie Smith, On Beauty, Penguin, published 2006, →ISBN, page 51:
  But then, thought Kiki, they were brought up that way, these white American boys: I'm the Aunt Jemima on the cookie boxes of their childhoods, the pair of thick ankles Tom and Jerry played around. Of course they find me funny.
- 2011, Ann Cleeves, Hidden Depths, Pan Macmillan, →ISBN, page 165:a:
  Fancy southern names which she couldn't remember five minutes after they'd told her. Camilla? Amelia? Jemima? It didn't matter. Ashworth would have made a note of them.

Usage notes edit

Jemima has largely fallen out of use in North America due to the association with advertising character Aunt Jemima, interpreted as a racial stereotype of African-Americans. See Aunt Jemima.