Posy (given name) explained

Posy
Gender:	Unisex
Meaning:	Single flower or nosegay or diminutive of Josephine.
Language:	English

Posy or Posey or Posie is an English given name derived from the English term for a small flower bouquet.^[1] A posy is also a word for a single flower.^[2] It can also be derived from an English nickname, sometimes used independently, for a formal name such as Josephine.^{[3] [4]} The name came into use along with other botanical names for girls in the 1800s.^[5] It has also been associated with poesy, referring to a collection of verses.^[6] A posie ring is a gold ring with a meaningful verse on its surface. They were exchanged by lovers as a symbol of commitment from the 1500s.^[7] Other spelling variants in use include Posee and Posi.^[8]

Posey is also a surname with various possible English, French, and German etymological origins.^[9]

Notable people and characters with the name include:

Women

• Posie Graeme-Evans, Australian novelist, television and film producer, editor, screenwriter and director.
• Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, British anti-transgender rights activist and founder of the group Standing for Women
• Posy Miller (died 2002), British actress
• Rosamund “Posy” Musgrave (born 1986), British former cross-country skier
• Posy Simmonds (born 1945), British newspaper cartoonist, writer and illustrator

Men

• Posey G. Lester (1850–1929), American politician
• Posey Rorer (1891–1936), American old-time fiddler

Fictional characters

• Posy Fossil, a character in the children's novel Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

See also

• Pusai (died 344), Christian martyr also known as Posi

Notes and References

1. Book: Lansky, Bruce . 2019 . 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book . Da Capo Lifelong Books . 252. 978-0306845246.
2. Book: 2009. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition . Merriam-Webster. B000SEGJ5S .
3. Web site: Meaning, origin and history of the name Posy .
4. Web site: Posy - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity .
5. Book: Hanks. Patrick. Hardcastle. Kate . Hodges. Flavia. 2006. Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press . 222. 0-19-861060-2.
6. Book: Hanks. Patrick. Hardcastle. Kate . Hodges. Flavia. 2006. Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press . 222. 0-19-861060-2.
7. Web site: Gold 'posy' ring found in County Antrim field . 10 September 2014 . bbc.com . BBC . 31 May 2023 .
8. Book: Lansky, Bruce . 2019 . 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book . Da Capo Lifelong Books . 199 . 978-0306845246.
9. Book: Hanks . Patrick. Lenarčič . Simon. McClure . Peter. November 2022 . Dictionary of American Family Names . 2nd. Oxford University Press. 978-0190245115 .