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Grey is another spelling of Gray, an English name which originated as a nickname for someone who had gray hair or a gray beard. It comes from Old English græg (grey) via Proto-Germanic *grēwaz (grey) which derives from PIE root *gʰreh₁- (to grow). Grey could also be derived from a Roman-Gallo name, Gratus, meaning “pleasing, acceptable, agreeable, welcome” from Latin gratia (favor, kindness) and usually referring to qualities of elegance, pleasantness, charm, kindness, courteousness, and attractiveness. It derives from PIE *gʷerH- (to favor, approve; praise).

Origin: Proto-Indo-European

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Variants:

• Gray (English)
• Grei (English)

Benjamin is the son of Jacob and Rachel in the Bible. His name comes from Hebrew Binyamin meaning “son of the right” or “son of the south” made up from Hebrew benבֵּן (son) which derives from a Proto-Semitic word; and yamin יָמִין (right (hand), right side; south. Benjamin has also been interpreted as meaning “son of days”, probably referencing the advanced age of his father Jacob when he was born. Benjamin is also a surname originating from the given name.

Nicknames: Ben, Benji/Benjy, Benny/Bennie, Benj

Origin: Proto-Semitic

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Variants:

• Binyamin (Hebrew, Arabic)
• Benjamín (Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Icelandic)
• Benjámin (Hungarian)
• Beniamino (Italian)
• Benjaminas (Lithuanian)
• Venijamin (Macedonian)
• Benjamim (Portuguese)
• Beniamin (Romanian, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek)
• Veniamin (Russian)
• Venyamin (Russian)
• Bünyamin (Turkish)
• Peni (Hawaiian)

Female forms:

• Benjamine (French)
• Benjamina (English)

In the first of these two articles looking briefly at the history of ‘compositional’ chiaroscuro in painting, I traced some early examples from the Renaissance before showing a selection from its heyday between 1590 and 1650. With Caravaggio and those influenced by him gone, chiaroscuro returned to occasional use for special effects rather than lapsing into obscurity.

Antoine Watteau (1684–1721), The Foursome (c 1713), oil on canvas, 49.5 x 64.9 cm, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Wikimedia Commons.

It still appeared in nocturnes, such as Antoine Watteau’s The Foursome from about 1713. You may have noticed that I’m not a great fan of paintings from this period, but I rather like this for its subtlety, and the details half-hidden in its darkness.

Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797), A Philosopher Giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in which a Lamp is Put in Place of the Sun…

Hester is the Latin form of Esther, a name of uncertain etymology though it could be related to a Persian word meaning “star”; it’s also possible that the name could be related to Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love, fertility, and war, though the meaning is unknown. Hester is also a surname though it originates from two different sources, the first being from Middle Low German hester meaning “beech”, likely a locational name for someone who lived near some beech trees; or it could be an anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hOistir meaning “descendant of Oistir”, the latter a name of unknown meaning.

Nicknames: Hettie

Origin: Persian

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Variants:

• Esther (English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Hebrew)
• Ester (Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Czech, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish)

Fritz originated as a German diminutive of Friedrich, the German form of Frederick meaning “peaceful ruler” composed of Germanic elements frid (peace) and ric (ruler, power). Fritz is also a German surname originating from the nickname.

Origin: Proto-Indo-European

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Variants:

• Fred (English)