June

The month June.

June is an English girls’ name taken from the sixth month of the year. The month’s name reaches back through French to Latin Iunius, probably linked to the Roman goddess Juno. Its immediate meaning is simply the month, rather than a description of the person who carries it. A calendar name can hold a private connection to a birthday, an anniversary or a time a family wants to remember. June leaves room for that kind of story, but it can also be chosen just for its sound; a child does not have to be born in June. In English it is pronounced /dʒuːn/, in a single syllable. The long vowel and final n give it a rounded, gentle finish, while its four-letter shape looks uncluttered. To my ear, June has a quietly classic feel: brief enough to be understated, with a familiar word behind it.

Etymology: An English month-name used as a given name. The month word came through French from Latin Iunius, probably connected with the Roman goddess Juno.