Malvina is a feminine given name derived from the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

''Mala-mhìn'', meaning "smooth brow". It was popularized by the 18th century Scottish poet James Macpherson. Other names popularised by Macpherson became popular in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

on account of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, an admirer of Macpherson's Ossianic poetry, who was the godfather of several children of Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, an officer of his who ruled Norway and Sweden in the early 19th century. The Argentinian name for the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...

, ''Las Malvinas'', is not etymologically related to ''Malvina'', but is instead derived from the name of St Malo, a seaport in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

Literary characters

Malvina Malvina is a feminine given name derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''Mala-mhìn'', meaning "smooth brow". It was popularized by the 18th century Scottish poet James Macpherson. Other names popularised by Macpherson became popular in Scandinavia o ...

is the bride or lover of Oscar in the ''

Ossian Ossian (; Irish Gaelic/Scottish Gaelic: ''Oisean'') is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson, originally as ''Fingal'' (1761) and ''Temora'' (1763), and later combined under t ...

'' cycle of James Macpherson. *

Thomas Campbell Thomas Campbell may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Thomas Campbell (poet) (1777–1844), Scottish poet * Thomas Campbell (sculptor) (1790–1858), Scottish sculptor * Thomas Campbell (visual artist) (born 1969), California-based visual artist ...

's poem ''

Lord Ullin's Daughter ''Father of the Bride'' is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend. It was released on May 3, 2019 by Columbia Records, as their first album on a major label. The release marked the band's first project in nearly si ...

'' was translated into the

Russian language Russian (russian: русский язык, russkij jazyk, link=no, ) is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language mainly spoken in Russia. It is the First language, native language of the Russians, and belongs to the Indo-European langua ...

by the Romantic poet Vasiliy Zhukovsky. In Zhukovsky's translation, the title character, who is left unnamed in Campbell's original, is given the name Malvina, which the Russian poet likely borrowed from James Macpherson's ''

''. Vladimir Nabokov has translated Zhukovsky's translation into English to demonstrate the changes that were made.Vladimir Nabokov (2008), ''Verses and Versions: Three Centuries of Russian Poetry'', Harcourt, Inc. Pages 52-57.

People

Malvina Bolus Malvina Marjorie Bolus, (July 4, 1906 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian historian and art collector, best known as the editor of the Hudson's Bay Company magazine '' The Beaver''. Born in Fox Bay, Falkland Islands, she was educated in Englan ...

(1906–1997), Canadian historian, art collector, editor of the Hudson's Bay Company magazine "The Beaver" * Malvina Garrigues (Schnorr von Carolsfeld) (1825–1904), Danish-German operatic soprano *

Malvina Hoffman Malvina Cornell Hoffman (June 15, 1885July 10, 1966) was an American sculptor and author, well known for her life-size bronze sculptures of people. She also worked in plaster and marble. Hoffman created portrait busts of working-class people and ...

(1887–1966), American sculptor * Malvina Longfellow (1889–1962), American stage and silent movie actress * Malvina Major (born 1943), New Zealand singer * Malvina Pastorino (1916-1994), Argentine film actress *

Malvina Reynolds Malvina Reynolds (August 23, 1900 – March 17, 1978) was an American folk/blues singer-songwriter and political activist, best known for her songwriting, particularly the songs "Little Boxes", "What Have They Done to the Rain" and "Morningtown ...

(1900–1978), American folk/blues singer-songwriter and political activist *

Malvina Shanklin Harlan Malvina French Shanklin Harlan (1839–1916), informally known as "Mallie", was the wife of U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan, the grandmother of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan II, and the author of a 1915 memoir entitled ...

(1839–1916), American wife of a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, grandmother of another U.S. Supreme Court Justice, and author of a 1915 memoir * Malvina Bovi Van Overberghe (1900–1983), Belgian operatic soprano known as Vina Bovy *

Malvina Evalyn Wood Malvina Evalyn Wood (1893-1976), university librarian and college warden, was born in Guildford, Western Australia, daughter of a railway porter. Genealogy records show that the family's name was initially Shell, but was changed to Wood for un ...

(1893–1976), Australian university librarian and college warden

Fictional characters

*Malvina, the girl with blue hair – a doll-heroine from Aleksey Tolstoy's 1936 book ''The Golden Key, or the Adventures of Buratino''

References

{{given name English given names invented by fiction writers English-language feminine given names Feminine given names Scottish feminine given names