Amaryllis

Meaning: (Fresh, Sparkling, Sparkling Eyes, Derived from the word amaryssein meaning 'to sparkle'. The name was popular in literature; it was used by Virgil, Ovid, and English pastoral poets from the 16th and 17th centuries, such as Spenser and Milton. This was the name of a heroine in Virgil's epic poem 'Eclogues'. The name was often used poetically to refer to a simple shepherdess or country girl. Amaryllis is also associated with the flower or plant, itself named after the 19th-century Arcadian heroine. Amaryllis is a small genus of flowering bulbs, with two species. The better known of the two, Amaryllis belladonna, is a native of South Africa, particularly the rocky southwest region near the Cape. For many years there was confusion amongst botanists over the generic names Amaryllis and Hippeastrum, one result of which is that the common name "amaryllis" is mainly used for cultivars of the genus Hippeastrum, widely sold in the winter months for their ability to bloom indoors. Plants of the genus Amaryllis belladonna are known as belladonna lily, Jersey lily, naked lady, amarillo or, in South Africa, March lily. This is one of numerous genera with the common name "lily" due to their flower shape and growth habit. However, they are only distantly related to the true lily, Lilium. A. belladonna has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. )

Origin: (Greek, Old Greek, English, Literature)

Pronunciation: (aeM-aa-RIHL-ahS, am-ə-RIL-is (English), am-ah-RILL-iss, Uh-mar-ih-lis, A-mar-i-llis)

Gender: Female

I answered a question on Yahoo Answers a few weeks ago and this person was asking about naming a Princess Amaryliss which is a different spelling of Amaryllis. After I saw that question I fell in love with the name and then I saw the meanings of Amaryllis and I love them too. It seemed very sci-fi futuristic to me but I could also see this in pretty much any genre.