Names Origins & Meanings For The Main Cast Of "Empire"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information about the origins and meanings of the first names of the main characters in the hit 2015 American television series "Empire".

Information about the origins & meanings of the first names of the actors and actresses who portray those characters is also given in this post.

The content of this post is presented for etymological and cultural reasons.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the creators, producers, writers, and stars of this television series. Thanks also to all those who have been quoted in this post.

DISCLAIMER:
Most of the information on this page is quoted from and credited to websites. The name meanings that are given in this post may not be accurate or may not be the meanings that those particular stars ascribe to their names.

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EDITOR'S COMMENT
Because all but one of the main characters in the television series "Empire" are scripted as African Americans, I believe the given names that were selected for those characters can provide information about African American naming practices and aesthetics. I also believe that the first names of the stars who portray those characters can also add to information on this subject.

I'm particularly interested in the preponderance of names in both of these categories that I believe are considered to be non-standard in mainstream (i.e. White) American culture. That list includes but isn't limited to given names that are from non-European and non-Hebrew languages, the use of nouns or adjectives for names, the use of "non-standard" variants of "standard" names, and the use of "non-standard" spelling for those names.

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Most of the character's names and the stars' first names that are listed here are also included in the pancocojams series of famous Black People - Name Origins & Meanings. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/02/famous-black-people-name-origins_26.html for Part I of that series. The links to the other two parts of that series are found on that page.

Other pancocojams posts on names and nicknames can be found by clicking the tabs that are found below.

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Thanks to all those who are quoted on this page.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE TELEVISION SHOW EMPIRE
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_(2015_TV_series)
"Empire is an American musical drama television series which debuted on Fox on January 7, 2015. The show centers around a hip hop music and entertainment company, Empire Entertainment, and the drama among the members of the founders' family as they fight for control of the company. The hour-long family drama was created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, and stars Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson.

On January 17, 2015, the series was renewed for a second season."
-snip-
The main cast as given on this Wikipedia page is the list that I've used for this post.

Click http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3228904/fullcredits/ for a full series cast list for 2015.

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NAME ORIGINS AND MEANINGS FOR THE MAIN CAST OF "EMPIRE"
1. Character: Lucious Lyon portrayed by Terence Howard
[Speculation] - The name "Lucious" is a variant form of the male name "Lucius"
Information about the name "Lucius"
From http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/lucius
Latin Meaning:
"The name Lucius is a Latin baby name. In Latin the meaning of the name Lucius is: Light. Form of Luke. This name was popular in ancient Rome, and has been borne by three popes."

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[Speculation] - The name "Lucious" uses the adjective "lucious" as a name.
Information about the name "Lucious"
From http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/luscious
"adjective:
1.b (Of food or wine) having a pleasingly rich, sweet taste:
Richly verdant or opulent.
(Of a woman) very sexually attractive

Origin
Late Middle English: perhaps an alteration of obsolete licious, shortened form of delicious."

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[Speculation] - The name "Lucious" carries connotations of the adjective "luxurious"
Information about the word "luxurious"
From http://www.thefreedictionary.com/luxurious
1."Marked by luxury or a fondness for luxury: luxurious taste."
2. Providing great pleasure or comfort, especially at great cost: luxurious bedsheets that were made of silk. See Synonyms at sensuous.
-snip-
The name "Lucious" is believable because there are other male names in the United States that end with "ous" and "us" (examples: "Lucius", "Julius", "Marcus", "Demarcus", "Thaddeus", "Cornelius", Thelonious, Eldophus").

With the exception of "Julius", "Marcus", and "Demarcus", these names are generally considered to be rather old fashioned. Yet, the "us" and "ous" endings convey strength, perhaps because of the association of "Julius" with the Roman emperor "Julius Caesar".

Notice the presence of another male name ending in "us" in the information below about the source name for "Dwight" (Lucious Lyon's "real name".)

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Information about the family name "Lyon"
A variant form of the noun "lion". The lion is known as the "king of the jungle".

Comment from http://empire.wikia.com/wiki/Lucious_Lyon

"Realizing that a black kid with the name "Dwight Walker" wouldn't survive living on the streets, he took on the name 'Lucious Lyon', believing that one day that would be the name of an immortal god"
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Information about the name "Dwight"
From http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/dwight
"Dwight is: From a surname, derived from Diot, a Latin Dionysius or Dionysia, referring to the god of wine."

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Information about the name "Terence"
From http://www.behindthename.com/name/terence
"GENDER: Masculine
Meaning & History
From the Roman family name Terentius which is of unknown meaning. Famous bearers include Publius Terentius Afer, a Roman playwright, and Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar. It was also borne by several early saints."

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2. Character: Cookie Lyon portrayed by Taraji P.[Penda] Henson
Information about the name "Cookie"
"Cookie" is a somewhat common female nickname in the United States. It means a female who is sweet.

"Cookie' is also a street name for crack cocaine. (http://www.njlawman.com/feature%20pieces/drug%20slang.htm). That nickname choice on the Empire television series for a woman who served prison time for a drug charge is just one example of what I believe is the more than coincidental selection of names for that series' fictitious characters.
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The nickname "Cookie" is included in this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/11/sugar-mamas-sweet-nicknames-for-black.html "Sugar Mamas - Sweet Nicknames For Black Females".

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Information about the name "Taraji"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraji_P._Henson
"Taraji Penda Henson (born September 11, 1970) is an American actress...
...Her first and middle name are of Swahili origin, "Taraji" meaning hope and "Penda" meaning love.[8][9]."

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3. Character: Andre Lyon portrayed by Trai Byers
Information about the name "Andre"
From http://www.behindthename.com/name/andre10M
[summary] French, Portuguese form of the Greek name "Andreas", meaning strong, manly (English form: Andrew)
-snip-
The male name "Andre" and variants of that name are found quite often among contemporary (1960s to date) African American males. Among those variants are the names "Deandre", "DeAndre", "Deondre", and "Ondray".

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Information about the name "Trai"
Trai
[Speculative origin and meaning]- The name "Trai" may be a variant form of the name "Trey" ("Tray").
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trey
"Trey is a three in playing cards, dice, or dominoes, similar to the more familiar ace for one and deuce for two. It comes from Old French treis, meaning three. It is also a common nickname for those who are the third of their name."
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Editor's Note: Some African Americans use the name "Trey" or a variant form of that name "Tray" as the first part of male given names not because the person so named is the third male one in the family to have that name, but because of the sound and look of that name.

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4. Character: Jamal Lyon portrayed by Jussie Smollett
Information about the name "Jamal"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamal
"Jamal (Arabic: جمال‎ Jamāl/Ǧamāl ) is an Arabic masculine given name, meaning beauty.[2] The use of this name is widespread across the Muslim world and among communities of African descent."
-snip-
In the United States, "Jamal" is said to mean "handsome" instead of "beauty".

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Information about the name "Jussie"
[Speculative] "Jussie" is a diminutive form of the word "Justice"
-snip-
"Justice" is sometimes given as a male or female name among African Americans, i.e. the 1993 movie Poetic Justice, "Justice" was the lead female's name. Also, I have a male nephew in his 20s whose given name is "Justice".

Information about the word "Justice"
From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/justice
"Justice -
noun
the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness:
to uphold the justice of a cause."

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{Speculative] "Jussie" is a form of the male given name "Jessie"*
From http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/jessie
"Hebrew Meaning:
The name Jessie is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Jessie is: Wealthy. Also a Jehovah exists."
-snip-
Noth the noun "Justice" and the name "Jessie" might have contributed to the meanings that may have been given to the name "Jussie".

*Although it isn't pertinent for the pssible meaning of "Jussie", the name "Jessie" is also a diminutive form of the female name "Jessica".

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5. Character: Hakeem Lyon - portrayed by Bryshere Y. Gray
Information about the name "Hakeem"
From http://www.sudairy.com/arabic/masc.html "Masculine Arabic names"
"Hakim, Hakeem - Wise, one of God's ninety-nine qualities"

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Information about "Bryshere"
[Speculative- a variant form of the surname (family name) "Brashear"

Information about "Brashear"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brashear_(surname)
"The surname Brashear is the anglicisation of the French surname Brasseur, meaning ″brewer″, or Brasier, Brazier, or Brassier."

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6. Character: Anika Calhoun - portrayed by Grace Gealey
Information about the name "Anika"
From https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0312961065 The Last Word on First Names: The Definitive A-Z Guide to the Best and Worst By Linda Rosenkrantz, Pamela Redmond Satran (p. 13)
"ANIKA [from] African and Scandinavian-
ANNAKIYA (pronounced Anna-kee-a), which means "sweet face" in Hausa.
Anika Scandinavian- ANN-e-ka, a Scandinavian diminutive for Anne"

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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anika http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anika
Anika is a feminine given name, and may refer to many things.
For example:
Hebrew Meaning: Grace; favour, Beautiful
Arabic: Unique
Latin Meaning: Grace; favour
Japanese Meaning: Apricot from Nara
Sanskrit Meaning: Graceful, favor, sweet faced, brilliance, Goddess Durga"

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Information about the name "Grace"
From http://www.babynamewizard.com/baby-name/girl/grace
"Origin of the name Grace:

Inspired by grace (eloquence or beauty of form, kindness, mercy, favor), which is derived from the Latin gratia (favor, thanks). The name was made popular by 17th-century Puritans, who bestowed it in reference to God's favor and love toward mankind.

From A World of Baby Names by Teresa Norman."
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I don't think that it's a coincidence that the character's name has the same meaning as the name of the actress who portrays her. I think name choice and other great name choices (which aren't necessarily the same as or similar to the actors'/actresses' names) for the characters in the "Empire" series can be credited to the use of one or more linquist consultants. Kudos to that consultant or consultants!

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7. Character - Vernon Turner portrayed by Malik Yoba
Information about the name "Vernon"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_(surname)
"Vernon is a surname, from a masculine name that is derived from the Gaul word vern for Alder tree (also springlike, flourishing, or full of life) and a Gaulish-latin suffix indicating a location. Thus Vernon is a "place of alders". Variants include Vern, Vernard, Verne, Verna, Sberna, Sberno. Vernon was introduced into England as an aristocratic surname at the time of the Norman conquest."

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Information about the name "Malik"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malik
Malik, Melik, Malka, or Melech (Arabic: ملك‎; Hebrew: מֶלֶךְ‎) is originally an East Semitic (Akkadian/Assyrian/Babylonian, Eblaite) and later a Northwest Semitic (e.g. Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Syriac, Amorite, Canaanite, Hebrew) and Central Semitic (Arabic) word meaning "King", also interpreted as "Prince" or "Chieftain".

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8. Character "Rhonda Lyons" as portrayed by Kaitlin Doubleday
Note: This is the only Black character/actress in this list of of the main cast.
Information about the name "Rhonda"
From http://www.behindthename.com/name/rhonda
"Gender feminine
Meaning & History
Probably intended to mean "good spear" from Welsh rhon "spear" and da "good", but possibly influenced by the name of the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, which means "noisy". It has been in use only since the 20th century. Its use may have been partially inspired by Margaret Mackworth, Viscountess Rhondda (1883-1956), a British feminist."

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Information about the name "Kaitlin"
From http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/kaitlin
"Kaitlin
The name Kaitlin is a baby girl name.
Greek Meaning:
The name Kaitlin is a Greek baby name. In Greek the meaning of the name Kaitlin is: Pure."
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Another "Empire" series actress who portrays the character "Porsha" has a first name that is a variant form of the name "Rhonda" - Ta'Rhonda Jones.

Usually variants of a name retain the same established meaning of the "standard" name. The "Ta" prefix for African American female names isn't as common as the "La" prefix. TMost of the time one of those prefixes (and other relatively common African American prefixes such as "De"-usually pronounced "De"- for males) are added to give more uniqueness to the name's sound and look.
However, sometimes the prefix in female names is a clip of the father's name.

The name "Porsha" is a feminine Latin form of the family name "Porcius" which means "pig". However, that female name carries a positive association with the the heroine of William Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice". http://www.behindthename.com/name/portia.

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