Posy (given name)

{{Infobox given name

|name =Posy

|image = Making posies McNiccoll.jpg

|caption = Making posies by Helen McNiccoll, 1910. One meaning of the name Posy is nosegay.

|gender = Unisex

|meaning = Single flower or nosegay or diminutive of Josephine.

|region =

|language = English

}}

File:Post medieval gold posy ring (FindID 276914).jpg found in Leicestershire, England. Dated between 1600 and 1800, it is inscribed "God above keep us in love."]]

Posy or Posey or Posie is an English given name derived from the English term for a small flower bouquet.{{cite book|last=Lansky|first=Bruce |author-link= |date=2019 |title= 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book |url= |location= |publisher= Da Capo Lifelong Books |page= 252|isbn= 978-0306845246}} A posy is also a word for a single flower.{{cite book |last1=|first1= | last2=|first2=|last3=| first3=| author-link= |date= 2009|title= Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition |url= |location= |publisher=Merriam-Webster|page=|asin= B000SEGJ5S }} It can also be derived from an English nickname, sometimes used independently, for a formal name such as Josephine.{{cite web | url=https://www.behindthename.com/name/posy | title=Meaning, origin and history of the name Posy }}{{cite web | url=https://nameberry.com/babyname/posy | title=Posy - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity }} The name came into use along with other botanical names for girls in the 1800s. {{cite book |last1=Hanks|first1= Patrick| last2=Hardcastle|first2=Kate |last3=Hodges| first3=Flavia| author-link= |date= 2006|title= Oxford Dictionary of First Names|url= |location= |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=222|isbn= 0-19-861060-2}} It has also been associated with poesy, referring to a collection of verses. {{cite book |last1=Hanks|first1= Patrick| last2=Hardcastle|first2=Kate |last3=Hodges| first3=Flavia| author-link= |date= 2006|title= Oxford Dictionary of First Names|url= |location= |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=222|isbn= 0-19-861060-2}} A posie ring is a gold ring with a meaningful verse on its surface. They were exchanged by lovers as a symbol of commitment from the 1500s.{{cite web

| url = https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-29144449

| title = Gold 'posy' ring found in County Antrim field

| last =

| first =

| date = 10 September 2014

| website = bbc.com

| publisher = BBC

| access-date = 31 May 2023

| quote = }} Other spelling variants in use include Posee and Posi.{{cite book|last=Lansky|first=Bruce |author-link= |date=2019 |title= 100,000+ Baby Names: The most helpful, complete, & up-to-date name book |url= |location= |publisher= Da Capo Lifelong Books |page= 199 |isbn= 978-0306845246}}

Posey is also a surname with various possible English, French, and German etymological origins. {{cite book |last1=Hanks |first1=Patrick|last2= Lenarčič |first2=Simon|last3=McClure |first3=Peter|date=November 2022 |title=Dictionary of American Family Names |edition=2nd|publisher=Oxford University Press|location= |isbn=978-0190245115 |pages=}}

Notable people and characters with the name include: