Swithin

Also spelled as Swithun, this rare choice was notably borne by a 9th-century bishop who became the patron saint of Winchester (England) and of the weather. Said to be the one to pray for during a drought, St. Swithin is perhaps best known for his feast day (July 15th), which is used as a weather predictor.

According to an old English proverb which states whatever the weather on St. Swithin's Day, will hold for the next 40 days: a rainy July 15th means a rainy August; a sunny one means sunshine over the next month. It may sound fanciful, but there is scientific backing: the feast day tends to coincide with the jet stream above the UK settling into a pattern that typically continues until the August, in turn leading to steadier weather).

Blending the Old English elements, swiþ and hun, Swithun is an animal and nature related choice, meaning "strong bear cub". Neither the Swithin or Swithun spelling have appeared in the US stats, though Swithin was given to three boys in England and Wales in 2008.

Thomas Hardy used the name for one of the central characters of his 1882 novel, Two on a Tower , in which it's borne by astronomer Swithin St. Cleeve.

Pronounced SWITH-in.