How Did The Ladybug Get Her Name?

It's only in North America (a minority of English speakers, incidentally) that the insect is called a 'ladybug', The rest of the English speaking world calls it a 'Ladybird' (even though it is not a bird). Other European names for it similarly associate it with the Virgin Mary. Although Mary is usually depicted wearing a blue cloak, the earliest mediaeval paintings show her wearing a red cloak and the bright scarlet beetle seems to have been named so because of this. The seven black spots are supposed to represent the seven joys and seven sorrows. I am not sure that I give any credence to a supposed plague of aphids, which would have been an infrequent event. The symbolism of the red and the number of spots seems much more likely to me. As to the epithet 'bird', nobody seems to have an answer! Various other languages describe it as a 'beetle', a 'cow' and a 'hen' and some make it belong to Our Lord, rather than Our Lady. It seems that only the Germans identify it correctly as a beetle (Marienkaefer). We had a favourite childhood rhyme for whenever we found one: Ladybird, Ladybird, fly away home! Your house is on fire and your children are gone.

May be UK farmers prayed the Virgin Mary and they called them "beetle of Our Lady". Only in English this beetle is called ladybug, we call them coccinella in Italy cocinelle in Franch. I searched and I found the real origin of the name, nothing to do with farmers praying, but interesting.

I remember way back at the dawn of time (before my family moved from Lakeview to Elora) one Saturday a ladybug landed on my youngest sister's finger (she was maybe 5 or 6). She was delighted until it spread its outer wings and flew away. Then she (my sister) started screaming... she thought it exploded.

I always loved ladybugs until a new type came and enjoy pinching people.

@celticeagle @ladyduck The Irish word for a ladybug (and also perhaps the Russian?) translates into English as ‘God’s little cow’.

Many years ago there was a plague of ladybugs in Brighton, a town on the south coast of England. They were virtually everywhere. Bus drivers had to use the windscreen wipers to clear the front windws so that they could see the street! They don't bite or sting human beings, but I can tell you that it is not a nice feeling to have them sitting all over your skin which isn't covered by clothing.

Now the next time I see a ladybird this will remind me of your post. Very informative

That is very interesting. I did not know any of that.

Interesting!

@celticeagle And what about male ladybugs? What’s the proper term for them? Gentlemen bugs?

Interesting. I was glad to know that it was named after Our Lady and that it helped farmers get rid of pests.

Interesting! Locally, when growing up, lots of ladybugs. But now days, I don't see much. I see the blue green ones mostly as I got older. Ladybugs considered good luck charm too.

That's interesting. They're good pests then.