There are a few theories about the origin of the name ‘Sookie.’ It may be related to the Spanish word ‘azucar,’ meaning sugar; and even though Sookie can kick some ass, on first impressions, Sookie does appear to be a sweet Southern belle. It was the first thing that Eric commented on when he met her.

Since the name was a common one for female slaves in the South, it is also possible that Sookie is derived from an African name meaning sister. In the first episode of True Blood Tara notes the irony of a black woman being named after the iconic Southern plantation in Gone with the Wind, so it is fitting that Tara’s adopted white sister has what may be an African name.

If the name originated in Africa, however, that does not account for its prevalence in the Scotch-Irish community. There it is said to be a nickname for Susan. That connects it to the Hebrew Susanna, which means lily, a flower with extremely disparate associations that has been used for offerings since antiquity. The Hebrews, connected the lily with purity, spirituality, innocence, chastity, and virtue.

In Greece the lily symbolized sexuality. Legend says that Aphrodite, upon seeing the flower, claimed it as her own, but first, because of her jealousy, marred its loveliness by enlarging the pistil, thereby giving it a phallic resemblance. That brought the flower to the attention of Dionysus’s lusty disciples, the satyrs, who also became associated with lilies.

Since Medieval times the lily has been used to represent Jesus and the resurrection. Alternately, because people often leave them on the graves of departed loved ones, lilies have come to symbolize death itself. A flower that is represents life, death, and resurrection, not to mention, unrestrained sexuality and virginity touches on some of the seemingly contradictory themes that are explored throughout the series.

While Sookie could be viewed an a virginal offering to death in the form of Vampire Bill, the name is apropos for the object of a vampire’s affection for other reasons as well. Sook was the familiar name for livestock in the Scottish lowlands. It means suck and is derived from the Old English ‘sucan’ which is probably how it came to be a nickname for Susan. When the Scotch-Irish immigrated, Sookie, not Bessie, became the common name for cows and sookie can still be heard in the backwoods South when it’s time to call the hogs for dinner instead of the more common sooeee. If you want to hear what it sounds like, just listen to Rene as he chases Sookie through the graveyard (1/12). His intonation is that of a pig call.

Through Proto-Indo-European, it is related to the Sanskrit ‘sukharah’ which literally means “maker of (the sound) ‘su,’ which is how we get the words ‘sow’ and ‘swine.’ The association with sucking and livestock makes the name a fitting one for a character from northern Louisiana who happens to be the main source of protein for the local vampire.

Consonance also relates Sookie to the Greek name Psyche. The waitress who reads minds is a modern incarnation of the goddess who modern psychology has linked with the mind. In Greek, the word ‘psyche’ means both breath and soul and is closely connected to life itself, all things that vampires traditionally lack. While it is unclear if the vampires in the Sookieverse are technically dead or without souls, it is Sookie’s spirit, her breath of life, her soul, that revives the humanity in both Bill and Eric.

Psyche is not only important to the many connotations of Sookie’s name. To fully appreciate the series, it is important to understand Psyche’s story. That will be explored next time.