Baby Names

Back To Snippet


Back To SITEMAP

Baby Name Meanings

Author: Michael Barrows

Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning �Who is like God�), I�m really proud of my name. And I think that I � mostly - live up to the title! Of course, my mother would probably disagree; I think the phrase �little devil� would probably pass her lips if she was describing me during many stages of my childhood.

But then, my mother has her own issues; apparently her name (Kathleen) is a Celtic name meaning �Little Darling�. Hmmm, that isn�t the way I used to think about her during those regular occasions when she was punishing me for my �not like God� behaviour�!

And that�s the fun of baby name meanings � parents make naming decisions based on many, many different reasons, including family traditions, religion, culture, uniqueness and �it just sounds really nice.� But � in the Western world � we rarely do any real research into the history or real meaning of names. So when the poor/lucky child finally finds out the meaning of his/her �really nice sounding� name, the results can be interesting, ironic, unfortunate or just sometimes hilarious.

You can have a lot of fun thinking up family/friends names, finding out the meanings and trying to make a connection between the two. For example, my eldest brother Clive is apparently �a cliff dweller�, which is coincidental, since he lives at the top of a very long steep hill! Or why not play the game with celebrities � consider the following:

Badu (as in r n�b singer Erykah Badu): African name meaning �Tenth born child�

Winona (as in actress Winona Ryder): Sioux name meaning �Firstborn daughter�

Aaliyah (the late r n�b singer): Arabic name meaning �High, exalted�

Hilary (as in actresses Duff/Swank): Latin name meaning �Cheerful�

Some cultures have very interesting traditions when it comes to baby name meanings. For example, Hindu names usually have connections with very positive things such as truth, beauty, happiness, blessings, etc, or one of the Hindu gods. In the Sikh culture, girls traditionally have the middle or surname �Kaur�, meaning �Princess�, whilst the boys have the middle or surname �Singh�, meaning �Lion�.

An African friend of mine once mentioned that many Africans are given a second name corresponding to the day of the week on which they were born. I think is a really nice tradition, but in my case, my middle name would be �Sondo� (born on Sunday)!! Hmmmm�

Whatever type of name you have chosen, or are thinking about for your �bundle of joy�, its worth doing a little research into the meaning. And it�s never been easier, with the wealth of Internet resources and books available, including my own site at www.all-about-baby-names.com, which is jam-packed with resources, tips and information on baby names, baby name meanings and baby products.

Your search may yield some surprises; for example, the lovely-sounding name �Malory� is French and means �Bad luck�. You could get round this by spelling it �Mallory�, but this means �Without good fortune� in Old German!

Alternatively, you may end up a little confused by different meanings of the same name; for example �Leah� is a beautiful girl�s name, but what does it mean? Well�

� In Hebrew it means �Cow� or �Weary one� � uugghhh! � In Greek it means �Glad tidings� � In Assyrian, it means �Mistress, ruler�

And a final warning: if you are planning to go for a funky, unusual-sounding name, be sure to avoid �Bacia,� � its Ugandan meaning is �Family deaths ruined the home!�

For more information and advice, check out the baby name meaning resources at http://www.all-about-baby-names.com.

Enjoy your search and happy baby naming!

About the Author

Michael Barrows is a web publisher specialising in niche marketing. Check out the wealth of baby resources and pick up his FREE ebook "Baby Tips for New Parents" at his website; http://www.all-about-baby-names.com

...

Baby Names

Back To Snippet


Back To SITEMAP

A History of Names

Author: GranMamma

The history of names is so ancient that no one know quite where it began. Oral and written history both profess people having names. Earlier names seem to have some sort of meaning, usually descriptive. In contrast, today�s names are usually given based upon their popularity or pleasing sounds.

Early in prehistory, descriptive names were used continuously. Eventually, a collection of names were formed that identified that particular culture. Today, the meanings of many names are not known, due to the aging history of a name. As time goes on, languages change, and words that formed the original name are often unrecognizable.

The rise in Christianity transformed the history of names. Christians were encouraged to name their children after saints and martyrs of the church. Because of this influence, we now see names such as Mary, Martha, Joseph, James, Mark, Paul, and John prominent among many cultures. These names were spread by early missionaries throughout Europe.

By the Middle Ages, Christian names were seen predominantly. Each culture had its collection of names, which were a combination of native and early Christian names. However, the naming pools continued to evolve. Modern names often bear little resemblance of their predecessors. Surprisingly, the early Christian names changed very little in comparison.

Bynames are additional identifiers used to distinguish two people with the same name. From these bynames, surnames were developed. Surnames are a comparatively recent development. These usually started out as being specific to a person and then became inherited from father to son. This was a common practice between the twelfth and sixteenth century. This practice was adopted first by the aristocracy and later on by the peasants. Bynames came in various types. The patronymic referred to the father, a matronymic referred to the mother, a locative or toponymic indicated where a person was from,and an epithet described the person in some way ( such as their occupation, office, or status).

Patronymics are common in almost all European cultures. For example, a man named Ivan whose father�s name is Nikolay would be know as Ivan Nikolayevich or �Ivan, son of Nikolay�. In Gaelic, the prefix �Mac� is used to form a patronym. An example would be �MacKenzie� - son of Kenneth. The use of the matronymic is much less common.
Common occupational names included Baker, Shepherd, Carpenter, and Wright.

The Romans adopted surnames as far back as 2,000 years ago, while other areas of the world were slower to begin using surnames. However, by the Middle Ages, they were used regularly, first by the nobility and then by the gentry. Following the fall of the Roman Empire, Ireland was one of the first countries to adopt surnames. These Irish surnames are found as early as the tenth century.

Today's names are influenced by celebrities, common popular names, and biblical names.

About the Author

GranMamma is the webmaster at the Baby Names Box - http://www.babynamebox.com Where you can explore over 6,000 baby names and their meanings. Sub-categories include Disney ,J.R. Tolkien names, Fantasy and Folklore names, and many names from the literary classics. Read articles ranging from parenting and family to home and gardening. Be sure to say hi to GranMamma!

...