A
free online resource crammed with interesting information
about baby name meanings...
Name meanings! If you have searched for name meanings then perhaps you have an interest in your own name meaning or
the meanings of the name of someone who is close to you. It
might also mean that "Congratulations" might be in order. Whether you are the mother or father of a new
baby or just interested in
names and their meaning we hope that the information that we
provide will be of help. And perhaps will be interested in a few
different points of view on the subject of names and their
meanings. For details of Baby Names Meanings please click the Names
Dictionary Link
Name meanings Name meanings are only really
important to the person that they belong to! They are not very interesting to anyone other than a close family
member! To give credence to
this statement ask yourself the following questions...
Do
I know the meanings of my parent's name's?
Do
I know the meanings of my partner's name?
Has
anyone ever asked the meaning of my name?
The
answer for the vast majority of people will be a resounding
"No!". Name meanings are, however,
interesting when trying to decide upon baby names. If you are
undecided perhaps baby name meanings would help you make a
final decision. Because of the relative lack of interest in baby
name meanings their importance is fairly minimal when
choosing baby names.
A
First Name Meaning - nice to know!
Parents tend to select a name and might then have a look at
the meaning of the name. The meaning of a name does not appear to be
a major factor when making the final decisions in relation to
the chosen selections! Our lists of name's, from all around the
world totalling over 50,000 in number, can accessed from the Site
Map.
Surnames Meanings of
surnames appear to be of more interest to people due to their
connections with family roots. The derivations and meanings of the majority
of surnames come from the following categories:
Surname
meanings that relate to a
place
Surname
meanings
that are adopted or transferred
Surname
meanings that describe a profession,
trade or status
Surname
meanings that are connected to Nationalities
Surname
meanings that are descriptive
reflecting a physical or
characteristic attribute or have been derived from nicknames
Perfect
examples of descriptive English Surnames meanings
Most people are familiar with the legend of Robin Hood and the
names used in this story. Here's a reminder of some of them and
the what they actual mean:
Robin
Hood
Descriptive
meaning from 'Robin in the hood'
Little
John
Descriptive
meaning - describing a physical characteristic
Maid
Marion
Descriptive
meaning - describing a characteristic i.e. Maid
Alan
a Dale
Firstname combined with a place
origin
Friar
Tuck
Reflecting a status
meaning i.e. Friar
Much
the Miller's son
Descriptive
meaning - a trade name
Will
Scarlet
Descriptive
Meanings
of Place
Surnames (Toponymic - meaning derived from a place or a
region)
The
most common surname meanings are derived from actual place names. This is
particularly relevant to English surnames. People were given
surnames that indicated a specific place name such as
London, Ireland, England, Eaton, York or Washington.
Another
type of place surname meanings described actual residences,
locations or workplaces such as Hall, Smith, Heath, Bridges,
Brook, Castle or Woods
Trades,
Professions or status meanings related to English Surnames
The following name meanings are
derived from Trades,
Crafts, Professions or Official
and other forms of status. These types of name meanings are legion
but many of their origins have been lost in time. Here are some
examples of common name meanings and their often forgotten origins and
meaning:
Archer
A
professional Archer
Bailey
A
bailiff
Carter
A
cart maker
Carver
A
sculptor
Chaplin
A
chaplain
Chandler
A
candle maker
Cooper
A
barrel maker
Day
A
dairy worker
Fletcher
An
arrow maker
Frobisher
Polished
armour and swords
Gardner
A
gardener
Hooper
Fitted
hoops on barrels
Kellogg
A
killer of hogs
Leach
A
doctor
Machin
A
stone worker
Naylor
A
nail maker
Proctor
A
steward
Redman
A
thatcher (reed man)
Sawyer
A
wood sawer
Trinder
A
wheel maker
Ward
A
watchman
Descriptive
Surname Meanings
The
original meaning of last names were often derived from physical or
characteristic attributes. The origins and meanings of many of these
descriptive names have also been lost over the years:
Armstrong
A
strong arm
Brown
A
brown haired man
Crippen
Curly
hair
Grant
A
tall man
Moore
Dark
complexion like a Moor
Russell
A
red haired man
Shakespeare
A
soldier, who carried, or shook, a spear
Turnbull
A
strong man
Surname
meanings with family connections!
Last name meanings often come from family connections such as Johnson (John's
son) Robertson and even Nixon (Nick's son). Similar names in
this category are those names beginning with Mc, Mac or Fitz
such as McDonald or Fitzpatrick. There were also the first names
such as William, Phillip, Edward, and Hugh which were changed to
create the surnames Williams, Phillips, Edwards, and Hughes. ( From,
for example, William's son or Edward's son). These meanings were
extremely important as adopting such names provided permanent proof of verifiable ties of
blood, family and kin. Therefore the history connected to a
powerful ancestor and its meaning could be passed down the generations. Gaelic
name meanings beginning with Ó or Mac immediately identify
significant family ties and the heritage of a specific
nationality such as Irish or Scottish.
First
names, surnames, meanings and origins
We hope that the wealth of information contained on this site
will provide you with inspiration and lots of ideas. The Site
Map details all of the sections and information available -
a comprehensive resource for
those making important decisions
and finding appropriate names and searching for a name and
meaning. The information and advice takes a balanced view of the pleasure and the pitfalls
when making these important decisions and researching name
meanings. A name is incredibly important
and people will always be judged by their name.
Baby
Name Meanings
"Remember! A Name isn't just for a
Birth Day -
it's for Life!"
