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
Unusual Names
Dictionary
Click here for
Baby Shower Ideas
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 |
