A Major Life event!
If you have searched for 'English baby names' then "Congratulations" must be in order. Whether you are the mother or father of a new baby, a member of the family or a close friend you are sharing in a major life event and taking a serious interest in choosing a special babyname from one of the
many that are available.
English
Baby Names! See below for the complete selection of
nearly 1500 English Babynames to choose from! Still
unsure? Then check out over 50,000
others available including Scottish, Welsh, Irish and
American via the Index. We have also included sections
on Popular, Unique, Unusual,
Cool, Exotic and even Shakespearean names.
Info requested by our visitors
In their search for an English baby name
people become interested in researching their own surname or
family name and First Name. We have therefore included this
information to meet the requests of our visitors.
The
Importance of First Names! We respond to our name throughout our lives. People associate
us with our firstname, it forms part of our identity. They help to distinguish us from one to another. Other
people gain immediate and sometimes totally subconscious views
of people, just from hearing a name they can
therefore give us a distinct advantage in life, or conversely, a
disadvantage! The choice of an English Baby name is, therefore, incredibly important.
And those of us who choose a baby's name are taking on
a responsible task!
The
meanings of English baby names Meaning of a name is only really
important to the person that they belong to! They
are not actually interesting to anyone else! To give credence to
this statement ask yourself the following questions...
Do
I know the name meanings of my parents?
Do
I know the name meanings of my partner?
The
answer for the vast majority of people will be a resounding
"No!". They are, however,
interesting when trying to decide upon a name for a newborn
baby. If you are
undecided perhaps the meaning of an English baby name would help you make a
final decision.
The
Origins of English baby names The origins of these include those
associated with places, mythology and history, origins from colours, plants and
other types of nature, Fictional origins, historical origins, characteristic
and religious origins. We then move on to the type of English baby
name
which can be classed as Descriptive, Place, Speciality and finally unique (or created
names).
Questions
about English baby names!
At one time or
another most of us have posed some the following questions about
our own name...
What
does my name mean?
Why did my
parents choose the name?
Are there
any strong family connections to my name?
Where did
my name originate?
Why was I
given such a popular name?
Why was I
given such an unusual name?
What English
baby name shall I give to my baby?
Will the English baby
name suit my
baby? Should it be traditional, unusual, unique, exotic, popular
or cool? Will it be suitable throughout all life phases ( "A Name isn't just for a birthday - it's for life!").
Will it be appropriate throughout a full life cycle starting with baby - toddler - school child - teenager - young adults - parents - middle age - retirement and
ending with old age. Will it suit a pensioner as well as a baby? Will the schoolchild be teased
mercilessly about a name? What will your baby think of your choice?
Help
is at hand when making a choice from English baby names! The various sections included in www. babynames.
org. uk accessed
via the Site Map will provide answers
to all of your questions regarding the choice of first names.
And our exclusive Name Evaluator
will help you avoid any of the many pitfalls!
English
Surnames
English
Surnames
- Info requested by our visitors
In their search for English baby names people become
interested in their own surname or family name. We have therefore included
this information to meet the requests of our visitors.
Spellings
of English surnames - Take Shakespeare! English names date back many hundreds of
years. Many of
our English ancestors would have been illiterate! How were names
recorded in the past? Many administrators spelled them incorrectly - so many official documents have resulted in
different name spellings leading to minefield when researching
English names! This
can be illustrated by looking at a name that is known throughout
the World - William Shakespeare. The name Shakespeare was spelt in an astonishing variety of ways including Shakspere,
Shakespere, Shakkespere, Shaxpere, Shakstaff, Sakspere,
Shagspere, Shakeshafte and even Chacsper. The name of
William Shakespeare's father, John Shakespeare, occurs 166 times in the Council Book of the Stratford corporation, and appears to take 16 different
forms! Our thanks go to www.william-shakespeare.info
for this information. The confusion in relation to the
spellings, or mis-spellings, of surnames account for the many derivatives
of one particular English name.
Meanings &
Origins of English Surnames
Meanings
of English surnames are derived from ideas conveyed by something, such as a word, action, gesture, or situation.
Whereas
origins of English surnames are the point at which
they originate, their inception, source or root. English Surnames are derived from
several main categories:
Those
meanings or origins that relate to a
place
Those
that are adopted or transferred
Those
meanings or origins that describe a profession,
trade or status
Those
meanings or origins that are connected to Nationalities
Those
meanings or origins that are descriptive
reflecting a physical or
characteristic attribute or have been derived from nicknames
Perfect
examples of descriptive English Surname origins
Most people are familiar with the old English legend of Robin Hood and the
many characters featured in this well know story. Here's a reminder of some of them:
Robin
Hood
Descriptive
category from 'Robin in the hood'
Little
John
Descriptive
category describing a physical characteristic
Maid
Marion
Descriptive
category describing a characteristic i.e. Maid
Alan
a Dale
First
name combined with a place name
Friar
Tuck
Reflecting a status i.e. Friar
Much
the Miller's son
Family
name combined with a trade title within a profession
Will
Scarlet
Descriptive
category
English
Place
Surnames (Toponymic - derived from a place or a
region)
The
most common English surname
origins are derived from actual places. People were given
surnames that indicated a specific place or region such as
London, Ireland, England, Eaton, York or Washington.
Another
type of English place name described an actual residence,
location or workplace such as Hall, Smith, Heath, Bridges,
Brook, Castle or Woods
English
names relating to Trades,
Professions or status
Surnames
are often derived from Trades, Craftsmen, Professions or Official
and other forms of status were legion
but many of their origins have been lost in time. Here are some
examples of common surnames and their often forgotten origins:
Archer
A
professional Archer
Gardner
A
gardener
Bailey
A
bailiff
Hooper
Fitted
hoops on barrels
Carter
A
cart maker
Kellogg
A
killer of hogs
Carver
A
sculptor
Machin
A
stone worker
Chaplin
A
chaplain
Naylor
A
nail maker
Chandler
A
candle maker
Proctor
A
steward
Cooper
A
barrel maker
Redman
A
thatcher (reed man)
Day
A
dairy worker
Sawyer
A
wood sawer
Fletcher
An
arrow maker
Trinder
A
wheel maker
Frobisher
Polished
armour and swords
Ward
A
watchman
Descriptive
English names
English
surnames
are often derived from physical or
characteristic attributes. The origins of many of these
descriptive categories 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
English
family connections!
Surnames
are often come from family connections such as Johnson (John's
son) Robertson and even Nixon (Nick's son). Similar types in
this category are British Celtic 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
the surnames Williams, Phillips, Edwards, and Hughes. ( From,
for example, William's son or Edward's son). Adopting such names was extremely important as they provided permanent proof of verifiable ties of
English blood, family and kin. Therefore the history connected to a
powerful English ancestor could be passed down the generations.
Want
to know more?
Further
information about surnames and Genealogy can be found by clicking the
following links:
