End of 2017

In a few hours it’ll be the start of a new year. I started this blog back in April (after two other name blogs, one on wordpress and the other on blogger), and so far it’s gratifying to see that I still come across new names, and even when I write up old names I’ve…

Heather

Heather refers to a variety of small shrubs with pink or white flowers which commonly grow in rocky places. The name comes from Old English hather, hæddre, of uncertain origin and meaning, though it seems the spelling was changed to resemble heath which refers to a tract of uncultivated land or a wasteland overgrown with shrubs; the name derives from Old…

Wendell

Wendell is an English surname derived from given name Wendel, a short form of Germanic names beginning with wandal meaning “Vandal”, referring to a Germanic tribe who invaded Spain and North Africa. Though the etymology of the name is uncertain, it has been linked to Germanic *wandern meaning “to wander” deriving from Proto-Germanic *windaną meaning “to wind, to wrap” from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (to wind, to…

Kenna

Kenna is a Scottish female name, the feminine form of Kenneth, itself the anglicized form of two Gaelic names: Coinneach which derives from Gaelic caoin meaning “handsome, fair, beautiful, kind”; and Cináed meaning “born of fire”. Kenneth is also a surname derived from the given name. Kenna is also a Scottish and Irish surname deriving from the given name, as well…

Leland

Leland comes from an English surname deriving from a place name in England meaning “fallow land” or “untilled land” from Old English læge (fallow, untilled) and land (land) which comes from Proto-Germanic *landą (land) deriving from Proto-Indo-European *lendh- (2) (land, heath). Leland is also a surname deriving from the given name, though it’s also a shortened form of McClellan or McLelland, both an anglicized form of…

Nova

Nova refers to a star that suddenly becomes bright before eventually fading back to its original intensity. The name comes from Latin novus meaning “new” derived from Proto-Indo-European *néwos (new). Nova could also be a short form of Novalee, a female given name combining Nova with Lee, which derives from Old English lēah (woodland, clearing, meadow). Origin: Proto-Indo-European Female forms: Novalee (English) Novalie…

Miro

Miro comes from Slavic element miru meaning “peace; world” from Proto-Slavic *mȋrъ derived from a Proto-Indo-European source. Miro is a Slovene and Croatian short form of Miroslav, a Slavic male name meaning “peaceful glory”; though it may also be a short form of names ending in -miro such as Edelmiro (the Spanish form of Ancient Germanic Adelmar meaning “noble famous”). Miro is also an Italian surname derived…

Georgelle

Georgelle is an English female name, the feminine form of George, the English form of Greek Georgios, which means “farmer, earthworker” from georgos made up from Greek elements ge (earth) and ergon (work). Origin: Ancient Greek Variants: Georgette (French, English) Georgia (English, Greek) Georgiana (English, Romanian) Georgina (English, Dutch, German, Spanish) Georgeanna (English) Georgine (English) Georgene (English) Georgine (French) Jorja (English) Gergana (Bulgarian) Đurađa (Serbian,…

Warrick

Warrick comes from an English surname via a place name, a variant spelling of Warwick meaning “dam settlement” or “dwelling by the weir”, a weir being a small dam near a river or stream which regulates the flow of water downstream. It’s made up from Proto-Germanic warją (dam, weir) and Old English wīċ (settlement; village; dwelling) derived from Germanic *wīk- (settlement, village, dwelling) via…

Messalina

Messalina is an Ancient Roman cognomen, the feminine form of Messalla which may have been a corruption of Messana, the name of a city in Sicily (better known as Messina) which seems to have received its name from an ancient Greek town, Messene. Though the etymology behind the name is unknown, it has been linked to Greek mesos meaning “middle”. Messalina is…

Bellator

Bellator comes from Latin meaning “warrior; warlike” from bellum (war) which comes from an older form of the word, duellum, from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂w-, *dew- (to injure, destroy, burn). Origin: Proto-Indo-European Female forms: Bellatrix (Latin)  

Creek

Creek comes from a nature name referring to a stream of water smaller than a river or a small inlet or bay narrower than a cove. It derives from Old Norse kriki meaning “corner, nook”. The Creeks are also a Native American tribe, also known as the Muscogees. Creek is also an English surname, likely deriving from a…

Linum

Linum is the name of a genus of flowering plants. It comes from Latin līnum meaning “flax” which seems to be derived from a Proto-Indo-European origin. Origin: Proto-Indo-European  

Melrose

Melrose comes from an English surname derived from a place name in Scotland meaning “barren moor” or “barren heath” from Welsh moel (bare, barren; bald) from Proto-Celtic *maylos; and rhos (moor, heath), though the second element may also be derived from Old Irish ros meaning “promontory”. However, Melrose as a given name could also be a combination of Mel, either a short…