SOME TRIFLE

& A TOUCH

OF SORBO

 

The origin & meaning of the familiar names

 

Real life names
Kevin
Gaelic
Anglicized form of the name Caoimhin, which means "handsome child" from Gaelic caomh "handsome" combined with a diminutive suffix. (A)
Irish/Gaelic
Irish for "handsome," it was first made popular by the seventh-century St. Kevin, who founded a monastery near Dublin distinguished by its scholarship, and who was rewarded by becoming one of that city's patron saints. (B)
David
Hebrew

Meaning: "Friend" or "beloved". David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC. Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of Goliath, a giant Philistine. (A)

Hebrew
The name (meaning "beloved") of the second king of Israel in the Old Testament, who, as a boy, slew the mighty warrior Goliath with his slingshot, then grew up to become a wise and highly cultivated leader who enjoyed music and was a poet. (B)
Ardis
Latin
Meaning: Fervent, eager. (C)
Lynn
Welsh
Possible meaning: Lake or Pool. (A)
Old English

Meaning: Near a Lake or Pond (C)

Old English
Variant of Irish (Gaelic) name Flann, which means "ruddy-complected".
Braeden
Gaelic
Variant of Braden. From the Irish surname O Bradain, which means "descendent of Bradan". The name Bradan derives from a Gaelic word meaning "salmon". (A)
Gaelic
Root: Braden. Meaning: Broad Valley. (C)
Cooper
Middle English
From a surname meaning "barrel maker". (A)
Shane
Irish
Anglicized form of Sean, which is Irish form of John. Meaning: God is gracious. (A)
Gaelic
Anglicized form of Gaelic name Seaghan, a variant of Eoin, which is the Gaelic form of John. Meaning: God is gracious. (B)
Irish/Gaelic
Shane is Irish variant of Shaun from the Hebrew name John. Meaning: The gracious gift of God.
Haaken
Norwegian
Anglicized form of Hakon - modern Norwegian form of the Old Norse name, which meant "high son" from ha "high" and konr "son". This was the name of seven kings of Norway. (A)
Norse
Meaning: Of the chosen race.
Octavia
Roman
(Variants: Ottavia, Tavia, Tavie, Tavy). Feminine form of Octavius. A clan name of Roman emperors. Meaning: The Eighth.
Latin
Meaning: Eighth. The name was at one time given to the eighth child born into a family. (B)
Flynn
Irish

Rare masculine name. From an Irish surname, which is a form of the Gaelic O Flainn "descendant of Flann". Name Flann means "red". (A)

Gaelic

Usage of Flynn as a middle name is much more common than its usage as a first name.

Celtic/Gaelic

(Variants: Flin, Flinn, Flyn). Masculine name. Meaning: Heir to the Redheaded, Son of the red-haired man. (C)

Sandra
Greek

Alessandra - From the name Alexandros, which meant "defending men" from alexein "to defend, help" and aner (genitive andros) "man". (A)

Greek
Root: Cassandra. Meaning: She, who inflames in love. (C)
Sam
Aramaic
Diminutive of Samantha -- Meaning: Listener. (C)

 

Screen names
SBarbara
Lars
Latin

Scandinavian form of Laurence (Lawrence) - From the Roman cognomen Laurentius, which meant "of Laurentum". Laurentum was a city in ancient Italy, its name probably deriving from Latin laurus "laurel". (A)

Latin
Root: Laurence. Meaning: Crowned with laurel. (D)
First and ten
Barry
Gaelic

Anglicized form of Bairre, which is diminutive of Fionnbharr or Barrfhionn. Meaning of both: "fair hair", just first is derived from Irish forms, second - from Gaelic barr "head" and fionn "white, fair". (A)

Irish
Meaning: Spear. (B)
Celtic
Meaning: Son Of Harry. (C)
Condition...
Thaddeus
Aramaic

Possibly means "heart". (A)

Aramaic
Meaning: Courageous. (A)
Aramaic
Meaning: Strong. (D)
Slaughter...
John
Hebrew

Root: Greek name Ioannes, itself derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning "Yahweh (God) is gracious". (A)

Hebrew
Meaning: The gracious gift of God. (D)
Murder...
Michael
Hebrew

From the Hebrew name Miyka'el which meant "who is like God?". This was the name of one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies. (A)

Commish
Mark
Latin

Was probably derived from the name of the Roman god of war Mars. (A)

Latin
Root: Marcus. Meaning: Warlike. (C)
Latin
Meaning: A hammer; or sprung from Mars. (D)
H:TLJ
Hercules
Greek
Meaning: "Glory of Hera" (French - Hercule, Italian - Ercole). (A)
Greek

Latin form of greek name Herakles, which was derived from Greek heros "warrior" and kleos "glory".

H:TLJ
Robert
Teutonic

Means "bright fame", derived from the Germanic elements hrod "fame" and beraht "bright". (A)

Cybill
Rick
Teutonic

Diminutive of Richard. Means "brave power", derived from the Germanic elements ric "power, rule" and hard "brave, hardy". (A)

-
Meaning: Powerful, Rich Ruler. (C)
Teutonic
Meaning: Stern king. (D)
Just Shoot Me
Scott
Old English

Meaning: From Scotland. (C)

Andromeda
Dylan
Welsh
(Variation: Dillon) A Welsh name tied to the sea, Dylan was a legendary sea god for whom all the waters of Britain and Ireland wept when he died. (B)
Welsh
Meaning: Of the Sea; Son of the Waves. (C)
Welsh

In Welsh mythology he was a Guardian deity of the mouth of the River Conway. When Dylan was born he at once took on the nature of the sea. He was accidentally slain by his uncle Govannon and all the sea lamented over his death.

Andromeda
Sara
Arabic

Root: Sarah. Meaning: Morning. (A)

Hebrew
Root: Sarah. Meaning: Lady, Princess. (C)
Dharma & Greg
Charles
Germanic
From the name Karl, which was derived from a Germanic word which meant "man". (A)
Germanic
Charlie, Charley -- from a Germanic word meaning "free man," it owed its initial popularity to the Emperor Charlemagne, which translates as Charles the Great. (B)
Teutonic
Meaning: Manly, Full Grown. (C)
Clipping Adam
Dan
Hebrew

Diminutive of Daniel. Meaning: God is judge. (D)

According to Jim
Daryl
French
Derived from French D'Airelle meaning "of Airelle". This was originally a Norman surname denoting one who came from Airelle in France. (A)
Old English
Darrell, Darryl -- Meaning: Beloved, darling. (B)
Hope and Faith
Kenny
Celtic/Gaelic
Diminutive of Kenneth. Meaning: Handsome, comely.
Scottish
Kenneth is Anglicized form of Coinneach, which possibly means "handsome". (A)
Bobby Cannon
Bobby
Teutonic
Diminutive of Robert. See above: Robert from H:TLJ.
Love, Inc.
John
Hebrew
See above: John from the "Slaughter of the Innocents".
Two and a Half...
Andy
Greek

Diminutive of Andrew. Root: the Greek name Andreas, derived from aner "man" (genitive andros "of a man"). (A)

Greek
Diminutive of Andrew. Meaning: Manly. (D)
Walking Tall
Nick
Greek
Diminutive of Nicholas. Root: the Greek name Nikolaos, derived from nike "victory" and laos "people". It was made popular by the fourth-century St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra in Lycia, who became the patron saint of Greece and of Russia, as well as of children, sailors, merchants, and pawnbrokers. (E)
Greek

Diminished form of Nicholas (variation: Nicolas). Meaning: Victory of the people or Victor of the people. (D)

Last Chance...
Chance
English

Is usually given in reference to the English word chance "luck, fortune". (A)

The OC
Frank
Late Latin

Diminutive of Francis. English form of the Late Latin name Franciscus which meant "Frenchman". This name was borne by the 13th-century Saint Francis of Assisi, who was originally named Giovanni but was given the nickname Francesco by his father, an admirer of the French. (A)

Germanic
Diminutive of Francis. Meaning: A Free Man. (C)
French
Diminutive of Francis. Meaning: Free. (D)
Something...
Douglas
Gaelic

(Variations: Duglass, Douglass, Dugaid). Anglicized form of the Scottish surname Dubhghlas, which meant "dark river" from Gaelic dubh "dark" and glais "water, river". It has been used as a given name since the 16th century. (A)

Celtic
Meaning: Dark Blue. (C)
Psych
Byrd
Old English

Variant spelling of "Bird". The name is of Old English origin, and is a very rare male first name and a very popular surname.

Prairie...
Preston
Old English

From an English surname which was originally derived from a place name. Meaning: Priest's estate - from Old English preost "priest" and tun "town". (A)

Never Cry...
Redd
Old English
Rare name, variant of Red. It was ultimately derived from Old English read "red colour". It was originally a nickname given to a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion. (A)
English
Meaning: Redhead. (C)
Fire From...
Jake
English

Medieval variant of the name Jack, derived from Jackin (earlier Jankin), a medieval diminutive of John. It has long been regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man". It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as "Jack and the Beanstalk". (A)

American...
George
Greek

From the Greek name Georgios, derived from the georgos "farmer, earthworker". Saint George was a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Palestine who was martyred. Later legends describe his defeat of a dragon. (A)

Middleman
Guy
French

(Variations: Vitus, Gye, Guyon, Gui, Guido). Meaning: Guide. (B)

French

Meaning: Leader. (D)

Tommy...
Dodge
Old German
Rare name. Variant of the name Roger. Meaning "renowned spearman" or "famous spear" - from the hrod "fame" and ger "spear". (A)
Teutonic
Diminutive of Roger, which means "spear of fame". (D)
Paradox
Sean
Irish
Irish form of John. Meaning: God is gracious. (A)
Tales...
Aedan
Irish

(Variant: Aiden). The old Irish name, a diminutive of the name Aed, which meant "fire". (A)

Gaelic
Diminutive of Aed. The name is often anglicized as Aidan or Edan. Meaning: Fiery.
-

The most famous bearer of the name - 6th-century king Aedan mac Gabran (Gabhran), who ruled Gaelic kingdom Dal Riata (Dal Riada), located in western Scotland and northern Ireland. He was fighting with Picts and Anglo-Saxons all his 34 governing years and had lost in the battles four of his sons.

Illuminati
Thomas
Aramaic

Greek form of the name Ta'oma which meant "twin". In the New Testament this was the name of the apostle who initially doubted the resurrected Jesus. (A)

Hebrew
Meaning: "A twin". (D)
Flesh...
Tyler
English
(Variations: Tyelor, Tylyr, Tylour, Tylar, Tylor, Tielor). Meaning: Tile maker. (B)
Middle English
Meaning: Tiler Of Roofs. (C)
What If
Ben
Hebrew

Diminutive of Benjamin. Root: the Hebrew name Binyamin. Meaning: Son of the south or Son of the right hand. (A)

Hebrew
Diminutive of Benjamin. Meaning: Son of the right hand (i.e. of good fortune). (D)
Latin

Not common but possible diminutive of Benedict (from Late Latin name Benedictus which meant "blessed"). (A+D)

 

Sources: A - Behind the name; B - Parenting.com; C - First Names; D - Chambers's XXth Century Dictionary: E - Concise Dictionary of First Names.

 

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