BABY NAME MEANINGS

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:

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:

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:

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.