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A Dictionary of First Names
Here is the ultimate first name handbook, a delightfully informative, comprehensive survey of over 4,500 European and American names (with two appendices covering the most common Arabic and Indian names). The real charm and value of this reference lies in the wealth of fascinating additional
information the authors provide. Under the entry for "Audrey," for example, we learn of the sixth century saint of that name--who died from a neck tumor, divine punishment for her youthful delight in fine necklaces--from whom the word "tawdry" it referred originally to the cheap jewelry
sold at fairs in her honor (St. Audrey eventually being compressed into "tawdry"). The authors reveal that the name "Colleen," a very popular name among Irish Americans, is in fact never given as a first name in Ireland; that the name "Wendy" didn't exist until J.M. Barrie invented it for Peter Pan ;
that "Algernon" originally meant "moustached" and was a nickname among the predominantly clean-shaven Norman French; and that the "th" in our spelling of "Anthony" comes from an erroneous confusion with the Greek word for flower, anthos .
Perhaps more important, this dictionary is an authoritative reference. Indeed, no other handbook provides a fraction of the information found here. Typical entries provide the linguistic and ethnic root of a name. "Jennifer," for instance, is a Cornish form of "Guinevere," which in turn is
the French version of a Welsh name combining gwen , white, fair, smooth, and hwyfar , smooth, soft. Most entries also include the non-English form or cognate of a name. The name "Geronimo" is an Italian 0ognate of Jerome, whose Dutch cognate, "Jeroen," the authors point out, was the most popular male
name in Holland in 1981. In addition, entries include diminutives and pet forms.
A companion to the authors' A Dictionary of Surnames , this informative reference offers a goldmine of curious facts to delight browsers of every age as well as a wealth of inspiration for prospective parents. It is an ideal baby shower gift.
information the authors provide. Under the entry for "Audrey," for example, we learn of the sixth century saint of that name--who died from a neck tumor, divine punishment for her youthful delight in fine necklaces--from whom the word "tawdry" it referred originally to the cheap jewelry
sold at fairs in her honor (St. Audrey eventually being compressed into "tawdry"). The authors reveal that the name "Colleen," a very popular name among Irish Americans, is in fact never given as a first name in Ireland; that the name "Wendy" didn't exist until J.M. Barrie invented it for Peter Pan ;
that "Algernon" originally meant "moustached" and was a nickname among the predominantly clean-shaven Norman French; and that the "th" in our spelling of "Anthony" comes from an erroneous confusion with the Greek word for flower, anthos .
Perhaps more important, this dictionary is an authoritative reference. Indeed, no other handbook provides a fraction of the information found here. Typical entries provide the linguistic and ethnic root of a name. "Jennifer," for instance, is a Cornish form of "Guinevere," which in turn is
the French version of a Welsh name combining gwen , white, fair, smooth, and hwyfar , smooth, soft. Most entries also include the non-English form or cognate of a name. The name "Geronimo" is an Italian 0ognate of Jerome, whose Dutch cognate, "Jeroen," the authors point out, was the most popular male
name in Holland in 1981. In addition, entries include diminutives and pet forms.
A companion to the authors' A Dictionary of Surnames , this informative reference offers a goldmine of curious facts to delight browsers of every age as well as a wealth of inspiration for prospective parents. It is an ideal baby shower gift.
443 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
1 person is currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Hanks
44 books1 followerPatrick Hanks was an English lexicographer, corpus linguist, and onomastician. He edited dictionaries of general language, as well as dictionaries of personal names.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 1, 2023
Forget about those baby names books--buy this definitive and billion times more accurate dictionary of first names and give the best name to your son or daughter!
It's also indispensable for giving appropriate and meaningful names to your fiction characters.
It's also indispensable for giving appropriate and meaningful names to your fiction characters.
March 30, 2024
(#20)
Genre & Format: Reference | Print
Title: A Dictionary of First Names
Author or Creator: Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Number of pages: 443
Year of publication/release: 1990
As a writer, I usually browse through books of names (I prefer books to websites). What I like about these dictionaries is that they include the origins of names and meanings. This book shines a spotlight on other countries and groups: names of the Arab world, Indian subcontinent, New Testament, Saint’s names, Aristocratic names, and cults. This book also offers context on the transparency between names and vocabulary. I enjoyed flipping through this book, especially when it comes from the library. I am always afraid to purchase one of these of my own considering new ones are released each year.
Genre & Format: Reference | Print
Title: A Dictionary of First Names
Author or Creator: Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Number of pages: 443
Year of publication/release: 1990
As a writer, I usually browse through books of names (I prefer books to websites). What I like about these dictionaries is that they include the origins of names and meanings. This book shines a spotlight on other countries and groups: names of the Arab world, Indian subcontinent, New Testament, Saint’s names, Aristocratic names, and cults. This book also offers context on the transparency between names and vocabulary. I enjoyed flipping through this book, especially when it comes from the library. I am always afraid to purchase one of these of my own considering new ones are released each year.
September 13, 2020
Quite a Handy little Name Book if I do say so Myself.
November 26, 2022
The meaning behind a name is important to me. This book had a unique approach by giving a robust history of each name. I nerdily enjoyed it!
May 14, 2011
It's fun reading the meanings and origins behind names. The introduction reads academically: this is definitely a reference book. (I'm glad I could check it out from the library, actually!) The book admits that it cannot be comprehensive, especially since there are so many made-up names nowadays. There are a few names with explanations of how they came into being by combining with other names, etc.
Most names are British English; some have notations that they're mainly American. A few say that they've fallen out of use or have become unpopular because of some reason or another, which is actually sort of fascinating in its own right.
The names are usually for the English language, with some from neighboring European lands. A sub-section at the back includes names from India and from the Arabic/Middle East areas.
I was a little disappointed when I searched for my name. Oh, well.
This could be an excellent reference for an author or writer looking for real-world names for characters, especially for those authors who like to have the character's name's meaning mean something about the character.
Most names are British English; some have notations that they're mainly American. A few say that they've fallen out of use or have become unpopular because of some reason or another, which is actually sort of fascinating in its own right.
The names are usually for the English language, with some from neighboring European lands. A sub-section at the back includes names from India and from the Arabic/Middle East areas.
I was a little disappointed when I searched for my name. Oh, well.
This could be an excellent reference for an author or writer looking for real-world names for characters, especially for those authors who like to have the character's name's meaning mean something about the character.
January 26, 2010
Still haven't decided on a definite name for baby, but I at least wrote down my favorite names as I went through this book (not the funnest task in the world to do).
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews