Origins of Baby Names

Baby names and their origins! This is an article about the top twenty baby names and their origins. The first ten are boy's and the last ten are girls. Lots of the names have a biblical origin which is interesting. IT will tell you a little story about your name. If you name isn't here this website will tell you about it http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/ I hope you enjoy this article. Please leave feedback. And your personal comments as they will be much appreciated. Thanks for your support and read. Have a nice day!

Jacob      (In the Old Testament, Jacob is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, the twin brother of Esau and the father of twelve sons and a daughter. From his sons came the twelve tribes of Israel - the Israelites. God later changed Jacob's name to Israel.)

Mason     (Transferred use of a surname, derived from the French 'maçon' (bricklayer, stoneworker), connected with Old English 'macian' (to make). The Freemasons are a fraternal organisation or brotherhood with obscure origins. It was the 39th most popular name in the USA in 2006, being in the top 10 of the states of Utah, South Dakota and Wisconsin)

William    ( William comes from the Germanic elements 'wil' (will, desire) and 'helm' (helmet, protection). It was the 10th most popular name for boys in the US in 2006, and the 7th most popular in the UK. There have been many rulers named William, including four British kings, various rulers of the Netherlands and two emperors of Germany (known more commonly by the German cognate Wilhelm). There have also been four US presidents named William. Prince William is the eldest son of Prince Charles of Wales, the heir to the British throne. Famous bearers include the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare, author of 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Macbeth' and 'Hamlet', among many others. William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and William Kidd a 17th century pirate.)

Jayden     (Jayden is a modern creation, perhaps inspired by the nickname Jay and the name Hayden. Some claim relation to the Hebrew name Jadon, but Jadon has no apparent etymological relation to the modern name Jaden/Jayden/etc.)

Noah      (In the Old Testament, Noah rounded up two of every species and built an ark in order to survive the great Flood. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights and everyone on earth died except Noah and his family. After the Flood God sent a rainbow as a sign of the promise that the earth would not be destroyed by water again. Famous bearers of the name include actor Noah Wyle, film director Noah Baumbach and Noah Webster was an American lexicographer, whose dictionary was a predecessor of the modern Merriam-Webster dictionary)

Micheal    (Extended form of Micha, meaning "Who is like God?". Michael is the name of several characters in the Old Testament. It is most famously that of one of the archangels, the one closest to God, who has the responsability of carrying out God's judgements. Michael is regarded as the leader of the heavenly host and is the patron saint of soldiers. Michael was a popular name among many royal houses of Europe for centuries; this was also the name of nine Byzantine emperors and a czar of Russia.)

Ethan     (Ethan means strong and optimistic, solid and enduring, or permanent. The name Ethan appears eight times in the Hebrew Bible. Ethan the Ezrahite, is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. It may be that Ethan was a cymbal-player in King David's court. He authored Psalm 89. Charles Spurgeon theorized that this was the same person as Jeduthun. Ethan was the 4th most popular boy's name in the US in 2006, and was ranked 19th in the UK. The name Ethan has been borne by actor Ethan Hawke, and the character Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise in the 'Mission Impossible' films. Ethan Allen was an American revolutionary, and leader of the Green Mountain Boys, a paramilitary organization formed during a dispute over land holdings in the modern state of Vermont. "Ethan Allen" is also a well-known brand of luxury furniture in the US.)

Alexander    (Anglicised version of the Greek name Alexandros. Alexander appears in the Bible as the one who helps Jesus bear the cross on the journey to Calvary. Alexander the Great was an ancient Macedon king. Greece was unified by his father, Philip II, but Alexander went on to extend the Macedon empire eastwards to the periphery of modern India. There have also been two kings of Scotland named Alexander, and three emperors of Russia. Eight popes have been named Alexander. It is also the name of the first king of Yugoslavia and the current pretender to the throne. Alexander Graham Bell was the inventor of the telephone, and Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. The name was also borne by poet Alexander Pope, Russian author Alexander Pushkin, Russian composer Alexander Scriabin and former US Secretary of State under President Reagan, Alexander Haig.)

Aiden    (A modern respelling of Aidan. May also be a variant of Eden. When combined with variants like Ayden, Aydan, and Aden, Aiden was the most popular name for boys in the U.S. in 2006.)

Daniel    (In the Old Testament, Daniel was a Hebrew prophet and the Book of Daniel contains prophecies concerning the future. Daniel was among the Jews who were taken captive in Babylon. He rose to a high position in the Babylonian government by interpreting the king's dreams. Daniel was persecuted by the Babylonians for his faith in God and survived a politically motivated death sentence in a lions’ den. Daniel was the sixth most popular boy's name in the US in 2006, and the ninth most popular in the UK.)

Sophia     (The name Sophia is derived from the Greek word for "wisdom." In early religious and philosophical texts, characters who personified wisdom are referred to as "Sophia figures."  Famous bearers include actress Sophia Loren, Sophia Myles and Sophia Bush. Sophia of Hanover was the mother of British king George I. She was expected to accede to the throne following the death of Queen Anne, but died a few weeks too early. The Hagia Sophia (meaning 'Holy Wisdom') is a building in Istanbul, Turkey. It has been a basilica or cathedral, a mosque and is now a museum. It is a prime example of Byzantine architecture. Sophia is also the name of a university in Tokyo.)

Isabella      (There have been various queens named Isabella. Isabella of Castile laid the foundations for the unification of Spain, with her husband Ferdinand of Aragon. They reconquered Granada, and patronised Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to America. She was known as the 'Catholic Queen' due to her strong faith, and expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Spain - this was later known as the Spanish Inquisition.
Isabella of France was the wife of English king Edward II. Due to his ineffective leadership, she helped lead a successful invasion against him to put her son upon the throne.
Princess Isabella of Denmark, who was born in 2007, is the daughter of the Danish Crown Prince Frederik.
There are characters named Isabella in Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure', Jane Austen's 'Northanger Abbey' and Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights'.
Isabella Rossellini is an Italian actress.)

Emma      (Emma might be a form of Erma, a short form of various names which begin with the Germanic element Erm(en), Irm(en) which can mean 'strong' but is more literally translated as "whole" or "universal".
For some, it is a diminutive of Emmanuelle. In Jane Austen's novel "Emma" (1816), Emma Woodhouse was designed by Jane Austen to be a character that no-one but her would actually like. The movie "Clueless" (1995) starring Alicia Silverstone was based off of Austen's classic novel. Emma Bovary is the famous protagonist of French novelist Flaubert's "Madame Bovary".)

Olivia      (Invented by Shakespeare for his play "Twelfth Night." Olivia was either meant to be a female form of Oliver or derived from the vocabulary word 'olive' which is a symbol of peace. Olivia was the fifth most popular name for girls in the US in 2005, and the third most popular name for girls in the UK in 2007. Famous bearers include actress Olivia de Havilland, and singer and actress Olivia Newton-John.)

Ava     (This name could be a respelling of Eva. St Ava was a 9th century nun, the daughter of Pepin II of Aquitaine. It has become more popular in the USA since the late 1980s, and in 2006 was the fifth most popular name. Ava Gardner was an American actress.)

Emily    (From the Latin Aemilia, a derivative of Aemilius, an old Roman family name believed to be derived from aemulus (trying to equal or excel, emulating, rival. Another explanation concerning the meaning of the name could point in the direction of Amalia and its Greek origin of aimulos (friendly, tender). Emily has been the number one name for girls in the US for the last ten years, and has also ranked high in the UK, landing in the 4th spot in 2007. It is also popular in Australia and New Zealand. Notable Emilys include poet Emily Dickinson, author Emily Brontë, and actresses Emily Watson and Emily Blunt. Emily Davison was a British women's suffrage supporter, who threw herself in front of the King's horse at the 1913 Derby.)

Abigail   (Abigail was an Old Testament character who saved her negligent husband from the wrath of King David. After her husband's death, she later married David. David's sister was also named Abigail. Abigail was quite commonly used in English-speaking communities from the late seventeenth century on, particularly in the American colonies. It fell into disuse in the early twentieth century, but is now among the most popular names for girls in the U.S., UK, and Australia. The name Abigail is sometimes cited as meaning "servant," but there is no etymological basis for this definition. Famous Abigails in literature include the daughter of Barabas in Marlowe's "The Jew of Malta" and the manipulative Abigail Williams in Miller's "The Crucible." Famous bearers of this name include U.S. First Lady Abigail Adams, Canadian athlete Abigail Hoffman, and British artist Abigail Lane.)

Madison  (Transferred use of the surname meaning "son of Maud"; and also perhaps "Mad's son", Mad being a common pet form of Matthew during the Middle Ages. Although Madison, today, is given as a name to both genders, it isn't a legitimate unisex name as it's meaning is masculine. James Madison was the fourth US President. Madison as a girls name was first introduced as a first name in the Tom Hanks movie "Splash" (1984). In the film, Daryl Hannah's character takes her name from Madison Avenue after walking past a road sign. Hanks' character comments that it is not a real name as, since at the time, it was a rather unusual name for a woman. In the years since the film was released in theatres and video, the name's popularity has skyrocketed.)

Mia     (Mia is the Danish and Swedish pet form of Maria, and is also commonly used as an independent given name. In other languages it is used as a nickname for Maria, and sometimes Amelia, among others. Mia is a possessive form in Italian and Spanish, and in some instances the name may be due to a misunderstanding of the Italian 'cara mia', "my dear", where 'mia' means "my". Mia was the 13th most popular girl's name in the US in 2006, and the 14th most popular in the UK in 2007. Its popularity may have been fuelled by the actress Kate Winslet's choice of the name Mia Honey for her daughter, born in 2000.)

Chole     (Chloe \ch-loe\ as a girl's name is pronounced KHLOH-ee. It is of Greek origin, and the meaning of Chloe is "green shoot". From Khloe, originally used in the classical period to symbolize the fertility goddess Demeter in blooming and verdant glory. May be connected with Chloris. Appears in the Bible as the name of someone mentinoed by Saint Paul, and also as a name in literature, especially in the tale of Daphnis and Chloe, set to music by Ravel. Adopted by Puritans in the 17th century. In French it is spelled Chloé, and sometimes in English it is spelled Chloë. Chloe can be used to create compound names like Chloe-Anne or Chloe-Louise. Candice Bergen has a daughter named Chloe. Actresses Chloe Webb, Chloe Sevigny.)

Hope you enjoyed. I was experimenting with links to webpages as you see above. They are all links to booksie, or my booksie page. I thought I would try it out. Hope that your name means something to you. Have a great day!