7000 Baby Names. Classic and Modern

228 Pages·2011·0.88 MB·English

by  Hilary Spence

foulsham
The Oriel, Thames Valley Court, 183-187 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire SL1
4AA, England
ISBN: 978-0-572-03528-0
Copyright © 2009 W. Foulsham & Co. Ltd
A CIP record for this ebook is available from the British Library
All rights reserved
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Table of Contents
Choosing your baby's name
Girls A
Girls B
Girls C
Girls D
Girls E
Girls F
Girls G
Girls H
Girls I
Girls J
Girls K
Girls L
Girls M
Girls N
Girls O
Girls P
Girls Q
Girls R
Girls S
Girls T
Girls U
Girls V
Girls W
Girls X
Girls Y
Girls Z
Boys A
Boys B
Boys C
Boys D
Boys E
Boys F
Boys G
Boys H
Boys I
Boys J
Boys K
Boys L
Boys M
Boys N
Boys O
Boys P
Boys Q
Boys R
Boys S
Boys T
Boys U
Boys V
Boys W
Boys X
Boys Y
Boys Z
Choosing your baby's name
When you are choosing a name for your new baby you want to be able to assess
all the options so that your final selection is the one you feel is right for your
child. It's not an easy decision as there are a lot of options to consider and you
don’t want to make a mistake. Very few people actually change their name later
in life, so you are looking for something that your child will carry with them for
the rest of their life and will come to define them as a unique individual.
With the help of this book, though, that whole process can become less daunting
and instead become an enjoyable and exciting search for just the right name.
Clearly organised in two main sections for girls and boys, this book offers a huge
selection of names - with their meanings, origins and variations. Go through
highlighting options to make your search easier, then draw up a short list for that
final and all-important choice.
Things to think about when choosing a name
Here are a few things you might want to think about when choosing a name for
your baby.

Be adventurous, by all means, but do remember that a child might not enjoy
too weird a name while he or she is growing up - if it is likely to cause
teasing, it is not the best idea.
Be careful to think about any negative associations of a name - Adolph and
Cain, for example.
Remember that the name will be used with your surname so make sure they
work well together. Ida Down or Honey Comb could be misleading.
Names beginning with the same letter as your surname can work, and can
sound rather odd, so check that the combination has the effect you want.
Rhyming names and surnames are not usually successful.
Complement a long surname with a shorter first name, or vice versa: Tom
Wilkinson rather than Templeton Wilkinson, for example.
Similarly, team a common surname with a more unusual first name so that
your child does not encounter too many people with the same name. Jacinta
Smith will have fewer problems on that score than Ann Smith.
Look at the initials of the chosen names together and remember that many
documents have to be initialled, and that initials are often used as web site
addresses and at other times. Barbara Ursula Markham would not be the
best combination.
If you have more than one child, you may not want their names to begin
with the same letter, especially if they are the same sex. If a personal letter
arrives for Mr M. Walker and there are three men of that name in the house,
it could be confusing. If you do choose first names starting with the same
letter, make sure the second names are different.
Contractions of the first name which make an inappropriate combination
with your surname are best avoided. Christopher Mass might not be the best
choice.
You do not have to give your child more than one name, but a second name
can help avoid confusion, especially if you have a fairly common first or
second name.
Traditionally, you should register the full name, even if you plan to use the
contraction, although this practice is now declining and Charlie, for
example, is higher up the popularity list than Charles.
Make sure you are happy with the familiar forms and contractions of the
name, even if you intend to use the full name yourself.
Nicknames are often associated with the child's name, so spare a thought
for any obvious ones.
The more popular the name you select, the greater the number of other
children who will share the name.
The more unusual the name you select, the more potential there is for
mispronunciation or misspelling.
Some names can be given both to girls and boys and you might prefer a
name which is gender-specific.
Spellings of most names vary considerably. Choose a spelling you are
happy with and one which is least likely to be confusing to others.
Names from countries or cultures other than your own are increasingly
common and offer some excellent choices. Make sure the pronunciation
does not cause problems in your native language.
Most people make selections in advance for both a boy and a girl. Unless
you are 100 per cent sure, don't be caught out by having only names for one
or the other.
Girls A
Aasta (Teutonic) 'Love'
Abbey see Abigail
Abbie see Abigaila
Abeer (Arabic) 'Fragrance'
Aberah see Avera
Abia (Arabic) 'Great'
Abigail (Hebrew) 'A father's joy' (Abagael, Abbe, Abbey, Abbie, Abby, Abigael,
Gael, Gail, Gale, Gayla, Gayle, Gayleen, Gaylene)
Abijah (Hebrew) 'God is my father' (Abisha)
Abnaki (Native American) 'Land of the morning'
Abra (Hebrew) 'Mother of multitudes'
Abrona (Latin) 'Goddess of beginning journeys'
Acacia (Greek) 'Innocent'. The symbol of immortality
Acantha (Greek) 'Thorny'
Accalia (Latin) Foster mother of Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome
Achala (Sanskrit) 'Constant'
Acima (Hebrew) 'The Lord's judgement'
Acola (teutonic) 'Cool'
Actia (Greek) 'Ray of sunlight'
Ada (Teutonic) 'Prosperous and joyful'. A popular name in Victorian times
(Adda, Addia, Aida)
Adabelle (Latin) 'Joyous, happy and beautiful' (Adabel, Adabela, Adabella)
Adah (Hebrew) 'The crown's adornment'. One who gives lustre to the most
eminent position
Adalia (Teutonic) An early Saxon tribal name, the origin of which is not known
Adaline see Adelaide
Adamina (Latin) 'From the red earth', 'mortal'. Also feminine of Adam (Addie,
Addy, Mina)
Adar (Hebrew) 'Fire'. A name sometimes given to Jewish daughters born in the
sixth month of the Jewish year, which is known by the same name
Adara (Greek) 'Beauty'
Addula (Teutonic) 'Noble cheer'
Adelaide (Teutonic) 'Noble and kind'. A gracious lady of noble birth. A name
popular in 19th-century Britain as a compliment to the Queen Consort (Adaline,
Addi, Adela, Adelaida, Adele, Adelia, Adelina, Adelind, Adeline, Adelle, Dela,