(no subject)

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I know there are links in the profile, but I wanted to throw this question out to the members of the community, who might be very helpful here. There are some people here, like myself, who don't really know the origins of names or anything technical about them, but then there are a few people who just seem to know it all. Where it's from, what it means, all that. My question is, what is the absolute best source you use/know of for name meanings?

I ask because I'm working on a story (a script, actually) and although it's pretty much just for me, I want it all to be as correct as possible, and I'd like my character's names to represent an aspect of them for this one. I know there are a lot of variations on sites and with books out there; for instance, I just searched Wyatt, and on one site got "war strength" and on another got "son of Guy."

First, if you know what Wyatt actually means, it would be rather helpful for at least this one character, but second, how does one go about sorting through the good sources and the sources that should pretty much only be used to make sure you're spelling the thing correctly.

Comments

[ivegotbaggage.livejournal.com]

behindthename.com FTW!

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I was on there just a second ago actually; it's not the site that I got either of those exact meanings from, but one was fairly close, so it's good to have somebody suggest it. I also think the fact that my name's not on that site is slowly convincing me that somebody in the '80s just made it up.

[bandnerd88.livejournal.com]

The guy who runs Behind the Name puts a ton of research into every name on the site and I'm fairly sure he doesn't post a name until he has confirmed, to the best of his abilities, the meaning (or lack thereof, in a few cases). It's the most accurate source you're going to find on the Internet.

[penguiny7.livejournal.com]

Yep, this is true... and that's the site I use too.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

Awesome. It's definitely the site that people on here responded most positively too, so I think that I'll stick with that from now or, or at least for this particular work. Thanks for the information.

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

behindthename.com and collecting baby name books.

[bitty1721.livejournal.com]

In my name book Wyatt has the meaning "little warrior" O.o Don't know if that helps any...

[laminy.livejournal.com]

It does help, actually; I'm looking for a common name with the meaning war, and that's pretty close. It's close enough that I think with the exception of the people who look at the Son of Guy website, the point will get across. So, thank you!

[solitudete.livejournal.com]

Be careful with baby name books- I have one that has both the most awful made-up names complete with made-up or totally incorrect meanings. I don't understand how they got that crap published.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I was at a bookstore once just browsing and started flipping through one of the baby name books, I was surprised at the type of names it was lacking, and then even more surprised at some of the names they included. It was just really kind of weird.

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

I know I can be guilty of being an irritating know-it-all (who does still make lots of mistakes). For me it's a combination of general language knowledge and a lifelong obsession with names and naming.

I sort of accidentally speak four languages, in addition to the years of Latin I studied at high school and university. I have to say that in addition to resources like books, behindthename.com, and Laura Wattenberg's blog (http://www.babynamewizard.com/blog), the very best source for understanding names is to pick up another language or just go traveling a bit.

If you learn Latin or any of its descendants (Spanish should be fairly easy to learn in most of the US), and you also learn one of the Germanic languages (if German isn't your thing, try one of the Scandinavian ones) — or if you even learn just little bits of them, then you've covered the major two influences in the English language.

Of course, neither Spanish nor German are going to help with names like Aoibheann...

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

This! but then I am sort of a know-it-all (who makes a lot of mistakes too) in anything I take a liking in. Names have been something I've loved since I was a child and have just had time to read, learn and collect information (I have books... on everything... I was one of those annoying children who always asked for books for holiday presents).

I also speak 3 languages and have taken classes in Latin and Greek sooo that helps a lot. I can understand a handful of languages too, just because of the languages I do speak. I tend to use sources online that are listed in this community but when something doesn't seem right I hit the books or my teachers for books with help. The internet is sort of a double edge sword (but then so are books by some people but I did find that behindthename does make sense a lot of the times.

If you're really interested in names I say look up the origin and continue doing your homework on them, I find it quite fun.

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

Yes! Behindthename is one of my favorites, although ironically I feel it flubs my own name (Tessa) by only mentioning the Teresa/Theresa --> diminutive connection, and not including the fact that Tessa can also be a totally separate name of Greek origin (related to the word "tesselation").

Oh, hey, randomly, I meant to reply to you in the ANTM community (but generally hate the commenters there so much I only lurk). A long while back, somebody said Fo should do well in Brazil because she "looked more Brazilian" or some crap. I responded in what I thought was a reasonably patient way that not all Brazilians "look Latina" or whatever, and this strikes a nerve with me and others who don't fit the mold. I then got a ridiculously pompous, patronizing response (accusing me of, well, being patronizing)... and it just put me off the whole discussion. Sometimes you can tell people are just so darned proud of themselves for sounding educated that it's not worth telling them you can tell they simply don't know what they're talking about. But I was reminded of it recently when you stepped in to defend the paler Mexicans! I thought, "Hey, I recognize that username! Yeah! Tell 'em how it is!"



And, uh, yeah... that had nothing to do with baby names.

[velkoria.livejournal.com]

same here! and my name has a nasty history ab out it too as it can be from Greek and even dating back to an older version of some Egyptian name that have no relation... I have what I like to consider one of those '?' names, same as Mary (I'm a Monica) that may have many different origins.

and regarding that discussion: thank you! I think sometimes people are much too into their little world to accept other things and I think we're all guilty of that sometimes (though I do try sooo hard and I am a Libra so that tends to help! and an Bélle Arts major too). I get accused of being patronizing and 'narrow minded' a lot too because I simply don't agree and do my homework to prove it or because sometimes online you're looking for people to just agree with you (I point the finger at datingandrelating on that) and I won't just blindly agree... I won't be rude about it but I will disagree if I feel I need to.



and yeah that too had nothing to do with baby names but I am glad you said something, sometimes I feel like I am fighting an uphill battle with every single comment I make.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's irritating! I think it's kind of cool, and I was just wondering if people knew them off the bat or if there was a really good source to get the good origins. And that you speak four languages and still say that behindthename.com is a good site, I think that means it's good.

I took Spanish first year of university. Mainly because I had taken French for six years and just needed to get away from it.

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

I got most of my info from my mother's baby names book :)
then I usually check out a name online if I want to know more, for example I google "Mary name meaning"

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I try Google too, when I want to see how many sources agree on what a name means. And when sometimes I can't find a name I've been looking for on other sites.

[pinkysmith.livejournal.com]

sometimes i go to thinkbabynames.com but i agree with the suggestion of behindthename.com most other sites don't really do research on baby names, it seems that all information is user generated which is as reliable as asking a cat imo.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

Thinkbabynames.com was what I have been using, since it didn't take me too long to figure out babynames.com was not reliable at all. Now I just keep my list updated there.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I've never heard of that book. But just from Google, the reviews I'm reading for it sound really great, so thanks for the info!

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

Behindthename.com is an excellent source. Thinkbabynames.com is also helpful. On top of that, I have several baby name books, which, honestly, I read like novels. Some of them are reliable. Some of them are seemingly random crap. Some of them give the impression that the author DID the research, then decided to pretty things up for their book, changing the meaning of a name like Damaris from "calf" to "content follower," that sort of thing. I have one that gives an insanely detailed account of most entries. I can't remember the name, though, only that the edition I have seems to be from the eighties, and that I stole it from my sister. Mwah ha ha. Anyway, good luck!

[laminy.livejournal.com]

Thinkbabynames.com is what I've been using as sort of my good source, I guess, so I doubt I'll just drop it, but behindthename.com is getting really good reviews in these comments, so I'll have to pick that up. Now that I've been looking at it, I like it a lot.

I always wonder where they get these crazy meanings. Or not crazy, but I mean, like my example when I looked up Wyatt: if it means war, or warrior, who the heck came up with Son of Guy?