Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning “Who
is like God”), I’m really proud of my name. And I think that
I – mostly - live up to the title! Of course, my mother would probably
disagree; I think the phrase “little devil” would probably pass
her lips if she was describing me during many stages of my childhood.
But then, my mother has her own issues; apparently her name (Kathleen)
is a Celtic name meaning “Little Darling”. Hmmm, that
isn’t the way I used to think about her during those regular
occasions when she was punishing me for my “not like God” behaviour…!
And that’s the fun of baby name meanings – parents
make naming decisions based on many, many different reasons, including
family traditions, religion, culture, uniqueness and “it
just sounds really nice.” But – in the Western world – we
rarely do any real research into the history or real meaning of
names. So when the poor/lucky child finally finds out the meaning
of his/her “really nice sounding” name, the results
can be interesting, ironic, unfortunate or just sometimes hilarious.
You can have a lot of fun thinking up family/friends names, finding
out the meanings and trying to make a connection between the two.
For example, my eldest brother Clive is apparently “a cliff
dweller”, which is coincidental, since he lives at the top
of a very long steep hill! Or why not play the game with celebrities – consider
the following:
Badu (as in r n’b singer Erykah Badu): African name meaning “Tenth
born child”
Winona (as in actress Winona Ryder): Sioux name meaning “Firstborn
daughter”
Aaliyah (the late r n’b singer): Arabic name meaning “High,
exalted”
Hilary (as in actresses Duff/Swank): Latin name meaning “Cheerful”
Some cultures have very interesting traditions when it comes to
baby name meanings. For example, Hindu names usually have connections
with very positive things such as truth, beauty, happiness, blessings,
etc, or one of the Hindu gods. In the Sikh culture, girls traditionally
have the middle or surname “Kaur”, meaning “Princess”,
whilst the boys have the middle or surname “Singh”,
meaning “Lion”.
An African friend of mine once mentioned that many Africans are
given a second name corresponding to the day of the week on which
they were born. I think is a really nice tradition, but in my case,
my middle name would be “Sondo” (born on Sunday)!!
Hmmmm…
Whatever type of name you have chosen, or are thinking about for
your “bundle of joy”, its worth doing a little research
into the meaning. And it’s never been easier, with the wealth
of Internet resources and books available, including my own site
at www.all-about-baby-names.com, which is jam-packed with resources,
tips and information on baby names, baby name meanings and baby
products.
Your search may yield some surprises; for example, the lovely-sounding
name “Malory” is French and means “Bad luck”.
You could get round this by spelling it “Mallory”,
but this means “Without good fortune” in Old German!
Alternatively, you may end up a little confused by different meanings
of the same name; for example “Leah” is a beautiful
girl’s name, but what does it mean? Well…
• In Hebrew it means “Cow” or “Weary one” – uugghhh! • In
Greek it means “Glad tidings” • In Assyrian,
it means “Mistress, ruler”
And a final warning: if you are planning to go for a funky, unusual-sounding
name, be sure to avoid “Bacia,” – its Ugandan
meaning is “Family deaths ruined the home!”
For more information and advice, check out the baby name meaning
resources at http://www.all-about-baby-names.com.
Enjoy your search and happy baby naming!
About the Author
Michael Barrows is a web publisher
specialising in niche marketing. Check out the wealth of baby
resources and pick up his FREE ebook "Baby
Tips for New Parents" at his website; http://www.all-about-baby-names.com
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