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Baby Name Meanings
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by: Michael Barrows
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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 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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