Do you know what YOUR name means?

Jon

Jonathan

It is of Hebrew origin, and its meaning is "gift of God". Related to Nathan. Biblical: the son of King Saul, Jonathan was noted for his manliness, generosity, and unselfishness. He saved David's life when Saul would have killed him.

I can live with that

tomsdesk

Thomas...an Aramaic term for "twin" (near as I can tell: the "h" was added by the Greeks and the "s" up in Wales)

And yes: the "doubting" fits me to a tee!

Frederik

Funny...

I found the Behind the name, the etymology and history of first names...

@unknownuser said:

FREDERICK
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: FRED-ə-rik, FRED-rik

English form of a Germanic name meaning "peaceful ruler", derived from frid "peace" and ric "ruler, power". This name has long been common in continental Germanic-speaking regions, being borne by rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Prussia. Notables among these rulers include the 12th-century Holy Roman emperor and crusader Frederick I Barbarossa, the 13th-century emperor and patron of the arts Frederick II, and the 18th-century Frederick II of Prussia, known as Frederick the Great.
The name was brought to England by the Normans in the 11th century but it quickly died out. It was reintroduced by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century. A famous bearer was Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), an American ex-slave who became a leading advocate of abolition.

But I actually have two names...

@unknownuser said:

KIMBALL
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: KIM-bəl

From a surname which was derived from either the Welsh given name Cynbel meaning "chief war" or the Old English given name Cynebald meaning "royal boldness".

Well... Whad'ya know...

remus

Remus: Remus and Romulus were the founders of rome (in roman legend), but romulus later killed remus for basically being a sore loser.

Gaieus

I would add that Csabais (probably) of Turkish origin and the "shepard" meaning is most probably just a fiction.
My last name, Pozsárkó, is of South Slavic origin and originally it used to be Požarković - požar meaning "fire" in most Slavic languages.

juju

@unknownuser said:

JULIAN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Polish, German

Pronounced: JOO-lee-ən (English), JOOL-yən (English), YUWL-yahn (Polish), YOO-lee-ahn (German) [key]
From the Roman name Iulianus, which was derived from JULIUS. This was the name of the last pagan Roman emperor, Julian the Apostate (4th century). It was also borne by several early saints, including the legendary Saint Julian the Hospitaller. This name has been used in England since the Middle Ages, at which time it was also a feminine name (from Juliana, eventually becoming Gillian).

@unknownuser said:

VERNON

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: VUR-nən [key]
From a Norman surname which was from a French place name, ultimately derived from the Gaulish word vern meaning "alder".

@unknownuser said:

SMITH

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: SMITH [key]
From an English surname meaning "blacksmith", derived from Old English smitan "to smite, to hit". It is the most common surname in the English-speaking world.

Loewenkatze

Good idea, Mike. Interesting to learn about that, especially for names from other countries.

Franziska is the female form of a name of latin/italian origin with the meaning "the little French (historic: Frank) It is said it was the nickname of Giovanni Bernardone, better knwon as Francis of Assisi.

During medieval times the name stood for "the hardily one" "the free one" "the precious one".

Last but not least a Franconian poleax was called "Franziska"...

Besides, "little French" is a cooool name for me... I am about six feet tall.

dylan

Dylan:

From the Welsh elements dy "great" and llanw "tide, flow". In Welsh mythology Dylan was a god of the sea, the son of Aranrhod. He was accidentally slain by his uncle Govannon.

Edson

mike,

great idea for a thread. i had never bothered to inquiry about my own name. here it goes.

my full name is EDSON DA CUNHA MAHFUZ

@unknownuser said:

EDSON as a given name cannot be found outside brasil. it is probably a transformation of EDISON, for which i found this
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English
Pronounced: ED-i-sən
From an English surname which meant "son of EDWARD". A famous bearer of the surname was the inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931)

@unknownuser said:

CUNHA
The meaning of the word is wedge.

Its use as a family name comes from the following story:
During the siege to Lisbon (1147), D. Payo Guterres (master of Colina) had several wedges inserted in the castle’s wall and used them as a way to get access to its interior, conquering it in an act of bravery. As a reward to D. Payo the king ordered him to use the surname Cunha (wedge) from then on and determined that his coat of arms should bear the nine wedges that had helped him to get access to the castle.

@unknownuser said:

MAHFUZ (sometimes written MAHFOUZ)
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Other Scripts: محفوظ (Arabic)
Means "safeguarded, protected" in Arabic.

Daniel

DANIEL
gender: masculine
usage: Hebrew
meaning: "God is my judge"

Scott
gender: masculine
usage: English, Scottish
meaning: From an English and Scottish surname which meant "a Scotsman."

Cooter
Original family name was Kutter or Kuder (German) but was anglicized when descendants emmigrated to America in the late 1700s. Could find no reference, as far as meaning, behind either.

Joe Wood

Don't know what Joe stands for but St. Joseph is the patron saint for carpenters which I've always thought is pretty neat.

ely862me

ELISEI-
Gender:masculine
Usage:in romanian language
Pronounced: E-li-sei

ELISHA
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Biblical
Pronounced: i-LIE-shə (English), ee-LIE-shə (English)
From the Hebrew name אֱלִישַׁע ('Elisha'), a contracted form of אֱלִישׁוּעַ ('Elishu'a) meaning "my God is salvation". Elisha was a prophet in the Old Testament, the successor of Elijah.

ELISEO
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Italian, Spanish
Pronounced: e-lee-ZE-o (Italian), e-lee-SE-o (Spanish)
Italian and Spanish form of ELISHA

wikipedia:
Elisha (Hebrew: אֱלִישַׁע, Standard Eliša Tiberian Ĕlîša ; "My God is salvation", Greek: Ελισσαίος, Elisaios) is a Biblical prophet. In Greek and Latin, (and in English to many Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox) he is known as Saint Eliseus; however, the standard English form of the name has been "Elisha," at least since the introduction of the King James Version of the Bible. He is also a prophet in Islam under the name Al-Yasa.

JURUBIŢĂ -from what i know has no alternative in other countries
but the word JURUBIŢĂ means -in english:skein-also skean or skeane: a loosely coiled length of yarn or thread wound on a reel
-in french:écheveau-same semnification

Mike Lucey

Its amazing to read all the meanings. Keep them coming

I'm going to find out what Coen means. I was thinking it could
NOT mean Advisor

'Little Francis' at 6'0"! That is cool

Dylan, you appear to have a very troubled past, I hope you get
adjusted

mateo soletic

@unknownuser said:

MATEO
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Spanish Spanish form of MATTHEW
Pronounced: mah-TE-o [key]
MATTHEW
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, Biblical
Pronounced: MATH-yoo (English) [key]
English form of Ματθαιος (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattityahu) meaning "gift of YAHWEH". Saint Matthew, also called Levi, was one of the twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament. As an English name, Matthew has been in use since the Middle Ages.

Well I knew most of that except that I am a tax collector so beware guys.

Mike Lucey

Edson, I think we might like this meaning for your name?

Mike

ely862me

about Coen i found this
Coen
Irish: variant of Coan, or an alternative Anglicization of Gaelic Ó Cúáin or Ó Cadhain (see Coyne).
Dutch and Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant spelling of Koen.

Dutch: nickname from Middle Dutch coen(e) ‘bold’, ‘daring’ or personal name Cono with the same meaning.
Jewish (Ashkenazic): one of the many forms of Cohen.

eeva

EEVA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Finnish
Finnish form of EVA

EVA
Gender: Feminine
Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, Czech, Bulgarian, Slovene, Russian
Other Scripts: Ева (Bulgarian, Russian)
Pronounced: E-vah (Italian, Spanish), EE-və (English), E-fah (German), AY-vah (Dutch) [key]
Latinate form of EVE, and a variant Russian transcription of YEVA.

EVE
Gender: Feminine
Usage: English, French, Biblical
Pronounced: EEV (English), EV (French) [key]
From the Hebrew name חַוָּה (Chavvah), which was derived from the Hebrew word חוה (chavah) "to breathe" or the related word חיה (chayah) "to live". According to the Old Testament Book of Genesis, Eve and Adam were the first humans. She gave the forbidden fruit to Adam, causing their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Despite this potentially negative association, the name was occasionally used during the Middle Ages. In the English-speaking world both Eve and the Latin form Eva were revived in the 19th century.

or: Breath of Life, "living one", "alive, living". could be worse...

ALIVE AND KICKING!

stee

STEPHEN
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Crowned One

Surname - Crowley
Origin: South West Ireland
(in Irish - An Cruadhlaoch, which is "Hardy Warrior")

Alan Fraser

I haven't a clue. It could be Gaelic, it could be Germanic via Breton "Precious"; it could even be from the ancient Sarmatian tribe the Alani that spread out from Iran around the Black Sea area. No one knows for sure.
My last name, though Scottish, probably has its origins (via the Normans) in the French word for strawberry (fraise). It forms part of one of the clan crests.
It comes from one of William's barons who was famous for his strawberry daiquiris.

...and it's pronounced FRAY ZER, not FRAY SHURE. However you want to pronounce Frazier (almost unknown in the UK) over the other side of the pond is up to you.

Ross Macintosh

ROSS
Origin: Scotland
Pronounced: Rosssss
Meaning: I don't know if I should tell you this or not... Traditionally "Ross" as a given name was given to baby boys who were unusually well endowed if you get my drift. So in other words it means "hung like a horse". The clan Ross were descendants of a well-hung leader.

MACINTOSH
Origin: Scotland
Pronounced: Mac-In-Tosh
Meaning: Clan name. Descendants of Tosh. Tosh, our glorious ancestor, was a reggae singer from Jamaica. He worked with Bob Marley.
Clan Motto: "Touch not a cat bot a glove" -- meaning is 'wear gloves when you handle cats'.