What's the etymology of your first name?

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

iamaelephant

Diamond Member
Jul 25, 2004
3,816
1
81
Originally posted by: Martin
MARTIN

Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French, German, Scandinavian, Russian, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Hungarian, Bulgarian
Other Scripts: ?????? (Russian, Bulgarian)
Pronounced: MAHR-tin (English, German), mar-TEN (French), MAWR-teen (Hungarian), mahr-TIN (Bulgarian)

From the Roman name Martinus, which was derived from Martis, the genitive case of the name of the Roman god MARS. Saint Martin of Tours was a 4th-century bishop who is the patron saint of France. According to legend, he came across a cold beggar in the middle of winter so he ripped his cloak in two and gave half of it to the beggar.
 

Skacer

Banned
Jun 4, 2007
727
0
0
JASON

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical

Pronounced: JAY-sun (English) [key]
From the Greek name ?as?? (Iason), which was derived from Greek ?as?a? (iasthai) "to heal". Jason was the leader of the Argonauts in Greek legend. He went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back his kingdom from his uncle Pelias. During his journeys he married the sorceress Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman. This name is also used in Acts in the New Testament to translate the Hebrew name Joshua.

I'm a healer, bitch.
 

walkur

Senior member
May 1, 2001
771
4
81
FRANK (1)
Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, German, Dutch

Pronounced: FRANGK (English), FRAHNK (German, Dutch) [key]

From a Germanic name which referred to a member of the Germanic tribe, the Franks. The Franks settled in the regions now called France and the Netherlands in the 3rd and 4th century. They derived their tribal name from the name of a type of spear that they used.
 

kedlav

Senior member
Aug 2, 2006
632
0
0
MAX

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, German

Pronounced: MAKS (English), MAHKS (German) [key]
Short form of MAXIMILIAN or MAXWELL

MAXIMILIAN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: German, English

Pronounced: mahk-see-MEE-lee-ahn (German), mak-si-MIL-ee-an (English), mak-si-MIL-yan (English) [key]
From the Roman name Maximilianus, which was derived from MAXIMUS. This was the name of a 3rd-century saint. It has also been borne by emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and an emperor of Mexico.
 

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
19,003
24
81
my name isn't found, but i'll post what i know

VIVAN

pronunciation: VIh-VAAN

derived from sanskrit "VIVASVAN"

which means something along the lines of "golden rays of sunlight"
 

Jodell88

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2007
9,491
42
91
NICHOLAS

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: NI-ko-las (English), nee-ko-LA (French) [key]
From the Greek name ?????a?? (Nikolaos) which meant "victory of the people" from Greek ???? (nike) "victory" and ?a?? (laos) "people". Saint Nicholas was a 4th-century bishop from Anatolia who, according to legend, saved the daughters of a poor man from lives of prostitution. He is also known as Santa Claus (from Dutch Sinterklaas), the bringer of Christmas presents. He is the patron saint of children, sailors and merchants, and Greece and Russia. Nicholas was also the name of two czars of Russia and five popes.
 

Tremulant

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2004
4,890
1
0
Originally posted by: Leros
JUSTIN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French, Slovene

Pronounced: JUS-tin (English), zhoo-STEN (French) [key]
From the Roman name Justinus, which was derived from JUSTUS. This was the name of several early saints including Justin Martyr, a Christian philosopher of 2nd century who was beheaded in Rome.
 

Feldenak

Lifer
Jan 31, 2003
14,093
2
81
ERIC
Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French

Pronounced: ER-ik (English), er-EEK (French) [key]

From the Old Norse name Eiríkr, derived from ei "ever" and ríkr "ruler". Danish invaders first brought the name to England. A famous bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red in English), a 10th-century navigator and explorer who discovered Greenland. This was also the name of kings of Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
 

AmpedSilence

Platinum Member
Oct 7, 2005
2,765
1
76
NIRAV

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Indian

Other Scripts: ???? (Hindi)
Means "quiet, calm" in Sanskrit.

<---- Hence my AT handle.
 

Beev

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2006
7,775
0
0
CHRISTOPHER

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: KRIS-to-fur [key]
Means "bearing Christ", derived from Late Greek ???st?? (Christos) combined with fe?? (phero) "to bear, to carry". Christopher was the legendary saint who carried the young Jesus across a river. He is the patron saint of travelers. Another famous bearer was Christopher Columbus, the explorer who reached the West Indies in the 15th century.

lol...
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,806
46
91
Originally posted by: mugs
MATHEW

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MATH-yoo [key]
Variant of MATTHEW

---------------------------------------------
MATTHEW

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: MATH-yoo [key]
English form of ?at?a??? (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name ???????????? (Mattityahu) which meant "gift of YAHWEH". Saint Matthew, also called Levi, was one of the twelve apostles, a tax collector. He was supposedly the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament.

---------------------------------------------

I knew I was God's gift to the world, but I didn't know that's what my name meant? :Q

yeah, but you're named after a tax collector too, so its like a double edged sword.

mine is:

MICHAEL
Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, German, Czech, Biblical

Pronounced: MIE-kul (English), MI-khah-el (German) [key]

From the Hebrew name ???????? (Mika'el) which meant "who is like God?". This is the name of one of the seven archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible. In the Book of Revelation in the New Testament he is portrayed as the leader of heaven's armies, and thus is considered the patron saint of soldiers.
This was the name of nine Byzantine emperors and a czar of Russia. Other more modern bearers of this name include the 19th-century chemist/physicist Michael Faraday and basketball player Michael Jordan


So I am "like god", so I'm like, better than you or something? :laugh:
 

Nerva

Platinum Member
Jul 26, 2005
2,796
0
0
LUKE

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: LOOK [key]
From the Greek name ????a? (Loukas) which meant "from Lucania". Lucania was a region in Italy. Saint Luke, the author of the third Gospel and Acts in the New Testament, was a doctor who travelled in the company of Saint Paul. The name is also borne by the fictional character Luke Skywalker in the 'Star Wars' movies.
 

NuclearNed

Raconteur
May 18, 2001
7,831
295
126
My first name is Roy, even though I go by my middle name.

ROY
Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scottish, English

Pronounced: ROI [key]

Derived from Gaelic ruadh meaning "red". A notable bearer was Rob Roy, a Scottish outlaw of the 18th century.
 

Dogo

Member
Mar 14, 2007
119
0
0
BRYCE

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: BRIES [key]
Variant of BRICE


BRICE

Gender: Masculine

Usage: French, English

Pronounced: BRIES (English) [key]
From the name Bricius, which was probably a Latinized form of a Welsh name derived from brych meaning "speckled". This was the name of a 5th-century saint, the disciple of Saint Martin of Tours.
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,255
403
126
ADAM

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, French, German, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Jewish, Biblical

Other Scripts: ????? (Hebrew), ???? (Russian, Ukrainian)

Pronounced: A-dam (English), AH-dahm (German, Polish), ah-DAHM (Russian) [key]
This is the Hebrew word for "man". It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew ??? ('adam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Assyrian adamu meaning "to make". According to Genesis in the Old Testament Adam was created from the earth by God (there is a word play on Hebrew ??????? ('adamah) "earth"). He and Eve were supposedly the first humans, living happily in the Garden of Eden until Adam ate a forbidden fruit given to him by Eve.
 

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
DAWN

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English

Pronounced: DAWN [key]
Means simply "dawn" from the English word, derived from Old English dagung.

 

SirStev0

Lifer
Nov 13, 2003
10,449
6
81
STEPHEN
Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: STEEV-en, STEF-en [key]

From the Greek name Stefa??? (Stephanos) meaning "crown". Saint Stephen was an early Christian martyr who was stoned to death, as told in Acts in the New Testament. Another Saint Stephen is the patron saint of Hungary, the first Christian king of that country (10th century). As well, this was the name of kings of England, Serbia, and Poland and ten popes. More recently it is borne by the British physicist Stephen Hawking and the American author Stephen King.
 

Accipiter22

Banned
Feb 11, 2005
7,947
2
0
Originally posted by: mugs
MATHEW

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: MATH-yoo [key]
Variant of MATTHEW

---------------------------------------------
MATTHEW

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Biblical

Pronounced: MATH-yoo [key]
English form of ?at?a??? (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name ???????????? (Mattityahu) which meant "gift of YAHWEH". Saint Matthew, also called Levi, was one of the twelve apostles, a tax collector. He was supposedly the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament.

---------------------------------------------

I knew I was God's gift to the world, but I didn't know that's what my name meant? :Q



qfm (quoted for me)
 

49erinnc

Platinum Member
Feb 10, 2004
2,095
0
0
Originally posted by: Skacer
JASON

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English, Greek Mythology (Latinized), Biblical

Pronounced: JAY-sun (English) [key]
From the Greek name ?as?? (Iason), which was derived from Greek ?as?a? (iasthai) "to heal". Jason was the leader of the Argonauts in Greek legend. He went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back his kingdom from his uncle Pelias. During his journeys he married the sorceress Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman. This name is also used in Acts in the New Testament to translate the Hebrew name Joshua.

 

ondarkness

Platinum Member
Nov 10, 2004
2,003
1
81
IVAN

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Russian, Czech, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Bulgarian, Ukrainian

Other Scripts: ???? (Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian), ???? (Ukrainian)

Pronounced: ee-VAHN (Russian), IE-van (English) [key]
Cognate of JOHN. This was the name of several rulers of Moscow, including Ivan the Great and Ivan the Terrible, the first czar of Russia. Other notable bearers include Ivan Turgenev, a Russian author who wrote 'Fathers and Sons', and Ivan Pavlov, a scientist and physiologist best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.
 

Eltano1

Golden Member
Aug 6, 2000
1,897
0
0
GUSTAVO

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Italian, Spanish, Portuguese

Pronounced: goo-STAH-vo (Italian, Spanish) [key]
Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of GUSTAV


GUSTAV

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Scandinavian, German

Pronounced: GOO-stahf (German) [key]
Means "staff of the Goths", derived from the Old Norse elements Gautr "Goth" and stafr "staff". This name has been borne by six kings of Sweden, including the 16th-century Gustav I Vasa.

===========
Eltano aka Gustavo or Gustav or Gus :)
 

Bacstar

Golden Member
Nov 2, 2006
1,296
56
91
Gernel

Not in database, but here's the story.

Pronunciation: Ger like in "gerbil", and Nel as in "Woah...Nelly" :)

My parents wanted to be clever so they got the first three letters from their first names and put in together (Gerardo and Nellie). You should see my sisters name...Gerlie. Hopefully, you can see how they came up with the last part.

As I was growing up, I got tired of telling the story behind the name when I met knew people, so I used Ben for Benito which is my grandfather's name that is listed on my Baptismal Certificate. My sister wasn't so lucky.
 

ViviTheMage

Lifer
Dec 12, 2002
36,190
85
91
madgenius.com
ANTHONY

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: AN-tho-nee, AN-to-nee [key]
From the Roman family name Antonius, which is of unknown Etruscan origin. It has been commonly (but incorrectly) associated with Greek a???? (anthos) "flower", which resulted in the addition of the h in the 17th century.

A notable bearer of the Roman name was Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius), the general who ruled the Roman Empire jointly with Augustus for a short time. When their relationship turned sour, he and his mistress Cleopatra were attacked and forced to commit suicide. Shakespeare's tragedy 'Antony and Cleopatra' is based on them. Other famous bearers include the 3rd-century Saint Anthony the Abbot, a hermit from Egypt who founded monasticism, and the 13th-century Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of Portugal.
 

Canai

Diamond Member
Oct 4, 2006
8,016
1
0
WILLEM

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Dutch

Pronounced: VIL-lum, WIL-lum [key]
Dutch form of WILLIAM