Throwback Thursday Series - American Given Names, V, W, X, Y + Z

Hello, readers!

This will be the very last American Given Names post! Thanks for sticking with me through this odd exploration of unusual names.

And of course, feel free to comment with your favorite name-related books!

Varina - depending on the origin, either "versatile", "integrity", or "foreign woman"

Wealthy - virtue name

Wrestling - virtue name

Zabdiel - "God endows"

Zadoc - "righteous"

Zebina - "bought" or "one who married foreign wives"

Zebulin - "exaltation"

Zedekiah - "God is just"

Zenas - "gift of Zeus"

Zillah - "shade"

Zoheth - "strong"

Zuriel - "God is my rock"

Throwback Thursday Series - American Given Names, R, S, T + U

Hello, readers!

Let's cut right to the chase, shall we?

And as always, this is my weekly call for name-related books! Let me know what you're reading.

Reliance - virtue name

Repentance - virtue name

Salma - "safe"

Scipio - "walking stick"

Shearjashub - "the remnant shall return" or "he that is before the king of Assyria shall take away the riches"

Starr - "star"

Thankful - virtue name

Theron - "hunter"

Tremble - virtue name

Troilus - "Trojan"

Urien - "of privileged birth"

Uzziah - "my power is God"

Throwback Thursday Series - American Given Names, O, P + Q

Hello, readers!

It's Thursday again! Which means it's another American Given Names post :)

Also, I'm collecting name-related books, so please let me know your favorites! Baby name collections, books on the history of names, even books with cool names in them!

Onesimus - "beneficial"

Onesiphorus - "beneficial"

Oriana - "golden" or "dawn" (Thanks, DMNES, for Orienta!)

Ozias - "salvation"

Pelatiah - "God-delivers" or "refugee of God"

Peleg - "division"

Penuel - "face of God"

Perez - "burst forth"

Persis - "Persian woman"

Preserved - virtue name

Quash, Quashey - "born on Sunday"

Throwback Thursday Series - American Given Names, H, I + J

Hello, readers,

We'll continue today with my series on George R Stewart's American Given Names. Let me know which ones you like in the comments!

Also, I'm collecting the best books on names! Tell me in the comments or message me through my blog what your favorite name books are - this could be baby name anthologies, histories about certain names, or books with names as a major plot point, like The Importance of Being Earnest. I'm eager to hear what you like!

Habakkuk - "embracing"

Haggai - "festive"

Hale - "someone who lives in a hollow"

Hezekiah - "God gives strength"

Hopestill - word name

Hopefor - word name

Increase - word name

Ione - "violet flower"

Issachar - "hireling"

Jaazaniah - "May God hear"

Jabez - "borne in pain"

Jael - "mountain goat"

Jair/Jairus - "he shines"

Jehiel - "God lives"

Jehu - "God is he"

Jephthah - "he opens"

Jeroboam - "let the people increase"

Jotham - "God is perfect"

Juba - "born on a Monday"

Juniata - name of a Pennsylvania river, "standing stone"

Throwback Thursday Series - American Given Names, E, F + G

Hello, readers!

The American Given Names series continues! Since my own first initial is represented today, I'll share a quote from the book about Emily:

          "... the use of Emily primarily sprang from literary sources (Boccaccio, Chaucer)... It is also highly euphonic, and thus is suitable for poetry..."

Not a bad description! I'm using "euphonic" as a self-descriptor from now on ;)

Eleazar - "God is help"

Eliab - "God is father"

Eliakim - "God establishes"

Elihu - "Jehovah is God"

Eliphalet - "God helps to escape"

Elkanah - "God possesses"

Elma - diminutive of various names

Elnathan - "God-given"

Ermentrude - "whole strength"

Ethelbert - "noble-bright"

Evadne - "pleasing one"

Experience - virtue name

Fear - virtue name, from "fear of God"

Gad - "fortune"

Gamaliel - "recompense is God"

Gerda - "stronghold"

Gershom - "stranger"

A few of these sound like modern mash-up names - Elnathan? Eliab? Evadne? But their history gives them more credibility and strength.

Throwback Thursday Series - American Given Names, B, C + D

Hello, readers!

This is a continuation of study into George R. Stewart's American Given Names book - check out last week's post on the letter A for more: American Given Names, A

Barachiah - "blessed of God"

Barzillai - "strong"

Bathshua - "daughter of prosperity"

Benoni - "son of my sorrow"

Bethia - "daughter of God"

Bezaleel - "God is my protection"

Bezer - meaning unknown

Cadmus - "easterner"

Cato - "wise"

Cephas - "rock"

Cof/Cuff - "born on Friday"

Corinna - "maiden"

Datus - "given"

Deliverance - virtue name

Drusilla - "fruitful"

Dugald/Dougal - "dark stranger"

Dulcie - "sweet"

Tune in next week for more names!

Throwback Thursday Series - American Given Names, A

Hello, readers!

For the next few Thursdays, I'll be focusing on a book I picked up recently - American Given Names, by George R. Stewart. Stewart was a professor in English at my alma mater, UC Berkeley, and published this book on names and name history shortly before his death. Since I'm always interested in onomastics, the study of names, I picked up a copy at the Berkeley library!

While it's unclear whether Stewart studied name statistics, he included some of the most common names in the United States (complete with opinions). These blog posts will focus on names I haven't heard of (or heard much of). So, in honor or fellow Cal Bear George, let's begin!

Abiel - "God is the father"

Abijah - "Jehovah is the father"

Admire - virtue name

Adonijah - "God is my Lord"

Agur - "gatherer"

Alethea - "truth"

Alfarata - modern invented name

Almon - "German"

Amariah - "God has spoken"

Amasa - "burden bearer"

Ammi - "my people"

Amzi - "my strength"

Antipas - "like his father"

Aquila - "acorn" or "eagle"

Archelaus - "chief of the people"

Artemas - unknown origin, possibly "gift of Artemis"

Asahel - "God acts"

Asaph - "collector"

Asarelah - "joined is God"

Asenath - unknown origin, possibly "devoted to the goddess Neith"

Ashbel - "man of Baal"

Azariah - "God is his helper"

Azel - "noble"

None of these are in the US top 1000! The ones most likely to make the list in my opinion are Abijah, Amariah, and Ashbel. My favorites are Amzi and Azariah.