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, 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.