Sunday, January 28, 2018

Un Otro Reto Alfabético

Names ending in "oh" are trending pretty nicely right now, mostly for boys, but definitely a bit for girls as well. The boys' names mostly tend to actually end with -o, but for girls they're more mixed--some -o, some -ot, some -ow/owe.
For some crazy reason, I felt like setting myself another alphabet challenge--for both genders.
The rules are simple: one name for each letter, and it can't be a name I've mentioned before on this blog.

Boys:
  • Aro (AH-roh, Swedish, Finnish [trilled R in Finnish])--form of Aaron
  • Breno (BREH-noo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--from Latinized Gaelic, prob. "prince" or "raven" [making it a form of either Brendan or Bran]
  • Cisco (SIS-koh, Spanish)--short form of Francisco
  • Darrow (DEHR-oh, DA-row, Scottish [surname])--prob. from darach "oak"
  • Ensio (EN-see-oh, Finnish)--"first"
  • Franco (FRAHN-koh, Italian)--form of Frank or short form of Francesco, both from the Germanic tribe name 'Franks'. 
  • Gaio (GYE-oh, Italian)--from Latin Gaius/Caius, origin uncertain
  • Hanno (HAHN-no, German)--short form of Johannes
  • Ícaro (EE-kah-roo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese; EE-kah-oh, Spanish)--form of Icarus
  • Jesco / Jesko (YES-koh, German; JES-koh, English)--nickname for Slavic jar/yar- names, "spring [the season]" or "power"
  • Kenno (KEN-noh, Danish, Finnish)--nickname for Germanic kun/cun-names, "kin"
  • Laszlo (LAZ-loh, English)--from Hungarian László, itself from Slavic Vladislav, "rule-glory"
  • Miro (MEE-roh, Croatian, Italian, Finnish, Slovene, Swedish)--short form of Slavic mir- names, "peace"
  • Nilo (NEE-loh, Italian, Spanish; NEE-loo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--form of 'Nile' [the river], or short form of Danilo
  • Odino (oh-DEE-noh, Italian)--form of Odin
  • Pelayo (pel-EYE-oh, Spanish)--from Ancient Greek Pelagius, "sea"
  • Quincio (KEEN-see-oh, Spanish) / Quíncio (KEEN-see-oo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--form of Quintius/Quincy
  • Renzo (REN-tsoh, Italian; REN-soh, Spanish; REN-zoo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--short form of Lorenzo
  • Sidlow (SID-loh, English [surname])--origin uncertain, poss. "south hill" or "wide hill"
  • Távio (TAHV-yoo [short 'oo', like "foot"], Portuguese)--short form of Otávio/Octávio
  • Usebio (oo-SEH-bee-oh, Aragonese, Spanish)--from Ancient Greek, "good worship" or "well-respected"
  • Vico (VEE-koh, Italian)--nickname for Ludovico/Louis
  • Wilko / Wilco (VIL-koh, Dutch, German)--diminutive of William and other Wil-names.
  • Xanto (KSAHN-toh, Italian)--from Ancient Greek, "yellow" [a masculine form of name-nerd favorite Xanthe]
  • Y--gah, I've got nothing I haven't mentioned before (although I really thought it'd be Q or X that got me, so yay!)
  • Zaccheo (zak-KEH-oh, Italian)--from Biblical Hebrew Zacchaeus, "pure"

Girls:
  • Argyro (ahr-gee-ROH, Greek)--"silver"
  • Bio (bee-OH, [ancient] Greek; BEE-oh, Anglicized)--prob. "life" or "force"
  • Caro (KEHR-oh, KA-roh, KAH-roh, English; KAH-roh, Dutch, German, Spanish)--nickname for Caroline/Carolina and other Car-names
  • Damaro (dah-mah-ROH, [ancient] Greek; dah-MAH-roh, Anglicized)--prob. "taming" or "wife"
  • Emmelot (em-meh-LOH, [medieval] French)--diminutive of Emma-names
  • Fairlow / Fairlowe (FEHR-loh, FAYR-loh, English [surname])--poss. "pleasant hill" or "fern hill". 
  • Gwenno (GWEN-noh, Welsh)--diminutive of Gwen-names
  • Haido (HYE-doh, Greek)--prob. "caress" [likely source of the literary name Haidee/Haydée]
  • Ivalo (EE-vah-loh, Danish, Greenlandic)--from Greenlandic, "sinew, thread"
  • Jurietto (joo-ree-et-toh, Japanese [pop culture])--gairaigo ["Japanization"] of Juliet
  • Kallo (kah-LOH, [ancient] Greek; KAL-loh, Anglicized)--prob. "beautiful"
  • Laino (lahn-yoh, Basque)--"cloud, mist"
  • Margalo (MAR-gah-loh, English)--contraction of Margaret Lorraine
  • Nikeso (nik-ay-SOH, [ancient] Greek; nik-EE-soh, Anglicized)--prob. "victory" or "victor"
  • Orvo (OR-voh, Finnish)--short form of Orvokki "violet flower" [unisex]
  • Phaio (fye-OH, Greek [mythology]) / Phaeo (FEE-oh, Anglicized)--"shining"
  • Q--nada. Lost twice over. :/
  • Runo (ROO-noh, Finnish)--"poem" [unisex]
  • Siro (SEE-roh, Finnish)--"graceful"
  • Tayloe / Taylo (TAY-loh, English [surname])--poss. form of Taylor, or from 'teal' [a type of duck]
  • Ushio (oo-shee-oh, Japanese)--"tide" [unisex]
  • Vireo (VEER-ee-oh, English [word, quite rare as a name])--a type of bird, from Latin "green"
  • Wealthow / Wealtheow (WEL-thoh / WEL-theh-oh, [literary] English)--origin uncertain, poss. "foreign servant"
  • Xenno (ksen-NOH, [ancient] Greek; ZEN-noh, Anglicized)--prob. "guest, hospitality"
  • Ysabeau (ee-zah-BOH, [medieval] French)--form of Isabel/Elizabeth
  • Zafiro (sah-FEE-roh, Spanish)--"sapphire"

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Medieval World Tour--Germany

The world tour continues! We're heading to Germany next, still looking especially for names/forms that aren't still in use today (although some do survive as surnames).

Boys:
  • Asculf (AHSH-oolf ['oo' like in "foot"])--"spear-wolf"
  • Avo (AH-voh)--origin uncertain, poss. "desired" or "strength"
  • Berengar (BEH-ren-gar)--"bear-spear". Another form was Pernger (PEHRN-gehr). 
  • Bomund (BOH-moont ['oo' like in "foot"])--derivation unknown; after a legendary giant.
    Other forms included Boamund (BOH-ah-moont ['oo' like in "foot"]) and Bohemund (BOH-heh-moont ['oo' like in "foot"]). 
  • Eberwin (EH-behr-win)--"boar-friend"
  • Herimund (HEHR-im-oont ['oo' like in "foot"])--"army protection".
    Another form was Harimund (HAHR-im-oont ['oo' like in "foot"]). 
  • Herrand (HEHR-rahnt)--prob. "army shield-edge"
  • Herrich (HEHR-rikh)--"army ruler". Also spelled Herich
  • Isbrand (EEZ-brahnt)--"iron-fire"
  • Landrich (LAHN-drikh)--"land ruler" [probable source of the surname Landry]
  • Linhart (LIN-hart)--form of Leonard
  • Marculf (MAHR-koolf ['oo' like in "foot"])--"border-wolf"
  • Theodulf (TEH-oh-doolf ['oo' like in "foot"])--"people-wolf"
  • Wigher (WIG-her)--"battle-army"
  • Wilbrand (WIL-brahnt)--"will-fire" or poss. "will-sword"
  • Valten (VAHL-ten)--form of Valentine

Girls:
  • Aldegarde (ahl-deh-GAHR-deh)--"old protection"
  • Duretta (doo-RET-tah)--prob. form of Dorothea
  • Engelhaid (EN-gel-hide)--"angelic type". Also spelled Engelheid
  • Geilsind (GAYL-sind)--"merry path" or poss. "merry strength". Another form was Geilsinde (gayl-SIN-deh). 
  • Heidentrude (hay-den-TROO-deh)--prob. "heath-strength" or "heathen-strength"
  • Isentrud (EE-zen-trood)--prob. "iron-strength"
  • Richlind (RIKH-lind)--"gentle ruler". Another form was Richlinde (rikh-LIN-deh).
  • Wistrild (WIS-trild)--"west battle". Another form was Wistrilde (wis-TRIL-deh). 
I also came across a number of girls' names ending in -lin. Usually they appeared to be diminutives (poss. used as given names on their own), sometimes feminizations.
(there were quite a few boys' diminutives ending in -lin as well, e.g. Ullin from Ulrich and Bestlin from Sebastian, but I'm not lacking in boys' names!)
  • Aellin (from Adelheid/Alice?)
  • Annlin (from Anna)
  • Bettlin (from Elisabeth)
  • Elsslin (also from Elisabeth)
  • Engelin (from Engelhaid and other Engel-names)
  • Ennlin/Endlin (from Endres/Andrew?)
  • Gerlin (from Gertrude and other Ger-names)
  • Gretlin (from Margareta)
  • Ketlin (from Katherina)
  • Kunlin (from Cunigunde and other Cun-names, or poss. Conrad)
  • Marlin/Merlin (from Margareta)
  • Matzlin/Metzlin (? from Mathis or Mechthild/Matilda.....maybe??)
  • Neslin (from Agnes)
  • Riberlin (from Ribert?)

I know, this list is way shorter than the other MWT lists! Most of the names from medieval Germany I found were either still in recent use, or pretty hard to say in Modern English. :/

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Spam-a-Lot 3

Hey, time for another round of names from my spam folder. They seem to be branching out linguistically, so that's nice. :p

  • Alice
  • Alicia
  • Amanda (multiple)
  • Amani
  • Amelia
  • Ananda
  • Angela
  • Anisa
  • Anna
  • Anthony
  • Ariana
  • Becca
  • Cammie
  • Carlos
  • Carole
  • Carolina
  • Cassy
  • Charles
  • Charley
  • Chris
  • Christopher
  • Clementine
  • Cole
  • Cristina
  • Cynthia
  • Dani
  • Dorothy
  • Elena
  • Ellen
  • Ema
  • Embry
  • Emma
  • Erika
  • Ernest
  • Estela
  • Ethan
  • Eva
  • Faith (2)
  • Frank
  • Gabriel
  • Godwin
  • Grayson
  • Imogen
  • Irina
  • Isabella
  • Jack
  • Jackie
  • Jacky
  • Jacqueline
  • James
  • Jane
  • Janeth
  • Janis
  • Janna
  • Jannette
  • Jasmine
  • Jaxon
  • Javier
  • Jenn
  • Jennifer
  • Jessica (tons)
  • Jodi
  • Julia
  • Kacey
  • Kevin
  • Kiersten
  • Lana
  • Landon
  • Laura
  • Lesia
  • Lilia
  • Liliana
  • Linda
  • Lisa
  • Luana
  • Maria
  • Marian
  • Marie
  • Marina
  • Marinos
  • Mary
  • Mayumi
  • Melissa
  • Michelle
  • Mildred
  • Morris
  • Natalia
  • Natalie (multiple)
  • Nathaniel
  • Nicole
  • Niki
  • Olga
  • Rebecca
  • Reina
  • Samuel
  • Sara (multiple)
  • Sarah (x1,000,000)
  • Sofia
  • Sofie
  • Sophie
  • Stefanie
  • Susanna
  • Teresa
  • Tracey
  • Vanessa
  • Veronica
  • Veronika
  • Victoria
  • Yumi