cross the floor

en-verb

cross the floor (third-person singular simple present crosses the floor, present participle crossing the floor, simple past and past participle crossed the floor)

crosses the floor (present singular third-person)
crossing the floor (participle present)
crossed the floor (participle past)
crossed the floor (past)

(UK politics, of a member of a parliament) To vote against one’s own political party in parliament.

Two weeks ago, Mr Davies intimated to Mr Brown that he was ready to cross the floor.

2007 June 27, Philip Webster, Francis Elliott, “How Brown led his latest recruit across the floor”, in Times of London, retrieved 2008-11-09:

(UK politics, informal, of a member of a parliament) To resign from one’s political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one’s currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one’s new party.


Ulysses

From Latin Ulyssēs, a frequent alternative form of Ulixēs (“Odysseus”), influenced by the Ancient Greek Ὀδυσσεύς (Odusseús).


Shirley

English place name from Old English sċīr (“county”) + lēah (“meadow”). Equivalent to shire + -ley (“lea”). More at shire, leigh.

Shirley Blythe was with Una Meredith and both were rather silent because such was their nature. Shirley was a lad of sixteen, sedate, sensible, thoughtful, full of a quiet humour.

1921, Lucy Maud Montgomery, chapter 2, in Rilla of Ingleside:

(rare) A male given name transferred from the surname.

Shirley Keeldar ( she had no Christian name but Shirley; her parents, who had wished to have a son, finding that, after eight years of marriage, Providence had granted them only a daughter, bestowed on her the same masculine family cognomen they would have bestowed on a boy, if with a boy they had been blessed) - - -

1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], chapter XI, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC:

"Why a girl like you should be named Shirley is beyond me. You haven't a ruffle or a furbelow anywhere in your nature." "Is that meant for an insult?" she asked, flushing angrily. "No, it's just that it's incongruous. You are the 'give us this day our daily bread' sort of person. Shirley is party stuff."

1951, Alice Tisdale Hobart, The Serpent-Wreathed Staff, Bobbs-Merrill, page 50:

A female given name transferred from the surname. Popular from the 1920s to the 1950s.


Hmong

A people who live predominantly in the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, and (in diaspora) around the world.


Hmong

The lect spoken by these people, which is a cluster of a large number of lects which are sometimes considered dialects and sometimes separate languages.


Hmong

Of or relating to the Hmong, their culture, or their lect.


Moira

Anglicized from Irish Máire, a cognate of Mary. Doublet of Maura.


Effie

From Euphemia + -ie (diminutive form), or, very rarely, from modern Greek Eftychia or Euthemia (diminutive form).

"Yes, little wild flower - I shall call you that, unless your name sounds like you. What is it, dear?"
"Effie Malie."
"That is charming; now, Effie Malie, sit down upon this mossy bank with me, […]

1857, J. T. Bickford, Scandal, Shepard, Clark, and Brown, page 82:

A diminutive of the female given name Euphemia, also used as a formal given name in the 19th century.


Lillian

Used since the sixteenth century, possibly originally a pet form of Elizabeth, but generally accepted as a variant of Late Latin lilium (“lily”).

Your mother's name was Lillian, Minnie Lee,
Her other name I never heard, until
I stood within the church and saw her wed
So she is ever Lillian Lee to me.

Lillian Russell was christened Helen Louise Leonard. Tony Pastor gave her the name Lillian Russell, for the very practical reason, I believe, that it had so many "l's" in it, and consequently would look well on a bill-board.

1907, Lewis Clinton Strang, Famous Prima Donnas, L.C.Page&Co, page 33:

A female given name from Latin. (This is the standard American spelling.)


Eurasian

From Euro- + Asian. Attested since 1844.

Any person native to Eurasia, or descended from people native to Eurasia.


Hansard

Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Luke Hansard
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Thomas Curson Hansard

From Hansard, the surname of Thomas Curson Hansard (1776–1833), an English printer who inherited the business of printing reports of parliamentary debates and proceedings from his father Luke Hansard (1752–1828). T. C. Hansard added his name to the title of the reports from 1829, and from about 1859 they began to be referred to generically as “Hansards”.

Mr. BURNS thought that if they were to have a Hansard at all, they should take steps to have it thoroughly well done, and he would be very glad if they could get rid of these corrections altogether. He thought the exact words, or as nearly as possible the exact words, should be put into the Hansard, and the staff should be so efficient that there would be no necessity for corrections.

1868 October 16, A[rthur] J[ohn] Burns, “Reporting Debates”, in New Zealand. Parliamentary Debates. Third Session of the Fourth Parliament. […] (House of Representatives), volume IV, Wellington: G. Didsbury, government printer, →OCLC, page 372, column 1:

Now, Hansard's Debates originated in the year 1803, and through the enterprize of a son of the late Mr. Luke Hansard, who had been so long connected with the printing of the House, these Debates had supplied the Parliament with a very accurate record of its proceedings. They were cited continually in the House, and so great was their reputation that even in Prussia they had a Preussiches Hansard; there was also a Hansard's Debates both in Canada and Australia. [...] Suppose, then, that these Debates came to an end to-morrow; [...] the newspapers would not supply them with the materials which were now contained in Hansard. It was impossible that the newspapers could report the proceedings of the House at sufficient length.

1875 May 4, Mitchell Henry, “Parliament—Publication of Debates and Exclusion of Strangers.—Resolution.”, in Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, […] (House of Commons), volume CCXXIV (Third Series), 3rd volume of the session, London: Published by Cornelius Buck, at the office for “Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates,” […], →OCLC, columns 68–70:

He, for example, who would essay to take account of Mr. [William Ewart] Gladstone, must read much else besides Hansard; he must brush up his Homer, and set himself to acquire some theology.

1885, [Augustine Birrell], “Carlyle”, in Obiter Dicta, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 1:

In any case, the judges are not allowed to read Hansard in order to see what the sponsors, or any other member, may have said. This is a much criticised rule, but there is a certain amount to be said for it. The legislative processes, through which the parliamentary draftsman's work must pass, are confusing and muddled.

1983, Geoffrey Lewis, “Statutory Interpretation”, in Lord Atkin, London: Butterworths, →ISBN, page 118; reprinted Oxford, Oxfordshire, Portland, Or.: Hart Publishing, 1999, →ISBN:

In a country like India with a vibrant democracy, parliamentary debates play a very crucial role and are watched with keen interest by the people, who are politically conscious. The Reporters' Branch is entrusted with the responsibility of producing the Indian Hansard, i.e., the Official Report of the proceedings of Lok Sabha.

1992, “The Indian Hansard”, in Parliament of India: The Ninth Lok Sabha 1989–1991: A Study, New Delhi: Northern Book Centre for the Lok Sabha Secretariat, →ISBN, part I (Articles), page 63, column 1:

The object of the court in interpreting legislation is to give effect so far as the language permits to the intention of the legislature. If the language proves to be ambiguous I can see no sound reason not to consult Hansard to see if there is a clear statement of the meaning that the words were intended to carry. The days have long passed when the courts adopted a strict constructionist view of interpretation which required them to adopt the literal meaning of the language. [...] I cannot agree with the view that consulting Hansard will add so greatly to the cost of litigation, that on this ground alone we should refuse to do so. Modern technology greatly facilitates the recall and display of material held centrally. I have to confess that on many occasions I have had recourse to Hansard, of course only to check if my interpretation had conflicted with an express Parliamentary intention, but I can say that it does not take long to recall and assemble the relevant passages in which the particular section was dealt with in Parliament, nor does it take long to see if anything relevant was said.

1992 November 26, Lord Griffiths [Hugh Griffiths, Baron Griffiths] (judge of the House of Lords), “Pepper (Inspector of Taxes) … Respondent and Hart … Appellant [[1993] Appeal Cases 593]”, in The Law Reports of the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting: House of Lords, Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and Peerage Cases, London: Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales, published 1993, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2019-09-18, pages 617–618:

Imagine a parliamentary stenographer scribbling furiously in the days before tape recorders. His job is to record politicians' speeches so they can be written up and preserved in an official parliamentary record like Hansard. [...] When some dramatic break or swerve in the speech seems too uncertain to sort out there and then, the stenographer sticks in clumps of hyphens, partly as a signal to himself that he will need to sort this out later when "correcting" and "clarifying" his final copy for Hansard.

1993, Graham Bradshaw, “Appendix: Dashing Othello’s Spirits”, in Misrepresentations: Shakespeare and the Materialists, Ithaca, N.Y., London: Cornell University Press, →ISBN, page 258:

Following the debate in question, Tim Loughton sent an unmarked copy of Hansard to his constituent to inform him that he would no longer be acting as his MP as the constituent had made this position untenable. [...] However, and unbeknown to Loughton, the constituent reported the debate to the police as a 'hate crime' and complained that sending a copy of Hansard was 'harassment'.

2015, Roger Williams, “Harassment in Sussex”, in Rough Justice: Citizens’ Experience of Mistreatment and Injustice in the Early Stages of Law Enforcement, Hook, Hampshire: Waterside Press, →ISBN, part 1 (Contributions, Media and Experiences), page 106:

(chiefly British, Commonwealth) The official report of debates and other proceedings in the British and some Commonwealth parliaments.


Harriet

Anglicized form of French Henriette, feminine form of Henri (“Henry”), popular in England in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Harriet, by the way, is a very sprightly name. It is the female of Harry, and is identified in my imagination with I know not what of the power of being lively and saucy, without committing the sweetness of womanhood.

1833, Leigh Hunt, A Year of Honey-Moons, Court magazine and monthly, E. Bull, published 1833, page 33:

I found myself wanting to explain it to her, this middle-aged woman with the kind of haircut you call a hairdo, which needed to be set in rollers every night, who had a name like Agnes or Harriet, a name that even predated my mother's generation.

1995, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America, Riverhead Books, published 1995, →ISBN, page 14:

A female given name from the Germanic languages.


Vesta

From Middle English Vesta, from Latin Vesta, related to Ancient Greek ἑστία (hestía, “to dwell”) and Ἑστία (Hestía, “Hestia”), all from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes-; see also Old High German and Old English wesan (“to be”), Gothic wisan, Sanskrit वसति (vasati, “abide dwell”).
Vesta itself came to mean chaste, pure, or virgin, based from this goddess.

cog

A female given name from Latin in occasional use.


Babs

From the clipping of Barbara + -s (hypocoristic suffix).

A diminutive of the female given name Barbara.


confirmation name

en-noun

confirmation name (plural confirmation names)

(Christianity) A name given usually by a pastor to a confirmand during a confirmation ceremony in various Christian denominations.


Sandeep

From Hindi संदीप (sandīp, “enlightened”).

A male given name from Hindi used in India.


Hindustani

Borrowed from Hindustani ہِنْدُوسْتانی (hindūstānī) / हिंदुस्तानी (hindustānī), from Classical Persian هِنْدُوسْتَانِی (hindūstānī), from هِنْدُو (hindū, “Hindu, Indian”) + ـسْتَان (-stān, “land”) + adjective suffix ـِی (-ī). Equivalent to Hindustan + -i.

der

هِنْدُوسْتَانِی

Kim watched the stars as they rose one after another in the still, sticky dark, till he fell asleep at the foot of the altar. That night he dreamed in Hindustani, with never an English word…

1900 December – 1901 October, Rudyard Kipling, chapter XI, in Kim (Macmillan’s Colonial Library; no. 414), London: Macmillan and Co., published 1901, →OCLC:

Cambridge University Press
Cambridge University Press

The pluricentric language of Hindi-Urdu, of which Hindi and Urdu are literary standards; the language from which Hindi and Urdu are derived.

(historical) The language which is now known as Urdu.

(historical) The language which is now known as Hindi.


maiden name

The original last name of a person, usually a woman, who has changed their last name upon marriage.

旧姓 (きゅうせい, kyūsei, literally “previous name, old name”)

apellido de soltera

only used in foreign contexts, married women in Spanish-speaking countries keep their original surnames instead


American Sign Language

United States of America
United States of America

A sign language used primarily in the United States of America and Canada.

American Sign Language
Stokoe notation
Sutton SignWriting

language that uses hands, facial expressions, and other bodily behavior to communicate


ASL

American Sign Language
American Sign Language#English


Orpheus

From Ancient Greek Ὀρφεύς (Orpheús), built from an uncertain root with the -εύς (-eús) suffix. Perhaps root-cognate to Ancient Greek ὀρφανός (orphanós, “orphan”).

cog

(rare) A male given name from Ancient Greek.


Robinson

en-proper noun

Robinson (countable and uncountable, plural Robinsons)

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Neal

A male given name from Irish, transferred from the surname.


Wayne

An occupational surname for a cartwright, Old English wægen (“wagon”).

"My Dad wanted to name me Mats." "But your Mom won," Carmen said, "and named you after a movie star. Moms get away with murder. Mine, you probably think, named me after the girl in the opera." "Tell you the truth," Wayne said, "I never thought about it."

1988, Elmore Leonard, Killshot, Arbor House, published 1989, →ISBN, page 145:

Marcella and Nathaniel. Now I know their names. I haven't thought much about having children, but if I did, I wouldn't give them names like that. They're the sort of names you choose if you think you're someone to be reckoned with. I wonder if this is my Reverse L'Oréal Syndrome kicking in again; what would I call my kids, Wayne and Tracey? Because I'm not worth it.

2010, Sophie Hannah, A Room Swept White, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN, page 102:


Rebecca

The Vulgate (Latin) form of biblical Rebekah, from Hebrew רִבְקָה (Rivka, “enchantingly beautiful, captivating, snare”).

der

And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 9:10-12:

They would say, if 'twas Rebecca,
That she is a little Quaker.

1809, Charles and Mary Lamb, Poetry for Children: Choosing a Name:

"What's her name?" I asked. "Rebecca. Rebecca Valentine." The name Rebecca excited me. I had always wanted to meet a woman called Rebecca—and not Becky. (Rebecca, Ruth, Roxane, Rosalind, Frederika, Ursula, Sheila, Norma, Guinevere, Leonora, Sabina, Malvina, Solange, Deirdre. What wonderful names women had! Like flowers, stars, constellations…)

1949, Henry Miller, Sexus (The Rosy Crucifixion), Grove Press, published 1965, →ISBN, page 312:

Our daughter's name, Rebecca, summons up similar visions. Although our family is not Jewish, both names (David and Rebecca) have a Hebrew ancestry which, in the eyes of many beholders ( i.e. teachers ) invokes a vision of a family that values education.

1997, Robert T. Tauber, Self-fulfilling Prophecy, Greenwood Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 61:

A female given name originating from the Bible [in turn from Hebrew], in regular use since the Reformation.


Neil

Anglicized form of Goidelic/Irish Niall. Doublet of Niall.


Hercules

head

Hercules (plural Herculeses or Hercules or (obsolete) Herculesses or (obsolete) Hercules's)

Herculeses (plural)
Hercules (plural)
Herculesses (obsolete plural)
Hercules's (obsolete plural)

From Latin Herculēs, from Etruscan 𐌇𐌄𐌓𐌂𐌋𐌄 (hercle), from Ancient Greek Ἡρακλῆς (Hēraklês), apparently cognate of Ἥρα (Hḗra, “Hera”) and, according to Haudry, from Proto-Indo-European *yóh₁r̥ (“year, season”) + κλέος (kléos, “glory”).

der

(rare, countable) A male given name from Ancient Greek


Pitcairnese

(linguistics) A creole spoken in the Pitcairn Islands, formed from an eighteenth-century dialect of English and the Tahitian language.


Sanya

Transliteration of Russian Са́ня (Sánja), diminutive of Алекса́ндра (Aleksándra) and Алекса́ндр (Aleksándr). In some cases possibly from Serbo-Croatian Сања and Sanja.


Sanya

Variant of Saniyah, Saniyya, from Arabic سنيّة (“radiant”)


Lloyd

en-proper noun

Lloyd (countable and uncountable, plural Lloyds)


Herzegovinian

The iconic humpbacked bridge rose high over the Neretva, connecting the two halves of the old Herzegovinian town that clung to the clifftops: one Muslim, the other Croat.

2022, Priscilla Morris, Black Butterflies, Duckworth, page 60:

Of, from, or pertaining to Herzegovina and its inhabitants.

赫塞哥維納的

of, from, or pertaining to Herzegovina and its inhabitants


Jeff

We have Jeff. Jeff will be fired. We will exterminate Jeff.

2024 May 12, very tall bart, 1:29 from the start, in [YTP] prager time (YouTube poop; video), spoken by Penis Prager (Dennis Prager):

A diminutive of the male given names Jeffrey, Jeffery, Jefferey, Jeffry, or Jefferson.


Burkinabe

Via French burkinabé, from Moore burkĩna (“honest”) + Fula -ɓe (plural ending for a people noun), coined by Burkinabe revolutionary Thomas Sankara.

coin

A person from Burkina Faso or of Burkinabe descent.


Norrie

A diminutive form of the female given names Noreen, Norette, and Lenore.

A diminutive form of the male given name Norman.

census-designated place
census-designated place

A census-designated place in Pitkin County, Colorado.


Keith

en-proper noun

Keith (countable and uncountable, plural Keiths)

* As a Scottish surname, from the placename in Moray, Scotland, from Scottish Gaelic Cèith, meaning "wood" or "from the battleground," which is probably borrowed from Pictish *ᚉᚓᚈ (cēt) meaning "wood", or a forest, from Proto-Brythonic *koɨd.
* As a German surname, from Middle High German kit (“sprout, offspring”) (compare kint).

der

(countable) A male given name transferred from the surname.


Kelly

en-proper noun

Kelly (countable and uncountable, plural Kellies)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Mélange a trois-Kelly.wav

A unisex given name transferred from the surname

On the walls of the salon are blown-up photos of models with dazzling teeth and ingeniously tousled hair - women with names like Kelly and Dawn, who come from tiny towns in Texas and Washington, who are tall and thin, and who don't appear to be burdened by any pasts to speak of.

1986, Daphne Merkin, chapter 1986, in Enchantment, Harcourt Brace Jovanovi, →ISBN, page 207:

A female given name transferred from the surname, popular from the 1960s to the 1990s.


Edmund

From Old English Ēadmund, from ēad (“prosperity”) + mund (“protection”). Doublet of Eamon.

This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke, / As I have read, laid claim unto the crown; / And but for Owen Glendower, had been king, / Who kept him in captivity till he died.

To me, the sound of Mr. Bertram is so cold and nothing-meaning—so entirely without warmth or character!—It just stands for a gentleman, and that's all. But there is nobleness in the name of Edmund. It is a name of heroism and renown—of kings, princes, and knights; and seems to breathe the spirit of chivalry and warm affections.

1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter IV, in Mansfield Park: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, pages 79–80:

A male given name from Old English, borne by early English kings and saints.


Adolf

From Old High German adal (“noble”) + wulf (“wolf”). Doublet of Ethelwolf from Old English Æþelwulf.

A male given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Adolph.


Middle French

A historical division of the French language, spoken roughly from 1340 to 1610, during which French became established as the official language of France.


Serb

From Serbo-Croatian Srbi, from Proto-Slavic *sьrbъ (“ally, Serb, Sorb”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to protect, watch over”); akin to Latin servo (“I guard, I protect”), Old English searu (“weapons, armor”), Lithuanian sárgas (“watchman”), Ancient Greek ἥρως (hḗrōs, “hero”), Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (haraⁱti), 𐬵𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (haᵘruuaⁱti, “to guard”). Doublet of Sorb.

der

A person of Serb descent (not necessarily from Serbia). (Compare Serbian.)

Serwiër

person of Serb descent — see also Serbian


Carlos

From Spanish Carlos and Portuguese Carlos. Doublet of Charles and Karl.

A male given name from Spanish or Portuguese, equivalent to English Charles


Ann

→ Danish: Ann

→ Norwegian: Ann

→ Swedish: Ann

→ Tagalog: Ann

From Late Latin Anna chiefly in reference to St Anne the apocryphal mother of Mary mother of Jesus but appearing in the Vulgate in reference to Anna the Prophetess, from Koine Greek Ἄννα (Ánna, “Anna”) in the New Testament, from Hebrew חַנָּה (Ḥanâ, “Hannah”), from חַנָּה (ḥanâ, “grace, gracious, graced with child”). Occasionally reborrowed from languages who adopted the name from English. Very infrequently from Estonian abbreviation of Anna instead. Doublet of Ana, Anna, Anne, and Hannah.

ramsden. When you say Ann, you mean, I presume, Miss Whitefield. / tanner. I mean our Ann, your Ann, Tavy's Ann, and now, Heaven help me, my Ann!

1901–1903, [George] Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman. A Comedy and a Philosophy, Westminster [London]: Archibald Constable & Co., published 1903, →OCLC, Act I, page 8:

Given a perfectly good American name like Ann, she has deliberately chosen to label herself "Anya" after a long-dead great-grandmother, and put jam in her tea.

1969, Constance Urdang, Natural History, Harper&Row, page 61:

"Her full name is Annie Lou. Like calling herself a snooty white girl name like Ann makes up for it."
"Must I remind you that Ann is also my middle name?"

2005, Mary Monroe, In Sheep's Clothing, Dafina Books, →ISBN, page 129:


Antonio

Borrowed from Italian Antonio and Spanish Antonio. Doublet of Anthony.


Eugene

From French Eugène, from Latin Eugenius, from Ancient Greek Εὐγένιος (Eugénios, “well born”), from εὖ (eû, “good, well”) + -γενής (-genḗs, “born a certain way”). Parallel to eugenics. Doublet of Yevgeny, Eugenius, and Owen.

suffix

"Great praise the Duke of Marlb'ro' won / And our good Prince Eugene." / "Why 'twas a very wicked thing!" / Said little Wilhelmine

Eoghan (Owen) is frequently Eugene, and our own O'Curry, though he plucked up courage to prefix the O' to his name in later life, never discarded the Eugene, which, however, is far from being a monstrosity like most of our West-Britonized names

2000, David Pierce, Irish Writing in the Twentieth Century: A Reader, . Cork University Press., →ISBN, page 8:


Diana

→ Hawaiian: Kiana
→ English: Kiana

→ Serbo-Croatian: Дајана, Dajana

→ Spanish: Dayana

Borrowed from Late Latin Diāna, short form of Latin Dīāna, derived by syncope from Old Latin Dīvāna, equivalent to dīvus + -āna; roughly akin to Proto-Italic *deiwā (“goddess”) + Proto-Indo-European *-néh₂.
Originally an Old Italic divinity of light and the moon; later identified as the Roman counterpart to Greek goddess Artemis. Cognate of Attic Greek Διώνη (Diṓnē), similarly syncopated from older Ancient Greek Διϝωνη (Diwōnē), whence via Latin Diōne is derived English Dione used in various ways across astronomy, chemistry, biology, and as a given name. From the same root Proto-Indo-European *dyúh₃onh₂- also potentially cognate to English June via Latin Jūnō.

But succeeding ages (little regarding S. Chrysosthome's admonition to the contrary) have recalled prophane names, so as now Diana, Cassandra, Hyppolytus, Venus, Lais, names of unhappy disaster are as rife, as ever they were in paganism.

1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, page 56:

A wholesome British name like Diana, Anne, Margaret or Elizabeth impresses a judge much more than all your vulgar Marilyns, Donnas, Madonnas and Dawns.

1993, James Kirkup, Queens Have Died Young and Fair, P. Owen, →ISBN, page 94:


Akan

Of or pertaining to the Akan language and other related languages.


Akan

The Niger-Congo language spoken by these people.


Fula

* From Manding languages, ultimately from Fula root ful- (pul-)

A member of a largely pastoral Muslim people of West Africa.

Fulani

from Hausa; ultimately from Fula root ful- [pul-]

Peul

French equivalent; ultimately from Fula root ful- [pul-] via Wolof


Franz

A male given name from Latin, rare in English.

A diminutive of the female given name Frances


Croat

en-noun

Croat (countable and uncountable, plural Croats)

From Medieval Latin Croata, from Proto-Slavic *xъrvatъ (“Croat”), the Croatian autonym. It, in turn, is probably of non-Slavic origin: it is probably from an Iranian or Germanic language. Doublet of cravat.

It almost made him laugh. What could he possibly do in Ohio? Did Cleveland have a pressing need for secret policemen who spoke Croat?

2012, Alen Mattich, Zagreb Cowboy, →ISBN:

(uncountable, uncommon) The Croatian lect.


Katherine

Katherine
Katherine River
Katherine, Northern Territory

/ˈkæθ(ə)ɹɪn/

SAVAGE (HENRY) - - - His aim was to appear great in little things, and the gravity with which he discusses the origin, derivation, &c of the name Katherine, whether it should be spelt with a K or a C, at which time the letter k was introduced, and the double l in Balliol, is truly wonderful. - - - By his wife, Lady Mary Sandys, he left issue Henry, Edwin, John, Katherine, and Thomas

1816, Alexander Chalmers, The General Biographical Dictionary, page 186:

During her childhood she was a romanticized Katherine, dressed by her misty-eyed, fussy mother in dresses that looked like ruffled pillowcases. By high school she'd shed the frills and emerged as a bouncy, round-faced Kathy - - - At university she was Kath, blunt and no-bullshit in her Take-Back-the-Night jeans and checked shirt - - - When she ran away to England, she sliced herself down to Kat. It was economical, street-feline, and pointed as a nail.

1991, Margaret Atwood, Wilderness Tips, →ISBN, page 36:

A female given name from Ancient Greek, a popular spelling variant of Catherine.


Ludwig

Borrowed from German Ludwig, which see for more information. Doublet of Louis.


weather balloon

weather balloon (plural weather balloons)

(ufology, sarcastic) a skeptical explanation to debunk a UFO sighting that a believer regards as silly, illogical or disingenuous


Kenneth

en-proper noun

Kenneth (countable and uncountable, plural Kenneths)

Anglicized form of two Goidelic names, Old Irish Cináed, the name of Scottish kings derived from Pictish *ᚉᚔᚅᚔᚑᚇ (Ciniod), and the saint's name Cainnech (literally “handsome”) (modern Scottish Gaelic Coinneach), as in the surname Mackenzie.

Know, however, that among the soldiers of the Cross I am called Kenneth - Kenneth of the Couching Leopard; at home I have other titles, but they would sound harsh in an Eastern ear.

1825, Sir Walter Scott, chapter III, in The Talisman:

"The other one, his name was Kenneth, was born in February nineteen twenty-one."
"All these Kens," she said.

1998 Barbara Vine ( Ruth Rendell ): The Chimney Sweeper's Boy. →ISBN page 166

"As you say. It must have been the sexy name. These days Kens are all Chinese cooks. - - -

A male given name from Scottish Gaelic, originally used in Scotland, popular in all English-speaking countries in the 20th century.


Richie

A diminutive of the male given name Richard.


chancellor

/ˈtʃɑːnsələ/

/ˈt͡ʃænsələ/

Angela Merkel
Frick Collection
Hans Holbein the Younger
Thomas More

From Anglo-Norman or Middle English chaunceler, chanceler, canceler (“chief administrative or executive officer of a ruler; chancellor, secretary; private secretary, scribe; Lord Chancellor of England; officer of the ruler's exchequer; a high administrative or executive officer (for example, a deputy or representative of a bishop; the head of a university)”), from Old French cancelier, chancelier (“chancellor”), from Late Latin cancellārius (“secretary; doorkeeper, porter; usher of a court of law stationed at the bars separating the public from the judges”), from Latin cancellī (plural of cancellus (“grate; bars, barrier; railings”), diminutive of cancer (“grid; barrier”), from Proto-Italic *karkros (“enclosure”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”)) + -ārius (suffix forming nouns denoting an agent of use).
The word was present as Late Old English canceler, cancheler, from Norman cancheler, but was displaced in the 13th century by the Old French and Anglo-Norman forms mentioned above.

refn

From the Frick Collection in New York City, New York, USA.

مُسْتَشَار

[page 111] […] Lord Falkland […] took an Opportunity to tell the King, that He had now a good Opportunity to prefer Mr. Hyde, by making him Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the Place of Sir John Colepepper; […] [page 112] He [Colepepper] ſurrendered his Office of Chancellor of the Exchequer: And the next Day Mr. Hyde was ſworn of the Privy-Council, and Knighted, and had his Patents ſealed for that Office.

[1760, Edward, Earl of Clarendon [i.e., Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon], “Part the Second”, in The Life of Edward, Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford. […], volume I, Oxford, Oxfordshire: At the Clarendon Printing-house, →OCLC, pages 111 and 112:

Chancellor Philip Hammond has told the BBC he and other MPs will "find a way" of blocking a no-deal Brexit. […] Mr Hammond is expected to be replaced as chancellor whoever wins the Conservative leadership election later this month.

2019 July 5, “Philip Hammond: MPs will and should Stop No-deal Brexit”, in BBC News, archived from the original on 2019-07-08:

Liz Truss has sacked Kwasi Kwarteng as her chancellor and replaced him with Jeremy Hunt ahead of a U-turn on key sections of her disastrous mini-budget, as she launched a desperate attempt to restore her crumbling political authority.

2022 October 14, “Liz Truss sacks Kwasi Kwarteng before corporation tax U-turn”, in The Guardian:

Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer#English

A senior secretary or official with administrative or legal duties, sometimes in charge of some area of government such as finance or justice.

(UK politics) Ellipsis of Chancellor of the Exchequer.

"Have you agreed on your chancellor, gentlemen?" was the first question of the Judge. The foreman, called in Scotland the chancellor of the jury, usually the man of best rank and estimation among the assizers, stepped forward, and, with a low reverence, delivered to the Court a sealed paper, containing the verdict, […]

1818 July 25, Jedadiah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter XII, in Tales of My Landlord, Second Series, […] (The Heart of Mid-Lothian), volume II, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Company, →OCLC, pages 285–286:

The verdict must be returned to the Court by the chancellor of the jury, in presence of the accused, and of the whole jury; and, being engrossed in the record, and read aloud, it is then sealed up, in terms of the regulations 1672, No. 9, and deposited with the clerk of Court, never to be opened again but by order of the judges. The verdict, when in writing, is authenticated by the subscriptions of the chancellor and clerk of the jury, and accompanied with a list of the names of the jurors, and a state of the vote of each individual, "whether condemning or assoilzieing;" Regulations 1672, No. 9.

1826, Robert Bell, William Bell, “CRIMINAL PROSECUTION”, in A Dictionary of the Law of Scotland, 3rd revised and enlarged edition, volume I, Edinburgh: Printed for John Anderson & Co. […], and Bell & Bradfute, →OCLC, page 333:

[T]he pursuer moved the Court "for a rule to shew cause why this case should not be ordered to be tried, in respect that the verdict as it appears on the notes of the Judge furnished to the parties, was not declared by the chancellor or foreman of the jury in open Court, and taken down by the clerk of the said Court before the jury was discharged."

1853 July 16, Geo[rge] Dingwall Fordyce (reporter), James Paterson (reporter), William Gillies Tytler (reporter), Frederick Hallard (reporter), “James Mackenzie, Pursuer, v. Dunlop, Wilson and Co., Defenders.”, in Reports of Cases Decided in the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and in the House of Lords on Appeal from Scotland, [ […] Being a Continuation of The Scottish Jurist.">…


Gregory

en-proper noun

Gregory (countable and uncountable, plural Gregorys)

→ French: Grégory

→ Hawaiian: Kelekolio

→ Maori: Kerekori

Via Latin Grēgorius, from post-classical Ancient Greek Γρηγόριος (Grēgórios, “watchful, vigilant”), from Ancient Greek ἐγείρω (egeírō, “awaken, arouse”).

der

The surname Graff was chosen because upscale consumers respect anything Teutonic - regard it as efficient, intelligent, and reliable. But only up to a point. A forename like Helmut or Wilhelm wouldn't have done. Too German. Too foreign. 'Gregory' scores high on the likability scale. All-American. Greg. He's one of the boys, with Teutonic ancestry.

1990, Jonathan Kellerman, Time Bomb, page 163:


Ferdinand

From Spanish Ferdinando, from Proto-Germanic *fardiz (“journey”) + *nanþaz (“daring”) (from the root of *ninþaną (“to be daring”)).
The moon is named after a character in Shakespeare's The Tempest.

A male given name from the Germanic languages, best known for a 13th century king of Spain, but seldom popular in English.


Julius

Borrowed from Latin Iūlius, of uncertain origin, possibly from Ancient Greek ἴουλος (íoulos, “downy first beard hairs”), i.e. the young, or from Latin Jovilius (“devoted to Jove”). Doublet of Jules.

WHẽ it was cõcluded that we ſhulde ſayle into italy / they delivered Paul / and certayne other pꝛeſoners vnto won named Iulius / ã vnder captayne of Ceſars ſoudiars.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts xxvij:[1], folio cxcv, recto:

The seven [centurions] from II Adiutrix, whose stay in the province can be closely dated to the years 71–85/6, have an instructive set of names – two Julii, appropriately enough in a period when two of the governors also bore this name; […]

1980, Anthony Birley, “Legionary centurions”, in The People of Roman Britain, Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, →ISBN, page 73:

Vespasian, a simple man, always laughed because so many Julii and Claudii were made divine after their deaths. On his deathbed he said, “Alas! I think I’m becoming a god.”

2001, Rose Williams, Duces Romanorum: Profiles in Roman Courage, teacher’s edition, London: WPC Classics, →ISBN, page 94:

So the man whom we know as Julius Caesar was a member of the Julii clan belonging to a particular branch whose paternal designation was Caesar. Only intimate family members would have called him Gaius. Caesar was known by his cognomen, presumably because there were many Julii and it would have caused confusion to use that nomen.

2007, Mark Walker, “Roman Names, Numerals, Dates & Days”, in Annus Horribilis: Latin for Everyday Life, Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press, published 2010:

“Julius is Marguerite’s dog,” Jeanne Louise explained to Paul as she smiled at her Italian cousin. / “I thought Julius was Marguerite’s life mate?” Paul said with confusion. / “He is. There are two Juliuses,” Christian said with amusement. “One is a dog, and one is my father.”

2012, Lynsay Sands, The Lady Is a Vamp (An Argeneau Novel), New York, N.Y.: Avon, →ISBN, page 292:


Ernest

Borrowed in the 18th century from Ernst, a medieval royal name in Germany, from Old High German ernust (“vigor, strife”), only remotely related to modern German ernst or English earnest.

GWENDOLEN. […] and my ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence.

1895, Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest […] , [Act I]:

"What's his name, your boyfriend?" "Ernest. Ernest Hemingway." The name was received in disparaging silence. Marlene said: "You wouldn't get me going out with a feller called Ernest. My granddad was Ernest."

A male given name from the Germanic languages; popular in the 19th century.


Claude

en-proper noun

Claude (countable and uncountable, plural Claudes)

Roman family name Claudius, from Latin claudus (“lame”).

(countable) A male given name from Latin.


Shane

Anglicized form of the Northern Irish pronunciation of Irish Seán, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Johannes, variant of Ioannes, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yōḥānān, literally “God is gracious”).
Doublet of John, Jack, Johan, Johann, Johannes, Jean, Ian, Evan, Ivan, Sean, Shaun, and Giovanni as a male name.
Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena as a female name.

doublet

Back in ancient Hollywood history, there was an extremely well-known movie titled Shane. It was a classic western in which the late Alan Ladd played the title role. The most famous scene is the last one in the film, when Shane is riding off into the sunset and the little kid is chasing after him yelling, "Shane, come back, Shane!"

2010, L.L.Steinmetz - W.T.Brooks, How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitor, John Wiley&Sons, →ISBN:


Raymond

en-proper noun

Raymond (countable and uncountable, plural Raymonds)

From Old French, from Frankish, from Proto-Germanic *raginą (“advice”) + *mundō (“protection”).

An uncle of mine whose name was Cecil Jeffery Courtenay obtained a post of great emolument simply by virtue of his 'pretty' name. Mine, I think, is quite as effective, though it depends upon but one Christian name, Raymond. I am Raymond Courtenay.

1886 Mary Elizabeth Braddon: Belgravia Magazine. Item notes:V.60.(July-Oct.1886) page 94

What splendid names for boys there are! / There's Carol like a rolling car, / And Martin like a flying bird, / And Adam like the Lord's First Word, / And Raymond like the Harvest Moon,

1933, Eleanor Farjeon, “Boys' Names”, in Over the Garden Wall, Faber and Faber, page 90:

I thought the name Raymond sounded respectable. Good name for a lawyer.

2006, Janette McCarthy, Hanging on a String, →ISBN, page 141:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Dennis

From Middle English Denis, from Old French saint's name Denis, brought to England by Normans; from Latin Dionysius, "follower of (the wine god) Dionysus".

I will physic your rankness, and yet give no thousand crowns neither. Holla, Dennis!

c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

Each disliked the choice of the other. "Charles is a stern name," she affirmed. "Nonsense," said Philip. "It's as agreeable a name as there is. Dennis sounds like a comical Irish story." "You just show your bad feeling when you say such a thing," she retorted. "'T is a grand name!"

1944, Mazo de la Roche, The Building of Jalna, Little,Brown&co:


Allison

Allison (countable and uncountable, plural Allisons)

From a Middle English diminutive form of Alan, Alexander or Alice + -son.

"Allison?" Surely that was a girl's name.
"It's after Davey Allison, the race car driver. He got killed right before the baby was born. Tracy and me wanted to honor his memory." It was a precise little speech. She must have explained the name many times.

1994, Sharyn McCrumb, She Walks These Hills, Scribner's, →ISBN, page 81:

(countable) A male given name transferred from the surname, of mostly before 1950 usage.

Allison MacKenzie's father, for whom the child had been named, died when she was three years old.

1956, Grace Metalious, Peyton Place, UPNE, published 1999, →ISBN, Book One, Chapter 4:

(countable) A female given name from the Germanic languages, of 1940s and later usage, variant of Alison.

Westmorland County
Westmorland County#English

A community in Moncton Parish, Westmorland County, New Brunswick, Canada.

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in La Plata County, Colorado.

An unincorporated community in Nodaway County, Missouri.


Arnold

From a French version of a Germanic name, from Proto-Germanic *arô (“eagle”) + *waldą (“power”). For the first part of the word doublet of erne, -ornis, and ornitho-.

Arnold used to be a name only a mother could love, but it does not mean nerd anymore. Since Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped out of the gym and onto the screen, it has come to suggest popping delts and giant pecs, a world of undisputed macho.

A male given name from the Germanic languages brought to England by Normans.


Jonathan

Jonathan (countable and uncountable, plural Jonathans)

/ˈd͡ʒɒnəθən/

/ˈd͡ʒɑnəθɪn/

Borrowed from Hebrew יְהוֹנָתָן (iehonatán), יוֹנָתָן (ionatán, literally “God has given”), apparently with influence from Aramaic [Term?].

bor+

“Well indeed,” said Foley, “’tis a mystery to me how the sergeant puts up with her. If any woman up and called me an outlandish name like Jonathan when everyone knew my name was plain John I’d do fourteen days for her - by God, I would, and a calendar month.”

1936 Frank O'Connor, In The Train. The Stories of Frank O’Connor, Knopf, 1952. page 166

So I’d change to names I really like. I mean, Jonathan. If I ever have a son I’m going to call him Jonathan, so I’d have that. And then I like monosyllabic surnames that aren’t too common, so I’d have Dean or Bell or King. There you are, how about Jonathan King?

1998, Barbara Vine, The Chimney Sweeper’s Boy, →ISBN, page 168:

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.


apprise

en-verb

apprise (third-person singular simple present apprises, present participle apprising, simple past and past participle apprised)

apprises (present singular third-person)
apprising (participle present)
apprised (participle past)
apprised (past)
apprise (infinitive)

From Middle English aprisen, apprisen (“to determine or estimate the value of (something), to appraise, evaluate; to regard (something) as important, valuable, or worthy, to esteem, prize; to praise or worship (God)”), and then either:
* from Old French apriser, aprisier (“to appraise, evaluate”), from à (“to”) + prisier, preisier (“to attribute a value to, to appraise, value”) (from Latin pretiāre, the present active infinitive of pretiō (“(Late Latin) to consider valuable, hold in high regard, to esteem, prize, value; (Medieval Latin) to estimate the worth of, appraise, assess, value”), from pretium + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)); or
* from Old French à pris (“to (put a) price (on)”) (pris (“price; esteem, (positive) reputation”) is derived from Latin pretium).
Pretium (“cost, price; value, worth”) is ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, in front; first”). The English word is a doublet of appraise, appreciate, praise, price, and prize.

doublet

Infeftments are alſo extinct, vvhen the Superior adjudgeth or appriſeth from his Vaſſal; for thereby it vvas found, that the Property vvas Conſolidat vvith the Superiority,

1681, James Dalrymple of Stair [i.e., James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair], “Extinction of Infeftments”, in The Institutions of the Law of Scotland, […], 1st part, Edinburgh: […] Heir of Andrew Anderson, […], →OCLC, page 416:

[T]he infeftment of annualrent, being jus sed ignobilius, becomes extinct, if the annualrenter thereupon do apprise the property, and be infeft: and therefore, whoever appriseth for any years of the annualrent, the infeftment thereof, unless it be taken away by satisfaction or redemption, extinguisheth the infeftment of annualrent, without distinction whether the apprising be led for any years belonging to the fiar, liferenter, or any other.

1832, James, Viscount of Stair [i.e., James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount of Stair], John S[hank] More, “Title V. Infeftments of Annualrent, where, of Poinding of the Ground, and of Pensions.”, in The Institutions of the Law of Scotland, […], new edition, volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Walker] for Bell & Bradfute, →OCLC, page 387:

(specifically, Scots law) To put a price on (something) for the purpose of sale; to appraise.


Napoleon

From French Napoléon, from Italian Napoleone, name of an early saint, of uncertain origin; possibly from the Germanic clan name Nibelung. By folk etymology explained as Napoli (“Naples”) + leone (“lion”).

A male given name from Italian sometimes given in honor of the French emperor.


Brooklyn

→⇒ Latin: brooklynensis

/ˈbɹʷʊk.ɫɪn/

[ˈbɹ̠ʷʊ̠kɫ̪ɪ̈n]

From Dutch Breukelen, from broek (“wetland, marsh”).

A female given name transferred from the place name, of modern usage, also spelled Brooklynn.

A unisex given name transferred from the place name, of modern usage.


Passamaquoddy

From Malecite-Passamaquoddy Peskotomuhkat (“those who spear pollock / those who live where there are pollock”).

uder

The Algonquian language of these people, a dialect of Malecite-Passamaquoddy, still spoken in Maine and New Brunswick.


Rohingya

/ɹoʊˈhɪŋ.jə/

/ɹoʊˈhɪŋ.d͡ʒə/

/ɹoʊˈhɪŋ.ɡə/

/ɹoʊˈhɪn.d͡ʒə/

/ˈɹəʊhɪŋ.jə/

/ˈɹəʊhɪŋ.d͡ʒə/

/ɹəʊˈhɪŋ.jə/

/ɹəʊˈhɪŋ.d͡ʒə/

/ɹəʊˈhɪŋ.ɡə/

/ɹəʊˈhɪn.d͡ʒə/

Borrowed from Rohingya ruáingga, from Rohingya Rohing + ya (“the people of Rohing”). Rohang is the old kingdom name of Arakan in present-day Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).

The Indo-European language spoken in Arakan, Myanmar, closely related to Chittagonian.


Abbi

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail.


Ache

A language spoken by the Yi people of South-Western China.


Abdulaziz

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish عبد العزیز (ʼabd ül-ʼaziz), from Arabic عَبْد العَزِيز (ʕabd al-ʕazīz, literally “the servant of Aziz”), one of the 99 names for Allah.

der

عَبْد العَزِيز


Abbey

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail, from Hebrew.

A diminutive of the male given name Albert, from the Germanic languages.

A hamlet in Dunkeswell parish, East Devon district, Devon, England, probably named for the local abbey (OS grid ref ST1410).

A small village south-east of Tuam, County Galway, Ireland (Irish grid ref M 5043).

A village west of Portumna, County Galway (Irish grid ref M 7305).

A village in the Rural Municipality of Miry Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada, named after a farm in Ireland.

Western Australia
Western Australia#English

A suburb of Busselton, Western Australia, named after landholder D. Abbey.


Opal

Perhaps to console herself for the bad luck she had already suffered, in a back corner of South Sherbrooke Township - or perhaps to make up, ahead of time, for a lack of motherly feelings - she gave the girls the fanciest names she could think of: Opal Violet, Dawn Rose, and Bonnie Hope.

1985, Alice Munro, The Progress of Love, Chatto&Windus, published 1987, →ISBN, page 208:

A female given name from English from the precious stone, invented in the nineteenth century.


Ac

With the Mac in the Ac door paneling

(slang, African-American Vernacular) The Acura Legend automobile.


Ally

A diminutive of the female given names Alice, Alison, Alexandra, or other names beginning with Al-[[]], from the Germanic languages or Ancient Greek

Ally Love

Golden-hair'd Ally whose name is one with mine,
Crazy with laughter and babble and earth's new wine

1880, Alfred Tennyson, To Alfred Tennyson, My Grandson:

A diminutive of the male given names Alfred, Albert, Alan, Alexander, or other names beginning with Al-[[]], from the Germanic languages, the Celtic languages, or Ancient Greek


Aggie

"Why do you call Mrs. Stone Aggie? Agnes is such a beautiful name, it is a shame to nick it in that way." Then, quickly regretting his impatience, he added, "You would not have been jealous, would you, Jenny?"

1876, Annie Howells Fréchette, Reuben Dale, Galaxy, W.C. and F.P.Church, published 1876, page 394:

A diminutive of the female given names Agnes or Agatha.


Amethyst

The Australian rapper Iggy Azalea was born Amethyst Amelia Kelly.


Althea

From Althaia or Althaea of Greek mythology, from Ancient Greek Ἀλθαία (Althaía).


Abby

"I spose you want to be a cattleboy," drawled the multicolored beard whose name was Carrol Day, a curiously feminine name, thought Martin, not yet acquaintanced with the bearded Marions, Fannys and Abbys of Texas who, saddled by their unthinking mothers with dainty names, built savagely masculine frames of character.

2002, Annie Proulx, That Old Ace in the Hole, →ISBN, page 81:

A diminutive of the female given name Abigail, from Hebrew, also used as a formal given name.


Ange

A diminutive of the female given name Angela.

A diminutive of the male given name Angelo.


Lolita

The name is from Spanish Lolita, diminutive of Lola, from the given name Dolores.
The noun derives from the name: see the etymology at lolita for details.

She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.

1955, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 1, in Lolita:


Lolita

Transliteration of Bengali ললিতা (lolita).

translit

A female given name of Assamese, Bengali, Odia and Santali usage


Angle

Borrowed from Latin Anglus, in turn borrowed from a Germanic source (compare Old English Ængle/Engle (“Angle”)). Probably derived from the toponym Angle, related to Proto-Germanic *anguz "narrow, tight; tapering, angular", either indicating the "narrow" water (i.e. the Schlei estuary), or the "angular" shape of the peninsula.
Folk etymology linking the word to English angel or any antecedents is demonstrably false.

(historical) A member of a Germanic tribe first mentioned by Tacitus, one of several which invaded Britain and merged to become the Anglo-Saxons; an Anglian.


Aspen

A female given name from English of modern usage, denominated for the aspen tree.


Alta

"I'm thinkin', Marthy Ann, that as Altie's " ( she had been named Alta, for her mother ) - "close onto twelve year old, ye might be spared ter go off home- - -

1870 Mary Mapes Dodge: St. Nicholas:A Monthly Magazine for Boys and Girls: page 725 (Little Menan Light)

A female given name from Latin possibly from Latin alta (“high”), fairly common in the United States in the nineteenth century.

A census-designated place in Placer County, California, United States.


Alla

А́лла Алла#Russian

A transliteration of the Russian female given name А́лла (Álla).


Äynu

A language of China with elements of Turkic grammar and Iranian vocabulary, usually classified as Turkic.


Ash

en-proper noun

Ash (countable and uncountable, plural Ashes)

Ash (deity)
Ash (disambiguation)#Places
Ash (name)

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

A diminutive of the unisex given names Ashley or Ashleigh.

A diminutive of the female given names Ashlie, Ashlee, Ashly, or Ashanti.


Ant

A diminutive of the male given name Anthony, from Latin.


Ab

A diminutive of the male given name Abner, from Hebrew, occasionally used as a formal given name.


Autumn

A female given name from English of modern usage, from autumn, the name of the season.


Alf

A diminutive of the male given names Alfred or Alfonso, from the Germanic languages.


Anya

From Russian А́ня (Ánja, informal pet form of А́нна (Ánna, “Ann”)). Also an Anglicization of Áine.

bor

informal pet form of <i class="Cyrl mention" lang="ru">А́нна</i> (Ánna, “Ann”)

Given a perfectly good American name like Ann, she has deliberately chosen to label herself "Anya" after a long-dead great-grandmother, and put jam in her tea.

1969, Constance Urdang, Natural History, Harper & Row, page 61:

A female given name from Russian, of modern usage.

A female given name from Sanskrit, of modern usage.


Al

A diminutive of the male given names Alan, Albert, Alexander, Alfred, or other male or female names beginning with Al-, from the Celtic languages, the Germanic languages, Ancient Greek, or Old English.


Hebe

From Ancient Greek Ἥβη (Hḗbē, literally “Youth, Prime of Life”).


Anu

A diminutive of the female given names Anushka, Anusha, Ansuya, or Anisha.


Beth

A diminutive of the female given names Elizabeth or Bethany


Art

A diminutive of the male given name Arthur, from the Celtic languages.


Basil

Name of several early saints, particularly in the Orthodox Church, from Latin Basilius, from Ancient Greek Βασίλειος (Basíleios). Doublet of Vasilios.

"Nonsense. I'm sure he can't have grey hair with such a pretty name as that. Basil Brooke, Basil Brooke," and May chanted the name over and over in her girlish, musical voice. "It sounds like all sorts of pleasant pictures. - -

1866, Eliza Tabor Stephenson, Hester's Sacrifice, volume II, Hust and Blackett, page 28:

A male given name from Ancient Greek, in quiet but steady use in the UK.


Anal

The Northern Kukish (Sino-Tibetan) language spoken by these people, sometimes called Namfau after the two largest villages it is spoken in.


Beryl

A female given name from English derived from the gem beryl.


Abigail

From Hebrew אֲבִיגַיִל (avigáyil, “Abigail”, literally “my Father's joy” or “fountain of joy”).

bor

The name of Abigail Adams is naturally closely associated with those of her illustrious father and mother, - - - Born in 1765, the mother's quaint Christian name was given to the little girl

1912 Edith Tunis Sale: Old Time Belles and Cavaliers. J.B.Lippincott 1912. page 178

A female given name from Hebrew, used since the 16th century, and currently quite popular.


Bobo

A people indigenous to Burkina Faso, Africa.


Beau

Shortened from surname type given names such as Beauregard or Beaumont, or from the French word beau.

'Mees Melly, I hear she call her boy "Beauregard". You tell her I, René, approve and say that except for "Jesus" there is no bettaire name.' And though he smiled, his eyes glowed proudly at the name of Louisiana's dashing hero. 'Well, there's "Robert Edward Lee" ', observed Tommy. 'And while I'm not trying to lessen Old Beau's reputation, my first son is going to be named "Bob Lee Wellburn".'

1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, chapter XXXV, in Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, 1944, →OCLC:

A male given name used since mid-twentieth century.


Adel

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz. The female name is a rare variant of Adele. The surname is borrowed from German Adel.

(rare) A female given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Adele.

Pushmataha County
Pushmataha County#English

An unincorporated community in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, United States.


Adel

Variant of Adil, from Arabic عَادِل (ʕādil).


Amber

From amber, from Middle English ambre, from Old French ambre, from Latin ambar, from Arabic عَنْبَر (ʕanbar, “ambergris”).

The youngest daughter of the Marchioness of Summerdown had one of these quaint, pretty names - Amber! - and what a pretty creature she was!

1854 Harper's Magazine, Volume IX, June to November 1854, page 667 ("Lady Amber Mayne")

And then she said softly, "Sarah - I think I'll name her Amber - for the colour of her father's eyes - "

1944, Kathleen Winsor, Forever Amber, Chicago Review Press, published 2000, →ISBN, page 14:

A bit raddled, maybe thirty, maybe older, tanned like a hitchhiker, dressed like a road protester, one of those older women still determinedly being a girl; all those eighties feministy still-political women were terribly interested in what Eve did. Hippie name. Amber. Ridiculous name.

2005, Ali Smith, The Accidental, Penguin, published 2006, →ISBN, page 64:

A female given name from English, popular in the 1980s and the 1990s.


Amber

From a form of the Hindi आसमान (āsmān, “the heavens”).


Avril

20th-century invention from French avril (“April”).

Avril Lavigne had a hit in 2007 with the song Girlfriend.

Granny Byrne never failed to explain that Avril had been given her name because she was born in April.

1996, Maeve Binchy, This Year It Will Be Different: A Christmas Treasury, Hachette UK, published 2008, →ISBN:

A female given name from French, equivalent to English April.


Bella

From Italian: a diminutive of Isabella and Arabella, by folk etymology interpreted as bella (“beautiful”).


Annie

Maxwelton braes are bonnie / Where early fa's the dew; / An' it's there that Annie Laurie / Gi'ed me her promise true.

c. 1700, William Douglas(?), Annie Laurie

I never thought of the most brilliant and elegant women in England quite so charming as she really is, till I heard her call her younger sister "Annie". It seemed to remove at once the almost repellent quality which belongs to extreme polish, - gave a genial warmth to her brightness, became her like a smile. - - - If she had called her sister Anna-Maria according to the register, I should have admired, and feared, and shunned her to my dying day.

1830, Mary Russell Mitford, Our Village: Fourth Series: Cottage Names:

"I want you to stop calling yourself by that silly name, Annie," Mrs. Marshall-Gill said clearly. "It's inappropriate and ridiculous and I don't like it. It may even be dishonest, I don't know. At any rate, you're to stop it at once. I looked up your registration, and your name is Annie, a solid, Christian name. You'll do well to abide by it."
"I don't like Annie," Jewel said.
"It suits your face," Mrs. Marshall-Gill said. A titter ran around the listening room.

1947, Hilda Lawrence, Death of a Doll, pages 39–40:

A diminutive of the female given name Ann. Also, a popular given name in the 19th century.


Bliss

"Mother doesn't seem to especially like her little granddaughter as it is, even named 'Edna Louise'. D'you think she's going to like her better, named 'Bliss' like some sexpot pop star or some Indian-mystic asshole-charlatan?"
Betsey winced. "Bliss" was a beautiful name!

2008, Joyce Carol Oates, My Sister, My Love, HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 97:

(rare) A unisex given name from English.


Brandy

A female given name from English derived from brandy, an alcoholic liquor. Mostly seen in American usage during the 1970s and 1980s.


Bobby

It was a real irritation to Robert's parents to hear Adeline call him Bobby. They tried to intimate their disapproval by pronouncing his name very distinctly when they addressed him.

1944, Mazo de la Roche, The Building of Jalna, Dundurn Press Ltd, published 2009, →ISBN, page 163:

A diminutive of the male given name Robert.

A diminutive of the female given name Roberta.


Angelus

* (given name): From Latin Angelus and its etymon Ancient Greek ἄγγελος (ángelos, “angel”).
* (common noun): From the first word (angelus) of its Latin incipit, "Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ": "the Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary".

der

A male given name from Ancient Greek, of rare usage, variant of Angelo.


Bea

A diminutive of the female given name Beatrice


Barak

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin, often representing a transliteration of a modern Israeli name.


Barak

From Arabic بَارَك (bārak, “he who is blessed”). Cognate with the biblical name Baruch of Hebrew origin. The usage of the root ب ر ك (b r k) as a male name meaning "blessing" occurs in the Ancient Semitic Sabean (barqac), in Palmyrene (baraq), and as a Divine name in Assyrian Ramman-Birqu and Gibil-Birqu


Barb

A diminutive of the female given name Barbara.


Batak

The Palawan Batak language (not closely related to the above).


Blues

In reference to the ancient Roman and medieval Byzantine racing faction, a calque of Latin venetī (“Sea-Blues”) or factio veneta (“the sea-blue faction”) and Byzantine Greek Βένετοι (Bénetoi, “Blues”).

bor

(informal) Any of several sports teams whose uniform is predominantly blue, such as:


Billy

“By the way,” Jessamy went on, “what’s your other name? You never told me.” “Stubbs,” said Billy, “William Stubbs!”.

1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 98:

A diminutive of the male given name William.

Μπίλι

a diminutive of the male given name William — see also Bill


Baz

There was me and Baz – Barry Stevens, my DS – in one car.

2003, Peter Robinson, Aftermath: An Inspector Banks Mystery, unnumbered page:

(British, Ireland, Australia) A diminutive of the male given name Barry.

That's what Baz—Basil Younger——said when I put it to him.

2005, Reginald Hill, Who Guards a Prince, page 169:

(British, Ireland, Australia) A diminutive of the male given name Basil.


Bokmål

Borrowed from Norwegian bokmål (literally “book language”). The equivalent Old Norse bókamál was used in this sense as a name for Latin, as it was the primary language used for writing of biblical work in much of the Middle Ages. The modern Icelandic name for Norwegian Bokmål is bókmál. When dialect research in western Norway was pioneered by Ivar Aasen in the 1850s, bogmaal took on the meaning of written standard language, as opposed to spoken dialects and Aasen's synthesized landsmaal. The two Norwegian languages, standardized in 1907, changed names in 1929 from landsmål to nynorsk, and from riksmål to bokmål.

One of the two major written standards of Norwegian, literally meaning “book language”.


Bu

(organic chemistry) Abbreviation of butyl.


Belle

From French belle (“Beauty, Beautiful”), from Latin bella.

All the miniature Cinderellas, Belles, and Ariels who fill the streets every Halloween are essentially paying homage to characters that will slowly and inevitably chip away at their sense of worth in years to come.

2018, Jen Kim, Love and…: Bad Boys, “The One” & Other Fun Ways to Sabotage Your Relationship, Skyhorse Publishing, →ISBN:


Axel

From Danish Aksel, first used for the bishop and statesman Absalon Hvide (1128–1201), from biblical Absalom. Some sources suggest that the bishop was originally named Áskell, from Old Norse "god" + "cauldron, helmet", and Absalon was chosen as the nearest-sounding Christian equivalent, leading to the exchange of the middle consonants.

A male given name from the Germanic languages in quiet use since the 19th century.


Blase

A rather rare spelling variant of Blaise, from Latin Blasius.


Brook

Audio (US)

* As an English surname, from the noun brook.
* As a north German surname, from Low German Brook (“swamp, marsh”), related to the above.
* As a Dutch surname, Americanized from Broek, from broek, also related to the above.
* As a Jewish and German surname, Americanized from Bruck, Bruch (from Bruch (“wetland, marsh”)).

A male given name transferred from the surname, variant of Brooks.

A female given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage, variant of Brooke.

A town in Newton County, Indiana, United States.

A village and civil parish in Ashford borough, Kent (OS grid ref TR0644).


Bell

en-proper noun

Bell (countable and uncountable, plural Bells)

A male given name transferred from the surname, of occasional usage.

[…] I found that her Christian name was Isabella, which they shortened into Bell, and that the name of the deceased non-commissioned officer was Tott. Being the kind of neat little woman it was natural to make a toy of—I never saw a woman so like a toy in my life—she had got the plaything name of Belltott. In short, she had no other name on the island.

1857, Charles Dickens, chapter 1, in The Perils of Certain English Prisoners:

A female given name, variant of Belle; mostly used as a middle name in the 19th century.


Bingo

Bingo! Bingo! Where is the rascal, I wonder. […] ENTER Bingo, r. 2, with glass of cream, […]

1903, Charles Walcott Russell, “Act I”, in The Prisoner of Andersonville: A Military Drama in Four Acts, New York, N.Y.: Dick & Fitzgerald, […], →OCLC, pages 7–8:

Our dog, Bingo, was determined not to be left behind; […]

1945, Ernest M. Wampler, “Living in a Cave Home and Moving to Liao”, in China Suffers or My Six Years of Work During the Incident, Elgin, Ill.: Brethren Publishing House, →OCLC, part 1 (The Coming of the Japanese Army), page 45:

Marco stopped to talk with a boy named Bingo Brown. Bingo was eating frozen peas from a supermarket package.

1956, Jean Merrill, The Travels of Marco, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, →LCCN:


Angelo

Borrowed from Italian Angelo. Doublet of Angel.

I haue deliuerd to Lord Angelo / (A man of ſtricture and firme abſtinence) / My abſolute power, and place here in Vienna,

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 63, column 2:

Luigi — Angelo. They're lovely names; and so grand and foreign — not like Jones and Robinson and such.

1897, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “[Pudd’nhead Wilson] Chapter V”, in The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson: And the Comedy Those Extraordinary Twins, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 74:


Ce

"No offense, Celia, but I prefer to travel through my madness in my own space. You'll have to get your own padded room and restraints."
"Rude," Ce said, humor in her tone.

A diminutive of the female given name Celia.


Blitz

Specific use of blitz. The Blitz was in truth not a blitzkrieg, which is a rapid ground offensive based on superior tank forces. However, the word was current at the time for the successful German campaigns in Poland and France, and was transferred to the attacks on Britain, perhaps by association of Blitz (“lightning”) with the bombings.

(historical) The series of air raids launched on various cities in Great Britain by the German air force in 1940–41 during World War II.


Bo

Either borrowed from modern Danish Bo or Swedish Bo, or a spelling variant of the male given name Beau.

A male given name from the Germanic languages in occasional use since the 1970s.


Chas

From Chas.; Originally an abbreviation of "Charles".

A diminutive of the male given name Charles.


Brad

A diminutive of the male given names Bradley, Bradly, or Bradford, also used as a formal given name.


Au

A language spoken in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.


Bailey

A male given name transferred from the surname.

(chiefly US) A female given name transferred from the surname.

Sherburne County
Sherburne County#English

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Sherburne County, Minnesota.


Blue

From the German surname, Americanized from Blau or its French cognate Bleu.

(rare) A female given name from English, typically used in conjoined names like Bonnie Blue or Blue Bell.

A male nickname, occasionally used as a formal given name. (Australia) Nickname for a person with ginger hair.


Blue

This Blue shows the remarkable, sleek bodyline of the breed.

2001, Alan Edwards, The New Guide to Cat Breeds, page 89:

Synonym of British Blue (“a breed of cat”)


Charisma

From the common noun charisma, from Ancient Greek χάρισμα (khárisma).

A female given name from English or Ancient Greek


Bud

(rare, chiefly Southern US) A male given name from English.


Betty

People in the last century weren't afraid of homely names; now we are all so smart and fine: no more "Lady Bettys" now.

1864 August – 1866 January, [Elizabeth] Gaskell, chapter 10, in Wives and Daughters. An Every-day Story. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1866, →OCLC:

But Mrs. Betty Carver respects tradition, and this, I'm afraid, is ours. - - - She smells like expensive soap and her teeth are shiny-white. She does not in any way look like her name. It's not her fault that she was born in a time when people believed in names like Wanda, Dottie and Betty. She's more of a Vanessa or Paulina.

1991, Peter Hedges, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Simon & Schuster, published 1999, →ISBN, page 60:

A diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth.


Codes

A diminutive of the male given name Cody.


Bill

Hypocorism of William. It is unclear how the initial W became a B; this could have been part of the medieval trend of swapping letters, similar to Dick for Rick.

"My other name's Bill," he said. "I was christened Bill but Mr Thursgood calls me William." / "Bill, eh. The unpaid Bill. Anyone ever call you that?" / "No, sir." / "Good name, anyway." / "Yes, sir." / "Known a lot of Bills. They've all been good 'uns."

1974, John le Carré, Tinker. Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Simon&Schuster, published 2002, →ISBN, page 7:

One of his neighbours opposite, a nice old guy with a stoop and a horrible little Yorkshire terrier, called him Bill - always had done and presumably always would, right up till the day he died. It actually irritated Will, who was not, he felt, by any stretch of the imagination, a Bill. Bill wouldn't smoke spliffs and listen to Nirvana. So why had he allowed this misapprehension to continue? Why hadn't he just said, four years ago, "Actually my name is Will"?

1998, Nick Hornby, About A Boy, Victor Gollancz, published 1998, →ISBN, page 208:

A diminutive of the male given name William.


Conor

From Irish Conchúr, from Old Irish Conchobar (“lover of hounds”).


Cliff

A diminutive of the male given name Clifford or Clifton.


Chat

Its redundancy of creative work and in terms of chat how people can use it as a cheat basically, you don't have to do essays for school when you can ask chat to do it for you, which forces teachers to have to take this tool into account, and a kid here has said his honest essay has been flagged as "AI made" by his teacher, it's really tricky

2023 August 9, u/MiguelIstNeugierig, “Give me your best yo mama jokes and chatgpt will rate them out of 10 with a review”, in Reddit, r/teenagers, archived from the original on 2024-09-27:

I asked chat to pick a draft to post and it said they all suck

2024 March 21, @Nexuist, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-09-27:

My relative works for the Canadian government, and half her office uses chat to create all sorts of internal comms. I'm just waiting for the leak lmao

2024 March 21, u/lolar44, “When you delete a conversation, ChatGPT actually hides it instead of deleting it.”, in Reddit, r/ChatGPT, archived from the original on 2024-09-27:

I asked Chat to write a paragraph about graphene oxide in LNPs. This is the response.

2024 July 28, @GMOScience, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-09-27:

i be using chat to make study plans for me 😭

2024 September 13, @cjoffiah, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-09-27:

TiL the kids are calling Chat-GPT just "chat". Usage from my 20yo, "I bet he used Chat to write that apology"

2024 September 14, @matthew_mullins_, Threads, archived from the original on 2024-09-27:


Cat

A diminutive of the female given names Catherine or Caitlin.


Commons

Commons (disambiguation)#People
House of Commons

(UK politics, Canadian politics) The House of Commons, part of the parliament under the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy.


Con

A male given name, a diminutive form of Conor or Cornelius.

(UK politics) Abbreviation of Conservative.


Coral

"Where are you from originally, Coral?" / "Indiana." / "Lots of Corals out there, I bet." / She hesitated, seemed about to flare, and then smiled instead, showing a little gap between two front teeth. "Well, it was Cora Lucille, I guess, " she said, still smiling, looking very much like a Cora Lucille in that moment.

1990, Ed McBain, Vespers, Mandarin, published 1991, →ISBN, page 78:


Chip

"What else? Anyway, here's the genealogy: Charles Junior's only son is Charles the Third - like royalty. He goes by Chip - Cassie's daddy. The mom is Cindy. The dead son was Chad - Charles the Fourth."
"All Cs," I said. "Sounds like they like order."

1993, Jonathan Kellerman, Devil's Waltz, Random House, published 1998, →ISBN, page 26:

A diminutive of the male given names Christopher and Charles.


Cam

A diminutive of the male given name Cameron.


Cole

Cole (countable and uncountable, plural Coles)

The surname is variously from:
# A nickname from Old English col (“coal, coal-black”),
# A patronymic from Nicholas (see also Coles, Colson, Colle).
# A variation of Cowell (which itself has several origins).
# As an Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, variant of McCool.
# As a German surname, Americanized from Kohl.
# As a Dutch surname, Americanized from Kool.
# As a French surname, Americanized/calqued from Charbonneau, influenced by the first sense.

A diminutive of the male given name Nicholas.

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Claire

Borrowed from French Claire, also a spelling variant of the English Clare.

"I told you I was called ,or that they called me Claire. Were you not surprised when you saw my name as Clarissa Lambert?"
"Is that all?" I cried. "Why of course, I knew how common it is for actresses to take another name. I was even glad of it; for the name I know, your own name, is now a secret, and all the sweeter so. All the world admires Clarissa Lambert, but I alone love Claire Luttrell, and know that Claire Luttrell loves me."

1887, Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, Dead Man's Rock., BiblioBazaar,LLC, published 2007, →ISBN, page 198:

A woman named Claire should be able to describe the moon. Clair de Lune was of course one of Claire's favourite pieces of piano music.

2006, Wendy Harmer, Farewell My Ovaries, Allen&Unwin, →ISBN, page 93:

When we arrived in Hangchow, all the pilots were honored at a big banquet given by that famous American general with a lady's name, Claire Chennault.

1991, Amy Tan, The Kitchen God's Wife, Ivy Books, →ISBN, page 203:

A male given name transferred from the surname, of rare usage, variant of Clare.


Butler

Butler (countable and uncountable, plural Butlers)

Butler (surname)
en:Butler (disambiguation)

* (English surname): From Middle English Butler.
* (Anglicized surname): From French Boutilier, Boutillier, Bouthillier.
* (placename): From the surname


Alba

From Spanish Alba, ultimately from the same origin as Etymology 1 and 2.

A female given name from Spanish alba (“dawn”), of modern usage


Alma

Usually explained as Latin alma (“nourishing, kind”). It has also been used as a short form of Germanic compound names beginning with the element Amal-, as in Amelia.

Alma she called was, a virgin bright:/ That had not yet felt Cupides wanton rage,/ Yet was she woo'd of many a gentle knight […]

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 18:

A female given name from Latin, popular in the 19th century.


Dawn

"Thomas, if it's a boy," she said, "after my uncle. But if it's a girl I'd like something fancy for a first name."
"What about Dawn?" she said. "I like the sound of Dawn. Then Mary for a second name. Dawn Mary Parker, it sounds sweet."

1958, MurielSpark, The Go-away Bird: With Other Stories, Macmillan 1958, page 20 ("The Black Madonna")

Dawn, go away, I’m no good for you.

1964 Bob Gaudio - Sandy Linzer, Dawn (a song)

A female given name from English sometimes given to a girl born at that time of day.


British English

We shall not say that this is British English; but we willingly confess that it is not American English.

1861, “The Shakespeare Mystery”, in The Atlantic Monthly, v 8, n 47, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, p 258 (note)

Some noticeable and general differences between American and British English may be explained by the fact, that considerable bodies of Englishmen sometimes emigrated from the same vicinity, and that in their new home they and their multiplied descendants have kept together and continued to employ dialect peculiarities of their native speech, or retained words of general usage which elsewhere perished.

1863, George Perkins Marsh, “The English Language in America”, in Lectures on the English Language, 4th edition, New York: Charles Scribner, page 667:

Now, according to my observation, no man whom the Dean of Canterbury, or the Public Orator of Cambridge, would accept as a speaker of pure English, says, with thick utterance, “a gloss of ayull;” and yet thousands of their countrymen do speak thus, and this peculiarity of British English passes very gradually away as social and mental culture increase, until among the best-bred and best-educated people it vanishes, and is heard no more than it or a nasal twang is heard among similar people here.

1867, Richard Grant White, “Words and their Uses: British English and American English”, in The Galaxy, volume 4, New York, page 102:

The English language as written and spoken in the United Kingdom (in contrast with other places, particularly other countries where English is predominant or at least an important language)

اَلْإِنْجِلِيزِيَّة اَلْبِرِيطَانِيَّة

English language as in Britain, especially in England


Curt

A male given name from the Germanic languages, an anglicized spelling of Kurt


Den

A diminutive of the male given name Dennis.


Chase

en-proper noun

Chase (countable and uncountable, plural Chases)

en:Chase
en:Chase (surname)
en:Chase#Places

A unisex given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage.


Cherry

'As you knows Mrs Chuzzlewit, you knows, p’raps, what her chris’en name is?' Mrs Gamp observed.
'Charity,' said Bailey.
'That it ain’t!' cried Mrs Gamp.
'Cherry, then,' said Bailey. 'Cherry's short for it. It’s all the same.'

1842 December – 1844 July, Charles Dickens, The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1844, →OCLC:

A female given name from English, a pet form of Charity, also interpreted as a flower name.


Destiny

The man smiled and extended his hand. "I'm Cole." Rebecca took his hand. "Destiny." She'd chosen the name because she felt as though she'd discovered just that the day she realized what her mission in life was to be.

2010, Dwayne S. Joseph, Eye for an Eye, Urban Soul, published 2010, →ISBN:


Abraham

From Middle English Abraham, from Old English Abraham, from Late Latin Ābrahām, from Ancient Greek Ἀβρᾱᾱ́μ (Abrāā́m), from Hebrew אַבְרָהָם ('aḇrāhām, “Abraham”). Glossed as אַב (aḇ, “father of”) + הֲמוֹן (hăˈmōn, “multitude of”) in Genesis 17:4–5; or from Hebrew אַבְרָם ('aḇrām, “Abram”). Doublet of Ibrahim and Avraham.

"Lincoln wasn't a Jew, was he?" he said. "I'm sure not," I said. […] "The name Abraham is very suspicious, to say the least," said Goebbels. "I'm sure his parents didn't realize that it was a Jewish name," I said. "They must have just liked the sound of it. They were simple frontier people. If they'd known the name was Jewish, I'm sure they would have called him something more American, like George or Stanley or Fred."

1961, Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night, Dell, published 1975, page 28:


Camilla

Camilla (countable and uncountable, plural Camillas)

From Latin Camilla, feminine form of old Roman family name Camillus, of obscure and probably non-Latin origin.

Fancy southern names which she couldn't remember five minutes after they'd told her. Camilla? Amelia? Jemima? It didn't matter. Ashworth would have made a note of them.

2011, Ann Cleeves, Hidden Depths, Pan Macmillan, →ISBN, page 165:


Carol

Shortened from Caroline. Associated by folk etymology with the English noun carol.

Carol is fifteen years old and I'm sixteen. Her name is really Caroline, but she hates it and wants to be called Carol - it's so much prettier.

1873, Mary Mapes Dodge, St. Nicholas: A Monthly Magazine for Boys and Girls, page 179:

"Holly, would you mind if I named my little girl 'Holly'? I mean, it's right around Christmas time, and I always think of holly with Christmas. I like the name Carol, too, like Christmas carol. I heard once that the name Carol means 'song of joy'".

2006, Joyce Winters, Let Your Light Shine, →ISBN, page 209:

A female given name from the Germanic languages, popular in the middle of the 20th century.


Carol

Shortened from Latin Carolus; also an Anglicization of Romanian Carol, or Polish or Slovak Karol, all cognates of the English Charles.

This table shows the curious fact that little Prince Carol of Roumania (who is at once the great-grandson and the third cousin of Queen Victoria) has a better hereditary right to the British Throne than Her Majesty.

1899, The English Illustrated Magazine, MacMillan and Co., item notes V.21, page 295

What splendid names for boys there are!
There's Carol like a rolling car […]

1933, Eleanor Farjeon, Over the Garden Wall: Boys' Names:

A male given name from the Germanic languages.


Charity

From charity in the Biblical sense of Christian love; first used by Puritans. In early Christian tradition, Faith, Hope and Charity were the martyred daughters of Saint Sophia. The names, taken from 1 Corinthians 13:13 ("And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity") have been translated and used in many languages.
The name of the sura (chapter) is one of several translations of the original Arabic.

By Gis and by Saint Charity, / Alack, and fie for shame!

c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]:

Never did any woman better deserve her name, which was Charity — Aunt Charity, as everybody called her. And like a sister of charity did this charitable Aunt Charity bustle about hither and thither, ready to turn her hand and heart to anything that promised to yield safety, comfort, and consolation to all on board a ship in which her beloved brother Bildad was concerned, and in which she herself owned a score or two of well-saved dollars.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 20, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:

Tessa giggled. 'What a dreadful name! Is she really called Charity?'
'Yes. She really is.' Mark recalled how glorious the name of Charity had sounded to him in the beginning. 'It's not her fault she's called Charity,' he added defensively.

1989, Ann Oakley, The Men's Room, Atheneum, →ISBN, page 223:

সদকা

female given name meaning Christian love


Beaver

Beaver (countable and uncountable, plural Beavers)

Capitalization of beaver. Doublet of Bieber.

Marinette County
Marinette County#English

A number of places in the United States:

A town and unincorporated community therein, in Marinette County, Wisconsin.


Alan

From Old Breton Alan, name of early Breton saints, of disputed origin and meaning; brought to England by Normans. It may have been the name of a Celtic deity, the brother of Bran, Welsh Alawn, Celtic Alun, ‘harmony’. As an early Irish name, perhaps connected with ail (“noble”). Compare French Alain.

He grabbed at Alan by his Adam's apple,
And Alan grabbed him back in furious grapple
And clenched his fist and bashed him on the nose.

1951, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Reeve's Tale”, in Nevill Coghill, transl., The Canterbury Tales: Translated into Modern English (Penguin Classics), Penguin Books, published 1977:

I could pose as an artist all right; so I took the studio. Also the name of Alan Beverley. My own is Bill Bates. I had often wondered what it would feel like to be called by some name like Alan Beverley or Cyril Trevelyan.

1910, P. G. Wodehouse, The Man Upstairs, and Other Stories, BiblioBazaar, LLC, published 2008, →ISBN, page 24:

A male given name from the Celtic languages.


Alan

A male given name from Hebrew, variant of Elon.


Dickey

A diminutive of the male given name Richard.


Des

Short form of the male given name Desmond.


Baker

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Darling

The Australian aboriginal language Baagandji, spoken along this river in New South Wales.


Benedict

Benedict (countable and uncountable, plural Benedicts)

From Saint Benedict, founder of the Benedictine Order, from Late Latin benedictus (“blessed, well spoken of”), from Latin benedīcō (“I bless, I speak well of”). Doublet of Bennett, Benoit, and Benito.

der

(countable) A male given name from Latin, particularly of the sixth-century founder of the Benedictine order, and of several popes.


Dahlia

From the flower dahlia in the 19th century.

The girls' names were April, Corinne, Gloria, Susannah, and Dahlia. I thought these names fanciful and lovely and would have liked the daughters' looks to match them, as if they were the beautiful children of an ogre in a fairy tale.

2006, Alice Munro, The View from Castle Rock, Chatto & Windus, →ISBN, page 175:

He was afraid that Delia or Della might mention a cousin named Dahlia, and he would laugh. Sweet Jesus, do not let me laugh inappropriately.

2020, Marilynne Robinson, Jack, Hachette UK, →ISBN:


Dean

en-proper noun

Dean (countable and uncountable, plural Deans)

The surname or given name is of multiple origins, depending on context:
* As an English surname, from Middle English dene (“valley”).
* Also as an English surname, from the noun dean. Cognate to Deacon.
* Also as an English surname, from the personal name Deyne, a rhyming form of Reynald (see Reginald).
* As an Irish surname, variant of Deane.
* As a Scottish surname, from Dean Castle in Kilmarnock, itself from the noun meaning valley.
* Old English Dene (“Dane, Norseman”)
* Hebrew דין (“law, judgment”) and Arabic دين (“way of life, creed”)

(countable) A male given name transferred from the surname or originating as an occupation derived from the title.


Devi

Borrowed from Sanskrit देवी (devī́, “goddess, female deity”).

bor+

A female given name from Sanskrit used in India.


Diamond

Diamond (disambiguation)#Places
Diamond (surname)

A female given name from English of modern usage, from the name of the gem.


Arcadian

en-adj

Arcadian (comparative more Arcadian, superlative most Arcadian)

more Arcadian (comparative)
most Arcadian (superlative)


Arcadian

A native or inhabitant of Arcadia (in Greece)

A native or inhabitant of Arcadia (in the US) or its suburbs.


Aura

en-proper noun

Aura (countable and uncountable, plural Auras)

Aura Lea, Aura Lea, / Maid with golden hair;

1861 W. W. Fosdick - George R. Poulton, Aura Lea (a song)

A diminutive of the female given name Aurelia, from Latin


Bantu

en-noun

Bantu (countable and uncountable, plural Bantus or Bantu)

From Proto-Bantu *bàntʊ̀ pl (“people”), as reconstructed by the 19th-century linguist Wilhelm Bleek.

(South Africa, dated, now offensive, ethnic slur) A black South African.


Benny

From the name of a dull-witted character, Benny Hawkins, in the British soap opera Crossroads.


Benny

Benny (countable and uncountable, plural Bennys or Bennies)

This special version of eggs Benedict will win the hearts of all the Benny fans out there.

This would definitely be a Becca-approved Benedict, which sings high praise. The girl knows her Bennys.

2014 June 17, Ally, “Chalk Point Kitchen Brunch”, in Bitches who Brunch, archived from the original on 2019-07-27:


Benny

Sudbury District
Sudbury District#English

A community in Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada, named after W. W. Benny.


Earnest

A male given name from the Germanic languages, of occasional usage, variant of Ernest.


Apple

en-proper noun

Apple (countable and uncountable, plural Apples)

From apple. As a surname, also an Americanized form of Appel or Apfel.

(rare, countable) A female given name from English.


Ben

A shortening of the male given name Benjamin or, less often, of Benedict.


Dot

A diminutive of the female given name Dorothy


Car

The most widespread of the Nicobarese languages spoken in the Nicobar Islands of India (ISO 839-3 code "caq").


Blanche

From Old French blanc (“white”). The surname originated as a nickname, or as a matronymic.


Dow

Dow (countable and uncountable, plural Dows)

Variant of Daw from David or daw, and of Duff from Scottish Gaelic.


Dock

* As an English surname, possibly from the noun duck.
* As a Norwegian surname, from Old Norse dǫkk (“pit, depression”), from Proto-Germanic *dankwaz (“dark”).
* As a German surname, spelling variant of Docke, related to the noun Tuch (“cloth, piece of fabric”).

(US, rare, dated) A male given name or nickname.


Ebony

From ebony. First used by African Americans in the 1970s.


Ed

His first name was probably Steve or Ed. No, there were no more Steves or Eds in New York. They were now Steven or Edward, whether they were gay or straight. If they had money, they didn't have a nickname. Everybody was into high seriousness, so that now even dogs were named Humphrey and Raphael.

1989, Ann Beattie, Picturing Will, Random House, →ISBN, page 67:

A diminutive of Edward, Edgar, Edwin, or other male given names beginning with Ed-.


Corrie

Corrie (countable and uncountable, plural Corries)

From Scottish Gaelic coire (“cauldron, boiler; corrie”), which denotes a bowl-shaped geographical feature similar to a cirque.

der

A village in the isle of Arran, in North Ayrshire council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NS0242).

A male given name transferred from the surname, of occasional usage.


Corrie

A diminutive of the female given names Cora or Corinne, or borrowed from the Dutch pet form of Cornelia.


Corrie

Diminutive from Coronation Street + -ie.

It all seems to take place in the hiatus between Neighbours and “Brookie”, “Corrie” or EastEnders.

1989 May 20, Stephen Silk, “Campus: All change for housing”, in The Times, page 34:

Linda lives next door and is dead mumsy, even though she's no one's mum, 'cos she cooks my tea sometimes and lets me watch EastEnders on her massive plasma TV, even though she says I should 'stay true to my Northern Roots' and watch Corrie.

2012, Ellie Irving, Billie Templar's War, Random House (The Bodley Head):

(British, informal) Abbreviation of Coronation Street, a soap opera.


Dick

Rhyming nickname for Rick, pet form of Richard.

Lascivious Edward, and thou perjur'd George,/ And thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all,

c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]:

You may know what one man thinks of another by his manner of calling him. Thomas and James and Richard and William are stupid young gentlemen; Tom and Jem and Dick and Will are fine spirited fellows.

1830, Mary Russell Mitford, Our Village: Fourth Series: Cottage Names::

A diminutive of the male given name Richard, also used as a formal given name.


Chinaman

From Chinese Pidgin English. Calque of Chinese 中國人／中国人 (Zhōngguórén) ("China + -man"). Applied also to ships by analogy with East Indiaman.

A disorderly Chinaman is rare, and a lazy one does not exist. So long as a Chinaman has strength to use his hands he needs no support from anybody; white men often complain of want of work, but a Chinaman offers no such complaint; he always manages to find something to do.[…]Any white man can swear a Chinaman’s life away in the courts, but no Chinaman can testify against a white man.

1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “”, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 391:

Another favorite pastime of the Highbinder who is usually a loafer, is to levy blackmail on a wealthy Chinaman.[…]If it were not that the Chinamen kill only men of their own race and let alone all other men, the citizens of San Francisco would have sacked and burned Chinatown.

1906, Hubert D. Russell, editor, Complete Story of the San Francisco Horror, 1906, published 2003, page 251:

On the flat behind the mill, dawn-rising Chinamen shogged with nimble bare feet under their yoke-linked watering-cans. These busy brethren, meeting sometimes on the same narrow track, would pause, ant-like, seemingly to dumbly regard one another and their burdens, then, still ant-like, pass silently to their work.

1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 147:

"It is my fly-trap!" shrieked the Chinaman. "And I am the god of destruction!"

1913, Sax Rohmer, chapter 25, in The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu:

The carts rattle by, swinging from side to side; two Chinamen lollop along under their wooden yokes with the straining vegetable baskets—their pigtails and blue blouses fly out in the wind.

1920 August 27, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “The Wind Blows”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 137:

1941, George Ade, Stories of the Streets and of the Town: From the Chicago Record 1893 - 1900, reprinted as 2003, Stories of Chicago, page 163,
In Clark Street, where all the nations of the earth dwell together in harmony, one has but to go downstairs to find a Chinaman. And when found he is washing.

America it's them bad Russians.
Them Russians them Russians and them Chinamen. And them Russians.

1956, Allen Ginsberg, “America”, in Howl and Other Poems (Pocket Poets Series), City Lights Books, →OCLC, page 33:

Diner Employee: How long you been standing there, you freak?
Diner Customer: What are you, a Chinaman?
Xavier (Vernon Chatman): I wish I knew myself.
Diner Employee: We don't cotton to strange Chinamen with no sense of self who stand secretly by for indeterminate amounts of time. Gonna put you in a world of hurt.

2007, Xavier: Renegade Angel, season 1, episode 6:

(dated, now offensive) A Chinese person, or person of Chinese descent.


Cher

A short form of the female given name Cherilyn, popularized as a given name by the singer Cher.


Doll

* As a south German surname, from toll (“mad, foolish”).
* Also as a German surname, spelling variant of Thiel.
* As an English surname, from the adjective dull, cognate with the first German derivation. Also compare Dill.

O! run, Doll, run; run, good Doll.

c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:

A diminutive of the female given name Dorothy.


Elvish

These difficult runes are written in Elvish.


Elan

A male given name from Hebrew, variant of Elon.


Brody

A male given name transferred from the surname.


Drake

* As an English surname, from both senses of the noun drake meaning "male duck" and "dragon."
* As a German surname, from Low German drake (“dragon”), related to the above.
* As a Dutch surname, Americanized/West Flemish variant of Draak, also related to the above.

Drake was not at all what I'd anticipated. His macho soap opera name had put me in mind of aristocrats or oversexed mallards.

2004, Torey Hayden, chapter 4, in Twilight Children, HarperCollins UK, published 2013, →ISBN:


Emerald

Emerald, Queensland
Peter Fitzallan MacDonald
Queensland Government
The Courier-Mail

The Queensland town takes its name from the emerald and other precious stone deposits in the area and from the pastoral run Emerald Downs, a name chosen circa 1860 by pastoralist Peter Fitzallan MacDonald. It is unclear if emeralds were found in or around Emerald.
The given name is a modern coinage from the name of the gemstone, representing a vernacular form of Esmeralda.

The child, a girl, was albino like April, and had exactly April's deep red eyes. Sol and Libra named her Emerald, a green name and a ground-term rather than a sky-term, as if in open expression of the slow spell worked on them all by Viridis.

1954 Theodore Sturgeon, The Golden Helix, in Leo Marguelis:Three Times Infinity, Fawcett Publications 1958, page 109

Mrs. Emerald Walsh was helping out at the presbytery.

1978, Mary Manning, The last chronicles of Ballyfungus, page 48:

(rare) A female given name from English.


Dirk

Borrowed from Dutch and North German Dirk.

A male given name from German or Dutch, equivalent to English Derek.


Eth

A short form of the female given name Ethel.


Di

A diminutive of the female given name Diana.


Ewondo

The language spoken by the Beti tribe from Cameroun, Yaounde area.


Chuck

A form of the male given name Charles, of mostly American usage.


Fante

She loved days like this one, where she could speak Fante as fast as she wanted.

2016, Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing, Penguin Books (2017), page 24:

A language spoken in Ghana, a dialect of Akan.


Bianca

en-proper noun

Bianca (countable and uncountable, plural Biancas)

From Italian Bianca, equivalent of English Blanche.

Sweet Bianca! Happy man be his dole! He that runs fastest gets the ring.

c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:


Fanagalo

A pidgin language based primarily on Zulu, spoken in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.


Em

And oh, Aunt Em! I'm so glad to be at home again!

1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, chapter 24, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC:

Mind you, he never calls me anything back. Isn't that the way of it? What do men call their wives. 'Em...' Like every woman in the planet was christened Emily. 'Em...is that shirt clean?'

2008, Anne Enright, Yesterday's Weather, Vintage, published 2009, →ISBN, page 4:

A diminutive of the female given names Emily, Emma, or Emmeline.