What's in a Name?

First Names

First names (or given names) say so much about ourselves, our parents' aspirations for us, our family background, our cultural milieu. Our first names once marked us out as members of a particular culture, clan, family, or religion. They also indicated our religion - Aloysius was as clearly Catholic as Rhodri was Welsh.

But linguistic boundaries have been pushed back and the small stock of traditional names has been radically augmented by new coinages since the 1960s. Now, alongside the more traditional names, short-forms, pet forms, nicknames, surnames, even place-names (look no further than famous children Brooklyn Beckham and Chelsea Clinton) have been pressed into service.

To find out what your name means try searching the Concise Dictionary of First Names online.

Browse our lists of first names

Or choose from the options below to learn more about first names:

Biblical and Saints Names Celtic Names Cultural Influences on Names Names from Popular Culture Royal and Aristocratic Names Surnames as Given Names Other Sources of Names Names Appendices

Source: Babies' Names

Also available:
A Concise Dictionary of First Names
A Dictionary of First Names