Names

 Once you've been researching your family history for a while, you begin to notice the names, mostly surnames, but also unusual or antiquated names. I know that both surnames and given names usually, or originally, have a meaning; they're not just letters thrown together that, when spoken make a sound.  So, for instance:

The name Rufus is, from Latin, means red-head.

Girls can be named for flowers: Daisy, Iris, Rose, Laura (for Laurel).

Given names differ in various cultures and their origins can be specific to a particular culture or language, but, sometimes a given name has an equivalent meaning in a different language.  So, for instance:

James, in English, means supplanter or he who replaces; in Spanish, Diego; in Italian, Giacomo; in French, Jacques; in German, Jakob; in Dutch, Jacob.

Put your given name in any browser followed by name meaning and you'll find what your name means, unless, of course, it's just a modern contrivance and there appear to be those.

I find the meaning of my given name to be highly contrived while I understand how it's meaning was derived; but I think it's stretching it.  My father says I was not named for the nickname of his military unit, 79th Infantry Division (Cross of Lorraine) but the origin actually remains the same. So:

Lorraine is derived from the French region of Lorraine, in German Lothringen.  The name comes from the medieval kingdom of Lotharingia which was named for either Emperor Lothair I or King Lothair II -- Wikipedia.  Because either or both of the Lothairs were considered warlike, the name Lorraine is now given the meaning of warrior.  

How and why people are given specific names can be interesting, although it can just be random, as well.  

There are several Kings in my Odell/Oliver family branch; not as first names but as middle names.  Middle names are often, noticeably, the maiden name of the mother.  I have found no King family related to my Odell family, so far.  There were Kings living nearby.  I have a Joseph King Odell; a Wesley King Oliver and my father's given name, Leroy, is derived from French, le roi, for king.  Just an interesting naming pattern in one family.

Nicknames can also be interesting.  In my family tree I have at least 2 people nicknamed Dutch; one nicknamed Dude; one nicknamed Bus.  Nicknames are usually shortened forms of their full given name like Rob for Robert, Joe for Joseph, etc.  Sometimes someone prefers their middle name to their first name and that's what they're called, to the point that, sometimes, there are arguments, much later, after their deaths, about what their real given name was.  So, Thomas James became James and I still have to correct people who insist that his name was James.  William Marcus became Marcus.

The most interesting given name I've found is Permelia.  I really disliked the name when I first saw it but it's beginning to grow in me.  It was used in colonial and 19th century America then seemed to die out.  It is Latin for "by sweetness", so it's actually a sweet name.  It is not related to the name Pamela.

Surnames are just as interesting as given names.  Surnames can be derived from the given name of an ancestor, from an occupation, from a geographic location.

Cartright - cart maker

Schoonmaker - literally, clean maker; cleaner

Sawyer - sawyer

Odell - possibly, depending on origin, from Dell

Mac whatever - son of

Our Beismer surname, the name of my maternal grandfather and his father, began, apparently with that generation; my great grandfather's father's surname was Beesimer.  Or was it? There are, reportedly, between 42 and 52 variant spellings for the surname alone.  I personally have recorded more than 24 spellings.  Our surname is pronounced either Beez mer or Beez e mer.  I was told by someone at a genealogy conference that, if pronounced as we pronounce it:  Beezmer, it means beekeeper, but, if pronounced Bayzmer, it means broommaker.  I don't know.

And, that brings up spelling in general. We have only recently, maybe in the past hundred years, developed English spelling rules (more or less).  Many of my ancestors in the past hundred years had little education and could barely read or write.  In addition, ALL of the "official" records that define our ancestors' life and history were filled in by other people: census records, birth, marriage and death records, etc.  Unless we have an actual signature of an ancestor, we have no idea how they wrote their name; how they identified themselves.  Within our family, as mentioned, the Beismer spelling began only 2 generations before mine and continues forward.  

The pattern of name usage within families can be interesting.  Our Beismer surname seems to have begun in Sullivan County, NY.  There are other variants there.  Some of them seem to have origins in Ulster County; Sullivan County in part formed form Ulster County.  The farther out from where our immediately family began, the more variant spellings there seem to be.  Since I don't have a European origin yet, I don't know what the spellings might have been outside the U.S.

The study of proper names is Onomastics; origin, history, meaning, use.

Anthroponymy is the study of personal names; Greek for "human name".

Toponymy is the study of place names.

People like: Cher, Prince, Cleopatra, Thayendanegea are mononymous people, having one name; although they usually had regular given and surnames; not sure about Cleopatra.  Some, like Thayendanegea later took Anglicized names, Joseph Brant.

There are entire societies and organizations formed around studying names:  American Name Society; International Council of Onomastic Sciences.

One-Name Studies are projects that are researching the origins and history of specific surnames.  I'm stupidly considering beginning 3 such projects for surnames in my tree that are problematic either because of the number of variant spellings or because the name appears so infrequently that it's difficult to fine:  Beismer, Platner, Wormuth. I'll keep you posted if I actually decide to do such a study.  There's even a Guild of One-Name Studies to join.

So, what's in a name.  Lots.