This innovative dictionary allows the user to find given names which relate to a specific meaning. Arranged alphabetically by definition, the names are followed by the language of origin, variations (derivatives, diminutives, and nicknames) of the name itself, and the name as interpreted in different languages. Separate sections are included for male and female names. Using the dictionary you could discover that there are over 160 names listed for "flower," from Anthea (Greek) to Zahara (African).

This Dictionary is part of the Oxford Reference Collection: using sustainable print-on-demand technology to make the acclaimed backlist of the Oxford Reference programme perennially available in hardback format. The fascinating and informative Dictionary of First Names covers over 6,000 names in common use in English, including the very newest names as well as traditional names. From Alice to Zanna and Adam to Zola this book will answer all your questions: it will tell you the age, origin, and meaning of the name, as well as how it has fared in terms of popularity, and who the famous fictional or historical bearers for the name have been. It covers alternative spellings, short forms and pet forms, and masculine and feminine forms, as well as help with pronunciation. The book includes extensive appendices covering names from languages including Scottish, Irish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, and Chinese names. Tables of the most popular names by year and by region are also included. From the traditional to the rare and unconventional, this book will tell you everything you need to know about names.

The authors of Beyond Jennifer & Jason, the bestseller that revolutionized baby naming, offer the last word on the perfect first name. Hope is hot, Hortense is not-- at last, here's what parents really need to know before naming a baby. For years you knew what to expect from a baby-name book: a long, dull list of names with their dictionary definitions. All that changed with Beyond Jennifer & Jason-- the groundbreaking book on styles and trends in baby names that has been called "the best baby-naming book ever written" (The News Journal). Now Rosenkrantz and Satran return with an all-new baby-name guide that is destined to become a classic. Like other books, it's packed with entries on girls' and boys' names from A to Z, but no one else gives you the inside story on names: why the world has all the Ashleys it needs, why everyone loves Emily, and why you should or should not call your son Ishmael. Drawing on sources as diverse as ancient myths, current TV series, the Bible, and world literature, The Last Word on First Names is a readable, witty, and illuminating guide to the real-world meaning of Miranda, Max, and thousands of other names from Abigail to Zelig. No one should name a baby without this book.

Modern English and Hebrew names with an analysis of their meanings and origins.

This volume is a reference source to literature in the English language throughout the world. It provides a survey of the world-wide literary tradition of this area, and offers explanations of genres, movements, critical terms and literary concepts.

Naming Your Baby is the essential A-Z guide for deciding your child's name. Much more than just a list of baby names, this book is a fascinating guide for expectant parents, as well as a wider reference resource for historians, writers and researchers. It contains over 1,500 possible choices, from Aaron to Zuleika, through the old-fashioned (Hazel and Gilbert), the modern (Jade and Devon), the unusual (Anselm and Tanith) and the most popular (Chloe and Jack). It reveals who has influenced the popularity of names, including film stars (Mia), biblical figures (Isaac) and fictional characters (Harry), and suggests why Chelsea, April, Rose or Ebony might be appropriate - or inappropriate! - for your child. Names with shared roots are gathered together in the same entry: you might decide against Helen in favour of Ellen, Elaine or Illona, or even need to switch at the last minute from Sean to Shauna...

A guide to baby names and their meanings draws on research from a variety of sources.