About Names Etymology - Behind the Name When people refer to the " meaning of a name", they are most likely referring to the etymology, which is the original literal meaning This website looks at the etymology and history of all types of given names
Meaning, origin and history of the name David Meaning History From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawiḏ), which was derived from דּוֹד (doḏ) meaning "beloved" or "uncle" David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel, ruling in the 10th century BC Several stories about him are told in the Old Testament, including his defeat of Goliath, a giant Philistine
Meaning, origin and history of the name Matthew As an English given name, Matthew has been in use since the Middle Ages It became popular throughout the English-speaking world around the middle of the 20th century, ranked near the top of the popularity lists for boys in the 1980s and 90s A notable bearer was the American naval officer Matthew C Perry (1794-1858), who led an expedition to
Meaning, origin and history of the name Adam - Behind the Name This is the Hebrew word for "man" It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew אדם (ʾaḏam) meaning "to be red", referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian adamu meaning "to make" According to Genesis in the Old Testament Adam was created from the earth by God (there is a word play on Hebrew אֲדָמָה (ʾaḏama) meaning "earth") He and Eve were supposedly the
Meaning, origin and history of the name Robert Meaning History From the Germanic name Hrodebert meaning "bright fame", derived from the elements hruod "fame" and beraht "bright" The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the rare Old English cognate Hreodbeorht It has been consistently among the most common English names from the 13th to 20th century
Meaning, origin and history of the name Zoe - Behind the Name The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, being borne by a ruling empress of the 11th century As an English name, Zoe (sometimes with a diaeresis as Zoë) has only been in use since the 19th century
Meaning, origin and history of the name Michael From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel) meaning "who is like God?", derived from the interrogative pronoun מִי (mi) combined with ךְּ (ke) meaning "like" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" This is a rhetorical question, implying no person is like God Michael is one of the archangels in Hebrew tradition and the only one identified as an archangel in the Bible In the Book of
Meaning, origin and history of the name Maria Maria is the usual form of the name in many European languages, as well as a secondary form in other languages such as English (where the common spelling is Mary) In some countries, for example Germany, Poland and Italy, Maria is occasionally used as a masculine middle name This was the name of two ruling queens of Portugal