Question Home

Position:Home>Genealogy> Who and when determined names for people need to have a meaning?


Question: Who and when determined names for people need to have a meaning!?
Who and when determined names for people need to have a meaning!?
My name means "Who is like God!?" (notice the question mark, not a period) In all the books and websites I've visited gives me this same meaning!. But I can't find when names were given a meaning!. Anyone out there know this!?

Thanks in advance!
Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I believe the meaning was there before there was a name!. There were eventually words that meant something!. Some people seem to fit those words and that is how they got their name!.

Surnames came later as a way of distinguishing people!. Most in Europe did not have one until the last millennium!. In Netherlands it wasn't until the reign of Napoleon!. In England most had one by the end of the 14th century!. They were based on a)being the son of someone b) their occupation c)where they lived d)some characteristic about them!. When they got through it wasn't impossible for legitimate sons of the same man to have a different surname!. Still each could have shared their surname with others not in their family!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

First names or surnames!?

Well, starting with first names,

Names had meanings long before they were names!. For example, the name Paul, which is an old Hebrew word for Small!. Lots of names are like this!.

For surnames, it's a bit more complicated!.

Some names were used to reference someones job!. Names like Tom Baker, Fanny Smith, Alice Cooper!.

Other names were used to reference where someone was from, for example - Ann de Gunton, (Which literally means, Ann of Gunton) Anthony Costa (Costa means from the Coast) and Frances Buckingham!.

Some names were used on how people looked, for example - Blackman (A Black Man) Whiteman (A White Man) and so on!.

There are many other different ways surnames were given!.

To find out when the meaning was given, is a bit more difficult, practically impossible in fact!. It all depends on its use in language!. When was the word first used!? And remember words and language evolve all the time, and so names, so tracing a words origins is difficult (It's only the last 100 years or so that names have stopped changing, due to the improved literacy skills)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Right from Adam And Eve's time!. The meaning came before the name(s)!. Like all words have meaning, thus names too!. And your name must cary the question mark!. Are you like God!? Or do you still practice, being like God!? My name means: Son of!.!.!.!.
Peace!.Www@QuestionHome@Com