Name dictionaries list names with their pronunciation, origin, meaning, popularity, and related names. Need-specific dictionaries cover categories like Christian or cultural names. Online options offer sophisticated search options, including reverse lookup and meaning-based searches. Entries provide gender, pronunciation, etymology, alternative spellings, nicknames, and famous namesakes.
A name dictionary lists names alphabetically, accompanied by their pronunciation, origin or ethnicity, meaning or interpretation, homonyms, alternative spellings, popularity, their owner’s usual gender, and related names. They are usually consulted by new parents who want ideas on names for their child or by those who are curious about the meaning and origin of their name. Some name dictionaries might focus on a certain source language, promise unusual and creative names, or be especially well-researched for an academic audience.
A need-specific name dictionary might cover Christian and Biblical names, androgynous names, names of cultural origin such as Celtic, or simply have sections devoted to these categories. These help parents who want to choose a name that will work no matter if they have a boy or a girl, or parents who want to preserve their family’s cultural heritage. They don’t have to sift through names that don’t appeal to them. They would learn common male names like John, David and Richard, and uncommon ones like Cornelius, Arlington and Bow.
Online name dictionaries have multiple and more sophisticated search options. You can also do a reverse lookup, decide on a meaning you want your child to embody, and come up with a name that matches it. For “King” you will find the Persian name Xerxes and the English name Maximillian. Water-related names would lead to the Native American Nebraska, meaning “flat water” and the Hebrew name Delilah, meaning “to draw water.” Sometimes these names are actually words in other languages that have been translated, but often the name has been associated with a certain symbol. Even more specific, parents can search for a name with a certain number of syllables, initial letter, first and middle names that match, or popularity level.
For example, let’s look at an entry for the common name Elizabeth: Gender: Female. Pronunciation: Eh-liz’-ah-beth or Ah-liz’-ah-beth. Alternative spelling: Elisabeth. Etymology: English form of the Greek, Elisabet, derived from the Hebrew Elisheba. In the Hebrew Bible, Elizabeth means “oath of God” or “devotion.” Shorter versions, nicknames and abbreviations: Elisa, Elise, Eliza, Beth, Betsy, Belle, Liz, Liza. Alternatives from other countries: Elisabetta (Italy), Elisabete (Portugal), Elizabeta (Slovenia). Famous namesakes: Queen Elizabeth of England, Elizabeth Taylor, Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
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