Do English names have special implied meaning?

There are implications and connotations -- can't imagine that's limited to English?

For example, I know a guy named Kermit. That's an extremely unusual name these days, not least because everyone thinks of a small green frog puppet when they see the name. (Not an association everyone wants to have.)

A woman named Barbie or Bambi will also have certain assumptions made (blonde, dumb, cute).

That's just about first impressions, though, and personality can cut right through that. I know a Bambi who is short, cute, blondish, and sharp as a tack. Someone who made a big difference in my life. She sees her name (given to her by her parents) as a challenge, and refuses to change it (even though she has to battle past first impressions over and over...)

Names have a meaning and an assosiation too.
Adam means "human being" - a Hebrew name.
Adolf is an old Germanic name which really means "hounorable wolf". But the assosiation is bad and I can´t imagen people really want to call their child
Adolf.
Many names coming from Greek, French, the Bible etc. have the same meaning but probably differnt assosiations in different languages.

I dont think English Names have a special or implied meaning. it is true that our formative experiences of people with the same or similar names may affect our initial impressions of a person but this is not an implied meaning.

Many names are derived from old and forgotten or foreign languages. In these cases there may be some meaning Although I do find that the meaning can change depending on which reference is used.

Some examples
Karen means Pure It originates from scandanavian langauges.

Paul = small > Latin

Keith: Originally Scottish and probably came from a form of 'coillte' or 'ceiteach', meaning "woods".

It might also have been influenced by Welsh 'coedwig' (forest), and even by Old English 'cuth' (knowledgeable).

Keith is a Scottish clan, the current head of which is the Earl of Kintore. Famous Keiths include Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, The Who drummer Keith Moon and country music singer Keith Urban.



Although these "meanings" are sometimes of interest to prospective parents there is very little or no emphasis on name meanings in daily life

If you can search the internet for "baby name meanings" you will see many examples.

I think the strong Western emphasis on Individuality tends to encourage people to endow other people's names with preconceived associations--particularly when one is young and inclined to view the world as a simple place.

I've known a number of Debbi's--and some of them have been excellent cooks, but I wouldn't assume that a "Debbi" would be an excellent cook.

If I met a 45 year old named "Moonbeam" I'd probably make some assumptions about hippie parents. I knew a kid named "Rhett" and made the correct assumption that his teen-aged mother adored Gone with the Wind (movie version).

Back in the 1940's Ronald Coleman was a popular actor and 11 of the 18 boys in my kindergarten class were named "Ronnie".

Noddy24, can you explain further, please?

Many family names used in English (and in other European languages) derive from the profession of the people bearing the name at the time it was adopted--and that is fairly recent. For example, there is a small maritime museum in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, which has the passenger list of those who came over for the first colony. Almost all of them are named Wright. This is not because they were related, it is because wright in English means carpenter (the word is no longer used that way, it is hardly ever used), and the couples who had been lined up as colonists were carpenters and their wives. It is very like that these people had never had a "last name" in their lives, but they were listed as wright on the manifest because they were carpenters. The manifest isn't really saying that everyone's name was Wright, it was saying "James Wright" is a man named James who is a carpenter.

There are many, many such names in English. Cartwright is, obviously, a carpenter who makes carts. Wainwright is a carpenter who makes four-wheeled wagons ("wain" is another English word gone out of use). Miller, Carter, Archer--these are all obvious names--others are not. Fletcher means someone who makes straight shafts for arrows and attaches sections of bird feathes ("fletches") to make them fly true when fired from a bow. Fuller means someone who tramples raw wool in a trough filled with cold water and "fuller's earth," a type of clay used to remove dirt and oil from the wool. Bailey is even more complicated. Bail comes from a French word which means a metal grill, such as the type which are used at the gate of a castle which allows people to see out, but prevents people from entering without permission. The entire structure of the gate, with the metal grill, the drawbridge, the room for the gate keeper and guards, is called a bailey, and the person in charge is called a bailiff, and his responsibility is referred to as his bailiwick. People who were gatekeepers eventually came to be called Bailey as a result.

But these inherent meanings are almost invisible, intellectually speaking. Just because you know that someone who drives a cart is a carter, doesn't mean that's what you think of when you meet Miss Carter.

Hao--

Briefly because my theory is a guess rather than a certainity and generalizing about the varigated population of the United States, let alone the Western World, is dangerous:

1. Many young couples and mothers-to-be feel that their children--especially girls--much have outstandingly beautiful names. Boys are evidently to be gifted with names of power. It is important to these parents that these names be unique and unforgettable. A variation here is a unique spelling of a common name.

2. Conservative families often use names that are traditional in their family, frequently using last names and maiden names as middle names for a child--traditional names, unique in their combination.

3. Once upon a time name choice was limited by community usage. Now there are dozens of books listing baby names from all cultures. Prospective parents pour over these lists trying to find the "right" name--something distinctive without being flamboyant.

Sorry I can't be more detailed. I'll try some cud-chewing and let you know if I can come up with any further supporting facts.

Re: Do English names have special implied meaning?

Individuals develop connotations as they go through life, but very few of these connotations are the same throughout the culture. (Adolf was mentioned above.)

There are studies that show that some names are generally perceived better than others, but I don't think the effect is very strong for most names.

http://www.kaaj.com/psych/namebk.html

Noddy - I agree.....
Sometimes parents do some real mistakes.
Astrid Lindgren has a small girl in one of her stories who is called Skrållan.
A German asked me if it was ok to name his daughter this. I really did not know what to say and explained that it is first of all some sort of homemade nickname and not a name. Secondly it means Old Hat in Swedish.
The girl now has the name and for her sake I hope she will never have to move to Sweden.

Yeah, I agree, absolutely.

Yet, since wright in English originally means carpenter, can we infer that debbie when first used referred to a cook?

Noddy, thanks for your further detailed explanation. These associations you mentioned can be interesting in Chinese culture. We seldom choose the name of a forefather or a hero for the child. I guess, this is because we don't want to offend them by using their names, or we try not to sound conceited.

DrewDad, your scientific chart makes me confusing. What do "Chad" and "Bud" mean?

I have intense associations with many names.....as does everyone, I think, who works with troubled children and families and adults.


There are a bunch of names, at least here in Australia, that one associates immediately with trouble and trauma.


The sorts of names I mean are ones like Tyson, Jesse, Harley etc. for boys, and ones like Krystal, Misty, Summer, Ebony/Ebbonnee, Jade and a host of others for girls......and any weird spellings of a name for both boys and girls. (I can normally reel off a host of these names, but I have gone blank.)


Of course, there are many who bear these and other "red-alert" names who lead perfectly untroubled lives, but ask anyone in my field and they will come up with the same sorts of names as being high-risk.


I suspect this is because they are names often (but not, or course, always) connected with specific sub-cultures which are associated with high-risk for kids, AND which readily come to the attention of authorities


It probably sounds awful, but it is true!!! We keep talking ironically about "registration therapy"...ie changing a child's or parent's name in order to assist them to live less difficult lives.

You lost me completely with that one. Debbie is a nickname for Deborah, which is a name of Hebrew origin.

I think there's a Debbie hostess cake or something.


You're American...you should know.


No...she writes cookbooks!!! THAT'S what he means!!!



http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=295756



http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?sku=269814




Debbie Brown....never heard of her.

I'd never heard of her, either. As for Little Debbie, it is a company which competes based on price with the two "giants" of empty calorie sweet baked goods, Hostess and Dolly Madison. Little Debbie was named for the founder's granddaughter. The name Hostess is rather obvious. Are we to assume that the fourth First Lady of the United States is still alive and well, over two hundred years old, and overseeing a mass-market baking company (Dolly Madison)?

I posted what i did about common family names because i am uncertain what the original poster is getting at. I am even less certain now.

It's just as well that certain names aren't investigated too closely for their meanings. Bronwen, obviously Celtic, is still a very popular girls' name across the UK but especially in Wales. It means "fair-" or "white-"-chested one".

I can only guess that it dates from a time when there was nothing embarrassing about complimenting a woman for having a white chest. Victorian primness about such matters was yet to come.