A Cast of Names Both Old and New
Shika is a Japanese female name with a variety of meanings depending on the kanji used: shika 鹿 "deer" (it's also a Japanese surname); shi 史 "history, chronicle" + ka "can; passable, allowed" (史可); shi 志 "purpose, will; aspire; resolve; motives; plans" + ka 佳 "excellent; beautiful, good" (志佳); shi 紫 "purple, violet" + ka 佳 "excellent; beautiful, good" (紫佳); shi 詩 "poem, poetry" + 夏 "summer" (詩夏). I've also seen… Continue reading Shika
Hallie originated as a nickname for Harriet, the English form of Henriette, the French diminutive of Henri, the French male form of Henry meaning “home ruler” composed from Germanic elements heim (home) and ric (power, ruler). Hallie is also a surname made up from Old English heall (hall; residence) and lēah (wood, meadow, clearing) essentially meaning "dweller at the hall by the meadow", a locational name for… Continue reading Hallie
Hattie is a female given name, originating as a diminutive form of Harriet which comes from French Henriette via Henry meaning "home ruler" from Germanic elements heim (home) and ric (power, rule). Origin: Proto-Indo-European Variants: Hatty (English) Harriet (English) Harriette (English) Harrietta (English)
Grandon comes from an English surname. It may have originated as a variant form of Grantham, possibly meaning "Granta's homestead" or "Granta's settlement", Granta being an Old English given name of unknown meaning. However, the first part of the name may also have been used to refer to gravel and might have referred to a homestead… Continue reading Grandon
Indra is the name of a Hindu god of war and the heavens, bringer of rain and wielding thunderbolts, and the king of the gods. Although the etymology behind the name is uncertain, I've seen many sites claim it as "possessing drops of rain" composed from Sanskrit indu (drop; juice, Soma) and ra (acquiring, possessing), a meaning which… Continue reading Indra
Hank originally derived as a short form of Hankin, a medieval diminutive of John meaning "Yahweh is gracious" from Hebrew; but it's now become more common as a nickname for Henry meaning "home ruler" from Germanic Heimirich meaning “home ruler” from Germanic elements heim (home) and ric (power, rule). Hank is also a surname derived from the given name. Origin: Hebrew, Proto-Indo-European Variants: Harry (English) Hal… Continue reading Hank
Odette is the French diminutive of Oda, a Germanic female name derived from Germanic aud meaning "wealth, fortune" derived from Proto-Germanic *audaz (wealth, riches), though it may also be derived from Germanic odal meaning "fatherland". Origin: Proto-Germanic Variants: Odetta (English) Oda (Ancient Germanic, German, Norwegian) Auda (Ancient Germanic) Odilia (Ancient Germanic) Odila (Ancient Germanic) Odelia (English) Ottoline (English) Ottilie (German) Odilie (German) Ute… Continue reading Odette
Riko is a Japanese female name with a variety of meanings depending on the kanji used such as: ri 莉 "jasmine" + ko 子 "child" (莉子); ri 理 "reason, logic" + ko 子 "child" (理子); ri 璃 "glassy; lapiz lazuli" + ko 子 "child" (璃子); ri 里 "village" + ko 子 "child". There are likely other meanings depending on the kanji used. Written in hiragana りこ. Riko could also be a… Continue reading Riko
Emerson comes from an English surname, a patrynomic surname meaning "son of Emery", Emery being the Norman form of Emmerich, a German name. While the second element of the name comes from ric meaning "power, rule" from Proto-Germanic *rīks (king, ruler) from PIE *h₃rḗǵs (king, ruler) via *h₃reǵ- (to straighten; move in a straight line). The first part of the name is a little more complicated. It… Continue reading Emerson
Ethel is a female given name meaning "noble" from Old English æðel, originally used as a short form of names such as Etheldred or Ethelberta, making it a cognate of Germanic adal. Ethel also refers to the Anglo-Saxon rune odal which means "homeland; ancestral lands" from Proto-Germanic ǣþel. Origin: Old English, Proto-Germanic Variants: Ethyl (English) Ethelyn (English)
