Names have much to tell us about our past, our beliefs - even our personality traits. With 150 plus entries, this book takes a look at over 5,000 examples, ranging from the familiar to the comparatively obscure, drawn from different parts of the English-speaking world.

This Dictionary is part of the Oxford Reference Collection: using sustainable print-on-demand technology to make the acclaimed backlist of the Oxford Reference programme perennially available in hardback format. The fascinating and informative Dictionary of First Names covers over 6,000 names in common use in English, including the very newest names as well as traditional names. From Alice to Zanna and Adam to Zola this book will answer all your questions: it will tell you the age, origin, and meaning of the name, as well as how it has fared in terms of popularity, and who the famous fictional or historical bearers for the name have been. It covers alternative spellings, short forms and pet forms, and masculine and feminine forms, as well as help with pronunciation. The book includes extensive appendices covering names from languages including Scottish, Irish, French, German, Italian, Arabic, and Chinese names. Tables of the most popular names by year and by region are also included. From the traditional to the rare and unconventional, this book will tell you everything you need to know about names.

What's in a name? Rather more than you might at first suspect, for names are steeped in history and myth and have much to tell us about our past, our beliefs - even our personality traits. The Penguin Pocket Dictionary of Babies' Names takes a close look at 3500 names, explaining origins and meanings, showing how some have changed in popularity and use over time and providing all the diminutive and variant forms. Part of Penguin's major new series of reference titles ranging from Spanish and French dictionaries to books on spelling and quotations.

Choosing A Name For Your Child Has Never Been Easier The Penguin Book Of Hindu Names Has Sold Over 50,000 Copies Since It Was Published Almost A Decade Ago. The Product Of Several Years Of Research, It Is An Exhaustive And User-Friendly Compilation, With Information On Sources And Usage. For The First Time, This Classic Work Is Available In A Two-Volume Set, Divided Into Names For Boys And Those For Girls, Making It More Accessible. Including Modern Names And Those Which Are Popular, The Penguin Book Of Hindu Names For Boys Serves As A Practical Guide For Choosing The Perfect Name For Your Son. It Is Also A Precise And Invaluable Sourcebook For Scholars And Lay Readers Alike Who Would Like To Know What Familiar (And Not So Familiar) Hindu Names Actually Mean.

Of all the decisions a new parent makes, choosing that special name is the most significant and the most rewarding. A new reference book for prospective parents, this clear, helpful and easy-to-use A-Z guide gives you thousands of brilliant suggestions for picking the perfect name for your new arrival. It also includes appendices of the top ten names through the centuries and the most popular celebrity names.

`On The Day Of Qayamat You Will Be Called By Your Names And The Names Of Your Fathers. Therefore Keep Good Names.'-The Prophet The Complete Book Of Muslim And Parsi Names Is A Practical Guide For Choosing The Perfect Name For Your Child. The Result Of Several Years Of Research, It Is An Erudite And Thorough Compilation Of Approximately 30,000 Names Taken From Ten Languages. With The Actual And The Construed Meanings And The History Or Mythology Associated With The Name Given Against Each Entry, This Is A Precise And Invaluable Sourcebook For Scholars And Lay Readers Alike.

The Oxford Names Companion provides all the information that you will need about place and personal names existing within the British Isles. Divided into three sections on Surnames, First Names, and British Place-Names, they showcase the knowledge and detailed information from leading experts in the names field: A Dictionary of Surnames explains the origin and meaning of nearly 70,000 surnames. It covers all the common surnames, and many other rare ones, in the English-speaking worldthat are of European derivation. Also giving information about the history and distribution of names where possible and having sourced advice from specialist consultants for particular areas, such as Jewish names and Celtic languages, this reference work is a systematic comparative survey of names that no other work can offer. A Dictionary of First Names is a comprehensive study of first names providing a collection of linguistic, historical, and associated information about some 7,000 names used within the British Isles. Names form part of an individual's cultural identity and say much about our or our family's origins, and this dictionary reflects the long history of cultural diversity within Britain. A Dictionary of British Place-Names contains place-names of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales to form an impressive collection of around 15,000 British place-names, tracing their development from earliest times to the present day. The names are cited in their original spelling andlanguage, such as Celtic, Old English, Old Scandinavian, and the overall effect of this reference work is that it shows that place-names have an incredible capacity for survival.