What's in a name?

A favorite Shakespearian quote of mine is "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" from Romeo and Juliet. We use our names on a daily basis, yet many of us do not know the origins of our Surname (last name) or the meaning of our "given name" (first name.)


The use of a Family or Surname is a relatively new phenomenon. The Greeks and Romans attempted to use a family name and even before that there is evidence of Surname use in parts of ancient China. For the most part, however, the use of Surnames did not become popular in Western Europe until the 13th and 14th century.


Your task is to find out the Etymology of your names. Use the following website to learn about the origin and meaning of your name. Not all names will be in the data base (my last name is not.) Try to use variations of the spelling or use your Mother's maiden name (if you know it.)

In your notebooks, create three columns. Put your first name at the top of one, your middle name in the middle and your last name at the top of the last. Find out as much information about your names as you can and write it underneath.

Use the following sites:
Best Site (start here)

This site is just ok

Lots of names, not much detail