Given name etymology

The etymology of given names.

Note: Given names are also called first names or Christian names, although the latter strictly speaking refers to a name given at baptism.

In English, given names are all parts of a person's name except the last part (the family name). Note also that some people's given names are originally family names: in particular, children are sometimes given the family names of recent ancestors.

Alphabetically

• Aaron: Hebrew. From the Old Testament, the elder brother of Moses in the Book of the Exodus
• Howard: English. Contraction of Hog Warden. The head keeper of livestock in a feudal manor. Source: John Ciardi, Good Words To You (Radio Program).
• Thurstan: Germanic. Contraction of Thor and Sten (germanic for stone): Thor's stone. Thurstan is comparable with the German/Nordic names Thorsten or Torsten.

See also: first names in the dictionary