# So, what does your birth name mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 18, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825 "2003-12-18T19:18:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/21 "2003-12-18T21:15:04Z")
Tamara-from the Arabic word for the date palm My parents always called me Tammy, though, which means “perfection”. Lea–it varies by source, but it’s usually listed either as a feminized version of Lee, which means a sheltered spot. Other places list it as a Middle English word for a meadow or glade. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/22 "2003-12-18T21:18:00Z")
I always chuckle when I think of what “Calvin Klein” translates to. Little bald guy. Which can be taken in two different ways, neither of them particularly flattering. ---
**Author:** ![Eman\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Eman\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eman_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/23 "2003-12-18T21:19:38Z")
Emanuel - “God is with us” woah. ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/24 "2003-12-18T21:29:37Z")
Translated, my three names together would mean, I imagine, something to the effect of “A Strong Helmet Made of Cabbage”. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/25 "2003-12-18T22:09:42Z")
First name- Deborah- from the Hebrew means honey bee. Middle name- Annan is not in the database, but it is the name of a town and a river in Scotland, family is part of Clan Johnston(e). Last name isn’t there either. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/26 "2003-12-18T22:58:41Z")
Joy. ---
**Author:** ![DaisyFace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@DaisyFace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaisyFace)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/27 "2003-12-18T23:09:21Z")
The perfect one; bitter; with sorrow. seems a bit inconguous to me so I’ll just go with that first part! ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/28 "2003-12-18T23:19:51Z")
Lee: Gender: Male or Female Meaning: Sheltered from the storm Origin: English Phtt! :rolleyes: I still reckon my parent’s other choice (Han) was cooler. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/29 "2003-12-18T23:22:14Z")
Zev Ari Hebrew for “Wolf Lion” Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/30 "2003-12-18T23:22:56Z")
As far as I know Osiris doesn’t have any known meaning. It’s just his name. And now mine. Any Egyptologists know anything different? ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/31 "2003-12-19T00:00:01Z")
First name is an ancient Greek city and means “footsoldier”. Middle name means “from the sun” or “wise protector”. Last name means “from the valley of the curly brown haired people”. Curious, since I do in fact have brown hair that starts to curl if it gets too long. My son’s name translates well. First name is Hebrew and middle name is Greek. It translates as “A king given by God”. Daughter’s name is Hindu and Irish. Translates to “Fairy Mother”. ---
**Author:** ![Papaveraceae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e8c25b/32.png) [@Papaveraceae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papaveraceae)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/32 "2003-12-19T00:05:20Z")
I’m named after the Green Tara. Here is a link with meaning… [http://www.iol.ie/~taeger/bio/greenye.html](http://www.iol.ie/~taeger/bio/greenye.html) ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/33 "2003-12-19T00:15:18Z")
I just don’t know what my name means. It’s all so confusing! 😛 [Wendy](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpeterpanwendy.html) ---
**Author:** ![myrnajean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@myrnajean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myrnajean)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/34 "2003-12-19T00:26:55Z")
My name means "Gentle One, Beloved, " and second name means “Gods gracious gift” hmmm… somebody’s got a sense of humor… ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/35 "2003-12-19T00:43:00Z")
I am a Wendolyn! It can arguably be from a number of sources (see **Tamarin** ’s post), but the only _official_ one I’ve found in my lifetime is: from Greek, meaning “the wanderer,” original spelling Wendelin I was supposed to be a “Nikola” whether I was a boy or a girl, after Nikola Tesla - my dad’s a Tesla expert and you guys have NO IDEA how much I had to restrain myself from entering into the raging “1920’s Style Death-Rays” debate-!!! Guess mom got her way, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/36 "2003-12-19T00:44:37Z")
Not sure how your figuring this,but my former maiden name meant soup. My nmae now means hunter. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/37 "2003-12-19T00:52:38Z")
I am the light of the peaceful valley. ---
**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/38 "2003-12-19T00:55:57Z")
I am a strong ( first name ) superior ( middle name ) merchant (last name) ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/39 "2003-12-19T01:16:15Z")
The baby names book my parents had around the house said **Raymond** : Wise, mighty protector. He will not allow your foot to be moved. I kinda liked that. But my parents say they picked the name because it wasn’t too common, not too unusual, and worked well in both English and French. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/40 "2003-12-19T01:24:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rabid\_Squirrel \* > \*\*Lee: > Gender: Male or Female > Meaning: Sheltered from the storm > Origin: English > > Phtt! :rolleyes: > I still reckon my parent’s other choice (Han) was cooler. \*\* Pssss! Go read my thread. You have to use your other names to cover it up! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825.md?page=3)