# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/61 "2003-12-19T17:45:40Z")
My father’s names translate to “the heel-catching fox who lives near the fountain.” Appropriate for a lawyer, don’t you think? Jumps out and bites you on the foot when you stop for a drink. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/62 "2003-12-19T18:00:05Z")
My first name doesn’t have so much of a meaning in itself, rather it is derived from Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry. And I was born on New Year’s Eve. Doubt my folks made the connection, or I wouldn’t have got that name. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/63 "2003-12-19T18:09:17Z")
My first name is an old Arabic name meaning “leader” or “vanguard”. Can’t comment on the appropriateness or otherwise of it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/64 "2003-12-19T19:48:11Z")
Free; Liberated …yay! Someone told my brother once that our last name means “Of evil”…Isn’t that real nice? It can’t be true though. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/65 "2003-12-19T20:56:48Z")
**RISHA** : Hindu : born during solar month of Vrishabha (Taurus). That one I knew about, and is I believe the most common translation. However, a quick web search also turned up - Risha : Indian : Saintly Risha : Latin : Laughter (as a form of “Risa”). Risha : Hebrew : “may also be a short form of RISHA, the IRIS FLOWER.” I wouldn’t presume to know anything about the Kabbalah, but I got several hits for “RISHA HVVRH, Risha Havurah, the White Head.” I’m not sure whether or not that’s meant to be a name meaning. Risha, Al-Risha : Arabic : the band, the joined together. The name of the brightest star in Pisces. Marisha : Mari, Risha : Sanskrit/Hindi : a goddess, daughter of the wind and moon. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/66 "2003-12-19T21:18:10Z")
My first name is Dale, which means, loosely, “a little dip.” I wonder how they knew? I guess if I had to transliterate my full name, it would be “The Valley of the Victorious Garment-makers.” ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/67 "2003-12-19T21:50:03Z")
Valerie = Strong Ann = Graceful I think my parents were hoping for a ballerina. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/68 "2003-12-19T21:56:31Z")
My name isn’t listed. I didn’t think it would be. I’ve only met two of me in 47 years, and only one was spelled the same. ---
**Author:** ![Wallflower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Wallflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallflower)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/69 "2003-12-19T23:43:34Z")
Dawn Elayne Sunrise Light. The connection was unintentional though. My folks wanted a slightly unusual name starting with D, and my middle name came from their best friend, who died a year before I was born. My maiden name means mustard, and was almost unpronounceable.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Tortuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@Tortuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tortuga)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/70 "2003-12-20T03:10:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by happylittlevegemite \* > \*\*I’m a Wendy. I’m named after a girl, who - after liberal sprinklings of fairy dust - flew away to NeverNeverLand with a boy who refused to grow up. > > I’ve also read it means a fair complexioned wanderer. > > No wonder I’m confused. \*\* Ah, see, I’m a Wendy too, but don’t you imagine the Wendy of Peter Pan as also very fair-skinned and obviously imbued with wanderlust? With my middle name I am either the fair-skinned dark stranger, or the wanderer who comes from the deep waters, however you choose to translate it. With my Scottish last name, I’m about as Gaelic-sounding as you can get, and so white I taste like chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/71 "2003-12-20T03:49:15Z")
I’m a “white cheeked gentle rose, dwelling on the plain”, if I use my first, middle, and last names. Then again, when I looked up my first and middle names in a friend’s baby-name book, I’m “purity of the dawn”. I think I might like that one better. ---
**Author:** ![Tamarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tamarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamarin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/72 "2003-12-20T04:03:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tortuga \* > \*\*Ah, see, I’m a Wendy too, but don’t you imagine the Wendy of Peter Pan as also very fair-skinned and obviously imbued with wanderlust? > > With my middle name I am either the fair-skinned dark stranger, or the wanderer who comes from the deep waters, however you choose to translate it. With my Scottish last name, I’m about as Gaelic-sounding as you can get, and so white I taste like chicken. \*\* So many Wendys. 😃 I went to the first site and translated my full name to come up with: A wandering, fair complexioned, bitter, famous wolf. Hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/73 "2003-12-20T07:17:15Z")
Honorable ruler, sheltered from the storm, who tills the field. :rolleyes: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![chattywine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@chattywine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chattywine)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/74 "2003-12-20T07:47:33Z")
So many Wendys indeed 🙂 Wendy Russ delved into our name origin on her site ([wendy.com](http://wendy.com)) [here](http://www.wendy.com/wendyweb/history.html) Years ago one of my classmates translated the name for me while teaching me how to write it in Chinese. It amounted to (talking sound now) wen - bright light dy - one who guides. Combine that with the Welsh definition of a fair complected wanderer (but that is taking it as a vaiation of Gwendolyn). At least my middle name is easy - from Hebrew - lioness of god. _wanders off singing…And Windy has stormy eyes That flash at the sound of lies And Windy has wings to fly Above the clouds, above the clouds_ ---
**Author:** ![Amberlei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Amberlei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amberlei)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/75 "2003-12-20T12:10:13Z")
Depending on which site I go to, I am either Og’s perfect and gracious gift and the child of war, or a gracious though bitter child of the lake. ---
**Author:** ![Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercury)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/76 "2003-12-20T14:12:30Z")
My first name means “lame.” Yes, that’s right, **lame**. My nickname, the shortened form of my first name, means “God” in Irish. I have no middle name. My last name is an animal. ~M ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/77 "2003-12-20T14:30:07Z")
Son of the right (hand), blessed guard. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/78 "2003-12-20T16:43:45Z")
First name: “God is gracious” Last name: Depending on Gaelic translation, “Son of the warrior/wolf/hound on the mountain.” ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/79 "2003-12-20T17:23:50Z")
misty Covered With Mist, Dew dawn Sunrise ---
**Author:** ![Infectious\_Lass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e56c9b/32.png) [@Infectious\_Lass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infectious_Lass)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825/80 "2003-12-20T22:49:19Z")
My names all together are supplanter god is gracious victory star or perhaps ‘Gracious Victory Star’ as some sources list ‘anne’ as just ‘gracious’ I have noticed. The ‘Supplanter’ lets it down though. I remember eagerly looking up my name in a book as a kid and being disappointed, 'cos I had no idea what a ‘supplanter’ was! I wanted it to mean something nice and literal like ‘flower’ or ‘horse’ or something, anything but the weak and weedy ‘supplanter’! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-does-your-birth-name-mean/219825.md?page=5)