Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges
7,000 entries
Here is the ultimate first name reference, a delightfully informative, comprehensive survey of European and American names, and the most common Arabic and Indian names. The real charm and value of this reference lies in the wealth of fascinating additional information the authors provide. Under the entry for Audrey, we learn of the sixth-century saint of that name who died from a neck tumour, divine punishment for her youthful delight in fine necklaces.
The authors reveal that the name Colleen is never given as a first name in Ireland, that the name Wendy did not exist until J.M. Barrie invented it for Peter Pan, that Algernon originally meant 'moustached' and was a nickname among the predominantly clean-shaven Norman French, and that the 'th' in our spelling of Anthony comes from a confusion with the Greek word for flower, anthos.
Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges are the co-authors of A Dictionary of Surnames.
