The Penguin Book of Baby Names

Author:David Pickering
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141931500
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

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BOYS’ NAMES

Baileigh See BAILEY.

Bailey English name variously meaning ‘berry clearing’, ‘bailiff’ or ‘town fortification’. Also found as Baileigh or Bayleigh.

Baird Scottish name that originated as a surname meaning ‘minstrel’ or ‘bard’. Also found as Bard.

Baldie See ARCHIBALD.

Baldric English name based on the Old German balda (‘bold’) and ricja (‘rule’). It came to England with the Normans in the eleventh century. Also found as Baldrick.

Baldrick See BALDRIC.

Baldwin English name based on the Old German bald (‘bold’ or ‘brave’) and wine (‘friend’) and thus meaning ‘brave friend’. It was introduced as a first name from Flanders around the twelfth century. Variants include the Welsh MALDWYN.

Balfour Scottish name that originated as a place name meaning ‘village with pasture’.

Balthasar See BALTHAZAR.

Balthazar English version of the biblical Belshazzar, which was itself based on the Babylonian Belsharrausur (meaning ‘Baal protect the king’). The name appears in the Bible as that of one of the Three Wise Men. Also encountered as Balthasar.

Baptist English name based ultimately on the Greek baptistēs (‘baptist’). Because of its biblical associations with John the Baptist the name has a long history in the Christian world. Also found as Baptiste.

Baptiste See BAPTIST.

Barack African name descended from the Hebrew Baruch, the meaning of which is ‘blessed’. It came to public attention in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama (b. 1961) as US president.

Barclay See BERKELEY.

Bard See BAIRD.

Barnabas English name based ultimately on the Aramaic for ‘son of consolation’. It appears in the Bible as the name of one of St Paul’s companions and was taken up by English speakers during the medieval period. It was eventually eclipsed by BARNABY. Barney (or Barny) is a shortened form.

Barnaby English name that developed as a variant of BARNABAS and established itself as the dominant form of the name in the nineteenth century. Often shortened to Barney.

Barnard See BERNARD.

Barney See BARNABAS; BARNABY.

Barny See BARNABAS.

Baron English name that originated as a surname based on the Old German baro (‘free man’). Also found as Barron.

Barr Scottish name meaning ‘crest’ or ‘supreme’.

Barratt See BARRETT.

Barrett English name that originated as a surname based either on the Old German bera (‘bear’) and wald (‘rule’) or Middle English baret (‘dispute’). Also found as Barratt.

Barrie See BARRY.

Barron See BARON.

Barry English name based either upon the Gaelic bearach (‘spear’) or else upon the Irish Barra, a shortened form of Fionnbarr (see FINBAR). The variant form Barrie did not emerge until the 1920s. Bas, Baz and Bazza are informal versions of the name.

Bart See BARTHOLOMEW.

Bartholomew Biblical name based on the Aramaic for ‘son of Talmai’ (Talmai meaning ‘abounding in furrows’). It appears in the New Testament as a name borne by one of the apostles (possibly Nathaniel). Shortened to Bart or Barty and less commonly to Bat or Tolly.

Bartram See BERTRAM.

Barty See BARTHOLOMEW.

Baruch See BARACK.

Bas See BARRY; BASIL.

Basil English name based on the Greek basileus (‘king’) and thus meaning ‘royal’. It made occasional appearances among English speakers in medieval times, having been imported with returning Crusaders. Shortened to Bas (or Baz).

Bastian See SEBASTIAN.

Bat See BARTHOLOMEW.

Baxter English name that originated as a surname based on the Old English for ‘baker’.

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