Naming history
Why do names have meanings?
Many names began life as ordinary words or phrases. Over centuries the words faded from everyday speech, while the names carried on.
Every name has a history.
Discover the story behind a name.
Explore its meaning, origin, pronunciation and history.
Why The Name Journal?
Names carry stories.
Every name has a history across language, place and generations. The Name Journal explores where names come from, how they changed, and what the evidence can and cannot tell us.
Meaning & origin
What a name’s source words meant, and which language they came from, kept separate from where the name is used today.
History & cultural context
How a name has been used over time and in different places, and how its forms and spellings changed along the way.
Documented sources
We tie factual statements to references we can name, and say so where the evidence is thin or disputed.
Latest from the Journal
Articles on names, language and history
Names across languages
How names change across languages
John, Jean, Juan, Giovanni and Ivan are one name in many forms. Following a name between languages shows how sounds and spellings adapt.
Origins & etymology
What a name’s origin actually means
A name’s origin describes the language and words it came from. It does not tell you where a particular family came from, and it is sometimes uncertain.
Our research approach
Research before interpretation.
A name’s story is only as good as the evidence behind it.
Sources & editorial approachFind reputable sources
Official statistics, established reference works and scholarly publications come first.
Cross-check the evidence
A claim is checked against more than one source wherever possible before it is published.
State uncertainty clearly
When an origin is unknown or disputed, the entry says so rather than choosing a neat answer.
Browse the Journal
Explore by topic.
Articles grouped by the questions people most often ask about names.
About The Name Journal
A reference built on evidence.
The Name Journal is a growing reference about names: their meanings, origins, forms across languages and the records that tell their history. We publish what the sources support, and we would rather show less than guess.
About the Journal
Curious about a name?
Look it up in The Name Journal. Where we have verified information, we show it with its sources. Where we don’t yet, we say so.