Do you want to learn more about first names? Well, this guide will explore 3 sites that you can check out to uncover a first name meaning, and also the origin behind them as well.
You may have arrived at this post because you are deciding on a name for your baby that you are about to bring into this world.
Or, maybe you are researching your ancestry and you are interested to learn everything that you can about your ancestors, including their names.
Either way in this post I want to show you 3 great sites that will help you.
So, if you are expecting I wish you all the best. Or, if you have come here because you’re the family historian then I hope this guide will be helpful to you.
Please watch this!
Before continuing with this guide you may be interested in this short 2-minute video that discusses what a given name is, (also referred to as a first name, or a forename).
Credit: The Audiopedia
Discussed in this post:
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First Names Meanings
The first website that I would like to bring to your attention is First Names Meaning.com. In my opinion, this is the best site for you to go to as it offers the most.
The site contains 10,000 girls’ names and 10,000 boys’ names that you can search through alphabetically. Just click on whether you want to search for girl’s or boy’s names from the options in the left side panel.
A to Z
From there you will then be presented with an A to Z directory. Once you have selected a letter you then just search for the name that you are interested in.
Please note that you may need to search through several pages looking for the name that you are after.
Search by name
Another option available to you is to simply enter the first name into the form that you will find on the home page.
From this box not only can you enter a name but you can also select the gender, the letter that the name begins with, and what country it is from, (if known).
Origin of names
Not only can you discover the meaning behind a name but also the origin as well. From this option found in the left side panel, you can the origin of first names from 10 countries and cultures.
- Arabic
- African
- British
- Chinese
- French
- Indian
- Irish
- Italian
- Japan
- Spanish
There is an A to Z feature with this option though. So, you will need to scroll through the list of names for the name that you are interested in.
Names though are divided into girls first followed by boys.
Names from all over the world
This site is the best because you can find a name from 31 different countries and cultures. So, not only will you find a British name, (any name from a Western country), but also from anywhere else in the world.
- Arabic
- African
- Bulgarian
- Chinese
- Croatian
- Czech
- Dutch
- Egyptian
- Finnish
- French
- German
- Greek
- Hawaiian
- Icelandic
- Indian
- Iranian
- Irish
- Italian
- Japan
- Jewish
- Korean
- Norwegian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Scottish
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Turkish
- Welsh
List of names
There is another way to search through the names on the site. Selecting a List of Names from the top menu will bring up an A to Z directory of first names for you to search through.
This is handy if you do not know what country the first name comes from.
Names compatibility
One unique feature of this site is the Names compatibility tool where you can test whether a relationship can succeed. Yeah, I know it’s not science, but you may get some amusement from it.
Just put in a boy’s name and a girl’s name, and then click on the Test button.
Name horoscope
If you’re into horoscopes and wonder what the stars say about you then you will probably love this feature.
You just enter your first name into the search box and then click on the Horoscope of the day button.
What will your horoscope say for you?
Name news
This option will again allow you to search through the catalog of names found on the site. But as well as that you can discover what saint’s day it is today.
If you want to learn more about saints then please check out my Religion and Saints page.
Numerology
This section uncovering the science of numbers comprises the following options:
- Life Path Number – Find out what number that your life is influenced by.
- Day of Birth – Discover how the day of the month affects your life.
- Numbers, Master Numbers – See how you are connected with numbers, stars, and planets.
- The Initial of the First Name – Even the first letter and vowel has some impact on your life.
- The Karmic Numbers – Discover what the letters in your first name say about you.
- Letters and Numbers – Discover the Pythagorean method and the principle of theosophical addition.
Behind The Name
This is a much more straightforward website. So, if you are not interested in the science and numerology behind names then Behind the Name is for you.
Also, the interface is a lot less cluttered than the First Names Meanings website so you will find that this site is far easier to use.
Besides discovering the meaning behind names there are other features to this site that I will discuss.
Search for a name
Before I discuss those features let me show you how to search the site.
Similar to the previous site that I reviewed here there are several ways for a name that you are interested to learn more about.
Directly under the site’s logo, there is a search box for you to enter a name. Just type in a name and click on the magnifier icon.
This will bring up many name options for you to select from, (based on what country the name is from).
A to Z of names
Underneath the search box, there is a handy A to Z directory. Just select a letter. The next page will allow you to filter the results by gender to limit the options.
Or, you can scroll through the pages to find a name.
Masculine or Feminine
Selecting either option will bring up all gender-specific names for you to choose from.,
Names from around the world
Similar again to the previous website you can choose where in the world that a name comes from. However, the difference with this site is that names appear from many more countries and cultures.
Names are divided into several categories which will help you find the name that you are after. Some categories are even subdivided more.
- African
- Asian
- European
- Elsewhere
- Mythology
- Ancient & Medieval
- Biblical
- Other
Name of the Day
The site will show a name for the day where you can learn the meaning and history behind it. Also, discover where in the world the name can be found, how to pronounce the name, and related names as well.
The related names section is great because you can find variants of the spelling which you can use for your genealogy research. This is useful if you are trying to find an elusive ancestor of yours.
Popular Names
Divided into boys’ and girls’ names discover the most popular English names. The home page will show you the Top 10. If you click on the more link then you will see the top 1000 names for each gender.
Popular Features
There are 4 more features on this site that you can have fun with.
- Message Boards – Discuss given names, their meaning, history, and usage with other people.
- Random Name – This random name generator is perfect if you are struggling to come up with a name for your baby.
- Most Common – Discover the most common names for countries all over the world, from present-day to even 1880.
- Surnames – An entire section of the site that explores the meaning behind surnames, as well as what is the most common surname
Family Education
The final website in this guide is Family Education – Baby Names & Meanings, This site is perfect if you want to get ideas for a name for your baby. (Also, helpful to discover the meaning behind your ancestors’ names).
From here you can discover the origin or popularity of a name. Or, you can learn about celebrity names, for example, the name Bono which has an American origin and means all good.
Search for a name
Discovering the meaning behind a first name is simple to do on this site. Just enter a name into the search box, select the gender of the name, and click on the Search button.
You will then be presented with the origin and meaning of the name, together with many variants of the name that you have entered.
A list of famous people is also displayed who have named their baby with the same name.
Other tools and features
Besides searching for a name using the form I have discussed above there are other tools and features that you can utilize.
- Top 100 Names – Discover the current top names for boys and girls.
- Celebrity Names – Meaning and origin behind the names of celebrities.
- Search for names by trait – Uncover names that express traits such as being funny, joyful, or wise.
- Browse for first or last names – Helpful A to Z index to find either the first or last name that you are interested in.
- Browse name based on origin – Over 50 different countries of origins listed.
- Baby Name Lists – The whole section gives you lists of baby names under different criteria.
- How to Choose a Name – Helpful section that will advise on giving the perfect name for your baby.
My Final Thoughts
As I have explored more and more of my ancestry I have become fascinated with the names that have appeared in my family tree.
It’s an area of research that is sometimes overlooked when setting out on your genealogy adventure.
It can open up a whole new level to your research, and you can learn more about your ancestors in the process.
Further reading
If you are interested to learn more about the names that appear in your family tree then you may be interested in the following posts.
- The Names and Named Patterns In Your Family Tree
- What Does My Names Mean?
- What Does Your Surname Mean?
Thank You and Please Leave A Comment
I hope you enjoyed reading my guide to where you can find a first name meaning. If you have any questions or comments then please leave a comment below.
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Hi my name is Zia Boomgaard and I live in orewa namber 34 nanghere views
Hi Zia, thanks for dropping by my site and commenting. Please check out the rest of the site as there is plenty of guidance that you will find that will help with your family history research.
I couldn’t see any information on your name on the First Names Meanings site but did on Behind the Name.
All the best and good luck discovering your ancestors.
Great information, thanks! I have been interested in genealogy for a number of years, and have traced my family histories back for hundreds of years. This certainly helps!
Thanks Mariette. Learning the meaning and origins behind a name can really bring your genealogy research to a whole new level. I hope you learn even more about your ancestors through these sites.
All the best.
I couldn’t resist, I searched for my name Steve, using Behind the Name. It was a very popular name for about 40 years and then hit a steady decline as soon as my parents named me LOL. This is a very cool article. The reason I was interested in finding out more about my name, my daughter is doing a project for school, so we turned to the internet to see find out more about our names. There is a ton of information on your site as well as the other sites you suggested in this post. I will have to poke around some more for sure. Thanks for sharing, this is a great resource.
Thanks for enjoying this guide. Behind the Name and First Names Meanings have both been my go to sites for when I wanted to learn more about the first names that appear in my family tree.