Essex

Meaning: (Regional name for someone from the county of Essex, which is named from Old English east 'East' + Seaxe 'Saxons'. In England the surname is now particularly common in Birmingham. Place name: a county in England that gave its name to many towns in America. There was a kingdom of Essex in Anglo-Saxon England. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essex )

Origin: (Old English, Middle English, Anglo-Saxon)

Pronunciation: (es-sex, go to this link and run your cursor over the name to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-essex )

Gender: Uni-Sex

The other day I saw some celebrity named their child Essex and I wouldn’t think this would be a first name as I know it as a county name in England but apparently it is a surname so it’s no surprise I guess to be used as a given name. It has a decent meaning and the name is pretty strong and recognizable by a lot of people so it should be easy enough to pronounce. It’s a very preppy name but it has an appeal in a way.

Finnick

Meaning: (Recorded in a number of spellings including Fenwich, Fenwick, Fennick, Finnick, Vinnick, and the extraordinary dialectals Phoenix and Phonix, this very early surname is Anglo -Scottish from the region known as "The Border Country". This was for centuries an area of total anarchy, and where it has to be said, the "clan" Fenwick played a prominent part! The surname is locational and when English derives either from the villages of Fenwick in Northumberland, near Kylow and Stamfordham, or if Scottish from the village of Fenwick in the county of Ayrshire. There is also a village called Fenwick in the West Riding of Yorkshire, but it is unclear whether this produced any surname holders. What is certain is that with all the villages names and hence the surname, the translation is the same. The name derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century "wic" meaning a dwelling place, or a dairy farm, or sometimes a landing place. To this prefix is added "fen" meaning a marshland, or water meadow. The surname is first recorded on the Scottish side of the "Border Country", (see below), and almost all early surname recordings are from this region. These early recordings include Thomas de Fenwyk, a witness at the 1279 Assize Court of Northumberland, and Nicholas Fynwik, who was the provost of Ayr, Scotland, in 1313. Sir John Fenwick, born in 1579, was High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1658, in the 'reign' of Oliver Cromwell. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Ffenwic, which was dated c.1220. He was a charter witness, and is so recorded in the rolls of the Abbey of Kelso. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.)

Origin: (Anglo-Saxon, Old English, Scottish, Literature, Pop Culture)

Pronunciation: (FI-nik, FIN-ik)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

Finnick Odair, one of the wining tributes and rebels in The Hunger Games Series. Now people have been saying the author made it up from the word Finicky, now that author may have wanted it because of the word Finicky but from my research the author did not make this name up.

This is another Hermione *see on list of posts* incident, many years ago many young authors were asking on naming forums if they could use the name Hermione as they assumed J.K Rowling had made it up but myself and others told them that William Shakespeare beat J.K Rowling by a couple hundred years in using this name and it even predates Shakespeare era as well so its fine to use it as J.K Rowling didn’t create it.

So now people are assuming Finnick was made up by the Hunger Games author. From what I found it comes from Fenwick and has a long history of use. So I see no reason other authors can’t use it. As far as I’ve seen most of the names in the Hunger Games universe are real just really rare, of course I haven’t researched them all or anything.  

As for Finnick I really like this name and the character in the Hunger Games Series. This name gives off an Irish vibe to me and so I think it could fit that. I like the meanings and the over all look of this name.

Nickname Options: Finn, Nick, Finni, Nicki / Nicky, and Ick.

Cole

Meaning: (People’s Victory, Peaceful, Cabbage Farmer, From an Old English appellation meaning “Coal,” referring to someone with dark hair or complexion; also a nickname for Nicholas. From a surname which was originally derived from the Old English byname Cola: Old English byname meaning “Charcoal”, originally given to a person with dark features. The name is known from the Old King Cole in the nursery rhyme, who is based on the 3^rd Century King Cole of Colchester in Essex. In recent times, the name has often been bestowed in honor of the American songwriter Cole Porter (1891-1964).)

Origin: (Greek, Old English, Anglo-Saxon, Latin)

Pronunciation: (KOHL, KOL, KowL)

Gender: Uni-Sex

My list is backed up for a while so I am finally getting to these names. Back during NaNoWriMo 2015 I had posted about it and a fellow blogger Apolla 13 commented about her experience with it and then told me a bit about the story she chose to write about. So for all of my posts for March I will be doing some of the names of her characters for the story she wrote for NaNoWriMo 2015 as I really like many of these names and have yet to add them so I am adding them now.

Apolla 13 one main character is named this. The twin brother of Cole is Warren *see on list of posts*. It’s interesting that Warren and Cole have similar meaning names in a way. Cause I see Warren as Defender, Watchmen and Cole as People’s Victory, so warrior and then triumph / success, war and then peace that follows. I wonder if Apolla 13 chose it that way or it was just a pleasant coincidence. Or maybe I am just seeing the names that way.

Cole I never saw as being used on a female but Apolla 13 used it that way and I am sure she is not the only one to do so, so I decided to put it as Uni-Sex. The meanings are great in general except Cabbage Farmer which is interesting in a way at least but odd too. It’s an easily pronounced and recognizable name. The dark features meaning kind of reminds me of Keira / Kyra / Kira *see on list of posts* or Lila / Lilah *see on list of posts* or Kieron *see on list of posts* or Darcy / Darcie *see on list of posts*. So Cole could be a great alternative to Keira, Lila, Kieron, and or Darcy if you want a name to mean something to do with dark features like Cole’s meaning.

I wouldn’t have thought noble when I see this name but as seen under meaning there was a King named this in the 3^rd Century. So it has both a noble use and a long history of use. All in a all a decent name though I tend to not use too common of names for my characters so I don’t know if I’ll ever use this. This name is easily recognizable and easily pronounced which is great for author and reader alike.

Aethelmaer

Meaning: (Noble, Famous, Nobly Famous, Aethelmaer (Old English) is an old form of Aylmer. Aethelmaer was a popular name prior to the Norman Conquest, but it gave way to other forms thereafter, of which the most modern is Aylmer. Aylmer saw a decline after the Middle Ages before enjoying a revival in the 19th century during the vogue for medieval names. In addition, Aylmer is an English variant transcription of Elmer (English and Scandinavian).  

Origin: (English, Old English, Anglo-Saxon)

Pronunciation: (EYTHEL-mehr)

Gender- Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

I forget where I first saw this name. I love the meanings as I love royal and noble meaning names and this would be great in a historical fiction novel. It of course has easier variants Aylmer and Elmer if you don’t care for the look of this name. It seems a name like many from medieval era that looks hard to pronounce now and it is. As for this pronunciation EYTHEL-mehr I made that up from how I think it is pronounced as I couldn’t find another pronunciation at all. I looked up the different parts of the name and made the pronunciation off of those pronunciations of the variant parts.  

So again if you know of another pronunciation please leave a comment in the comment section of this post and let me know, I would be very grateful!

Almond / Almund

Meaning: (Defender of the Temple, from Old English Æ {dh} elmund, ‘Noble Protection’, variant of Allman ‘German’, assimilated by folk etymology to the vocabulary word denoting the tree. This interesting and unusual surname is of Old French and Anglo-Saxon origin, and has two possible sources. Firstly, it may be from the English name for someone from Germany, derived from the Anglo-Norman French "aleman", German, or "alemayne", Germany, from the Late Latin "Alemannus" and "Alemannia", from a Germanic tribal name, probably meaning simply "all the men". In some cases the reference may have been to the Norman region of Allemagne, to the south of Caen, which was probably so named from Germanic settlers there.

The second source is from the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Athelmund", composed of the elements "athel", noble, and "mund", protection. There is no evidence of any connection with the almond nut or tree. The personal name was first recorded as "Almund" and "Ailmundus" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and the surname was first recorded in the late 13th Century (see below). William and Awdry (as written) Almond were some of the earliest settlers in the New World, leaving London on the "Abigall" in June 1635, bound for New England. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Ailmun, which was dated 1279, in the "Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.)

Origin: (Anglo-Saxon, Middle English, Old English, German, Nordic, Old Swedish)

Pronunciation: (AOL-MahND, AHL-muhnd)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was looking at names and somehow I saw this as a name. I mean Almond I think the nut but Almund does look kind of cool and doesn’t make me think nut. The meanings are pretty strong and it has a pretty long history of use as well. I think this would be a cool surname or first name if used right. I would think it cool to see a character named this. It would give a rare unique charm to the character and would be amazing to see how an author would make it fit so right. 

Just this month I used Almund as the surname of my main character in one of my short stories. The first name of my main character is Sawa and is on my list to be added in a few months. As for Almund I thought it went well with Sawa and seemed to balance the unique looking name Sawa with a more common last name, plus the last name goes well to describe her job and heritage.

Eadlyn

Meaning: (Wealthy Friend, Princess, Born into Royalty.)

Origin: (Anglo-Saxon, Old English)

Pronunciation: (IY-DLihN, EED-lyn)

Gender: Female

I was looking on Amazon.com at new YA books and I saw a new book added to The Selection Series. The main characters name is Eadlyn and she is the daughter of the two characters from the previous books. I have never read the books but when I saw the name I was like that is so cool and unique and reminded me of an Old Welsh or Old English name.

Once I looked the name up I saw where naming the character came in, the character is a Princess. I like the meanings a lot as I love Royal meaning names. I think the look is great and is pretty straight forward on the pronunciation. Though at first I will admit I did pronounce it differently until I really looked at it and then I was better able to pronounce it properly.

Aelfwaru

Meaning: (Elf Guardian, derived from the Old English element aelf “elf” and waru (plural wara) “guard” (i.e., guardian of a particular place by profession),  Ælfwaru (died 27 February 1007) was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, who bequeathed her lands to churches such as Ely, and Ramsey. Chroniclers, writing in the 12th century, transcribed such bequests, from the original cyrographs. Ælfwaru's cyrograph has not survived. Ælfwaru's father, Æthelstan Mannessune, had two sons: Eadnoth, and Godric; and two daughters: Ælfwaru, and Ælfwyn.

Her lineage is unknown. However, modern historians have constructed a plausible family tree. Ælfwaru is believed to be one of two daughters to Æthelstan Mannessune (d. 986), the other being Ælfwyn, abbess of Chatteris. If this is the case, Ælfwaru's brothers were St Eadnoth the martyr (d. 1016), first abbot of Ramsey, and Godric (d.1013).

It is recorded within one chronicle, Liber Eliensis, that Ælfwaru granted to Ely Abbey the lands of Bridgham, Hingham, Weeting, Rattlesden, Mundford, Thetford, and fisheries around those marshes. Ælfwaru also granted the lands of Over and Barley to Chatteris nunnery, where her sister was abbess. The fisheries mentioned here are interesting. They link the Ælfwaru mentioned in Liber Eliensis, with the Ælfwaru, daughter of Æthelstan Mannessune, whose cyrograph is documented in Liber Benefactorum Ecclesiae Ramesiensis. If this is indeed the same Ælfwaru, then her father bequeathed lands to his children, including a fishery, which he shared out between his unnamed wife, his sons, and his two daughters.

The name Ælfwaru is made out of two parts; old English (OE) Ælf- and -waru. Ælf- means Elf- or magical being and -waru (singular; -wara plural) means guardian of (a particular place) by profession. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86lfwaru )

Origin: (Anglo-Saxon)

Pronunciation: (elf-wahr-yoo, ehlf-wahr-ooh)

Gender: Female

I was looking up elf meaning names and came upon this one. Though it looks very odd it is because it is Old English. I do like the meaning and the interesting look of this name. It wouldn’t fit everywhere I would say but if used the right way it could name an amazing characters name and interesting story as to why it was used by an author. The only down fall is the pronunciation which is a tad difficult but that aside I like it a lot. The pronunciation is my take on it because I literarily couldn’t find it anywhere. Given the rarity of this name I am not surprised by my lack of finding a pronunciation. If anyone has it could you please just comment and let me know.

 

I do rather like the history of the noblewoman named this. Plus I have used a later version of her father's name Athelstan *see on list of posts* before in one of my novels. Aelfwaru is a strong name which I really like and I may someday add her siblings names to this blog as they are rather interesting and strong too.  

Aelle

Meaning: (Whirlwind, Name of some early English Kings, Aelle is recorded in early sources as the first king of the South Saxons, reigning in what is now called Sussex, England, from 447 to perhaps as late as 514. According to the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, Aelle and three of his sons are said to have landed at a place called Cymensora and fought against the local Britons.)

Origin: (Anglo-Saxon)

Pronunciation: (Elle, EL, A-EL, AIL)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I saw an advertisement for a TV Series and one of the kings was named this. In all actuality there really was a British king named this. It is a decent name but I could see it more on a girl than a boy. It looks a bit odd but that’s part of the unique charm the name holds for me. It could work well in a fantasy novel I think. I think from the look I would pronounce it like Elle but it could be possible to pronounce it like Ail, like something’s ailing you or pail.

Acton

Meaning: (Oak Town, Settlement of Oak Trees, Surname used as a given name. Also the pseudonym used by Charlotte Brontë's sister Anne, who wrote as "Acton Bell". The three sisters chose masculine-sounding pseudonyms. This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from one of the many places thus called for example in Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Middlesex, Shropshire and Suffolk. The place names are recorded variously in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Actune, Aectune, Achetone, Achetune, Acton" and "Achetuna". Most of the places get their name from the Olde English pre 7th Century "ac", oak, and "tun", enclosure, settlement; hence, "settlement by the oak tree(s)". A few have the Olde English personal name "Acca" (a derivative of "ac", oak, and given with connotations of strength and reliability) as their first element, and would therefore mean "Acca's settlement". During the Middle Ages, when migration for the purpose of job-seeking was becoming more common, people often took their former village name as a means of identification, thus resulting in a wide dispersal of the name. Two of the families bearing this name are of considerable historical importance. The Worcestershire Actons, who held lands at Wolverton Hall near Pershore from the 16th Century onwards are descended from Sir Roger Acton, captain of Ludlow Castle, who was executed for treason in 1414. The historian, Lord Acton (1834 - 1902), came of a Shropshire family, first recorded in the county with William de Acton in the reign of Edward 111 (1327 - 1377). A Coat of Arms granted to the family is a red shield with an ermine fess within an ermine border. In Heraldry, red denotes Military Fortitude and Magnanimity, and ermine was an emblem of dignity. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Hugh de Acton, which was dated 1194, in the "Pipe Rolls of Shropshire", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "Richard the Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.  http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Acton)

Origin: (English, Old English, Danish, Anglo-Saxon)

Pronunciation: (AAKTahN, ACT-un)

Gender: Male, Uni-Sex
I was looking at an Anne Bronte novel on my bookshelf the other day. She had to write under a masculine pen name like her sisters. Her pen name was Acton Bell. Her sister Emily wrote under Ellis Bell *See Ellis on my list of posts*. I like the name and the meanings. The Bronte Sisters are some on my favorite classical writers. I think women like them made it possible for woman to break into a male dominated career. There lives were short but I respect what they achieved and what they went through. As for the name Acton it is unique and modern but obviously still old fashioned. It is easily pronounced and has a good look to it.