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.

Maldwyn

Meaning: (Bold Friend, Brave Friend, Welsh form of Baldwin derived from the Germanic elements bald “Bold, Brave” and win “Friend”. In Middle Ages this was a popular name in Flanders and among the Normans, who brought it to Britain. It was borne by one of the leaders of the First Crusade, an 11^th Century nobleman from Flanders. After the crusades conquered Jerusalem, he was crowned as the King of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.)

Origin: (Welsh, English, Ancient Germanic, Nordic)

Pronunciation: (MAWLD-win, MAOLDWihN)

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I was looking up the meaning of Mal *see on list of posts* and I saw this name. I love the strong meanings and it has a connection to Baldwin and thus has a long history of use. I love this name and find it to be an absolutely beautiful. I could see this name fitting in one of my series or trilogies.

Diviana

Meaning: (Light, Deity, Devine, Of a God with Indo-European Roots deiwos= Sky Day and Shining. Form of Diana, is a form of Divus (Devine).)

Origin: (Indo-European, English, Latin, Nordic)

Pronunciation: (DIYVIYAENAH)

Gender: Female

This is a beautiful name with gorgeous meanings. I forget where I saw this name but I think it has a beautiful foreign look. I think it would make an amazing character name. Cute nicknames could be: Div, Divia, or Ana.

Anki

Meaning: (God is Gracious, God Has Shown Favor, Learning by Heart, Memory Work, Variant of Ann.)

Origin: (Swedish, Dutch, Nordic, Finnish, Hebrew, Japanese)

Pronunciation: (AENGKIY, AHN-key)

Gender: Female

I think this was one of the names of the mother of one of my favorite music artists. It’s been a while so I can’t really remember if this is it. So this I believe was one of the names and the other was Alla *see on list of posts*. I think this is a pretty name that has good meanings. I like the foreign to English speakers look.  

Askja

Meaning: (Askja is a stratovolcano situated in a remote part of the central highlands of Iceland. The name Askja refers to a complex of nested calderas within the surrounding Dyngjufjöll Mountains, which rise to 1,510 m (4,954 ft), askja meaning box or caldera in Icelandic^.)

Origin: (Icelandic, Nordic)

Pronunciation: (AHS-gya)

Gender: Female, Possibly Uni-Sex

I was told this was a name another blogger liked. Drowsy Maggie suggested this. It is a name of a volcano in Iceland. It is a very interesting name. It has a very interesting look and pronunciation especially by English speaker’s terms. It seems a bit sci-fi / fantasy like to me for some reason, like it could fit in another realm or something.

P.S I am always taking name suggestions, some I may use. It will be a while till they are on here if you do suggest some as my name list is pretty long, LOL. :~)

Otto

Meaning: (Wealth, Fortune, Prosperity, From the Old High German Otho and Odo, which are derived from Auda (Rich). The name was borne by Otto I (912-73, 10^th Century), a King of Germany and the first Emperor of Holy Roman Empire he was known as Otto the Great. The older form Odo is also bestowed, but it is much less common. This was the name of four kings of Germany. This name was also borne by a 19th-century king of Greece who was originally from Bavaria. Another notable bearer was the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898). Common in English-speaking countries until Otto von Bismarck's German armies became threateningly powerful in the early 20th century. Ottone is the Italian form. The Ottoman Empire was one of the most successful, creative and prosperous civilizations in the last 1000 years. At their height during the 16th Century, their Muslim influence can still be seen in architecture, religion and culture. Otto is the name of a volatile and highly fragrant essential oil obtained from the petals of roses. As short a name as Otto is, it is actually based on even shorter compound personal names containing the Germanic elements "od" and "ot" -- derivatives of prosperity, wealth, fortune and riches. (A similar example is how the English "ead" is used in names such as Edward and Edwin). Otto has a rich religious and royal history, and the name has maintained its popularity through the ages by having christened those important and wealthy surviving families during what were for many turbulent times.)

Origin: (German, Nordic, Scandinavian, Dutch, English, Finnish, Ancient Germanic)

Pronunciation: (AH-toh, AW-to (German), AH-to (English), AW-toh, OT-toe) 

Gender: Male

I was watching a furniture commercial the other day. It was a commercial where the furniture introduced there selves and the ottoman said his name was Otto. I have heard this name before and I thought to add this now. The meanings are lovely. It’s got a very long interesting history. I love that it is short and the pronunciation is fun (say Otto over and over and see).