Darby

Meaning- (Deer Farm, Deer Settlement, From the Deer Estate, Free from Envy, it is a place name and surname)

Origin- (Old English, Irish, Norse)

Pronunciation- (DAR-bee)

Gender- (Female, Uni-Sex)

I was looking up unique girls names and came across this one. It reminds me of Derby and or Derbyshire but it is a cute name and seems unique having once been a place name and surname. The meanings are sweet and the over all looks is nice. I can see preppy character being named this, think Buffy and Darby lol!

Ivalyn

Meaning: (A climbing evergreen ornamental plant, Ivalyn is an alternate form of Ivy)

Origin: (English, Old English, English Nature Name)

Pronunciation: (IHVAHLihN)

Gender: Female

My boyfriend Anthony had a cat when growing up that he nicknamed Ivalyn though her name was Ivy. Ivalyn is such a pretty unique take to give more depth to the simple name Ivy. Ivalyn seems an old lady like name but if used in a Historical Fiction novel it could be used on a younger character. It is very beautiful and ethereal in a way and Ivy plants are very much plants I associate with fairy tales. This could be very pretty if used for either a peasant girl or a girl of nobility like Lady Ivalyn or Princess Ivalyn or Duchess Ivalyn.

Hazen

Meaning: (Sandy Meadow, From the Hedge Enclosure, Smooth, Beautiful, from Hasin, a pet form of a Germanic personal name, Haso, derived from haswa 'Gray', 'Black'; or from the plural of Haas.)

Origin: (Dutch, Germanic, Old English, Sanskrit)

Pronunciation: (HHEYZAHN, HAY-zən)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I forget where I saw this name but when I saw it I thought it was unique and pretty cool looking. It has really lovely meanings and has a look like Hazel in a way so maybe twins or siblings Hazel and Hazen would be cool. All in all I like this name and would love to see it used more often in novels.

Brandt

Meaning: (Sword, Torch, Fiery Torch, Beacon, Dweller on a Burned Clearing, topographic name for someone who lived in an area that had been cleared by fire, Middle High German Brant (from Brennen 'to Burn').)

Origin: (Middle High German, Old Norse, Scandinavian, Old English)

Pronunciation: (BRahNT)

Gender: Male

I saw this on TV but I forget where but I thought it was pretty nice when I saw its spelling on the screen so I decided to add this to my list. The meanings are all nice and strong as is the name in general. It seems a name that would do well in a fairy tale retelling or perhaps in a story with a strong German mythology in it.

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.

Charlton

Meaning: (Peasants' Settlement. Derived from a surname and place name based on the Old English Free Men's Town. Famous bearers: American actor Charlton Heston.)

Origin: (Old English, Germanic)

Pronunciation: (CHAHRL-tən, KAHRL-tən, CH-AARLTahN, to hear how this name is pronounced go to this site and run your cursor over this name to hear how it is pronounced: http://howjsay.com/pronunciation-of-charlton )

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

A friend of a friend of mines name is Maureen *see on list of posts* and the funny thing is she is married to a man named Charlton. Both their names are also names of famous older actor and actress from classic movies, Maureen O’Hara and Charlton Heston! I’ve added Charleston *see on list of posts* before but never Charlton. I like the meanings as they have significance to another era of fighting for what you believe in kind of thing. Though an older classic name like Maureen Charlton doesn’t to me sound like a name that would fit as well in a historical fiction novel, though it could fit in a historical fiction novel I don’t like it as much in one.

Ashton

Meaning: (Ash Tree Town, “the man who lives at the farm or dwelling near the ash tree". Transferred use of the surname meaning “Belonging to Ashton.” The name originated from the English place-name, which is composed of the elements æsc (Ash Tree) and tūn (Town, Settlement, Village, and Enclosure)

Origin: (Old English)

Pronunciation: (ASH-tən, ASH-tuhn)

Gender: Uni-Sex

Last month I mentioned my other friend Cameron *see on list of posts* having the middle name Irie *see on list of posts* well I have another friend named Kameron *see on list of posts*, two different guys and one spelled the traditional way with a C and the other spelling it the non-traditional way with a K. To find the names it’s put as Cameron / Kameron on this blog. Anyway this Kameron has Ashton as his middle name. When I learned that it made me view the first and middle name Kameron Ashton as a very preppy name and made me think too of actor Ashton Kutcher, lol! I don’t mean it to sound like I am downing Ashton as a preppy name I am simply pointing out that Ashton hasn’t been put up on my blog until now because it’s a little too common and preppy. I do however have Aston *see on list of posts* because at the time I put that one up I wasn’t ready to add Ashton quite yet and Aston was as close looking to Ashton for my taste at the time.

Now I am seeing preppy names as slightly handsome and sexy in a way and preppy to me goes outside of prep schools. To me it seems it could be noble / royal names, like Lord Ashton, that seem a little snooty / preppy but kind of hot in the same regard. I am so complicated on what I like and don’t like and I am in a yes / no with preppy names such as Ashton but anyway I do like the name Ashton. I like the meanings and I’ve actually had names on this blog with this same meaning before. It also has a nice older history at least as a last name. All in all I like it and at least it’s simple and pronounceable as that is a plus to any authors out their contemplating using this name as their characters name. And also this would work on both genders.

Tinsdale

Meaning: (Tin: A Great Thinker, the Latin name stannum originally meant an alloy of silver
and lead Dale: Little Valley, From an English surname which originally belonged to a person who lived near a dale or valley.)

Origin: (Croatian, Latin, Old English, Middle English, Gaelic)

Pronunciation: (Tin: teen, ten Dale: DAY-əl, DAYL Tinsdale: teens-DAY-əl, teens-DAYL, tens- DAY-əl, tens-DAYL)

Gender: Uni-Sex

This is the last name of Christopher’s girlfriend on the TV series Gilmore Girls which I love watching re-runs of.  I had to break up the name to get meanings for them but all the meanings are really nice especially A Great Thinker. This would be interesting if used as a first name as maybe the character is named for a family last name. I can see a brainy book reader type with this name that then gets caught up in a wonderful adventure and falls for a bad boy type, lol.

Harley

Meaning: (Hare Wood (or Meadow), from the Hare's Meadow, Hare’s Clearing, The first name is from an English family name, which is itself taken from a place name. It was first used in the 19th century as a boy name.)

Origin: (Old English)

Pronunciation: (HAHR-lee, HHAARLiy)

Gender: Uni-Sex

With the movie ‘Suicide Squad’  having recently come out this name has been everywhere as it is the name or rather nickname of one of the characters in the movie, also in the comics and cartoons, Harley Quinn. I’ve mostly seen this name used for guys but I guess it would look and sound alright on a female character as well. The meanings are nice and very nature based and locational. The look of it however reminds me of the motorcycle Harley Davidson which may help an author if they are going for a rougher character and need a rougher name or one with meaning maybe to the parents who hit the open road on two wheels in their younger days or something and name they kid for that, lol!

And it has a history at least back to the 19^th Century which is nice as it can be used in a historical fiction novel at least back to that era! If used for a girl this could be a good nickname one can use for Harleen *see on list of posts* as that is the original first name of the character in the comics. If used on a male character this could be a good nickname but his full first name can be Harlan.

 

Brandon

Meaning: (Derived from a surname and place name based on the Old English for 'Hill Covered with Broom'. Broom is a prolific weed, also 'From the Beacon Hill', Little Raven, Prince, and Brave.

This surname is a habitational name, derived from any of the numerous places in England called Brandon. Such places can include: Brandon, County Durham; Brandon, Northumbria; Brandon, Suffolk; Brandon, Warwickshire; and other locations. For the most part, the names of these places are derived from two Old English language elements: Brōm, meaning "Broom", "Gorse"; and Dūn, meaning Hill". However, one location, Brandon in Lincolnshire, may be connected to the River Brant, which runs close by. This river's name is derived from two Old English elements: Brant, meaning "Steep", "Deep"; and Dūn, meaning "Hill". The name of this location is probably in reference to the river's steep banks.

In some cases, it is also possible that the given name Brandon is a variant form of the Irish given name Brendan. This name is an Anglicized form of the old Gaelic language name, Bréanainn, which in turn is derived from a Celtic language element meaning "Prince".)

Origin: (Old English)

Pronunciation: (BRAN-dən)

Gender: Male

I had a friend some years back named Brandon. It is a pretty common name which doesn’t win me over as I am not a fan of really popular names but the plus for an author when it comes to popular names is it’s easily recognized, pronounced and easy on most anyone. Most of the meanings are really nice and strong sounding. It’s a nice English name as well. I am not in love with the name but I don’t hate it either. It seems more of a secondary character type name to me though. Many of the naming forums I visited however were quite disturbing as more people talked about the virility of men named Brandon verses actually talking about the name in general.

There are some nice nickname options and I wouldn’t mind seeing this name as it is easily recognized and pronounceable as I’ve said so it wouldn’t be hard to read if you had to keep seeing this name in a novel.

Merric / Merrick

Meaning: (Ruler of the Sea, Strong Ruler, Fame Rule, Armored Ruler, Mill Worker, Chieftain, Handmaiden, Slender, Delicate)

Origin: (Irish, Celtic, Gaelic, Welsh, Old English)

Pronunciation: (MEH-RihK, MEHR-ik)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I was watching one of those shows on Investigate Discovery channel and one of the ladies talking was talking about her serial killer father. One of her sister’s names was Merric. Though I didn’t watch that whole show I did like the name of her sister, though what their father did was appalling.  

Merric or Merrick is great names with really great strong meanings. It does seem very Irish to me and I love that but is easily pronounced which I love as well. Merric O’ Conor seems a good name and so pairing this first name with an Irish last name you can see more of it being Irish as well. This also seems a name that could have fit in Arthurian Legend or in a High Fantasy sword wielding novel. Merric seems feminine to me and Merrick seems masculine to me. All in all I really love this name and I would love to see it used more often.

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.

Ashley / Ashlee / Ashlea / Ashleigh/ Ashlie

Meaning: (Ash Tree Meadow, Lives in the Ash Tree Grove. Derived from a surname and place name based on the Old English word for Ash Wood. Until the 1960s it was more commonly given to boys in the United States, but it is now most often used on girls. Famous bearer: Ashley, the male character in Margaret Mitchell's popular 'Gone with the Wind'.)

Origin: (Old English)
 

Pronunciation: (ASH-lee)

Gender: Uni-Sex

I can’t believe I haven’t added this very common name before. It has great meanings and great variant spellings but it’s a bit too common for me and my characters but if I ever did use it I would use it on a male character because I always think of this name as being the name of the character Ashley from “Gone with the Wind”.

I’ve always wanted two brothers to be named Ashley “Ash” and Hillary “Hill” *see on list of posts* in the modern era as that would be fun to have them be mortified by their now common female names and they being boys, lol! But more than that Ashley and Hillary have long histories of use and interesting people have been named this in past years.

I like the spelling Ashlie and I do like the nickname Ash so this name at least has me there but I have just never had a character come along that I saw as being named any variant spelling of Ashley but that may change in the future. Of course I didn’t create this blog just for me so if a common name like Ashley is what an author is looking for then I hope they enjoy this post and continue to find Ashley to be the perfect name for their character. Or if they never thought of this name but need one for their characters then I hope they find this post and find this name to be perfect for their character, whether male or female.

Kiplyn

Meaning: (Kip: From the Pointed Hill, One Who Dwelled Near a Pointed Hill, From a nickname, probably from the English word Kipper meaning, "Male Salmon". Lyn: Leader, Lion Like, Lake, Beautiful, Weak, Soft, Gentle, Friendly, Snake, Lincoln’s Wetland, Pretty, Ruddy Complected)

Origin: (Old English, Welsh, Germanic)

Pronunciation: (Kip: KIHP Lyn: LIN, LIHN Kiplyn: KIHP-LIN, KIHP-LIHN)

Gender: Female

I was watching a show about real life murders on Investigate Discovery Channel and in one of the shows it was telling about a young victim. In 1995 a poor young victim was named Kiplyn. I really came to be interested in the name though I was disheartened by the circumstances that led to this poor girl being murdered. Any murder no matter what is an awful act and my heart goes out the victims families.

The name Kiplyn is interesting however I was unable to find the meaning for the whole name so I had to break it up and find the meaning for Kip and then Lyn. All the meanings are pretty great. It seems a boarding school characters name like, Kiplyn Beaumont the heir to the Beaumont fortune. It is definitely an interesting name and I wouldn’t mind seeing it a bit more often, if used in the right story.  

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/watchtower-no3-2016-may/

Garrison

Meaning: (Spear Fortified Town, 'From Garriston; Son of Garret, Son of Gary'. The first name is derived from the surname, itself possibly from a place name from Garriston in North Yorkshire, or else originally bestowed for a son of someone named Garret or Gary. It was popularized in the USA by the fame of the US anti-slavery campaigner William Lloyd Garrison (1805-1879), This ancient surname is of German and French pre 7th century origins. It derives from either of the popular personal names Gerard or Gerald. "Gerard" comprises the elements "gari" meaning a spear, and "hard" - brave, whilst "Gerald" has the same prefix of "gari", but the suffix is from "wald", meaning to rule. This type of compound name with its echoes of tough living and yet compliance with authority, is very typical of the period in history known as "The dark ages" Later after the 11th century there was a revival in Christian belief, and "names" often became biblical, through association with the crusades. The popularity of Gerard and Gerald was such as to ensure their survival into, and beyond the introduction of surnnames in the 12th century. Nobody is quite sure how many surnames emanate from Gerald and Gerard, but it is known to exceed two hundred, and for examples to be found in almost every European country. These spellings range from Garratt, Gerhard, Garred, and Jarrelt, to Gheraldi, Giraudot, Gilardengo and Gerrelts. Early examples include in England, Henry Jerard in the county of Essex in 1284, and in Germany, Burkhart Gerhart, given as being a burgher of the town of Heilbronn, in the year 1293. The first recorded spelling of the family name anywhere in the world is believed to be that of John Gerard, which was dated 1230, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Somerset, England. This was during the reign of King Henry 111rd, 1216 - 1272. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.)

Origin: (Old English, Germanic, French)

Pronunciation: (GAR-i-sən, GEHR
-Rih-SahN)

Gender: Male, Possibly Uni-Sex

I saw Garrison as the name of a character on a Disney TV series when I was channel surfing and landed on Disney for a minute. The other character said his name and I was like that’s a cool name and one I haven’t added to my blog before. Though this is another name I tend to see as a last name rather than a first name just as I did with Donovan *see on list of posts*. Garrison has a strong meaning and an interesting long history of use which makes this a name fitted for many different genres and eras. Garrison is a far handsomer name than what it comes from Gary, Garrett, Gerard and Gerald. As someone pointed out and I agree this name would go well as a sibling name with other names such as Donovan *see on list of posts* and Flannigan *see on list of posts in June 2016*. I think Garrison sounds like it would fit a tough handsome take no prisoners like character. But then I can see a nerdy character being names this, so I’m conflicted as to where I could really see this but no matter where it’s put I would like to see it a tad bit more. 

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.

Warren

Meaning: (Gamekeeper Defender, Watchman, Park Warden, A warren was originally a game preserve. The word is now used to describe human dwellings that appear like the haphazard tunnels of a rabbit. Transferred use of the surname meaning “Dweller at or Keeper of a Game Preserve”. The name is derived from the Old French Warenne (A Warren, a Game Preserve). From an English surname which was derived either from Norman French warrene meaning "Animal Enclosure", or else from the town of La Varenne in Normandy. This name was borne by the American president Warren G. Harding (1865-1923). The name was used in the late 19th century.)

Origin: (Old English, Middle English, Old French, Old German)

Pronunciation: (WAWR-ən, WAWR-in, WAHR-in)

Gender: Male

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 sister of Warren is Cole *see on list of posts*. I always thought Warren was a bit boring or bland but the meanings are really cool and I never knew them before. I really love the meanings behind this word turned name. It has a nice old history of use which is great for a Historical Fiction novel.

I thought that this was interesting, “The word is now used to describe human dwellings that appear like the haphazard tunnels of a rabbit.” I’ve never heard of that before but I find that is intriguing and would be cool if used like that in an urban decay post apocalyptic novel.

I have been thinking of a story about a bizarre mysterious preserve and I would love to write about it and this would be a perfect name for that story, for either a character or maybe in reference to a game preserve. I am not sure I would use this name though as I don’t like to use names of people I know in my novels but I mean it’s happened before so it’s not a rule for me or anything.

I have an uncle named Warren but I always seem to say it like WORN like worn out but that’s probably because of the way I heard it. He’s from Texas and with the accent there and the Missouri accent I have mingled with the Texas one as my parents lived in Texas and I learned to talk from them seems to have mingled together. Either that or we have cut it down and the pronunciation just stuck. So when I say it like WORN I don’t even think of it being spelled Warren anymore which is weird. So I hope everyone has a better time pronouncing this like one of the proper ways listed above under pronunciation. I unfortunately will keep saying it WORN no doubt unless I retrain myself to pronounce it the proper way.

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.