The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names - Second Edition

Oxford Clarendon Press, 1969

The main part of this work is arranged alphabetically in order of names, each article including early forms of the name, its equivalent in other languages, pet forms, and etymology, together with an account of its introduction into England and siubsequent history, frequency of occurrence, fluctuations in fashion &c. The standard of inclusion is, roughly, that a name should have survived in use after the end of the 14th century or been revived later. Some of the commoner Irish, Gaelic, and Welsh names have also been included. The Introduction deals with the general history of personal nomenclature. Amongst the topics treated are the changes due to events such as the Norman Conquest and the Reformation, and to literary fashions; the use of two or more christian names and of surnames as christian names; nicknames; and the legal status of names. There is an appendix of common words derived from christian names .This edition contains some fifty names not included in the original issue of 1945...