Etymology — The origins of English words

Mildred

Old English · 700

From Old English Mildþrȳþ, from milde ("mild") plus þrȳþ ("strength"), the name of an 8th-century English saint.

Nathaniel

Ancient Greek

Modification, under influence of Daniel, of Nathanael, from Ancient Greek Ναθαναήλ (Nathanaḗl), from Biblical Hebrew נְתַנְאֵל (Netan'el, literally “God has given”).

Devonshire

Old English

From Old English Defenasċīr, equivalent to Devon + -shire.

Humphrey

Old French

From Old French Humfrey, ultimately from Germanic elements meaning roughly "peace" and "support," carried to England by the Normans.

Herod

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek Ἡρῴδης (Hērōídēs).

Bertie

Origin

Diminutive + -ie.

Herman

Old English

From Old English here ("army") and man, later reinforced by the German equivalent Hermann as European immigrants brought it to America.

Nashville

Origin

Named after Francis Nash, an American Revolutionary War general, with the place-forming suffix "-ville" added.

Cassius

Latin

Borrowed from Latin Cassius, the name of a Roman gens.

Cuthbert

Old English

Name of early English saints, from Old English Cūþbeorht (“brightly known, famous”).

Caleb

Hebrew

From Hebrew כָּלֵב (Kālēḇ), possibly related to keleḇ ("dog"), suggesting devotion.

Chattanooga

Origin

From a Muskogean word meaning "rock," combined with a suffix meaning "dwelling-place."

Jocelyn

Old French

From the Middle English male given name from Old French Joscelin, German Gautzelin, diminutive of names beginning with the tribal name Gaut (“a Geat, a Goth”), the root form of which probably comes from Proto-Germanic *Gautalinþiz (from *gautaz + *linþaz); also used as a diminutive form of the Breton name Josse (= Joyce). It survived as a surname and was revived as a given name in the nineteenth century. * Jocelyn is currently popular among U.S. Hispanics, and in the Philippines, by folk etymology explained as a feminine diminutive form of José (Joseph).

Eunice

Ancient Greek

A biblical name from Ancient Greek Εὐνίκη (Euníkē), from εὐ- (eu-, “good”) + νίκη (níkē, “victory”).

Edna

Hebrew

From the Hebrew "ednah," meaning delight or rejuvenation, related to the word "Eden."

catnip

Origin

From cat + nip (an old word related to mint), reflecting the plant's powerful effect on cats.

Freddie

Origin

From Fred plus the diminutive suffix -ie.

duster

Origin

Formed from "dust" plus the agent suffix "-er," meaning "thing (or person) that removes dust."

Tyne

Old English

From an Old English river name, possibly from an ancient Celtic word meaning "river."

humankind

Origin

From human plus kind, an older word meaning "race" or "species."

Chelsea

Old English

From Old English words meaning roughly "chalk landing place", referring to the riverbank where chalk was once unloaded.

Morton

Old English

From Old English mor ("moor, marsh") and tun ("settlement").

Asha

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit आशा (asha), related to the Avestan concept of cosmic truth central to Zoroastrian belief.

Nicky

Origin

Diminutives + -y.