Origins Of First Names Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alistair

"Alistair" derives from "Alasdair", the Gaelic form of "Alexander".
"Timothy" is a "God-fearing and God-honouring" person.
"Victor" and "Vincent" are "winners", from Latin "vincere".

Answer: Auliffe

Irish Gaelic Amhlaoibh is anglicised to Aulliffe, both pronounced similarly to Olaf. Mc Auliffe = Olafsson.
"Pierce" derives from Norman French "Piers". Compare modern French "Pierre".
"Frederick" was a popular name in Scandinavian royal circles too, but the name is linked even more closely to the history of Prussia.
"Ger-ald" is one who rules "with his spear". Ger = spear. "Ald" derives from a verb "waltan" (to rule) which can still be found back in modern German "Verwaltung" (administration).

Answer: Fiona

"Flora" and also "Florence" are related to "florescere"(to flower).
"Victoria" of course means "victory", and so does Greek "Nike", which may be a root element of the name "Nicholas".
"Felicia" also derives from a Latin word: "felix", which stands for "happy".

William Sharp used the pseudonym Fiona Macleod. It is unclear whether the name was inspired by the Gaelic "fionn", meaning white or fair, or from the Irish name "Fíona", related to a vine.

Answer: Maurice

"Wallace" has become a first name, but was originally a surname just as "Welsh" or "Walsh". A Welshman.
A "Scott" was not a Scot in the modern sense of the word, but an Irishman who had emigrated from Hibernia. The "Scoti" lived on the Hebrides and in the Highlands. The other Scots were called the "Picti".

Answer: Alfred

"Alwin" from "Alf-win" is a "friend of elves". "Win-" means "friend".
"Godfrey" is identical to German "Gott-fried" and means "the one who brings the peace of God", or "who is at peace with God" .
"Geoffrey" is often supposed to be the same first name as "Godfrey", but is not. "Geoffrey" derives from a Germanic word that means "area", "district" + "frieden". Something like a person who keeps law and order ("peace") in a certain area. Not unlike a "Gau-leiter".

Answer: Sophia

Any philosopher will know that what he looks for is "Sophia".
"Irene" means "peace".
"Dorothy" is a "gift of God". Related names: "Doreen"; "Doris".
"Carmen" is a remarkable case.
It might be understood as "song". Cp. "Carmina Burana".
But it is usually explained as being the Spanish form of a Hebrew word "Carmel", which means "garden".

Answer: Polly & Pauline

"Hyacinth" means "purple" in Greek. "Jacinta" is a Spanish variant of that name.
"Derek", "Thierry", "Dirk" all are adaptations of the Germanic name "Theodoric"("ruler of the people"). "Theod" is the rootword for such words as "Dutch" and "Deutsch", which simply mean: the "language of the people" (in contrast to e.g. Latin).
"Jasper" derives from "Gaspar", one of the Three Magi.
"Polly" is an alternative for "Molly", itself a pet form of "Mary".

Answer: army

The German word "Heer" can be traced in words such as Harold, Herbert and herald. A "herald" was the officer who delivered proclamations. The etymology of "herald" is, however, exactly the same as for "Harold": "somebody who has some power in the army".
The words "Herzog" and "duke" both are based on the idea of "leading an army around" (Latin ducere). The "Her-zog" is, originally, the one who is on the move with his troops.
"Her-berge" originally was the "place where the army found shelter".
"Herbert" seems to suggest "brightness". A bright soldier, a "star"?
There is no link with German "Herr".

Answer: Catherine

The "Cathars" (from Greek katharos: pure) were people who protested against the impurities of the official church and wanted to lead a more ascetic and more exemplary life than many of the clerics did. The clergy saw them as a danger for the Church, considered them to be proud and arrogant, and not inspired by the Holy Ghost, but by Satan. Considering those "heretics" as even more dangerous to the Church than the "Saracens", the Pope and the Inquisition called for a "crusade", which led to bloody massacres. "Cathar" became a synonym for "heretic" in general, and from "Kathar" High German developed "Ketzer".

Many etymologists think that "Catharine" or "Catharine" means "the pure".

Answer: False

No link with any such "belles". "Mabel" is usually explained as deriving from "Amabel", which is supposed to mean "lovable", from Latin "amabilis". There is a theory that "Annabel" developed from the name "Amabel", but a compound name "Anna Bella" (pretty Ann) is much more probable as the origin of "Annabel".

Though the name is sometimes understood as an English variant of "Maeve", there is no documentary proof that the two names have any common origin. "Maeve" is mostly understood as "the intoxicating" one, and refers to the legendary Queen of Connacht who led an invasion of Ulster and could only be stopped by Cuchulain himself. Though the name may originally have referred to a Celtic Goddess, "Maeve" is not to be confused with Shakespeare's "Queen Mab", the Queen of Fairies.