The origins and meanings of personal names and surnames are endlessly fascinating. Today you can find dozens of websites that provide this sort of information, covering names from around the world. Victorians tended to be more interested in local names and names used in their own countries. In that era one's first name was known as one's "Christian" name - i.e., the name one was given at baptism. Quite often it would indeed be a name with Biblical roots, and many of the earlier articles in this section focus on the Biblical origins of common names. Surnames were another matter, as these might derive from an ancestor's location, work, history, personal appearance, and many other factors!

Gossip on Names (Leisure Hour, 1860)

The Origin of Names, by Edward Oxenford (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1877)

How to Pronounce Welsh Names: Hints for Tourists in Wales (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882)

Our Surnames, by W.J. Bomford (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882)

Girls' Christian Names (Girl's Own Paper, 1883)

Definitions of girls' names, from Abigail to Zoe.

English Surnames (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

Just one small tidbit from this fascinating piece: "Harris" or "Harrison" means "hedgehog"!

The Pronunciation of Proper Names (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

How a number of British names and place names are pronounced, when one can't possibly guess from the spelling...

Fashions in Girls' Christian Names, by Dora de Blaquière (Girl's Own Paper, 1895)

Naming the Baby, by Edward Salmon (The Strand, 1895B)

Place Nicknames (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1895)

On the origins of such terms as Halvergate hares, Cantley cats and Beighton bears, amongst others.

The Names of Houses, by Dora de Blaquière (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)