Everly

A female personal name taken from a patronymic Anglo-Saxon surname derived from a pre-11th century Olde English masculine name, Eoforheard, from the Old High German Eberhard  meaning “brave as a wild boar,” composed of the Germanic elements eber “wild boar” and hard  “hardy, brave, strong.”  The wild boar was a highly regarded animal in the ancient cultures of Indo-European people who saw the beast as symbolic of their own warrior spirit (the slaying of a boar was proof of one’s bravery and strength). Personal names derived from animals were especially common among the early Germanic tribal people who came to occupy Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire.  Several inherited surnames in England (c. 11th century) developed from this ancient masculine name (e.g., Everly, Everard, Everett, Everest and Eberle). Everly emerged as a female personal name in the early 21st century under the popular influence of the surname-naming trend.