Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Wyatt

Thanks to Wyatt Earp, we think of Wyatt as a characteristically American Old West name when, in fact, it’s derived from an Old Norman-French surname, itself originating from an Olde English personal masculine name “Wīgheard.” The name is made up of the Old Anglo-Saxon elements “wīg” meaning “war, battle” and “heard” meaning “hard, firm, solid, not soft” derived from the Proto-Germanic root *hardu- meaning “severe, cruel, extremely tough”. In other words, Wyatt is a bad-ass. It’s almost like Wyatt Earp was destined to have such a name – as Sigmund Freud said, our names are perhaps a “piece of our soul”. In any case, Wyatt was a name made famous to Americans by Wyatt Earp (for more detail on Wyatt Earp, see historical references below). Wyatt is a boy’s name used mainly in the United States and Canada.

All About the Baby Name – Wyatt

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME WYATT

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME WYATT

Wyatt has been around for over 100 years, but in generally low doses. The name received various boosts over the years with the release of the many popular films about the famous lawman, Wyatt Earp, reminding expectant parents of the all-American name. However, Wyatt didn’t really take hold to the charts until the mid-1990s. The name finally achieved Top 100 status in 2004, and has quietly gained ground since then. The name will forever be associated with toughness, pioneering ruggedness and the Old West. From this perspective, the name is “all boy” (not to mention his “battle ready” etymology). Yet, somehow, surprisingly, the name also feels so sweet and adorable.

Quick Facts

ON WYATT

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

41

PRONUNCIATION:

WHY-әt

SIMPLE MEANING:

Tough in war

Characteristics

OF WYATT

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Wyatt

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME WYATT

Ellis Wyatt is a larger than life character in Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel, Atlas Shrugged, which is saying something in a book teeming with super-heroes. He is one of the original strikers to get behind John Galt’s banner of individualism against the state-sanctioned collectivism of his society. Ellis is a highly intelligent oil industrialist and engineer who sets fire to his own fields rather than succumb to the restrictions of the state. He is passionate about John Galt’s cause, and throws his entire person into it. It is he who so forcefully introduces the protagonist, Dagny Taggart, to their unconventional rebellion, and it is Ellis Wyatt who provides the book with its enduring symbol of freedom, Wyatt’s Torch.

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Wyatt

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME WYATT

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Wyatt


Popular Songs

ON WYATT

Lullaby for Wyatt
a song by Sheryl Crow

Famous People

NAMED WYATT

Wyatt Earp (legendary lawman of the Old West)

Children of Famous People

NAMED WYATT

Sheryl Crow;

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME WYATT

Wyatt Earp was a jack of all trades in his day. Dabbling in everything from farming to gambling to investing to mining to law-enforcement, this man went with the opportunities. He spent his early life in Iowa, and before developing the reputation as a solid lawman, Wyatt found himself in some mischief (arrested three times for “being found in a house of ill-fame”). He eventually went with his brothers to Tombstone, Arizona following a boomtown mentality and buying mining and water rights. This is when they encountered some problems with outlaw Cowboys. Wyatt is most well-known for his part in the famous "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" during which three of the “bad-guy” Cowboys were killed. This 30-second gunfight would define the rest of his life as the "toughest and deadliest gunman of his day." The town Earp, California in the Mojave Desert stands in his honor.