We all know Russia as the geographically largest nation on earth, but how did it get that way? The development of Russia as we know it started out in circa 862 A.D. when a Viking from the Baltic region named Rurik came down into the territory we now know as Russia, built a settlement in Novgorod which sits on the all-important Volga River, and started the first Russian dynasty. Before and after Rurik laid claim to Rus’, other Scandinavian tribes were already mixing with the native Slavic people by as they migrated to this area, forming communities along the main waterways from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea (particularly along the Dnieper River).  These Norse traders made their way south to Constantinople (Byzantine Empire) and established a prosperous trade relationship. The Scandinavians were militarily superior to the Slavs, so they freely intruded upon this Slavic land apparently without fear. However, they were the minority, so they eventually co-mingled with the Slavs. At the end of the day, Russia is a Slavic nation with a Slavic language but Nordic settlers and rulers came to play a huge role in the formation of Russia. It’s interesting to note that it was the Scandinavians and not the Slavs who established the first kingdom of Russia (Rus’ was named by the Nordic people, taken from the Greek word for red, in reference to the many red-headed Scandinavian traders).

 

After Rurik’s death in 879, his heirs moved the center of power to Kiev and the growing state of Russia came to be known as Kievan Rus’. Due to the flourishing trade between the Baltic and Black Seas, Kiev was a booming city. As a result, the Russian people became heavily exposed to Christianity in a significant way thanks to the visiting traders from Constantinople (seat of the Byzantium Empire). By the 10th century, Christianity had so infiltrated Kievan Rus’ there was no ignoring its dominating presence. In fact, legend has it that the apostle Andrew came to the region where Kiev now sits in the first century and foretold the establishment of a great Christian city. It is for this reason that St. Andrew is one of the patron saints of Russia.  Princess Olga of Kiev was the first Kievan Rus’ (regent) ruler to convert to Christianity (mid-tenth century) and her grandson Vladimir the Great would make Christianity the official religion of his empire by the end of the century, forcing widespread baptisms. Vladimir apparently chose Orthodox Christianity for three primary reasons: 1) Islam was out of the question since they forbade alcohol; 2) Roman Catholicism was out of the question because Vladimir didn’t like the sort of papal control he saw in Poland; and 3) he was impressed with the splendor and majesty of Eastern Orthodox Church services.  The eleventh century saw fragmentation of power and disastrous in-fighting among ruling family members. One of the Grand Dukes left to establish Moscow. In the mid-thirteenth century the Mongols surprised the collapsing empire and destroyed almost every important city (except Novgorod). During the Mongol occupation (which lasted over two centuries), Kiev never recovered, but Moscow cooperated with the Mongols demands and flourished as a Grand Duchy.   The presence of the Mongols delayed the social, economic and cultural developments taking place in Western Europe from hitting Russia, which is why Russia remained in an archaic medieval state long after the Western World entered the Modern Era.

 

By the mid-fifteenth century the Mongols were losing their power, and Moscow was gaining it. Ivan the Great quickly laid the foundation for the new Russian state; he is sometimes referred to as the “gatherer of Russian lands.” Nearly a century later, Ivan the Terrible moved Russia toward an empire by conquering more territory east to Siberia and south to where the Volga meets the Caspian Sea. He was the first to be crowned Tsar (Caesar) of all of Russia. Lacking a strong leader after Ivan’s death, Russia fell into “Times of Trouble” until the Romanov Dynasty took power in the early seventeenth century. The early eighteenth century brought in Peter the Great who would finally bring Russia into modern times, transforming the old medieval system into one more in line with Europe – politically, culturally, economically and scientifically. Catherine the Great came during the Age of Enlightenment and continued Peter’s work making Russia a major European power to be reckoned with (especially militaristically). Russia’s one glaring, unavoidable problem was serfdom. The complexity of Russian history cannot be placed in a nutshell, but suffice it to say when nearly half the population is oppressed and ill-treated, rebellion and revolution are sure to follow. Serfdom was not abolished in Russia until (gasp) the nineteenth century. The early 20th century saw the Bolshevik Revolution and the creation of the Soviet state which lasted for 70 years.  After the fall of communism at the end of the twentieth century, Russia has slowly (and painfully) transformed into a capitalistic society. They are well on their way to becoming an economic giant once again.

 

But what about Russian baby-naming conventions and practices?

 

Prior to Christianity becoming the official state religion of Kievan Rus’, naming practices centered on paganism and the Old East Slavs (ancestors of modern day Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians). Old Slavonic names were almost exclusively given to children.  Familiar examples, updated to more medieval Slavic renderings, are Stanislav (Russian: Станислав, from Slavic meaning “stand for glory”); Radomir (Russian: Радомир meaning “caring, peaceful”); Vladimir (Russian: Владимир, meaning “to rule with greatness”); and Dobromila (Russian: Добромила meaning “good, kind, dear”).  As with many other ancient pagan tribes, how parents named their children reflected their cultural values and beliefs. Names came from words defining the seasons, animals and plants, from admired behavior or personality traits parents wish upon their child, and feelings reflecting the parent’s attitude regarding the child’s birth (welcome, desired, gift of god, suddenly). Names were also pragmatic in nature, such as birth order or physical characteristics of the baby. Aside from names of Slavic origin, Old Norse, Scandinavian and/or names of Germanic in origin were also prevalent thanks to the Rurik Dynasty. Olga, for instance, is Russian for Scandinavian Helga, from the Old Norse “heilagr” meaning ‘holy, blessed’ and Igor, another Scandinavian name meaning ‘warrior god’.

 

The adoption and spread of Christianity brought about a fundamental shift in how babies were henceforth named in Kievan Rus’ and the subsequent Russian Empire.  It became largely mandatory that parents named their sons and daughters after saints recognized by the Orthodox Church, and so given names abruptly changed from Slavic origins to Greek.  Suddenly Russians were expected to use foreign names, the sounds of which were strange to their Slavic ears and not easily adopted by the illiterate. To combat this problem, Orthodox Churches around the empire maintained a pictorial calendar of saints with their corresponding Feast Days. Some obvious ones for boys are Ivan (John); Mikhail (Michael); Andrey (Andrew); Dmitry (Saint Demetrius) and Kirill (Saint Cyril). For girls: Mariya (Mary); Yelizaveta (Elizabeth); and Anastasiya (Saint Anastasia of Dalmatia was a 4th century saint particularly important to the Eastern Church). Polina is a female name which has been used to commemorate Saint Paul, Sofiya is in recognition to St. Sophia another much-admired early saint, and finally there’s Yekaterina (Catherine) not only an early popular saint, but the namesake of two Russian Empresses.  The overwhelming majority of the Russian citizens today still have given names that come from the Church approved saint names.

 

Enter the October Revolution of 1917. You gotta hand it to the Russians. When they change something, boy do they make a sweeping effort at it. The Soviet Revolution had a profound impact on the Russian personal name and ushered in a new modern-era of names.  For one, the complete separation of Church and State dictated that parents were not tied to saint names (just as it was no longer mandatory for them to baptize their children); in fact, they were free to call their baby anything they wanted.  Names from the Old Slavic pagan days were welcomed back, names were borrowed from other European counties and eastern languages, and Soviet-inspired new name creations even came into mild vogue for a short period. Examples of this would include Ninel (Russian: Нинель) which is Lenin spelled backwards; or Melor (Russian: Мэлор) an acronym for Marx, Engels, Lenin, October, Revolution to commemorate the creation of the Soviet State. Atheism became the state “religion” and social stigmas on Orthodox names slowly gave way to more widespread changes in Russian naming conventions. Some of the more prominent Soviet leaders took charge of this new trend and named their children Timur (a Turkic name Temür meaning "iron"); Svet (from a Slavic word meaning “light, world); and Volga, after the longest European river which runs through Russia to the Caspian Sea.

 

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, Russian names have returned to modern normalcy and are quite reflective of any other first world nation. Judeo-Christian names from the Bible are still very prevalent, as are names of Greek and Latin origin which gave both to the familiar names of early saint. Alexander and Maxim are extremely popular today in honor of “great” ancient leaders. Artyom which is the Russian masculine form of the Greek Artemis (god of the hunt and moon) is also a Top 10 favorite in Russia today.  For girls Viktoriya is popular (inspired long ago by the English Queen Victoria who was connected by blood to some of the Romanovs) and Alisa (from the Germanic Adelaide). Russians, like many citizens of the Western World today, following modern naming trends wherein fashions of the day rule. It’s no longer about what’s “mandatory” as much as it’s about what parents simply prefer.

Not only are names of Hebrew origin still tightly associated with the Judean tradition, but they are also very much a part of the naming conventions among all people throughout the western world as well as Islam. Hebrew is one of the oldest languages known to man attesting back to the tenth century B.C., part of the Canaanite group and Semitic family of languages. The Old Testament, near and dear to both Jews and Christians alike, was written in Classical Hebrew. Ancient Hebrew became nearly extinct in the late classical era except as a literary and religious language of the Jewish people which eventually evolved into various medieval dialects and finally revived as a spoken language in the late 1800s. When we talk about Biblical names from the Old Testament, we’re basically talking about Hebrew names (although some may have been borrowed from other ancient languages such as Egyptian, Aramaic, Phoenician, or Greek).

 

The most common names we get from Hebrew come from the Hebrew Bible (Torah) or the first five books of the Old Testament as well as the writings of the prophets, kings, judges, etc. These time-tested and long-enduring names include Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel, Leah and so many more. Names were given and meant something specific and non-coincidental. Adam for instance means ‘man, earth’ and Eve means ‘living, animal’. Abraham means ‘a father of a multitude of nations’, Sarah means ‘princess’, Rachel means ‘captivating’ and Leah means ‘languid’. Other names provide the circumstances around one’s birth. For instance, Isaac means ‘laughter’ because people laughed when his mother Sarah bore him in her old age. Jacob means ‘at the heel’ because he followed his twin brother Esau out of Rebecca’s womb. Hannah means ‘God has favored me (with child)’ because she had to pray mightily to conceive Samuel. Reuben’s name means ‘Behold! A son’ (as Jacob’s first son) and Joseph means ‘God shall add (another son)’ since he was Jacob’s eleventh son. Benjamin was the last of Jacob’s twelve sons and his name means ‘son of my old age’. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel in the Bible which means ‘struggled with God’.  It’s really fascinating how the names are so connected to these ancient stories.

 

Hebrew names were among the most fun for us to research because of the name’s significance in the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. In most cases, the etymology of the name tied in closely with the Biblical story in which that character was featured. Moses for instance is said to mean ‘born of God’ but also ‘saved from the water’ (which is where we get the Moses baskets). Aaron, the brother of Moses, has a name that means ‘mountain of strength’. Cain means ‘acquired’ and Abel means ‘breath, vapor’ which is interesting since Cain took Abel’s life. Caleb means ’dog’ apparently in reference to his undying devotion to God. Other names’ meanings remind us of the all-powerful being God, such as: God is my judge (Daniel); Yahweh is God (Elias/Elijah); God is with us (Emmanuel); God is my oath (Elizabeth); God strengthens (Ezekiel); God is salvation (Isaiah); God has listened (Ishmael); Yahweh has established (Jeremiah); God is gracious (John/Jonathan); God heals (Josiah); God is salvation (Joshua); Gift of God (Matthew); God has given (Nathan/Nathaniel); comforted by Yahweh (Nehemiah); God hears (Samuel); and Yahweh remembers (Zachariah/Zachary). Oh, and let’s not forget Joel which translates to “God, God” (God-squared). That’s a lot of God and Yahweh to celebrate.

 

The biblical archangels also have Hebrew roots. Michael means ‘who is like God?’ and Gabriel means ‘man of God’. Raphael means ‘God has healed’ and Uriel means ‘God is my light’. The great kings also have interesting etymologies. Saul means ‘asked/prayed for’; David means ‘beloved’ and Solomon means ‘peace’. Then there are Biblical places with Hebrew origins used as first names such as Eden (place of pleasure); Jordan (flowing down); Judah (praised); and Zion (utopia, the Promised Land).

 

It should be noted that we are providing the generally used modern forms of these ancient Hebrew names – otherwise you wouldn’t recognize them in their original formation. YôsÄ“pÌ„ (Joseph); Dāwiḏ (David); Miryām (Maria/Mary); or Ḥawwāh (Eve) should give you some idea of what we’re talking about. These ancient names made their way to the modern world mainly through the Greeks and then eventually adapted into the Latin language during Antiquity and especially as Christianity spread like wildfire. In the early 17^th century King James I of England commissioned the translation of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English which we know as the “KJV” (King James Version). Of course over time, the original names have evolved and mutated but they still retain their root etymologies.

 

In 2009, the 10 most popular male names in Israel among Jewish boys were Noam, Itai, Ori, Daniel, David, Yonatan, Yosef, Ido, Moshe, and Ariel. For girls they were Noa, Shira, Maya, Tamar, Yael, Talia, Sarah, Hila, Noya, and Michal.

Wales did not become an official country until 1536, under King Henry VIII’s “Act of Union”. Long before that, though, in the centuries before Christ, Wales was inhabited by a loose assortment of independent Celtic kingdoms. If you think Wales is nothing more than some small, insignificant arm of England, think again. We invite you to expand your knowledge and learn more about the Welsh people, their history, traditions and customs.

 

The Welsh language is a Celtic one, from the Brythonic branch (rather than Gaelic). The ancient Britons had settled all over present day England, Wales and parts of Scotland. In the early centuries after Christ, the Romans, and then later the Saxons, invaded and occupied England. The Britons who refused to submit were eventually pushed into the land region of present day Wales and became the Welsh people.  The name “Wales” (weallas) comes from the Anglo-Saxons, appropriately meaning “foreigner, outsider” which is exactly what the Saxons made these Celtic people in their own native lands. “Cymru” is the name Welsh people give to their own nation, from the Brythonic word “combrogi” meaning "fellow-countrymen". This name has a more friendly etymology, reminding us of their enduring national pride.

 

Like the history of the Irish, the Welsh story is one of constant struggle against overwhelming odds. The Celtic people have always had a strong warrior spirit, and are not to be underestimated. The Welsh managed to survive Roman Imperialism, Anglo-Saxon invasions, plundering attacks by the Vikings, the Norman Conquest, oppression of powerful overlords, and the constant threat of those pesky, controlling English. Yet their beautiful and imposing castles, their enduring language, their rich mythologies and their cultural identity have managed to survive despite their many challenges. The Welsh people lost most of their territory and constantly struggled for their political independence, yet all the while managing to retain that Celtic spirit. Their determination, tenacity and struggle for identity are nothing short of extraordinary.  The 20th century Welsh poet Dylan Thomas perhaps summed up his fellow countrymen best when he described them as “not wholly bad or good”.

 

In 43 A.D., the Roman Empire conquered southeastern England and created a new Roman province called Britannia.  Conquering Wales wasn’t so easy; the Romans had to fight for several more decades before finally defeating their Druids (the Celtic priests and political leaders). This basically ended the Celtic resistance and Wales became tightly under Roman rule. Still, the Celtic tribes were a wily bunch and difficult for the Romans to control. An ancient Welsh saying “Nyd hyder ond bwa” (“There is no dependence but on the bow”) pretty much sums up their often violent resistance to control. The Romans were forced to build a network of forts across their lands in order to keep a watchful eye on these rebellious Celts. Small towns cropped up around these forts as Roman soldiers provided a marketplace for the native people.

 

Although it was not yet the official state religion of the Roman Empire, Christianity reached Wales in the 3rd century as evidenced by the martyrdom of Sts. Julius and Aaron, two British men killed for the Christian beliefs under the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. By the late 4th century, Roman occupation weakened as the wobbly Empire began to collapse and the Roman soldiers were forced to return to Italy and defend Rome from barbaric invasions. The last of the Roman soldiers left Britain at the turn of the 5th century and the Roman way of life slowly disappeared. Wales returned to a division of kingdoms.  Gwynedd and Powys are names of kingdoms you may recognize.

 

After the Romans left Britannia high-and-dry, vulnerable and with little protection, the Anglo-Saxon Germanic tribes saw their opportunity to pounce. They invaded eastern England and moved their troops westward subjugating the native Romano-Britons almost with ease; within two centuries the Saxons had reached the borders of Wales. Like the Romans before them, the Saxons found the Welsh not so easy to subdue. For centuries thereafter the Celtic-Welsh and the Germanic-Saxons were at war. In the 8th century, the Saxon King of Mercia (which bordered Wales), built Offa’s Dyke – essentially the first boundary between England and Wales – in order to protect against angry Welsh attacks.    

 

While the Anglos and the Saxons were making themselves quite at home in England (eventually becoming the dominant culture) and pestering the defiant native Celts, the Welsh were also forced to fend off the Vikings who started attacking their lands in the 9th century. A Welsh king of Gwynedd, Rhodri ap Mawr (Rhodri the Great) united a couple of other Welsh kingdoms and won great victories over the Danes – although the Viking attacks continued for another century.

 

Interestingly, after the Norman Conquest of 1066, the new king of England, William the Conqueror, did not bother Wales (maybe he knew better than to pick fights with the ferociously brave and prideful people). Still, victorious kings do what victorious kings do – they reward their cronies and lords, the people who helped them in victory. King William I made land grants to the many Norman lords who helped in the conquest.  These powerful lords were granted large swaths of land around the English-Welsh borders and the Normans would become a constant irritant to the Welsh. The Welsh opposition was strong enough, though, and they managed to maintain their independence – although the Normans gradually eroded away at their territory. The Normans spent 200 years gaining control of Wales, little by little. They did contribute by founding important cities (including Cardiff) and building several monasteries. But for the most part, England was distracted by other troubles and Llewellyn the Great (King of Gwynedd and recognized as chief among other neighboring kingdoms) was free to reign over the still independent state.  King Henry III of England recognized the principality of Wales and made the “Treaty of Montgomery” (1267) with Llewellyn, giving Llewellyn the title Prince of Wales.

 

When Edward (Longshanks) became King of England in 1272 he had higher ambitions to take control of Wales. He called on Llewellyn to pay him homage, but tensions arose and rebellion ensued. Wales was no match for the resources available to England, and Edward I became ruler of Wales. English law was imposed upon the Welsh and Edward built a network of castles to control the people, just as the Romans had built forts more than 10 centuries earlier. Alongside the castles new towns cropped up. The feisty Welsh rose in rebellion again in 1294 but were crushed within a year. Still, in an attempt to garner some Welsh loyalty, Edward made his son and heir to the throne Prince of Wales, a title now given to the heir apparent of the monarchy.

 

Wales (like all of Europe) became victimized by the Black Death of the 14^th century and this resulted in devastating losses to their population. Another illustrious Welshman came onto the scene in the early 15th century, Owain Glyndŵr, uniting Wales and instigating yet another rebellion under the rule of Henry IV.  His rebels were successful defeating the English in several battles, but this last major uprising ultimately ran out of steam and Owain escaped, refused the offers of royal pardons and mysteriously disappeared forever.

 

In 1536, Wales was fully incorporated as its own country into the dominion of England, and at this point they had a lot of practice with English law and government. The assimilation was relatively seamless and they were largely ignored as a sparsely populated, rugged region with a rural society. It seemed they had hardly any practical contribution to make – that is until the industrial revolution came knocking and Wales’ abundance of natural and mineral resources were exploited on a grand scale (coal and iron most notably).   They grew prosperous and their population soared by the end of the 18th century. Today the population of Wales is around 3 million and their main industry is tourism.

 

Aside from their lively rebellious history, the Welsh are also most responsible for giving us the legends of King Arthur and Camelot. In the 12th century a Welshman by the name of Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote “Historia Regum Brittaniae” (History of the Kings of Britain), introducing non-Welsh speakers to the tales of King Arthur. The legends of chivalry became hugely popular in medieval times and heavily influenced the works of other poets throughout Europe.  

 

According to various legends, after the Romans left England, one of the leaders among the native Romano-Britons, Vortigern, invited the Saxons to England in the hopes they would support him against the attacking Picts and Scots from the across Hadrian’s Wall. The Saxons arrived alright, but they decided they liked the island more for themselves and rose against the Britons. The Saxons and the Britons remained in fierce battle. The High-King of the Britons (Uther) fell in love with Lady Igraine and together they had a son, Arthur. Times were dangerous as the war ensued, so Uther gave the baby to his wizard Merlin for safekeeping.  The baby was sent away to be raised in the countryside, never knowing the identity of his parents. When Uther died, there was much debate over who would ascend to the High-Kingship of the Britons (no one knew of Arthur).  Enter the magical sword embedded in a stone. Whoever was able to pull the Sword from the Stone, it was said, was the rightful heir. Of course lots of local kings attempted to remove the sword, but all to no avail.

 

As a young man of fifteen, Arthur traveled to London to practice knighthood with his foster brother, Kay, when he realized he had forgotten Kay’s sword. In his search for a replacement sword, Arthur spotted the Sword in the Stone, effortlessly removing it for his friend. He was then crowned as the rightful High-King, although not everyone agreed – various local kings did not exactly want to be led by an adolescent boy and so they rebelled.  Uther’s old wizard Merlin came to the aid of Arthur, taking him to a magical lake and introducing him to his friend, Viviane, who lived beneath the water (“Lady of the Lake”). She gave Arthur the magical sword known as Excalibur, contained in a magic casing.  Excalibur ensured victory in battle and the magic sheath protected its owner from harm. Arthur was able to use Excalibur successfully in battle with the dissenting kings, and was finally proclaimed High-King of the Britons. He set up his royal residence in Camelot.

 

Later, King Arthur married Princess Guinevere, a daughter of one of the local kings.  Guinevere’s father gave the newlyweds a present: a giant round table. All the Briton knights wanted a seat at that round table, but only the most valiant and heroic were chosen.  They became known as King Arthur’s “Knights of the Round Table”. One of the bravest and most handsome of the knights was Sir Lancelot who hailed from Brittany (present-day France).  His valor was unmatched by the other knights, so he quickly became a close confidante to the King. He also caught the eye of Lady Guinevere who fell in love with the attractive knight. Uh-oh. Lancelot and Guinevere would steal away behind the back on the king who was entirely ignorant of this duel-betrayal taking place in Camelot (that is, until his evil nephew and next heir to the throne, Mordred, ratted out the adulterous lovers to the king). Sir Lancelot and Guinevere escaped to Brittany with King Arthur hot on their trail, leaving the malevolent Mordred to hold down the fort back at Camelot.  Mordred could not wait to be High-King of Britain so he told the people that Arthur had died in Brittany.  King Arthur, hearing of this treachery by his nephew, returned to Camelot with his army in tow. Mordred was able to raise an army himself, having given away riches to earn loyalties among the people. During the bloody battle between Arthur and Mordred, the death toll was almost absolute and the two were left in final single combat. Unfortunately, King Arthur’s bitter half-sister, Morgan Le Fay, had stolen Excalibur’s sheath which left Arthur exposed to harm. Although Arthur killed the evil Mordred, he himself was also mortally wounded in battle. He was brought to the Isle of Avalon by three mythic queens and died soon afterwards.

 

Aside from the forefront legend of King Arthur, in the background the Knights of the Round Table had lots of adventures rescuing princesses, fighting dragons and searching for the “Holy Grail”’.  The Welsh believe Arthur existed as a real King who probably lived in the southern portion of Wales (although liberties have been taken with his legendary deeds) and his stories were passed down orally for centuries before Monmouth wrote it down.  Some people think that Arthur was not a High-King of Britain, but one of the local chiefs probably from a small kingdom in Wales or Cornwall. Considering how the Welsh and Cornish branches of the Celtic-Britons culturally survived the Anglo-Saxon invasions, it seems more plausible that someone of King Arthur’s courage and resilience was Welsh rather than the average Briton (Englishman) who would ultimately succumb to the Saxon dominance.   

 

In terms of names, Welsh names (like Gaelic names) really stand out to the average English-speaker. English is a Germanic language, after all, while Welsh is a Celtic language. In Wales, like everywhere else in the Western World, has really been influenced by general styles and fashions of the day – so you’ll see familiar names on their charts like Ruby, Grace, Chloe, Emily and Olivia for girls and Jack, Thomas, Joshua, Daniel and Ethan for boys.  

 

Peppered among these trendy names are those of real Welsh significance.  For girls they are: Megan (the Welsh diminutive of Margaret); Ffion (Welsh for the flowering plant “foxglove”); Seren (Welsh word for “star”); Carys & Cerys (from the Welsh caru meaning "love"); and Nia (Welsh equivalent to the Gaelic Niamh meaning “bright”). For boys, we see the following Welsh names currently favored in Wales: Dylan (from the Welsh elements dy "great" and llanw "tide, flow"); Rhys (Welsh word for “enthusiasm”); Morgan (from the Welsh elements mor "sea" and cant "circle"); Evan (Welsh equivalent to John); Kian (Welsh equivalent to the Gaelic Cian meaning “ancient”); and Owen (modern form of the Welsh Owain from eoghunn meaning "youth").

 

 

Bryn – Means “hill, mount” in Welsh

Gwendolyn – from the Welsh elements gwen "white, fair, blessed" and dolen "ring”

Sabrina – Latinized form of Habren, the original Welsh name of the River Severn (from Welsh mythology)

Wendy – also possibly from the Welsh element gwen meaning "white, fair, blessed".

 

Gavin – from the Welsh Gawain, one of King Arthur’s popular knights

Griffin –Gruffudd, from gruff probably meaning “dragon” and udd "lord, prince"

Trevor – from Welsh meaning “large farmstead or settlement”

Trystan – Welsh equivalent to an old Pictish name Tristan meaning “tumult, uproar”

The Iberian Peninsula, the birthplace of Spanish, Portuguese, Catalonian and Basque names, has an immensely colorful and rich history. We can’t help but to say it’s one of our favorites.  The Greeks discovered the peninsula circa the sixth century B.C. The Romans encountered the people of Iberia during the Punic Wars with Carthage starting in the third century B.C.   The Greeks called this geographical region Iberia and the Romans called it Hispania. Before their discovery, however, evidence of early forms of human life show habitation a million years ago. Modern humans made their way through France to the area 40,000 years ago.  Celtic tribes settled there long before the Mediterranean powers of Phoenician, Greek, Carthaginian and then Roman established their respective colonies.

 

In the third century B.C. the Roman Republic invaded the Iberian Peninsula and folded it into their empire where it remained for almost eight centuries.  Then, in the early fifth century, Hispania was invaded by Germanic tribes, most notably the Vandals and the Visigoths. In the eighth century, the Moors came up from northern Africa and occupied the peninsula for almost seven centuries bringing their Muslim inhabitants and influence. The fifteenth century brought a “Reconquista” by the Gothic nobles. At this point, the Germanic tribes (particularly the Visigoths) had so assimilated into the Latin-based Roman culture already prevalent prior to their fifth century entry; in essence, they were “Romanized” relatively quickly. They became Christianized, they swapped their own Germanic language for Latin, and they effectively wiped their own culture off the map; the Visigothic past was becoming history. Latin and Christian names began to dominate as Germanic names decreased. Germanic saints not recognized by Rome were eventually replaced with the saints of the Latin Rite. As we entered the Modern Era in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Spain and Portugal emerged as one of Western European’s super-powers with a Latin-based language, Roman-Catholic influences and a peppering of Celtic, Germanic, and Moorish flavors. The Iberian Peninsula was indeed a melting pot of interesting Paleolithic, Neolithic, Classical, and medieval ethnicities and history. Muy interesante. There are, however, certain factors that are unique to Spanish history. These factors reveal themselves in the name pool and the naming practices of the people in ways one might not expect.

 

In tenth century Spain about 75% of the names given to children were split between Germanic and Latin origins while about 10% were Arabic (thanks to the Moors). The rest were Greek, Hebrew and Basque. Popular Spanish names at this point in time for males were Recessvindo, Ranemiro, Alfonso, Frunimius and Ordonius while for girls they looked like this: Scemena, Gelvira, Maria, Sesildi and Teoda. In moder times we only recognize two of these days (Alfonso and Maria) – the rest are defunct.  By the twelfth to thirteenth century Spanish male names started to look more familiar:  Petro, Iohannes, Alfonso, Diago and Rodrigo. Girls were Maria, Urraca, Isabel, Berta and Iuana.  They are fully recognizable to us by the 16th century: Juan, Francisco, Pedro, Diego and Alonso. Maria, Catalina, Isabel, Ana and Juana.
 

The name Scotland comes from a generic term used by the Romans (“Scoti”) which described the Celtic-Gaelic people who sailed from Ireland and landed along the western portion of present day Scotland in the 5th century. The Gaels were a nuisance to the Romano-Bretons as well as the later Anglo-Saxons, often attacking and plundering from the north. There are a couple debatable etymologies for the name “Scoti” – some historians claim it’s derived from a Gaelic word “Scuit” meaning “a man cut-off” in reference to this supposedly outcast group of Gaels from Érie. We feel this etymology is apropos because as you will see in Scottish history, the Scots were often “cut off”, not only by virtue of their harsh lands surrounded by scores of islands in cold seas, but also by various invaders and interlopers. In medieval times, Scotia was often used to refer to the Highlands (north of the River Forth) where most of the Scottish-Gaelic clans lived, but eventually the terms Scot, Scottish and Scotland referred to the whole of the country.

 

But let’s go back in history a little further. Way before the Gaels arrived in present day Scotland, the region was inhabited by early Celtic people whose descendents left erect stone structures, simple dwellings and several forts as evidence of their rudimentarily organized lives. Eventually, these Celtic people formed loose kingdoms, most notable among them were the Picts (a Celtic tribe of “painted people” probably related to the Brythonic branch), who came to dominate the Northern and eastern portions of the land.

 

After the Romans conquered England, they set their ambitious sights on Scotland around 81 A.D. They succeeded in defeating the Picts in several battles; however, the harsh land and lack of supplies forced them to retreat. In 122 A.D. the Hadrian Wall was built by the Romans (under Roman Emperor Hadrian) to keep the “barbaric” Picts out of England.  A few decades later, the Romans raised Antonine Wall near the Central Belt of Scotland (between the Firths of Forth and Clyde) pushing the native people farther north. The Highlands (northerly) were comprised of various settlements, the majority being the Picts and the minority being the newly arrived Scots/Gaels from Ireland. In the meantime, Christianity arrived (St. Columba is often credited with converting Scotland in the 6th century).

 

The Romans left in the early 5th century, forced to abandon their province of Britannia to tend to their own problems at headquarters (Rome) now under attack by barbaric forces (the Visigoths). Shortly after the last Roman soldiers left England, the Anglo-Saxons arrived. The Angles invaded and occupied Northeast England in a kingdom called Northumbria and by the 7th century extended into Southeast Scotland as far north as Edinburgh. By the 9th century, the unity of a common belief system (Christianity) helped tame the wild Picts and Scots, and they were eventually united by Kenneth MacAlpin under a more cohesive Scotland (still north of the Forth and Clyde). The Gaelic culture and language eventually prevailed over the Picts – the Pictish language became extinct as they were absorbed into the Scottish-Gaelic way of life which came to dominate. All that remains of the Picts are stone relics with complicated etched patterns and the distinction of being among the original Scottish people.

 

The Vikings arrived around the end of the 9th century, raiding Scotland and then occupying the Outer Hebrides as well as the northernmost island chains of the country. Nordic (or Scandinavian) influence has always remained strong in Scotland, and it’s the Vikings to whom many Scots owe their red hair. In 1040, a man by the name of Mac Bethad mac Findlaích (aka Macbeth) become King of the Scots. Unlike Shakespeare’s inaccurate portrayal of a tragic king, the real Macbeth was actually an admired and capable monarch. Later, in the 11th century, the Normans conquered England and many of the Norman knights and countrymen moved into Northern England and Scotland. The Scottish king Malcolm III married an English woman, Margaret of Wessex, who was both a pious Christian and a promoter of Norman ways in Scottish court. Three of Malcolm and Margaret’s sons subsequently reigned over Scotland, but particularly under David I did the Norman influence continue to grow.  The Normans co-mingled with the Scots and many Scottish families owe at least part of their ancestry to the Norman French.

 

Meanwhile, the Scottish-Gaelic chieftains to the west and north frequently rebelled against the Scottish king. During the 12th and 13th centuries the Scottish monarchy was in dispute and many claimed to be the rightful heir. The Bishop of St. Andrews asked Edward I, king of England to arbitrate, but this ruthlessly ambitious king attempted to place his own “puppet” king to the throne in Scotland. Edward I made himself overlord and installed more of his own loyal English subjects as officials in Scotland (at the same time Edward I was exerting similar control over Ireland and Wales). But like the Irish and the Welsh, the Scottish do not subdue quite so easily and this set off the Scottish Wars of Independence at the end of the 13th century (remember Braveheart?). England was really only controlling the southeast of Scotland at this point. In the Scottish rebellions, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce were key figures. The resistance was ultimately successful and by the early 14th century, Scotland had assured their independence from England (although peace was far from being achieved).  Intermittent warfare with England continued for another few centuries.

 

One of the persistent problems with Scotland occurred as the English continued their attempts to overrun them. When military force failed, England offered bribes of land to clan chiefs which ultimately won their alliance in wars against their own countrymen. While some clan chiefs were converting to the medieval feudal lord system, the rebellious clan chiefs presided in the old Celtic way, living among their people more like a father than a feudal lord. Unfortunately, this would be their downfall. Fast forward to 1746 when the English crushed the Scots at the Battle of Culloden in the Scottish Highlands.  The wild Highlands were finally subdued, the Scottish clan system was weakened and the Gaelic culture assaulted by civil punishments. The whole of Scotland finally came under British control.

 

Similar to Ireland and Wales, a renewed effort to preserve and advance their Celtic roots was promoted in Scotland during the 20th century. Scottish-Gaelic pride is alive and well both inside Scotland and in nations like America, Canada and Australia where many Scottish descendents live today. Perhaps Scotland ultimately became a piece of the United Kingdom through years of war and strife, but at the end of the day, you can’t change the essential character of the Scotsman.