Author: NameDat Peep

A person’s lineage can often be determined by their last names. They help people find out their ancestors’ profession, languages they knew, the number of years they lived, the education they had, and the place where they resided. This has been proven by tracing the lineages of people with rare surnames through public records, like genealogical records. Furthermore, a family name can be used to determine a family’s position in the social hierarchy. Below is a rundown of 10 last names that suggest a history of wealth.

Cash

The Cash last name has a Scottish origin and is derived from Caschel, which means castle in Gaelic language. In the 13th century, its variation Casche was adopted by a Scottish earldom. Cash became a common name by the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The name became popular in the 20th century because of the singer Johnny Cash.  

Franc 

Franc is a popular European surname that is associated with wealth. One of the strongest legal tenders in the world is the Swiss Franc. Swiss banks are renowned for their banking policies. Countries such as Belgium, France, and Luxembourg also had their respective Franc currencies before they were replaced by the Euro. Franc is sometimes spelled as Frank. The last name Franc precisely means free in the French language. 

Yen

Yen is the currency used in Japan, which means craving for something. Many people have Yen as their last name in China. Donnie Yen is a popular Hong Kong actor with this surname. Yen is also common in Asian countries like Vietnam and Cambodia. On the other hand, Yen means calm in Vietnamese. In Vietnamese culture, swiftlets are known as chim yen, where chim stands for a bird.

Banks

Banks is a popular last name that is linked with wealth. It was the last name of the teen character in the spy comedy film Agent Cody Banks. The story of Mary Poppins revolves around the Banks family. Banks is the name of the affluent family in the 1990’s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Apart from fictional characters, many notable people also have this surname.

Jackson

The 20 dollar bill of the United States features Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the country. This is one of the reasons why so many parents are willing to give their children this as a first name as well. Furthermore, the name is also adopted by many as it was shared by the king of pop Michael Jackson. The last name is linked with aristocracy as the literal meaning corresponds to the son of Jack.

Hamilton 

The last name originates from a village called Hamilton in England, where people adopted it as their family name. On the other hand, some have descended from the aristocratic Hamilton family. Alexander Hamilton Is featured on the 10 dollar bill of the United States, who was one of the founding fathers of the nation. Moreover, he was the first secretary of the treasury. This is why Hamilton is linked with wealth.

Phoenix 

Phoenix is a popular family name that is associated with affluence. It was the currency used in Greece during the 19th century. The name symbolizes a special bird in the Greek mythology that lives, then burns to death, and finally comes back to life from the ashes. The name has a growing popularity, thanks to the award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix.

Bond

Bond is an Old Norse name that was brought to England by the descendants of the Vikings known as the Normans during the 11th century. The name Bond stands for a farmer or a husbandman. Ruskin Bond is a prominent Indian author who has this surname. Bond is regarded as a classy surname, thanks to the fictional spy named James Bond. It is a financial jargon as well, which is a form of debt security similar to stocks.

Mark 

This last name has been popular throughout time as it is one of the first four gospels of the New Testament. The surname was a prominent family name in the German state of Prussia during the 16th century. It is also linked with money because marks were the currencies in countries such as Germany, Sweden, Finland, and Poland at different time-periods. At present, the mark currency is only used in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Penny 

Penny is a famous last name in North America that is associated with prosperity. All know it as the lowest denomination of the U.S. currency, where hundred pennies will be equal to one dollar. This currency unit is also used in several other English speaking nations. Penny is one of the main characters of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. This name has been derived from Penig, which means coin in Old English.

---

We love to share articles from our community with others! If you love to write and have an idea for an interesting article, let us know and we’ll consider it for publishing.

Have you ever wondered what the most common last names in your state are? You might be surprised to find that the answer often has a lot to do with the history of the state.

The states of New England have an incredibly rich history, seeing as they were among the first states to exist in the United States. In fact, they were English colonies far before they even became states. Colonized by Britain in the early 17th century, the colonies’ inhabitants mostly consisted of Puritans and Pilgrims that immigrated to escape religious persecution. 

There are 6 recognized states that comprise New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Vermont and Maine were not technically included in the original 13 colonies, however their territories were.

Most Common New England Surnames

Many of the most common last names of New England date all the way back to this colonial time. Indeed, even as far as medieval England. Let’s explore the 10 most common surnames in New England and where they come from. 

1. Sullivan

The first name on the list comes directly from the Emerald Isle. This Irish surname evolved from the O’Sullivan clan and before that, from the Irish Gaelic O’Suileabhain. Sullivan is actually the 3rd most common name in Massachusetts specifically, thanks to the huge influx of Irish immigrants starting in the early 1800s. They formed what is currently the largest ethnic group in Boston, and contributed to the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day all over the country. 

2. White

Although the Normans from Normandy (today part of France) did not yet have crepes suzette and croissants to contribute when they invaded England in the 11th century, they did bring along the name Le Blanc, which then translated into the current term. 

3. Wilson 

Wilson is a name brought by Vikings to medieval Scotland. Several Wilsons arrived to the American colonies, including an Andrew Wilson, who landed in Boston in 1651. Last names ending with the suffix “son” usually always meant that the person was the son of (the prefixed name). Wilson therefore means “son of William,” or “son of Wil.”

4. Miller

Miller was one of many surnames bestowed upon the person due to the profession they had, as was the custom in the time of the Anglo-Saxons. A miller was someone who worked in a mill. These millworkers spread through Scotland and England and then brought their trade skills and nomenclature to the New World. 

5. Davis

A Welsh patronymic name meaning “the son of David,” the surname increased in popularity in England. Then, many bearers of the name made the jump across the pond to colonial America, where it continued to spread. 

6. Jones

As the 5th most common last name in New England, it seems that the Joneses are rather keeping up with themselves. In fact, the name Jones sailed in on one of the world’s most influential tidal waves: Christianity. It originates from the name John, of bible eminence. 

7. Williams

Yet another medieval name, and yet another name meaning “the son of William.” There surely were a lot of Williams who had a lot of sons, and continue to do so, in fact. 

8. Johnson

You can probably guess by now that Johnson means “son of John.” It hails from England, Ireland, and Scotland, but has many foreign counterparts, like the Swedish “Johansson” and the Italian “Di Giovanni”. There are several records of Johnsons arriving to colonial New England, such as Davy Johnson to Massachusetts in 1630, Edmond Johnson in 1635, and Adam Johnson in 1738. 

9. Brown

The origins of this name aren’t quite as exhilarating as one might hope; from Norman roots, it means “a person who has brown hair or brown eyes”. Names back then were not nearly as imaginative as they’ve become today. Nevertheless, it holds the second-place slot in New England for most common. While Johnson is more prevailing in 33 other states in the rest of the country, Brown takes the silver for New England. 

10. Smith

Smith is not only the most common last name in New England, but also the most common in the entire U.S.A. Originating from England, it means exactly what you might think: someone who works with metal. It is yet another of the many professions attributed to people as a surname, but according to today’s prevalence, it seems like there was either once an extraordinary boom of metalsmith workers, or the Smiths certainly knew how to reproduce. Of course, many people are familiar with the famous John Smith of Pocahontas fame. While the real story wasn’t quite as cheery as the Disney version, Captain John Smith certainly was a notable figure in the American colonies and just one representative of the ever-frequent last name. 

---

We love to share articles from our community with others! If you love to write and have an idea for an interesting article, let us know and we’ll consider it for publishing.

Are your ancestors from Scotland?  Is MacBeth your favorite play by Shakespeare?  Have you ever wondered whether everyone wearing a kilt really has a last name starting with “Mac”?  A recent census showed that surnames in Scotland haven’t changed too much in the last century and a half.  Which names are the most common?

Patterns in Scottish Surnames

Most of the family names in Scotland aren’t that different than last names in the rest of the U.K. or, for that matter, most of America.  However, there are strong geographical trends — for instance, close to the border with Ireland, more and more families unsurprisingly have Irish names like McLaughlin, Kelly, or O’Donnel.  Another strong trend is that names like Macleod are common in the Western Isles, while Macdonald is the most popular family name in the Highlands.  The stereotype does hold across most of the land, as about 12% of the people in Scotland have a last name that starts with some form of Mc or Mac.  In Orkney, meanwhile, the more popular names are Sinclair and Rendall.

Overall numbers for MacDonald

Taking all of Scotland into account and not just the Highlands, MacDonald is actually only the 9th most popular name.  This name is derived from Gaelic and once meant “son of Domhnall”, but was changed when turned into English.  Today, the Donald Clan is one of the largest in Scotland, and has many branches.  In Ireland (and America), the name is more commonly written as McDonald, but the origins are the same.  The motto of Clan Donald is “By sea and by land”, and their historic seat is Finlaggan Castle.

Of the Clan MacLeod

For all you Highlander fans, it sadly turns out that MacLeod is not particularly common when taken in Scotland as a whole (as mentioned earlier, though, it’s the #1 name in the Western Isles).  Literally meaning “Son of Leod”, this name goes all the way back to the 1200s.  The motto of Clan MacLeod is “Hold fast” and their historic seat is Castle Dunvegan.  Curiously, there are also a lot of Canadians with indigenous Cree blood who go by this surname; it turns out that it was used as an Anglicization of Mahkiyoc, which just means “big one” in Cree.

The History of Stewart

Fifth most common name in all of Scotland and first most common name in the regions of Kinross, Perth, and Sterling, this is one of the oldest names on the list — possibly predating the 7th century.  The surname Stewart is believed to derive from Walter fitz Alan, who relocated to Scotland during a time of troubles known as “The Anarchy”, and ended up becoming the “High Steward”, or guardian, of all Scotland.  The motto of Clan Stewart is “Courage grows strong at a wound”.  Clan Stewart has no clan chief, but their principal branch is the Earls of Galloway, whose seat is Cumloden House.

The Clan of Campbell

The fourth most common name across all of Scotland and one of the most powerful clans, the chief of the Campbell clan eventually became the Earl and later the Duke of Argyll.  Their clan motto is “Forget not” and their historic seat is Castle Campbell.  The Campbell clan dates back to the 13th century and is connected to the legendary Celtic hero, Diarmuid “the Boar”.  Their early lands were in East and Central Scotland, but spread wider over the years.  At one point they were dominated by the MacDougal clan, who killed their chief in battle; all Cambell chiefs since that time have memorialized their fallen chief, Colin, in their patronymic.  

Smith, Brown, and Wilson

The actual most common names in all of Scotland are these somewhat common-sounding English names.  Smith, the actual most popular name in the whole place, once denoted someone as being a blacksmith by trade.  Brown, the most common name in southern Scotland, was originally just used to refer to brunettes.  Wilson, meaning “son of Will”, is another very common name in Scotland and everywhere else in the English world.  Will, often short for William, in turn comes from the German word for “desire”.  Wilson is also quite common as a last name in some regions of Ireland where Scottish immigration has historically been higher.

---

We love to share articles from our community with others! If you love to write and have an idea for an interesting article, let us know and we’ll consider it for publishing.

Given the fact that most of us Americans have a European background, it is no surprise that many of our last names are European. But why is it that people from other backgrounds have these names as well? History can be strange and intriguing, as shown by these 6 historical last names in American history.

Jackson

The name Jackson is heard all the time. Andrew Jackson was a president whose face is on the $20 bill, so many Americans see his face everyday. Michael Jackson was the ‘’King of Pop’’ who passed away over 10 years ago. A couple of little-known facts about the last name Jackson:

• It was common among African-American soldiers in Australia during WWII. As a result, it quickly became a slang term used by the Australians.
• Slave masters weren’t particularly imaginative in giving their slaves new names, so a lot of them were named after Andrew Jackson, who himself was a slave owner.

Kennedy and Lincoln

Kennedy and Lincoln will forever be linked in the American psyche. The man who freed the slaves was of course Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy. President Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln. Both were elected to congress in years ending in 46, and both were president in years ending in 60.

Both were shot by men who were born in the year ending in 39. Lincoln was shot in a theatre and his assassin was caught in a storehouse. Kennedy was shot by a man in a storehouse and his assassin was caught in a theatre. The number of strange coincidences is one of America’s weirdest tales – read more about it here.

Washington

The most famous name in all of American history is Washington, which of course refers to George Washington. Newly-independent nations like to honor their founding fathers, and we in America really did go all the way when it came to naming places after him. There is the capital, and then there is the state, which always confuses foreigners. There are 29 cities named after Washington, 24 post offices, and much more!

Muhammed Ali

Muhammed Ali is recognized as being one of the greatest boxers of all time, having won the title on 3 separate occasions. He was known just as much for his talking as his boxing and was one of the most famous people on the planet at his peak. His original name was Cassius Clay, which he changed because he thought it was a ‘’slave name’’ which is interesting since Cassius Clay was a Kentucky politician who worked for the abolition of slavery in the 19th century. And the Muhammed Ali of Egypt was an Albanian Ottoman who was regarded as the founder of modern Egypt in the early 19th century who captured slaves and exploited them. So… Muhammed Ali the boxer is recognized as a great boxer, but as a historian, well, we just don’t understand some of his perspectives I suppose.

John Henry

John Henry is part of the American folk tradition, having reputed to be a railroad worker whose job it was to make holes for explosives inside of railroad tunnels. He is reckoned to be an African-American who worked in West Virginia from 1870 to 1872. A ballad was composed in his honor as a result of him competing against a machine to drill holes, after which he died from exhaustion. Dwayne Johnson recently played him in a film called John Henry and the Statesmen. A very famous racehorse called John Henry raced in the early 1980’s and became famous for his late finishes. Patrick Henry was a governor of Virginia who is famous for uttering the line ‘’Give me liberty, or give me death’’. He certainly didn’t provide any liberty for his slaves!

---

We love to share articles from our community with others! If you love to write and have an idea for an interesting article, let us know and we’ll consider it for publishing.

A wide variety of fascinating and mind-boggling things have happened throughout history, some so bizarre that you might not believe them to be real. Stories of complete strangers with an astonishing connection, predictions that came true, uncanny patterns… coincidences in this world are everywhere, and most seem as though they come from a story or movie, rather than straight out of real life. 

Here are 6 strange name coincidences that have happened in history, all of which are absolutely true. 

1. Edgar Allen Poe’s Eerie Prediction

In 1838, the famous writer and poet Edgar Allen Poe wrote a book called The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Nym of Nantucket. In the story, 4 sailors get shipwrecked and decide to kill and eat the cabin boy, whose name is Richard Parker. 46 years later, a real-life shipwreck occurred on a yacht called Mignonette. The 4 men also decided to kill and eat one amongst them: the cabin boy. His name? Well of course, Richard Parker. 

2. The Twins that Lived Parallel Lives

In 1979, two twins who had been separated at only 4 weeks of age and adopted by separate families reunited when they were 39-years-old. But this reunion was struck with more than just excitement. They discovered that both twins had been separately named James by their adoptive families. Both had had childhood dogs named Toy. Both had similar interests in carpentry and math, and both had pursued careers in security. Stranger still, both had married a woman named Linda, gotten divorced, and gotten remarried to a woman named Betty. Their sons were named James Alan and James Allan. They even vacationed with their families at the same Florida beach. 

3. The Loch Ness Monster’s Fan is Foiled

British naturalist Sir Peter Scott was so convinced of the existence of the Loch Ness monster, that he gave it a scientific name: Nessiteras Rhombopteryx. He was very proud and excited by his name invention until a London journalist discovered that one anagram of the name is actually: “monster hoax by Sir Peter S”.

4. The Reincarnated Survivor

On December 5, 1664 in the Menai Strait off the coast of Wales, a boat with 81 passengers was shipwrecked. There was only one survivor: a man named Hugh Williams. A little over a century later, on December 5, 1785, another ship capsized in the Menai Strait, this time with 60 people. Again there was one lone survivor: Hugh Williams. Finally, on August 5, 1820, a small boat of 25 people was run down on the Thames, yet again with only one surviving person. You guessed it- Hugh Williams. 

5. The Titanic and a Time Machine?

In yet another case of an author predicting a shipwreck, in 1898, 14 years before the famous Titanic sinking, Morgan Robertson penned a novel called The Wreck of the Titan: or, Futility. The plot focuses on an ocean liner named the Titan, which is described as “unsinkable”, and which hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sinks. But the similarities don’t end there. Both ships were about the same length, both were traveling at about the same speed (25 knots), both held about the same number of passengers, and both sunk exactly 400 nautical miles from Newfoundland. 

6. U.S. Presidents and their Assassins

Many unbelievable parallels have been drawn between the circumstances surrounding the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, and the findings are so odd, it’s no wonder many believe it was some kind of conspiracy. The following is a list of coincidences between the lives and deaths of Lincoln and Kennedy:

• Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846. John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946. 
• Lincoln was elected to the presidency in 1860. Kennedy was elected in 1960.
• Both presidents were shot in the back of the head, in the presence of their wives, on a Friday, the weekend before a major holiday. 
• Both of the names Lincoln and Kennedy contain 7 letters.
• Both of the names Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth contain 15 letters. 
• Both assassins performed the assassinations from their places of work (John Wilkes Booth was an actor at Ford’s Theater; Lee Harvey Oswald worked at the Texas School Book Depository.)
• Both presidents died at a location with the initials P.H. (Lincoln at Petersen House, Kennedy at Parkland Hospital).

---

We love to share articles from our community with others! If you love to write and have an idea for an interesting article, let us know and we’ll consider it for publishing.

Sometimes parents make choices for their kids’ names that just seem odd to everyone else.  Of course, one person’s “strange” is another person’s “normal.” This is especially true in other languages. When I visited China, I learned that my given name can be translated there as “Big Noodle,” and you can bet that made the locals laugh. Here are twelve odd names, or at least oddly long names, to be found in the Western world:

1.  Maximilianus

As if the name “Maximilian” wasn’t already long enough, this variant adds two more letters to the end.  It’s a pretty bold thing to name your kid, since it translates from the original Latin as “the greatest.” You probably don’t think you know anybody who goes by this. But have you tried asking your friend Max what’s on their birth certificate?

2.  Named after a Light Fixture

The name Crystal isn’t that odd, although snobs will sometimes associate it with lower-class Americans.  However, one of the fanciest examples of this name ever was in the 1940’s when Bill, the founder of the Lear Jet company, named his daughter “Crystal Shanda”.  This is one of those times where you have to say her full name out loud to get the joke.  

3.  Bartholomew

This name means “son of Talmai”, which probably doesn’t really make you feel any more informed than you were five minutes ago. It turns out that Talmai is a lesser-known name from the Bible and was used to address one of the giant Nephilim. If you decide on Bartholomew for your own child, I urge you to try to get “Barth” to stick as a nickname, rather than “Bart.” It’s an acceptable variant, I swear!

4.  Ah, the 60’s

Anybody familiar with Frank Zappa could have guessed he was going to name his kids something strange. Zappa is already a weird surname to build off of. Well, his daughter, born before America won the Space Race by putting Neil Armstrong on the Moon, was named “Moon Unit” Zappa.  I would have assumed she had to go through some therapy over that, but apparently she’s an accomplished actress and singer, and has now started to release space-themed albums, so I guess she’s cool with it.

5. Round Table Names

Aballach is an odd-sounding name that comes from a somewhat obscure character in the tales of King Arthur and his knights.  The literal meaning is “orchard,” but in this case it probably referred to the mythical island of Avalon.

6.  What’s Your Job Again?

The actor Jason Lee named his son “Pilot Inspektor” Lee.  You’re going to have a hard time finding something stranger than that.

7.  A Memorable Location

In New Zealand, a baby was given the legal name “Number 16 Bus Shelter.” Does that sound male or female to you?  I’m more interested in finding out the story of what happened to make that particular bus shelter so memorable for the parents.

8.  A Hot One

The name Ignatius, related to “fire,” will have people wondering how to pronounce your son’s name.  Apparently it’s becoming quite popular with celebrities.

9.  Another Biblical Name

Sure to get your child called last during class roll call, Zachariah means “God has remembered.” He’ll probably end up going by Zach, which isn’t too bad.

10.  High expectations

Sarcastic C-list celebrity, Seanbaby, finally got around to having kids. He did not disappoint. He’s proudly named his daughter Rebel Timecop.  I’m assuming she’s going to have to start early with the kickboxing lessons if she’s going to live up to that one.

11.  Anastasia

We might think this name is a little too long in America, but it’s quite common in Russia.  You might have seen the animated movie about the long-lost heiress with this given name, which they often shorten to the also odd-sounding “Nastya.”

12.  That’s Long for “Mud”

Fans of the odd band, Primus, may remember a character going by the unlikely moniker “Alowishus Devadander Abercrombie.” Alowishus is actually more common than you might think, especially since you might think Les Claypool just made it up.  Speaking of weird, what kind of a name is Les Claypool anyway?

These extra long and crazy names are different for sure. But, at least for the entertainment value, we’re sure glad they’re around. 

---

We love to share articles from our community with others! If you love to write and have an idea for an interesting article, let us know and we’ll consider it for publishing.

Most common names find their origins from languages like Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Persian. But what about… cars?! Some creative car enthusiasts have named their children after cars, and although it may seem a little eccentric, it’s not a new trend.

Also, consider that there are few car brands that have been named after their founder or historical figures, so you can’t always tell if a person has been named after the car or the car’s namesake without asking the parents. Nevertheless, it is fun to take a look at how many names may have been influenced by car brands. The following are some of the most common first names that match car brands:

Cooper

Cooper is one of the most common first names that go beyond cars. The history of the name goes back to the 1960s when a British company known as the British Motor Corporation (BMC) produced the performance versions of the Mini: the Mini Cooper and Cooper S. The Mini was a small compact car that catered to the masses, owing to its low price, operation, and maintenance. This is why there are so many individuals named Cooper, especially men. It was later owned by British Leyland and Rover Group. At present, it is owned by the German automotive company BMW.

Lincoln

Lincoln is a luxury car brand of the American automobile giant Ford. The car brand was established in 1917, named after Abraham Lincoln, the 16th American President. There are various products manufactured by Lincoln, such as SUVs, sedans, and crossovers. Lincoln’s limousine versions are used as official state cars for American presidents. Apart from North America, the car is widely sold in the Asian markets. Mostly baby boys are named Lincoln.

Mercedes

Mercedes is a name for girls, which has been influenced by Mercedes-Benz, an automobile company that manufactures luxury cars, buses, trucks, ambulances, and coaches. Between 1970 and 1990, there was an explosion in the number of baby girls given this name. This is one such name that is remembered by all. Mercedes was a brand of the German automobile manufacturer – DMG, which began its production in 1900.

Ford

Ford is a robust single-syllable name, which gives the aura of a brawny personality or car. The Ford Motor Company, more popularly known as Ford, is an automaker that manufactures sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and tractors. The company was established around 1903 by Henry Ford. The car brand is renowned for its muscle cars, such as Ford Mustang and pickup trucks such as the F150 and Ranger. These powerful vehicles inspire many to give their baby boys this name.

Royce

Royce is a common name given to males by many parents as it symbolizes the zenith of luxury and classy preference. The name is inspired by the British luxury automobile manufacturer Rolls-Royce, which was established by Henry Royce and Charles Rolls in 1906. This car brand also manufactured aircraft engines apart from luxury cars. The striking feature of the Rolls-Royce fleet of cars is that their manufacturing involves more of human craftsmanship and less robotics.

Genesis

Genesis is one of the top names for girls, although it is a unisex name. Genesis was created in 2015 as the luxury brand of the South Korean automotive manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company. The name generally denotes the first book of the Torah. The intriguing fact about this car is that it took three years for development with a whopping cost of half a billion dollars for the whole program. Furthermore, the car is aesthetic and resilient (great crash-test results). This is why many consider this to be a good name.

Bentley

Bentley is one of the most common first names for boys as well as girls. The name comes from the British manufacturing company – Bentley Motors Limited, which manufactures luxury SUVs and cars. This car brand was founded in 1919 by the Bentley brothers. Bentley is associated with royalty because it is manufactured from expensive materials and assembled manually.

Lexus

Lexus is a fairly common female name inspired by the car brand. It was launched as the luxury brand of the Japanese automotive manufacturer Toyota in 1989, after which the name soared in popularity. Lexus is one of the bestselling luxury cars around the globe. The company manufactures both sedans and SUVs. The secret to the success of this luxury brand is its high resale value, reliability, dependability, and durability. Lexus also scores well in the aesthetics department, thanks to its amazing lamplight along with the cool spindle grille. Many people choose this name due to the versatility of the car.

While these names have an automotive origin, they seem to be able to stand the test of time, and any of them would make a great name, whether you’re are a car enthusiast or not.

Naming is the first attempt by man at communication. This means that names have been around since the beginning of, well everything. Here is a riddle about it: “What do you have that is yours, but everyone else uses it way more than you do and ever will?” The answer, of course, is your name. It is believed that the earliest history of names had to do with occupations, landmarks, and deities. Names were one of the earliest and most common forms of identification. It was like a unique id in a database, the only issue being that eventually, keeping records of people by name became a problem because names began to overlap.

When it comes to first names, they change every day. This is because about approximately three hundred and sixty-one thousand babies are born every day in the United States and about seven thousand four hundred people also die in the United States every day.

The same cannot be said about the last names. When looking at last names we take into consideration the last names of people born in the early nineteenth century to date, since no one born in the eighteenth century is still alive.

And it is not just the statistics of people born in the United States that has to be taken into consideration since there has been a very high flux of immigrants over the years. With all this in mind, the most commonly used Last name in the United States is Smith. About 2.5 million Americans bear the surname Smith and 11 million bear the first name Michael. One would expect that since women outnumber men in the USA according to the U.S. Census Bureau, one hundred and sixty-one million to one hundred and fifty-six million, the most common first name should be female.

This is not the case because parents usually pay more attention to naming their female kids. Girls bear more unique names than guys.
And the most common name is not Michael Smith either, it is James Smith. Smith is the most common last name in the United States followed by Johnson with about a five hundred thousand difference. Then there are Williams and Brown. Garcia has also recently joined the top ten last names in the United States.

Native Americans originally had no surname and used only their first names. When last names were introduced, the Native Americans also had to adopt foreign last names. Today the most popular Native American surname is also Smith.

Although surnames were introduced in England as early as 1066, it was not common in the United States until the seventies when the bureaucracies mandated it. The rising population and information management systems made is necessary to have a last name. That was when people started adopting last names based on occupation, their nicknames, location, and clan. It was much later that people started passing down the last names.

Some people even took their father’s name. I.e. a son with a father called John had a surname Johnson which is John’s son, a blacksmith took a surname Smith and a cook adopted the surname Cook amongst other things.

The earliest people to settle in the USA apart from the native Indians that were born there were Europeans, people from Scotland and the Irish. This explains the high level of Irish, Scottish and English names in the United States today.

---

We love to share articles from our community with others! If you love to write and have an idea for an interesting article, let us know and we’ll consider it for publishing.

The seventeenth century saw a lot of action. It experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly from the civil war, the invention of the steam engine, a significant improvement in surgery practices, and a new outlook on human anatomy. It also gave birth to better technology like guns that were easier to shoot, and an improved entertainment industry.

There was also a rise in the use of particular names in the century as well. Some of these names are:

Thomas: The name Thomas is Aramaic for the word twin. It is also known from the bible as the name of one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ who refused to believe Jesus has risen until he witnessed it. He became popularly known as doubting Thomas. The name also became symbolic from the 12th-century martyr Thomas á Beckett and many people started adopting the name.

Williams: The name Williams is from the German language from the word Wil, meaning the protector or the faithful defender. This name was first borne by knights, and very prominent in England around the early 17th century and eventually made its way around all of Europe. People bearing Williams were expected to be loyal, strong and dependable.

Robert: This is another name that had its peak in the 17th century and has its origin in the old German tongue meaning bright fame. It is from it that names like Roberson and Robertson were born. The 17th had game-changer Roberts like the Jesuit Robert Parsons, chemist Robert Boyle, and Robert Hooke, the scientist superstar.

Blaise: the name Blaise is of both Latin and French origin. It is coined from the word Blaze which means fire. There was also a Saint Blaise who was believed to possess healing power. People started bearing his name because of the Civil War that happened in the 17th century as many required healing. The 17th Century also gave birth to the mathematician and the inventor of the calculator called Blaise Pascal. Most of the modern technology today is based on some of his methods and theories.

Charles: Charles means freedom or free man. The name was first borne by the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, which means Charles the Great. The name was very prominent in the 17th century with the reign of King Charles I and Charles II and is also considered royalty.

Amanda: this name is from old Latin language meaning Worthy of loved or lovable. Most of the 17th-century poets and play writers wrote poems and plays with characters, Amanda. This made the name Amanda very famous and many parents started giving it to their girl babies.

Hannah: the name Hannah or Anna is of Hebrew origin meaning he has favored me or I am his favorite. There is a whole Bible story attributed to the name Hannah, the lady Hannah in the Bible could not bear a child and asked God for a child. Her request was granted. This name was very popular in the 17th century and still is today.

Jacqueline: The word Jacqueline is from both French and Hebrew language. most people consider Jacqueline a female version of the name Jacob, meaning he supplements. It was used in Britain and became a favorite in the late 17th century.

Myra: this was first introduced in the early 17th century and became popular throughout the century. Later versions of this name became Myrah, Mirah, Mira or Mariah. It is of Greek original and a female version of the name Myron.

Jane: Jane is from the Hebrew language as well, meaning God is gracious. It was first introduced by the unwilling queen Jane Grey in the 16th century. This made the eventually become a big favorite among the ladies in the 17th century. The name Jane, however, was not borne by royalty in the 17th century. Most people that favored the name were the commoners. Maybe it was the pull of the Queen Jane story that gave the common girls hope.

Aemelia: Aemelia was a favored lady’s name since the 17th century up to date. Although over the years it has evolved into other versions like Emma, Emmeline, Milly, Emmy, Emma, Amy, Amelia, Ameliya, Amelita, Ameline, Amelina, etc. It is of Latin and Old German origin, and the meaning of Amelia is “rival, eager work”. A blend of two medieval names: the Latin Emilia and the Latin German Amalia, meaning “work”.

---

We love to share articles from our community with others! If you love to write and have an idea for an interesting article, let us know and we’ll consider it for publishing.

Over the years, some names like Rockefeller have commanded a particular power and respect. And although most billionaires are identified by their last names, here is a list of first names that have the highest net worth. According to the Wealth-X Billionaire Census 2019, there are 2,604 billionaires in the world.

Jeffery: The name Jeffery has a net value of about 111 billion dollars and it belongs to a man named Jeffery Preston Bezos who is currently the richest in the world. He is from the united states of America and deals in aerospace, internet, entrepreneurship, and investments. One of his famous companies is multinational Amazon. Other people with the first name Jeffery that have gone to make a name for themselves are Jeffery Sachs, Jeffery Abrams, and Jeffery Raikes among others.

Williams or Bill: The first name Williams belongs to the second richest man in the world, Williams Henry Gates III, popularly referred to as Bill Gates. He has a net worth of 108.8 billion dollars as of January 2020. He once held the title of the world’s richest man from 1995 to 2017 and was only toppled just a few times until he was finally overthrown by Jeff Bezos in late 2017. He is a software developer and investor who co-founded Microsoft and is best-known as the pioneer of the microcomputers revolution of 1970s and 1980s. There is also Bill Koch is worth 1.8 billion dollars.

Warren: Warren Buffet is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and has a net worth of about 89.4 billion dollars. He was born in the United States and went to the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University. He has three kids and is currently married to Astrid. He studied business at the University and went to other finance schools. He is also the richest investor in the world.

Amancio: Amancio Ortega is from Spain and was born in 1936. He founded Inditex fashion and co-founded Zara clothing and accessories with his wife in 1975. He once rose to the richest man in the world in 2015 with a net worth of 80 billion dollars. He currently has a net worth of 68.3 billion dollars. He dropped out of school at 14 and joined his father in A Coruna, where he learned how to make clothes by hand. He donated 300 million euros to fighting cancer across Spain, which was used to purchase machines that were used in combating the illness. He recently just bought Troy Block Complex, one of the places where Amazon first had its headquarters quarters.

Lawrence: This first name belongs to both Larry Ellison and Larry Page. Larry Ellison is the co-founder of the database Oracle corporations. He is from the United States of America and is an executive chairman at oracle and also a board member at Tesla. He has been married four times. He is a net worth of US$69.1 billion as of October 2019. He formed what became the Oracle database in 1977. Some of his competitions are Sybase and Microsoft SQL Server. This name also belongs to Larry Page, co-founder of Google and worth 66.36 billion dollars

Mark: Everyone is familiar with the name Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. He is the founder of Facebook and has over the years acquired other social media platforms like WhatsApp. He has a net worth of 80.7 billion dollars. He is an American internet entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is married to a Pricilla Chan and has two kids. He went to Harvard University where he launched Facebook in 2004. He has given to many charities over the years and is part of the giving pledge in 2010 when he, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffet signed an allegory pledge in which they promised to give at least half of their wealth to charity over time.

Mike: It belongs to a Michael Bloomberg American politician, businessman, and author. He was the mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013. He went to Harvard where he graduated with an MBA and John Hopkins University. He has a net worth of 60.1 billion dollars. He started his own company in 1981 called Bloomberg, a global financial service software system providing financial information widely used in global finance. He was CEO of Bloomberg for 29 years and he is also a member of the Giving Pledge. He gave 3.3 billion dollars to Hopkins University, which landed him a place at the top of Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Philanthropy 50” list for 2019.

---

We love to share articles from our community with others! If you love to write and have an idea for an interesting article, let us know and we’ll consider it for publishing.