What’s in a name? A person’s first name is an important part of their identity and sense of self. A name can form first impressions and create a sense of cultural belonging. The following is a list of popular and common names that have surprisingly ominous origin stories.
Rebecca
Rebecca has been a popular girl’s name since the Protest Reformation. In the Bible, Rebecca was the wife of Isaac and mother to Jacob and Esau. This common name has many variations and shortenings including Rebekah, Becca, Becky and Reba. The name comes from the Hebrew word ribbqāh meaning “Noose”, which in turn comes from the rabak, which is Hebrew for “Tie, Bind or Snare” . It’s hard to believe that such a popular name signifies a trap or execution device. However, some people have been able to put a silver lining on the term, interpreting Rebecca as “Captivating” .
Darcy
The internet is divided on whether Darcy is predominantly a girl’s name or a boy’s name, so it’s safe to put this one in the unisex category. The name peaked in popularity in the 1970’s both for boys and girls, and is also a common surname. Darcy and its other forms Darcie, Darcey, and D’Arcy came to the world from two distinct origins; French and Irish Gaelic. The French form of the name, often expressed d’Arcy, simply means from a place called Arcy in Northern France. However, the Gaelic derivation is where it gets interesting. In Ireland, the name means “Dark One”. Historians have hypothesized that it could have referred to the complexion or hair colour of the original Dorchaide, which is the name from which Darcy originates. Since it was made infamous by Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, Darcy is now sometimes chosen as a nod to the author or literature in general.
Claudia
This familiar name, the female version of Claudius, comes from ancient Roman times. Both Nero and Pontius Pilate had wives called Claudia. The name has been in and out of fashion since then but has never disappeared. Despite this, the name’s meaning is, well, “Lame” . Claudia actually comes from the Latin Claudico which has two interpretations. One interpretation is an impairment that causes a person to limp or to be completely lame. The other is to waver, be incomplete or defective. Neither explanation seems like the sort of thing a person would want in a moniker.
Layla
This name has so many variations; Lila, Leila, Leyla, Leilia and Lelah are just a few examples, that it was hard to chose which one would head this paragraph. Forms of the name are found amongst many cultures and languages around the world. Layla was made popular by the medieval Arabian love story Qays and Layla. Since the 1990’s the name has had a revival as a pretty, feminine sounding name for baby girls, owing mostly to the Eric Clapton song of the name name. The source of the name is less appealing. Layla is derived the Arabic word for “Night”. Originally the title would have been given to baby girls born at night or girls who were considered a to be beautiful and adrk like the night.
Belinda
Belinda is a girl’s name that has dwindled a little in popularity since its apex in popularity in the 1960’s. Like with many first names, the definition has become obscured or confused by dual origins. In Italian, Bella (thought to be a possible derivation of Belinda) means “Beautiful”. Indeed, this is the definition that most Belindas would espouse. However, there is plenty of evidence that the name comes from the Germanic word Betlinde meaning “Bright Serpent”. It may not be as sweet or romantic to be named after a poisonous reptile but it is kind of badass.
Gideon
This boy’s name, first appeared in the Bible and is the name given to a hero of the Old Testament. Given its recent surge in popularity it will be a name that will be more commonplace in the future so remember this. Gideon is a Hebrew label which means “Stump for a hand”. This shockingly descriptive name has tried to redeem itself though. Some historians claim that it means “Great Warrior”. Perhaps Gideon wasn’t quite the warrior he thought he was.
Barbara
Although not a current favorite for babies Barbara was popular with the baby boomers and hence there is no shortage of Barbaras around. Sometimes spelt Barbra, such as the iconic singer Barbra Streisand, this melodic girl’s name eminates from Greece. The name is derived from the Greek word bararos which means “Foreign or Stranger”. It has the same Latin root as the word barbarian, which initially meant non-Romans or those deemed to be uncivilized. Foreigner is sometimes spun as implying exotic but there is very little that can be done to make uncivilized sound upbeat.
Mallory
This name was initially used as a boy’s name. These days Mallory is predominantly a girl’s name. The name became popular in the 1980’s after it was fetured in the TV show Family Ties and then the book series The Babysitters Club. Perhaps the writers didn’t know about the name’s less than positive connotation, or perhaps they did. The name come from the French word malheur, which means “Unfortunate or Ill-fated”. Malheure was a Norman French nickname bestowed upon an ill-fated person. The Latin prefix ‘mal’ has an adverse influence in many words, for example malfunction, malignant, malicious and malnutrition.
Seth
The punchy boy’s name Seth has been around since ancient times and its popularity has ebbed and flowed but it has never disappeared completely. This name has two different origins, Egyptian and Hebrew. Curiously, both meanings are a little dark. In ancient Egypt Seth, also known as Set, was the God of Chaos. His name was associated with the Egyptian words for "turmoil", "confusion", "illness", "storm" and "rage". He was considered to be strong, dangerous, and strange. If that wasn’t enough to put you off, the biblical version of the name was originally bestowed upon the third child of Adam and Eve who was born after the death of his brother Abel. As such the name Seth, has been used throughout history by Christians for babies born after the death of a sibling. As such Seth, from the Hebrew word Sheth, means “Appointed” or “Compensation”.
Giselle
This girl’s name has become increasingly popular in the last few years. For some people it’s best known as a romantic Adolphe Adam ballet and for others it conjures up images of supermodel Gisele Bündchen. Giselle is a fashionable French name derived from the Germanic word gisil which means “Hostage” or “Pledge”. The name was a descriptive nickname for a child given as a pledge to a foreign court. In the early Middle Ages it was common for rival factions to offer a person, usually a girl child, to each other as a token of peace and friendship.