First Names from Place-names

I was perusing name announcements the other day, and came across Kimber. I admit, my initial reaction was along the lines of "Ugh. Another parent trying to create a 'unique' spin on an older name."
But then I started thinking, "Why not?" Kimberley is from a surname/place name meaning "Cyneburga's field", after all. Since -ley is "field", wouldn't Kimber kind of just be a modern form of Cyneburga? Plenty of Old English (and Norse) names exist today only in places or surnames, so why can't we just lop off the locational ending to reclaim lost first names?

Some would arguably work better than others (and I also think that some of the original OE names could still be usable today, too), but I still had a lot of fun finding them! ;)

(unless otherwise noted, the original name was likely male)

• Alcon(bury)--"Ealhmund's fort"
• Arle(sey)--"Aelfric's island"
• Balton(sborough)--"Bealdhun's mound"
• Beck(ley)--"Becca's field"
• Becon(tree)--"Beohha's tree"
• Bermond(sey)--"Beornmond's island"
• Bren(ton)--"Bryni's town"
• Camber(well)--"Cantbeorht's spring"
• Caver(sfield)--"Cafhere's field"
• Chell(ington)--"Ceoldwynn's people's town" [feminine]
• Chella(ston)--"Ceoldheard's town"
• Cogen(hoe)--"Cugga's spur of land"
• Cothel(stone)--"Cuthwulf's town"
• Dagen(ham)--"Daecca's home"
• Dare(sbury)--"Deor's fort"
• Dayle(sford)--"Daegel's ford"
• Ember(ton)--"Eanbeorht's town"
• Ender(by)--"Eindrithi's village"
• Essen(dine)--"Esa's valley"
• Ever(ingham)--"Eofor's people's home"
• Fulmod(eston)--"Fulcmod's town"
• Garmond(sway)--"Garmund's road"
• Gilmon(by)--"Gilman's village"
• Hedger(ley)--"Hycga's field"
• Idridge(hay)--"Eadric's enclosure"
• Ingold(mells)--"Ingjald's sand-hills"
• Ilket(shall)--"Ylfketill's land"
• Kelve(don)--"Cynelef's valley"
• Kemer(ton)--"Cyneburg's town" [feminine]
• Kilver(stone)--"Kilvert's town"
• Kimbol(ton)--"Cynebald's town"
• Kinwal(sey)--"Cyneweald's enclosure"
• Laven(don)--"Lafa's valley"
• Levis(ham)--"Leofgeat's home"
• Mauger(sbury)--"Maethelgar's fort"
• Melson(by)--"Maelsuithan's village"
• Ocken(don)--"Wocca's hill"
• Ossul(stone)--"Oswulf's rock"
• Pax(ton)--"Poecc's town" [coincides with the Latin word for 'peace']
• Renn(ington)--"Regna's people's town"
• Rickman(sworth)--"Ricmaer's farm"
• Rosli(ston)--"Hrothlaf's town"
• Sydmon(ton)--"Sidumann's town"
• Syson(by)--"Sigsteinn's village"
• Thedd(ingworth)--"Theoda's farm"
• Thurla(ston)--"Thorleif's town"
• Tyther(ton)--"Tydre's town"
• Wenha(ston)--"Wynhaeth's town"
• Whit(ington)--"Hwita's people's town"
• Wilbra(ham)--"Wilburh's land" [feminine]
• Witten(ham)--"Witta's pasture"
• Wolgar(ston)--"Wulfgar's town"
• Wolver(ton/cot/ley)--"Wulfhere, Wulfgar, or Wulfweard's town/cottages/field"
• Wymer(sley)--"Wigmaer's field"
• Wymond(ham)--"Wigmund's home"
• Wyrard(isbury)--"Wigred's fort"
• Yelver(ton)--"Geldfrith's town"

Dead Names.

Okay, yes, I know--there have been thousands, possibly millions of names that were once in use which, for whatever reason, just...stopped. Today, I'm going to have fun looking for now-obsolete names used in England within the last 5-700 years or so. A few survive today in surname form, but otherwise, they're gone--feminine or masculine, in pretty much any language I could find (apologies if I missed something).
(nowhere near a comprehensive list, obviously!)

Boys:

• Adelard--Old English or Germanic "noble" + "brave"
• Beneger--prob. from Germanic bern "bear" + gar "spear"
• Botolph--Old English "help", "messenger", or "battle" + wulf "wolf"
• Cuthbert--Old English cuæ "famous" + beorht "bright"
• Degory/Digory--prob. from French egare "lost", or possibly Anglo-Norman desgarry "dispossessed"
• Edulf--Old English ead "rich" + wulf "wolf"
• Gerlick--from Germanic gar "spear" + laic "contest"
• Hereward--Old English here "army" + weard "guard"
• Osgood--Old English os "god" + Germanic god "god"
• Osmer--Old English os "god" + mære "famous"
• Rocelin--from Germanic hrod "fame", via French & Germanic diminutives
• Turbert--Old Norse Thor + Germanic bert "bright"
• Warin--from Germanic war "guard"
• Wicard/Wychard--from Germanic wig  "war" + hard "brave"
• Wolfstan--Old English wulf + stan "stone"
• Wymark--from Germanic wig "war" + mar "famous", via Old Breton
• Wymer--from Germanic wig "war" + mar "famous"
• Wymond--from Germanic wig "war" + mund "protector"

Girls:

• Agenilda/Einilda--from Germanic agi "sharp" or haga "enclosure" + hild "battle"
• Ailith--Old English æðel "noble" + gifu "gift"
• Ailova--Old English æðel "noble" + lufu "love"
• Amice/Amicia--from Latin amicus "friend"
• Aldiva--Old English eald "old" + gifu "gift"
• Alviva--Old English ælf "elf" + gifu "gift"
• Belsant/Belsante/Belisencia--poss. from Germanic bili (?) "sword" + sinþ "journey"
• Brithwen--Old English beorht "bright" + wynn "joy"
• Claremonde/Claremunda--from Latin clarus "bright" + Germanic mund "protector"
• Estrild/Estrilda/Estrelda--Old English Eastre "Easter" [Germanic goddess] + hild "battle"
• Hawis/Hawisia--from Germanic hadu "battle" + widis "wide"
• Idemay--poss. Germanic id "work" + mæg "power"
• Idony/Idonea--from Old Norse Iðunn [Norse goddess]
• Kinborow--Old English cyne "king" + burg "fortress"
• Leva--Old English léofe "beloved"
• Levith--Old English léofe "beloved" + gýð "battle" 
• Leviva/Lyveva--Old English léofe "beloved" + gifu "gift"
• Maysant/Maisenta--from Germanic matha "council"(?)+ suent "strength", or magan "strength" + sinþ "journey"; via French
• Merewen--Old English mære "famous" + wynn "joy"
• Quenell/Quenilda--Old English cwen "woman, queen" + hild "battle"
• Queniva--Old English cwen "woman, queen" + gifu "gift"
• Rametta/Ramett--from Latin ramus "branch" or Germanic ragn "advice"
• Seilda/Seild--Old English sæ "sea" + hild "battle"
• Selova--Old English sæ "sea" + lufu "love"
• Welthian--unknown, poss. "Wealthy Anne"; or a corruption of "Welsh woman" or of a Welsh name (like Gwenllian)
• Wymark--poss. from Germanic wig "war" + mar "famous", via Old Breton

And yet again, I come up with more feminine names than masculine. I'm amazed at how many boys' names, even from over half a millennium ago, are still in use today. Girls' names really do have more turnover!

<*insert semi-cheesy holiday title here*>

I swore I wasn't going to do a holiday-themed post, because they are everywhere, but I just couldn't resist.
So, for the season of giving, here's a compilation of names that mean "gift".
Whatever your holiday is, I hope it's a happy one!

Boys:

• Abishai (ah-bi-SHY, Hebrew)--"my Father's gift"
• Ata (ah-tah, Arabic)
• Csaba (CHAH-bah, Hungarian)
• Devdan (dev-dahn, Indian [Hindi])--"gift of the gods". Variants include Debdan & Deodan.
• Doron (doh-ROHN, Hebrew")
• Ekrem (ek-REM, Turkish)--"most generous"
• Gebbert (GEB-bert, German)--"brave gift"
• Gennady (gen-AH-dee, Russian)--from Greek, "generous"
• Isidore (IZ-a-dor or ees-ah-DOHR, Greek)--"gift from Isis"
• Jesse (JES-see, Hebrew)
• Mattan (mah-tahn, Hebrew)
• Matthew (MATH-yoo, English)--from Hebrew, "gift of Yahweh". Variants include Matthias (Greek), Matteo (Italian), & Makaio (Hawaiian).
• Shai (SHY, Hebrew)
• Theodore (THEE-oh-dohr, Greek)--"gift of god"

Girls:

• Atiya (AH-tee-yah, Arabic)
• Dara (DAH-rah, Slavic)
• Dîyar (DEE-yar, Kurdish)
• Dorothea (doh-roh-THEH-ah, Greek)--"gift of god"
• Eudora (yoo-DOHR-ah, Greek)--"good gift"
• Gennadiya (gen-AH-dee-yah, Russian)--from Greek, "generous"
• Godiva (god-EYE-vah or goh-DEE-van, Anglo-Saxon)--"gift of god"
• Heba (HEB-ah, Arabic)
• Isidora (is-ih-DOHR-ah, ee-see-DOHR-ah, Greek)--"gift from Isis"
• Karima (kah-ree-mah, Arabic)--"generous"
• Lahja (LAH-hya, Finnish)
• Pandora (pan-DOH-rah, Greek)--"all gifts"
• Sunniva (soon-NEE-vah, Norwegian)--from Old English, "gift of the sun". Another form is Synnove (sin-NOH-veh).
• Theodora (theh-oh-DOHR-ah, Greek)--"gift of God"

Archaic is the New Vintage

It's safe to say that vintage names are on the rise. From Isabella to Oliver, your grandparents & great-grandparents likely share their names with toddlers all across the country. Many people think it's great; others can't stop picturing little old ladies. If Stella & Leo aren't your thing, perhaps we should go further back.

Boys:

• Alaric (AHL-ah-rick, Germanic)--"ruler of all"
• Anzo (AHN-zoh, Germanic)--"giant"
• Baldric (BALL-drick, English)
• Barnaby (BAR-na-bee, English)
• Berthold (BERT-hahlt, German)
• Brennus (BREN-nus, Celtic)--precursor to names like Bran & Brendan.
• Crispian (KRIS-pee-an, English) 
• Drustan (DROOST-an, Celtic)--precursor to Tristan
• Eastmund (AYST-mund, Anglo-Saxon)
• Federigo (feh-deh-REE-goh, Italian--form of Frederick
• Radulf (rah-DULF, Germanic)
• Rayner (RAY-ner, English)
• Wulfric (WUL-frick, Anglo-Saxon)
• Wymond (WYE-mond, English)

Girls:

• Adelais (ad-el-AH-ees, Germanic)--a "lost" variant of the Adele/Alice/Adelaide family
• Aldith (AHL-dith, English) 
• Annora (ahn-NOR-a, English)--"honor"
• Auda (AW-da, Germanic)--feminine of Otto
• Cateline (cat-el-een, French)--variant of Katherine
• Clemency (KLEM-en-see, English)--"mercy"
• Christobel (KRIS-to-bell, English)
• Dreda (DREH-da, English)--short form of Etheldreda, which probably isn't as usable.
• Dulcibella (dul-si-BEL-la, English)--"sweet and pretty"
• Emmeline (EM-el-een, English)
• Gytha (GEETH-a, English)
• Idonea (id-ON-ee-a, English)--from the Norse goddess of spring & immortality
• Jocosa (joh-OH-sa, English)
• Kasimira (kaz-ih-MEE-ra, German)
• Linza (LIN-za, German)--precursor to Linda
• Melicent (MEL-ih-cent, English)
• Meriel (MEH-ree-el, English)--"shines like the sea"
• Odilia (o-DEE-lee-a, German)--"wealth"
• Parnel (par-NEL, English)
• Peronel (pehr-o-NEL, English)
• Tacey (TAY-see, English)