The Etymology of First Names - Essay Example

My Name: Edwin Discovering the history of a name can reveal a great deal about the culture of a particular family as well as connect a person bearing that name to some significant points in history. While some names appear to be original, most have proven to have very old origins. The age of the name can sometimes be determined by figuring out how many different societies share instances of the name. The older names will appear as a traditional name in several countries that might have once been connected through treaty or war, but that are now separated by perhaps more than geographical boundary. The reason these relationships are no longer recognized is because, in many cases, the language in which the name originated falls out of use. Most of these names originated as descriptive terms of the person who bore them. These were typically collections of nouns and adjectives such as ‘Wulfgar’, which includes the still recognizable word ‘wolf’ combined with a once recognized word ‘gar’ which referred to a specific type of weapon. “Parents would choose names from the pool of existing names rather than invent new ones for their children. As time went on the language changed and in many cases the words that formed the original name passed out of use, leaving the fossilized form in the name. This is why we do not recognize the meanings of many names today” (Elliott, 1997). The name ‘Edwin’ is one of these names with an ancient history and meaning despite its relatively recent revival in modern use. According to the “Etymology of First Names” (2002), the name ‘Edwin’ is comprised of two Old English words ‘ead’ and ‘wine’ or sometimes ‘wyne’, which mean “rich or blessed” and “friend” respectively. Elliott (1997) disagrees slightly and defines ‘ead’ as meaning “prosperity, fortune, riches.” Thus, the name is translated to mean “rich friend”, “blessed friend” or “friend to prosperity” depending upon the translator’s conception of the word ‘ead.’ The name is considered a traditional name in German, Dutch and English, but is generally agreed to have originated in Germany. Part of the reason for this is its connection with Old English. However, the name had to have once enjoyed a great deal of popularity as it eventually became the foundation for a particular surname depicting the reach it eventually gained. Evidence that the name was widespread exists in the appearance of the surname Edevane in Wales. “This surname is so rare as not to appear in the typical surname dictionary but is far from being a modern invention. … Investigating the Edevane name takes us back to the time when the ancient Brythonic tribes were pushed westwards by the Anglo Saxon invaders to become the Cornish and the Welsh. At least one element of the name reminds us that they once shared a language” (Weston, 2004). That element, the ‘ead’ of Edwin, had become so ingrained in name pool of the dominant society that the surname Edevane appeared as early as 1579 in Cornwall, with numerous variations showing up in Herefordshire and Wales. Evidence of the reason for the popularity of the name can be found in the area as early as the 7th century King of Northumbria. Edwin of Northumbria was a prince from the royal family of Yorkshire who lived from 584-633 AD. His father had been killed when he was only four years old and he was forced to flee his homeland to grow up in the court of Gwynedd before marrying a Mercian princess and starting a family. By 613, King Aethelfrith began moving against Edwin again, forcing Edwin to move against the Bernicians. This victory led him to march on, eventually overrunning Bernicia, Deira, Elmet, Strathclyde, Gododdin and South Rheged. Perhaps in retaliation for setting his first wife aside, an assassin was sent after Edwin in 626, ultimately bringing Edwin’s wrath down on Wessex in spite of his facing superior numbers in the armies of Prince Cwichelm, King Cynegils and King Penda. “Following his victory over Wessex, Edwin may have even been acknowledged as overlord of all the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms (save for Kent). Bede certainly records that Edwin held imperion south of the Humber” (Ford, 2003). Despite this, Edwin gathered together a fleet and added the Isle of Man, Gwynedd and Anglesey before finally settling down to a peaceful reign within the country he had created. Allowing his wife’s priest to convert him to Christianity, Edwin also made all of his nobles convert, thus unifying the country under one belief system, gaining him tremendous recognition from the Pope. “Edwin also set about refortifying York and the famous Anglian Tower may date from this time. Though this city might be considered Edwin’s capital, he held a number of important administrative centres and resided in them on a circuit basis similar to that used by later Saxon and Norman kings” (Ford, 2003). Thus, Edwin was known for having united the kingdom, bringing at least a temporary peace to the land and for establishing patterns of rule that would enable the proper administration of a large realm. However, “after the Norman conquest, the name was not popular, but was eventually revived in the 19th century” (Campbell, 2006). There have been several other world-changing Edwins through the years as well. Another very influential and world-changing Edwin was Edwin Hubble (1889-1953) who is credited with proving that there are other galaxies in the universe other than the Milky Way and that the universe is expanding at a constant rate. “Hubble did nothing less, in short, than invent the idea of the universe and then provide the first evidence for the Big Bang theory, which describes the birth and evolution of the universe. He discovered the cosmos, and in doing so founded the science of cosmology” (Lemonick, 1999). By using the method developed by his rival, Hubble was able to prove the Andromeda galaxy was far beyond the bounds of the Milky Way. Observing the redshift, he was able to develop Hubble’s Law: “the farther away a galaxy is from Earth, the faster it’s racing away” (Lemonick, 1999). He also helped to design and construct the Hale telescope on Palomar Mountain in Palomar, California and his name graces the great Hubble Space Telescope, which has provided us with images of space that we never dreamed of on Earth. Edwin Aldrin, more familiarly known as ‘Buzz’, changed the world by stepping outside of it to explore our single natural satellite. Following astronaut Neil Armstrong out of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module on July 20, 1969, Buzz was the second man to walk on the moon in mankind’s first ever trip to touch the moon (“Buzz Aldrin”, 2006). It is primarily his role in this historic event that gained him his notoriety, but he had also been a part of the earlier Gemini program, contributed heavily to the techniques used in space rendezvous and docking flights and conducted one of the longest and earliest space walks in the NASA program. Since his retirement from the space program and the military, he has worked to encourage the development and continuance of the space program. The name Edwin has frequently been associated with scientists, intellectuals and leaders, perhaps explaining its current popularity. Samples of the 1990 US Census indicate the name ranked 134th in popularity for males during that decade, and perhaps slipping slightly as shown in a sample of Social Security Administration statistics from 2000-2003 (Oxygen, 2006). Having a name like Edwin may not immediately conjure up associations with “prosperous friend” as it might have millennia ago, but with associations such as Edwin Hubble and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, it isn’t much of a stretch for people to immediately associate the name with intelligence and forward thinking. Even when associated with Edwin of Northumbria, the name indicates a person who is capable of envisioning something more than what has been seen before, devising a plan for getting there and changing the world around him by proving his ideas would work. Despite its rather humble appearance, it is more than a name to live up to, it is a name to be proud of both for its roots in ancient history and its association with world-changing men who have even touched the stars. Works Cited “Buzz Aldrin.” Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. (2006). Microsoft Corporation. May 14, 2006 < http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761552896/Buzz_Aldrin.html> Campbell, Mike. “Edwin.” (2006). Behind the Name: The Etymology and History of First Names. May 14, 2006 Elliott, Kelly. “A Brief Introduction to the History of Names.” (1997). Society for Creative Anachronism. May 14, 2006 “Etymology of First Names.” (July 2, 2002). EnglishWhiz. May 14, 2006 Ford, David Nash. “St. Edwin, King of Northumberland.” (2003). Early British Kingdoms. May 14, 2006 < http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/adversaries/bios/edwin.html> Lemonick, Michael D. “Scientists and Thinkers: Edwin Hubble.” (March 29, 1999). The Time 100. May 14, 2006 < http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/hubble.html> Oxygen. “Edwin.” Oh! Oxygen. (2006). Oxygen Media. May 14, 2006 Weston, John. “Mysterious Names from Wales.” (2004). Data Wales Index & Search. May 14, 2006 < http://www.data-wales.co.uk/namex.htm> Read More