Names through the Ages [Paperback]

Teresa Norman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1999

The first book of names from the annals of history-this comprehensive reference source includes thousands of names from the Dark Ages in England to contemporary America. A person's name conveys a culture, a history, and a way of looking at the world. And as centuries of war, immigration, rulers, and religions have changed a country, they have also changed the names of its people. In the first book of its kind, Teresa Norman traces the history of Europe, from the ancient Roman era to the present, and shows how names originated and changed throughout the ages. Whether you are a history buff, a writer searching for the proper name for your character, or a parent looking for a special name for your child, Names Through the Ages is a rich resource of ideas, stories, and histories behind thousands of names. Includes names from:
--England and Scotland's Dark Ages and Industrial Revolution
--The Norman Conquest and Reformation in Wales
--Ireland's clan revolts and Catholic emancipation
--The rise and fall of France's monarchy
--American colonization and Civil War

Special features include:
--alphabetized listings for easy reference
--organized by time period and country
--advice on alternate spellings
--information on origins and meanings
--surname definitions
--histories of names and countries
--The first book of its kind
--Includes thousands of Anglican names from the Dark Ages to contemporary times
--Comprehensive and expertly researched

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Norman (The African-American Baby Name Book) aims her guide at writers, history buffs, and parents-to-be, but while the book is neatly organized, it does not meet the needs of any of these audiences. The information is arranged by country and then by era. Within each era, historical highlights are summarized and naming customs are discussed, followed by lists of given names and surnames with meanings and variant spellings. However, without an index, parents-to-be might have to scan as many as 37 lists to find a specific name. History buffs would find the summaries too brief and the number of countries covered (six) too limited. Writers would be frustrated by the lack of a clear explanation of sources or the criteria used to include a name within a specific era. The lists are too short to be comprehensive, and there is no indication that they feature the most commonly used names. Most readers will also be disappointed by the extensive repetition of names and the brevity of the information provided for each. Norman's thorough research, as demonstrated by the lengthy bibliography, and her straightforward writing style make this book browsable for patrons of larger public libraries. But with a good index and more attention to the names themselves, it could have been a unique and useful resource.AVivian Reed, Long Beach P.L., CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425168778
• ISBN-13: 978-0425168776
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,635,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really interesting book, January 17, 2001

By 

Julie Fuller - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Names through the Ages (Paperback)

This book was really pretty good for authors looking to name their historical fiction characters. It's not so good for parents, because it has no pronounciation key. But it is pretty extensive, divided first by geography and then by chronology. Includes meanings and origins for loads of names, as well as a short bit about the culture of the time -- especially as it relates to names. Mostly first names but sometimes last names as well. Very good. Includes American, English, Irish, Welsh, and French.

5.0 out of 5 stars Both our kids were named with the aid of this book, March 31, 2011

By 

Miss Bananas "allecto13" (The rocky northeast) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Names through the Ages (Paperback)

True, there is no pronunciation key, but that hardly seems to matter to most people. If you find something you like, you can certainly go online to verify how to say it.
I had no desire to have a laptop in the hospital with me - we decided to name our kids after they were born - and so I had printed out sheets of names, and this book to help us. You might think us inveterate and incorrigible procrastinators, but no! We just like to meet the product before deciding on an appropriate name. Although, if I had known then what I know now, I would have found a name to mean "screams his head off at every opportunity" for our younger child. Because even now, at the age of 5, he still indulges in this.... *sigh*
And as I'm also a writer, it still lives on my reference shelf, because I like it. Somewhere in this digital age, it's nice not to have to print our a bunch of stuff - and I also like to highlight, and dogear, and generally manhandle my reference books. Call me old fashioned, but not even a kindle will reform me.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Top of the Top 22, August 8, 2005

By 

Watchgirl "watchgirl" (Oakville) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Names through the Ages (Paperback)

For a writer this is a great name book with history and culture behind the names in this book. This is a wonderful name book but not for parents looking for baby names.