Where do the meaning of names come from?

There are a lot of new names coming out....Not just popular ones that have been long established but actually NEW names. I like to look up new names for a meaning but there never is any. I guess all names have to start somewhere, so who decides what they mean if they aren't derived from some other word?





I'm asking because my middle name was made up by my mother. It has no meaning, so does my mother get to decide "what it means"? Or can I? lol

Where do the meaning of names come from?
Meaning generally comes from the original language in which a name was found. The name Aidan is usually listed as meaning "little fire" because it is composed of the Irish word Aed "fire" plus a diminutive suffix. Sophia is simply the Greek word for wisdom; thus the name Sophia means "wisdom."





Names also pick up added meaning, in a way, as they are used by famous people throughout the centuries. The name Galen, for example, is sometimes listed as meaning "healer" (even though in the original language it means "calm") because Galen was a famous 2nd-century physician. The name Lydia is sometimes listed as meaning "noble" (even though the name really just means "from the region called Lydia in Asia Minor") because Lydia was a famous biblical noblewoman who helped the Apostle Paul. The more accurate name websites dispute these meanings; however, they have still become part of what the name means to us culturally.





It's difficult to assign meaning to the names that are made up based on parents just liking the sound. There are some new names (like Araceli) that are derived from genuine words or word parts (ara means "altar" and celi means "sky" in Latin), so it's easy to give meaning to those. Beyond that, it gets tricky.





Take the name Jayden for example. Is it an elaboration of the name Jay, and thus related to the bird? Or is it just part of the -aden craze (along the same lines as Braden, Zaden, Traden, and Caden) -- should its meaning be derived through Aidan? Or is it a form of the biblical name Jadon, meaning "he will judge"? Or does the meaning change depending on whether you spell the name Jayden, Jaidan, or Jadon? It's hard to say.





I'd be interested in hearing what your middle name is! If you really want a meaning for your middle name, perhaps you can look to see if it has any parts in it that have meanings in various languages. Or you can become famous, and then your name will "mean" whatever it is that you became known for! I suppose you can just make up a meaning for it if you want, but it wouldn't be particularly real or official. Good luck!





EDIT:





Some possible meanings for your name (if you want one):





"Great" (Gaelic): an elaboration of the Gaelic name Mor, meaning "great"





"Great princess" (Gaelic and Hebrew): a combination of Mor, meaning "great" in Gaelic, and Sarah, meaning "princess" in Hebrew





"Great healer" (Gaelic and Hebrew): a combination of Mor, meaning "great" in Gaelic, and Asa, meaning "doctor, healer" in Hebrew





"Great and swift" (Gaelic and Japanese): a combination of Mor, meaning "great" in Gaelic, and Sa, meaning "fast and early" in Japanese





"Of the sea" (Welsh): an elaboration of the Welsh word Mor, meaning "sea," also found in names like Morgan





"Dark-skinned" (Latin): a form of Morris or Maurus, which meant "dark-skinned" in Latin





"Walrus" (Spanish): an alternate pronunciation of the Spanish word morsa, which means "walrus"





"Inventive communicator": derived from the last name of Samuel F. B. Morse, who was a gifted painter and the inventor of the telegraph and Morse code
Reply:I don't think that made up names, which are not derived from any word in any language have a meaning at all.





You can't just go "hmmm.......Lillomarica. yes that sounds nice. and it shall mean 'she who makes the sun rise'. yes that'll do".





You know, there is simply nothing that you can base the meaning on to justify it to other people.
Reply:interesting question!


I'd like to know the same thing. I made up the name Eliyla (Eli-Luh) ..Well I've NEVER ever heard anyone say it before. So, I'm just gonna take a gander lol...but anyways...Who makes the meaning? BC idont know!
Reply:You can. But I suggest you don't make up a random meaning.
Reply:idk
Reply:Names have meanings because they started out long ago as real, actual words... and words, of course, have meanings. When parents chose a name for their child, they used words from their everyday language that meant something.





Sometimes they picked a word that described a trait they hoped their child would have. For example, Ethan is a hebrew word meaning strength; Amy comes from the french word for love or beloved; Felicia comes from the Latin word for happy.





Some names were chosen to honor God. John comes from the hebrew word Yochanan which means God is gracious. Joshua started out as Yehoshu'a, meaning God is salvation. A lot of the most commonly used names have meanings like this, because people got them from the bible.





Some parents chose words that described things in nature, such as Astrid (star), Flora (flower) and Ava (bird).





Many names that we use as first names today started out as last names. But they, too, had meanings that described where someone lived, what they did, or what they looked like. Some examples are: Chandler = a candle maker. Ashley = someone who lived in a forest of ash trees. Reid = someone with red hair.





As you can see, many of the names we use today come from different languages, and some are hundreds or even thousands of years old. The spellings and sounds of the names have changed over time. And that's why it's not always obvious what a name's meaning is.





But not all names have meanings. Some are simply combinations of sounds that the parents liked, so they made it into a name. Then someone else heard it and named their child that, and eventually it became a common name. But didn't come from a word with any actual meaning.





But that doesn't mean that a new, made-up name doesn't mean anything. It describes YOU, and of course you mean a lot!