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Most names have counterparts in almost all countries. The Name Nigel seems to be almost purely UK. Ive never heard of anyone named Nigel from any other country but the UK. Wonder where it originated and its meaning.
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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Our resident Nigel can probably add to this, but my understanding is that the name is of Irish origin, probably deriving from the Irish Gaelic 'Niul', a diminutive of 'Niadh', which means 'Champion'. So it seems that 'Nigel' means 'Little Champion'!
The name occurred in Iceland a thousand or more years ago as 'Njal', and later spread to Scandinavia, and from there, with the Normans, to Northern France. By this time, the name had developed from 'Nyal' to 'Nel', or 'Nele'. It was already common in England before the Norman invasion of 1066.
In late medieval times, the language of international communication in Western Europe was Latin, the language of the Roman Catholic Church. Christian names were 'Latinised' for Church and other official purposes. Some 'Latinisations' are fairly obvious - 'Georgius' and 'Henricus' for George and Henry, for example. Others were more obscure; William became 'Guilelmus' and James became 'Jacobus' - which of course is why the supporters of the descendants of James Stuart (James II of England) in the rebellions of 1715 and 1745 were known as Jacobites.
'Nel' and 'Nele' were 'Latinised' as 'Nigellus'. 'Nigellus' was presumed to be a diminutive of 'niger', meaning 'black', so it could be argued that 'Nigel' might also mean 'little black boy'!
In the 1400s, by a process known as 'back-formation', the name 'Nigel' (or 'Nygell', or 'Nigelle') began to appear in English alongside 'Nele', which was now often written as 'Neale' or 'Neil'. Although all forms were originally common in England, the names 'Neil' and 'Nigel' are now most commonly found in Scotland. The modern Irish spelling is 'Niall'.
So 'Nigel' is just another form of 'Neil' - one of the best-known holders of the latter name being Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the Moon.
Variants of the same Christian name are very common in the British Isles, because of the influence of the various Celtic languages. 'John', until recently the commonest name throughout our islands ('Latinised' as 'Johannes'), also appears as 'Evan' (Welsh), 'Ewan', 'Euan', 'Eugene', 'Ian' and 'Iain' (Scottish), 'Eoin', 'Eugene', 'Sean' and 'Shane' (Irish) and 'Ivan' and 'Jack' (English; 'Ivan' is borrowed from Russian, and 'Jack' - 'Jock' in Scotland - is a 'pet' form, though nowadays, in England at least, 'Jack' is more popular than 'John'). The name 'Eugene' can also derive from the Italian name 'Eugenio' (Latin 'Eugenius'); there were four Popes named 'Eugenius', and one of them was canonised as St. Eugenius. Entirely separately, 'Eugenius' (as a 'Latinisation' of 'Ewan') appears in medieval lists of early Scottish Kings. The name was never popular in England, so when the name 'Eugene' appears in American families of primarily British descent, it is highly probable that it is a Celtic version of 'John'. So the United States provides yet another variation of 'John' because the short form 'Gene' now occurs as a name in its own right.
You have no idea of the complications you can cause by wondering!
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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Way cool thanks grandfather. Bu the way just for fun what do the names Brian and Aiden mean?
I believe in Karma....what you give is what you get returned........
Affirmation........Savage Garden
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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What really annoys me is the alleged translation of "Timothy" into "God Fearing", where it is absolutely not. People have mixed Latin and Greek (see "television", which should be "proculvision").
Timo is greek for "I honour"
Theos is greek for "God"
Thus TimoTheos "I honour God"
Timeo is Latin for I fear, but you woudl need "Deum" for God, hence "Timeodeum"
It is, however, a very silly name at best!
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Said Timmy,
>Thus TimoTheos "I honour God"
It can't be, literally, "I honour God," because the Greek first person singular is "timao" (τιμα&omicron), not "timo". Unless, of course, the "a" in Timaothy got lost at some stage. But I'm sure it's the same word.
"David" seems to be one of the few common names in the English language that can't be Latinised. Supposedly it means "beloved"; presumably it's Hebrew.
David
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Brian said,
>Ive never heard of anyone named Nigel from any other country but the UK.
Funnily enough, I don't think I've ever met a Brian in the UK (or anywhere, for that matter). I wonder if it is more popular in America than it is over here?
I'm not sure what Aiden means, and I've certainly never met one, but I like the name.
Update: have tried http://www.behindthename.com/, and I've no idea how accurate it is, but it came up with:
AIDEN: variant of Aidan
AIDAN: Anglicized form of AODHÁN
AODHÁN: From the old Irish name Áedán, a pet form of Áed (see AODH). This was the name of an Irish monk and saint of the 7th century.
AODH: From the old Irish name Áed, which meant "fire". This was a very popular name in early Ireland, being borne by numerous figures in Irish mythology and several high kings.
As for Brian:
BRIAN: The meaning of this name is not known for certain but it is possibly related to the Old Celtic element bre meaning "hill", or by extension "high, noble". Brian Boru was an Irish king who thwarted Viking attempts to conquer Ireland in the 11th century. He was victorious in the Battle of Clontarf, but he himself was slain.
David
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Deeej wrote:
"David" seems to be one of the few common names in the English language that can't be Latinised. Supposedly it means "beloved"; presumably it's Hebrew.
At last something I know something about! LOL
Yes, "David" derives from the Hebrew (except that in Hebrew the 'a' is short and the last syllable is the accented one).
The etymology of the name is far from clear. There is a very similar archaic Hebrew root which means 'love', 'lovemaking', 'beloved'. Modern biblical scholarship, however, prefers to link the etymology with the cognate Arabic word 'Daud" which would result in the meaning 'chieftain'.
I doubt the the jury will ever return on this one so, Deeej, you can decide for yourself whether you want to be 'loverboy' or 'chieftain'. But in any case, isn't it about time you made some effort to look for Jonathan? Hugs. 
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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It is a victim of fluctuating fashion. Brians were common in my age group, and I was at school with several
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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As Deeej says, the meaning of 'Brian' is uncertain. It is definitely a Celtic name, but it isn't absolutely clear whether it is Goidelic (Irish or Scots) or Brythonic (Welsh, Cornish or Breton). Both language groups formed compound words including 'bre', meaning 'hill'. The suffix '-an' suggests a diminutive, or 'pet' ending (rather like the Old English '-kin', sometimes added to the names of children: 'Simpkin' means 'little Simon').
However, 'Brian' doesn't mean 'little hill'! There would originally be additional syllables in the middle of the word, but they disappeared at a very early stage; the name was recorded as 'Brian' in Brittany before 900, and was probably used in Ireland at least as early as that. The best that can be said is that it probably has something to do with 'hill'. As Celtic names were quite often descriptive, it could well have had an original meaning like 'hill dweller', 'hill wolf' or 'chieftain of the hill', but these are pure guesses with no specific supporting evidence. So your name's a bit of a mystery, Brian, me lad!
As Deeej suggests, 'Brian' became (and remains) a very popular name in Ireland in honour of the Irish High King and folk-hero Brian Boroimhe (Brian Boru). It was introduced to England from Brittany in the 11th century, and was very popular for several centuries, though by the 1800s it was largely confined to Northern England; however, it had a renaissance in the mid-1900s and again became popular throughout England - though not, according to Deeej's experience, in Winchester or Woking! It's still a fairly common name in Brittany. The 'Latinised' form is 'Brianus'.
'Aiden' is a bit more straightforward. As Deeej says, it's a variant of 'Aidan', and is a diminutive of the Irish 'Aodh' or 'Aid', meaning fire, so it literally means 'little fire'. As Irish names tended to be descriptive a sense like 'little firebrand' is possibly more likely. The earliest recorded holder of the name was a monk of Irish origin, who died in 651. At the request of Oswald, King of Northumbria, who had recently converted to Christianity, Aidan came to that Kingdom in 635 to preach the Gospel to the pagan Bernicians (the inhabitants of the northern part of Northumbria, stretching from the River Tees to the River Forth, now in Scotland). He was very successful, earning respect for his personal poverty and humility; he ultimately became Abbot and Bishop of Lindisfarne.
The name 'Aidan' continued in use in Ireland, but was never popular in England or Scotland except in the areas which were originally part of Northumbria. The only ancient Church dedicated to St. Aidan is the Parish Church of Bamburgh on the Northumberland coast. However, the name was popularised by the Tractarians (a mid 19th-Century conservative group within the Church of England) and became fairly popular throughout England, but especially in the former Northumbria, where literally dozens of 19th and 20th-Century Churches are dedicated to St. Aidan. Aidan is currently a very popular name in North-East England, particularly (but not exclusively) in Roman Catholic families.
The variant 'Aiden' does occur in the British Isles - Aiden Gillan played Stuart, one of the lead characters in the original British 'Queer as Folk'! However, 'Aidan' is far the most common spelling. 'Aiden' ocurs much more frequently in the United States. As emigration from Ireland far exceeded emigration from North-East England and South-East Scotland, families in which the name is regularly used are likely to be of Irish descent. The 'Aiden' spelling probably arose because many first-generation Irish immigrants to the USA spoke Gaelic rather than English; in Gaelic, the name sounds more like 'Aiden' than 'Aidan', and 'Aiden' was probably a phonetic rendering of the name by those issuing immigration documents.
And that, Grandson mine, is about the sum total of my knowledge of the subject - I hope you find it interesting!
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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Like Nigel, presumably.
I've only ever known one Nigel of my generation, but several of yours, Timmy.
David
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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One Nigel of my generation was so sexy, too. Such a golden body, such a smile, such hot legs. And he knew it, and traded on it.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Said Cossie,
>[Brian] had a renaissance in the mid-1900s and again became popular throughout England - though not, according to Deeej's experience, in Winchester or Woking!
I do not, and never have, lived in Woking!(!)
Urgh... grey concrete.
Chertsey, Chobham, Virginia Water are all closer, though actually I live in a tiny village somewhere between all three.
>The variant 'Aiden' does occur in the British Isles - Aiden Gillan played Stuart, one of the lead characters in the original British 'Queer as Folk'!
Ah, yes: that is why the name is familiar. Except it's Aiden GillAN. Caught you out there, Cossie!
David
P.S. Two and a half exclamation marks in a single post? I am slipping!
P.P.S. Three and a half.
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cossie
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On fire! |
Location: Exiled in North East Engl...
Registered: July 2003
Messages: 1699
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...."I do not, and never have, lived in Woking!(!) Urgh... grey concrete. Chertsey, Chobham, Virginia Water are all closer, though actually I live in a tiny village somewhere between all three."
Now, seriously, Deeej, why would I let silly little things like facts get in the way of a good bit of alliteration? Winchester and Woking sounds MUCH better than Winchester and Virginia Water!
And quoth Deeej yet further ...
...."Ah, yes: that is why the name is familiar. Except it's Aiden GillAN. Caught you out there, Cossie!"
Hmm! Can I extend to you a courteous invitation to re-read my post - or, better yet, the extract quoted in your response? I am sure that, having done so, you will wish to make an early appointment with your optician!
I would normally insist upon a 300-word grovelling apology, but as you are obviously making a real effort to get to grips with exclamation marks, I am prepared to let you off with a rebuke on this occasion!
For a' that an' a' that,
It's comin' yet for a' that,
That man tae man, the worrld o'er
Shall brithers be, for a' that.
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Oh, the horror! A gravelly grovel.
It's all those AidEN and GillANs that got me. Or was it AidAN GillEN? Er, well, you could have made that mistake (in a parallel universe). So I was pre-emptively correcting you. Er, yes.
In fact, I have been receiving increasingly frantic messages from my optician that I have not had an appointment for about three years. Might be a good point to schedule one.
My apologies for any physical, mental or spiritual anguish I may have caused.
David
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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Don't we get cybermen and daleks coming in from between parallel universes nowadays?
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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