Ang Peregrino Recommends 7: Behind the Name
Behind The Name: The Etymology and History of First Names
URL: http://www.behindthename.com/
Many know where their names came from. For some, it’s really just a fusion of the names of their parents (i.e. Alma = Alfred and Maria). For others, they got their names from famous people (i.e. John Paul from the visiting Pope John Paul II, Paul Ringo when the Beatles had a concert in their city, etc.). Others got their names from a myriad of sources. A cousin of mine was named Marshall because he was born in 1972, when Martial Law was declared in the Philippines. A famous basketball player in our country is named Olsen, because he was born on Nov 1 (or is it 2?), All Saints Day. The name of a politician in our city is President. And I heard that his siblings were named: Emperor, Princess, and Prince. That’s our own version of a Royal Family!
But it would also be great to really know where our names came from. When we talk about the meaning of our names, we are really talking about its etymology and its history. So click on the link above, check out your first name and know how it came to be.
ERIC
Gender: Masculine
Usage: English, French
Pronounced: ER-ik (English), er-EEK (French)
From the Old Norse name Eiríkr, derived from ei “ever” and ríkr “ruler”. Danish invaders first brought the name to England. A famous bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red in English), a 10th-century navigator and explorer who discovered Greenland. This was also the name of kings of Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Whatchathink?!