America's First Families
Forenames of Men
And Their Significance

AARON  Lofty, Inspired....ABDIEL  The Servant of God....ABEL  Breath, Vanity....ABIATHER  Father of Plenty....ABIEL  Father of Strength....ABIEZER  Father Of Help....ABIJAH  To Whom Jehovah is a Father....ABNER  Father of Light....ABRAHAM  Father of a Multitude....ABRAM  Father of Elevation....ABSALOM  Father of Peace....ADAM  Man, Earth Man, Red Earth....ADIEL  The Ornament of God....ADIN or ADINO  Tender, Delicate, Soft....ADOLPH or ADOLPHUS  Noble Wolf, i.e, Noble Hero....ADONIRAM  Lord of Height....ALARIC  All-Rich, or Noble Ruler....ALBERT  Nobly Bright, Illustrious....ALEXANDER  A Defender of Men....ALFRED  Elf In Council, Good Counsellor....ALGERNON  With Whiskers....ALLAN  Corruption of Elienus....ALMON  Hidden....ALONZO  Same as Alphonso....ALPHEUS  Exchange....ALPHONSO  All-Ready, Willing....ALVAH or ALVAN  Iniquity....ALVIN  Beloved to all....AMARIAH  Whom Jehovah Promised....AMASA  A Burden....AMBROSE  Immortal, Devine....AMMI  My People....AMOS  Strong, Courageous....ANDREW  Strong, Manly....ANSELM or ANSEL  Protection of Man....ANTHONY or ANTONY  Priceless, Praiseworthy...APOLLOS  Of Apollo....ARCHELAUS  Ruler of the People....ARCHIBALD  Extremely Bold, or Holy Prince....ARIEL  Lion of God, Valient for God....ARISTARCHUS  A Good Prince....ARNOLD  Strong as an Eagle....ARTEMAS  Gift of Artemis, or Minerva....ARTHUR  High, Noble....ASA  Healer, Physician....ASHEL  Made of God....ASAPH  A Collector....ASARELAH  Upright to God....ASHBEL  Fire of Bel....ASHER  Happy, Fortunate....ASHUR  Black, Blackness....ATHANASIUS  Immortal....ATHELSTAN  Noble Stone....AUBREY  Ruler of Spirits....AUGUSTIN, AUGUSTINE, or AUSTIN  Belonging to Augustus....AUGUSTUS  Exalted, Imperial....AURELIUS  Golden....AZARIAH  Helped of the Lord....
 

BALDWIN  Bold, Courageous Friend....BAPTIST  A Babtizer, Purifier....BARACHIAS  Whom Jehovah has Blessed....BARDOLPH  A Distinguished Helper....BARNABAS or BARNABY  Son of Consolation.... BARTHOLOMEW  A Warlike Son....BARZILLAI  Iron of the Lord, Firm, True....BASIL  Kingly, Royal.... BENEDICT Blessed....BENJAMIN  Son of the Right Hand....BENONI  Son of Grief or Trouble....BERIAH  In Calamity.... BERNARD  Bold as a Bear....BERTRAM  Bright Raven....BETHUEL  Man of God....BEZALEEL  In the Shadow of God....BONIFACE  A Benefactor....BRIAN  Strong....BRUNO  Brown....

CADWALLADER  Battle-Arranger....CAESAR  Hairy or Blue-Eyed....CAIN  Gotten or Acquired....CLEB  A Dog.... CALVIN  Bald....CECIL  Dim-Sighted....CEPHAS  A Stone....CHARLES  Strong, Manly, Noble-Spirited.... CHRISTIAN  A Beliver in Christ....CHRISTOPHER  Bearing Christ....CLARENCE  Illustrious.... CLAUDIUS or CLAUDE   Lame....CLEMENT  Mild-Tempered, Merciful....CONRAD  Bold In Council, Resolute.... CONSTANTINE  Resolute, Firm....CORNELIUS  Horn....CRISPIAN, CRISPUS or CRISPIAN  Having Curly Hair.... CUTHBERT  Noted Splendor....CYPRIAN  Of Cyprus....CYRIL  Lordly.... CYRUS  The Sun....
 

DAN  A Judge.... DANIEL  A Divine Judge....DARIUS  Perserver.... DAVID  Beloved....DEMETRIUS  Belonging to Ceres.... DENIS or DENNIS  Same as Dionysos or Baaccus the God of Wine.... DEXTER  The Right Hand.... DIONYSIUS  Belonging to Dionysos or Bacchus the God of Wine.... DONALD  Proud Chief.... DUNCAN  Brown Chief....
 

EBEB  A Stone....EBENEZER  The Stone of Help....EDGAR  A Javelin (or Protector) of Property.... EDMUND  Defender of Property....EDWARD  Guardian of Property....EDWIN  Gainer of Property.... EGBERT  The Sword's Brightness, Famous with the Sword.... ELBERT  Same as Albert.... ELDRED  Terrible....ELEASER  Tho Whom God is a Help....ELI  A Foster Son....ELIAB  God is His Father....ELIAKIM  Whom God Sets Up.... ELIAS  The Same as Elijah....ELIHU  God of the Lord....ELIJAH  Jehovah is my God....ELIPHALET  God of Salvation.... ELISHA  God My Salvation....ELIZUR  God Is My Rock....ELLIS  A Variation of Elisha....ELMER  Noble, Excellent.... ELNATHAN  God Give....EMMANUEL  God With Us....EMERY, EMMERY or EMORY  Powerful, Rich...ENEAS  Praised Commended
.... ENOCH  Consecrated, Dedicated....ENOS  Man....EPHRAIM  Very Fruitful....ERASMUS  Lovely, Worthy to be loved....ERASTUS  Lovely, Amiable....ERIC  Rich, Brave, Powerful....ERNEST or ERNESTUS  Earnest.... ESAU  Covered With Hair....ETHAN  Firmness, Strength....EUGENE  Well-Born, Noble....EUSEBIUS  Pios, Godly.... EUSTACE  Healthy, Strong, Standing Firm....EVAN  Same as John....EVERARD  Strong as a Wild Boar.... EZEKIEL  Strength of God....EZRA  Help....
 

FELIX  Happy, Prosperous...FERDINAND or FERNANDO  Brave, Valiant...FESTUS  Joyful, Glad... FRANCIS  Free ...FRANK or FRANKLIN  Contraction of Francis...FREDERIC or FREDERICK  Abounding in Peace, Peaceful Ruler ...

GABRIEL  Man of God...GAD  A Troop, or Company...GAIUS  Rejoiced...GAMALIEL  Recompense of God... GEOFFREY  Same as Godfrey...GEORGE  A Landholder, Husbandman...GERALD  Strong With the Spear... GERSHOM  An Exile...GIDEON  A Destroyer...GILBERT  Yellow-Bright, Famous...GILES  A Kid... GIVEN  Gift of God...GODDARD  Pious, Virtuous...GODFREY  At Peace With God...GODWIN  Good in War... GREGORY  Watchful...GRIFFIN  Having Great Faith...GUSTAVUS  A Warrior, Hero...GUY  A Leader...
 

HANNIBAL  Grace of Baal...HAROLD  A Champion, General of an Army...HEMAN  Faithful... HENRY  The Head or Chief of a House...HERBERT  Glory of the Army...HERCULES  Lordly Fame...HERMAN  A Warrior... HEZEKIAH  Strength of the Lord...HILARY  Cheerful, Merry...HILLEL  Praise...HIRAM  Most Noble... HOMER  A Pledge, Security...HORACE or HORATIO  Oak Wood, or Worthy to be Loved...HOSEA  Salvation...HOWELL  Sound, Whole ...HUBERT  Bright in Spirit, Soul-Bright...HUGH or HUGO  Mind, Sprit, Soul...HUMPHREY  Protector of the Home...
 

ICHABOD  The Glory is Departed...IGNATIUS  Ardent, Fiery...IMMANUEL  Same as Emmanuel...INCREASE  Increase of Faith...INGRAM  Raven...INIGO  Same as Ignatius (Spanish Form)...IRA  Watchful...ISAAC  Laughter... ISAISA  Salvation of the Lord...ISRAEL  A Soldier of God...ISHMAEL  Afflicted Her...ITHIEL  God is With Me... IVAN  Same as John (Russian Form)...

JABEZ  He Will Cause Paain...JACOB  A Supplanter...JAIRUS  He Will Enlighten...JAMES  Same as Jacob... JEPHETH  Enlargement...JARED  Descent...JASON  A Healer...JASPER  Treasure Master...JAVAN  Clay, Supple... JEDEDIAH  Beloved of the Lord...JEFFREY  Same as Godftey...JEREMIAH, JEREMIAS or JEROME  Exalted of the Lord...JEROME  Holy Name...JESSE  Wealth...JESUS  Same os Joshua...JOAB  Jehovh is His Father...JOB  Afflicted, Persecuted...JOEL  The Lord is God...JOHN  The Gracious Gift of God...JONAH or JONAS  A Dove...JONATHAN  Gift of Jehovah...JOSEPH  He Shall Add, JOSHUA  The Lord is Welfare...JOSIAH or JOSIAS  Given of the Lord... JOTHAM  The Lord is Upright...JUDAH  Praised...JULIAN  Sprung From, or Belonging to Julius...JULIUS  Soft-Haired... JUSTIN, or JUSTUS  Just...

KENELM  A Defender of His Kindred...KENNETH  A Leader, Commander...
 

LABAN  White...LAMBERT  Illustrious With Landed Possessions...LANCELOT  A Little Angel Otherwise a Little Lance or Warrior, Or a Servant...LAURENCE or LAWRENCE  Crowned With Laurel...LAZARUS  God Will Help... LEANDER  Lion Man...LEBBEUS  Praise...LEMUEL  Created by God...LEONARD  Strong, or Brave as a Lion... LEONIDAS  Lion-Like...LEOPOLD  Bold for the People...LEVI  Adhesion...LEWIS  Bold Warrior... LINUS  Flaxen Haired...LIONEL  Young Lion...LEWELLYN  Lightning...LOAMMI  Not My People...LODOWIC  Same as Ludovic or Lewis...LORENZO  Same as Lawrence (Spanish and Italian Form)...LOT  A veil, Covering...LOUIS  Same as Lewis... LUBIN  Beloved Friend...LUCIAN  Belonging to or Sprung From Lucius...  LUCIUS  Born at Break of Day... LUDOVIC  Same as Lewis...LUKE  Light-Giving...LUTHER  Illustrious Warrior...LYCURGUS  Wolf  Driver...
 

MADOC  Good, Beneficent...MALACHI  Messenger of the Lord...MANASSEH  Forgetfulness...MARCELLUS  Diminutive of Marcus...MARCIUS  Same as Marcus...MARCUS or MARK  A Hammer, Otherwise, a Male, or Sprung from Mars...MARMALUKE  A Mighty Noble...MaRTIN  Of Mars, Warlike...MATTHEW  Gift of Jehovah... MATTHIAS  Gift of the Lord...MAURICE  Corruption of Amabuc, The Kingdom of Heaven...MAXIMILLIAN  The Greatest Aemilianus...MEREDITH  Sea-Protector...MICAH  Who is Like the Lord...MICHAEL  Who is Like to God... MILES  A Soldier...MORGAN  A Seaman, A Dweller on the Sea...MORGAN  A Seaman, A Dweller on the Sea... MOSES  Drawn Out of the Water...
 

NAAMAN  Pleasantness...NAHUM  Consolation...NAPOLEON  Lion of the Forest-Dell...NATHAN  Given, A Gift... NATHANAEL or NATHANIEL  The Gift of God...NEAL or NEIL  Dark, Swarthy, otherwise (Celtic) Chief... NEHEMIAH  Comfort of the LORD...NICHOLAS or NICOLAS  Victory of the People...NOAH  Rest, Comfort...  NOEL  (Dies Natalis)  Christmas, Born on Christmas Day...NORMAN  A Northman, Native of Normandy...
 

OBADIAH  Servant of the Lord...OBED  Serving God...OCTAVIUS or OCTAVUS  The Eighth Born... OLIVER  An Olive Tree...ORESTES  A Mountaineer...ORLANDO  Same as Rowland...OSCAR  Bounding Warrior... OSMOND or OSMUND  Protection of God...OSWALD or OSWOLD  Power of God...OWEN  Lamb, otherwise, Young Warrior... OZIAS  Strength of the Lord...
 

PATRICK  Noble, A Patrician...PAUL, PAULINUS or PAULIS  Little...PELEG  Division...PEREGRINE  A Stranger... PETER  A Rock...PHILANDER  A Lover of Men...PHILEMON  Loving, Friendly...PHILIP  A Lover of Horses... PHINEAS or PHINEHAS  Mount of Brass...PIUS  Pious, Dutiful...POLYCARP  Much Fruit... PTOLEMY  Mighty in War...
 

QUINTON  The Fifth...
 

RALPH  Same as Rodolphus...RANDAL  House-Wolf...RAPHAEL  The Healing of God...RAYMOND or RAYMUND  Wise Protection...REGINALD  Strong Ruler...REUBEN  Behold a Son...REUL  Friend of God...REYNOLD  Same as Reginald...RICHARD  Rich-Hearted, Powerful...ROBERT  Bright in Fame...RODERIC or RODERICK  Rich in Fame... RODILPH or RODOLPHUS  Famous Wolf or Hero...ROGER  Famous With the Spear...ROLAND or ROWLAND  Fame of the Land...RUDOLPH or RUDOLPHUS  Variations of Rodolphus...RUFUS  Red, Red-Haired...RUPERT  Same as Robert...
 

SALMON  Shady...SAMSON or SAMPSON  Splended Sun, Great Joy and Felicity...SAMUEL  Heard of God, Asked for God...SAUL  Asked For...SEBA  Eminant...SEBASTIAN  Venerable, Reverend...SEPTIMUS  The Seventh Born... SERENO or SERENUS  Calm, Peaceful...SETH  Appointed...SHADRACH  Rejoicing in the Way...SIGISMUND  Conquering, Protection...SILAS  A Contraction of Silvanus...SILVANUS  Living in a Wood...SILVESTER  Bred in the Country Rustic...SIMEON or SIMON  Hearing with Acceptance...SOLOMON  Peaceable...STEPHEN  A Crown...  SWITHIN  Strong Friend...SYLVANUS  Same as Silvanus...SYLVESTER  Same as Silvester...
 

TERTIUS  The Third Born...THADDEUS  The Wise...THEOBALD  Bold For the People...THEODORE  The Gift of God...THEOPHILUS  A Lover of God...THERON  A Hunter...THOMAS  A Twin...TIMOTHY  Fearing God...TITUS  Honorable...TOBIAH or TOBIAS  Distinguished of the Lord...TRISTRAM  Grave, Pensive, Melancholy, Sorrowful, Sad ...TYBALT  Same as Theobald...
 

ULYSSES  A Hater...URBAN  Of the Town, Courteous, Polished...URIAH  Light of the Lord...URIAN  A Husbandman ...URIEL  Light of God...
 

VALENTINE  Strong, Healthy, Powerful...VICESIMUS  The Twentieth Born...VICTOR  A Conqueror...  VINCENT  Conquering...
 

WALTER  Ruling the Roast...WILLIAM  Resolute Helmet, or Helmet of Resolution, Defense, Protector...WINFRED  Win-Peace...
 

ZABDIEL  Gift of God...ZACCHEUS  Innocent, Pure...ZACHARIAH or ZACHERY  Remembered of the Lord...  ZADOC  Just....ZEBEDIAH or ZEBEDEE  Gift of the God...ZEBINA  Bought...ZEBULON  Dwelling... ZEDEKIAH  Justice of the Lord...ZELOTES  A Zealot...ZENUS  Gift of Jupiter...ZEPHANIAH  Hid of the Lord...

The Reference For The Above Is; "Origin and History of the Name Smith: and an account of the origin of Surnames and Forenames; together with over five hundred Christian names of men and women and their signifiance: the Crescent family record.  Chicago, Ill: American Publishers Association. 1902, 130 pages."
The Surname-Forename information contains much that will be helpful to you. The rest of the book is too general to assist you with any surname lines..Many other surname lines published from about 1900-1910 by this firm.......

Harold Oliver, Director America's First Families.

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